More D and R Difference

Katelyn sent me this story which further differentiates the tendencies of Democrats and Republicans.
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A woman in a hot air balloon realized she was lost. She lowered her altitude and spotted a man in a boat below.She shouted to him, "Excuse me, can you help me?
I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."


The man consulted his portable GPS and replied, "You're in a hot Air balloon, approximately 30 feet above a ground elevation of 2346 feetabove sea level. You are at 31 degrees, 14.97 minutes north latitude and 100degrees, 49.09 minutes west longitude."

She rolled her eyes and said, "You must be a Republican."

"I am," replied the man. "How did you know?"

"Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to do with your information, and I'm still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help to me."


The man smiled and responded, "You must be a Democrat."


"I am," replied the balloonist. "How did you know?"

"Well," said the man, "you don't know where you are or where you're going. You've risen to where you are, due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise that you have no idea how to keep, and you expect me to solve your problem. You're in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but, somehow, now it is my fault!

Tom Holmes said...

You NEVER Disappoint me! EXCELLENT!!!!

Democrats and Republicans

The problem about Democrats and Republicans is that they are both right.
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Democrats say that "it take's a village."
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Republicans say "let individuals be free to take care of themselves."
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So if you are competent and independent, the Republican side is right.
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But if you need the help of others and can't get on by yourself, the Democratic side is right.
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According to the needs and abilities of the individual, both sides are right. Sometimes government control is necessary... and sometimes freedom is the only stimulis required to solve issues.
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It makes no sense to only take the side of independent, self sufficient people when some people legitimately need the help of others. Some people need the whole freaking village, and you have to accept that.
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I'm so confused.

POTW Week 10

Former Peep of the Year Lauren Rathbone once again proves why was chosen as a POTY when she asked if she missed anything by not seeing the Peep of the Week choice last week.
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The POTW wasn't  there because the Peeps  were never picked,  Lauren.  But I'm happy to act retroactively.

ANNOUCING.... Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 10th Week of  2010.

Lauren Rathbone
Will Crawford
Tyler Gill
Lisa Panakio Rowe
John Tierney
Brian Butler

Nice Catch Lauren.

Angling Toward Aquaponics

The steady rain this weekend put a damper on my backyard projects.

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But I had a lot of other stuff to fill the gap.  The Grandkids were over which always fills the time, and I had a real estate showing in Central Mass for some of the SuperPeeps who I can't name so that I don't jinx the deal.   And while I was out there anyway, I squeaked in an unplanned Fresh Ayer visit.

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Then Tom Holmes turned me on to the concept of aquaponics, whereby a fish pond environment is exchanged with the water from hydroponically grown vegetables, and both the fish and the plants benefit from the exchange of nutrients. 

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So I spent a good deal of the indoor down time reseaching pump systems  on the Internet and thinking of how this aquaponics system could come together.
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All I was originally thinking of doing was making a backyard waterfall and Japanese water garden... then the thought of adding fish and growing hydroponic vegetables started to make some sense.   I think I'll make a run at it this summer.
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Thanks for the idea Tom.  I'll send you some Tomatoes.

Lauren Rathbone said...

How come no peeps last week. Did I miss something?

Water Management

I'm waiting for the Grandkids to come by, and I'll be spending some time with them.   But I'd love to get some fence pole holes dug before this three day rain storm hits.  The  backyard  will be soggy and muddy for weeks after that soaking.
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Since the willow trees in the back have been gone, the water table seems to have risen considerably.  Apparently, the huge willows sucked up a tremendous amount of moisture that is no longer leaving the soil.  Even with the trees, the water table in the backyard was only two feet down or so.

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Maybe, I'll have to dig a shallow well and install a pump to use for watering this summer.  With a Japanese pond and Coi Fish to follow.  
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That would be the ultimate evolution.  From Appalachia, to a Japanese Water Garden!  I should start digging for the electrical conduits, but it already has started to rain.
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Weekend Outlook

It's an overcast and rainy outlook for the weekend.  That might slow the evolution of the backyard from Appalachia to New England.
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I've been making progress though.
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All of the trim has been installed and shingling is half done.  All I have to do on the house is finish the cedar shakes, then paint the trim.
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The next priority will be to fix the stockade fence, then build a wood crate, then move and organize the wood pile.  After that, the backyard lawn and plantings will have to be attended to.... but that gets pushed out to May.  I'm going to get a painting contractor in shortly to do all of the trim around the entire house.
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If all of the house stuff is done by the end of March, that will leave April to get the Pram and the Tender refurbished and ready for an active boating season this year.  We'll get the WhaleEye in in May and start reeling in the fish and lobsters.
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That's the plan for this weekend.


Tom Holmes said...
I am Impressed... You Truly ARE a Mountain Man!

pisc said...
Got a call last night from a guy who built my house. He is in Sousa Baranowski for the rest of his life for murder. For what its worth, he is a guy who has nobody, and we communcate with him and keep a few bucks in his account up there.


As my pop, a Navy corpsman, later to become and MD and professor at no less than Yale University said to me when I told him this, hoping for affirmation for being a good Catholic: "we all could be in prison Pat. It's no trick to be free."


Maybe that is why we see eye to eye, Johnny.

Moaning about March

March is the worst month of the year for weather in Boston.   The temp keeps creeping over 50 degrees and the warmth of the sunshine makes you start to yearn for spring, then a quick cloud cover coupled with drizzle at 38 degrees puts the winter chill right back into you.
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Plus, even though I'm basically a Northern guy, and the cold weather  never really bothers me, you finally get bored with it, when it's raw and rainy but not snowing.
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When my ancestral trust fund kicks in... or when I hit the Powerball Lottery... whichever comes first, I'll be heading for some tropical outpost for the entire month of March.  Until then I'll be slugging it out with the March weather, getting as close to bitching and moaning as a Mountain of a Man can get.

Baa Baa Pelosi

In a remark at the 2010 Legislative Conference for National Association of Counties, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi urged the passage of the health care bill saying: “But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it, away from the fog of the controversy. "
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BTW, the bill is 2,700 pages long.  She would have been a great politician during the Cold War.....  For the Russian Communist Party.   She must truly believe that we are Sheep.
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A highly incompetent remark from the Democratic Leadership.

Pisc said...


Just do what I tell you to Pelosi - these remarks are heard by everyone, and everyone gets it. The onus is on us to tell our representatives that we do not support the proposed legislation and, moreover, are deeply disturbed by the attitude that the majority party is taking given the clear intent from the people that this bill is not just antithetical to our desire, but very,very destructive. The patrician posturing and blatant arrogance that Ms. Pelosi and her comrades are showing toward us, the great unwashed, is completely antithetical to the principle of government "of the people, by the people and for the people." I'll save you the google search. Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. LIncoln being the first ever Republican president.

This latest surge is the Dem's Pickett's Charge. We must stop this, in the near term, to postpone the vote until after their recess. Barry wants it by date X (for the tenth time), a date conveniently just prior to his going abroad, to avoid the uproar here, to avoid the press, and, in his wettest dream, to gloat to the Socialist scum he wants to impress. Pig.

Pisc said...

Great trip to the Bass Pro Shop last night. Getting the tackle ready for a big year. DId you know that the license that I/we need to simply surfcast is put on us by, you guessed it, the Feds. NOAA. ********ers.

Painless Dentistry

Back from the Dentist and waiting for the novocaine to wear off.  I'm a big fan of novocaine.  I'll take discomfort over pain any day.

Scattering to the Exits

What's with all of these Democratic Congressmen who are leaving Congress?
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It seems like the Democratic majority is imploding into itself.  They have the power and the votes to make a change, and are unable to do so.  We know that they can throw rocks, but now that they have the tools, they can't build anything.
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Am I being too critical here?  Patrick Kennedy, William Delahunt, at least two others in the past two weeks.  All of a sudden, they don't care too much about change.  Change is good as long as they don't have to be the ones to put in the time and effort to effect it.
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You would think that someone with the leadership skill of Speaker Nancy Pelosi could stem the tide of these costly resignations.
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And Obama seems to be wallowing in rhetoric and ineffectiveness.  All of that executive experience at the Chicago ACORN agency doesn't seem to be kicking in.
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It is approaching mid term.  The light in the room has been turned on and it seems like there is quite a bit of scattering to the exits.

Census Takers

The US Census was first formed because there had to be a way to count citizens in order to allocate Congressional seats to the States.
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That's it.   Count the heads and determine the population of the States.
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Now, we're informed by the United States Department of Commerce that  the Census is required so that each community can receive its fair share of government funds.   And in order to determine the "need" the Census delves into all sorts of questions that have nothing to do with a head count.
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Sorry, but I just become less trustful and more jaded as I get older.  We are losing our freedoms as the government seeks to learn every part of our private lives though its taxation and "census" systems.  Our rights to privacy and our ability to lead our own lives as we deem fit within the reasonable boundaries of law are under attack.
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The Founding Fathers would have revolted under our present government.

Attitude

It wasn't too long ago when the Japanese were viewed as producing a superior automotive product.  Their manufacturing processes and work ethic were held to be models for the US.   But now the Toyota fiasco really debunks this myth.
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The Toyota recall problem doesn't seem to go away.  These weird instances of random acceleration with no operator control could tip the entire Japanese auto industry.
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Most of you who know me, know that I'm a Ford guy.  Can't imagine not driving an F150 Pickup.....
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Henry Ford's quotation, "If you say you can, or you say you can't... you're right!" has always been a source of inspiration.  Every problem can be solved.  As long as you maintain the proper attitude and don't defeat yourself by quitting.
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Course, personally, Henry Ford held reprehensible views.  So I'm not a fan of him per se, but I live by his quotation.