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Kia Presents: A New Way to Roll 2010. - Click here for the funniest movie of the week

dougmaxfield said...

Why did I just picture you with a hat on sideways doing the running man, Salt 'N' peppa style?

Lying About Libya

I'm not in favor of putting American kids in harm's way over this Libyan civil war.  The threat to our country is minimal, despite the fact that the Libyan Dictator Gadhafi has openly supported terrorist attacks that have lead to the loss of American lives.
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The case with Saddam Hussein in Iraq was different in that he was gassing Kurds in his country and had given all impressions that he was developing weapons of mass destruction.  It was a definite threat, even though we found out that he was bluffing after we kicked his ass.

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Although it would be nice for Gadhafi to reach the same fate as Hussein, that can't be the motivation for our foreign policy.

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There are repressive regimes throughout the world, that persecute their people.  If that is our rationale for intervention in Libya, where do we draw the line?
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In reality, we are intervening in Libya because of the importance of Libyan oil to France and Britain, and the US is nervous about controlling the leadership position.  Funny how France is leading the way on this one, but turned their nose at the Iraq effort.  It's all about the money.  This repressive regime reason is bullshit.
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Obama already has the Nobel Peace Prize, and the lefties will give him a big pass on this action... although there is far less reason to attack Libya than Iraq.

Orlando Ordeal

Got back from the CTIA Wireless convention in Orlando, Florida today.
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I had a brutal chest cold and a hacking cough which made the whole thing an ordeal.  Plus there were other physical issues that I'm not going to tell you about, but it all added up to a great deal of discomfort.  The temperature down there was in the 80's which felt oppressive in my Boston end of winter mode, and there was a lot of walking from venue to venue
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Despite it all, I relied on my Mountain of a Man powers to catch up and renew some old relationships.  Got some good industry rumors and a few sales leads.
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It was worth suffering through.

Kharmic Storm

There are now 365 days left on the official FreshAyer countdown.   Anything happening earlier  is always possible
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If you feel guilty reading this because you know that you had something to do with it..... go easy on yourself.
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You will need all of your strength to withstand the shitstorm that is coming your way courtesy of the Law of Kharma.   For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.   As ye sow, so shall ye reap.
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Think of it.   How bad can it be????   Oh. Baby, you are screwed.   And nobody will feel guilty for you.

TommyO said...   Just wanted to let you know that I heard Celtics Number 5 Kevin Garnett on the radio today discussing his leisure time with the host.

Love to watch "Spartacus", can't get enough said the big man. The dudes alright in my book.

Into the Closet

Katelyn was pretty happy at the closet that we built on Saturday.
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So was I.
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Nothing fancy.  Just some 1x12 white laminate joined with Kreg Jig Joints and screws.  We bought all of the stock at the Home Depot, and cut the pieces on her back porch.
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The whole thing took about seven hours including design and stock plan,  the stock  pickup run, tools set up and breakdown, and a stop in the action for an Italian Sub sandwich.  The Kreg joints made it wicked solid.
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I suppose that if I worked in efficiencies, I could build two of these a day.
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Could be a fallback if the Telecom Biz tanks.

Time to Lay Low

On Friday, I deadheaded home from East Greenwich, RI, jumped into the shower, then went right down to the Boston Yacht Club for dinner with friends.
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On Saturday, I deadheaded home from South Boston, jumped into the shower, then went right down to Hungry Betty's for dinner with friends.
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Not a clear pattern for success.
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In each case, I was really tired after doing physical construction work, which isn't my everyday gig.
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And in both cases, my physical fatique caused my rapier sharp wit and verbal comeback abilities to be a bit delayed and dull.
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Being a Mountain of a Man means that you have to suck it up and carry the Peeps on your back every once in awhile.... even when you are not 100% up for the task.
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I'm pretty sure I carried it off, but today, I'm laying low.  Dale Johnson wanted to go into the Boston Garden this morning to see the Marblehead Boys Hockey team in the state tournament, but I think I'll pass.

TommyO, Reigning POTY,  said...


Marblehead 6 - Westfield 3
Marblehead Division III State Champs.
A great time, great bunch of kids.
They worked hard and their efforts were rewarded.

Shelving not Shelved

This morning, I'm trying to wipe off the cobwebs from last night's libations, because I promised Katelyn that I'd build her custom closet at her condo in South Boston.
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I had told her that I would be there at 8:00AM, but that't not going to happen.  Probably will show by 9:30AM, take measurements and make a rough plan and stock list.    We will  be going with 1x12 pine shelving, held together with Kreg Screws and supported by base 1x4's and pre-made brackets.

By 10:30, we'll be at the Home Depot picking up the stuff and the saws won't cut their first board until noon.
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Mike wants to grab lunch at a Southie Pub which could seriously threaten the project schedule.
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But Katelyn will be driving me hard to see this project reach completion.  That means that the finish will not be a final coat of paint, but just the carpentry.

Celebrate the Green

We had a nice time at the Boston Yacht Club St. Patrick's Day celebration.
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Lots of of banging the bar at the "No, Nay, Never, No More" verses of Wild Rover.
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Then  Maria Rowen stepped up to the mike wirh a sweet rendition of "When Irish Eyes are Smiling."  She brought the house down with her soulful arpeggio stylings.
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Filling out our group was Harvey Rowe, with whom we artfully substituted the Phrase "Oh Harvey Boy" instead of the commonplace "Danny Boy" in the classic ballad., his lovely wife Lisa Panakio Rowe, who expressed her disinterest in attending a viewing of the "Spartacus" finale at our house, and Lynda Murray our special friend.
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I don't want to say that we carried the bar at the BYC, but we pretty much did.
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A fine celebration.

Erin Go Bragh

Happy St. Patrick's Day.  Erin Go Bragh.

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We celebrate this day to commemorate St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, who converted the pagan Celts to Christianity and reportedly drove the snakes from Ireland.

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When I was a young upstart in the City of Lynn, MA, it was a day for exessive beers at the Porthole Pub after lunch and stopping off at the Commodore Restaurant in Beverly where politicians from all over the state would gather to throw good natured barbs at each other and show their singing prowness, bellowing out "When Irish Eyes are Smiling".

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One of my fondess memories of the day was having a corned beef and cabbage dinner at the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Division 10 in Lynn and listening to Senate President Billy Bulger immitate James Michael Curley as he promised to take the Golden Dome of the Statehouse and turn it upside down, and fill it with water to use as a swimming pool for the children of Boston, if elected Governor.  Bulger's rendition made you feel that it was really Mayor Curley on the podium.

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When I was a little kid, I remember my father taking me and my brother to the parade in South Boston where we froze to death on the sidewalk until he took us into a neighborhood pub to warm up.  I can still feel that cold in my bones.  Later, my father told us the story about how he got into a ruckus in South Boston in his younger days, and that the Judge had told him stay out of South Boston.   I never got anymore details than that.

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I think he liked the fact that he was returning to South Boston to watch the parade with his kids.  He'd probably get a kick out of the fact that two of his grandkids live in Southie today.

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I can't deny that I've always been proud to be of Irish descent.  Sometime around the turn of the century, some Crowleys, Kelly's and Nestor's left County Cork and County Sligo and made their way to Pennsylvania to work in the coal mines, and finally landed in Lynn.  They aren't even memories now, just historical fact.   The only tie I have is this photograph of Darby Nestor taken in West Lynn, who bears a slight resemblance to my son Ryan.

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I'm proud to be Irish, because somehow, their blood flowing though my veins has made it easier to live in my own skin.

Shit Happens

What a nightmare for the Japanese with this Nuclear emergency! 
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It looks like a meltdown is imminent so the question is whether the containment vessels will hold and prevent a massive outpouring of poisonous radiation.  Aftershocks continue to pummel the country and the devastation from tsunamis has yet to be measured.  There are reports of whole towns with no survivors.
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Could it happen here?
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Absolutely.  Which will create a huge debate over whether nuclear power is necessary and if the safeguards that are in place are enough..
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Our standard of living demands a high supply of electrical energy, but there are costs.... and shit happens.   I suppose that we could shut down the laptops, lights and TV's and huddle around the fireplace knitting and whittling wood.
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Or we can live with the danger and try to mitigate the risk that our high energy level way of life requires.
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I'm a pretty good whittler, so can go either way.

Antidote for Aggravation

OK....I've been watching the coverage of the Japan Disaster on ABC News against my better judgement. 
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I actually like David Muir and Martha Radatz.... both former Boston protoges, but Diane Sawyer officially makes my teeth hurt.   Her feigned compassion and efforts to compell emotional response.... just tell us the freaking news, Diane.   It's not about how bad you feel, it's about what's happening to them.
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Gag me with the proverbial spoon.

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BTW, this is what came up when I googled for an image of Diane Sawyer.  It's most definitely not her, but I'm going with it anyway.
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 Somehow I feel a lot less aggravated now.

TommyO said...
Hi Jay,
How about some local sports news.


Marblehead 3 vs Pembroke 2


Marblehead wins the D3 East Title and will play at TD Garden for the first time in many years on Sunday at 11:15. Let's bang the place out. This Blog has the power.


TommyO

Fragility of Life

The Japanese have a penchant for photography.   So there is no shortage of tsunami photos.   Such devastation.
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And since Japan is so advanced technologically, the concern right now is if their nuclear power reactors will be damaged and spew radiation poisoning.
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The resourcefulness of the Japanese people will ultimately prevail here, after a huge effort and cost. 
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This is such a graphic example of the fragility of our human existance on the thin geological crust of this moving molten planet