Boston Marathon Bombing Payback is a Bitch

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Such a mix of emotions.  Bewilderment, Sadness, and Pride.
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They caught the bomber from Cambridge, as he cowered in a shrinkwrapped boat in Watertown.
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His Russian father says that he and his dead brother were set up.  That they must be innocent.   Tell that to the four dead and 170 injured.   Maybe that guy should shut the phuck up and wonder what the hell he did wrong with the two maggots that he sired.
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An overall sentiment, filtering through the shock and sadness, is pride in the way Boston responded to this situation.
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I was once at a party at UMass Amherst, where things got out of hand and one guy punched another in the face pretty hard.  The guy who got punched looked a little dazed, then his face hardened and he whaled the shit out of the other guy in a furious hale of wicked blows.   The first guy who initially threw the punch was left in a heap on the floor.
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I know what you are thinking.... and you are wrong.    Neither of those guys were me.
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But, That's what Boston did to those creepy little Chechynan Bastards from Cambridge, who cowardly killed women and children, and  then gunned down a young father as he sat in his police cruiser.  Boston took the hit, then whaled the Bastards.
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Boston didn't whimper and lick its wounds.  Boston went out and got some payback.... and Payback is a Bitch.   I'm proud to be from Boston and even prouder to be an American.
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If the ideological reason for this terrorist act was to scare and inhibit Americans, that was a dismal failure.   WTF is going on with these Muslim attacks anyway??? Jihad my Ass, I just don't get it.

Closing In on Boston Marathon Terrorists

They are chasing a  19 year old guy  from Chechnya in Watertown named Dzokhar Tsarnaev (pronouced "Zocar Sarnev") who survived a gunfight and is now on the lam as I write this.   He and another killed a young MIT police officer and highjacked a Mercedes SUV.  Tsarnaev's accomplice is believed to be his brother and  is  dead due to gunfire and an explosion  in a shootout in Watertown.
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An MBTA Police officer is critically wounded.
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It hasn't taken long to close in on these perpetrators, and the dragnet is tightening on Tsarnaev.  I'm praying that he's taken alive.  Soon we'll have a lot more answers about these worthless murderers.
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Do these Maggots have any friends or accomplices?  We'll find out.  If we can locate Saddam Hussein in a dirt hole in Iraq, then we'll root out the rest of these Vermin.
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Terrorists take Note....  the cheap kitchen timer that is measuring the rest of your sickening time on Earth is ticking away.
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Tick... Tick... Tick... Tick................DING!!!!!

A Pall and Aftermath

It's hard to comment on anything within the pall of this Boston Marathon Terrorist attack.
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Any mention of another topic seems disrespectful to the issue at hand.
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The New York outpouring of support for Boston has been incredibly classy, characterized by the singing of "Sweet Caroline" at the Yankees game.  We may be rivals, but we are sibling rivals, and stick together when attacked by the outside.
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And the expressions of support from all over the world is particularly heartfelt.
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The singing of the National Anthem at the Bruins game last night brought tears to my eyes.  How can anyone think that they can damage us when we come together with such strength in times of adversity like this?
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We are all on pins and needles as they close in on the lowlife losers who perpetrated this crime.   Two people have been identified, which would eliminate the option that a mentally deranged schizophenic may be responsible. 
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If this turns out to be an act committed by some organization or cult, they just shortened their lifespan considerably.

Stupid, Evil Asshole

I heard that Brian Donovan, the heart and soul of the Mooseknuckles, was just stepping over the Finish Line on Boylston Street, when the first bomb exploded.   Thank God he wasn't hurt. 
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My heart aches for the victims and their families.  Selfishly, as soon as I heard of the explosion, I began to check on the whereabouts of my family and friends and was relieved when all were confirmed safe.  Then I felt a little guilty being relieved when so many would not have the same emotion.   My friends have said that this is a normal reaction.... but I still feel shitty about it.
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So nice job, Mr. Terrorist.   You killed an eight year old kid, a 29 year old beautiful woman, and a third Boston University female graduate student who hasn't yet been identified. Many have lost limbs.  Over a hundred and seventy wounded.
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Well done... you Despicable Vermin.
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We learned our lesson, didn't we?  That twisted, demented, evil mind of yours really got your point across.   By the way, we  found Hussein in a spider hole and executed him, and Bin Ladin is fish food after we killed him in his own residential prison.
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This will backfire on you and any of your sub-human associates.  You just set a cheap kitchen timer on the worthless days left in your gutless, rediculous life.
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Stupid, Evil Asshole.  

Beyond Reason

The finish line at the Boston Marathon was bombed today.
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Two Dead, over one hundred injured...  at least fifteen critically. 
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What glorious cause was it to kill and maim innocents watching a joyous event like the Boston Marathon? How can humans get so warped and twisted to randomly destroy others lives? 
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What a living hell it must be to have a mind that can conceive and execute this heinous act.
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We like to think we are civilized, but we still live in the Wild West. Little kids get shot in their classrooms, innocent supporting spectators get torn and maimed with shrapnel watching a road race. 
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You can never let your guard down.

Marathon Monday

There are 27,000 runners competing in the Boston Marathon today.
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When I ran it in 1972, there were 3,000 in the race and I remember marveling how crowded it seemed.
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Over the years, the race has gained considerably in popularity.  I used to take a bus to Boston at 12:00PM and casually walk over to the Prudential Center finish line to be there at 2:00PM before the first runners came through.   Back then, I knew who the runners and favorites were, and was shocked when Bill Rodgers first won, and nobody realized that he was a local guy as he turned the corner on Beacon Street.
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This year, I'll be pulling for Carrie Paige,  Shalane Flanagan, the elite Women's runner from Marblehead who has a good chance of winning, and former POTY Tommy McMahon, who doesn't.
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Looks like the weather will hold up.

My Favorite Lama

"This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness."

~ The Dalai Lama ~

Nice Days Work

This morning, I was sitting on the couch, and decided that it was a good day to replace the lamppost at the Nanepashemet house that blew down in the Blizzard.  ~
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So by 8:30AM, I was bothering the nice tenants with a lot of noise digging out the old post and planning the project.   The  lamppost was rotted and the lantern fixture was pretty banged up, so there was no salvage.
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After checking with two HOME Depots, there was no stock lamppost to be found, so I grabbed a leftover 4x4 from the Tommy O deck, notched that for the wire and trimmed it with some 1x6 pressure treated stock that I bought along with a new fixture.
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Jim Bob Peabody lent a hand snaking the wire, and Tommy O brought over his post level.   The result is this classically understated and custom crafted lamppost at 32 Beverly Ave. .... All done in one day.... MOAM style.

 

I get by with a little help from my Friends.

Latest Entries to the Nanepashemet List of Truths.

Making Popcorn with your Grandkids is Special Time together.

Repetition is the Path to Mastery.... learning to play a musical instrument hammers this home.

Living in the Present is Joyful... focusing on the past causes regret and focusing on the future causes anxiety.

Time speeds up when you get older. An hour is much longer for a young child than an adult.

Final Greenhouse Steps

The Greenhouse plan has been very hot lately.
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Peeps.... please stop asking me to build one for you.  I'm going to test case one on the Sundance property and see how it goes, then I will consider exporting my expertise to the general public.... which is you.
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At Sundance, due to lot configurations, setbacks, topography, and ledge outcroppings, I really can only place it in a certain spot on the lot.   But Zoning won't be a problem at the present 12'x24' proposed size.
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The only issue left is whether the structure can be permitted as designed under the code.  I want the four foot open panel span of the polycarbonate panels if possible, otherwise, I would have to add a stud in the middle of each which would create a 24" on center framing system, which is an acceptable alternative.
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And I want to see if the pressure treated wall plate contact with the compacted soil at ground as well as a pervious dirt floor will fly.   I'm pretty sure that the Building Department will approve the PT issue, because I have addressed this previously with a garage that I proposed, and the dirt floor should be ok given the greenhouse use.
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So with a permit in hand, there is nothing to it but to do it... right???? 
Wrong, Kemosabe.
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I have a whole list of stuff to do with the existing property leading up to Katelyn's wedding, some of which come with a decent pricetag,  before I can indulge in this project for myself.

Imagine That

Just Coincidentally, the Greenhouse has enough room to construct a twenty foot long boat.

Repetition is the Path to Mastery

Peeps....

"Repetition is the Path to Mastery."

It's estimated that you must invest 10,000 hours into a skill or subject matter before you can gain true expertise.

That's five work years.

So I can't yet play the banjo like Earl Scruggs.
And my guitar skills are far less than  Stevie Ray Vaughn's.
I'm woeful as a CAD designer, and my woodworking is dwarfed by Tage Frid.

Lots more hours to go, and this middle aged Mountain of a Man is running out of unlimited time. 

But someday, I hope to be sitting on a stool that I designed and built and amaze some of my closest Peeps with a stunning rendition of "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" followed  by a kick ass version of "Pride and Joy".

That will be quite a few hours from now.

12 x 24 Panelized Greenhouse

Peeps....
I'm starting to get the hang of this Sketchup Program.   Above is my design of  a greenhouse that is made up of stock 2x4 nominal pressure treated lumber that is sheathed in 4x8 panels of 8mm polycarbonate panels.  All of the panels are fastenened
by deck screws so that the structure can be deassembled and relocated.  Rough estimate of the stock is $3,000.  With Labor and markup, Nanepashemet Builders can put this in your backyard for about $10,500. and you will be eating home grown tomatoes and smelling the roses in no time.

8mm PolyCarbonate Clear Panel

Temporary Hiatus

 It's been real busy at Nanepashemet Telecom this week, and during the evening, I've been brushing up on my stringed instrument skills, so the Blog has taken a hiatus for a few days.  Can't believe its Thursday already.
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But for me, a lapse in posts is usually a good thing.... because this Blog is where I generally work out my frustrations, so I must have not been too aggravated this week.
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Since I made a conscious decision not to get wound up over the Massachusetts US Senate race this time, and Obama and his money grab minions are mired in the horrors of Sequestration (is that still going on?), I just have not been moved to rant about politics.
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And my Spring projects, not the least of which is raising the war chest to fund Katelyn's Nuptuals, have also been taking up what might be bloggable items, but they are not really in full swing with the temps hovering around the freezing mark during these April mornings.
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But don't worry.
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Something is sure to aggravate me soon, and you will be the first to know about it.

Pondering at Easter

Happy Easter to my Christian Peeps.
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This holiday is the cornerstone of Christianity.  If Christ rose from the dead, he most certainly was divine and his teachings were those of God.
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I believe this.   And I also believe in teachings of the Buddha and other incarnations of the Divine who have appeared from time to time to try to help humanity in sorting out this crazy existance that we share on Earth.
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Why must religions be at odds?  Can't they all have certain Universal Truths that are interpreted through their respective historical and cultural prisms?
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Imagine how may lives would have been saved if people didn't kill in the name of their religion.

Latest Nanepashemet Truths

A Leader is Gender Neutral... M-F-H.

Large Corporations are cesspools of mediocrity.

Day trading is gambling.

Gary Sinise is the best actor alive...for may reasons.

Successful Organizational Management

Peeps...
I bet you didn't know that I am an enlightened manager.   But it's true.  Over the years, I've discovered the optimal ways to organize an enterprize and get the most out of employees.
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And since I'm feeling particularly magnanimous tonight, I've decided to share some of my enligtened management techniques with you.
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First and foremost.... hire good people.   Hire the best you can find.  And for God's sake, hire people who are smarter than you.

Many managers secretly are afraid of their employees, and purposefully hire mediocre people who are dumber than them and will never eclipse them.... wicked insecure and a stupid move.    Smart people will rise you up.  Mediocre people keep you in the status quo at best.

Second.... figure out the people that you can trust, and get rid of anybody that you don't.    Peeps... even if Einstein works for you, if he is an asshole, it will inevitably get disastrous in time.

Third... after you trust the smart people who work for you.... empower them.  That means create an environment where they have to make their own decisions.... and allow them to make mistakes.

Once your people realize that you have their backs and won't throw them under the bus if they make a mistake... a magic thing happens.   Their productivity freaking soars.   They are able to use their intelligent creativity on your behalf and they take initiative that you could never even conceive of.  The whole organization moves upward.

And Finally... Fourth... support and promote your people.   Make them believe that you would jump on a grenade for them...  because you actually would.  Protect them from the predators that lurk in large organizations.... like HR and Contracts Administration.   If they are winners, help them move up through the organization.  Even if they leave your direct control, they will remember and help you because of the support and assistance that you gave to them.

Then... repeat the process.
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BTY... this is an alien and radical method for many large corporations and many senior managers will be severely threatened by this approach.   But you don't really want to work in those types of organizations anyway.

The List of Truth - a New Nanepashemet Service

Everyday, in every way, I'm getting better and better.
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It's true Peeps... and to demonstrate this, the Mountain of a Man has a new Blog feature.... a page to the right dedicated to an organic and growing list of Nanepashemet Truths and Facts..

So now... before you send me a neurotic vm, text, or email, please consult this list and your pathetic inquiry may be already answered, and you won't have to wait to contact me.

Here's the current sample and there's a lot more to come.

• The Shroud of Turin is a true image of Jesus Christ.
• UFO's and Extra-Terrestrial Beings exist.
• Liberals who label others as racist are struggling with their own psychological beliefs.
• Climate change exists, but it has nothing to do with Republicans.
• We dodged a bullet when the people of Tennesee prevented Al Gore from becoming President.
• Abortion is Capital Punishment to unborn human beings, legal or not.
• The Pyramids are not tombs, but are undiscovered advanced ancient techologies.
• God has no preference for either straight or gay people.
• Christian leaders who interpret the will of God have lost their way in the Universe.
• Some Psychics have true ability to foresee the future, others are phonies.
• No race of humans is morally better than the other... given the same situations and technologies, each would exploit the others in the same fashion.
• All religions pervert the path to God that humans strive to take.
• Barach Obama is a product of hope and redemption for past racist policies of America.
• Reincarnation is real... we've all been here many times.
• BigFoot is real... so is the Loch Ness Monster.
• Every living thing has the spark of the divine, but some people are consumed by evil.
• There is no such thing as eternal hell.... the Hindu's have it right.... Earth is the place to work off offenses to the Universe that you have committed.
• It is a lot more terrifying to be born than to die.
• The underlying state of life is a feeling of daily pure joy.
• Revenge is pointless and self destructive.
• Everything happens to everybody according to God's Universal Plan.
• Every skill takes discipline and practice... we are always bad before we get good.
• Honesty to yourself and others is the highest virtue.... but everybody tells lies everday.
• Liberals Feel, Conservatives Think... the world needs both kinds.
• Everyone should have a cat or a dog.
• Mountain climbing is a stupid sport.
• The Bible should be two books... the Old Testament is a tribal record with some crazy stuff, and the New Testament is the Chronicle of a Perfect Master.
• Male child molesters should be castrated.
• Obamacare is an idea executed with extreme incompetence.
• The President and his Family are not royalty, and we should not pay for more than one reasoable vacation per year.
• Republicans stand on their own... Democrats need a Village.... our society needs both.
• Struggling against Obesity is a big improvement over dying from malnutrition.

Enough for now.

I would recommend checking the page for new entries daily.... some of you should look hourly.

Nanepashemet Nod to Lynch

Peeps...
I'm not going to screw my head into the ceiling over this mounting Massachusetts race for US Senate.
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After the Democrat Machine engineered the campaing for a phony  Cherokee to put a  honest and talented guy like Scott Brown back on the pine, I lost my taste for investing any emotional capital in this.... so I concede the race to the Democrats.  
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The Nanepashemet Nod in this one goes to Stephen Lynch, who I think is a more independent thinker than the headline seeking and rather pompous Representative Ed Markey, who seems to feel that he should be the anointed one for this Liberal owned Senate seat.
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When Markey proudly boasts that he is endorsed by Planned Parenthood, I gladly choose his opponent.
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I'm not even going to discuss the Republicans.  Nobody like Scott will sneak up on these guys, because even they are not as presumptuous as Martha Coakley.
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So that's it.   Leave me alone on this one.... OK????  The Nod has been executed and there is nothing left for me to pontificate to you about.

Tiger on Top

With his recent victory in the 2013 Arnold Palmer Invitational, Tiger Woods has resumed his place as the Number 1 Ranked Professional Golfer in the world.
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I for one, am pretty happy for him.
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Yes, he cheated on his wife, having sex with any gorgeous white woman that came his way.
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Yes, he isn't a "give back to the Hood" ethnic role model trying to inspire other minorities to greatness.
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Yes, he seems a bit too self absorbed and stiff, rather than giving himself shamelessly to an adoring public.
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Peeps, maybe  I'm flawed as I'm sure you know, but I don't give a rat's ass about any of that Tiger stuff.  All I care about is the uncanny closeness to perfection that he has attained by hitting a dimpled ball around a manicured landscape.

Truth be told, if Lindsay Vonn made a run at me, I can't guarantee how I'd score on the fidelity scale.  I'd like to say that my life bond with Joanne would remain unscathed, but Vonn would be a hell of a challenge. 

But that wouldn't effect the thousands of you hapless Peeps who read this unsavory blog daily...... would it????
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So that's why I like Woods.   Off the course, he's just an asshole like me and you.  But on the Golf links... he's something extraordinary that we are priviledged to observe.
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.... Just like this Blog.