Before Photo

This is a picture of me before I got buff and totally jacked.

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OK ... so I'm not buffed up yet, ... but I'm definitely going to be real soon.

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Even in this out of shape condition, you have to admit that I am still a fine figure of a man.

Lynn and Marblehead

Tom DiMatteo, an avid reader of this blog, reminded me that I was not from Marblehead, I was from Lynn. Couldn't be more accurate.

I live in Marblehead.
But I am from Lynn.

I'm equally proud of both for a host of complex reasons which will not be articulated here... not at this time anyway.

At least I'm not from Medford.

Backyard Birds

In the birdfeeder on our deck, we frequently see Gold Finches, House Finches, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Morning Doves and Common Sparrows.
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Plus a couple of kinds that I haven't ID'ed yet.
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I find them to be intrigueing swatches of color from nature's palette.
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Joanne thinks they are messy.
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Which reminds me.... I'm flat out of freaking birdseed.

Sent the SWAG

Shirts to the Paramus guys. Darwin should be styling there soon.
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Seems like a fair trade.... a couple of golf shirts in exchange for millions of dollars of wireless telecom business.
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In other news, best and final pricing to Atlanta, and California here we come.

Brown and Blues

Bobby Brown playing the Blues.

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We'll be looking for Tuna this Weekend.

Preferred Emotions

Dow is at an all time high of 11,850, gas at Perley Burrill's Filling Station was sold at $2.17/ gal this morning.
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Don't hear much celebration. People don't necessarily celebrate when things are good, but they are never short on complaining when the stock market dips, or gas is selling at $3.00 a gallon.
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I wonder why that is?

Iraq - Time to Get Out

Let's declare victory in Iraq and leave.
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That doesn't mean that we shouldn't finish our business with Bin Laden, let's just stop the connection with Iraq.

We deposed Saddam, a figure on par with Hitler. We proved to the world that we would not tolerate mindless assaults on our way of life. We made our points.

Iraq will never be a sane democracy. They don't want it, and by definition, it can't be controlled by us. Kudos to President Bush in doing the right thing and using America's might to rid the world of a dictator that was causing excruciating suffering to some of our fellow Earth dwellers.
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But now, our work is done.
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I don't want to hear of any more funerals for twenty year old American kids who are blown up by Iraqi's. Let them now work our their own problems, with the proviso that if it gets jiggy, we can always kick their ass.

Emerson had it Knocked

A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.

RALPH WALDO EMERSON, “Self-Reliance,” Essays: First Series

Blogging is NOT Gay!

People who know me, know that I am a MAN, a Man's Man, a Manly Man... the type of man that women immediately undress with their eyes... a real man who doesn't drink martinis or light beer... not a limp wrist in either arm.
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Yet Bobby Brown, Laurel DiMatteo. and my own sons, Ryan and Mike, have of late acccused me of being gay ~(not that there is anything wrong with that!) ~ simply because I Blog.
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Because I am confident in my manhood, and actively maintain an extreme preference for the female gender, I will continue to Blog, and reach out to fill a void in the lives of the thousands of desperate people that seek daily solace from this small piece of cyberspace. I can't let my peeps down, regardless of the personal abuse that is cast upon me.
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Blogging is NOT Gay, and I will remain a proud heterosexual male who Blogs.
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If I was gay, I'd probably still blog, but there would be a lot more gay stuff in the Blog.
Anyway, it doesn't matter because I'M NOT GAY!!!

I hope this ends the confusion.

Weird Affliction

I love small wooden boats. But I don't know why.

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What is it that attracts us to certain interests? Affiliation with previous lifetimes? Environment and exposure to subtle pyschological promptings?

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What attracts people to pursue certain aims and ignore others? Is there a pre-determined path or destiny to our lives?

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The religions of the world have detailed, highly defined answers that have failed to solve the inner confusion.

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Questions to ponder.

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Maybe I'll ask Tom what he thinks tomorrow. I also like to aggravate Tom.

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At any rate, I'm attracted to small wooden boats. I like to build them and look at them.

Marblehead's Proud Legacy

Proud Legacy of Marblehead.

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The people of Marblehead played a prominent role in the Revolutionary War and American Independence. They were renowned fishermen and seamen.

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There is a good feeling to be had from living amidst this legacy.

Exercise Bike

30 Minutes a day on this baby should convert me into
the Physical Powderkeg that I was born to be.
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When I get my Heartbeat up to 140 beats per min. for 20 min or so, the furnace really gets stoked, and doesn't cool down until 1 hr. after the workout.

REI at Lunch

Bought a seat for my Ocean Kayak from REI at lunch today. Also another bailing pump to install in the Herreshoff Yacht Tender.

Also saw a weird guy modeling less than manly Camping hats.

Note to self: "Don't make plans to camp with Dave."

A Pitiful Shame

They were concerned that they would not receive the corporate recognition that they have sacrificed their souls for.

They took the instruments from the God Damn musicians who had cutting edge skill of their art.

They gave them to career kiss-ass bureaucrats who only understand one tune , "Corporate Speak".

Now they wonder why the music sucks and everyone hates the band.

Law of Karma, don't fail us now.

Amish Tragedy

What causes such deviant behavior such that a gunman randomly kills Amish schoolchildren?

Even in a tamed, civilized society, we must retain animal, defensive instincts as a basic survival tool. The possibility of such attacks detroying our lives is a constant reminder of our natural past of hunter and hunted.

Stellwagen Tuna

Ryan and Mike saw tuna all over Stellwagen yesterday, but came up short hooking one. We'll seek revenge Saturday.

Atlanta - Nokia and Cingular

Encoraging meetings.
The Nokia guys are so open and reasonable. Never had such an upfront and candid conversation with Cingular supply chain. Sustainment could break sooner than expected.

Plane the Doorjamb - Check the Tender

Had to go to Sundance this evening to plane an entrance door jamb that was sticking. When I was collecting my planes and chisels in the garage, I noticed that the epoxy had filled the cut open fiberglass bubbles nicely on the Yacht Tender.

I ordered 50 sheets of 5" hook and loop sandpaper at 80 grit for the Porter Cable Random Orbit sander from Amazon. This should do the trick in smoothing the interior epoxy resin surface.

By the time I get back from Atlanta, the sandpaper should be delivered. It would be nice to get some progress by the weekend.

Now I'm a little more optimistic on a Thanksgiving Marblehead Harbor Tour.

Nokia Atlanta

Nokia has moved into services and has landed the T-Mobile UMTS account. Let's see what the Finns know about deployment. If they can avoid the Ericsson arrogance, maybe they will pull it off. Not anticipating much, but it is worth a try.

Meanwhile the whole GD french fry plate is about to hit the beach. The Gulls will be ready.

Cardinals

To my non-birder friends.

The female cardinal is not very red.

Does Bigfoot Exist?

Ever see a baby pigeon?

Me neither.

But they must exist even though we have never seen one.

Ever see a baby seagull? Same deal.

Substitute for Nathaniel

Nathaniel and his girlfriend Megan were over to watch the Pats with Mike and Kim. I told Nathaniel that I would upload his Bluefish picture, but couldn't find it, so I put Ryan's St. Michael's lacrosse team up instead. Then I finally found the picture of Mike and Nathaniel.

BTW - Pats Manhandled the Bengals 38-13 for a 3 and 1 record. Season is shaping up

Herreshoff Columbia Tender Status

Interior is taking longer than expected. I laid one side of the glass early in the morning when the temperature was rising. Then I went fishing. Numerous gas pockets caused bubbles in the fiberglass. Now I have to remove these bubbles, saturate the area with epoxy and sand forever.
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Next Steps

1. Sanding the epoxy and adding coats until the interior is smooth and the interior glass is transparent.
2. Cutting and Scribing the breasthook, transom angles. and interior gunwale rub rails. Installation and Epoxy.
3. Build and Install the Centerboard Case.
4. Spray 1st coat of interior varnish.
5. Sribe and install the floor rails with epoxy. Cut and install the floor boards.
6. Install Seating Cleats, Scribe and install Seats.
7. Install polystyrene foam under seats
8. Install Mast Supports.
9. Install sliding seat removable system
10. Install Rod Holders
11. Install Oar locks
12. Spray varnish coats 2-5

I'm starting to question the Thanksgiving launch date.

Can't take time off from Darwin. Too much business to close before the end of the year.

Raccoons

Seems like a lot of wild animals have decided to accept urban life.

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Growing up, I never saw deer, raccoons, turkeys, possums, even Canada Geese. Now these are common place. A large raccoon was across the street today, watching me and it was as commonplace as a loose cat.

Grocery List

Runners World recommends the following diet.

• Canned Black Beans
• Almonds
• Chicken
• Dark Chocolate
• Eggs
• Frozen Mixed Berries
• Frozen Stir-Fry Vegetables
• Low-Fat Yogurt
• Mixed Salad Greens
• Oranges
• Salmon
• Sweet Potatoes
• Whole-Grain Bread
• Whole-Grain Cereal with Protein
• Whole-Grain Pasta

Painted Catspaw and Peapod

Monk-E-Mail

http://www.careerbuilder.com/monk-e-mail/?mid=14225066

Possibly the biggest Breakthrough in personal communication ever.

Ireland

Everybody is from somewhere.

Voyages

Ryan is fishing for four days with clients off of the Vineyard.

Katelyn moved into South Boston.

The Four P's

People
Passion
Plan
Process

Courtesy of our friend in Paramus. Good Meeting. Always did like 850 Overlays. 2007 will be huge.

Darwin is getting traction. Atlanta next week, stuff set up for San Francisco and San Diego in Mid-October. Sprint will soon respond to an elevated effort.

Achieve Your Goals

Be grateful for what you already have.
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Declare what you would like to have with positive
emotion, feelling as if it is already achieved.
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Act on the nudges and opportunities that appear.
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Joe Vitale says that this is the easy way to achieve goals.

This seems pretty New Age, but it doesn't cost anything to try it and see if it works out.

Lobster Permit

Mike says that he would tend the traps if we got a 10 pot recreational license. If Ryan wants in, I'll do it, otherwise the time committment factor won't justify the investment.

Minority Business Enterprize

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Paramus, NJ

Paramus is in the center of Bergen County and lies astride Rt. 4, Rt. 17 and the Garden State Parkway; Exits 165 and 163 South; Exits 161,163 and 165 North. Surrounding towns are Ridgewood, Washington Twp., Rochelle Park, Maywood, Emerson, Oradell, River Edge and Fair Lawn. New York City is approximately 13 1/2 miles away.

The Lenni Lenape Indians gave this land its name. One of the earliest written versions of the name in 1708 called it Parames. Later it was referred to as Perampsus. Experts on the Lennis Lenape language say that Perampsus means literally "where there is worthwhile or fertile land". Where there was fertile land, maize or corn was grown and wild turkeys were also found in abundance. Thus, the meaning of Paramus..." A fertile land where corn was grown attracting wild turkeys".

All this time - traveling to Paramus - I never knew about the turkeys. We'll be making the trek Thurs. to see if the land is fertile once again for Darwin to sow some seeds.

Operation MoonShadow...

... is now underway. Completion planned for June 2007.

West Coast Run

Planning to cover the Cingular Western Region in the next few weeks. It's time that they got a dose of Darwin Love.

401k and Foundations

Money gets raised far more effectively outside the purview of taxation.

Home of the Brave

Spent three hours preparing documentation trying to convince the IRS that I didn't owe an additional $6,000 from 2004.

The federal income tax is only 100 years old, yet we take it for granted that the government has the right to scrutinize every economic endeavor that we partake in, to take their "rightful" share . You have to wonder how our Founding Fathers would have reacted to this intrusion into our internal privacy. It's not exactly a tax on tea.

I love this country. It is truly the "Home of the Brave", but not sure that it is still the "Land of the Free".

Bluefish and Clambakes

Mike and I had a double hookup out in Bluefish Alley by the Middle Ledges and Halfway Rock. No Blitzes, few birds, I thought that we would be skunked, but the Alley once again saved the day. Very windy and rough.

This Eighteenth Century scene depicts the same area that we fished.

The Clambake was fun. Nice to see the people in Rye, NH. Fish House Foundation is a first class affair. Very impressive fund raising and relationships. Great Entertainment by Hootie and the Blowfish.

Kudos, Downloads, Epoxy Coating, Fish House Auction

The Darwin Team did a great presentation on the network managed services piece. Kudos to Kerry and Tom for their technical presentations and the rest of the team - Dave, Denise, Mike, and Emily for their support and contributions. I truly believe that this team offers the "Best in Class" offering.

Downloaded GoogleEarth and Sketchup ( www.sketchup.com ) that are geographic and 3D CAD programs, free from Google. Four hours went by in a flash. It was as if I was abducted by aliens. I spent a lot of time on NH ponds and Maine coastline.

So much for my Sat. Morn. ambitions.



Have to head to West Marine for some Epoxy Resin for another coat on the tender, then into Boston with the DiMatteo's for the Fish House Foundation Cocktail Party and Auction. www.fishhouse.org

Darius Rucker from Hootie and the Blowfish will be performing in a concert to be held immediately after.

Thank God I'm a Country Boy....NOT!!!

Nashville was a nice place to visit. But they all talk funny down there - not like here in Boston.

You know you are not home when me, Tom, and Jay Ohanian go into a "Waffle House" for breakfast and Ohanian asks for "Mint Tea and Eggbeaters". I don't think so. They have coffee, waffles and eggs.

The show was good. Renewed acquaintances in a small world. It's funny how bureaucracies make people act stupid... Funny when you are not controlled by them.

Some great meetings. I'm highly optimistic about Darwin moving into the core network. Cingular tomorrow.

Had a nice family dinner back in Marblehead at Jack-Tar http://www.jacktarmarblehead.com/ with Ryan, Courtney, Mike and Joanne. Ryan and Courtney were excited to show us their new kitchen granite counters, appliances and windows - really nice - a great improvement to their condo on Prospect Street!

Heading to Nashville

Meeting Sprint, American Tower - rubbing elbows with friends, competitors, and others.

Returning to Wakefield by Friday for the Managed Services presentation. Darwin is on a roll.

Short List .....

....on managed services. The Darwin Evolution begins.

Pats Win over Jets - Tender Interior Glassing Complete

Despite jumping out to a 24-point lead, mental lapses on the part of the Patriots allowed the Jets to climb back into this one and make things interesting. In the end, the Patriots held on for a 24-17 win and a 2-0 record on the young season.

Thanks to Kathy and Jim Peabody for their great hospitality and excellent food and drinks while watching the game at their house.

The closeness of the game will add to the intrigue in the Darwin box at the rematch on Nov. 12.

The real news of the day however was that the Herreshoff Columbia Yacht Tender currently under construction in my garage had the interior fiberglass laid finally. Unfortunately, I glassed it in the morning, and as temperatures rose during the day, a number of gas bubbles occurred under the epoxy coated fiberglass. I will have to pierce these, insert epoxy with a hypodermic style plastic applicatior and then sand for hours. Next time, glass in the afternoon or evening when temperatures are falling. Good lesson.

Stellwagen at Dawn

Whales, Boats.

No Tuna

New Shimano 80's

Oh Baby.

Don't take it personally Tuna.

You'll never know what hit you once we get on Stellwagen tomorrow morning.

It's not personal, it's fishing.

BTW - Fisherman's Outfitter in Gloucester is the MAN! http://www.fishermansoutfitter.com

A Man of His Word

What does this look like to you?
That's what I thought too....
A terrorist styled explosive devise.

Imagine my shock and surprize when it turned out to be none other than Tom DiMatteo making good on his wager!

I always had faith on his integrity, it was his timing that caused the angst and anxiety.

Kate and Jay should take note.

Look at Tom now. Content, Happy, pleased with himself, all things that come from the spirit of giving. Compare this with the Tom a few blogs down. Even having a bottle of Lagavulin on your desk can't bring such priceless emotions.

PCIA - Nashville

The Darwin boys will be testing the theory of evolution in Nashville at the PCIA Wireless Infrastructure show.

Can they evolve into a force that will shudder the wireless industry? Maybe....

There will certainly be some toasts raised to commemorate the effort.

Ethics, Truth, Loyalty

Friends -
Beware of those who frequently tout these virtues. If they are practitioners, they don't need to be talkers.

Understand that when you run into these types, you are about to encounter a ruthless, lying jerk who would screw his G.D. brother.