Thursday, April 12, 2007

Week 15 - Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week

A friend of mine said this morning that Johnny Bagadonuts should be a POTW. Two reasons why that will never happen.

1. You can't tell me who to choose as Peep of the Week - Joanne knows that rule only too well.
2. I'm not telling you the other reason.

Announcing.....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week - 2007/wk 15

Don Imus
Al Sharpton
The Duke Lacrosse Team
Mike Pressler, the Bryant College Lacrosse coach
Captain Michael Porter
Jack O'Connor, the Massachusetts Dept. of Public Safety elevator inspector.

As you might expect..... the Duke acquittal, the Imus Kangaroo Court, and the Sundance Permit took center stage this week. Hopefully next week we'll return to less emotional selections.

Speech Police

The firestorm that is racism in America has consumed Don Imus. Forget the truth about his mistake, forget the facts, forget his sincere apology about a quote that was stupid and repulsive. This is a set back for healthy race relations, much like the OJ acquittal was. OJ killed his wife. He was acquitted because of his race. It was wrong 100 years ago and is wrong now.
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Two wrongs don't make a right. Jackson and Sharpton are racists and their actions perpetuate racism. They have drawn blood, and are sustaining the hysteria of hate.
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Imus was fired by CBS and MSNBC for making a stupid remark. He was punished for using his freedom of speech. Freedom isn't free - we have to tolerate stupid stuff so that people are free to grow for the greater good. Stifling speech is wrong - we must all take the responsibility to determine what is right or wrong - and not be consumed by those who would police and tell us what to think.
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Maintaining freedom of speech in the face of thoughtless racial slurs has to be particularly taxing for African Americans who have endured a legacy of bigotry and predudice. But do they get a pass? Unfortunately, no - otherwise this society is not free. Which is the case here.
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Judge for yourself.


Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Quite a Lift

Going for the Sundance elevator permit with the Massachusetts Department Public Safety tomorrow. The One Source equipment company that sold and installed the unit took the time to tell me that the Village Construction people were the best that they had worked with in 15 years. Nice compliment and well deserved by the Rockett crew.
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Without Mike Rockett, Sparky Spillane, Eric Rumpf, Lenny Cameron, Paul Lynch, Steve Livermore, Brian Bingham, Mark Lausier, and all of the guys that work for them, the Sundance Pre-School would have been so far under water that you couldn't teach scuba diving there.
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BTW, the Mariners have just touched up Dice-K pretty well in the top of second inning. It doesn't seem like his fast ball has any movement.

Exasperation

I didn't check my horoscope today, but I should have because it probably would have given me a heads up that just about everything was going to piss me off. Nothing really bad happened, but I succeeded in getting annoyed and aggravated with everything.
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First, my computer just wouldn't cooperate. I spent all kinds of time trying to send a pdf of a Nanepashemet Form W-9 request to DiMatteo. All the while I'm listening to these hypocrites on MSNBC try to crucify Imus just for blood. Obama in particular. See ya. You had a chance with me, but not now.
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Then I went to a Hotel Staff meeting which conjured up all kind of reasons why I left the corporate life. Conflicting functional managers trying to run the show. Get the freak out of the way!!!
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Then I get a certified letter from stupid MLS saying that my Realtor designation had expired. Wonder how much it cost to send that mail???
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Then I hear that they have dropped the charges against the Duke Lacrosse players.... which was a good thing, but it reminded me how innocent kids were railroaded by the idiot, ego laced DA.
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Then I get a call from a guy who wants to participate in Nanepashemet Telecom, but hasn't got the balls to quit his job and swim in the deep end with me and DiMatteo.
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Finally.... after my last rating and raving cell phone call, Joanne showed me a glass with ice and an bottle of Oban and told me to chill. It was the sign that all is right with the world.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Milestone Reached

Mike Rockett asked me why I didn't Blog about receiving the occupancy permit for Sundance yesterday. The question actually took me back for a second, and I wondered myself why I hadn't proclaimed to the Peeps about this triumphant accomplishment.
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Upon reflection, I guess I was afraid that it was too good to be true.... that something could arise to derail the progress. Plus, the project has a bit more tweaking on the financial side before I can start pounding the drums of victory.
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But yesterday was pretty satisfying, and I'm extremely grateful for the work that Mike and his Village people performed. There are a ton of kudos to go around, and I'm going to have some type of function to formally thank all of the people who helped us get this far.

Monday, April 09, 2007

Freedom of Speech

We really don't have freedom of speech in this country. Although you may not be legally punished for the words you speak, you are socially and economically punished and judged by phonies who hold a solid perch on the moral high ground.
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Black activists like Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson are the worse offenders. They can call New York "Hymietown" and stand by while Black rappers call each other "Niggers" in the most egregious fashion. But if a white guy like Don Imus makes an offhanded remark in a humorous nature, he is roundly condemned.
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Something said in humor is just that... you may not like the humor, it may be bad and in poor taste, but if it can be defined as humorous, the speaker gets a pass. Until, Sharpton passes judgement on the host of Black entertainers who freely use the "Nigger" phrase, he holds no credibility.
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Can't we be free to make our own judgement of a person's use of speech?
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Anybody who took Imus' characterization of the Rutger's women's basketball team as "Nappy Headed Hoes" seriously is the offender, and Imus holds no guilt for the acceptance of an off-handed remark as valid. What kind of idiot would buy into that phrase for a college women's basketball team as having any vestige of truth? That's the genesis of humor in such an outrageous statement.
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I don't need Al Sharpton to tell me that Imus's remark holds no credibility. If Imus continues to say stupid things, I have the choice to refuse to listen to him. Sharpton has every right to disagree, and absolutely no right to have Imus silenced.
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Imus made a bad joke. Sharpton insults all of us.

Sunday, April 08, 2007

Turkey Effects

Joanne made a great turkey for Easter Dinner with Ryan, Courtney and Katelyn. Mike called from Washington DC. It was a nice Day.
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Zach Johnson won the Masters and gave the credit to Jesus. Did Jesus help him, to the detriment of all of the other golf competitors? Probably not. But his faith helped him to perform to the best of his ability... which was good enough today to carry him to victory.
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The turkey, combined with two Lagavulins, put me in a deep, trancelike sleep on the couch. I'll stay up and watch the Sopranos, then get ready to rock and roll this week at work.

Easter Sunday

Happy Easter.
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Peabody and I went to that Boatbuilding talk at the library given by a 30 something kid out of Bethlehem, Conn. He seemed like a nice guy. I had envisioned him in a flannel shirt with a pony tail and facial hair, but the stereotype proved wrong and he was clean cut and well spoken. Somehow that disapointed me.
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He started the talk by giving an autobiography which was a bit presumptuous, and ended up saying that he was drawn to boatbuilding because Jesus was a carpenter. Although his knowledge and work seemed good, he pretty much turned me off by that comment.
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I don't see how someone can base his life on a perception of how someone else must have been. It seems artificial and contrived.
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BTW, it is clear to me that Jesus was an Avatar - a more perfect embodiment of God in a human form. Mankind has had many appearances in my opinion. That doesn't lessen the importance of Jesus, so don't tool on me with Inquisition like zeal.

But for the life of me, I don't understand the leap of faith that says Jesus endured crucifixion for our sins. Can't see how that makes sense. How's that for blasphemy on Easter ?!
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On the other hand, a number of New Testament passages convince me that he was in touch with the true reason for man's potential and time on Earth. And I believe in the resurrection. In my opinion, the Shroud of Turin is the real deal.
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So if you want to act like Jesus, knock yourself out. Just remember that as much as he worked with wood, he also mightily pissed enough people off to get himself nailed. So pick your spots.

Saturday, April 07, 2007

Lack of Motivation

I know that I said that today was going to be lousy weather, and that I would be working on taxes and the Sundance Web, but I got the web page up in a late night frenzy, and I really don't feel like doing the stinking taxes.
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But the temp is in the 30's and it sucks because it's so nice and sunny and should be comfortable. It's not. By the way, I'm really screwing with the birds because my feeder has been empty for days.
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So I have to rededicate to the tax drudgery.
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Jim Peabody wants me to go to a boatbuilding presentation at the Abbot Public Library at 2:00 and we have to get to the Maddie Gill birthday bash at 4:00.
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I'll put a tax push on until 1:00 and then go with Jim to see this rookie boatbuilding poser.

Web Revision


Sundance Web Site has been revamped. It's really an electronic flyer that directs prospective parents to call Joanne at the school. As I get older, I tend to appreciate straight forward, no frills information.

www.sundanceschool.com

Last week, the Massachusetts Office for Children inspector told Joanne that Sundance is considered the premier pre-school on the North Shore. That took a lot of the sting out of the elevator boondoggle.

Friday, April 06, 2007

Hidden Camera

Digital cameras and the Web can do a job on your privacy.
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Here, a regular meeting of the GD Sales Team is caught by an unscrupulous photographer.
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Mean people suck.

Good Friday

Anytime you have a bad day, it could always have been worse.
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That is what I would call a bad day ---->
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So why do they call it Good Friday?

Holiday Weekend

A weekend of tax preparation and web revisions. Happy Easter.
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I'm resolved to get the Sundance Corporate taxes, and my personal taxes done before dawn on Monday morning. In the lull periods, I'll tend to the Sundance web site which is hopelessly out of date and doesn't portray the new building.
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It's supposed to be 40 degree temps, so it's not like I'll be missing anything great outdoors.
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No ranting about the IRS or the Marblehead Building Department. After all, it's Good Friday.

Thursday, April 05, 2007

Week 14 - Peep of the Week

OK Thrillseekers.
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It's your favorite time of the week.
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Why do you torture yourselves so? The chances of you being named a Peep of the Week are almost nonexistant. But still you pepper me with your pathetic emails....pining over the infintesimal possibility that you may be selected. I've told you time and again to get a life... but obviously to no avail.
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So you win. Once again, I attend to the weekly Thursday evening obligation with the stoic vigor that is part of my Celtic composition. Thank God that I have been blessed with the mental endurance to slug it out week after week.
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Enough BullShit?? I think so too.
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ANNOUNCING.....
Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week - Week 14 of 2007

Tyler Gill
Patrick Piscatelli
Valerie Drapeau
Keith Richards
Dice K
Tommy O' Shea

On to next Thursday for the rest of you hurting buckaroos.

Fires of Purgatory


How bad can it be when Joanne reminds me that it is Peep of the Week day?
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Am I caught in a type of purgatory where I tumble from Thursdays to Thursdays in an endless, thankless duty to identify those hapless individuals who have met the annoying/inspiring Nanepashemet criteria?
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What a nightmare!!! What a burden! What a responsibility!!!
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Why Me????
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Nonetheless, she is right. This evening, an unfortunate/lucky few will receive the ultimate disgrace/honor..... selection as a Nanepashemet POTW. My congradulations/condolences.
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In the meantime, I'm heading to the Salem Waterfront Hotel for another day of state of the art professional services from Nanepashemet Project Management, Inc.
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Purgatory can wait. See you tonight.

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Jeez

What do you think I do??? Blog all day??? I'm got to make a living too.
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Life is more than Blogs and Lagavulin... watching Rome, building the Tender, and bitching about the IRS and the Marblehead Building Department.
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There is a lot of stuff that I don't tell you about... because it's none of your God Damn Business. If I were you, I'd just keep up the hope that you never get labeled a POTW.

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Nerd Employment


Joanne got a Dell Inspiron 1501 Laptop for her birthday, which was a risky move on my part, but she seems to really like it.
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I'm always amazed when I buy a new computer at the quantum leap that the technology seems to take since the last version. The Vista Windows operating system seems really neat, but the hooks are still there that cause enough confusion to give techie nerds job security.
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Everybody needs to eat.

Monday, April 02, 2007

Investing

I'm thinking of going public. But we don't need no stinking VC's.

Inertia Conquered.

You won't believe it.
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I actually worked on the Tender this weekend and made some progress! One of the rubrails had a final sanding, I sanded the inside of the transcom and another tenth of the interior. We have momentum!
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This project will yet see completion this spring.
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I also organized the garage so that it is possible to move around. Between Sundance, Ryan's new house, the basement renovation, and of course the Nanepashemet Boatbuilding extravaganza... I really have to be able to maneuver in the garage freely.
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Nice meeting with Tyler Gill today, and the Sundance saga may soon come to an end. We will try for a permit Wed. That gets me time to hop a plane to Lourdes, France and pray for a miracle, because I'm beginning to think that that is what it will take..

Sunday, April 01, 2007

Older and Better

We're taking Joanne to brunch at Hawthorne by the Sea for her birthday. She's worried that she's getting too old. Tempus Fugit.
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Age is weird. There is no denying that physically you feel more limited. But in short bursts, I'm much stronger in my fifties than I was in my thirties. That means that I have to take care of business with one or two punches.
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Mentally and emotionally, there is no comparison. Age and experience wins hands down.