No More War

The War in Afganistan is Bullshit. Trying to bring democracy to people who prefer to live in the Middle Ages. 

Enough. 

No more American kids should die. We have already proven to Al Queda that we can kick their ass, so let's declare victory and leave.

There is no economic reason to continue to be there, no political reason, and no threat to America.   We  can't force these people to like us, or want to adopt our way of life.  I was happy to see our involvement in eliminating the maniac Saddam Hussein. And we have sent Bin Laden to live hidden in holes.   This was the noble and suitable thing to do for the time.  But we have made our point.  

We can't stop future Husseins or Bin Ladens from emerging.  But now they know what will happen to them if they take a run at us.   Let's get our troops back here and out of harm's way.

Now.

We can't solve the problems, so let's manage them with vigilance and readiness.   But let the Iraqi's and Afgan's have their camel paths back.

 

Kerry Russell D'Orio said....

My vote is that we adapt isolationism as our foreign policy. No one ever appreciates the sacrifices that this country makes on their behalf. Screw them all and let them pound down our door when everything goes to hell in a hand basket!

Fine and You?

We all lie daily in our lives.
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You get asked, "How are you doing?" and you answer "Fine and you?"
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It's a lie.
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The real answer is often something like.... "My throat is killing me, I don't want to go to work today, and you irritate the crap out of me."  But instead, we lie and say "Fine and you?"
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This type of lying is acceptable.  Otherwise, all of us would be Larry David knockoffs.... constantly getting into beefs about all kinds of mundane things.  Plus the little lie has no adverse effect.
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Lying is a crime when it causes other people to take action or formulate strong opinions that they wouldn't ordinarily harbor.  Generally, lying is a crime when the perpetrator says the lie to cause others to behave on the liers behalf.  Give attention to an untruth that shouldn't be addressed.  The problem becomes more complex when the liers act so fervently in the continuance of the untruth.
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That Colorado whack  job family with the balloon hoax is a perfect example.  We all know of others.

Lauren Rathbone, Reigning Peep of the Year said...
I finally stopped following the balloon boy on fox news ...enough already.Larry King is still talking about michael jackson..clearly nothing else is going on!..                                                                                                                                                                       ~~

I agree Lauren.  We need a real scandalous issue to liven things up.


Maria Rowen said...


I accept the truth. We all lie. What a paradox. We are socialized from the moment we speak to tell the truth…yet…we all lie. This is (as the author states) a “complex” issue for most rational thinkers. When being truthful hurts [someone], we feel better with the lie. When lying hurts [someone] and we feel good…that is pathological. This is a really interesting and disconcerting subject. That’s the truth…

Tuna Lips said...

Maria: You sounds like the heat of a thousand suns burns in yer Aztec blood. Ise impressicated.

Fine and You?

NCIS

Despite the persistent rumors that my favorite show on TV is "Jon and Kate Plus Eight", my actual choice is NCIS.
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I've actually never seen a Jon and Kate episode, and don't think I ever will.
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On the other hand, I'd go out of my way to catch the latest NCIS.  Good looking women, fast moving plot, interesting characters and storylines.
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Plus the leading character, Gibbs, builds boats in his basement.   Somewhat unrealistically I might add.

Tuna Lips said...

Shoo Fly thunk to build a still in his sextion 8 housing over there in East Memphis back when. But he nearly smoked the whole hovel, I think several elderly types and a Porto Reecan hooker wuz hospitalized. He knowed enuff to rush in there like some sorta hero only to scatter the copper coil and mash he had a brewin. He ended up gettin' a prentice slot on the union job to refixify the place. ..... So ole Shoo makes to knowin' some feller named Satchmo, and Satch, I guess he played the horn in some local gin joint, ole Satch like to partake of the reefer. While drywallin' what wuz to be Shoo Fly's basment, he striked upon some genius and built a compartmentalized room with sun lamps and the right amount of ventilatin. Next, thems fellers ran the sump pump (for the house, being near the bottoms, was always havin water in the basement),afixin it to some tubin with holes, to provide water. Thems created a veritable garden of Eden in that there basement, called it such, and ran more money sellin' that skunk bud than pappy ever did runnin his hooch. True enough about industrializin in basements. Satchmo ended up with a 6 inch blade in his gut and left for parts unknown. Nice feller, that Satch.

Autumn Nip

Starting to feel a bit nippy.  Temps in the low 40's.
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Time to break out the Autumn Cocktail.   Not that we won't continue to pour Dark and Stormies.  Even though they rule in the summer, you can't just stop serving them cold turkey with the Fall rolls around.  So we keep the Stephan's Ginger Beer and Goslings Black Seal Rum on hand for Peeps unable to make the transition to the cool weather.
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But this time of year, I always like to break out the Seagrams and Cranberry, with a squirt of lemon.  I also thoroughly enjoy an Apple Cider and Seagrams.   Both drinks have an autumn tinge to them... fit well with the season.  No need to use VO vs. Seagrams 7.  If I were to have a Seagrams on the rocks, then I'd choose VO, but the juice negates the distinction.
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If I'm going to have whisky on the rocks, then I'm switching to single malt scotch anyway, so there is no issue.

Fresh Ayer

Joanne and I took the ride to Ayer this morning.   So many of you are constantly asking how Ryan is doing and we all really appreciate it.
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The straight answer is that he is doing fine.  He is in a clean, very unregulated and safe environment, reads, works out, jogs, and gets to see his kids... which is what he really lives for.
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The thing about Ryan, even since he was little kid, is that he knows how to live in the present.  He always makes the most of the card hand that is dealt to him everyday.   That's why he is so much fun to be with.... because he makes the most of the present moment.
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And the present moment always harbors the joy of life, no matter how the past and future is portrayed.
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He'll finish this episode, take whatever value that he can from it, and move on to the future creation of a joyful life.

Harvey Rowe said...

The sad part of life is that so many people "wander" through their existence without ever understanding the " secret" set forth in " Fresh Ayer"  ~~                                                                                                                                                          ~ That's true Harv... but you and I aren't one of them.

POTW Week 42

Chris Crawford, his great wife Sarah, and their beautiful twin girls, Pheobe and Charlotte, are taking in some fresh Ayer this weekend.  I know the Boy will be happy and grateful to see them.  We'll be there in the morning. 

 Announcing....

Nanepashemet Peeps of the Week for the 42nd Week of 2009

Lindsay Lohan

Bill Quirk

Harvey Rowe

Dick Gardner

Eric Johnson

Rich Ellis

Tons of Nanepashemet Telecom paperwork to get done when we get back.

Jill Phillips said...

Lindsay Lohan...really? You're  getting into risky territory Jill.

Lunatic Whackjobs

If you followed this "news" story and think that this whackjob family is anything but publicity scammers, then contact me ASAP.
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I have a nice bridge in Brooklyn for sale that you may be interested in.
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They name their kid "Falcon" and sit complacently while he pukes his guts out on national TV.
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Freaking Lunatics.

A New Outlook

I'm always amazed how business can turn on the drop of a dime.
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One day's bleakness changes with a brightness ripe with opportunity.
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Makes me think of that biblical Jesus quote about how a person with faith can move a mountain.
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"I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you."
(Matthew 17:14-21 NKJV)
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I'm not trying to convert you or anything, nor am I interested in changing the view from my White Mountain condo, but it certainly seems that the landscape of my business outlook has changed for the better.

Pisc said...


The mustard seed is very small, from which something massive grows.

Pisc said...

Well put. One without faith to something greater than himself ofte has no goals and no principle. No loyalty to himself. And thus, none to others. Meet a person who can not tell a story about a pal from their youth and the same friend from their middle age and you know there is something sketchy. It could be a brother or sister, just something that they have from being a person until now. Otherwise, see ya. Jesus is my homeboy.

The Mistral Advantage

We brought our business prospects to Mistral in Boston's Back Bay last night for dinner.
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I'm not saying that it sealed the deal, but our guests left very happy.
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So now we have to price this project correctly, but I think we're there.
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We were recommended by Ryan to order the filet mignon pizza as an appetizer for the table, and the boy knew what he was talking about.
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I'd go back there, even if a multi-million dollar deal wasn't at stake.

Tuna Lips said...

Bets there was a lot of top dollar hookers hangin' about the place. I likes hookers. They has feelins, too.

Sue Sue Raiche said...

Seeing you're such a "Mountain of a Man", I'm not surprised you were able to make this important dinner with the cold and all. It sounds like the filet pizza apps may have been the clincher! -  Susan

Maria Rowen said...

When you close the deal maybe you can celebrate at Sorelina...a close second to Mistral...Try the truffled French fries...off the hook...but no hookers... *_*

Sniffle Endurance

I'm a little down with a cold that has lasted for a few days.  But you don't see me complaining, do you???
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Sniffles, coughing, a sneeze or two.... when you're a Mountain of a Man, you can't let these things affect you.  Even if they would shut down a lesser man.

Maria Rowen said.....

Umcka Cold Care......Whole(Paycheck)Foods ...will put the Mountain right back in the Man...

POTW Week 41

 Got a lot of work done today, but nothing that I planned.  I was too impatient to wait, so I finished the Work Breakdown Structure for the big deal that I was telling you about.   It came out even better than expected.
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Also got two coats of Interior Semi-Gloss MinWax Polyurethane on the top of the Workbench.   That project has to move out of the garage as soon as possible to make space.

Announcing...

Nanepasehemet Peeps of the Week for the 41st Week of 2009

Holly Hunter

Bill Hillegas

Jill Phillips

Michael Murphy

Allison Peabody

Peter Crawford

Tomorrow we will get two more coats on and hopefully get it into the basement.

Happy Columbus Day

Normally, Columbus Day weekend is a great time to kick back and leisurely enjoy the three days.   But this year is different with a ton of obligations that won't let me relax.    Nanepashemet Telecom has a hell of an opportunity that we are pitching next Tuesday.... could be the deal that makes our next two years here in New England.
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So I'll probably be spending this Saturday taking care of some flapping loose ends at Nanepashmet to clear the decks in anticipation of landing this deal.  Kate is coming to Marblehead to hang with the Grandkids, Will and Ethan.   That will be fun.  We'll take some time for some Fresh Ayer on Sunday morning, and I'd really like to get Kate's Adirondack chair out of the garage and into the finishing stages, but this is not optimistic.
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Won't be able to relax at all on Monday's day off, what with the presentation due the next day.    So I'll be doing some Work Breakdown Structures, and Organizational Projections for the anticipated project.
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I'm not a big fan of Columbus anyway... what with the way that he brutalized the Carribean Indians and stuff.

Piscatelli said...

You dizzy Mic, it is your anti-Italian racism that shapes your opinion of our man Cristofero Columbo. You and Skip Gates are too peas in a pod. Viva Italia. ~   ~  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   

J. said....

Whatssamatta Goomba Pat???  

Haven't I shared my macaroni and cheese recipe with all of the Peeps?  Skip never did that!   Proof positive that I love the Itai's.