Harry Truman Rolling Over

Then Buck Stops Here..... at Lower Level Employees.



What would Harry Truman say?

Facebook Lull

Maybe it's just my perception, but it seems like Facebook has lost it's edge.   The people who post are generally new to FB, and nobody gets too revved up over political exchanges or other stuff.
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Basically, I lost it when I couldn't goad people into defending our Indian Senator Warren's claim for her conveniently manufactured Native American heritage,  and the Obamanistas overtures into IRS thuggery, Benghazi lies, and AP email snooping have got the Libs on the run, and they are not really forthcoming to engage.
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I don't blame them.
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So the result is that Facebook has been taking a step back.
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Even though the Lefty Slogan,  "It takes a village" (i.e.   you should depend on the government and not yourself) is particularly loathsome to me, it does seem that Facebook and social media has brought people together in the fashion that village life used to be... with a lot more interaction.
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But village life was often fraught with shunning, cliques, and small town gossip... and could get old quick.
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Facebook was fun while it lasted... now there is a definite lull in the action.

Saturday Ambitions

Went for Fried Clams at Essex Seafood, the Official Nanepashemet Clamshack last night  with the O'Shea's and the Peabody's.  Got a little chilly outside while we were eating, but the seafood didn't dissapoint.
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This Saturday morning, I am out straight with a big run at finishing the rough cut work on the Grandkid's bunkbeds, then getting under the deck and cleaning out all of the crap that has accumulated there, culminating in a dump run.
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If everything works right, the day will end up with the pram on sawhorses in the driveway, ready for fit out work and remediating that disgusting weather proofing that never cured on the gunwales.
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By 4:00 PM, when rigor mortis sets in, I hope to thoroughly enjoy kicking back on the deck with a Sam Adams or three.

Radial Arm Saw

I forget when I bought my Sears Craftsman Radial Arm Saw.   Easily over 25 years ago.  I had lent my DeWalt Radial Arm out to some contractor and missed having one, so I bought what was a state of the art model at the time.
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For some reason, Radial Arm Saws have fallen from popularity.   The rap on them is that they are dangerous, but every power tool, and especially stationary saws are dangerous.   As experienced as I am, I am always a little fearful when I switch on the power and the blade starts spinning, and I'm sure that this is a healthy emotion.

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The other frequent criticism is that the RAS is notorious for slop and inaccurate cuts.  I never had this problem.... until today

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The Radial Arm is the best option for making dado cuts in my opinion and as I was setting up the dado blades today in gearing up for the grandkids bunk beds, I noticed a lot of slop in the swivel of the power head.
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So I downloaded a manual for the Sears Model off of the web and quickly found out how to make the adjustment to eliminate the problem.   How cool is it that the Internet was not even invented when I bought this saw, and now I can instanteously get any information that I need to fix the tool.!!! 
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The radial arm is unsurpassed for making accurate repetitive crosscuts, when it is aligned correctly, while the table saw is my tool of choice for making accurate and safe rip and panel cuts.  The luxury of having each of these tools in my shop is a blessing that I should be more thankful for.
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The radial arm saw should be good for another 25 or so.



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Totalitarian Annoyance.

Peeps...
I'm not much of a conspiracy guy.  Sure, I'm as paranoid as the last person, but I don't really believe in vast ideological conspriracies designed to somehow control us.
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But the incursions of the Obama administration into harassing conservative organizations by the IRS, and the blatant lying and propaganda surrounding the Benghazi attacks sure give the feeling of totalitarianism..... the kind of stuff that used to happen in Communist countries.
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I personally don't believe that the Obamanistas have the experience and competence to pull off anything that would significantly hamper us.... but the effort is a bit annoying.

High School Seniors, now the Real Thing.

Thanks to some of my Facebook friends, got a little jolt of nostalgia today with this photo showing up.


Peeps... when I tell you about being Rough, Tough, Hard to Bluff, and Damn Good looking... it started way back then.  Just not a recent trend.  These guys were all of the seniors on the Lynn English High School Cross Country team and everybody is still living, as far as I know.
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Phil Freeman, the kid on my left got me on the team my sophomore year.  I had known Phil since the 2nd grade and played CYO Basketball with him.   He became a phenom in Cross Country, and I figured that I could beat him, so I went out for the team when indoor track started.
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He kicked my ass.  I only legitimately beat him once in three years... when I came in 3rd in the Essex County Championship my senior year with Freeman fading to fifth....., and the only cross country race that I ever won was because Phil was sick from school that day and couldn't compete in a dual meet against Peabody.   There was no way that I was going to lose that race with Freeman out of contention.
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He lives in New Jersey, I think.  I hope he is well.
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The guy on my far left is Jim Lundgren, who was legendary for singing the theme song from "Exodus" during cross country races.   Lundgren was a hurdler anyway and now is one of my best facebook friends as he thoughtfully presents the Democrats' position in highly entertaining Facebook threads.
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I have fond memories of all of these guys.   Don Gorski - a good golfer who moved to NY, Bob Hill- now retired from the Phone Comany, Billy Quirk- the only kid that I knew who legitimately went to Woodstock and is now a proud ex-Marine, and Mike Cole- a tough quarter miler.
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Not sure if Coach Civiello is still alive.  He was a good guy and very active in the Lynn Italian Community.
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If only we had Christos Laganos on that team, who now pedals 100 Miles through the Mountains and is currently hiking the Appalachian Trail. Chris would have been a hell of a distance man.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all of you Peeps who are Moms.
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When Joanne finishes scrubbing the floors, cooking the meat, and taking out the trash, I will urge her to take five minutes or so and enjoy the day.
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Sometimes, being a Mountain of a Man means that you have to be extra considerate.

Lying D- Bag

So it's apparent that the US State Department and the White House knew that we endured a full fledged and calculated terrorist attack in Libya, and then they coolly and boldly lied to the American people saying that it was a spontaneous reaction to a video that insulted the Muslim Libyans into riot and murder.
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And they stood by while four Americans were killed in the attack.
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Friends, we have caught Hillary Clinton in lies before.... like when she said her husband Bill was the victim of a "vast right wing conspiracy" when he was lying about getting a blow job by an administrative intern.... and when she concocted a story about her being "under fire" in Serbian airspace.  Not to mention, the aides who committed suicide during her reign as out First "Lady".
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She got passes on these... from me at least.   Everybody is prone to an embellishment of sorts or an exaggeration at times.
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But in the Benghazi attacks, four people died as Clinton became arrogant and dismissive with any explanation of the facts, and vowed to get the people who developed that "video".
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Peeps... Hillary Clinton is a lying douche bag.   There... I said it.    And I'm not taking it back.
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That said... I realize that that I'm so out of touch with things that she will probably waltz into the White House as the next disingenuous POTUS, courtesy of the herd of sheep that disguise themselve in the Democratiic Party as the American electorate.
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Sorry to be so serious today, but politics is fine, until you are glib and not forthcoming with the loss of American lives.

Nice Weather and 3D

The nice weather has definitely hit the Boston area.  Even though it rained with occasional thunder and lightning today, the colors of the spring foliage..... different shades of green and flowering shrubs.... were spectacular.
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Thunder and Lighting are fairly commonplace here in New England, so I was really surprized with I did my stint in the East Bay of San Francisco about ten or so years ago when everybody rushed to the windows when some lightning flashed.
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It turns out that thunder and lightning rarely happens out there.... which I didn't know.
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But I digress.
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Good weather to me means ramping up the projects.... today I helped Ryan pick out some lumber for the grandkids' bunk beds that he wants to build.   It  will be built with nominal framing lumber, but we will sand the hell out of it and then finish it with paint, so it should serve the purpose.  Kid's love bunk beds.
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I pulled a plan down from the Sketchup Warehouse, but it turns out that it is for a non-standard twin bed size, so I have to redesign a little bit.   Which is no real problem, because I'm starting to get really comfortable with Sketchup.    My forty hour initial learning curve is almost over and I'm tying into some tricks and techniques from the extensive tutorials that are found in You-Tube.
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As a 3D modeling program, SketchUp makes you change your approach to drawing a plan, but once you get the hang of it, it beats 2D hands down.   I even bought a 3D Mouse called the

3Dconnexion 3DX-700028 SpaceNavigator 3D Mouse

which will allow me to navigate around the model far more efficiently while performing commands and actions with the standard mouse.  

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Right now, the process is build a Component, swich to a Navigation command to work on  a different side, switch back to a Component build or measurement commend.... and over and over.    The 3D mouse with make this much quicker and more intuitive as a single initiative to move around the model with one mouse and perform design commands with the o

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I think that SketchUp is to CAD what Quickbooks is to accounting programs.  A real logical and intuitive approach that even a dufus like your favorite MOAM can master.

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I highly recommend that you download the free program at www.sketchup.com and add it to you software toolchest.   Why should I have all the fun?

Maggots and Monsters

To those perverted animals who kept the Cleveland girls locked up for ten years.....
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There is no torture that I can imagine that you wouldn't deserve....   and I hope your fellow inmates in Federal Prison have a more vivid imagination than I do.
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Lately, with the Maggots who bombed the Boston Marathon, and now these Monsters who feel that they could dominate and control another human being, we've been seeing a particularly dark side of the homo sapiens species.
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Let's hope that these sicko's are an extreme abberation.

200,000 Hits

Sometime tomorrow, this Blog will be hit for the Two Hundred Thousandth Time.  As crazy as it sounds, this has some significance to a sentimental old MOAM like myself.
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I mean, I'm not going to go all "Sally Field" on you, and start gushing  "You like me, You really like me."
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Because I know that a certain amount of you don't.   Which is fine with me because it's right back at you from your's truly.
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And I know some of the haters and disenchanted have contributed mightily to the 200k milestone. ....  Which is actually a burdensome thought.   Why waste time tormenting yourself by checking out this loathsome cyber rag?  Especially if I annoy you.   Some of you even hit it multiple times a day.  You know who you are ( and so do I, for the most part.)
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But before you start another cycle of a couple thousand hits, you really should do some soul searching.  Look closely in the mirror and make an honest assessment of who is looking back at you.   It's never too late to stop lying to yourself, and when you do there is a chance that you could find some direction or a positive purpose.  And stop blaming others for all of the Bullshit that hits you everyday.   That image in the mirror is there to tell you that it is all you, and no one else.
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Course the vast majority of  you Peeps who hit this Blog are cool dudes.  Rough, Tough, Hard to Bluff and Damn Good Lookin.   Like myself.  You know that we're all heading for a long dirt nap at the end of this run, so you don't take everything so seriously.   Because a hundred years from now, nobody will even know that you existed. 
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So sit back and enjoy the ride that Mother Earth spins for you.  And every day will get a little easier.

When God closes one door, He opens another.

"When God closes one door, He opens another."
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As far as I know, this is no Biblical quote, but seems to be readily apparent in our daily existance.
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It sure seemed to be in play today, as Nanepashemet Telecom prepares to close out services to a major customer for the time being, and new opportunities appeared from totally unanticipated sources.
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Peeps...... even though I'm a fully fledged Mountain of a Man.... I still worry about the future every once in awhile.... despite the fact that I've climbed the heights and fallen into the abyss in my business career, and yet still sit here as a well fed, couch potato.... cranking out this pathetic blog post.
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And every time it has seemed like there was no escape, the sun came up, there was air to breathe and food to eat.   The Lord gave us that day our daily bread.
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I appreciate you holding the door, Lord.

Designing Greenhouse Construction Jigs

It was a particularly busy work week` for Nanepashemet  Telecom with two trips to New Haven.  But during a brief lull in action, I found the time to drop down to see the Marblehead Building Commissioner and run the Greenhouse concept by him to see if he had any permitting issues.
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He wants me to add some concrete sonotubes and pin down the PT wall plates, which I agree with, but then sees no problem with issuing a permit.
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So now the issue is only time and money, both of which may be in short supply for this project.   Until I have a little bit of each, I'll be firming up the pricing and work procedures and designing jigs like below to make this thing come to life with circumstances permit.

This jig will Square up the 2x4 pressure treated 4' x 8' standard polycarbonate greenhouse panels and make assembly quick and accurate.  The project requires about 110 good and straight 2x4x8 foot pressure treated studs.

A GAY PRO.

Jason Collins, a professional basketball player, has just announced that he is a homosexual.
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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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crickets
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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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Yay, he's Gay.

Is this something I should give a Rat's Ass about?

Because I don't.

Give a Rat's Ass.

 

Of Course George Stephanopoulous has an exclusive interview with Collins.  Not for Nothing George, but what is the freaking issue here?  And President Obama gave him a call to say he is proud of him.   I suppose the Prez will be saying that if he was a homo, he'd be just like Jason.

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I've told you Peeps before... I don't give a shit what or who gives you a Stiffy. 

Keep it to yourself.



On-Line CSL Training

Massachusetts requires that you need 12 hours of approved refresher training in order to keep your Construction Supervisor license up to date and renewed.  This has been a requirement to renew my Real Estate Brokers license for quite a while, and I usually sign up for an all day weekend course to satisfy the criteria.
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In the real estate world, the changing regulations and procedures, such as lead paint, fair housing, Buyer's agency and environmental issues make this almost mandatory, but the construction update is worse than watching a World Cup Soccer Match.... it is that freaking boring.
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I signed up for an on-line course rather than the weekend intensive alternative, and I'm three quarters through.  Slides come up on the computer and a computerized voice that sounds wicked geeky reads the content.  You can't advance the slide until the Geek stops reading.
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There is boredom, then there is gut wrenching, chair squirming, pit-in-your-stomach, ready to scream boredom.  That's the kind evolked by this on-line course.

Boston and Benghazi

The Russians take the time to point out the  Terrorists to us, yet four are killed and dozens are maimed. 

Janet Napolitano refuses to answer any questions about the super rapid deportment of the Saudi National who was was questioned. after being wounded at ground zero of the bombing.  Is Boston another Benghazi? 

Balance Sheet Dashboard

Peeps...
I don't know if they if they teach this to you in Business School, but lately at NanepashemetTelecom, I have developed the habit of updating the Balance Sheet every morning, and staring at it for a while.
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What can I do to increase receivables?
What can I do to reduce payables?
How can I chunk down the debt?
What are the Bank Balances?
How much cash do I need?
What can I invest in?
Who can I pay?
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The whole exercise probably takes about 30 minutes, and it shapes the actions that I take throughout the entire day.
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Granted, Nanepashemet is a small enough company so that I can get my hands around accurate information fairly easily in a short time, but using your balance sheet as your dashboard has proven to be a great way to prioritze and focus.

Sourcing Pig Urine

Those of you Peeps who know me best are fully aware that this Mountain of a Man is no GirlyMan.   "Rough, Tough, Hard to Bluff, and Damn Good Looking" is not just a slogan worn lightly by this Blogger Extraordinaire.
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But I have to admit to you that I have gotten choked up each and every day since the senseless Boston Marathon bombing as the stories of the innocent victims keep pouring forth.
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To think that anyone can draw any rationality out of this insane act, and why someone would do it, remains incomprehensible.
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I'd be disingenuous if I didn't admit to a sense of revulsion and hate against the two Muslim misfits, who sucked off of the public trough here in Massachusetts.... receiving welfare and getting a public education.  And their parents in denial are grotesquely repulsive.
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What was the intended outcome of this action by these two Dipshits?  I wonder if they could figure out how it has created a sense of strength and resolve in the people of Boston and throughout America that is insurmountable to the type of cowardly plot that they concocted.    
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Probably not exactly what they expected.
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I would like to find out where they will be buried so I can visit their graves with a gallon of pig urine to saturate their final resting places.

Pretentious UMASS Advertising

A lot of you Peeps know that I am a proud graduate of the University of Massachusetts in Amherst where I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science Cum Laude way back in the 1900's.  Plus I ran on the Cross Country and Track teams albeit without distinction.
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It was a great place to be.... the educational choices, the social scene, the beautiful location in the foothills of the Berkshires.
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That said... the ads for the University of Massachusetts that constantly bombard us on the local Boston TV networks are really irritating.   Why do we use public money to advertise UMASS?  You don't see Harvard, or Northeastern, or BC advertising.  But the public school spends money on costly ads, and the ads are pretty obnoxious too... some fat administrator strolling around in a field talking like an idiot.
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UMASS shouldn't dip into the public trough to fund pretentious, egotistical ads that promote the Bureaucrats who administer it.

Liberal Self Loathing

Time Magazine is a liberal Rag.
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When I was young, growing up under the threat of Communism, we used to be regaled with examples of how the Communist regimes of the Iron Curtain communicated only propaganda to the people, and it was so bad, that we had to have a free press like Radio Free Europe to broadcast the truth to the oppressed masses.
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Media outlets like MSNBC and Time Magazine make the Iron Curtain feel like it stll hangs on us with the level of liberal left wing propaganda that is perpetuated under the guise of objective reporting.  The only solace that I have in this loathing of liberals is that they obviously loathe themselves as well.
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So I guess we agree on something.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=S5DXbn8ZszQ

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.

The Vikings

I've become a fan of The Vikings series currently being aired on the History Channel.

The historical context and acting is interesting, and the wooden long ships are the balls.

Contrary to popular opinion, the Vikings did not wear helmets with horns sticking out of them.

Spring Projects

Spring is here.  I don't care about the temperature, I'm done with winter and the cold weather as well.  And I've also rolled out my list of spring projects, few of which I can afford nor have the time to accomplish.
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Unfortunately, most of the stuff has to do with maintenance and remodeling, as well as getting the boats up to par.  The Aquaponics project is as the end of the list, and the Marblehead Gunning Dory can't even fit, so there is no real sex appeal.
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But if I can get in a good push, maybe those will see some life before summer is over.

Recommended by a Discerning Brew Critic

Dory Power Alternative

 Torqeedo Electric Outboard motors.

This might be the way to go with the Marblehead Gunning Dory.  They have a solar charge option and are equipped with GPS which measures the distance that you can cover with the remaining charge.

New Haven City Hall Wainscotting

Nanepashemet and Yale - Mano a Mano

Yale University Art Gallery

Outdoor Sculpture - Yale Art Gallery

I Don't Get Modern Art

Clinton, Kerry and Bush Recently Strode here.

Yale University - Old Money

Frank Pepe's Pizzaria - Must See in New Haven

 

Yes - My Diet went to Hell. But it was Worth IT!

 

Luck of the Irish

Happy St. Patrick's Day, or Lá Fhéile Pádraig if you are conversant in Gaelic.
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This is probably the most popular unofficial American holiday, and I'm told that it is more popular here than in Ireland.
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Fully 24% of Americans claim they have some Irish descent in them, with another bump claiming the heritage on this day.  The fact that this day is so popular would have been enigmatic in the earlier days of this country when the Irish were vilified and discriminated against.
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Every Boston kid with an Irish name knows what "No Irish Need Apply" means as the Yankees sought to subjugate and hold back the surging Irish Immigrant population.  I remember my mother clearly teaching me this fact at a young age.  And if you look at the history of the Irish, the phrase "Luck of the Irish" is enigmatic to say the least.
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The brutalizaton of the Irish and attempted genocide by the British over the past three centuries, causing widespread immigration to America, Latin America and Australia was a bit high on the unlucky scale. (And for the record, the potato famine of the mid 1800's could have easily been abated by the British, who stood by and watched millions suffer without offering aid).
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Maybe the Irish are looked at as "Lucky" because they persevered over egregious treatment by the British and then the American Yankees.  All the while, keeping their spirit, music, and culture alive and vibrant.
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I guess if you have that stamina and persistence, you are indeed lucky.
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The Americans and their friends who lift a brew and toast the patron Saint of Ireland today are the prodigy and embodiment of a people who could be bent but could't be broken.

 

Erin Go Bragh!

Ireland Forever!

Weighing In

Lately, Peeps, everytime I run into one of you, I get asked about the status of my weight loss program.   Which has it's own immitable message to me.   Obviously it doesn't look like I've dropped anything substantial.
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But that's ok... I started at a pretty hefty size, and this is a marathon, not a sprint.  I've allocated a considerable block to time....  up to Katelyn's September wedding date... to acheive my weight loss goal.  
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The first three weeks or so, I was a bit manic....watching every morsel consumed,  counting calories and weighing myself constantly.   That was good to convince myself that weight loss was attainable.  And it gave me a more indepth insight into the amount of calories that we can pack in without even knowing it.   But it also brought on an unacceptable level of self awareness and guilt.   Who wants to judge every bite that you take, then measure and fret that it might upset your daily goal?
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The most important thing is balance.  Watch what you eat, but don't obsess.  Enjoy in moderation, and above all, exercise.   It is the exercise that is the key to easing the manic issues of counting calories.  Plus the exercise makes you feel good immediately... despite the discomfort and pain of the actual effort.
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At this point, I don't know how much I've lost because I'm resolved not to let the scale set my state of mind.  I will weigh in when I can fit into my old jeans comfortably.  And I hope that is in a month or so of eating and drinking in moderation and daily gym sessions.

Black Joe's Pond

Steer Swamp

Steer Swamp

Ice Out on Hawthorne Pond

Ice Out, Ducks in.

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I went down to check out the possiblities of catching some Bluegill or Goldfish from Hawthorne Pond which is off of West Shore Drive.
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Maybe they could be introduced to the Aquaponics operation this summer.

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We brought the kids down there when they were little and the pond was filled with overgrown Goldfish or Koi.

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It is alot more overgrown now.
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Tomorrow I'll hike through Steer Swamp at the Beacon Street entrance and see what Black Joe's Pond has to offer.  \\
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Between, Black Joe's, Hawthorne and Redd's Pond, the aquaponics fish component should be adequately stocked this summer.

Papal Poetry

No Matter how much we Hope,
If its Black Smoke that means Nope,
But you really shouldn't Mope,
None of the Cardinals is a Dope.
They will shortly scale this Slope.
And choose a Brand New Pope.

Vote for the Pope

Peeps.... so many of you keep asking me who I support for the next Pope.   It's a tough call since the Pontiff enjoys a status of infallibility, unlike that of the MOAM, who admittedly makes a mistake from time to time.
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As a young Catholic, I actually bought into that infallibility claim, until as a Freshman at UMASS with basically no money to buy food on the weekends, I took a course in European History and found that the Popes were rather political and given to stuff like fathering illegitimate children, murdering rivals, and a host of other rather worldly pursuits.
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And while I was taking this course, learning this historical perspective, the priests at the Newman Center were regaling me at Sunday Mass for donations, when I was basically waiting for Monday morning when the Dining Commons opened.
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Not a good combination for maintaining a kinship to the Catholic Church.  So I drifted away and rarely looked back.
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As God's representative of Earth, the Pope doesn't pull it off for me.  Plus the medieval rituals, funny hats, ostentatious surroundings, secrecy, etc. seems a bit out of step.
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I see where there are some CatholicsComeHome.org ads on the TV, so I checked out the website and found more of the same.   If I was not going to Church, they were willing to let be come back, and forgive me.  But what about me forgiving them????
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I believe in the divinity of  Christ and view myself as a Christian, although with a firm belief that this is only one path to God..... certainly not the only one and the one true way.
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But I would come back to the church on these conditions.

1.  Allow women to be Priests.  Does God really restrict leadership roles to men?

2.  Allow Priests to marry.  Enough of this stupid celibacy  which was only voted on because of church property inheritance  issues in medieval times.   Plus, it would attract people to the priesthood, who didn't need to prey on little boys and girls.

3.  End this Papal Infallibility Bullshit.  Il Papa is not infallible.   He's just the guy in charge of a huge international operation, and should be recognized as such.

4. Send Cardinal Bernard Law back to Massachusetts where he should stand trial for facilitating the abuse of  hundreds of Catholic children at the hands of perverted priests in his Archdiocese.

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That's all I need.   Then maybe I would drop a dollar in the collection basket every few Sundays or so.
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As for the new Pope.  I kind of like Cardinal Francis Arinze  of Nigeria.  
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I actually have no freaking idea who he is but the Irish bookies are taking odds on him, along with Cardinal O'Malley from Boston.   Really the only time you read about the Church in Boston these days is when they close a local parish church in complete disregard to the neighborhood communicants who have worshiped there.... so I don't know what O'Malley brings to the table.

But Seriously ....Who it is  doesn't affect me in the least, and I highly doubt that he will accept my conditions.  So I have no recommendations to the Papal Conclave at this time.

Growing the Middle Class

My old friend from UMASS, Jack Rabbitt, just gave me a great idea to help President Obama in his quest to build the Middle Class, and I've decided to lead the way in volunteering for the effort

Write a big check.... as much as you can.... made out to me.   I will selflessly redistribute this money to members of the lower classes, in an effort to elevate them to middle class status.   And all this for a small administrative charge on my part.

And please, don't shower me with praises for undertaking this effort.  It's just my patriotic duty, right Libs?

Affable for Affleck

Just watched "Argo", the Ben Affleck film that won the Academy Award.
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Nanepashemet doesn't give out awards for films... yet.... but if it did, Argo would definitely be in the running.
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I have the dubious distinction of being contemporaneously very aware of the events that took place in the film, and the Affleck effort was worthy of the Academy's distinction.