Everyday Americans

Not only did I not break out of the rut today.... I didn't even ride the Trek.  The PICS Safety Audit was pushed back later in the day. and with my background and experience in ISO 9000 audits, I spent a good deal of time in preparation.
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So when the audit was successfully completed with all appropriate accolades from the Auditor, I was a bit fatigued and opted to take a nap instead of the 10 mile cycle.
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Even a Mountain of a Man gets burnt out once in a while.
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I'll make up for it this weekend with rides planned with son, Mike.
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But nothing stopped me from getting more irritated with H. Clinton, as it was revealed that her much publicized get together with "Everyday Americans" in Iowa was completely staged and populated by selected political Democratic operatives.
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The much heralded ex-First Lady, former Secretary of State seems to be constantly pummeled in the social media..... and it is hard to imagine that she can arrogantly sling the Bull that has been her hallmark.  Early in her career, she was fired from a legal job because of dishonesty, and the pattern seems to have continued.
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Her use of unsecured personal email in a highly sensitive government position and the wholescale destruction of government records is something that she can't just brush away, but the sheep herd that supports her gives her a pass with no explanation why.  If you've ever worked in corporate America, email security is not to be taken lightly.  And yet this high profile position of Secretary of State doesn't merit oversight and security clearance in Hillary's world.
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What is the allure that Liberals have with her?  What message does she send that resonates with her supporters?   On Facebook, it seems that the only rationale is that they hate Conservatives.... and I never see any substantive reasons saying why Hillary would be suitable to lead this country.
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The litany of scandals and shady deals.... people close to the Clinton's who have met with unfortunate accidents... it's too numerous to mention.   Her face to face meeting with relatives of slain Americans in Benghazi..... where she lied about a video being the cause after failing to take any precautions for protection of our people....
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Sure.  What the hell does an idiot like me know?    I did once have a first hand discussion with a Secret Service agent who served during the Bush's and Clinton administrations.   He said that the Clinton's were rude and dismissive while the Bush families treated him with common courtesy.  I did have that personal conversation with the Agent, who held a highly sensitive post with lots of exposure to the First Families.  Guess that agent wasn't an "Everyday American".
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But now Hillary wishes to be a "Champion for Everyday Americans".    WTF is an "Everyday American" anyway????    Apparently someone who bleats like a sheep and believes any lie that comes their way.
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I hope that not too many people out there are "Everyday Americans".

Loop Rut and Champions

For the last three days, outside of Nanepashemet Telecom, I 've  been obsessed with completing a 10.5 mile loop around Marblehead Neck, Old Town and back to Suite 1-A on the Trek Domane 4.1 Road Bike.  The weird thing is that each time I've tried to get my heart rate up, and push the pace, but every day's ride has been completed in 49:00 minutes.   Actually, between 49:01 and 49:12.... and each ride seemed different from the other.... but was really almost the exact same.  12.8 MPH average.

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Tomorrow, after our PICS Safety Audit, I'm going to bust out of this rut.   On the stationary bike, 19MPH over 45 minutes is pretty standard for me, but out there in the real world, I haven't been able to break 12.8. But I'm losing weight.

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Not going to tell you how much yet, but if this routine becomes habitual, I'm sure I'll be obnoxiously bragging in a month or so.

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I've also been fairly obsessed with the Hillary Clinton for President announcement lately too.   If she has any redeeming value after a public lifetime of arrogance and dishonesty... then I just can't see it.  She has proclaimed herself as a "Champion" of everyday Americans and states that America needs a Champion.  It reminds me of a former boss who informed me that it was his job to be my "Mentor".

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What a Buffoon!   I pick my own Mentors, and I pick my own "Champions".... and H isn't even close.

Bike Prep

Two Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar in 12 oz. of water.
One Tablespoon of Black Cherry Extract in 12 oz. of water.
Gout Pill, High Blood Pressure Pill, Low Dose Aspirin.
8 oz. cup of Black Coffee.
Vegetable and Fruit Smoothie. (Not sure what Joanne put in this, but it's real green)
Two Fish Oil Pills.
Two Gummy Multi-Vitamins.
One 12 oz. mason jar of water.
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It's not easy staying Rough, Tough, Hard to Bluff and Damn Good Looking.
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But this breakfast puts down a MOAM Base to start the day.
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With 50 degrees and sunshine this Saturday morning, it's time to take the Trek Domane 4.1 out for a ten mile spin around Marblehead.  It's the first nice morning that screams "NO EXCUSES".   Joanne and I have seemed tohave  beaten that two week bug that had us hacking away this month.   Spring weather is in the forecast for the next few days.
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So this morning, after I finish this narcissistic post about myself, I will go for my first serious ride on the Trek Domane and see if I can get the hang of the bike shoe clips and the shifting system.

Respect for Native American Land

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Joanne and I took a walk this morning, through Gerry Playground and down to Stramski Beach.
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Everything was grey, mucky and muddy.... lots of downed and decayed tree branches on the ground due to the harsh winter.  It is a deteriorated and ugly scene.
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In the pre-Columbian era, our predecessors on this land, the Native Americans, whom I prefer to call in the politically incorrect manner as Indians.... they used to burn the forests every year.  Once in Spring and once in fall.
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The first Europeans who ventured to these shores were astounded by the countryside.   They marveled at the forests populated by large trees with room to drive a large carriage though with no problem. This was due to the seasonal burn treatment that the Indians had practiced for milleniums.   It made for a more suitable habitat for deer and other wild game as well.
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It flies in the face of our Smokey the Bear practices of preventing forest fires, and also does not meet the preferred narrative of the Noble Savage, who lived in harmony with nature and did not alter the Environment.
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Nevertheless, it is the truth, and the wild places in Marblehead look like forest slums with the dense undergrowth, mutilated trees and dead wood that is the most distinguishable characteristic of our forest conservation areas.
So I have been harboring a MOAM proposal now for a number of years, but have yet to articulate it until this moment....
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We should restore our "wild" areas to the way our predecessors experienced them.... not by burning, but by mulching the underbrush and harvesting the deadwood for garden mulch and firewood.
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The Indians did not have the advantage of our modern machinery like chain saws and power mulchers.... so they resorted to burning.  We could achieve the same state without the hazard of extensive smoke and air pollution.

Benefits

• The Wild Areas would be more aesthetic.
• More accessible to all.
• More Hospital for wildlife.
• Yield firewood for Energy.
• Yield mulch for gardens and fertilization.

Plus it would make us intelopers be more like the noble Native Americans.

In my job for Nanepashemet Telecom, I travel the backroads all though New England.   The presence of stone walls in the woodlands details a far different landscape that used to prevail here.  My MOAM contention is that we have let this landscape deteriorate and should return to the practice of our Indian Forbears.

Appreciation for Google

Next year, this Blog will be 10 years old.
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It's been therapy for this MOAM... and I hope a little bit of entertainment for you Peeps.
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But now, it is serving me well as a reference point...... letting me see how some things have changed.... and some that have stayed the same,
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I'm particularly grateful for the Google server that has kept these pathetic posts intact all of these years.  Don't know what the motivation is to keep this service free of charge, but it is appreciated.

Requiem for Ted

I listened to President Barack Obama praise Senator Kennedy today in the dedication of the $40M memorial to him paid with public funds.

A lot of good can be said for Ted Kennedy.... and one despicable evil.   He should have faded into obscurity after the manslaughter incident at Chappaquiddick with his criminal and insidious attempt to hide the facts and avoid being implicated, while a person died who could have been saved..... but his pedigree saved him.

And yet he went on to become a stabilizing force in the United States Senate.  Maybe this was his redemption...  But a $40M taxpayer funded tribute.... with accolades by our lightweight President seems to be a bit presumptuous.

Buddy, Can you spare a Dime?

The Outstanding Public Debt as of 30 Mar 2015 at 10:45:17 PM GMT is:

The estimated population of the United States is 320,292,366
so each citizen's share of this debt is $56,696.08.

The National Debt has continued to increase an average of
$2.30 billion per day since September 30, 2012!

How do we reconcile leaving our children with this burden?

Spring Refrain

Its 25 degrees Fahrenheit  here on the North Shore of Boston this Sunday morning.

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The shit stirrer in me wants to post something on Facebook about Obama's settled science global warming..... but I don't want to rub it in to my friends in the Democrat Party sheep herd.  They have enough problems, and there is no need for some MOAM like myself reminding them what a crock of shit they have bought into.
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It would just be too low.
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No, I'm just content to stoke up the fireplace, bundle up, and enjoy the Spring.
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It would be great if I could take a spin on my new Trek Domane 4.1 Road Bike... but it is just too phucking cold this Spring morning.
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So I guess I will turn my attention to installing some crown moulding in the Master Bathroom and then get a weight workout in.    Maybe make a Whey Protein shake afterward to drown my sorrows.

Checking off the Box

Nice Photo of my kids and their significant others.
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I view my greatest and only significant achievement as seeing my offspring mature and build happy and productive  lives for themselves.  The road to reaching this goal has been filled with bumps and surprises, but I am very happy at the result and pleased to check off the box.
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Since this MOAM has no frigging interest in siring another brood, I now  turn my attention to their offspring, and the lessons that I can leave that might be valuable to my grandkids.
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Hope that some of them want to build some boats with me.

Starting the Trek

Chris over at Marblehead Cycle hooked me up with this Trek Domane 4.1 Road Bike, and a pair of Shimano Bike Shoes.

Things have changed in biking since I bought my CCM Ten Speed back in the 70's.   But then again, so have I.

I'll be making the loop from Marblehead, over to Beverly Farms, past Wenham Main Street and back to Sundance regularly this spring.

Hell on Earth

Peeps....
It's a jungle out here in Cyberspace.
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Between adware, spyware, phishing and all sorts of  phoney emailed offers.. everyday is a challenge to keep cybercriminals from stealing your stuff.  All sorts of extensions are constantly automatically downloaded into whichever type of browser that you use, and you have to continually check to remove them.   Some items have clever capabilities to avoid being deleted from your computer.

Finally last week, the adware and spyware held all of my browsers hostage, and prevented me from doing basic work. 

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So I downloaded Norton Security Suite for all of my computers which seems to have me free of the Bullshit and back in control.   As I had the program scan my hard drives for unnecessary files, it freed up multi-megabytes of space.  Norton was available free from my Internet host, Comcast xfinity, but it would have been well worth the investment if I had to pay.
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Things seem to be working again.
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I also got my Foscam IP based security camera up online after a ton of Geek work.   It's a great unit, but in no way is it plug and play.   You really have to get good and Geeky to integrate the camera into your local WiFi network.  Lots of trial and error, but now I can access the camera from all of my computers as well as my iPhone.   It even emails me if motion is detected in the surveillance space.
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And by the time that some scumbag perp trys to dismantle the camera.... his/her image has already been sent to an FTP site, and emails and other alarms have been sent.

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 Cost less than $100 bucks which is short money considering the range of functionality and control that you can achieve in guarding your stuff and making sure that you get the drop on any unwelcome visitors
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So.... much more focus on Security this week than I would have cared to devote.... both from Cyberspace and physical space.
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You have to wonder what goes on in the minds of scumbags who spend so much effort trying to rip you off.... either in person or electronically.   They must live in their own special Hell on Earth.

Property Value

Now that we sold their South Boston Condo, I've been showing houses on the North Shore to Katelyn and Brady.   They have some nice options to choose from and it is a fun process.

But as I analyze these home and check for potential defects and flaws, I am always appalled when I return home to West Shore Drive, and find all sorts of cosmetic stuff that I have to attend to in my own house if it was to pass the same scrutiny that I have applied for Brady and Kate.

Before the weather gets good, and outside projects gain attention... there will be extensive caulking and painting throughout this house.

Time to put attention to the small details that matter in the long run in the determination of property value.

WebCam Defense

It been the coldest and snowyest winter in my memory here on the North Shore of Boston.   And we just set the clocks ahead one hour for Spring Daily Saving Time.

Acute case of cabin fever has been ravaging me.   March is always a tough month, but this one, where you still can't walk outside due to the huge dirt covered snowbanks, is particularly onerous.  So much for Obama lecturing us that Global Warming is "settled science".  The only thing settled is BO's tendency to twist reality to fit his agenda.   But enough about our Lefty POTUS.....

So I just got off of Amazon, where I purchased some Japanese Morning Glory seeds, which will be planted if I ever see the soil around the house someday.    Also bought a webcam security system to install at West Shore Drive.  I'm not sure what motivated this purchase, because I don't feel threatened at this address, yet it seemed to be a prudent thing to do....

One of the applications will be to monitor wildlife at night.   The constant snow cover has identified a lot of animal tracks and I was intrigued to find some large coyote prints checking out my trash bins one morning.   There is a lot more action out there at night then we would normally imagine.

The Webcam system links up to 32GB storage and can be viewed and manipulated remotely via iPhone applications.  We've been burglarized five times in Marblehead since moving here from Lynn over the last thirty years...so I guess this is justified  After the first few hits, we learned to lock the doors at nght... no more leaving the doors wide open because of a misguided notion that there is no crime in upscale Marblehead.

The technology is powerful and affordable so there is no excuse for not adding this to your basic line of defense.  When you leave the house, lock the doors and turn on the WebCams.   They record both video and audio when they sense motion and send you an email or FTP notification, so that you can click an app on your smartphone and see what the hell is going on.... as well as tell the Perp remotely through speakers in the WebCam to get the hell away from your stuff as you call the Marblehead Police to nail the scumbag.

Peeps.... we live in a world where our forebears used to guard against MicMac Indian raiding parties, Pirate attacks, and potential death by panthers or bears.   You would think that these ancient scourges have left, and they have.... replaced by other threats, like addicts who must steal to maintain their drug addiction, and a host of other scummy motivations.  There are people out there who want to take your stuff rather than earn their own.

And that doesn't take into account our Global threats by those who would kill you just because you are an American or a Christian.


My new WebCams won't protect me from this stuff.   It will just let me know who ripped me off.  But that's a big improvement.

Return to Normal.

A serious drop off in Posts.   Sorry about that.

My exercise regimen has been drastically modified by snow shoveling and a chance to ski with my grandkids.    Working the weights with the 5x5 program appears to be producing results although I missed two sessions when I went up north for the ski trip.

I don't feel like I have lost any weight, but have definitely noticed a bounce in my step, and have seen some muscle tone and definition returning.  The weight loss will come and feeling good takes precedence.

In the meantime, this snow period for Boston has been the worse in MOAM memory.  Too much for even the Aiens Compact 24 Snowblower to move.  It was a Godsend that I started my workouts at the beginning of the year, or the snow shoveling would have been close to overwhelming.  As it is, I have pain in areas that I had forgotten about.

Back to work at Nanepashemet Telecom after the week ski vaca and work respite.  Trying to return to Normal.

Lull After the Super Bowl

The Patriots won the Super Bowl in a work of fiction ending that could never be believed unless it actually happened in real life.... which it did.

And we in the Boston area have been pummeled with 50" of snow.

Both of these circumstances have colored the landscape since I last reported to you Peeps.

For four days during this period, I was out in subzero weather shoveling and trying to persuade my Ariens Snowblower to plow through drifts and snowbanks with a great deal of resistance.   On all of these occasions, since my t-sheet was soaked in sweat by the time I got back into the house, I treated it as an aerobic workout.   Outside of that, I filled the gaps on the Cybex and doing three 5x5 Stronglifts workouts.

End result is that I've only lost one lb. during this period and the rapid weight loss has taken a hiatus. I was warned by Christos that this would happen, and that I should soldier on... and that is exactly the tact that I am taking.  At this rate, it looks like February will see a scaled back projection.  If I lose four more lbs. before the end of the month, I will be happy.

I noticed though that other times when I have begun a weight loss regime, I've been stalemated at my current weight..... and that the program fell by the wayside.  Can't see this happening this time though.... what with my soldiering on and all.

The 5x5 StrongLifts program is in an interesting stage.   At the beginning, the weights are so light that I would be fairly embarrassed if anyone saw be benching the bar with a few puny plates on it.   But I'm going to stay the course.... by week 18, which shows up sometime in June.... no one will be laughing, and I may have to supplement the plates that I have on hand.

BTW... Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback in the history of the NFL .... and he is coached by the greatest coach, Bill Belichick.    DeFlateGate can Kiss My Ass.

January Recap

Peeps....
A Recap of January in this MOAM Quest to shed the label of "Big Guy".

After one month, I have officially lost 13 lbs., kept up a regime of 45min. aerobic sessions on the Cybex, interspersed with a couple 60 min. sessions and days off for stuff like illness, real estate closings and Grandson Births.

I also bought and installed a 300 lb. Olympic Free Weight barbell set, as well an accessory bench and squat rack.  My first experimental workout with the weights was very promising and I intend to start performing the www.stronglifts.com program on Monday.

The experimental workout was followed by a 45 min. session on the Cybex yesterday, and today I am a little sore... especially in my core area.... aka "Fat Gut".  I am psyched to turn a keg into a six pack, which should be a byproduct of this routine come August of this year.

Mentally, I am prepared to ski with my Grandkids, which would have been not feasible as close as last December.  And come the end of February, I plan to invest in a good road bike for April/May when all of this white stuff that the Democrats call "Global Warming" has receded.

Business-wise, it was a productive month as well, so that I can't see why I can't incorporate this program without any financial compromise.

This month was easy as far as motivation... what with reading the "Younger Next Year" book cover to cover twice,... and getting a lot of advice from FB Friends, Christos Laganos, Wayne Webster, and Jim Lundgren.... all Lynn English High School classmates of mine.

Next Month's February recap will tell the real story.

Victory So Far.

Peeps....  I've neglected you, as I'm sure you've realized.

But WTF, I had a new Grandson, so back the EFF off.   What the Hell do you want from me???

Anyway... With 186 days to go, I've lost 15 lbs.... simply by working out hard for at least 45 minutes everyday on the Cybex.   In the last 26 days, I took 4 days off.... 2 because I felt crappy, 1 because I had to manage Kate's real estate closing, and 1 because of Connor's birth.

Christos and Jim Lundgren had urged me to consider free weights a while ago.... and I took their advice.   Bought an Adidas Bench, Squat Rack and a 300 lb Olympic weight set, complete with a 7' 45 lb. bar from Amazon. The Bench came today, but the Blizzard of 2015 is delaying delivery of the weights and squat rack.

My plan is to start in February using the 5x5 method illustrated by www.stronglifts.com.

This regime is designed to make you gain strength in a 12 week period by lifting every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and increasing the exercised by 5lbs. each session.  A Belgian guy named "Mendi", who likes to say "Bullshit" a lot with a French accent has put the website and an iPhone app together that takes all of the guess work out of it.  It is actually very well done, and I urge you to check out this website if you are so inclined.

So I hope to integrate the weight lifting program in with the cybex aerobic sessions for the next three months or so, after which the May weather should open up a lot of outdoor cycling and rowing activity.

At this point, I am on schedule to get to Mike's wedding on August 1, under 200 lbs.   A lot can happen between now and then, but I'll take it day by day, and declare victory in various stages along the way  as appropriate.

Connor Joseph Boyle

It was a nice week as Connor Joseph Boyle was born to Katelyn and Brady.

Birth is a joyous event, and always seems miraculous, even though it should seem commonplace.   Modern medical practices have decreased the chances for tragedy to mother or baby, but it still was risky as Brady drove Kate into Massachusetts General Hospital, and she felt like the birth would occur in the car on the way.

Looking at my little grandson, I couldn't help but wonder what life had in store for him.... what will he achieve as he navigates the changes of the 21st century?

I wish him the best and hope to journey part of the way with him.