Pelagic Zone Blog

My Redhead Abroad

2011-10-08T21:25:00.004-04:00

Elizabeth is over in Chennai, India on a Study Away semester. She got there yesterday and is already exploring. We think about her constantly and monitor facebook and her own blogsite Redhead Abroad which she is using to chronicle her experiences and also upload photos when she has enough bandwidth.

Of course, facebook will remain the primary contact vehicle for her, but the blogsite gives her more room to expand her thoughts.

Good luck EC. We continue to worry about you everyday, but at the same time, we wish we were there to just stand to the side and watch you experience everything. As we have always done, we enjoy watching you be you. Good luck Honey.

Love, Daddy.

How to fix the economy TODAY!

2011-07-08T11:27:00.010-04:00

As usual, I seem to be the only person who "gets it" when it comes to the economy. The Government is all hung up on complexity and details and positioning. This is a smoke stream they are using to divert attention away from the basic fundamentals that drive our economy. This positioning on all sides paralyzes action by bogging down on debate versus putting plans and policies into action.

Let me remind everyone about how basic economy works. It can be summed up in one sentence. You got something I want and I'm willing and able to pay for it. That's it. It's as simple as that.

How to we make the trade so that I get what I want and you get what you want? I either perform some work for you that you can't or won't do, or I pay you cash for the value of the thing I want.

How do I get the cash to pay you? I get a job.

How do I get a job? First and foremost (and this is the most critical thought), I seek out where I can be of some value to some other person. The critical idea here is that I have to prove myself to another PERSON, not a company or government agency. PEOPLE interview you for a job. PEOPLE hire you for a job. PEOPLE make the decision to take a chance on me. I have to show that my contributions solve a problem they have. I either prove myself worthy to my employer through my experience or physical abilities. I also compete against all others through adding value in a way that I return more to my employer than I cost him.

How do I get experience? I get an education or I work at a series of increasingly practical experiences that I can add to my resume of skills. I can also do non-skilled labor with my body which accomplishes work, but probably doesn't increase my experience credentials. BUT.... It pays and it puts food on the table.

How do I get an education? Either I or my parents are forced to pay increasing taxes to fund a school system. Incompetent as it may be.

What do I do with that education? I use it as another TOOL in my bag to demonstrate my ability and experience. The ability is to learn new skills, the experience is in obtaining the basic building blocks of survival (math, reading, critical thought, practical skills). Education alone isn't really an asset or value to my employer, it just helps me to be able to do the things I want to get the things I want.

How do I choose what education I get or focus on? I do some research on what the DEMAND is for workers. I then target my education to that DEMAND. I don't spend my time, energy, and money chasing a dream of what I LIKE to do. I spend my resources increasing my chances that my value proposition at the end of my education will meet the DEMAND for either producing goods or services that other people are willing to pay me for. I also set my expectations that if I am targeting a sector that typically doesn't pay well that I limit my resource expenditure in proportion to the potential return.

How do I limit my resource expenditure? I don't spend more than I have and I don't live on credit. Credit implies that I have some collateral or ability to repay that credit and that is not guaranteed when you are just starting out. Even when you are "established" utilizing credit to obtain goods or services ahead of when you can pay for them should always consider the additional "opportunity costs." COSTS is the operative word here.

It is generally believed by a majority of our society that there are jobs that people just won't do so we need to import labor to do them. I think this is a false economy. The reason why there are jobs that people WON'T do is because there are programs in place the make it so they don't HAVE to do them. Social welfare and unemployment "insurance" have made it possible for people to rely on their fellow citizens to support them in their time of unproductivity, even if this support is provided against their will.

If there were no other support options available, you'd find that people would return to the fields to harvest, they'd return to the buckets to mop, they'd return to the kitchens to wash dishes. They might not stay there for the rest of their working lives, but that is why these are considered "entry-level" jobs. If we don't start somewhere in our work lives, we have no place to go. We have no desire to improve our condition. We have no record of our ever increasing levels of responsibility and experience.

I'm not so naive to to believe that our employment problems in this country are caused entirely by illegal aliens or globalization (outsourcing) of jobs. I believe that our employment problems are caused by a fundamental lack of understanding of DEMAND for our goods and services. We eschew protectionism because we believe that closing off access to foreign markets reduces our ability to trade with economies that are emerging. The fallacy with that line of thinking is that these emerging markets DEMAND our goods and DEMAND our services when in actuality they are willing to wait for these until they are either ready to produce them themselves or pay for them.

We have gotten our economy into a situation where we produce very high-tech products that are either ahead of the emerging world's need or ability and so there is no market for them. Other economies outside of the US are struggling with their own challenges and are either contracting due to increased savings and austerity positions or are unable or unwilling to trade with us due to their own protectionist and cultural issues. Hanging our hopes for prosperity on foreign DEMAND is a fool's errand.

So how do I wrap up this rant? To me the answers are very clear. We need to go back to an initial position that we are capable of producing most if all of the goods and services we need to sustain life, provide liberty, and allow us to pursue happiness. That should be our starting position for everything. We should be incented through mutual survival and patriotism to seek native resources and solutions. We should mine our own minerals. We should harvest our own fields and forests. We should manufacture our own goods. If we are the engine of all the world's prosperity and innovation (as we claim we are), there should be a cost to those who want to capitalize on that. We should attach a value to that innovation as a national resource and charge foreign competition for the right to use that knowledge and innovation when they are competing with us. There should be some kind of "brain duty." If a foreign entity produces a good or service that wasn't invented here, we should attempt to invent our own solution first and try then to compete with that product. We might have to wait for this invention to be complete, but that is the price of our own "success."

Waiting isn't always a bad thing. If another society was ahead of the US in technology or standard of living, the rest of the world would be trying to go there rather than come here. I can't think of any other country that is the focus of immigration on a similar par with the United States. Why is that? The answer is that most foreign governments tightly control immigration into their countries to protect their standard of living and culture. I fully believe that we have the ingenuity and potential to solve all of our domestic needs (including energy). We are a vast geographic nation with relatively few people living on it. We need to get over the incorrect view that harvesting the assets of our nation is bad for us. It is exactly what is needed. Our survival and potential future wealth as a nation depends on us taking advantage of these bounties and using them for our purposes. Denying this is ridiculous on its very face. It is hypocritical to say that we can't mine, drill, farm, harvest, or build something that we need because it is potentially detrimental to our environment but it is perfectly acceptable to obtain it from another nation who is willing to accept that standard. There is a cost to obtaining what we need.

So in conclusion, the answer to fixing the economy is to remove supports that foster unemployment. Remove illegal aliens that do not contribute to paying for the society that they enjoy living in. Put people back to work, even if that work is considered to be menial. Tax everyone at a consistent rate that is considered fair (some % of income, to be determined by our social needs and standards). Charge foreign producers for our nation's innovation if it is used in other parts of the world. Harvest our own resources domestically (this is the true definition of wealth). Most importantly, consider that our production and consumption should be always focused on our mutual survival and not the greedy exploitation of foreign workers, environments, and economic manipulations that are bred in nations that do not have a rule of law or do not adhere to our own humanity and cultural standards.

There I said it.

BC-out.

Lefties with Potty Mouth

2011-05-26T00:02:00.002-04:00

How come it seems that the loud-mouthed liberals seem to always be the ones calling people names and using uncouth language. Is it a reflection on their intelligence? Do they not know any other adjectives? Are they appealing to their base?

Just yesterday, some windbag on MSNBC got himself suspended for calling Laura Ingraham a name on his radio show. Frankly I'm surprised he even got the suspension from NBC since they seem to revel in the fact that they are the mouthpiece of the left.

Other offensive terms for Tea Party activists roll off their tongues and maybe I'm not paying close enough attention, but it always seems to be coming from some media source that is controlled by NBC. It's no wonder that "regular" people are turning away from NBC and their Most Socialist NBC (MSNBC) sister network at an ever increasing pace.

When Tim Russert ran the news department at NBC it had a lot more class. I even used to watch MSNBC for their morning programming. I really miss Tim and I'm pretty sure he would not have tolerated some of the shenanigans that go on there on a daily basis from biased pundits like Rachel Maddow and the formerly offensive and now missing Keith Olbermann. The people who have replaced Olbermann are no better.

I guess you're judged by the company you keep. If you think MSNBC and their behavior is how you want to be informed, then I guess that says something about perspective and objectivity. The indoctrination will not stop until the socialism improves.

There I said it.

BC-out.

Call to Boycott Foul Language

2011-05-24T22:38:00.005-04:00

Now, I can swear with the best of them, but I'm really starting to become incensed by the current trend in marketing and advertising to use foul language and references to appear to be hip or cool. If they think that is what impresses us, the public, then I'm personally insulted.

Recently, I commented on facebook that I didn't like the "WTF" reference on a Kia commercial that is running. Where do they get the license to used veiled references to vulgarities and then assume that We The People would want to then approach them to do business? Do you get it?

It's like when someone lies to you. It isn't the lie that is offensive, it's the assumption on the part of the liar that you are so stupid that you don't know you're being lied to. Similarly, the usage of foul language in advertising assumes that they can speak to you that way and you won't be offended to the point where you boycott their product. What's next, giving you the finger in their ads to tell you that they think you're Number One?

Recently, a show on TV was cancelled that was literally called "$#*! My Father Says." This is on network TV, not cable TV. What happened to the decency laws. I know that technically, the use of punctuation as substitutes for foul language is not the same as using the actual vulgarity, but the implication is the same. This show never should have made it to the airways with a title like that.

So, if you have any sense of personal honor or concern for the "environment" of decency that we all attempt to live in, you'll boycott these shows and products so that in the court of public opinion they will not get the attention they are seeking to obtain through the most base of tactics. If you succumb to their attractions, then you are just surrendering to the decay that our society is experiencing and then you will have nothing to complain about when little kids are telling you to, "Go to Hell!" and they aren't saying H E Double Hockey Sticks.

There I said it.

BC-out.

Something Stinks Here...

2011-05-02T10:09:00.006-04:00

This won't be the last entry on this whole Osama (Usama) bin Laden "assassination" news. The news isn't even 12 hours old yet, and already the number of spins on the story are disturbing.

I first found out about the story from a facebook posting that said he had been killed in an airstrike. Then the story was that a S.E.A.L. team took him out a week ago (this is being written on Monday, May 2, 2011) and they suppressed the story while they did DNA verification. Then the story from Oba-Mao's 2330 PM address to the nation was that Oba-Mao ordered the assassination yesterday on Sunday, May 1, 2011. Then there was the story that he was taken out by a sniper with a headshot. Then I woke up today to find out that the body had been disposed of at SEA of all places. Then there was a story that the mansion where he was supposedly shot in the head had burned to the ground due to an operation to destroy a defective helicopter the S.E.A.L. team had to leave behind. Then there was the story that they tried to take him alive but he resisted so they had to kill him in a firefight. Then there was the story about the photos of the dead OBL body were retracted by the AP as being fake. I can only surmise that this whole story is being written in real time by John Lovitz's character Tommy Flanagan. Here's the transcript of the original story:

Tommy Flanagan (TF): Yeah, yeah, Osama bin Laden is DEAD! I was out with Morgan Fairchild (whom I've slept with) for dinner and I told her that OBL was killed. She immediately was impressed with me (again) and wanted to know more. So I tell her...

As you know, I'm tight with President Obama. I suggested to him last week that to get the attention off of his birth certificate he should assassinate Osama bin Laden. So, as he usually does when I suggest things to him on the golf course (I'm a scratch golfer you know). Obama then called Bob Gates from the golf cart and ordered the hit.

A S.E.A.L. team just happened to be in the area of Pakistan (which as everyone knows is known for their great beaches), and they hopped over to OBL's mansion to have a word with him. They thought they could get him to surrender. Yeah, that's it, they wanted to get him to come peacable-like, yeah.

On the way there, one of the helicopters that was carrying half of the S.E.A.L. team had the "check engine" light come on. Yeah, that's it, an aptly named IDIOT light downed the helicopter.

Once they were in OBL's front yard, they went up to the front door and rang to bell to see if anyone was home. Yeah, it was the FRONT door, that's it. So OBL said he didn't have the right shoes on so he couldn't go with them.

While he was standing at the front door, a NAVY sniper shot him in the head and blew his head off. Yeah a sniper. that's it. No, wait, it wasn't a sniper, it was the guy at the front door when OBL pulled an AK-47 out from under his skirt. Yeah, it was a combat hit, that's what it was.

So now there are about 30 guys just milling around in the front yard of OBL's mansion but they only have one helicopter left to bug out in. So they decide to blow up the broken helicopter, yeah, we don't don't want to leave a perfectly good helicopter sitting on the front lawn, that would be rude.

So they throw OBL's body in the good helicopter and get out of there. No time for a picture of the body, we need to take a DNA sample. Yeah, that'll prove to everyone that it was OBL. At that point Morgy (which is my pet name for her) says, "Can't you get a DNA sample from a living person too?" Yeah, yeah, DNA from a living person, I haven't seen that since Monica's blue dress I tell her.

On the way back to the aircraft carrier where the S.E.A.L. team was from they decide that it's better to just "bury him at sea." Yeah, yeah, that's it. The MUSLIM way. Bury him at sea, yeah.

At that point, Morgy was so taken by my story that I just can't go on with anymore of the intimate details.

Needless to say, this is the true accounting of what actually happened by me, Tommy Flanagan. Yeah, that's it.

You can't make this stuff up. Will we ever know the truth of what happened? Will we ever know the truth about anything Oba-Mao tells us?

BC-out.

A Pirate Looks at 50

2011-04-28T15:03:00.006-04:00

This is it. My last day as a "40-something." Tomorrow, I'm officially an old man. It's not too bad. I don't really feel any different than I have from year to year. After all, we do what we have to do right? I can take care of myself and my responsibilities.

Looking down the road from here I don't see much change on the horizon. As long as I can keep my job and do what I do, I figure I can get through the next five years or so and then start to look at ratcheting back.

Regardless of what my late father-in-law used to think of me, I'm not really that extravagant in my lifestyle. For the most part, we've always been pretty careful with our money. I drive a 15 year old Bronco and a 14 year old Taurus. I have a used 11 year old boat that I keep on the trailer. The house is a reasonable house by today's standards and it's almost paid off. Elizabeth is in school down in Greenville, SC and we have it structured so that she (we) won't have any debt when she graduates.

That being said, I have a lot of people to thank for allowing me to live the way that I do. Most of the "chores" in life are taken care of for me by guys I pay to mow the lawn and plow the driveway. I pay other guys to paint the house and do most of the maintenance so I'm kind of living the condo life in a single-family home. I still do some projects (mostly on the boat) myself, but the mundane stuff that steals time away from leisure is "handled." I don't approach every weekend with a list of things I HAVE to do. As long as I can keep the cashflow going, life is pretty easy.

Every year we take a week off and go to the lake where I totally decompress. My idea of a full-day at the lake is bobbing in the water up to my earlobes with a beer in one hand. It's not being lazy because nothing is expected of me at the lake. It's my time to get into the sensory deprivation tank and stare out at the water at eye level and watch the rain drops hit the surface and then briefly leap back out of the water. It's both humbling and cathartic.

I do regret not having closer links and ties to my family back in Connecticut. In 1986 we moved to Maine, bought our first house, and got married. That was 25 years ago. This September we'll celebrate our 25th anniversary. They all said it wouldn't last. Because distance is used as an excuse for so many things, I have really missed out on a lot of family time. I feel guilty that there have been times when I should have stepped up more, but it just was impractical or I was on the road for business. All the usual excuses that people use when they choose to live separately from their families. My brothers' and sister's families are very close and my sister's house is the center for most of the holiday and impromptu gatherings. Whenever I visit there (usually on my way through on business), I wonder what it would be like to have that sense of family activity. It makes me feel selfish and at the sametime claustrophobic because I'm not used to the "group."

Mom is going to be 80 this year. That's pretty cool. I don't think I'll see 80, but I'm glad she's hanging in there. She still has her whits about her and while she's getting more and more "challenged" in her mobility, I can tell she's still pretty sharp mentally based on the fact that her sense of humor is still intact. She's a pretty funny old lady.

I really appreciate the care that Mom gets from my Peggy and her husband John. She'd be in much worse shape if she still lived alone in the house on West Boulevard. When Dad died in 2005 it was way too much for her to keep. Peggy really showed her love by taking Mom into live with her. Thanks Peg. That's just another thing that is "handled" for me and it gives me comfort to know that she is well taken care of.

Elizabeth is pretty happy at Furman University. I think. She's hard to read. The place is great for me because I think she's safe and not right in the middle of some big city like New York or Boston. I never wanted her to go to a school with all of the hassles of commuting or city confusions. I don't like cities myself and am glad that she got a scholarship to one of the most beautiful schools in the country. The people who run the school are very nice also which gives us comfort knowing that she is well taken care of. Her experience away from home is both good and bad in that I want her to be successful and independent, but the more she sees of the world outside Maine, the more she will be pulled to stay away. In the fall she's going to India to study abroad and that is pretty scary for me because I tend to see the view behind the guy taking the pictures and what you don't see in all the travel logs and documentaries is pretty frightening. I also worry about her opportunities after school is over. If America doesn't get itself out of its ever increasing slide, times will be very hard for kids trying to start out. I used to think that she was already "set" in life because of her attitude, but now I'm not sure that will be good enough. It makes me sad to think that everything I've done to get her this far in life isn't enough if the future will be so difficult.

Socially, I'm okay with how things are going. I miss my good friend Moe who used to be my neighbor and fishing partner until he moved to Orlando about six years ago. I hadn't had a friend like that probably ever in my life, and it wounded me deeply when he moved away. We keep less and less in touch these days as is the nature of things when busy lives interfere. I guess I have enough friends. Most of my contacts are with the people I work with. Since I spend so much time on the road, I tend to make temporary friends of the people I travel and work with. It's kind of a symbiotic relationship where we're all in the same boat and our only social time is over dinner after work or jammed together in a conference room where it's all business until very late in the day when we can relax a bit after the customers have all gone home to their families.

I have made an effort lately to rediscover the Portland area. I almost feel like I never really got to know the place even though I've now spent more time in Maine than I did in Connecticut growing up. Because of all the time I spend outside of Maine on business, coming home and heading out to see some shows or discover a new restaurant is really like going on vacation on weekends. I don't get out every weekend, but lately we've been going to see more live music and experiencing some more dining experiences. I would really like to explode this part of my life because Portland really is a great place and there seems to be the right balance of things to see and do.

I'll always love the fact that I can get out on the water so easily here. The boat has really given me the freedom to schedule my own time without having to rely on someone else to invite me. There have been so many times when I have been the only boat out on some of the enormous "ponds" in Maine that I wonder where everybody else is. Don't they know how great this is? Why aren't these lakes just over-run with boats and fisherman and just folks having fun? This feeling of both accessibility and solitude is what means the most to me about, "They Way Life Should Be" in Maine.

Mary has been my wife and partner for 25 years now. She's a wonderful cook and for some reason she continues to put up with me. We are in a rhythm that seems to be working and while life is what it is, I don't expect or want anything more from her other than what we have. If that's the definition of happiness, then I guess I'm pretty happy. From time to time I wish we had another child, but again, this is our life and I think we're both pretty grateful for what it has given us. In general we just go along not worrying too much about the future. We've both been pretty successful with no interruptions in our incomes so I guess we're doing as well or better than most folks as we look into the abyss of old age.

No one can tell what is going to happen, but I think we're reasonably prepared to handle what is coming if that can even be predicted. Our plans for the future are nothing unobtainable. If anything, they might even be too simple. For now, we just plan to stay in the house where we live and will make any future changes based on our access to our friends who are also our neighbors who we love like the families we have that are distant. Our friends are our family for all intents and purposes and we love to have them along for everything we do. We expect them to come along on our vacations and everyone is invited to share in our good times. When we don't have friends around on vacation we feel empty and bored. I feel like other people have to be along with me at these times so they can validate just how great it is to be on the lake or relaxing by the fire in the driveway. We're always reminding ourselves that we live in such a great place, near the ocean, near the lakes, away from larger America.

So, I guess I can say I don't have anything serious to worry about. A life without worry is a happy life in my book. Until that changes, I'll just go along doing what needs to be done to keep us all on an even keel. If nothing from this point changes one way or the other, then everything is good. Life doesn't work that way, but for the next 24 hours or so while I'm still not a grownup, I can dream.

Thanks everyone. I'm a happy man because of all of you.

BC-out.

My Kindle Bookshelf - So Far

2011-04-26T15:26:00.002-04:00

Here are the titles I have purchased (some were free) since I got my Kindle. It's really quite a nice little simple device. I recommend it.

Righteous Indignation: Excuse Me While I Save the World [Kindle Edition]
The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey [Kindle Edition]
The Lovers [Kindle Edition]
SurvivalBlog.com Archive 2005-2010 [Kindle Edition]
Where Cool Waters Flow [Kindle Edition]
The Tea Party Goes to Washington [Kindle Edition]
The Call of the Wild [Kindle Edition]
The Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution with Bill of Rights plus The Articles of Confederation (with linked TOC) [Kindle Edition]
Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse [Kindle Edition]
Dismantling America: and other controversial essays [Kindle Edition]
Fishing Grounds of the Gulf of Maine [Kindle Edition]
To Save America: Stopping Obama's Secular-Socialist Machine [Kindle Edition]
The Maine Woods [Kindle Edition]
Lies the Government Told You: Myth, Power, and Deception in American History [Kindle Edition]
Griftopia: Bubble Machines, Vampire Squids, and the Long Con That Is Breaking America [Kindle Edition]
Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime [Kindle Edition]
Treasure Island [Kindle Edition]
Atlas Shrugged: (Centennial Edition) [Kindle Edition]

My Amazon Kindle Wish List

2011-04-26T15:15:00.003-04:00

I'm not promising to read all of these, but these are the titles that have caught my interest lately:

1. The Heart and the Fist: The education of a humanitarian, the making of a Navy SEAL
2. Autobiography of Theodore Roosevelt (Optimized for Kindle)
3. History of the Civil War, 1861 - 1865 [Illustrated]
4. The Fight for a Free Sea - The Sea War of 1812
5. Complete Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson & Henry David Thoreau (Optimized for Kindle)
6. Nautical Terms - The Sailor's Word-book
7. Voyage of the Beagle
8. How Britannia Came to Rule the Waves
9. Righteous Indignation: Excuse Me While I Save the World
10. The Burning Soul
11. A Man in Full
12. Liberty Defined: 50 Essential Issues That Affect Our Freedom
13. The Revolution: A Manifesto
14. The Infernals
15. The Gates
16. Deep Winter
17. The Endeavour Journal of Sir Joseph Banks
18. Surviving Off Off-Grid
19. The Federalist Papers (Optimized for Kindle)
20. The Day After the Dollar Crashes: A Survival Guide for the Rise of the New World Order
21. Catch-22
22. J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye: A Routledge Guide
23. The Conscience of a Libertarian: Empowering the Citizen Revolution with God, Guns, Gold and Tax Cuts
24. The Road to Serfdom
25. Bug Out: The Complete Plan for Escaping a Catastrophic Disaster Before It's Too Late
26. How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Times
27. The Federalist
28. Basic Economics: A Common Sense Guide to the Economy, 4th Edition
29. One Second After
30. The Next Decade: Where We've Been . . . and Where We're Going
31. Give Us Liberty: A Tea Party Manifesto
32. In Fifty Years We'll All Be Chicks
33. The Whisperers
34. The Van
35. The Snapper
36. The Commitments
37. Dead or Alive

A Blog Too Far

2011-04-26T13:24:00.002-04:00

I've been going crazy with blogs these days. I have been rebuilding The Pelagic Zone and in the process I have been taking advantage of some web services. I have been converting my old individual Fishing Stories and have added blogs about Food and Music. On top of these three blogs is this very blog that I use to vent about things that don't fit into those other categories. While it seems to be a little disjointed, I like having the separation so that different audiences don't get overwhelmed. Adding to all of this bloginess is of course, facebook and twitter. It never seems to end. So I guess I've created a monster for myself but hopefully an interesting set of content for you. As usual, I'd love to hear from you either through comments below or through my contact page over at The Pelagic Zone.

BC-out.

I'm Okay With It - For Now

2011-04-25T13:23:00.005-04:00

So the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) decided today to NOT fasttrack the challenge to Oba-Mao Care and let it proceed through the normal process of the Federal Appeals courts. I'm okay with this because I respect process. One of the reasons the SCOTUS said it would not hear the case is that fasttracking should be reserved for emergency situations like war and such as this didn't meet that criteria. Good point. I do think that they are just avoiding the inevitable conclusion that Oba-Mao Care is unconstitutional as has been presented on many levels.

Process or not, the unfortunate thing is that this will (again) represent a huge cost to the citizens of the United States as we watch our slow-motion democracy play out. Oh well, the cost of implementing Oba-Mao Care will be so many thousands and millions and billions of times more expensive than the appeal that this will seem like a good investment.

Just a short thought for the day.

You can now return to your regular stuff you do on a regular day.

BC-out.

Relaunching All Over the Place

2011-04-16T15:20:00.002-04:00

It's been way too long since I have paid attention to my blogsite. Lately, I have been redoing my primary website PelagicZone.com and this has caused me to make some decisions about what I want to do about my blogging going forward. Since I have a LOT of content already here, I think that I will try to keep this one going for awhile unless it becomes too unweildly. In the meantime, please checkout my website and let me know what you like and what you think could be better. Let's go!

Where is the DEMAND going to come from in Maine?

2010-08-29T15:52:00.004-04:00

My current (and until somebody can answer it to my satisfaction) rant is, "Where is the demand going to come from?" This is the fundamental question that needs to be answered by not only every citizen, but every human being going forward. It is an universal problem that must be solved.

Arm-chair historian / sociologist that I am, demand in the past stemmed from finding and filling a niche need that arose when we went from being hunter /gatherer "savages" to serving a "society" that started to specialize based on leveraging our individual talents.

Once everyone was not out for themselves, the species turned to establishing an economy based on trade for goods and services. At the heart of this economy was providing for the very basics of life, food and shelter. As we have progressed through time and our productivity has improved, we as individuals are less and less involved in the production of these basic commodities. Most of us purchase our food and housing from others and we don't think twice about it.

To obtain these basic necessities, we have to develop income to trade or pay for them. Our income, in most cases, is our wages from our labors in the areas that we specialize in. Through automation and basic market forces, we have evolved into an economy where providing services outpace producing goods or raw materials.

That's enough of a setup for now. The issue is that since most of us don't produce tangible goods, we are dependent on other (foreign) sources with the goal of consuming these goods for our survival. Where we were once the world leader in producing manufactured goods and food products, we are now a consumer nation stuck in a spiral of a reduced demand for our services offerings and also facing competition from other nations who can provide these services at a reduced cost.

We've painted outselves into a corner where we have lost the ability to produce goods at a competitive price and the services we have to offer (financial, retail, technical) are also being erased. This leaves a vacuum but there does not seem to be anything to fill it. For example in Maine where we used to base our economy on wood, textile, agriculture, and marine related industries, we are now faced with a lack of imagination about where the next one of these industries is going to come from. We still have a lot of the natural resources to provide for these industries, but the labor to add value to them is being provided elsewhere.

This lack of imagination is borne out of the realization that we are not "special" or unique enough to differentiate ourselves from other states or countries that can overcome our challenges of doing business here. Many of the knocks on the Maine business climate come down to high energy costs, high medical care costs, and high taxes. If we resolved all of those issues with creative ideas and planning it would only be a matter of time before other localities either copied us or came up with competing ideas of their own. In a commodity-based world where price is more important that quality or dare I suggest, patriotic loyalty, even quality or brand is not enough to tip the scales of competition.

The iconic symbol of Maine is the lobster. Even American lobsters not caught in the waters of Maine are still referred to as Maine lobster on the menus of restaurants all across the country. Lobster is a considered a delicacy or a celebration food which therefore falls into the category of a luxury item. Demand for luxury items suffer during times of economic distress as people tend to prioritize their spending. My point here is that even if you do something better than anybody else to the point where you become the default reference for it (like Kleenex or Xerox or Google), you still have to sustain the demand for that product or service by building brand loyalty or specific competitive differentiation.

Take Poland Spring water for example. Most unbiased people would agree that Poland Spring Water is better tasting than almost any other water in the world. I know this because I travel a large portion of this country and have yet to find any other water that even comes close to it. Poland Spring Water is so good in fact that I actually try to find competitors who have a better product and I have yet to find one. While all of Poland Spring Water does not come from the actual Poland Spring anymore (there are aquifers all over the state that provide water now), the flavor and quality of the water had remained consistently superior to all others. I only bring this up to demonstrate that there are some things in Maine that do differentiate it from competitors, but they alone are not enough to sustain the state's economy. With automation, the number of jobs required to supply at least the Northeast corner of the nation with bottled water is still pretty low. Water which basically comes free out of the ground as a source of raw material has the unfortunate property that you can't improve on its basic commodity. It is what it is. All you can do if figure out different ways to package and distribute it.

So then, where IS the demand going to come from for Maine human and natural resources? The answer, like most things, is complex. In an environment where competition comes not only from the remaining 49 states but also the entire rest of the world, the thing that will differentiate Maine from everywhere is (and this sounds kind of silly) is Maine itself! Companies have come to Maine in the recent past because either the senior management wanted to live here or those companies valued the quality of the Maine lifestyle over the bottom line on their balance sheets. This is a fairly weak force, like gravity. To amplify this force, we need to go horizontal with success messages from companies that have relocated or expanded here and have them explain their reasons. Messages coming from state governments are not always the best references because they have a stake in the message. Governments aren't the best at communicating the benefits of making a business decision because they don't think or operate like businesses. What governments can do is facilitate the messages from companies to get the word out without adding to the overhead of those companies participating.

Once that message gets out and becomes in the current vernacular, "viral" the focus on what and where the future demand is going to come from will naturally form. People and companies interested in furthering that message will produce the demand for services and products to sustain the growth of the economy. It's like a good stock tip, people will grab onto it if they think there is an upside. They will also grab onto something if they see other people and companies that they respect making a similar commitment.

I'll expand on this idea in the near future, but I hope that you will consider what I have said above and comment on it with your own ideas and suggestions. In the meantime, Help Save Maine!!!

http://www.HelpSaveMaine.com

BC-out.

Are there any honorable people left in Washington?

2009-12-13T22:53:00.003-05:00

I'm struggling with this question and many more. I can't think of anyone, anyone in Washington that I find to be honorable these days. I'm conflicted by this because in our system of representative government we have to trust the elected officials to do the right things for "We the People."

How can we sit in our living rooms and watch the wild spending going on and feel that this is in any way good for us or our descendants? How can we allow ourselves to accept trillions (with a 'T') in deficits to pile up and add to the even more frightening debt total? Regardless of our political affiliation, think selfishly. There is no rational benefit to society to bankrupt it for some short-term political gain or budget earmarks. Even if some of this out of control spending was coming back to your district, state, or town, the tail of this brief high is a long drawn out withdrawal from which there is no escape.

The closest thing we have to an honorable man in Washington is Ron Paul. Dr. Paul has called for an audit of the Federal Reserve. This is the good doctor's prescription for exposing the fraud, waste, and deception that is our current system by showing where the money goes. It is his way of saying, "Follow the money." This reminds me of the closing scene in "Three Days of the Condor" when Robert Redford threatens to expose the government corruption to the New York Times and the government operative says, "How do you know they'll print it?" The same thing will occur here. How will we know if the audit is fair and complete? Even Dr. Paul's good intentions will be sandbagged by a system that is "Too big to be honest." If the true story of the Fed was ever exposed, it would be catastrophic.

Every statistic coming out of Washington these days is to be treated with suspicion. Unemployment numbers are way worse than what is officially reported. TARP bailout funds never were applied for what they were intended to correct. Foreclosures are way worse than what we are being told. And most importantly, the debt to GDP ratio is so out of control that we will soon be underwater with that too. Right now the debt to GDP ratio for Japan is about 180%. That means that it owes 1.8 times what it produces in a given year for the whole nation. They will never return from this upside down condition. The US presently is only at 50% but that is climbing quickly with little on the horizon to make us think that we can be any better than Japan at getting out of this. Especially with the pace of spending and gathering debt we are piling on at a rate that is measured in trillions. Most of this debt is being incurred for political gain.

For this hemorrhage to stop we need the legislators in Washington to act responsibly and dramatically to reverse the spending. For some reason legislators think that the only way that they can measure their effectiveness for their constituency is by the amount of Federal dollars that are returned to their districts. This is wrong thinking. Given our current and future situations, they should be rewarded by how much they reduce that future burden so that we have some chance at a prosperous future for us and our children.

The checks and balance system is broken by having both houses and the Executive branch all in the same party. This is an open checkbook with no concern about who is going to have to cover those checks in the future. We as citizens are currently powerless to influence these assaults against us because the elected officials know that if they throw the right amount of pork around they can stand in front of the voters and brag about all the "good" they have done and get re-elected as being "effective."

It is time that we take more of an interest in what is happening in Washington (and our state and local governments as well) and just demand that the spigot be turned off before the well runs dry permanently.

All I can ask is that each of you do your homework and ask the fundamental question of "How are We the People going to pay for all of this?" If you can't answer that question, then you are honor bound to do the right thing and throw the bums out.

We are doomed...

BC-out.

What the Tea Parties Really Mean

2009-05-07T23:17:00.002-04:00

I'm going to be relatively short in my remarks because it is late and I really need to get up early tomorrow to WORK to PAY TAXES for programs I DIDN'T WANT OR AUTHORIZE my REPRESENTATIVES to enact.

If you go back and read the above statement closely, you see buried in there the real frustration that the Tea Party crowd is protesting about. It is the sense of powerlessness and futility that is being put upon us by our government about which we do not have the ability to stop UNTIL THE NEXT ELECTIONS and by then, the damage will be done.

Compounding this frustration is that fact that the "reps" are not listening to We The People and are doing what their socialist democrat party is telling them to do. They criticize big business for a short-sided, greedy view and yet they emulate this behavior with their timeframe being how many days until the next election.

The people who have the time and initiative to go to the Tea Party rallies are trying to take an active position by outwardly demonstrating that they do not agree with the decisions that the government is making. They are patriotic in their actions and are not just providing lip service and whining about what is happening to us all. I am ashamed that I am not out there with them but as I said above, I have to participate by staying employed so I can pay for all of this nonsense.

Anyone who criticizes a Tea Party participant has been drinking the Democrat Kool-aid to the point that they would bankrupt all of our futures so that the socialist agenda can be acheived before it is exposed for the fraud that it is.

The most upsetting thing is that even if the Government had to operate within the limits of their means, they would just raise our taxes to increase their "means" and it would not impact their behavior until all of us are relieved of all of our "ways."

Support your local Tea Party activist as they have your best interest in mind much more than anybody who holds elected office. It is true what they say that we get the Government we deserve. Since so many of the electorate is incompetent to make an informed and rational decision about who to vote for, we are all doomed. Once entitlement programs are established by the Government, it is very difficult or impossible to retract them later.

In closing, if you are not upset by the amount of spending and Government interference that is going on today, you either are not one of the people paying the freight, or you are dependent on the Government teat.

This is not how our democratic government is supposed to function.

BC-out.

Help Save America!

2009-01-28T20:50:00.002-05:00

I think I have figured out how to practically SAVE the United States of America during this economic meltdown. I can sum it up in only three words...

MADE IN AMERICA

There was a time when America was a self-sufficient, productive, exporting nation. Our country continues to be uniquely blessed with a wide variety of materials, ingenuity, and imagination to build and grow all of the essentials that we need. We have so much of this abundance that we can also produce things that we don't absolutely need but merely desire to make our lives fuller, to entertain us, and to reward us. We have abdicated our industrious nature but maintained our materialistic tendencies in some form of twisted entitlement.

Over time, we have exported our strengths and capabilities which has resulted in us losing our competitive edge around the world. We are at the point where goods imported to the USA have a greater demand and appreciation than our own natively produced products. More importantly, we have lost the ability and capacity to produce many basic materials thereby requiring us to seek foreign sources for things that were commonly made here less than twenty years ago.

I remember when "Made in Japan" was synonymous with junk that had no expectation of lasting five minutes from when it was taken out of its tacky and mispelled carton. "Made
in China" was reserved for hand-woven wicker baskets and other "crafts" primarily used as kitsch. Now, Americans put consideration on purchasing foreign produced goods ahead of those made in the United States and look down on the "Made in the USA" label the way we used to view products from the Far East.

What went wrong and how can we correct this?

The answer is that we lost control of our own destiny by putting greater value on the design and management of goods and services than in the manufacture and delivery of them. We are still the engine of discovery and innovation around the world. Unfortunately, when it comes to putting those plans and inventions into action, we discount the craftsmanship and skills of the American worker. We can't even say we didn't see it coming. For the past 25 years, we have fueled the research and design of better foreign made products by transfering our wealth and experience to the lowest bidder. This has been a false economy because we restricted our own investment in advancement and gradually drove the base income requirement of the average American family to an unsustainable levels. To add insult to this, in the absence of this increased income, the addiction to materialism was financed on credit to backfill for the real wages.

Increasingly I am convinced that as a nation we have to understand that we have to consume more domestically produced goods and services if we are to save ourselves from a death spiral similar to what caused the fall of the Roman Empire. The single largest factor in their demise was the outsourcing of what made them an great society. When it got to the point that they outsourced their own security, they were done.

As Tom Friedman would have us all believe, the world may be flat, but the playing field is not level. For the United States to become competitive again worldwide, we have to be competitive first within our own borders. To accomplish this, we need to produce compelling products and services that the world's most sophisticated consumers (read: Americans) will buy. To create this demand for products and services, we have to remove or reduce the perception that foreign produced goods are better quality at a better price. Even when certain foreign goods are more expensive, they are perceived as being a better value than American produced products. American consumers will pay more than a similar domestic product if they feel that it will get them closer to the ideal.

At some point, even the "perfect" product is too expensive and the consumer is forced to consider and eventually purchase domestic products even if they are a compromise. To hasten getting Americans back to an "America First" purchasing mentality, we have to sufficiently raise the tarrifs on imported goods and increase and improve the marketing (which is a form of educating the buying public) of American produced products. This will stoke the engine of a sustainable economy by providing the manufacturing jobs that will create the incomes to build and the products and utilize professional and technical services.

When America was at its strongest, it didn't look to dominate the whole world. It just looked to have a market in the United States. It looked to produce enough cars, refridgerators, televisions, and other household items and the potential market was these 50 states. If some of the excess capacity was sold overseas, then that was a bonus. We have to get back to this perspective. We already have the potential to produce more than we need to. We now need to produce the demand for American products to realize that potential.

If the Obama government really wants to produce the "Change" that is real, they need to provide not only the physical security for the nation, they also have to provide for the economic security of the country. They have to pre-emptively support US-based organizations and treat competing foreign interests as threats to our livelyhoods. They have to look at protecting each US job as they do US lives. They are essentially one and the same thing. A life not worth living because there is no opportunity, is equivalent to a life under a repressive regime. And that is precisely what we are turning into. Our government is failing to protect us by keeping out unfair competitors who flood our markets with unrealistically produced goods and services that are made by people who are forced to live lives that are below the base American standard of
living and below the US standard of what we define as poverty.

Unethically, we are promoting the exploitation of people who we consider to be of lesser value than ourselves. That is how we justify the belief that they are better off having some employment than none at all. It also allows us to benefit from this injustice to provide a good price to the consumer.

So if you are really, really interested in helping to save the United States during these tough economic times, you need to consider every purchase and try to buy goods and services that are produced as closely to your location as possible and even if you have to pay more, understand that for every dollar you put back into your local and national economy, that provides the fuel to the engine of future prosperity.

After all, without national economic prosperity, why invest in national and domestic security? What is there left to protect?

Think about it, and next time, look for the label, "Made in America."

BC-out.

Maine Election Results

2008-11-04T16:01:00.001-05:00

From MSNBC

National Election Results

2008-11-04T15:58:00.001-05:00

From MSNBC

Bad service? It's your fault.

2008-10-23T10:06:00.002-04:00

Are you upset with the generally bad service you get these days? I've concluded that we are all getting what we deserve. I say this because I have started to notice that as a society we are loathed to give an honest answer about the service we are getting. We don't want to take a chance in creating a scene with the service provider even if we have a right to be angry. I caught myself today doing just this and it really bothered me after.

I went in to McDonald's to get an iced coffee. There was a huge line at the drive-in so I went to the counter inside and placed my order. After having to repeat the order four times for a large sugar-free vanilla iced coffee, I paid my bill and waited for the drink to be made. The counter person continued to take people's orders while I waited and waited and waited.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that I waited a full ten minutes while they prepared this drink. When it was all done, the girl told me that she messed it up and had to make it again. So I waited again for another five minutes while she was off doing other things and helping the girl on the cash register LITERALLY READ THE MENU ITEMS. I guess the cash registers at McDonald's are picture driven these days to help the illiterate.

So, after an elapsed 20 minutes of waiting, the girl finally gave me my drink and apologized weakly for the delay and what did I say to her? "Thank you, that's okay." I friggin' thanked her just because at the moment she had power over me. I was trying to get out of there as quickly as possible and if I wasn't polite to her it might delay my escape.

This happens all the time. You go to a restaurant and you get crappy food or service. The crappy waiter / waitress comes around and asks disingenuously, "Is everything okay?" and the answer is always, "Yes, thank you." Sure, it's polite, but it's bullshit. It just reinforces the crappy service and raises the volume of hypocrisy on the planet.

I guess there isn't anything that can be done about this anyway. In the few times when I have taken the time to give an honest appraisal of the service I have gotten, the words have just fallen on deaf ears (or at least ears that didn't understand the issue or care to listen to the real details).

Compounding this enablement of crummy service is the penchant today to apologize for everything. Now I'm not saying that I'm guilty of this, because I rarely apologize for anything that can be rationalized instead. Some people have included the phase, "I'm sorry." as part of their speech patterns and apologize for everything, even things that they haven't even a remotely peripheral involvement in. It just diminishes any real apologies they might provide because they are apologizing for everything already so their words have no meaning.

So, what is the moral of this story? I'm SORRY to say that we need to stop THANKING people for doing their jobs competently. I'm also SORRY to have to say that I have to remind everyone that we shouldn't be surprised by good service, we should expect it.

When people say, "I'm sorry" for something they didn't do just to sound empathetic, I stop them and remind them that they didn't have anything to be sorry for so cut it out. Sometimes they get upset with me reminding them what idiots they are. For this I'm NOT SORRY. As a matter of fact, they should be saying, "Thank You" to me.

So please remember, for my sake and the sake of everyone who has to suffer at the hands of complete idiots, to stop thanking them and remember to say, "I'm sorry to have to point out to you that you are a complete dope!"

BC-out.

Financial Monarchy

2008-10-09T14:16:00.001-04:00

With all of the Federal bailouts, etc. and putting control of the strategy in the hands of the Treasurer, I'm wondering if we aren't creating a financial monarchy that has the power to control our destiny. It's already apparent that they can control our wealth by transferring present and future income through taxes to perform these feats of economic magic.

Behavior Modifications

2008-10-07T10:11:00.003-04:00

Since this whole economy thing blew up, I have noticed some changes in my behavior. The specific group that I work for at IBM is closely aligned with the Financial Services Sector and therefore I feel like we are in the cross-hairs of what is happening these days. Things are happening so fast with Government bailouts, etc. that it is hard to predict accurately what this will mean to me, my job, and any progress I might have made with investments and savings.

Some things that I have been reacting to are:

Make sure to keep my job. This means that I am trying hard to continue to add value to my customer so that they will extend our participation as long as possible, hopefully through the early part of next year at the minimum. It is difficult to get placed on an engagement at year-end when many organizations are distracted by Christmas and year-end activities.
Deeply consider all purchases at this point. Cashflow is king in this kind of economy. We have already put in place some large-scale home improvements that are more repair/maintenance than quality of life stuff. These things unfortunately HAVE to proceed because waiting through the winter to next year would cause major damage to the house. Other things like upgrading the TV to a digital HD model will have to wait even though the primary TV in the house is 20 years old and is starting to die in many ways.
Gas usage. We just added a third car to our inventory. This was a gift from my mother to my daughter so the expense of it was low. There are however incidentals like increased insurance, registration, tax, and inspection fees that must be paid immediately so hopefully this more efficient automobile will result in reduced miles and gas consumption on the Bronco.
Scrutiny of bills. EVERYTHING now gets a close review. We have fixed costs like everyone else, but some of the discretionary stuff is either being justified or curtailed. I recently found winter storage for the boat that is 50% cheaper than what I have been paying. This is an example of little things that can add up to bigger savings in the future.
Heating oil. I had been concerned that heating oil would zoom up to $5.00 a gallon (and it still might). I just got a delivery and it was ONLY $3.50 which considering where oil was trending is a bargain. I can't believe I am writing this. We also put in two more cords of wood to offset some of the oil consumption in the house. I haven't turned on the heat in the house yet but our hot water comes off the furnace and I will be checking the programmable thermostats and replacing their batteries. I can only HOPE that my wife and daughter will respect the settings on the thermostats and wear more sweaters and build fires in the wood stove if they get cold. When I'm away from the house I don't think they are as frugal with the heat as I am. It helps that I (and the dogs) like the house a little bit colder anyway.
Expenses are now gifts. Car insurance for my daughter is her birthday present.

It's not like you can just economize on little things. You have to take a big picture view of stuff. For instance, with all the market turmoil, the conventional wisdom (ala Jim Cramer from MSNBC) says that you should get out of the market if you need those funds within the next five years. I called my financial advisor just to hear him reassure me that we were sufficiently diversified and that our event horizon for when we needed funds was longer than when a recover would take place. I believed this, but I needed to hear it anyway. The end result is that we aren't changing anything and we will ride this out hoping for the best. I guess we all just have to change our expectations about what "best" really means going forward.

Fasten your seat belts. It's going to be a bumpy ride.

BC-out.

Please hold my hair back and pass me a napkin...

2008-10-01T22:02:00.005-04:00

I'm watching the "bi-partisan" vote on the bailout and I am getting absolutely violently ill at the hyperbolic rhetoric they are using. It's not like we dodged an asteroid aimed at Earth.

This whole thing makes my conspiracy alarms go off. Somewhere in my twisted mind is the absolute certainty that this is just a scam and somewhere behind heavy oak doors on Wall Street, rich guys are getting richer (and laughing at you and me while toking on $200 cigars).

What started out as a 3 page memo from Henry Paulson is now 450 pages of PORK PORK PORK PORK raising the price tag to $850 billion (as they always say, with a "B") and it has nothing to do whatsoever with the bailout. Did you hear about the tax break for the wooden arrow manufacturers? This is a classic example of why we need to throw all of these bums out and start over again. I think we should just let illegal aliens and H1-B Indians and Chinese run the House and Senate for the next six years. They're doing everything else around here. I bet those Chinese guys would understand the socialist mechanics of this thing better than old Chris Dodd. The Indians know how to get by on $300 a month per capita which will soon be considered a "rich guy" in the good old USA (after taxes that is). We need these jokers as consultants to help usher in the new AMERICAN economy.

Do I sound sarcastic? Do I sound angry? Good. Then I'm doing this right.

Who believes that this thing ends at 850 with a B? At what point are we going to be outraged and revolt against our own government? $1.6 TRILLION? $4 T??? This can only be a bad thing. All those jokers in Wall Street know that there is nothing they can do that won't be corrected by the American taxpayer (if you're over 16, insert your name here). Does anyone remember the revolutionary concept of, "No Taxation Without Representation?" How about revising that to be, "No Taxation BECAUSE of Representation!!!"

Adding to my puke-flavored breath is the idea that on the House side that pimp Barney Frank is driving the boat. It's bad enough that Chris Dodd was getting pats on his back from the other sycophants. All I can envision is old Barney bending over at the waist to get his pats. Yuck!

I hope someone with a video camera recorded who was personally responsible for increasing the 3 page plan to 450 pages and that they captured the gallons of drool that dripped from the lips of these jokers as they took their turns at the trough of "Earmarks."

Luckily, if you live in Maine, you are used to be taxed to death. Now, our fabulous legislature has figured out how to tax us AFTER death. Honestly, anyone considering starting a family has got to do a serious pros and cons list. Is it fair to bring a child into this world? Well, maybe there is someplace in this world where it is fair, but the USA is not one of those places anymore.

Who really believes that this plan will protect the US taxpayer? I would have believed that this thing was in our best interest if the final bill was LOWER rather than 20% larger in only a matter of 48 hours.

The timing of this thing is also inconvenient for me. In less than a year and a half I have to figure out how I'm going to pay for college for my daughter. Who can plan that far in advance given the situation we're in. Even my financial advisor can't give me sound advice in this turmoil. If he thought he could, I wouldn't believe him. Everyone is making this up as they go along.

Alright, I feel some more vomit coming up in my throat. I gotta end this before I am washing off my keyboard and screen.

Is there an earmark in there for Pepto Bismol or anti-nausea drugs to be put into the public water supply.

I don't feel so good.

BC-out.

Why did the chicken cross the road?

2008-09-30T13:48:00.001-04:00

BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a change! The chicken wanted change!
JOHN MC CAIN: My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.
HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure right from Day One that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me.
GEORGE W. BUSH: We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.
DICK CHENEY: Where's my gun?
COLIN POWELL: Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road.
BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with that chicken. What is your definition of road?
AL GORE: I invented the chicken.
JOHN KERRY: Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.
AL SHARPTON: Why are all the chickens white? We need more black chickens.
DR. PHIL: The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on this side of the road before it goes after the problem on the other side of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his current problems before adding new problems.
OPRAH: Well, I understand that this chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a car so that he can drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN: We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed access to the other side of the road.
NANCY GRACE: That chicken crossed the road because he's guilty! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.
PAT BUCHANAN: To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.
MARTHA STEWART: No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No bird gave me any insider information about crossing.
DR SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.
ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die in the rain, alone.
JERRY FALWELL: Because the chicken was gay! Can't you people see the plain truth? That's why they call it the 'other side.' Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And if you eat that chicken, you may become gay, also. I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination that the liberal media whitewashes with seemingly harmless phrases like 'the other side.' That chicken should not be crossing the road. It's as plain and as simple as that.
GRANDPA: In my day we didn't ask why a chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.
BARBARA WALTERS: Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it had experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its lifelong dream of crossing the road.
ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.
JOHN LENNON: Imagine all the chickens crossing roads together.
BILL GATES: I have just released eChicken 2008, which will not only cross roads, but will integrate with those that lay eggs. Henhouse Explorer is an integral part of eChicken 2008. This new platform is much more stable than previous versions.
ALBERT EINSTEIN: Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road pass beneath the chicken?
COLONEL SANDERS: Which way did he go?

So now we know exactly why the chicken crossed the road.

BC-out.

This is some funny stuff.

2008-09-27T11:10:00.002-04:00

Maybe I'm late to the party, but this is some funny, funny stuff. These two guys are what is known as Internet Comedians. They have the most hysterical videos and even do a live show once a week over the 'net. It is NOT a waste of time to check them out even though you ARE wasting time checking me out. But then again, if you didn't come here to read this, then you probably wouldn't know about Rhett and Link. So head on over there, but make sure you come back here for further instructions. That is all for now. You can head on over to their site now.

G'head. g'head.

Rhett & Link

BC-out.

The Maine Man Song

2008-09-27T10:55:00.002-04:00

Have you seen this yet? It's kind of like a video for grammar school kids, but it has an appeal for adults also. You could say that this is how far rap music has gone in Maine.... and that's a good thing.

BC-out.

Unintended Consequences

2008-09-25T15:38:00.004-04:00

I frequently get teased about the way that I bought into the whole Y2K hysteria with no apparent negative outcome. In my mind at the time it was the old Boy Scout motto of being prepared, combined with my generally low opinion of mankind's ability to handle tough times without resorting to mob violence.

What came out of that whole life changing experience was a respect for the Law of Unintended Consequences (UC). Which are basically:

a positive unexpected benefit, usually referred to as serendipity or a windfall

a negative or perverse effect, that may be contrary to what was originally intended

a potential source of problems, such as described by Murphy's law

I can't help but feel that this whole economic bailout process is a huge breeding ground for UC. I have never witnessed such a large expenditure of money that was put together so quickly with such little detail about what the money was for and how it would be managed.

The people who are proposing this bailout have dire warnings about not initiating this solution quickly. They also have an optimistic expectation that some of the money can be recovered through the sale of the assets at a future date. Nobody feels that there will be a positive outcome from this other than saving the US economy from an eventual slide into the Second Great Depression.

It's like Y2K again. After spending super-tanker loads (boatloads is too small of a quantifier) of money, the only thing you save is what you already have with no improvement. We used to say, when asked about any added-value of the massive Y2K projects, "Nothing adds value to the business than the business itself." Such is the case with the economy. This bailout plugs the leaks in the hull but the pumping out of the water will be a slow process and you're left with the same old tub. I love a nautical metaphor.

Contributing to my fear and loathing of this solution is the fact that these guys on the Hill know about as much about the economy as I do. They're making this stuff up as they go along. Economic issues are like religious ones. You don't really understand all that is going on in the background but you go along with whatever happens with the "faith" that the people pulling the levers know what they are doing and have your best interests at heart. BAAAAHHHH!!!!

I can only stand on the sidelines and observe what is happening because I don't know what else to do and any decision I make will probably be wrong. The only action item I have on my TO DO list is to do nothing and to let it play out figuring (again naively) that The Gov'ment won't let the majority of the population go down the old dumpah.

To take apart the definition above here are three scenarios I can see happening:

Positive: The firms that take a bailout from the Gov'ment get their acts together, stabilize and pay back the loans and bailouts similar to the way that Chrysler turned itself around when it was bailed out. (Don't consider that Chrysler is now again in trouble 20 years later and it looking to be sold, this is supposed to be the positive scenario. Play along).
Negative: The bailout fails. The economy tanks. China and OPEC buy all the banks and insurance companies. My recommendation: Buy Chinese Rosetta Stone language CDs and stop making fun of their Engrish. Their Engrish is better than my Chinese.
Murphy's Law Scenario: This one has the best chance of happening. When a solution is put together by people who don't know what they are doing and then rush to implement it out of fear of what they don't know will happen, then you have the perfect conditions for UC. The consequences of this result are too numerous to imagine. Unfortunately, these times will be referred to in the history books as the Good Old Days.

So, to wrap up this ramble, my advice to everyone reading this is to do what the famous economists, Frankie Goes to Hollywood recommends:

"Relax don't do it, When you want to go to it. Relax don't do it, When you want to ......"

This blog has a bad ending. Hopefully the bailout won't have the same result.

We're doomed.

BC-out.

I'm confused and therefore mad.

2008-09-24T22:28:00.002-04:00

This whole bailout thing has me confused. See if you are like me.

1. I play by the rules.
2. I invest very conservatively in 401(k)s, IRAs, Money Market Funds, etc.
3. I have a "reasonable" mortgage.
4. I pay my bills and credit cards off on time (mostly).
5. I drive used cars.
6. I'm taxed to death.
7. I am sliding backwards economically.
8. I never qualify for any financial aid, discounts, or rebates.
9. I still play the lottery every week.
10. I still contribute to charities and occasionally pick up the tab.

So why am I mad?

1. I'm gonna get stuck with the tab.
2. It's another transfer of wealth to those who are the most irresponsible (governments, companies, individuals (dirtbags)).
3. I don't really understand what is happening and that makes me feel stupid.
4. I don't trust government to do anything right (I never did).
5. I think this is a conspiracy tied somehow to the upcoming election.
6. I think we should take our time to figure out how best to do this.
7. I think that if you tried to get rich during this time and took risks then you should lose. No reward without risk. You gambled and lost. Deal with it.
8. I don't understand why I have to pay for people to live in better houses than me and drive better cars than me. Come to my house and mow my lawn and shovel my snow.
9. Will I be able to finance my kid's college education? Will there be a bailout for me to pay for that one?
10. Where is the outrage? We just sit in front of our televisions (still analog for me) and take in this insult without input or comment to our "representatives."

Will someone please expose and explain the conspiracy that got us into the mess we're in? I guess the message of Wall Street was wrong. Greed is NOT good.

BC-out.

TSA Boat Ramp

2008-09-21T14:08:00.002-04:00

If you any of you have ever been to a boat ramp, you can understand just how funny they can be. Seemingly in-control people do the dumbest things and the harder they try, they just seem to make things worse until through trial and error, they manage to launch their boats (or at least get them in the water).

Well, going through security at airports today is analogous to being at a boat ramp. Watching the people go through the security process and watching the inept TSA personnel makes for a very interesting experience. I am considering coming down to the airport (on a day when I am not subjected to this embarrassment myself) with a folding chair, and just sitting by the check-in to watch the action.

Today for example, I got dropped off at the Portland International Jetport and there were cars parked along the curb. Parked is the correct term because they weren't idling and they were empty. There was this inept private security guard walking around them writing out City of Portland parking tickets. Are these guys empowered to write tickets? Are they agents or officers of the traffic department in Portland. People in general have so little respect for the authority of these guys that the just abandon their cars at the curb and then take their chances that they will get caught. (Sarcastically) Hello! Those cars are parked up against the terminal under the overhang. Has anyone ever heard of a car bomb? Does the event that happened in Scotland a few years ago ring any bells? Are we so far away from 9/11 that the rules that followed that day don't apply anymore?

Then, the check in process at the ticket counter got only better. After getting my ticket and bag tag, I proceeded to the infamous "Station One" where passengers from multiple airlines surrender their bags to the newly metal badged TSA guard who asks you if your bag is locked or if you have any film in it. I lowered the handle from my roll-on suitcase to its retracted position and bid it farewell. The TSA guy got upset because he had to use the strap handle on the suitcase to move it to the loading belt. The distance from when I let go of the bag to the bottom of the belt must have been 18" but that was too far for him to have to move the bag without the use of the wheels.

Moving up to the check-in TSA security point, the escalator was broken so we all had to hump our way up the equivalent of two flights of stairs, carry-ons and all. At the top of the stairs, we were met by the recently installed TSA security guards (which is all that they really are) and the guy in front of me had managed to mangle his boarding pass from the time it was just issued to him from the US Air kiosk to the point where he had to show it to somebody for the first time. This was a period of about 5 minute and a distance of about 100 yards from point to point. He somehow got the ticket stub separated from the main body of the ticket and the TSA guy said he couldn't accept a ticket that was already ripped in half. The TSA agent said that he had to go back and get another boarding pass from the counter and opened the rope line to let him go through. He obediently, if ineptly, returned to the ticket counter as instructed.

The rope line remained open to anyone walking by because the TSA guard couldn't extricate him from the bar stool he was sitting on to close it up again. He claimed he was trapped in his seat. It's a good thing that he didn't have to spring into action to capture an Al Queda agent.

Sure enough, some bimbo just walked through the line to the head of the check-in line while the senior TSA guard (three stripes on his epaulet) asked sheepishly, "Who is that and how did she get in there?" Again, no one sprung into action and tackled her to the ground as a line jumper. She was inside the area that is reserved for people who already had their ID checked. Effectively, she walked right past the TSA guards and was wandering around unescorted. She didn't even have a ticket or a boarding pass. She was there to find some other bimbo she was trying to say goodbye to. I guess if you are a female, you aren't a threat in the eyes of the TSA and can just do what you want. Brilliant.

This is getting long, but it doesn't end here. At the point where you have to take off your shoes (ridiculous) and put your laptop in the separate bins, another totally new bimbo from the other bimbos already encountered takes my bin that I had set down because she didn't think ahead to get some from the stack by the table. She didn't ask, apologize, acknowledge (or probably even realize) that those were my bins that I had prepared for my orderly check-in through security.

Back to the boat ramp analogy... Through this whole ordeal, I'm just smiling and shaking my head at what I was seeing and experiencing. The Portland Police officer inside security saw my expression and asked me what I was smiling about...

I just said. "Boat ramps buddy, boat ramps...."

We are doomed.

BC-out

Here's your sign...

2008-09-14T16:49:00.002-04:00

I love this one...

BC-out.

The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Beers

2008-09-14T13:43:00.002-04:00

I didn't write this, but I wish I had. This pretty much sums it up for me.

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 beers.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions--- and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else---the small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you. 'Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented. The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.' The beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of beers with a friend.'

You gotta love it.

BC-out.

Are we all dopes?

2008-09-09T21:34:00.004-04:00

I can't stand it.

All of this talk about Sarah Palin being the mother of five children and how that will distract her from her future job as Vice President, etc. Let me just put a few facts out there on the table.

1. One of her "children" is a soldier in the US Army and he is deployed to Iraq. That's one less nose she has to wipe.

2. Another of her "children" is going to be a mother herself soon. She will also be married and will get a lot of help from VP lackeys and nannies, etc. Democrats seem to think that it is okay to support teenage mothers on welfare for life and they don't worry that their mothers aren't taking care of them. Who wants to bet that Bristol's kid is going to get the best care in the world and her future is a hell of a lot brighter if she is the married daughter of a Vice President or Governor than if she was the unwed daughter of some welfare lifer? According to the Democrats, that is what the Government is there to do. That leaves three left to worry about.

3. Willow (13), Piper (7), and Trig (infant, Down's syndrome). Okay Trig will need special help for a majority of his early years, maybe the rest of his life. That is the card they drew and they're willing to play that hand. With his slow development, he will actually be easier to "take care of" in his toddler years and I'm sure his Dad will be very capable of watching him through the day while Mommy is out serving her country (remember this concept for a point that is coming up). Also, there will be people falling all over themselves to help Trig out so that they can demonstrate their commitment to helping special needs kids in a very public way. Honestly, Trig is one of the luckiest retarded citizens in the United States, even if his Mommy doesn't eventually move to Washington.

4. What could be better for Willow and Piper than to be plucked out of Alaska and sent to some of the best schools in the country and to also have the experience of growing up in Washington and live in the VP mansion at the US Naval Observatory. I think we can all admit that these kids actually won the lottery here. Heck, most teenagers want to spend less and less time with their parents during these years anyway, so having Mom away at work or performing her sworn duties will have little impact. Please take off the hypocrite helmet and admit that these kids are the closest thing we have in the country to royalty. Would any Democrat honestly admit that princes and princesses have all of the opportunities that the world provides?

5. Why is Sarah Palin any more "irresponsible" than any other woman who serves her country. I think we forget that thousands of women leave their families to serve their country in the National Guard in foreign lands and their support systems at home are much less than what is provided to the Vice President of the United States. I think I am pretty sure of this. Nobody is crying over their ability to fulfill their commitments.

6. Are the Democrats totally hypocritical or is it just me? Since when do baby murderers care about the welfare of children or have a lock on being good mothers and parents in general. In fact, I think it could be argued that Democrats are doing a disservice to their own children by raising them as socialists and not preparing them for the real world. In my definition, the real world is not a place where government is the solution to all of your problems.

7. On my way to a total of 10 Bill Cook talking points.... How can we sit around watching the media argue about personalities and irrelevant family histories when there is no substantial discussions of issues such as Obama's plan to put government's hand even deeper into our pockets to prop up the portion of our population who contribute the least and demand the most.

8. Am I the only one who notices that Obama, like a lot of bleeding hearts is a "nice man" but would you want him running your company? Untested? Inexperienced? Do we want nice guy or a leader? I think McCain and Palin have demonstrated their leadership by either being responsible for other people's lives in the military or through their direct experience in managing governmental organizations (like being a governor).

9. Where will Obama be after he loses the election? He will be tossed on the Democrat heap of losers never to be heard from again. The Democrats are notorious for their lack of loyalty to their own and Obama better be floating his resume around for his next gig because the Democrats are cruel to their own when they lose. Why would anyone want to be on that team? Why would anyone identify themselves as a Democrat? I can't think of a more dishonorable association.

10. Finally , and to round out the ten talking points... How can the Democrats drag down a female anything when they are the boisterous bastion of liberals, feminists, alternative lifestyle living, (supposedly) non-judgemental, Hillary-loving, loud-mouths.

AND FINALLY, FINALLY: While watching an interview with Sarah Palin's sister just now on TV, she explained that these kids are FINE with the conditions they are USED TO living under and that there is a lot of SUPPORT already from Sarah's family. Wow, what a concept?The Democrats don't understand that it is POSSIBLE to get support from entities other than GOVERNMENT and be just fine. Alaskan's are self-reliant by reputation and it is an indictment of our entitlement oriented culture that we are shocked and surprised that a family will suffer from having to live in the royal comfort of the Vice President's lifestyle. What more could they want? Nobody is talking about the sacrifice they are making in getting in less hunting and fishing time.

Are "We the People" friggin' dopes or what? If you disagree with any of the points stated above, you can unequivocally reply, "yes."

BC-out.

Hypocrisy Perfected

2008-08-27T21:40:00.002-04:00

I'm writing this as President Clinton is speaking at the Democratic National Convention and I am not surprised by what I am hearing, I just don't believe it.

First of all, it is coming out of the mouth of Bill -- I did not have sexual relations with that woman.... -- Clinton so therefore whatever he tells us must be taken with the grain of salt that he is truth-challenged.

Second of all, it is clear that he isn't FOR Obama as much as he is AGAINST any Republican being the next President. He is speaking in generalities because Obama specifics cannot be cited. Everything is what Obama "will do," not what he "can do" or more importantly "has done." This is the hypocrisy of Bill Clinton. He will say anything to anyone, even if he doesn't believe it himself. He is a hypocrite.

I just saw the Maine delegation on the TV sitting there transfixed by their messiah. I am embarassed to be associated with these fellow citizens. They are representing our great State of Maine with their catatonic stares and mouth-open drooling gapes. Don't they know that what they are hearing is simply not one man's opinion, but some actor who is on stage reciting lines that he didn't write nor even believes himself.

Because Obama does not have a record to recite and reference in this speech, you could substitute anyone's name into the speech and deliver it as if he was a human mail-merge machine.

In the end, Bill Clinton was true to his historic form and overspoke his time to speak by 20 minutes. It's all about him. He didn't want to speak on stage about Obama, he just craves the attention and this is how he gets his fix. I fully expect to see him hawking "Shamwow" towels on informercials soon. He would be great. Nobody knows about soaking up stains in cloth better than he does.

To cap off the hypocrisy, he won't even be in the audience when Obama speaks tomorrow night. If he is so behind the Obama campaign, why can't the world's most famous living Democrat even take the time and effort to support the DNC candidate? I would say his endorsement was disingenuous political theatre.

I'm getting tired of even writing about this since it really doesn't matter. My opinion of the general public's ability to make a rational decision of what a leader should be is very low. The only thing that I can hope for is that the Democrat populace will continue to demonstrate their inability to be loyal to their own candidate and forget to go to the polls.

BC-out.

Why I Haven't Even TRIED Striper Fishing This Year

2008-08-26T07:12:00.002-04:00

Maybe I missed out on some opportunities to fish for stripers this year, but probably not. Combining the poor fishing reports with the poor weather reports, this summer has been pretty miserable for fishing. We had a great week of vacation early in July, but it has been raining pretty steadily since then. I have been watching fishing reports combined with canned Google searches that have only returned bad news about my favorite saltwater fish.

With the price of gas at what it is, I just didn't have the drive or desire to go out for hours and hours and not have a real chance of at least getting a few "shorts."

Oh well, as I always say at the beginning of every year, "This is going to be the year!" Hopefully, we've paid the price of patience this year and next year we will be rewarded with sone great fishing.

See the whole story right here.

BC-out.

Dumbest Obama Quotes of All Time

2008-08-24T12:56:00.001-04:00

THIS MAY BE ONE OF THE DUMBEST CONTRARY QUOTES OF ALL TIME.

'My friends, we live in the greatest nation in the history of the world. I hope you'll join with me as we try to change it.'

---- Barack Obama

There's your sign.

BC-out

Snow Falls Video

2008-08-12T22:51:00.002-04:00

If all this water WAS snow, we'd be in big trouble. I hope you like it.

BC-out.

Heir to Henry VIII's Lands

2008-08-11T00:21:00.002-04:00

This is absolutely incredible. I got an e-mail the other day and attached to it was a news story stating that Queen Elizabeth was looking for me. Honestly, I'm not making this up. Check it out.

Press Here to See the News!

Pop over the pond and spend a few days at the manse. I'm sure we have enough rooms for you, but you have to take your shoes off before coming inside.

His Majesty, BC-out.

Vote for ME for President

2008-07-15T17:20:00.000-04:00

Some Vacation Pix

2008-07-13T23:38:00.008-04:00

This is our "little" girl Ruby. She is a Bernese Mountain Dog and was born in January, 2007. She loves to swim so much that she will not return to shore once she starts. Last year when she was just a baby she would swim away and it would literally take hours to get her back. This year, I bought a harness for her to swim in and I attached a 20' leash between her shoulders so she could swim and not get tangled. She didn't notice it too much, but I loved reelin' her in when it was time to go get a beer. She is gorgeous to look at, but my wife thinks she is not the sharpest pencil in the box. I think it is all an act to get us to do stuff for her and give her treats all the time. Like, Yogi, she's smarter than the average Berner!

This is our little girl Bonnie. She was born in 1996, so do the math (I don't want to come back here and update the date every year!). She's from Georgia, but we don't hold that against her. She's a purebread Wedontknow, but she has what looks like some beagle in her. She is the classic omega dog and is so shy she runs away when you say hello and hides. When she's not hiding, she is squeaking and making excited noises until you go crazy and tell her to shut up.

This is my helicopter. Actually, I don't know who's helicopter it is, but they landed right next to the practice green. It's some pretty good flying, but is kind of windy when you are trying to sink a ten footer. This whirly bird was seen "parked" at the Belgrade Lakes Country Club. There goes the neighborhood.

This is me holding up a typical Long Pond smallmouth bass. You've got to love 'em. There are a ton more pictures of our vacation at my website. Y'all come back now, hear?

BC-out.

Tim Russert, RIP

2008-06-18T23:12:00.002-04:00

Tim Russert was a rare example of what an honorable man can and should be. While widely suspect of being a Democrat sympathizer (former party worker for Tip O'Neil), he seemed to be able to suppress this when on the air and interviewing guests on Meet the Press.

I made it a point most Sundays to watch MTP with who I called, "My Timmy." I am a huge cynic when it comes to The Media and Timmy was a pleasure to watch. He made political eels squirm and was equally tough on both liberals and conservatives often hanging them by their own words. It was beautiful.

We won't see someone like this again for a long time. Even when people filled in for him in the past, they never seemed to have that sense of preparation, insight, and utter enjoyment in making our public servants appear anyway to be responsible for telling the truth.

I'll really miss him because now I have lost all faith in the media. Our next best hope would be George Will, but even he is not as even keeled as Timmy so I guess we'll just have to wait and see what the network cooks up.

I'll miss you Timmy. You left us too early and unprepared for what we about to receive.

BC-out.

Loyalty and Honor

2008-05-13T23:12:00.002-04:00

Is it fair to say that Democrats are dis-loyal to their own? Is it accurate to say that Democrats threw away Al Gore and John Kerry after their razor thin losses to Republicans? Not just any Republicans, but George W. Bush. Is it also fair to say that for months after the Bush / Gore contest that Democrats believed that Bush stole the election through Supreme Court manipulation? I know it is fair, because I had to listen to all of the Democrat whining. You would think that folks that were so sure that their man was right for the job and so sure that it was denied him that they would put the SAME candidate up the next time the job became available and yet they didn't. The Democrat party (and the majority of their membership) decided that after 4 quick years, the ONLY candidate for the POTUS is no longer credible enough to be put up again. This seems kind of stupid to me. If you had a candidate which lost as close as Gore did to Bush, wouldn't it make sense to push his agenda again to take advantage of any momentum he had before and also whateve pity or guilt feelings that prevade the opposing party in the sense of fair play? As an outside observer, it appears that the Democrats will put anybody up for POTUS with the only criteria for the job be that he is not the guy who currently holds the job. Does that say something about the commitment of the Democrats, their intelligence, their loyalty, their honor?

So if that argument can be made, can it also be said that they lack the ability to put someone up for POTUS who can be trusted to do the right thing all of the time with so much at stake?

I'm sorry if you are a Democrat. You can always change your party loyalty away from the Democrats, or you can just do what I do and rebel against all organized parties. After all, what is the purpose of a political party? I have never had a need for one.

If you really love your kids, you won't let them follow the sham idiology and grow up to be Democrats

BC-out.

What is wrong with Democrats?

2008-04-21T22:31:00.002-04:00

I know that this is a loaded question, but I want to make a few observations that I think are fair and balanced and are easily defended.

Democrats:

believe that government is the solution to many (and all) of our individual problems.
are not loyal to their own candidates. If one of their candidates loses an election, that candidate is not again brought forward as a possibility even though at the time that they WERE running originally they are thoroughly convinced that their candidate is the ONLY right choice and that they are entitled to win (at least entitled to beat any Republican). Democrats have loyalty issues. Look at Gore. His election was "stolen" from him by Bush. Look at Kerry. He was SO MUCH smarter than Bush and SHOULD have won and yet the next time there is an opportunity, he is not brought forward and the two they are foisting upon us are fighting each other. Loyalty is not a virture of a Democrat.
will vote for anything or anyone as long as their party is not in power.
never ask who will pay for the programs that they think will solve everyone's problems (see #1) as long as the RICH pay for everything.
have a South facing moral compass. Most are opposed to capital punishment and at the same time believe it is okay to take the life of an unborn innocent. And don't give me that "it's not a baby" rationalization. Have a baby and tell me you don't worry about it's perfect health. Maybe it's just OTHER people's babies that Democrats don't care about.
believe that everyone is equal. Well maybe it's true that the creation process is equal, but the resulting human is not equal. If the hypocrisy of everyone being equal was true, then there would not be a reason to transfer wealth from one sector of society to another because everyone would be able to take care of themselves.
will vote for anyone or anything that promises to GIVE them money. What these same Democrats fail to remember is that the THING that is giving them money is the Government and the Government is largely (statistically proven by census records) funded by us white males.
believe that we (again white males) are largely individually responsible for global warming. Democrat guilt therefore says we have to do more than the Indians or Chinese to save the planet even though it can be shown that these two countries WILL combine to pollute the environment in a very short time and have even less awareness of it.
believe that OJ was innocent.
don't require experience or proficiency to perform the world's most important job.
cannot be trusted to make important decisions that affect us all.

Any questions?

Friends don't let friends vote Democrat.

BC-out.

I just have to say....

2008-04-19T22:56:00.001-04:00

Man, there are a lot of terrible bloggers out there!

I guess I would fall into this category

Amazing Dog Advice

2008-03-22T05:19:00.001-04:00

I just ran across this article and I had to share it with EVERYONE who loves their dog. It is an amazing example of “reverse” psychology for humans, but very logical in the doggie world. Amazing stuff…..

Have you ever noticed how your dog often flinches or looks despondent when you hug it? Or no matter how far you throw out your arms and lean forward, coaxing your dog enthusiastically and affectionately, your dog will not come when called? Well, the problem might have nothing to do with the usual explanations: bad breeding, lack of consistency, or lack of training time. While these are all important, you may simply be sending your dog the wrong messages with your body language.

Because we are primates, our body language is very different than the body language of canines. We lean forward towards a person if we want their attention. For a dog, leaning forward is a signal of dominance. We put our hand on each other’s shoulders as a gesture of affection, or stroke the top of one’s head. In dog language, these are again expressions of dominance, and can be interpreted as pushy. That is why when a dog has the habit of submissive urination, one of the remedies is not to lean forward and pat the dog on the head when greeting it. Without the dominant body language, the dog, or puppy usually, feels less intimidated and won’t submissively urinate. Some dogs, who are naturally either very dominant or very submissive, are uncomfortable with being stroked on the head, and it is better to stroke them on their chests.

A common problem is the recall, or “come” command. An often effective remedy for a dog that will not come when called is to change your body language. Instead of leaning forward, turn your back on the dog and crouch down. This is a calming signal, a gesture that is inviting. Watch dogs greet each other. They usually turn their backs to each other and sniff the ground before engaging in play. If that doesn’t work, running away from your dog, your back turned, will invite him to come towards you. Clap your hands and say “come.” The staccato rhythm of clapping hands or clucking, what we do with horses to encourage them to speed up, encourages your dog to move, and the body language encourages it to move towards you.

Watch your body language as you train, and be aware of what your dog knows. Does it understand the spoken command or the body language you use, the gesture? Some dogs become so used to being lured down by a treat that they never really learn the verbal down. This makes it even more difficult to teach a distant down, when the time comes. Do you snap your fingers or point for the sit command? None of this gesturing is a problem, it’s simply an example of your dog learning first from your body language. You can, however, “fade” a gesture by using the verbal command first, waiting, then giving the gesture. Eventually you can do half the gesture, then eventually, if you work on it, your dog will learn the verbal command and won’t need the prompt.

Primates also use their voices very differently than canines. A dog who is calm and in control is usually silent. Dogs bark to defend territory or if very excited. Puppies tend to bark and use their voices more than dogs do. On the other hand, we humans associate a loud voice with command. In a dog’s world, someone who yells is behaving like a puppy or sending out an alarm. So when you get frustrated that your dog isn’t listening to you, and you yell at it, you are essentially going to be associated with a puppy, not someone in command. So it is important in training to use a firm, low voice, and to not repeat commands. You will be more respected and your dog will learn to listen to you better.

Adjusting your body language to that of the canine world will improve your training and your relationship with your dog. We carry with us the unconscious habits of communicating like the primates we are, so it takes a very conscious effort to change our ingrained habits in training. But once you get the hang of it, it will come naturally to you to gesture towards your dog in a way that will make sense to it, and both of you will be happier for the effort you’ve made.

Wow. Or should I say, "Bow WOW?" Amazing stuff.

BC-out.

Amazing Dog Advice!!!

2008-03-22T05:18:00.000-04:00

I just ran across this article and I had to share it with EVERYONE who loves their dog. It is an amazing example of “reverse” psychology for humans, but very logical in the doggie world. Happy Easter!!! Amazing stuff….. BC-out.

Have you ever noticed how your dog often flinches or looks despondent when you hug it? Or no matter how far you throw out your arms and lean forward, coaxing your dog enthusiastically and affectionately, your dog will not come when called? Well, the problem might have nothing to do with the usual explanations: bad breeding, lack of consistency, or lack of training time. While these are all important, you may simply be sending your dog the wrong messages with your body language.

Because we are primates, our body language is very different than the body language of canines. We lean forward towards a person if we want their attention. For a dog, leaning forward is a signal of dominance. We put our hand on each other’s shoulders as a gesture of affection, or stroke the top of one’s head. In dog language, these are again expressions of dominance, and can be interpreted as pushy. That is why when a dog has the habit of submissive urination, one of the remedies is not to lean forward and pat the dog on the head when greeting it. Without the dominant body language, the dog, or puppy usually, feels less intimidated and won’t submissively urinate. Some dogs, who are naturally either very dominant or very submissive, are uncomfortable with being stroked on the head, and it is better to stroke them on their chests.

A common problem is the recall, or “come” command. An often effective remedy for a dog that will not come when called is to change your body language. Instead of leaning forward, turn your back on the dog and crouch down. This is a calming signal, a gesture that is inviting. Watch dogs greet each other. They usually turn their backs to each other and sniff the ground before engaging in play. If that doesn’t work, running away from your dog, your back turned, will invite him to come towards you. Clap your hands and say “come.” The staccato rhythm of clapping hands or clucking, what we do with horses to encourage them to speed up, encourages your dog to move, and the body language encourages it to move towards you.

Watch your body language as you train, and be aware of what your dog knows. Does it understand the spoken command or the body language you use, the gesture? Some dogs become so used to being lured down by a treat that they never really learn the verbal down. This makes it even more difficult to teach a distant down, when the time comes. Do you snap your fingers or point for the sit command? None of this gesturing is a problem, it’s simply an example of your dog learning first from your body language. You can, however, “fade” a gesture by using the verbal command first, waiting, then giving the gesture. Eventually you can do half the gesture, then eventually, if you work on it, your dog will learn the verbal command and won’t need the prompt.

Primates also use their voices very differently than canines. A dog who is calm and in control is usually silent. Dogs bark to defend territory or if very excited. Puppies tend to bark and use their voices more than dogs do. On the other hand, we humans associate a loud voice with command. In a dog’s world, someone who yells is behaving like a puppy or sending out an alarm. So when you get frustrated that your dog isn’t listening to you, and you yell at it, you are essentially going to be associated with a puppy, not someone in command. So it is important in training to use a firm, low voice, and to not repeat commands. You will be more respected and your dog will learn to listen to you better.

Adjusting your body language to that of the canine world will improve your training and your relationship with your dog. We carry with us the unconscious habits of communicating like the primates we are, so it takes a very conscious effort to change our ingrained habits in training. But once you get the hang of it, it will come naturally to you to gesture towards your dog in a way that will make sense to it, and both of you will be happier for the effort you’ve made.

Wow. Sounds pretty simple, eh?

BC-out.

Respecting Authority - Disband the TSA

2008-03-02T14:24:00.003-05:00

I am fully aware of the warnings and guidance that anything you put on the internet has a very long tail and that people can search for this information and that it will become part of what used to be referred to as, "Your Permanent Record." Remember that thing that was always held over our heads for controlling behavior on Junior and Senior High School. We were dumb enough to believe and follow it then, and we aren't much better about it today.

In this case, I hope that someone, somewhere, with the power to change things will actually read this blog and act on it.

At the time I am writing this, it is now over six and a half years since the 9/11 attacks and the security situation at airports is absolutely ridiculous. I fly for work every week and deal with the TSA (Transportation Security Authority) at least two and sometimes more than two times. I have to go on record as being someone who has little respect for authority in whatever form it takes because it is fundamentally backwardsly focused.

It is widely accepted amongst most thinking people that laws do more to control the behavior of law-abiders than law-breakers. It is the people who don't question the controls the government puts over us and submit to its ridiculous demands who are screwing it up for the rest of us. It is my understanding that the "prime directive" of the US Consitution was to protect and defend the citizens of this country against that abuse of power that the government can force upon us. The TSA is a prime example of power that has run amuck and is operating outside the basic principles of what it means to be American.

For instance, I don't remember anyone voting for the TSA and I am having a hard time finding out where it derives its authority. In my opinion, it is a rogue agency of our government that operates out of fear and intimidation. TSA rules seem to arbitrarity appear and disappear. At one point a few weeks ago, it was illeagal to carry butane lighters on the plane, now it isn't. It is again legal to carry flamable liquids in the form of butane in a ligher, but it is illeagal to carry bottled water of toothpaste that is above a certain size. I mean honestly, what is a terrorist going to do with excess toothpaste? Glue us to our seats? Make us brush 25 times per tooth? It doesn't take much thought to extend the most basic "legal" carry-ons and personal items and convert them into some pretty dangerous weapons (I will defer from explaining which ones I put in this catecory)

So anyway, I'm returning to this blog after a few days to complete the thought. I'm pretty much over my rant at this point so I don't have the same stream of consciousness that I had, but I remain firm in my dislike for the TSA and all things governmental that limit or control my behavior, ability, or desire to do whatever I want without intervention.

Weak ending, I know. Sorry.

Back to the real world.

BC-out.

Wouldn't it be great....

2008-02-26T00:34:00.002-05:00

WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT TO TURN ON THE TV AND HEAR ANY U.S. PRESIDENTAL CANDIDATE, DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN GIVE THE FOLLOWING SPEACH?
"My Fellow Americans: As you all know, the defeat of the Iraq regime has been completed.

Since congress does not want to spend any more money on this war, our mission in Iraq is complete.

This morning I gave the order for a complete removal of all American forces from Iraq This action will be complete within 30 days. It is now time to begin the reckoning.

Before me, I have two lists. One list contains the names of countries which have stood by our side during the Iraq conflict. This list is short. The United Kingdom, Spain, Bulgaria, Australia, and Poland are some of the countries listed there.

The other list contains every one not on the first list. Most of the world's nations are on that list. My press secretary will be distributing copies of both lists later this evening.

Let me start by saying that effective immediately, foreign aid to those nations on List 2 ceases immediately and indefinitely. The money saved during the first year alone will pretty much pay for the costs of the Iraqi war. THEN EVERY YEAR THERE AFTER IT'll GO TO OUR SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM SO IT WONT GO BROKE IN 20 YEARS.

The American people are no longer going to pour money into third world Hellholes and watch those government leaders grow fat on corruption.

Need help with a famine? Wrestling with an epidemic? Call France.

In the future, together with Congress, I will work to redirect this money toward solving the vexing social problems we still have at home. On that note, a word to terrorist organizations. Screw with us and we will hunt you down and eliminate you and all your friends from the face of the earth.

Thirsting for a gutsy country to terrorize? Try France or maybe China.

I am ordering the immediate severing of diplomatic relations with France, Germany, and Russia. Thanks for all your help, comrades. We are retiring from NATO as well. Bonne chance, mez amies.

I have instructed the Mayor of New York City to begin towing the many UN diplomatic vehicles located in Manhattan with more than two unpaid parking tickets to sites where those vehicles will be stripped, shredded and crushed. I don't care about whatever treaty pertains to this. You creeps have tens of thousands of unpaid tickets. Pay those tickets tomorrow or watch your precious Benzes, Beamers and limos be turned over to some of the finest chop shops in the world. I love New York!

A special note to our neighbors. Canada is on List 2. Since we are likely to be seeing a lot more of each other, you folks might want to try not pissing us off for a change.

Mexico is also on List 2. Its president and his entire corrupt government really need an attitude adjustment. I will have a couple extra thousand tanks and infantry divisions sitting around. Guess where I am going to put 'em? Yep, border security.

Oh, by the way, the United States is abrogating the NAFTA treaty - starting now.
We are tired of the one-way highway. Immediately, we'll be drilling for oil in Alaska - which will take care of this country's oil needs for decades to come. If you're an environmentalist who opposes this decision, I refer you to List 2 above: pick a country and move there.

It is time for America to focus on its own welfare and its own citizens. Some will accuse us of isolationism. I answer them by saying, "darn tootin."

Nearly a century of trying to help folks live a decent life around the world has only earned us the undying enmity of just about everyone on the planet. It is time to eliminate hunger in America It is time to eliminate homelessness in America. To the nations on List 1, a final thought. Thank you guys. We owe you and we won't forget.

To the nations on List 2, a final thought: You might want to learn to speak Arabic.

God bless America .. Thank you and good night."

If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you are reading it in English, thank a soldier.

I didn't write this, but I wish I did.

BC-out

Do I have a right to be mad? Screw those greedy bastards.

2008-02-23T22:44:00.003-05:00

Let's examine the facts. According to the New York Times, "With the collapse of the housing boom, nearly 8.8 million homeowners, or 10.3 percent of the total, are underwater. That is more than double the percentage just a year ago, according to a new estimate of the damage by Moody's Economy.com."

Now, I have been employed almost every day since I turned 16 (the legal age in Connecticut at the time). I make my money the old fashioned way, every dime is reported to the government and I put a large portion of it away in savings for our uncertain future. My investments are very conservative and therefore I make SMALL returns and I am worried that I won't have enough reserves to carry me all the way through the end of my life and also provide a college education and wedding expense for my one and only daughter. I'm the kind of guy who makes too much to qualify for any aid, but can't seem to get ahead with the price of gas and heating oil taking away so much of our monthly disposable income.

Everyday the news reports that more and more individuals and companies are in trouble because of what I would term greed on the part of lenders and stupidity on the part of borrowers that I didn't get caught in and yet somehow, I will be involved in making this problem go away. When I bought our house 11 years ago, it was double what we sold our previous house for and therefore the payments were double. That was scary enough. Now after refinancing the remaining part of our mortgage (at a fixed rate for 15 years), our payment is lower, but like a gas in vacuum, our expenses fill the remaining headroom that created so that we are back to moving from paycheck to paycheck. Now, I could stop my 401(k) payments, my monthly holdbacks for my wife's gaps in her benefit package, and my payments for a private school education for a kid who REALLY DESERVES that schooling because she is smart and WORKS HARD for it. I don't have any room left to help out all of those greedy idiots who fell for a realtor's pitch on how they could "afford" to buy a home of their dreams which was way above their paygrade and potential to continue to make the payments on said dream.

I know I'm rambling here, but honestly, avoiding the treadmill of having to produce more and more income every year to keep up with the Jones's has resulted in the same outcome. I'm going to get screwed in taxes when the liberal "Government is the solution to everyone's problems" types pass laws to bail everyone with a problem loan out of their misery. That's not how the markets and government are supposed to react. First of all, if you can't afford your expensive lifestyle, you go broke, plain and simple. Second, if people go broke because they live like entitled adolescents instead of frightened, strapped, worker-bees, then the Government does not step in to "HELP" on the backs of the rest of us who held our desires in check and didn't run out to the BMW dealer to get the car, "we just had to have." I'm sorry but if I have to bail out some a-holes in those expensive neighborhoods across town, then they better be putting their BRAND NEW John Deere tractors in the back of their BRAND NEW $40k pickup trucks and they better be over here twice a week mowing my lawn for free!

When I bitch about this to friends (and anyone else that will listen) I get the argument that if we let these dopes fail, then the cascading effect will bring us all down (in value of our homes anyway). And so, (and this is the really nasty extortion part) we have to bail both the lenders and borrowers out to keep the economy from crashing into the next depression.

Look at us. Our values are SCREWED UP! Growing up, I never imagined that I would live in a half-million dollar home (and I presently don't), but that is getting to be the average pricetag in many markets today. The implications here are that everything is more expensive and people are acquiring material goods like they are entitled to them just because they are for sale. At ANY price! When I was growing up NO ONE drove a Mercedes Benz. NO ONE drove a Cadillac. NO ONE drove hardly any foreign imports that cost what amounts to one-half of the average person's salary now. Who does the average guy think he is going into a dealer and buying a truck or car that costs $40 grand?

How do I refuse to participate in this madness? I drive a 12 year old truck. I live in a nice, but small house and pay a hell of a lot (percentage-wise) in property, state, and federal taxes. I won't see any of the benefit of these payments. I send my kid to private school so I am not adding any burden on our entitled school administration. The schools today operate on the principal that if it is good for kids, then the MUST have it. Bullshit! It's time to say NO WAY.

The sick thing is that to fight the system, I would have to reduce my income to the point where I don't pay as much in taxes and then struggle even harder to provide for an uncertain future. All of this coming at me at a time when I am going to try to qualify for financial aid for my daughter's impending college education.

I can already see the looks on the student loan officer's faces when they laugh at my attempt to salvage the moderate and conservative lifestyle that is quickly slipping away.

Damn'it I'm just to PO'd to go on here. There is only one permanent solution here and that is to let people go bankrupt, downsize all of the spending in their lives and refuse to allow our elected representatives to stick it to us anymore by speaking out against the appeasers and bail-out supporters by voting the whole bunch out of office and instituting some real spending adverse politicos that are looking out for how OUR money is being spent and not always suggesting ways that the Government can come to the aid of everyone who manages to get their shorts in a twist while living a lifestyle that their parents could not afford and therefore is NOT their birthright.

Got a problem with this? Then don't come to me with your hand out in the form of a 1040.

Greedy bastards all of you.

BC-out.

What am I watching this year?

2008-02-19T21:59:00.002-05:00

Here are my picks for good television for 2008.
1. Lost
2. Jericho
3. 24
4. The Office
5. Still Standing (cancelled, reruns)
6. Reba (cancelled?, reruns?, still damn good TV)
7. Heros
8. Chuck
9. House
10. ER
11. Mythbusters
12. Dirty Jobs
13. Spongebob Squarepants

That does it. Of course, I didn't mention all of the fishing shows on ESPN and Versus Network. Those are automatically included. What ever happened to Guide House?

BC-out.

"Dog"ded a bullet

2008-02-09T13:45:00.001-05:00

I know that isn't how you spell Dodged, but when you have a monkey-head like Ruby at home, you DOG GONE better be able to "dogde."

This morning I was awoken at 0700 by our girl Ruby who wanted to go out to do her morning consitutional. I reached over for her electronic collar that keeps her inside our Invisible Fence only to find it on the floor with the battery chewed out and in pieces on the rug. I have to admit I panicked a little until I picked up all of the pieces and found that nothing major was missing (ie. down in her stomach). You have to understand, these collar units are made out of some of the toughest plastics I've ever seen and with her Super-powerful jaws, she was able to make chewing gum out of the thing.

Then I REALLY started to worry. Those electonic collar are somethink like $300! Later in the morning I put a new battery in what was left of the collar and took it to the end of the driveway where the antennae wire runs under the pavement. No audible tone. Bummer. Here comes $300.

I put the offending pooch into my truck and we headed North to Yarmouth where the Invisible Fence office is located. Once we got inside and were through all of the pleasantries, I found out that the lifetime guarantee DOES cover chewing. According to the ladies that work there, it is very common for one dog to grab the other dog by the collar and drag them around resulting in a chewed up unit. Well, Ruby's collar was so chomped that she squished the tiny guy with the defiblarator in it and broke his little guts.

In no time at all,we had a new receiver fitted to the yellow collar I got for her some months ago.

Score: 1 Dog, 0 Collar, 0 Bullet.

She's asleep now at my feet taking her mid-day nap. Even if I did have to pay for a new collar, how can you beat it?

What a Monkey-head.

BC-out.

What a loss.

2008-02-05T19:36:00.000-05:00

Now, I'm not an expert football analyst, but I am an expert at my own opinion! The Super Bowl on Sunday was a great game even if the outcome was disappointing. I still can't understand the people that wanted to see the Patriots lose the game and not complete a perfect season. It's one thing to root for the underdog, but it's another thing to be a witness to history. It will probably never happen again in our lifetimes. Even if it isn't your home town team, just being alive to witness it would have been worth it. Everyone watching could claim the victory as their own because in this case spectator sport is converted into partipation sport in the combined intensity of the moment.

Boiling the whole thing down, the Giants defense was great. It broke through the Patriot line and pounded Tom Brady at every opportunity. Brady failed to connect on many passes and with that ability to move the ball downfield. However, based on his ability to pull a rabbit out of his hat in the last few moments of a game, I was right there hoping that he would do it again even when there was only two seconds left on the clock. With Brady, it truly isn't over until it is over.

It was a low scoring night because Brady wasn't allowed to do the things he does best and that is place the ball in the hands of ready receivers. The receivers where there on the most part, but Brady failed to deliver the goods. There were a couple of times he threw the ball where nobody was on the field. It wasn't by small margins either. A few times it appeared that he threw the ball into these enormous holes in the defense as if he was using the ball as a pointer to show the fans where his recievers were supposed to be and where they weren't. Maybe he had his bell rung, or maybe the pressure got to him. That will be discussed for years to come.

Oh well, as I said above, it's a good thing that I'm not a football fan, or I'd still be bummed out.

Good luck to all of you diehard Pats fans. Please understand how great this past season was and how impossible it will be to duplicate. In any case, don't replace the formerly long suffering Red Socks as the most pathetic sports fans in history. There are still hopes for Super Bowl victories, it just won't have the added icing on the cake of a perfect season to make it a truly historic and awesome event.

BC-out.

Getting to Know Windows Live Writer

2008-01-22T21:06:00.001-05:00

This is the first blog entry using the Live Writer editor. It is a little strange since I have been using the default editor. Let's see what this baby can do!

This is an example of some bold text.

You have to remember to turn off the bolding or else everything is bolded after that. What about italics? Italics doesn't seem to stay in italics mode like bolding does. You can also underline some text, although I don't know of anyone who has ever used underlining as an editing style. There is a ~~delete/crossout~~ mode. Again, weird and probably useless in most situations.

I have added to a bulletized numbered list:

One
Two
Three

Not bad. Pretty common and regular stuff.

Let's insert a picture here:

Now that is a cool picture. Do you think the guy who used to belong to that arm lived?

To insert a hyperlink, you enter the URL and then paint it and select Insert Hyperlink. If I put one in, don't hit it because I want you to stay here and see more and not teleport someplace else. Hmmmm, what URL should I use? http://www.PelagicZone.com

Pretty groovy, eh?

How about inserting a map? Or better yet, a bird's eye view?

So far, so cool.

I pronounce the Live Writer very cool. I am trying to reduce the number of tools I use, and this one seems to be a good substitute for the blog native editor. Like all things, it is a compromise and I'm sure I'll have to go back to the native editor to do anything complex.

BC-out.

Another "holiday" spoiled

2008-01-21T15:17:00.000-05:00

Just as I did on New Years Day, I am traveling to Jacksonville on Martin Luther King Day. I have to admit, I don't have as much gushing loyalty to this holiday. It ranks right up there with Kwanza for me. It is nice to travel on holidays however because the lines are low and it has more of an air of vacation about it. Unfortunately for my rear-end, the airlines are onto this decrease in flying population and have downsized the jets for today leaving me in seat 22C instead of a nice first-class 2F.

When I got to the airport, I put the truck in short-term parking so it can be recovered easily for Elizabeth to drive. She couldn't drop me at the airport because she had swimming practice. It's a buck a half-hour so I hope that Mary and Elizabeth can recover it before they do anything else to save costs. Oh, that reminds me, I need to have Mary save the receipt so I can claim the parking expense on my report.

Well, I'm going to cut this one short because my recurring shoulder pain is making typing difficult today. I must be tired too because I have a vente Starbucks coffee in my hand and I still keep falling asleep. I'll sleep on the plane which I am sure will be on-time because it is such a beautiful day.

Keep your stick on the ice.

BC-out.

Best Argument for Voting for Ron Paul

2008-01-13T23:54:00.000-05:00

To be a Republican you need to believe:
1. Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton.
2. Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when bush's Daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him, and a bad guy when bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden" diversion.
3. Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is Communist, but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony.
4. The United States should get out of the United Nations, and our highest national priority is enforcing U.N. resolutions against Iraq.
5. A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multinational drug corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation.
6. The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches, while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay.
7. If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex.
8. A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our longtime allies, then demand their cooperation and money.
9. Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy, but providing health care to all Americans is socialism. HMO's and insurance companies have the best interestsof the public at heart.
10. Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but creationism should be taught in schools.
11. A president lying about an extramarital affair is an impeachable offense, but a president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is solid defense policy.
12. Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution, which include banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet
13. The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but george bush's drivin g record is none of our business.
14. Being a drug a addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a conservative radio host. Then it's an illness and you need our prayers for your recovery.
15. Supporting "Executive Privilege" for every Republican ever born, who will be born or who might be born (in perpetuity.)
16. What Bill Clinton did in the 1960's is of vital national interest, but what bush did in the '80's is irrelevant.
17. Support for hunters who shoot their friends and blame them for wearing orange vests similar to those worn by the quail.

Friends don't let friends vote Republican ================================================================
To be a Democrat you need to believe:
1. You have to believe the AIDS virus is spread by a lack of federal funding.
2. You have to believe that the same teacher who can't teach 4th graders how to read is somehow qualified to teach those same kids about sex.
3. You have to believe that guns, in the hands of law- abiding Americans, are more of a threat than U.S. nuclear weapons technology, in the hands of Chinese communists.
4. You have to believe that there was no art before Federal funding.
5. You have to believe that global temperatures are less affected by cyclical, documented changes in the earth's climate, and more affected by yuppies driving SUVs.
6. You have to believe that gender roles are artificial but being homosexual is natural.
7. You have to be against capital punishment but support abortion on demand.
8. You have to believe that businesses create oppression and governments create prosperity.
9. You have to believe that hunters don't care about nature, but loony activists from Seattle do.
10. You have to believe that self-esteem is more important than actually doing something to earn it.
11. You have to believe the military, not corrupt politicians, start wars.
12. You have to believe the NRA is bad, because it supports certain parts of the Constitution, while the ACLU is good, because it supports certain parts of the Constitution.
13. You have to believe that taxes are too low, but ATM fees are too high.
14. You have to believe that Margaret Sanger and Gloria Steinem are more important to American history than Thomas Jefferson, General Robert E. Lee or Thomas Edison.
15. You have to believe that standardized tests are racist, but racial quotas and set-asides aren't.
16. You have to believe Hillary Clinton is really a lady.
17. You have to believe that the only reason socialism hasn't worked anywhere it's been tried, is because the right people haven't been in charge.
18. You have to believe Republicans telling the truth belong in jail, but a liar and sex offender belongs in the White House.
19. You have to believe that homosexual parades displaying drag, transvestites and bestiality should be constitutionally protected and manger scenes at Christmas should be illegal.
20. You have to believe that illegal Democratic party funding by the Chinese is somehow in the best interest of the United States.

Friends don't let friends vote Democrat

As you can see, anyone who considers himself either one of these zombies not only has lost their mind, they also cannot be trusted with the vote.

Got pulled over tonight!

2008-01-06T23:16:00.000-05:00

After I landed in Jacksonville, my head and ears were still clogged and no amount of yawning or equalizing would clear them. I felt like I was getting a cold and as I write this some hours later, I am still congested. I think I am on the verge of a full-blown head cold.

I got my luggage and rental car and headed south on I-95. It was about 22:30 or so. There was a crew setting up traffic cones for this evening's work and it was a little confusing about where the traffic lanes were at present and where they would be when the cones were finished being positioned.

I wanted to get on 9-A South to head onto the Southside Connector which would bring me eventually to the area where my hotel was. The traffic cones were forcing us to the right too soon for the 9-A exit and was forcing me onto I-295 South.

Not all of the traffic cones were laid down and there was a large opening to the left. A car in front of me went left into what was now a no-mans zone between the cones, but it lead down to the 9-A exit. We were going slowly, hesitantly, through this zone of cones. I got about half-way through the zone and was heading toward the 9-A exit when I saw the police car lights in my mirror. I pulled over and sat there. Given the reputation of the Florida Sherrifs, I sat there quietly and did not move. I lowered my window and waited. Eventually a deputy came to my window and told me that he pulled me over because I drove through his construction zone and almost hit two workers. He asked me if I saw the two men I "almost" hit. I said I didn't hit anybody and he repeated that he said "almost" hit. I thought about my answer and decided to speak the absolute truth and that was no, I did not see the workers in the road. I told him I saw the workers hanging off the truck laying down the cones, but I didn't see any pedestrians. He said that was the problem and that was why he pulled me over.

I told him to relax and not get nervous because I was going to reach down to the floor of the car to retrieve the rental agreements which serves as the registration and proof of insurance on a rental car. I gave him the rental agreement and my Maine license and told him that I was not from the area and that I was just following the car in front of me who had already exited down 9-A and was gone. Maybe that guy was the one that "almost" hit the workers since he went through the area first.

The officer went back to his car and I waited. After about 10 minutes or so, he returned and told me that he wasn't going to cite me but asked me again if I saw the workers. I again said no, it was foggy, I was concentrating on watching the car in front of me because we were traveling slowly together, and I was confused about where the travel lanes actually were since they were only half-formed at the time. I also told him there was a large opening in the cones that looked like it was allowing cars to move into that zone to make their way to the exit that was just up ahead. He continued his lecture to me asking me if I understood that I could have continued down the wrong exit and turned around later. I told him I agreed with that logic but I thought I was in a proper lane of travel because I was following another car that was making the same assumption that I was. He asked me if I knew how many road workers were killed in Florida last year, and I said I didn't and he told me 69.

I was polite to him the whole time saying, "Yes, sir and No, sir" and didn't argue with him. I did repeat my reasons for what I did so that he would see that I was making reasonable and rational choices as to why I was in the half-formed construction zone.

I waited for a few minutes before pulling away from the side of the road and another civilian car came right through the lane I got stopped for being in, he went right around the cop and me by the side of the road and then went down the 9-A exit! The cop let that guy go and then backed his cruiser up into the construction zone while I left and headed down the exit ramp.

I'm glad I didn't get a ticket and would have fought it in court if I did. Since I'll be coming down to FLA for the next few months anyway, I would be here to make my case. Fortunately, this one will fade into history without having to stand before the man.

BC-out.

Entitlement in the home

2008-01-05T11:38:00.000-05:00

I know this is common, but I just don't know when it became the norm. Since when did kids get entitled to use anything in the house, yard, or barn that they wanted to commandeer without asking? I'm serious and don't tell me to take my own advice and "get over it." When I was growing up, we knew that certain things were our parent's and we either didn't touch them or asked permission before we did. Just because something was on our property didn't automatically put it into the "public" domain.

As a responsible adult, I have very few things that I "go to" on a regular basis. That list is so short, I will repeat it here for your edification:
1. Pocket comb, right rear pocket
2. Wallet, same
3. Wrist watch, left wrist (24X7, even while sleeping)
4. Leatherman Tool, left hip belt
5. Lock Blade pocket knife, right front pocket
6. Keys, same
7. Cell Phone, left front pocket

That's it.

Now the things that I ASSUME are mine and available to me all the time are:
1. My stainless steel travel coffee mug.
2. Toothbrush
3. Flashlight (with working batteries)
4. Cordless landline phones, charged (Ha! big assumption there)
5. Half n Half in the fridge
6. Toilet paper on the TP holder (not the window sill)
7. Remote controls for TV, etc. (This should have been number one, but for some reason it came to me after I already started this list and renumbering is too much effort)

That's it.

So what has my shorts in a twist?

EC uses my travel mug for TEA (which leaves a taste in the metal) and then leaves it in the office or buried in her room somewhere so I have to go on a treasure hunt (without map) to find it again. Who told her she could use what is obviously MY equipment for HER purposes?

Once in awhile I'll find my tooth brush is wet BEFORE I used it. I don't want to imagine or elaborate on the potential causes of that one.

What good is a flashlight with dead batteries. If you're going to waste that batteries in the flashlight, you can at least admit to it so new ones can be installed. Yes, I will chew you out for using MY flashlight, but I will GO POSTAL if I find the batteries are dead when I really need them.

Speaking of batteries, the cordless phones don't charge themselves. I have found the phones as close as 12" from the chargers just sitting there. Is that a chick thing or what? Do guys leave rechargeable devices NEXT to the rechargers? I don't think so, and if you ever see one, then make sure you call him, "Nancy" and bonk him on the head with whatever device is being neglected it's GOD GIVEN RIGHT to remain recharged and ready to go. This includes dustbusters, electric screwdrivers, cell phones, and you know the rest.

Half N Half, or "Whole" as I call it. How many times a day does Mary go to the grocery store? I don't know exactly, but it is more than once. We all use the "Whole" and it should be on the automatic replenishment list. If I was the one going to the store, we would never run out because I would just buy some and probably have too much on hand. It is the one staple in our lives that we know we need. There are replacement options for things like toilet paper, but Whole is Whole and you can't make that stuff up.

Speaking of TP... How come only GUYS can put the TP on the TP holder? Since when did windowsills become the default location for toilet paper? Is it really that hard to push the springs in and slip the TP axle out and back on? I mean honestly? Oh, and in case you haven't been properly schooled in TP management, the sheets should come off the roll from below. A lot of times in hotels and stuff they will put the rolls on backwards and then fold the ends into nice little triangles for decoration. That's nice and all, but the roll is automatically and officially on backward if you can make a triangle out of the end of the roll and have it lay nicely on top of the TP roll.

And finally, the domain of all self-respecting real men out there. THE remote control. Real men today (2008) have only ONE remote control for all the electronics. In most cases, it makes no sense to anyone unless they are familiar with its unique properties and you have had a 10 minute familiarization class provided by the alpha-male in the household. Our remote control is one of those chameleon devices whose menu changes for whatever piece of equipment you are using. It has programmable macros that I have set up so strangers and (sorry girls) girls can use it. The other individual remotes are in a drawer never to be touched by human hands. Our remote control, because of that chimeric nature it has, goes through batteries pretty quickly. I even have it in low-power mode which shuts off the motion detector that will turn it on just by touching it. Now you have to press any key (the famous ANY key) to fire it up and then as long as you are pushing buttons, it stays on. Needless to say, as the man, I am frequently putting batteries into the remote to maintain its responsiveness to my thumbly demands.

So that's it in a nutshell. The above items are mine. Keep your hands off, and if you do happen to mistakenly touch one of them, make sure they go back where you find it before I come looking for it and it isn't there. I'm happy to share, but I'd be happier if you just plain looked at these few things from a distance of let's say, 10 feet.

BC-out.

Wintering in Florida

2008-01-03T20:09:00.000-05:00

What do they call them, those people who flee the north in winter to head to Florida to be warm and in the sun? Snow geese? Snow bunnies? Ah, it's coming to me... Snowbirds!!! Well the snowbirds have to stand in a line to go through de-icing this week. I'm down here in Jacksonville and the weather is beautiful and it feels like home. Unfortunately home in January is in the 20's but so is FLORIDA this week!!!

It is quite comical to watch the locals (and migratory folks as well) rushing around with sweaters, coats, and boots on. The boots especially make me laugh because there is no rain, snow, ice, or anything that would make you want to put on boots. It is a rare occasion for the locals to get the chance to pull out their winter clothes and damn it, we're going to wear them all in the next couple of days.

I met a woman in the elevator and she was freaking out over the cold. She was from Miami and she said the temperature was going to dive into the 50's! Ouch.

Well, all this will pass in a few days and we'll be back to the 70's in JAX.

It is an inconvenient truth that the air that dips down from Canada is frigid and will reduce the average temperature for the year in Florida.

Here's what I have been wondering about recently. If a evangelical Creationist believes in Global Warming does that make them more credible?

I gotta go turn up the thermostat in my hotel room. I have been refusing to touch it, but it is really cold even for me. My hotel room is down to 64 and I want to get some sleep sometime tonight. Oh, here's something interesting... I have Tempurpedic mattress in the hotel room. When I've slept on them in the summer, they are kind of hot. In the winter when it is cold, they stay cold. It seems to me that both of those conditions are unfavorable. It is nice to be able to test out one of those expensive buggers without having to buy one. I could not recommend the Tempurpedic foam mattress under any circumstances. Even if they weren't as expensive as they are, they fail in their primary mission of allowing a comfortable night's sleep.

BC-out.

Snowing again, and that's just fine.

2008-01-01T15:58:00.001-05:00

We had about eight inches of snow yesterday (December 31, 2007) and we are supposed to get another six to ten today (January 1, 2008). Happy New Year!

That's fine with me. I know that there is someone at home that just literally LIVES to be outside lying and sleeping in the fluffy white stuff and will feel very sad when that last bit of snow melts from under the bushes out front in the spring.

The new snow covers the old snow and provides a fresh start. Dirty snow. Poopy snow. Yellow snow. All of these different "flavors" of snow get a "free pass." I get a free pass too from having to pick up the dog doo which is just too hard to deal with when it freezes to the ground and the dog poop tools don't work so well.

With two dogs, the poop is more than it used to be, but not so much that it is an emergency to pick it up as soon as it is laid down. Elizabeth is old enough now that she doesn't really play in the yard, so it really comes down to a doing it when it is sufficiently warm and loose enough or is some really tough "dangerpoo" as my little nephew would call it.

Someday I'll have to go back through my blog posts and see which ones are about dog doo and which ones just mention it in some form or another. Dog poo must be pretty important around our house. Mary has been thinking of cutting Ruby's hairy haunches because the snow is so deep that when she squats down to poop, she can't help but getting some poop to stick to her fur, poor dear.

Anyway, that's enough poop talk for the First of 2008. My plane to Jacksonville is inbound and should be here in about 15 minutes so that means I'm outbound at 1706 right on time. Again, another snowy departure that is right on time with no problems. You gotta love it.

THIS JUST IN: John and Jack went ice fishing today and got 4 fish on 8 flags! Way to start the New Year. Congratulations guys. Don't forget to send me the pictures for the website!

BC-out.

Happy New Year???

2008-01-01T00:24:00.000-05:00

It's all up to us as individuals to have and make a truly Happy New Year.

Here is my recipe for everyone (not just me) to have a Happy New Year:
1. Fight Hypocrisy wherever you find it.
2. Get informed about the 2008 Presidential Election.
3. Speak YOUR mind, vote YOUR conscience (See Number 1, then 2).
4. Take up fishing, seriously. It will change your life.
5. Get more involved with your family, even if they don't want you to.
6. Make yourself completely available in everyway possible.
7. Make it worth getting out of bed everyday. "Earn this, Earn it."
8. If you don't have a personal honor code, get one. See me for instructions.
9. Read the US Constitution. See me for an explanation.
10. Finally, in all things, "Get over it."

This list of instructions has been time tested over a lifetime.

Good luck in 2008.

Gimme a call or send an e-mail sometime.

BC-out.

Season's Greetings

2007-12-23T21:30:00.000-05:00

I thought I would send my holiday wishes on my blog site this year. This way, my thoughts and wishes for a happy holiday go out to those who are regular readers. I figure, if you are interesed in what I have to say here, then you might want to hear my thoughts about the holidays in general.

In general, I like the holidays, but I detest the commercial and materialism. For some reason, I think of personal wealth and the accumulation of goods as keeping score in life. When I get out amongst people shopping at Christmas, I don't see people having a good time, I see people under stress.

On the other side of the coin, there are nice decorations, people having fun at parties, and music playing everywhere you turn, even outside.

I guess when you get farther away from having children who are still waiting for Santa to come, the "obligations" of the Christmas holidays takes something away from the joy of it all. I think some of that comes from personal expectations.

For instance, if you don't expect to get anything from anyone, then you don't feel compelled to "provide" for others. And yet, it shouldn't be a quid pro quo to actually capture the feeling of the season.

I have a good friend who is the merchant marine. Recently there was a book written about the history of the MM which I reserved at Borders and was hoping that it would be in by Christmas. Unfortunately, it will come in late and I will still get the book for him, but it won't be for Christmas at that point. I will give it to him anyway, but for the reason that I think he would enjoy it, not because I think there needs to be some ceremonial exchange at Christmas, just because I think he would honestly enjoy it. That's the point. Christmas is a good time for an excuse to give things to people based on what you truly think they would enjoy. When you have to troll through the isles of stores looking for things that someone MIGHT like vs. what you think you KNOW they would like, it changes your perspective on giving.

Maybe my orientation is messed up, but my conscience it at ease because I can look back on the past few weeks and say I gave gift giving some thought. I didn't change my behavior to seek out gifts for people on some checklist.

In the next couple of weeks (or maybe days) the whole gift giving thing will fade into the past and we'll all go back to being our "regular" selves.

Here's an idea. Let's extend the holiday season throughout the entire year. If you see something that you truly think someone would enjoy or benefit from, get it for them, wrap it up and give it to them with a hearty, "Season's Greetings!!!" When they say that Christmas is over or ask, "what Season are you talking about?" just say you don't like to wait until the mood has passed and enjoy watching folks get something the whole year long.

So in the spirit of giving and receiving, I'm getting a big thrill out of wishing you a Merry Christmas and I hope that you can resolve all of your material needs and wants over the next few days. Here's a hint... If you don't get what you really want, go to the store and buy it for yourself! With all of the post-holiday sales, you might just turn out to be a Genius of the shopping isles.

Merry Christmas.

BC-out

The Dog Days of Christmas

2007-12-19T03:01:00.000-05:00

Being on "holiday" is supposed to be restful. Taking a "holiday" is supposed to be a time to decompress. Dealing with a "holiday" isn't supposed to be something to dread.

Not every year, but some years, the Holiday Season is let's just say "complicated." (Can I stop using quote marks now?)

Already this year, the tension around Christmas has been amped up by my sister and mother over something as innocent as having our dogs with us for the holiday.

We usually make a trip to Connecticut around Christmas Day (+/- a day or so). This year, my sister Peggy is in her new house in swanky West Hartford and she pre-emptively called me to tell me that our two dogs were not welcome. That's alright I told her, we travel as a pack and therefore we couldn't make it. She took that as a disrespectful insult and flew off her handle (broom reference welcomed here). She even told me that she made her new husband put down (kill) the cat he had for 18 years before they would move in together. Everyone I've told that story too immediately follows the news with, "and he still married her?" Amazing.

The interesting thing about marriage also is that there are two sides. My in-laws like dogs and want to see our two (one of which they have never met). We're responsible dog owners and don't like to burden the care of them on anybody unless it is absolutely necessary. For the few hours that we were to be visiting with Peggy, I can not put that instance in the absolutely necessary category. So what are our options?

Maintaining independence on the road means that you have a place to sleep. I have a bazillion hotel points in many chains so paying for that is never a problem. I put some points into play and got us a couple of rooms in a Holiday Inn so we could have room for the three of us and the two dogs. Ruby, the baby, still sleeps in her crate (we call it her crib) and Bonnie the Old Lady can sleep anywhere the size of a bath towel (usually at the foot of the bed). So space really isn't a problem.

Now that we have a place to sleep, I needed to come up with a solution for what to do with the dogs while we were at Peggy's. The solution to that one is to bring a crate with me Christmas Eve night and if the weather is too cold for the dogs to rest in the back of the truck to put the cage at my brother's house and let them rest there until we come back to get them. I'm hoping that the weather will be reasonable enough that we don't even have to go to this length because even the slightest complication is met with whining and resistance from all sides for whatever reason.

So I think I can start to relax about the upcoming holiday with only the usual problems of dealing with the screaming, crying, whining, yelling, irrational behavior (not from the Y chromosome holding members of the species by the way), and other high-charged emotional outbursts over the simplest of matters lasting at the most a couple of hours. Honestly, the amount of anguish and emotion spent in comparison to the condition that is either desired to be created or avoided is inversely proportional.

Well, at least if everything else falls apart, I'll have my two little girls to keep me company out in the dog house. "Hey, Ruby, move over and let Daddy have some space in the crib." Night-night doggies. Merry Christmas.

BC-out.

Lucky or what!?!

2007-12-18T00:41:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, we had a significant snow storm in Portland, ME. Our airport, the Portland Jetport (PWM) is usually pretty good about snow management. Our problem usually is that planes that need to come to Portland are cancelled at their previous locations and we are left with no planes to leave. Being at the beginning or the end of the transportation network makes us especially sensitive to disruptions caused by weather in other areas.

When I got to the airport, it was a complete and total whiteout. You couldn't see 50 feet in front of you. I waited at the curbside baggage drop-off and fired up my laptop and aircard to see if my flight had been cancelled. I had already checked the status of this about 100 times earlier in the day from home. Hoping. Flight 3477 to Ronald Reagan (DCA) was still "on time." It was the ONLY flight out of Portland in hours that was still on the board.

When the flight wasn't cancelled by 1500, I drove on over to the airport parking garage and left the Pelagic mobile on the third floor of the garage. The garage which is usually packed to the rafters was only about half-full.

After I checked in, I took my backpack and roller suitcase up to TSA security and submitted myself to that twice weekly insult of proving that I am not a terrorist to some foreign national we have outsourced our security too. Oh Brother, WHAT art thou? Somalian? Are you trained to profile us American terrorists? I went to the business office suite and fired up the laptop again to see the status of the plane in real-time. The people at the airport were confident that our plane would go on schedule.

Sure enough. The plane flew in from Wa(r)shington ON TIME! We boarded and flew to DC with a 120 mile headwind. When we flew up the Potomac on approach the winds were severe. We jigged and jaggeg, hinked and jinked. The first approach was abandoned by the pilot with FMP (Full Military Power) jet powered escape maneuver. We went around and "crabbed" our way back to the runway and landed with a thump, but without any serious incident.

After a regularly posted one hour layover, we took off for Jacksonville and then arrived a couple of hours later right on time.

So, with all of the weather challenges both at home and away, I still managed to fly to JAX just as the status board in Portland said, "on time." On Monday morning I was actually early to the office.

It would have been nice to have an extra day on the weekend at home, but fighting the crowds on Monday at the PWM is a pain I would avoid at all costs. It the end, the pain of travel is slightly reduced by giving up some time on a Sunday afternoon when the skies and airports are relatively unused.

So, depending on how you see it, I was lucky to get to WORK on time, but like everyone who is a kid at heart, I was CHEATED out of a well-deserved SNOW DAY!!!
BC-out.

I don't want to hear it!

2007-12-16T13:20:00.000-05:00

I was sitting on the couch folding clothes and packing my suitcase for this week's adventure. There was a show on Lifetime called, "Call Me Claus" which starred Whoppie Goldberg. In the span of a few minutes, she told Santa that she didn't "recognize his ASS" and that he should not, "PISS her off." Is this a Christmas show? Is this for kids? Do kids who are young enough to believe in Santa use and understand this kind of language? Should this kind of PG rated holiday programming be on in the middle of the day? When I heard those spoken lines, it was about 1430 in the afternoon.

I don't remember growing up hearing this kind of speech on TV or even in most movies until it became acceptable to welcome diversity into the culture. Rather than blending the cultures and taking the best traits of each, we've accepted differences in the culture and seem to be celebrating the base interests in a kind of "naughty" way. I mean honestly, can we even be honest here? It's alright to use the "n-word" if you are acting out a hip-hop fanatasy or listening to the comedy channel or BET, but it isn't alright to use it around your own home for any reason even if to just explain what you saw on the TV. I mean really. In my opinion, just listening to the n-word being said by someone on the TV is using it yourself. You get either humor, outrage, or some reaction to its use. If you don't get a reaction then the deliverer of the line that contains the n-word isn't doing his job. Even that Michael Richards (Kramer on Seinfeld) meltdown using the n-word was coreographed to get a reaction out of the audience. He didn't make up the word. He was just parroting the speach of "everyday" comedians, athletes, movie actors, and most importantly the hypocritical man on the street who became irate that he used it repeatedly without "permission" or "good cause." What crap. Oh, sorry, back to Christmas.

Can you see yourself sitting in the living room of your Grandmother's home on Christmas Eve wondering if Santa will be able to fit his fat ASS down the DAMN chimney so that you can have your BLING BLING in your CRIB and SHIT? How 'bout coming up with a Christmas carol or Christmas song that celebrates the hip-hop Santa and the baby Jesus freezin' his little white ASS off in the GODDAMNED manger while the three Wise Men bring a couple of "40's" over to celebrate the little bastard's birth?

Mary got all upset when I blamed the degradation of the decency of speech in America today on the the fact that diversity has not allowed us to be outraged by hip-hop (codeword) speech patterns because we are seen as being racist. We have to be accepting of diversity and different cultures. It's more cowardice than understanding that makes us allow this kind of speech and behavior in our presence out of fear that boycotting it will make us look intolerant. Well, call me intolerant. Just don't say that I am in intolerant Mother****er or I might get jumpy and put a cap in yo' ass.

We're such sheep. We deserve whatever happens to us and our kids. If the kids today grow up to become completely socially crippled, it is due to us turning our backs on taking a stand on what is acceptable behavior and what is considered "bass animal behavior." I can say that I don't allow such trash as Family Guy, The Simpsons, South Park, Drawn Together, or any of the other popular cartoon shows in my house because I think they are a thinly veiled attempt to reach children and pur this stuff into their heads so that when it becomes time for them to make decisions about what is acceptable, their tastes are so dulled that they will accept anything that is "broadcast" because they think it is sanitized for the time of day.

I'm shaking my head, wondering how we got here and the only thing I can come up with is that in our rush to get to a place where individual misbehavior is tolerated as part of individual personalities, we've shied away from being judgemental of the individual even if that "independent" persepective is something we would never repeat or espouse in front of our family elders or children. "Hate the sin, not the sinner." What a bunch of BS.

I choose to expose and deride the hypocrisy until more people become like me and start to wonder and agree WHY we need be tolerant. What's in it for me? Acceptance of other fools who act this way? I'm getting sick just thinking about it. You should too. The next time you find yourself watching cartoons on TV you really have to ask yourself if you are a grownup or someone who is just trying to be naughty doing something our parent's and their parent's wouldn't approve of.

What a country.

BC-out

Just Ask!

2007-12-13T04:43:00.000-05:00

Last night, I began to watch the impending weather for the East Coast. It didn't look promising. Weather, you see, is a big part of my life. Traveling as much as I do, I need to be able to accomodate multiple seasons of conditions and also have to be able to predict travel patterns based on the weather. Tonight's commute home to Maine was going to be problematic as the entire eastern seaboard was about to experience some sort of precipitation through the travel corridor between Washington, DC through my home port of Portland, ME.

About 2330 last night I decided to pull the trigger and leave on the very first flight out of Jacksonville, FL (JAX) to see if I could keep ahead of the storms that were gathering. Much of the weather I was trying to beat had already left over a million people in the mid-West without power due to ice storms and there was plenty of moisture still left in this storm.

I called US Airways at about midnight and asked if there was availability to fly stand-by the next morning. The guy on the phone told me there was plenty of room and I confirmed what he said through their online reservation system. I took a shower to save time in the morning, set the alarm for 0330, and went to sleep.

When I got up, I was already packed and i brushed my teeth, ran a wet comb through my bed-head, and headed to the airport.

The Hertz operation hadn't even started up for the day, so I had to walk the keys and mileage information to the desk and turn in the keys. I was met there by a guy who looked like he slept in the office at the airport and he took the keys and told me how to get a receipt online since their systems weren't open yet.

At the US Airways counter, I was helped by a nice woman who got me an upgrade to first-class on the 0625 flight to Philadelphia. All I had to do was ask if there was availability in first-class and since there was, and I was flying stand-by, she made a decision to upgrade me and give me a full boarding pass. If the plane had been full, I would have had to "stand-by" and wait to be called if there was availability. Having only a couple of hours of sleep, I was happy to get the upgrade so I could add a few more hours of sleep to my night/day and since it was morning, first-class drinking isn't as attractive as evening first-class.... but who knows! The morning is still young, and booze is not just for breakfast anymore!

See you on the other side. Mucho frio weather coming for this weekend.

BC-out.

Stepping Up.

2007-12-07T23:32:00.000-05:00

The massacre in Omaha this week was one of those "senseless" shootings that will inevitably bring out the anti-gun crowd again misplacing the blame on the object and not the actor.

Even some liberals today are starting to recognize that the societal forces responsible for our safety can't be everywhere all the time. Police are largely a responsive unit instead of being a proactive institution. That's actually a good thing, because as science fiction has pointed out, police power prior to the actual act of a crime is prone to abuse.

The only consistent realistic conclusion is that we are all responsible for our own safety (and the safety of innocent others). It is the parenthetical thought where we seem to jump the track. Here it is laid out for you simply.

As with many things, you can't have it both ways. Benjamin Franklin said, "Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." What he was getting at is the fundamental truth that hoping that the larger society and its powers (police, armed forces, etc.) will protect you from harm is not the way you want to live because of what you have to give up to obtain this "Temporary Safety." If the citizens of the USA decide that they want to give up guns and confiscate them to remove the risk of situations like what happened in Omaha, the actual crimes committed with guns will go UP, not DOWN. Do you have to be reminded that it is the crooks that don't follow the law and the law-followers are the ones that are restricted in their behaviors and movements because they endeavor to obey the law? Is that a level playing field. We use laws and punishments to send messages to the masses that misbehavior will be dealt with. This is supposed to act as a deterrent to crimes being perpetrated because of the threat of incarceration or execution. The other deterrent to crime is the criminal's rightful fear that the "victim" of their crimes may actually be carrying a personal defense weapon (and this doesn't always equate to a handgun). It is joked about (but there is some truth to it) that crooks won't break into trailer homes because, "a gun lives here." I'll bet crooks don't think twice when breaking into a metropolitan area loft apartment, even in a rough neighborhood, because the restrictions against guns and the social class of the individuals who inhabit such places are many and the typical "law abiding" middle-class homeowner won't take any chances in upsetting their like-thinking sheep friends.

We were talking about this the other day. One guy brought up the point of, "How come nobody tried to 'Pull a Flight 93' on the shooter and just charge him and tackle him. I know the answer and it is cowardice and this unrealistic opinion that it is the job of the Police to protect us. People are more afraid of the consequences of an act of bravery and how that is interpreted after the fact and are frozen in their willingness and ability to take a stance and stop or slow down these nut jobs.

Ben Franklin, where are you when we need you.

BC-out.

Honor, Cowardice, Hypocrisy

2007-12-05T19:50:00.000-05:00

If anyone with any sense has been listening to the candidates for POTUS, you would have to really ask yourself, "Would I want to drink a beer with this guy?" I say guy on purpose, because I wouldn't even want Hillary to bring me a beer, never mind drink one with me.

My usual rants are about the "2 H's" of honor and hypocrisy. I'm all for the former and hate the latter. I'm adding to that the "C" word. Cowardice. How can we figure these guys out when they aren't even speaking their own minds. They have opinions. They have personal beliefs. We just never get to hear what they ACTUALLY are. All we get to hear are the talking points and prepared positions that their spinmeisters have crafted from polls and PC dictionaries. These guys are so AFRAID of letting people know what they really think that they are willing to sacrifice their honor to support their hypocrisy. See how that all ties together?

These guys are more interested in winning and are willing to spend any reputation capital to see that they stay on the message that won't offend more people than they need to win a majority so they can move on to the next opportunity to snow us all. That's the way the game is played and it is a truly a game. The winner gets to literally be King and the losers go away with millions of dollars in parting gifts. It's a win/win for everybody who plays.

As of this writing on December 5, 2007, the only two guys on the trail that seem to have anything that is electable is Huckabee and Pual. We'll have to watch these two Three Card Monty dealers see what they come up with before they are both dismissed after the primaries.

Then, we can tell others that we did the honorable thing and voted our conscience even though we both know that they couldn't win. That's the way the game is supposed to be played. Vote your conscience. Be a man.

So, when you go into that booth, remember it is YOUR honor that is at stake, not the election. If you can't bring yourself to vote your consience on one of the most important events of your life, then you don't deserve to be let into the voting booth.

I'm getting tired, more to write about tomorrow.

BC-out.

Made it.

2007-12-04T00:36:00.001-05:00

When I woke up this morning it was snowing in Scarborough, ME. The weather report said we were supposed to get 8 - 13 inches. By 1300, when I had to leave for the airport, there was about 4 inches on the ground. I got to the airport in time. I got on the plane on time. The plane left on time. The plane landed on time in Philly and the plane took off on time from Philly to get me on time to Jacksonville.

Hmmmmm. What's wrong with this picture? On the days when we are supposed to get the worst weather of the year (so far at least), I arrive at my destination with ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEMS!

Well, as far as I'm concerned, let it snow EVERYTIME I have to leave from PWM. It seems that the snow makes everyone happy and want to do their jobs and guess what? It actually happens and people get where they need to go.

Oh, before I forget, I also checked my luggage and it got there with me. I had some nice cocktails on the plane in first-class, and I got an vehicle upgrade at Hertz with navigation to boot. Oh, and one more thing. Hertz gave me ANOTHER $50 gift certificate for not having my car ready when I arrived.

Is this some kind of set up? Am I going to wake up tomorrow sitting in the waiting chairs at PWM after falling asleep waiting for the plane? What a country.

BC-out.

Ripshorts about Rip-offs

2007-12-01T15:04:00.000-05:00

Maine. The way life should be.

Nice idea. Maybe the statement should read, "Maine. I want it back the way it was." Mainers, as a whole, are anathema to change. I think the phrase, "Not in my backyard" (NIMBY) was invented here. If not, then it was quickly appropriated as the official state motto.

Lately, if Maine is the way life SHOULD be, then we're in a world of hurt. Just recently on my street we had some cars broken into and some small stuff was taken. Today, I went to the same place I have been getting my hair cut for 21 years and the front door to the place was missing after some "crackheads" threw a rock through it and stole the opening drawer monies. The bookstore next door to the barbershop was identically invaded and their drawer money was taken too. Nothing else in either store was disturbed, except my peace.

For decades now, I have allowed myself to believe that Maine was a different place. It was somehow insulated from the kind of crime born out of desparation of gangs and unemployed dirtbags to get money to score drugs. After all, when is the last time you heard of some kids stealing stuff to make their mortgage payment? It seems in the past few years, the incidence of crime has been on the increase and I find this a convenient statistic that mirrors the amount of "diversity" that has been occuring in Maine. You can almost lay the trends on top of each other.

I am not making this comparison/accusation lightly. I did some research. The main premise of my hypothesis is that as Maine becomes more diverse by the influx of migrants and immigrants, the problems that exist in these "away" societies come with them.

Drugs in Maine come primarily from three sources. "Hard" drugs come from New York and Boston where they arrive by seaborne containers and are then "cut" and muled up to Maine primarily out of Lawrence and Lowell, Massachusetts. "Pot" comes in, surprisingly, by backpackers who find our northern border porous enough to simply waltz in using night vision goggles and carrying fully automatic weapons. Now isn't that special?

The bottom line is that the money for these drugs is then brought back to Massachusetts and New York where it makes its way back to the Dominican Republic. Now if I remember my geography right, the Dominican Republic is half of the island that Haiti is on. How can such a small place be responsible for so much trouble? How come our crack border patrol can't spot and stop some jokers with machine guns carrying bales of pot on their back?

It was even disclosed in some of the stuff I was reading that "legal" migrant blueberry pickers where acting as "agents" for drug dealers from away. So we open our doors and let these dirtbags in and they bring their "diverse" lifestyles with them. Are we better off as a society now? It seems that we aren't.

A major study done at Harvard University found that the greater the diversity in a community, the fewer people vote and the less they volunteer, the less they give to charity and work on community projects. In the most diverse communities, neighbors trust one another about half as much as they do in the most homogenous settings.

So what's so surprising about that? In today's ethnic communities, "they" want to practice seperatism instead of inclusion. Modern immigrants to this country are looking for what they can get from the society rather than what they can contribute. Illegals want education and healthcare for their kids, but don't want to pay taxes or be found to be lawbreakers and sent back to their original embarcation points. Why would we want to welcome this selfish attitude to coexist with what has been a place where community spirit has been the binding force for almost 400 years only to be recently replaced by a class of criminals and deceivers who since they are practicing anonymicity are therefore not holden to any law of the land unless they are actually caught in the act of doing something.

So there you have it. Homogenous societies are good because they share a common bond and willingness to BUILD a better future for kids. Diverse communities have no loyalty to the larger society and are only using the greater society to TAKE what they need immediately from what they perceive as their private gift basket. Well, as one who is frequently paying for this gift basket, it's time I started getting a return on my investment.

I can't write anymore. I'm getting too PO'd to continue at this time.

I'll be back....

BC-out

We are not getting the answers

2007-11-28T21:49:00.000-05:00

I am watching the YouTube debates on CNN right now and I am laughing outloud at how hypocritical everyone sounds with the exception of Ron Paul. Ron Paul is taking chances to speak the truth that I think the majority of Americans honestly feel. My observation is that the candidates who speak closer to the truth are the ones who are farthest away from having a chance of being elected. Is this ironic or stupid? The guys who are considered the front-runners are the ones that are being the most evasive. They are not answering the questions asked so much as repeating their talking points that they put up everytime they stand in front of people. They are more worried about staying on message than they are about answering the questions. To me, that shows disrespect for the audience and their personal arrogance.

Mike Huckabee is definitely the funniest guy up there. I could drink a beer with that guy. Giuliani cannot be trusted because he is an obfuscator. I would need a shower after meeting that guy. Everyone of his answers ended with a statistical listing of his record to fill up his time. Mitt Romney is the worst of the candidates for not anwering the questions. To me that represents cowardice. He is afraid to speak his mind and is merely parroting the issues of his campaign controllers. He is not to be trusted. Fred Thompson is just an empty bag. Poor guy. He shouldn't be up there. John McCain is also disappointing in that he also doesn't answer the questions.

I think we could take a replay of this debate and edit out anything other than what Ron Paul said. Honestly. This is disgusting.

Paul was asked if he would run as an independent and he said he has always run successfully as a Republican. This was the closest I heard him not answer a question directly but that was one more of showing his confidence that it is possible to run as a Republican if nominated. I think he will run as an independent if he is not nominated as a Republican so that he doesn't "let down" the American people.

It's time to vote our REAL conscience and not do what happened to Ross Perot where after the election, people said, "If I thought he could win, I would have voted for him." Well, if all of those people voted their conscience, then maybe he would have won. It is unethical not to vote your conscience. Take the time to learn more about Ron Paul and then ask yourself if what he believes is not what you believe and then if it isn't vote for one of those other weasels.

BC-out.

She's gonna blow!!!!

2007-11-26T20:43:00.000-05:00

Being on the road, away from "home" can be a drag. Most of the time, you just sit around your hotel room watching TV and staying up too late because you have TV in your bedroom with you. This is not the way to get rest.

Today when I got "home" from work, went to my hotel room and laid down on the bed. I was out like a light immediately. I had gotten in around midnight last night and stayed up until about 2:30 fooling around with a prototype website for my friend Moe who is launching a window washing service. By the time I went to sleep until I woke up, I had about three and a-half hours sleep. Not enough.

I woke up to the sound of the phone ringing and it was my wife Mary on the other end yelling about the furnace blowing up. Huh?

It turns out that she opened the door to the basement and there was a lot of steam coming from downstairs. She went to investigate and found a lot of hot water on the floor and the furnace appeared to be leaking. Luckily she had the presence of mind to shut off the breaker to the furnace to stop any further damage and then she called me.

I couldn't really troubleshoot the problem from what she told me, but unless there was a major crack in the furnace itself, I guessed it was one of the pressure relief valves. She had already called the oil company and they were sending someone out ASAP on an emergency call. It sounded like she was doing all the right things so I told her I would call back in awhile to see what the diagnosis was.

I had being on the road when potentially large decisions have to be made with little information. If for example, the guy who assessed the situation said that the furnace had to be replaced, I would want to be there to discuss options, futures, and alternatives.

Luckily, the resolution to the problem was just to replace a failed pressure valve and to replace the expansion tank which probably blew the bladder. Mary heard a banging, popping noise coming from the basement on Sunday right before I left for the road, but I though something just fell over in the basement.

Anyway, the amount of water in the basement was not too much. Nothing important got wet and Mary was weighing whether she would borrow the shop vac from Don Chamberlain across the street.

As of almost 2100 the problem was resolved. The furnace is about 12 or 13 years old and sometimes things just go bump in the night. Luckily for us, it was just water, just parts, and just one more thing that happens when you are away that will never be forgotten.

This was a job for the professionals and now we're back and all systems are nominal.

BC-out.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2007-11-24T08:55:00.000-05:00

I waited until after Thanksgiving to wish everyone a happy one because I wanted to make sure that I, at least, had a happy one. Luckily, I did, so I hope you did too.

When it came time for grace, I substituted a prayer with a brief accounting of all that we had to be thankful for and also gave thanks that we lacked for anything and desired nothing. We also welcomed our newest member of the family to the Thanksgiving feast (and that would be our puppy Ruby) but she didn't really get the idea of table manners so we had to let her "rest" in her cage.

Mary made an excellent meal of brined turkey which she cooked on our outdoor gas grill and we also made homemade apple pie with a crumble top which all agreed after was not our favorite and we would probably not do that again.

The rest of the family had their Thanksgiving at my brother's house in Wethersfield, CT. He is a master of the deep-fried turkey and made two for the assembled crowd. I called down there while things were going on and the noise in the background suggested that they were having a great time. Someday when our lives are less complicated, we'll have to get down there and join in. They picked names out of the hat for Christmas present giving and we don't know who we got yet. I'll have to call in to my sister, Peg Grocki to find out the results.

On Friday we went in-town and had some holiday cheer with our good friend Paula Hill and her friends while EC went to a party at one of her friend's house. It was a lot of fun catching up and as usual the yardstick of time seems to be much shorter than it appears.

When we got home, we watched "Knocked Up" on a DVD that Moe gave me and it was funny but totally inappropriate for kids and adults who are more genteel. The title itself suggests where it fits in to the social class hierarchy.

That about did it for the holiday. It's now Saturday and I have a few things to get done before leaving again for Florida on Sunday. Time will fly by in the next few weeks and that will make every moment at home important. I'll have to try to do as much as I can remotely to prepare for Christmas.

It was nice catching up with you. Happy Thanksgiving again.

BC-out.

Trip to Orlando

2007-11-19T18:48:00.000-05:00

Since this is going to be a short week due to the Thanksgiving Holiday, I decided to "winter over" at Moe and Ida's house in Orlando rather than make the grueling commute for only a couple of days onsite. On Friday I drove over to Orlando from Jacksonville and made it in about two hours and 45 minutes. Not bad. We caught up on all the news and gossip and then went out to the famous Cork Room for some beers and, as Bob Seger calls it, "Heavy Music!"

Usually when you go to the Cork Room, there is a "friendly" atmosphere and that night was no different. We stayed for the first set and then tried out an Irish bar that Moe had seen nearby. Moe hadn't been there before so as a favor to me and my need for a Guinness, Moe and Ida graciously indulged me and we went inside. It was pretty quiet for a Friday night and we ordered a few "points" of the Creature and sat down by the fake fireplace. I don't know what the problem was, but the Guinness was bad and we didn't even finish it before heading home.

On Saturday we went fishing on the Butler Chain of Lakes. On the way, Moe's truck turned to 111,111 miles. When's the last time you saw an odometer like this one:

Fishing was SLOW and I managed to catch a single pickerel on a golden shiner. We tried hard, fished shallow and deep and this was our only passenger on board.

When you can't catch fish, you might as well stop and smell the money, and money was everywhere on Butler Lakes. Here's a picture of Shaqile O'Neil's house. Like the Grand Canyon, pictures don't do it justice for how large it really is. Absolutely ENORMOUS. This is what we would call Shaq Crib:

On Sunday, we decided that fishing was probably not so good this weekend and I wanted to do something that Ida might find interesting. Moe told us there was an outdoor art show in the Old Town of Kissimee and we put the top down on the Mustang GT convertible and went on over to see what for. There was some cool stuff there and some disturbing art also. We had a discussion about the fact that even though nobody would want some of the stuff in their home, the disturbing stuff was the most memorable. I couldn't even take a picture of some of the wierder stuff, but the metal sculpture were cool.
After the art show, we had a Margarita from a street pub. After we walked around some more and saw the sights, I ran into Paris Hilton and we caught up on what was happening on the charity scene. She wanted to have her picture taken with me, so I agreed and didn't even charge her the usual fee. She was looking a little stiff in the picture, but she really is an old soul and very deep thinker. Wanna see?

To tell you the truth, that little incident made me feel a little guilty so to make it up to Mary, we decided to buy her a little gift house. Moe took me to an exclusive golf club where I bought a house for Mary. It was only $1.3 million but luckily the real estate agent could break my $2 million dollar bill that I keep in my wallet for emergencies and we signed the paperwork. Some day, if we can sell our house in Scarborough in the weak real estate market, this will be our winter home, or at least this will be the kitchen:

Enough of all this feel good stuff, time to get some lunch! We went and got some bar-b-que and then it was back to Moe and Ida's to go FISHING!!! Oh, you didn't think we'd go a whole day without fishing did you? At the end of Moe's street is a pond with some HUGE bass in it. They are so huge that they managed to avoid our baits entirely. No matter what we threw at them, nothing worked, again. Are you starting to see a pattern here? Well at least Ben got to go swimming in the pond and then it was time to come home for a car wash. He was a good boy and took the soap and hose without a problem. Good boy Benny.

The evening was capped off with the Patriots wiping out the Buffalo Bills 54 - 10! Tim Russert was rolling on the ground in agony.

Well, that's about it for the weekend. We did it all and then did it all again! I can't wait to go back and see my most favorite friends in the entire world. Thanks Moe. Thanks Ida. See you again soon I hope.

BC-out.

Laundry on the road.

2007-11-15T23:02:00.000-05:00

I have to go get my clothes out of the Holiday Inn Express clothes dryer. Be right back....

Nope, not dry yet. It's only been about 20 minutes, so I probably have to wait as least that much. And the laundromat is full of steam? It looks like the dryer (or is it drier) vent hose separated from the dryer and was filling the room with steam. I propped the door open with a folding chair and went back to my room to wait out the next 20 minutes or so.

Washing clothes here in FLA isn't cheap! The wash load cost $2.00 plus $.50 for the box of Tide soap. I originally put my money in the dispenser and nothing came out. I was able to get some soap from the front desk.

The Jacksonville news is on and they are talking about a 12 year old kid who got shot here about three months ago. This town is crazy about murders. They must have four a day here. It's just crazy. What does this have to do with laundry? Have you ever heard of someone getting rubbed out? Sorry, bad joke.

On another off-topic item, I returned my rental Taurus to Hertz tonight due to a bad front end shimmy. They gave me a 2007 Honda Accord. It is the same as Mary's Accord except this year's model has LED brake lights. Other than that, there isn't much I noticed that was different betweent the two vehicles.

To add sugar to the sugar bowl, Hertz gave me a coupon for $50.00 off any rental for my inconvenience!

Well, I really didn't have much to say for today. I just wanted to make an entry for those who care. Remember, if you really do care, so do I. If you don't care, I still care. It's not about you anyway.

BC-out.

Headin' down to Orlando

2007-11-14T16:34:00.000-05:00

I'm heading down to see Moe and Ida on Friday night after work. They live in Orlando and it's always a good time when I get to visit them. We should be able to do some fishin' and the weather is supposed to be great.

I'm gonna get my license ahead of time. Last time I was there, I got in late, the WalMart guy had closed his booth and I we were supposed to leave at 0500 to go. I ended up calling in my information to some hotline that Florida runs and they give you a confirmation number over the phone. If you get stopped by a warden, you give the confirmation number and you don't need to have the physical license on your person.

I hope I don't get stuck doing that again. I just want to have the thing in my pocket so I can enjoy myself without worrying about "The Man!!!"

BC-out.

You've got to see these two videos

2007-11-14T06:34:00.001-05:00

After you view them, head on over to http://www.RonPaul2008.com for more and also to purchase some signs for your front lawn.

I really hope you took the few minutes to see these two videos. Lot's of people are getting on the Independent band wagon. We CAN change the status quo by getting enough people to understand what they are actually voting for. Spread the word. Pur a sign on your lawn.

BC-out.

Off to a new start

2007-11-12T17:09:00.001-05:00

I elected my benefits today. One of the categories was a rebate program designed to improve your general health by making you aware of certain things to improve your condition. You participate through surveys and website links. At some point during the year, you get a rebate for your efforts. I also signed up Elizabeth for a child's healthcare program that is similar to the one that I joined. Her participation also offsets the costs of our annual insurance load. Who knows, maybe I'll learn something that will make it all worthwhile. I'm all for learning.

BC-out.

We don't need no steenking punks

2007-11-11T19:16:00.000-05:00

We've had some "incidents" on the street and in the area recently that have challenged our sense of security and quality of life. Teenage boys have been going around ringing bells and just plain acting "out of place." Today I asked a couple of them to tell me their names so they knew that we were actively aware of their presence and the fact that they didn't have any business being here. My wife called it profiling. I agree with her.

When kids that don't live on the street come walking around and don't stop at a particular home for a visit or are not in the company of a resident of the street, then they raise attention. Given the recent spat of events, that attention rises to suspicion.

To the point of profiling... If a couple is walking their baby in a baby carriage and come down the street, they are viewed as a "normal" family out for a stroll. When three kids come down the street dressed in black "Goth" garb and street punk "gangsta" hood ware, then the interest level in their purpose for being there is elevated.

If I was walking down someone's street and they came up and asked me what I was doing there (especially on a dead-end street where you aren't making a connection to another neighborhood) I would answer their questions. Unfortunately, the world we live in presently warrants additional scrutiny of strangers presence.

In the "old days" back before air conditioning and backyard decks, people would sit on their front porches and would be aware of what their neighbors and strangers were up to. It wasn't a formal neighborhood watch program like we have today with signs and meetings and training. It was simply having an awareness of what was "right" and what was "wrong." These kids were "wrong."

In a way, they are challenging us "normal" folks to notice them in their strange garb and aimless behaviors. A person with a purpose doesn't walk slowly casing out properties on the street. Also, as my neighbor quipped, "They aren't out taking a walk for exercise." I laughed at that one.
So, if profiling is now considered to be improper in our laissez faire dominated cultural attitudes, I say, leave that to the French!

BC-out.

Bean's or Has Beens???

2007-11-11T08:10:00.000-05:00

I'm not a bad guy. I don't hate the local icon of LL Bean. I admit, I am too large for their clothing and they don't service the Big Man as us fat guys are called. I want to like Bean's just like everyone else. So, I keep on giving them a shot at my purchasing dollar. I'm interested in what they have in their outlet stores and I like to make at least an annual pass through the flagship store, but I have to tell you, once you've seen Cabela's and Bass Pro Shops, the Bean's experience pales by comparison. Now, that being said, and if I was a size or two smaller, then I might be more inclined to like what Bean has to offer.

Last week, Bean's opened their new Hunting and Fishing department. This department, which used to be the bedrock upon which the store was founded, has been moved around to more building sites in Bean's history than any other. It is as if at one point that they wanted to segregate the "sports" from the shoppers so that one side didn't frighten the other. The latest location for the Hunting and Fishing department is a new building attached to the back of the main store where the kayak pond used to be. It is an attractive building with hunting on the first floor and fishing up a nice set of granite stairs. There is a sitting area on the landing of the stairs where a large fireplace is set up amongst some very comfortable chairs. When I got to the landing, I noticed a video playing on a large screen TV and it looked a lot like my boat! I kept watching and sure enough, it was a center console Lund Alaskan which are pretty rare. I wasn't too surprised as I watched longer to see that it was owned by a guide on the Kennebec River and they were fishing for Striped Bass. The Alaskan seems to be the boat of choice for many Maine striper guides. It was a bitter-sweet moment because I had just dropped my boat off at Richardson's for the winter and wouldn't see her again until March of 2008.

Anyway, back to Beans. I'm not really a hunter (which means I don't and never have hunted) but I don't have anything against it and feel it is an important part of wildlife management. However, my main interest in the new store was the fishing department. Therefore, I won't comment on the first floor hunting department except to say that I think The Kittery Trading Post has more guns, ammo, hunting related stuff than this brand new building. Again, Bean's loses to another fairly close competitor. When Cabela's opens in May of 2008, stand back. They are going to blow Bean's doors off. I've been to Cabela's hunting departments in other states and it is truly breathtaking the amount of stuff they can put camo patterns on today.

The second floor of Bean's now has the fishing department. I realize it is November in Maine and this isn't exactly the fishing season. It is, for many like me, the "buy stuff for fishing season." I do most of my shopping for fishing stuff in the winter as I pour over catalogs and rehab the equipment from the previous season getting ready for opening day. That five months of winter waiting for April 1 should be put to good use.

One thing that I was looking for when I went to the new building was the 3500 gallon fish tank that was advertised. It took some "hunting" around to find it and it was slightly disappointing. The tank wasn't as impressive or on the same scale as ones I've seen at Cabela's and Bass Pro Shops and it only held the usual cold-water fish (brownies, brookies, salmon, rainbows, etc.). There was a cool crayfish in the tank who looked like he owned the place and was sitting with his claws up and open spoilin' for a fight.

When I go to fishing stores, I have a litmus test I use. I try to find equipment I already own and see what it costs. This is sort of a defensive position to see what it would take to replace stuff I own that breaks, goes overboard, or (yikes!) gets stolen. Luckily that last one has only happened once about 20 years ago and it was crushing.

Today's mission was to find a Quantum Catalyst PTi reel. Like I said, the season isn't full-on so I was only slightly disappointed not to find one, but it did make me think that Bean's selection is limited. Then I tried to look at some electronic fish finders. This too was a disappointment in that they only had a few on display, and I couldn't see if they were even powered up in demo mode. To tell you the truth, when I saw how few they actually had there, I wasn't too incented to try to go over and push buttons and make a comparison. Plus, in typical Bean's fashion (no pun intended), everything was really expensive. In over 20 years of going to Bean's, I have probably bought 90% of my stuff in the outlet stores where the prices come down to something approaching reasonable.

If I do go back to the Hunting and Fishing store again (and I will), I'll have to either have a very specific purpose or just happen to come across something that I needed and didn't want to drag myself to another store (these are usually very small items). All in all, I think WalMart has most of what I need and making a special stop at Bean's is probably not in the cards.

One final thought and observation. The people at Bean's are truly the best in the state. They really represent what is great about the folks in Maine. While I was there, I was greeted and welcomed by almost everyone who had a classic Bean's green chamois shirt on. Their welcome was a genuine one and their offer to assist in any way was appropriately sized and time to the moment. If there is any one thing that makes me return to Bean's it has to be their attention to customer service. You can tell when you talk to the folks that work there that they are just regular folks and are more like your neighbors than your neighbors are. I love 'em.

Well, it's back to getting ready to head out again today. As Muddy Waters said, "I'm goin' down to Flor'da, where the sun shines damn near everyday!" I'll be gone for 10 straight days and will be checking in with Moe and Ida while I'm there.

Keep your stick on the ice.

BC-out.

Living in New England

2007-11-09T13:16:00.000-05:00

New England!
Forget Rednecks .....here is what Jeff Foxworthy has to say about New Englanders...

If your local Dairy Queen is closed from September through May, you live in New England.
If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don't work there, you live in New England.
If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you live in New England.
If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you live in New England.
If "Vacation" means going anywhere south of New York City for the weekend, you live in New England.
If you measure distance in hours, you live in New England.
If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you live in New England.
If you have switched from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day and back again, you live in New England.
If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you live in New England.
If you install security lights on your house and garage, but leave both unlocked, you live in New England.
If you carry jumpers in your car and your wife knows how to use them, you live in New England.
If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, you live in New England.
If the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph -- you're going 80 and everybody is passing you, you live in New England.
If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow , you live in New England.
If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and road construction, you live in New England.
If you have more miles on your snow blower than your car, you live in New England.
If you find 10 degrees "a little chilly", you live in New England.

I couldn't have said it better myself Jeff. Thanks.

BC-out.

How long can this good streak last?

2007-11-08T17:30:00.000-05:00

Things remain good. I'm confirmed on First-class for the ride home. Tomorrow I bundle up the boat for the winter and head off to Richardson's for shrink-wrap. The weather continues to stay good (and cold). I guess it is on time to get a little colder. It's almost December, eh?

Things are so good, I don't really have anything to rant or complain about. So, I guess I'll just go back to surfing the net until I can come up with a topic that is worth pontificating about. All of the usual stuff is already being done, so I'll leave you with a new thought....

GO RON PAUL!!!

BC-out

Not much to say...

2007-11-07T19:56:00.000-05:00

except things are still going pretty well. I got an automatic upgrade to first-class for the ride home tomorrow. That was good. I ate dinner in my hotel room with some groceries from Publix market. That was good. I'm sipping a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (my favorite). That's good.

The best thing that's been going for me the past few days is the weather down here in JAX. It's like home almost. It is in the low 70's during the day and high 40's(!!!) in the evening. Cool. No humidity. The car isn't blistering hot when I get to it (its dark outside now at 1830). So, I can honestly say this is some of the best weather I have ever experienced in FLA. I still don't think I am converting into a snow bird, but I'll stick it out and see what the winter brings.

Gotta go and watch the Country Music Awards now. It is actually a pretty good show.

BC-out.

What's ahead for us?

2007-11-07T19:43:00.000-05:00

Man, the news keeps getting more and more dire everyday. Maybe we should just avoid it all together. Obviously things aren't as bad as they say or else we wouldn't be able to get out of bed and move ahead. So much of what we hear on the news these days seems to lose credibility by the time the ink on the paper has dried. I remember about a year and a-half ago when I was out in California that I held a copy of USA Today proclaiming that some miners had been rescued from a mine explosion only to find out later that they had gotten the story completely wrong. Only one guy made it out alive and everyone else was dead. And weathermen... One of my favorite targets... When is the last time they have been right about anything. I mean it. In the past few weeks I have held back from squeezing in a few more late season fishing trips because the weather forecast was so bad that I thought when I finally got to the water it would be miserable and possibly dangerous. I waited for the weather to get bad and a few of those days it just plain stayed nice! I felt like a dope! Now I guess a responsible person would listen and heed the weather forecast, but lately I think the weathermen have been caught up in the "news as entertainment" swindle that the rest of the 4th estate engages is.

From the poison that is being shipped from China, to the gas prices that are breaking the piggy bank, to the

Hello World

2007-11-07T05:04:00.000-05:00

This is a test blog. You can either read it in its entirety for all that it is worth, or disregard it as meaningless. It has meaning to me since I wrote it, but you may not understand the significance of it.

BC-out.

Test Blog

2007-11-07T04:37:00.000-05:00

This is a test of e-mailing content to my blog.

BC-out.

Good Day at Work

2007-11-06T19:38:00.000-05:00

*** Warning Geek Stuff Ahead ***

I have to say, I had a pretty good day today at work. It seems that when you have something that is kind of mechanical or brainless to do, it is kind of relaxing and rewarding at the same time. You're contributing to the project but at the sametime, you aren't really stretching your creative muscles which in a time crunch can be pretty stressful. Being a consultant is typically a challenge described the by the phrase, "What have you done for me lately?"

Today, I went to a couple of meetings and they were generally positive experiences. Nothing exciting or bad happened, so they were more routine than normal. If something is "more" than usual, that make it "unusual?" "abnormal?" Anyway, we'll figure that one out later.

Well today I planned an entire year's worth of project stuff (two times) and enjoyed it both times. I have a few days of planning still ahead and one of the more challenging things will be to come up with the code base branching strategy to figure out how we are going to do some of this in parallel. Proposing a new paradigm of development methodologies is always risky, but hopefully we can bring some experience to the table who already, "get it" and we can lead by example. It's a beautiful thing.

BC-out.

Thanksgiving plans

2007-11-05T21:20:00.000-05:00

Well, it looks like we'll be spending a quiet day at home this Thanksgiving. I'll be heading down to FLA the week before and spending the weekend prior with Moe and Ida. It's always a good time at their house. They really KNOW how to be great hosts.

Today was okay. We had a successful meeting and the CEO of the facility congratulated us for our good work so far. It's nice to be appreciated for being the "heavy."

Heroes is on TV right now and I really like this show. It has some pretty cool story lines and the story pulls you in. If you haven't seen it yet, it might be too late to get involved in this story because of all of the intermingled characters.

I got a Chevy Trail Blazer this week from Hertz and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. What is wrong with GM? With the exception of the Corvette and Cadillac, their products are just plain bizarre.

Hey, if you have multiple e-mail accounts and you want to combine them into one dashboard, check out Thuderbird from mozilla.org. I'm using it now and it is really pretty good. I imported my address book into it and now I have to go and clean it up a bit. It wasn't Thunderbird's fault. My data was pretty dirty because it came from a Palm source and that data model is kind of strange to begin with.

Anyway.... Looking forward to heading back home on Thursday. Keep your fingers crossed for me that I get upgraded to First Class. I'm starting to get used to it again and coach is too crowded and crampt for someone like me.

Wanna see a picture of my baby dog?

Why I don't live in Florida

2007-11-04T10:12:00.001-05:00

Someone there thinks this is funny.

BC-out.

Daylight Saving Time

2007-11-04T08:50:00.000-05:00

Today is the first time that we return to standard time in November. It used to be the last week of October, but Congress voted to extend the season on each end and now we set our clocks back one hour on the first Sunday in November. I've already updated my Palm Pilot to put out an annual reminder. The start of Daylight Saving Time is the second Sunday in March. Oh, by the way, it is "Saving" time, not "SavingS" time. No second "S."

I just caught the dog eating poop in the yard and now she wants to be my "friend" and stuff her face in mine and breathe on me, yeuch! Ruby, go upstairs and wake up Elizabeth. Tell her it is time to get out of bed. Belch!

The extra-tropical storm that blew through here yesterday was very mild. I did take some extra precautions in case something bad happened, but I've seen worse storms before. The emergency broadcast alerts didn't even go off, so I guess it wasn't the "gullywhumper" we were promised. Ah, to be a weatherman... Wrong 100% of the time and you never get fired.

Traveling to JAX today. Have to be at the airport at 1500 for my flight. Laundry's done. Need to pack.

Thinking about buying a leaf blower. My yard guys finished for the season and more leaves fell to the point where it looks like nothing has been done.

Time to go watch Meet the Press with Tim Russert.

BC-out.

New Launch of the PelagicZone Blog

2007-11-03T10:47:00.001-04:00

Today marks a new launch of the PZ Blog. I have been irresponsible recording my thoughts and journeys and so, as of today, I resolve to be more attentive to this great resource and repository of thought. I think the trick to doing a daily blog is to keep it short so that it doesn't seem like work. With that in mind....

We're in for a BLOW!!! Extra-tropical storm Noel is hovering off the coast of Maine and we're expecting winds of 50 MPH sustained with gusts to 70. That's close to hurricane strength. I moved the boat over by the garage to be out from under the trees and will move it to the street where there is no overhead threats if it really gets and stays bad. I also put all the missle-like objects in the yard down in the basement. OOPS that reminds me, the outdoor fireplace lid is like a flying saucer and I need to go and throw that down on the ground before it really kicks up.

I'm worried about the woodpile falling over if the wind is too rough. The trees holding it up on either end could sway and that would alternately loosen and tighten the stack to the point where it might become an accordian and squeeze the wood out and onto the ground. I may be restacking tomorrow.

EC is out at play practice until 1300 and Mary is down in Nashua at the Crowne Plaza with her girlfriends. I paid for their rooms with my Priority Club points. I like the Priority Club. It reminds me of my initiative I started when I worked at Sybase in the 1990's to save the world from Y2K. I called it, "Priority 2000" and it was a great tagline for a project that really never was given the proper respect.

The dogs are outside barking at the mailman. I guess I should go out there and see what has come and finish tightening up the yard. More tomorrow. I promise. If there is any storm damage, I'll post some pictures too.

I hope you are along for the ride on this blog/diary. It's good for me and I hope it is fun for you.

BC-out.

Patton Quotes

2007-03-15T01:57:00.000-04:00

General George S. Patton was my kind of guy.

"No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country."

"An army is a team. It lives, eats, sleeps, fights as a team. This individuality stuff is a bunch of bullshit."

“It is absurd to believe that soldiers who cannot be made to wear the proper uniform can be induced to move forward in battle. Officers who fail to perform their duty by correcting small violations and in enforcing proper conduct are incapable of leading.”

“You cannot be disciplined in great things and indiscipline in small things. Brave undisciplined men have no chance against the discipline and valour of other men. Have you ever seen a few policemen handle a crowd?”

"War is an art and as such is not susceptible of explanation by fixed formula"

"If a man does his best, what else is there?"

"If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn't thinking."

"Infantry must move forward to close with the enemy. It must shoot in order to move…. To halt under fire is folly. To halt under fire and not fire back is suicide. Officers must set the example"

"Few men are killed by the bayonet, many are scared by it. Bayonets should be fixed when the fire fight starts"

"All men are timid on entering any fight. Whether it is the first or the last fight, all of us are timid. Cowards are those who let their timidity get the better of their manhood."

Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.

Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.

Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way.

Courage is fear holding on a minute longer.

Pressure makes diamonds.

May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't.

If you can't get them to salute when they should salute and wear the clothes you tell them to wear, how are you going to get them to die for their country?

Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.

Watch what people are cynical about, and one can often discover what they lack.

Do your damnedest in an ostentatious manner all the time.

Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men.

I am a soldier, I fight where I am told, and I win where I fight. "Sure, we want to go home. We want this war over with. The quickest way to get it over with is to go get the bastards who started it. The quicker they are whipped, the quicker we can go home. The shortest way home is through Berlin and Tokyo. And when we get to Berlin, I am personally going to shoot that paper hanging son-of-a-bitch Hitler. Just like I'd shoot a snake!"

"Make your plans to fit the circumstances."

"Moral courage is the most valuable and usually the most absent characteristic in men."

"Take calculated risks." "You're never beaten until you admit it."

"It is only by doing things others have not that one can advance."

"A pint of sweat will save a gallon of blood."

"All glory is fleeting."

"A leader is a man who can adapt principles to circumstances."

"Success demands a high level of logistical and organizational competence."

"Perpetual peace is a futile dream."

"It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived." "If I win I can't be stopped! If I lose I shall be dead."

"Magnificent! Compared to war all other forms of human endeavor shrink to insignificance.God help me, I do love it so!"

"A good plan executed today is better than a perfect plan executed at some indefinite point in the future." There is only one tactical principle which is not subject to change. It is to use the means at hand to inflict the maximum amount of wound, death, and destruction on the enemy in the minimum amount of time."

"Go forward until the last round is fired and the last drop of gas is expended...then go forward on foot!"

"It is the unconquerable nature of man and not the nature of the weapon he uses that ensures victory."

"Fixed fortifications are monuments to the stupidity of man."

"If you are going to win any battle, you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do... the body is never tired if the mind is not tired."

"Just drive down that road, until you get blown up"

"You must do your damdest and win."

'Nuff said.

BC-out.

Brief Update on the Cabela's Rant Below

2006-12-13T21:53:00.000-05:00

About a month ago, Cabela's gave up their challenge on the internet sales tax issue and reduced all the barriers to development of the Scarborough store. Their logic was that they could open a telephone service center or distribution center in the state and then the nexus law about sales tax would still be in effect for Maine, but it wouldn't invalidate the agreements Cabela's has with 17 other states. This makes me very happy about Cabela's coming to town, but it doesn't really solve the nature of my rant which is that the State of Maine is still the most business unfriendly state in the country. The State of Maine government should not consider this a victory in their column. It continues to be a big embarassment.

Thank you Cabela's for having faith in the Scarborough location and I will demonstrate my welcome to you by being a frequent customer.

BC-out.

My Christmas Wish to You

2006-12-08T20:51:00.000-05:00

For My Democrat Friends:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2007, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere . Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee. By accepting these greetings, you are accepting the aforementioned terms as stated. This greeting is not subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for herself/himself/others, and is void where prohibited by law and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wish.

For My Republican Friends:

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

BC-out

Tis the season

2006-11-28T23:40:00.000-05:00

Well, we're back in the season of consumption. I'm not saying that seasonal generosity is a bad thing. I would just ask everyone who is out shopping to ask themselves one question... Will this present be used more than once? If the answer is no, then you are better served to buy someone fine food, wine, or something that will give them a proper single experience.

If you don't know what the person wants or needs, and you are still compelled to buy something, get them a cash card or a check so that they can get something they really want or need.

Lately, I have become intrigued by the concept of giving to charity in the name of the person that you are shopping for. That seems to me to be a responsible thing to do.

Finally, I just want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and to extend to you the best of wishes for 2007.

Keep your stick on the ice.

BC-out

Finish your sentence

2006-09-06T10:04:00.000-04:00

I've had it with rude language coming from kids and in the media. While I can't hold myself to the same standards I am about to set, as you all know this is my world and everyone else is just living in it.

To that end... I am on a new quest to finish everyone's sentence for them. From now on, when I hear people using terms like "Crap" and "Suck" and "Ass" and all of the other things that are totally acceptable parts of speach these days, I'm going to finish those sayings with what they really mean. Hopefully, people will be outraged at my behavior and get mad at me. Then, I will be able to confront them and ask them if they know what "Suck" is short for. If they don't know and are just using it because everyone else does, then I'll tell them what it is short for. If they are outraged and embarassed by that, then I'll have succeeded in letting them know what everyone else is hearing when they use that language. If they do know already what the words mean, then I'll expose them for the hypocrites they are for masking their crude language.

It's just gone too far. I would rather hear someone using true profanity than the dumbed down version. The reason I say this is because kids now use this language as if it was the old days when we used to say "Darn" and "Dang" and "Gosh Darn It." Now, everything is okay. Cartoons on TV use this crude language. Cartoons were always seen as being safe and were directed at children. It is common now to see shows on TV that are masking as kids shows (in cartoon format) only to have very adult themes, language, and content.

So, if you hear me out on the street saying things that are offensive or objectionable to your refined sensabilities, be assured that I am just finishing the sentences of others around me.

If you're under 16, try to resist the temptation to swear. It's too late for me, but maybe you can make it through life showing that you didn't learn to talk by watching cartoons and listening to music that has to have warning labels on it.

I tried to have a zero tolerance policy on rude speech but the forces of culture are against me so I am going to fight fire with fire. If I'm more rude than the culture that is out there, then maybe people will be so offended by me that they will avoid dealing with me, shut me out, and leave me alone. That way, I won't have to hear their language. I won't miss them, especially if they are just potty-mouthed brats who get away with bad language because their parents are too worthless and weak to make a stand.

Fight hypocrisy everywhere you can...

BC-out.

Welcome to Maine, now GO HOME!!!!

2006-08-30T21:24:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been SOME time since I last wrote to my very own blog. What does that say about my commitment? Finally, something has torqued me off enough to make a statement.

For those of you reading this from outside the town of Scarborough, Maine, let me bring you up to speed. My favorite retail outfit, Cabela's, was going to build a store in our town at the entrance to the highway. It was going to be about 150,000 square feet of retail space. If you have ever been to a Cabela's or Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, then you know the truly awesome retail experience it is. This isn't shopping, it is touring. You actually feel compelled to buy a t-shirt marking your visit to these stores as if you had been to some theme park. And theme parks they are! People who visit the stores stay on the average of three hours just wandering around with blank stares on their faces.

There is a lot to see in these stores. They have extensive collections of taxidermy and fish tanks you could dunk a trailer truck in. Some stores have indoor climbing towers that let the more nimble of the species ascend to the top and view the store from a very different angle. People who make this ascent are in no hurry to come down since the view from up there is, well, awesome.

So, Scarborough is selected by Cabela's as a possible site for one of their destination stores. Immediately, Scarborough put out the welcome mat and understood that this would be the greatest thing to happen to the town since Winslow Homer put a brush to canvas. Cabela's agents, New England Expeditions put on a very compelling presentation at the town council meeting which was met with no objections, just some concerns about traffic and landscaping.

Enter the State of Maine.

Cabela's maintains that they are actually three separate and distinct organizations. They are a retail store, a catalog shopping experience, and an internet presence. Cabela's does not want to collect sales tax for purchases made in Maine by Maine residents as the current law prescribes. Cabela's has managed to convince the majority of states it has retail stores in that this trinity of companies should exempt them from the requirements to collect state sales tax for internet sales. Most of the states where Cabela's has built these magnificent destinations have agreed that the benefits of having millions of dollars of "regular" sales tax from retail sales in the stores and the collateral income from visitors and fringe businesses that grow up around the stores is worth the "investment" in waiving the sales tax requirements.

It isn't really fair to blame LL Bean for some of this behavior by the state, but it cannot go unnoticed that they publicly stated their position that they collect and pay sales tax to the states where they have retail operations. Bean's said that they welcome the competition, but they also carry a lot of "reputation capital" as a homegrown family business. Bean's however, does not have the same volume of internet sales as Cabela's (Cabela's is much larger). Bean's retail ventures outside the State of Maine are not on the same scale as the Cabela's stores and are not really seen as destination spots. If Bean's was genuine in the welcome to the competition, they should be also petitioning the State for amnesty from collecting sales tax from Mainer's to level the playing field. If for their own selfish purposes, they should work to get the internet sales tax repealed or modified to remove the barrier to Cabela's coming to town. Absent of that support, Bean's is just helping to cement their position in the state as the premier destination spot and nails the coffin shut for any other destination store from thinking about building here. Bean's and the State do not have to be in a formal conspiracy to maintain the status quo. I'm sure Bean's did some analysis that showed that the most Mainers do their Bean's shopping at their retail stores and outlets and the amount of internet purchases that they have to charge Maine sales tax on are worth it.

So what is the purpose of this long winded preamble? I want you to understand that there are powers at work here that are in some ways subtle, and in other ways obvious. The obvious one is that the State of Maine is so desparate for tax revenue, that it can't begin to think of weighing the benefits of the millions of dollars of tourist income to the area against the relatively small amount of tax it is supposed to capture from internet purchases made in the state. What they can't see is that most of the purchases that Cabela's online customers make from Maine would be converted to retail sales at the store (where Maine would get sales tax) vs. having to pay for shipping, etc. when making online purchases. The short sightedness of the State's position can only be compared to a crack addict who holds tight to his crack pipe when a hand is being held out that can cure him of his addiction if he will only put the pipe down and take the hand that is offered as a gesture of help.

Maine is now reduced to a tourist economy. This is not something to bet our future on. Something like 40% of the homes in Maine are owned by out-of-staters. They don't pay income tax here and their property tax is not as high as other neighboring states, so that isn't even an argument. Those part-time residents are eligable for all of the same services like fire, police protection, and road maintenance that other Mainer's are. Maine has done nothing for over a decade now to turn this economy around and we are now known as, "The Ten Dollar an Hour State." In case you don't know, that means that most of the GOOD jobs in Maine only pay $10 an hour. This is just above the poverty level in today's economy. Maine's tourist economy is not guaranteed. There are a lot of competing places to visit around this country that are more economical and more compelling. Maine NEEDS organizations like Cabela's to reinvigorate the "destination" status of Maine so that people coming here have even more reason to drop some hard earned cash in the State before heading home. Cabela's is PERFECT for people visiting Maine's outdoor vacation theme since they are, as they call themselves, "The World's Foremost Outfitter." Scarborough's location before the highway splits into 95 and 295 makes it the perfect location for picking up those vacation related items before you land at your camp.

Okay, so what is the moral to this diatribe? I can't think of one. The moral would have to have some positive outcome which would serve as a lesson. The only lesson to be learned here is that Maine is self-destructive and continues to be the country's more business unfriendly place to start a business. It sends a message to others that want to come here that Maine will not work with you to be successful and will actually combine forces to keep you out of Maine regardless of your intentions to provide a magnet for other opportunity.

I'll tell you, I'm very disappointed that Maine is not working harder to provide opportunities for business to locate in the state. I've said it before and I'll say it again to those migrating out of the state, "Last one out, turn off the lights."

Unfreakingbelievable.

BC-out.

Recasting the Blog

2006-06-25T23:23:00.000-04:00

PZBlog relaunched!!! This is the second incarnation of the PZBlog. For those of you who arrived by some other means, this is the "opinion" page of the PelagicZone.com website.

The "charter" of this site is to articulate compelling thoughts that will stimulate you and possibly irritate you. You are encouraged to comment and reply about what you read here so that a dialouge can be established. Otherwise, it is just a one-way rant.

Unfortunately, the "real world" will not let us truly record ALL of our positions in a format that can be dredged up later to serve the purposes of those that wish to do us harm.

While it may be less heroic to limit the topics and commentary from what the author is currently thinking, it is more practical to keep the readership entertained and engaged.

I will attempt to make this interesting for you. It will always be interesting to me or else I wouldn't take the time to contribute to it.

I hope you will participate in this blog if only to read what you find here. Feedback and challenges are welcomed and encouraged.

Thanks.

BC-out.

Back to being a grown up

2006-06-23T21:15:00.000-04:00

After more than a few weeks on the bench, I'm back to work at IBM. I am really looking forward to it. I recently had the opportunity to work with some folks at IBM and it reminded me of what a quality organization it is.

I left IBM the first time in 1998 and regretted it. I wasn't sure they would even have me back, but that all changed on June 19, 2006.

Being on the bench was really starting to get to me. All of the financial uncertainty aside, if you know you have to work, then you want to work. That being said, I am still planning on winning the lottery one of these days so that I can perfect the lifestyle I was practicing for the past few weeks.

Stay tuned for more....

BC-out.

Leave Your Job Wholeheartedly

2006-03-17T21:59:00.000-05:00

This posting is a direct copy from "LifeWorks" a feature from the Portland Press Herald. I am "borrowing" it for my blog because I think it sends a great message to some people I know who are going through this exact situation right now.

Start Quote here:

Barbara Babkirk has heard thousands of stories of people's challenges to find work that fits their personalities, skills and values. A licensed counselor with more than 20 years in career counseling, Barbara owns Heart at Work in Yarmouth. She is a frequent public speaker on work and life balance and practices what she teaches by offering an annual women's retreat and individual sabbaticals in the South of France.

March 17, 2006

Leave Your Job Wholeheartedly

James' first three years in his job were good in that he felt valued and had ample opportunities to develop his skills as a supervisor. However, in the fourth year, changes in management turned everything around for him. He and his new manager did not see eye to eye on priorities, and consequently, Jim felt that his ideas were disregarded or discounted.

In his fifth year, James decided he'd had enough and planned to give his resignation. He held a lot of resentment toward his boss and felt bitter about the antagonistic relationship they had. It was at that point that he came to see me for help with finding a new job, and to discuss a strategy for leaving his employer.

He considered an exit interview during which he would finally have his say, placing blame for his leaving on his superior and even on the organization for not rescuing him from the situation. He also fantasized about a meeting with his subordinates in which he would detail the ways he had been mistreated as justification for leaving them. His anger had been mounting and he wanted to release it.

I asked James what was the outcome he wanted from either of those actions. He thought for a moment and admitted that he just wanted people to hear him out, and even feel sorry for him. "Actually", he said, "I'd like someone to apologize." After hearing himself state these unlikely outcomes, he realized the futility in these actions. When I asked him how he wanted to be remembered, especially by those he supervised, he was clear: "I want people to think of me as someone they respected and who did the best he could in a difficult situation. I want to feel I made a difference in the lives of those whom I supervised."

With a focus on a positive legacy, James was then able to make decisions about his transition that were consistent with his desire to leave with respect. To his boss, whom he knew he could not influence, he wrote a brief, yet cordial resignation letter. He did not request an exit interview.

Last, but not least, he held a meeting with his team during which he conveyed his appreciation for what they had accomplished together, and identified a special trait that he appreciated in each of his supervisees. He was surprised that they, each in turn, did the same for him.

James did not burn any bridges in the way he left his employer, plus he shifted his focus to the positive actions and created memories that helped his attitude and motivation in his transition to new work.

Posted by Barbara Babkirk at 06:15 AM

When I first read this, I thought someone was feeding her detail "ripped from my life." I have had the same thoughts as James above, but I think I have come to terms with the near future and will take the moral high ground.

Thanks Barbara Babkirk. I look forward to reading your column in the future.

BC-out.

What it means to be a Dad.

2006-03-16T01:39:00.000-05:00

Today, I heard that my only child, Elizabeth, was one of six (out of hundreds) lucky kids to get a scholarship to Cheverus High School in Portland, ME based on her placement test score.

She is truly an amazing child. For some reason, I am not surprised that she won the
scholarship. I more than half-way expected her to. Elizabeth is the kind of kid who never disappoints you. She relates well to adults and is a "hero" to other kids. Sometimes she is treated meanly by her "peers" who resent her greatness, but that is just the natural order of things. It hurts her, but she prevails.

Political correctness has made praise and worship of truly great individuals amongst us anathema. That is the problem. It is society's demand that we recognize and elevate the lowest common denominator amongst us and we are asked to be humble and quiet about the great ones. There is something about our current stage of human advancement that tells us that there is something wrong with recognizing that "uncommonality" is a bad thing. You are more likely to be elevated for your infirmities than your strengths as if strength and greatness is something to be quietly ashamed of. We're broken. we're flawed.

Elizabeth does not have a problem with her superior abilities. She wants to be like
everyone else, but life won't allow that. When there is an opportunity to rise to the top, she is there. She doesn't so much seek to be the best, and it doesn't just come to her based on her potential and ability. She works for, and therefore, earns it. She takes on extra coursework outside of her schoolwork and she excels at it. Sure, like all parents of early teenagers we scream at her to get her work done, but ultimately it is her commitment to excellence that drives her. She has her priorities in order.

My girl is an inspiration for me. In everything she does, she excels. She works very hard and takes on additional responsibility, knowing full-well that it enriches her now and for the future. She truly sacrifices and sees the big picture.

Whenever I get depressed or self-centered about my own condition, I think about how fantastic and limitless her potential is. It is my responsibility and mission in life to give her every opportunity to develop into the truly great person that she is destined to become.

Having only one child, we can pour all of our resources and attention into her. Sometimes, it is as if with all of that potential, she doesn't even need us. She is a self-contained unit of prosperity. We're there for her anyway to help her in any way we can.

The next four years will show us how great she truly can be. There is nothing at this moment that provides a limit to what she can accomplish. If Elizabeth can stay engaged in her own life and taking every advantage that is offered to her, she should evolve into one of humanity's great individuals.

At this writing, I am out in Larkspur, California on business. I am not there to give her a hug and a kiss to let her know how proud I am of her. I only hope that this weak attempt to let her know how much I love her will somehow demonstrate to her and anyone reading this that she is of the highest caliber and we are all better for knowing her.

With all of my love,

Daddy.

Doing things for yourself

2006-03-05T01:27:00.000-05:00

Why do we "do" things for people who don't appreciate us (or are basically too stupid to understand the value we add)? It may seem illogical, but to me it is an extension of the inwardly-focused honor code principle. It is my position that we don't do ANYTHING for others unless we WANT to and therefore we are essentially doing things for ourselves. This may sound selfish, but it isn't really.

Unless someone has a gun to your head, EVERYTHING you do is for yourself. Even IF someone has a gun to your head, you are still doing whatever you are being "forced" to do to preserve your OWN life! It sounds like a joke, but in the end, it really is, "All about You!" If you don't already get it, then read on.

It is frustrating to provide your experience, knowledge, education, ethics, personal sacrifice and physical labor to people who don't appreciate you because subconsciously you are not really upset that they don't appreciate you, you are upset that you don't have the fortitude to refuse them. It is self-loathing of your own cowardice that is the painful reality that you find hard to accept. It is much easier to blame others for everything that happens to you when the majority of what happens is self-inflicted.

The solution to many of life's struggles is to have an alternate plan for your most basic needs. If your employer treats you like crap, have your resume up to date and be ready to exercise it. If you truly love your job, then you have no need to put your alternate plan in play. BUT... You still need to keep that option open in case things change. You can't account for the stupidity and ignoranceof others who might have influence over your personal security.

Now, there are things we would LIKE to do and can't because they are beyond our means, but this isn't the point. Again, the issue here is doing things for yourself that match your threshold of comfort vs. pain. If things you would like to do are beyond your physical or material capabilities, then the pain usually is not worth it. That is why this is outside of this discussion.

Let's get back to WHY we do things for others. One compelling reason we might do things for others is our internal honor code (some are weaker than others). When you make a commitment to someone who is depending on you, you might feel the internal NEED to carry through on your word, actions, or deeds. This honor code is the reason that people will take personal risks to save other people or will put themselves in harms way to preserve the honor of their entire group. This "foxhole" loyalty can be built over time through loyalty to others, or formed immediately as in the case of a "hero" situation. Some of the causes of this type of behavior can be lessons taught to us our whole life such as the Christian belief that, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." These "life and death" examples are extreme, but they make the point. Ultimately, you have to examine if doing things for others benefits YOU in the form of self-satisfaction. If it doesn't meet this test, then you are diminishing yourself by lowering your self-respect and this is the most important character trait there is. You have to be comfortable in your own skin to be a self-actualized person. As a reminder, Maslow's hierarchy of human needs is: Survival, Security, Social Acceptance, Self-Esteem, and Self-Actualization.

On a lesser scale, we find ourselves in patterns of life where we need to repeatedly examine our motives. These patterns are essentially external forces that get us stuck in ruts of comfort, convenience, and risk avoidance where it is easy to forget our values and just do what is easy. It is usually only when an outside incident forces us to question our values that we contemplate taking action that might put us (or by extension, our loved ones) at personal risk or discomfort.

If you find yourself in a situation where you are dependent on people of lesser character and honor than yourself, you have choices. Fundamentally, you need to distance yourself from them because the two cannot exist in the same space. You cannot compromise your values. You can't disregard your honor code. You can't soar with eagles if you are flying with turkeys.

Do something for yourself, not for others. If others happen to benefit from your actions, then that is their luck.

Don't let people of lesser character or honor control your thoughts or actions. It only diminishes you as a person.

BC-out.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2006

2005-12-12T02:06:00.000-05:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here. We just had a foot or so of snow and everything is back normal for December in Maine.

2005 was a very strange year for me with a lot of lows and not too many highs.

My Dad died on May 18, 2005 which was one of those "wake up calls." It is strange not having him around, but I keep a picture of him in his chair holding his trusty remote control as the wallpaper on my computer at home. I have actually looked at him more since his death than I have in the twenty years since I moved away to Maine. It is weird not having him around from the standpoint that there are constants in your life that you just expect to be there. I am just glad that when his time came, he had a "soft landing" as Tom Reynolds said. Merry Christmas Dad and thanks for the memories.

Right after that loss, my boat, motor, and trailer were totaled in a car accident. I got rear-ended while trying to make a left turn by some chicks in a mini-van. I thought I would be out of commission for some time to come, but through luck and fate, I was back on the water in July with a used Lund Alaskan. It worked out pretty good, but I miss the old girl.

Our good friends, Moe and Ida, moved to Florida on June 21, 2005 and we miss them very much. I lost a great fishing partner, and we all lost some great neighbors. Luckily we'll be seeing them before Christmas this year as they make a swing through New England. We'll also be heading down to FLA to see them in the spring to hit a few golf balls and maybe dip a line in water that isn't frozen two feet thick. It should be good.

In July, I started commuting to a jobsite in Novato, CA on a weekly basis. This has been very tough on me physically and mentally. As usual, when you are on the road that much, you make some good friends and have some good times. I'm hoping that I can maintain a connection with most of these guys after the assignment is over because they are really a quality bunch of people. The travel has got to let up at some point however, because everyone is telling me I am crazy to maintain this schedule and I'm starting to believe them.

On brighter notes, Elizabeth is doing great at school and continues to amaze us with her accomplishments. She had a fun season of field hockey and will be starting swimming soon, which she enjoys. She is testing to get into Cheverus High School in Portland in the fall of 2006 and is doing her usual brilliant performance on the entrance exam. We're proud of her without exception. She is also doing well in her writing class through Johns Hopkins University which gives her an outlet and at the sametime provides her with some critical analysis of her composition. She's gearing up for her trip in the spring to London, Paris, and Rome which should be an amazing experience. There's too much to say about her in this note, but stay tuned for more great things from this very impressive and amazing young lady. I lover her more than I can say.

Mary is holding down the fort while I have been away and that is a great thing. It's hard to be away as much as I am, but it is great to know that important stuff like Elizabeth's well being are being handled by such a great Mom. We recently went to her company Christmas party and she is really lucky to work for such a great group.

My brother Bobby and his wife Joanne had TRIPLETS on August 26, 2005!!! I haven't been able to get down to CT to see them much, but I did manage to see them in the NICU when I was down there for my Uncle Tom's funeral. More emotional swings on that visit. The babies are doing pretty well and two of them are home already. Their names, for the record, are Aiden Joseph Cook, Grace Margaret Cook, and Kathrine Elizabeth Cook. Katy is Elizabeth's favorite already. I wonder why?

So, it's been a tough year but summed up, it's still one in the win column. We are all doing well. We want for little, and we're optimistic about the future. Considering all of the challenges that life throws at you, at least the Cooks of Scarborough, Maine are keeping our sticks on the ice.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and continued GOOD LUCK into the near and far.

BC-out.

Things You'd Love to Say Out Loud After Stupid Remarks at Meetings.

2005-10-22T02:11:00.000-04:00

1. I can see your point, but I still think you're full of crap.
2. I don't know what your problem is but I'll bet it's hard to pronounce.
3. How about never? Is never good for you?
4. I see you've set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public.
5. I'm really easy to get along with once you people learn to see it my way.
6. I'll try being nicer if you'll try being smarter.
7. I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message
8. I don't work here, I'm a consultant.
9. It sounds like English, but I can't understand a word you're saying.
10. Ahhh...I see the screw-up fairy has visited us again.
11. I like you! . You remind me of myself when I was young and stupid.
12. You are validating my inherent mistrust of strangers.
13. I have plenty of talent and vision; I just don't give a damn.
14. I'm already visualizing the duct tape over your mouth.
15. I will always cherish the initial misconceptions I had about you.
16. Thank you. We're all refreshed and challenged by your unique point of view.
17. The fact that no one understands you doesn't mean you're an artist.
18. Any connection between your reality and mine is purely coincidental.
19. What am I? Flypaper for freaks!?
20. I'm not being rude. You're just insignificant.
21. It's a thankless job, but I've got a lot of Karma to burn off.
22. Yes, I am an agent of Satan, but my duties are largely ceremonial.
23. And your crybaby whiny-assed opinion would be...?
24. Do I look like a people person?
25. This isn't an office, it's Hell with fluorescent lighting.
26. I started out with nothing and still have most of it left.
27. Sarcasm is just one more service we offer.
28. If I throw a stick, will you leave?
29. Errors have been made. Others will be blamed.
30. Whatever kind of look you were going for, you missed.
31. I'm trying to imagine you with a personality.
32. A cubicle is just a padded cell without a door.
33. Can I trade this job for what's behind door #1?
34. Too many freaks, not enough circuses.
35. Nice perfume. Must you marinate in it?
36. Chaos, panic, and disorder --- my work here is done.
37. How do I set a laser printer to stun?
38. I thought I wanted a career---turns out I just wanted a salary.
39. Who lit the fuse on your tampon?
40. Oh I get it--- it's like humor---but different.