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    Kittens

    August 25th, 2009

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    Yesterday evening was quite interesting around here as my new cat went behind the couch in my living room and proceded to give birth to a gaggle of kittens.  Maybe it’s a pride of kittens or a pack or a brake or a troop or a pod or a quiver.  Whatever they’re called there were five kittens this morning.
    I guess I kinda’ knew it was coming when mom cat went and hid behind the couch yesterday late afternoon.  I think it was about 6pm when I first heard a little kitten cry.  I was watching the local news and thought it was on TV.  It was about 7pm when I moved the couch forward enough to see that there were two kittens along with mom cat.  Well I checked on them every 45 minutes to an hour and by the time I went to bed there were four of them suckling away on mom.
    I awoke at 6am and went to check to see how everyone was doing and lo and behold there was another one.
    The first three are orange and white.  The fourth one is tiger striped and number five is black with white feet and a white face.  Everybody wants the black one.
    I emailed the above picture to a bunch of folks this morning and so far three of the kittens are spoken for and even if they are not adopted I can take them up to my cousins barn which is where mom cat came from.
    So I have the next eight weeks to enjoy a house full of kittens.


    51 years ago today

    August 23rd, 2009

    Todays my birthday.
    I took a long weekend from work, got a new tattoo and went to see a movie.  You know a movie in a movie theatre.  It was a big dark room with lots of seats and a big huge screen.  I haven’t been in a movie theatre in about 15 years.  A bunch of us whos birthdays are around this time all went to see District 9.  It was pretty cool.  Lots of blood and guts and shit blowing up, bad guys and good guys and more shit blowing up.  Good flick!
    On Friday after I got my new tattoo I went down to the Middletown resovoir and did some fishing.  It was more like drowning some worms but it was a well needed respite.
    Today I decided to be a lazy guy and lay around while watching the Phillies play the Mets.  The game ended with an unassited triple play!!!  It was bottom of the ninth and the Phils were up 9 to 7, runners at first and second.  Eric Bruntlett caught a liner easily, stepped on second to double up Luis Castillo and then turned and tagged Daniel Murphy for the third out.  This is only the fifteenth time in the entire history of baseball this play has ever happened.  It happened so fast that it took it a few seconds to sink in and I jumped up and yelled, ‘Holy shit an unassisted triple play!’
    Tomorrow I’m gonna’ sleep late, run a few errands and generally not be at work.  That’s what I call a good long weekend.

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    My New Cat

    August 12th, 2009

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    I got a cat!  I haven’t had a cat-like pet sort of pet since Violin Strings, who was my last cat back in school.  Shite man, that was 1983!
    So this cats name is Aung San Suu Kyi, or Suu Kyi for short.  Yes I named her after the Nobel Laureate from Rangoon.  My cats secondary name is Knucklehead or simply a bunch of swear words all strung together.
    My version of Aung San Suu Kyi was a barn cat for her first year and came to me… in a motherly way.  Yes you read that right, she’s pregnant.  I guess that means I got cats rather than a cat.  When she pops and has her kittens I’ll hang on to them for eight weeks then I’ll give them back to the folks who gave me her.
    Then I’ll get her fixed.  I’m not looking forward to a mess of kittens running around here and turning this place into a cat haven.
    With all the impending cats around here I’m glad I got mama cat.
    I like my new cat.  We’re getting along better and better every day.


    Of Laptops and Windows

    August 2nd, 2009

    So it was a nice Saturday evening.  I had ordered a pizza and was enjoying a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.  I was also chatting with a friend of mine in Ireland.  Life was basically good.  Now earlier in the day I had stopped at my local American Legion for lunch and a beer.  I gave up $5 to play a few ‘fishbowl’ tickets and I won $100.  So you see by the time I ordered my pizza life WAS good.
    You don’t think it lasted do you?
    Of course it didn’t.  While typing back and forth with my friend my laptop coughed a little cough.  You know the kind of cough rude folk use when you light a smoke up beside them.  They think they’re being polite but they don’t realize how rude it is.  Anyways my laptop did that and I asked it what the problem was.  It didn’t answer me so I continued on with my typed conversation.  Well apparently my laptop didn’t like that.  It turned itself off.  It turned itself off with no warning.  The little fucker did this to me in the middle of typing a sentence.  I didn’t like this turn of events.  As a matter of fact I think I expressed my concern using some colorful language.  Most of it was directed at my laptop.
    I turn it back on but as expected it tries and tries to load windows but never really gets around to it.  By this time I was practising my swearing and letting Microsoft and Dell know exactly what I thought of both of them.  It wasn’t pretty.  Then my pizza showed up.  Suddenly I no longer cared about the laptop.
    After munching away happily and having another beer I decided to tackle the laptop and make it turn on again.  There was no troubleshooting or logical progression to determine what the problem is.  Oh no, I went straight for the, “Ultimate Boot CD”.  I booted to it and started in on it’s many system tools.  I wrenched and ratcheted and I guess something worked because when I finally restarted my laptop it started up and ran happily along like nothing was wrong.
    Now I’m not 100% sure but I’m leaning towards all the swearing and threatening is what fixed it but it might have been rebuilding the registry.  I just can’t be sure which one.
    So now it’s Sunday morning and I’m typing away on my laptop and eating cold pizza for breakfast and once again life is good despite all the rain.


    My new Tattoo

    July 17th, 2009

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    Well I went and did it.  I done got me a new tattoo.  For my long time readers, both of you, you’ll remember the last time I got one it was on my left arm.  Well this one is on my right arm so I’m now balanced.  Actually I’m not and I have papers from a shrink to prove it.  :)
    I went to a new (for me) tattoo artist.  His name is Jeff Zalesak and he works at Machine Heads in Lemoyne, PA.  I am blown away at how good his work is.  He really did it up.  The detail and visual impact of this new tattoo isn’t really shown in the photo.  I’m so impressed with Jeff that I’m going back to him for my next one.
    Oh yea, you can click on the pic to embiggiealize it.


    Independence Day 233 years later

    July 3rd, 2009

    There is a State Representative guy who represents a district just east of here.  His name is Sam Rohrer.  I have been signed up to his email list for about a year now.  He is quickly becoming my hero!  His bi-monthly newletters are very well written and they speak the truth of what the average person from Pennsylvania thinks and feels.  I can only wish I could put things as he does.  He needs to run for President.  To put this letter into perspective please watch this video first.
    So without further ado I present to you Pennsylvania State Representative Sam Rohrer’s letter to our President for the 4th of July, 2009.

    Dear Mr. President,

    I write to you as one elected official to another on behalf of average American citizens. We listen to your words and measure them carefully. With hope, we watch your actions. We then look to history and compare the events of our day with the events of yesterday. We look to our Founders and read carefully their intellectual discourses and their moral debate. They ultimately concluded that the actions of the king were best described as tyranny, because they could not be honestly described any other way. Having come to such a serious and reasoned conclusion, their path was charted—unknown as to its outcome—but certain as to its demand upon them. Mr. President, we are doing what Americans have done before.

    Many of your words, at face value, inspire and offer some level of hope. This is why many Americans cast their vote for you. Yet, now that you are in office, your actions are inspiring fear and distrust. At nearly every level, Americans, regardless of political party, are being forced to walk down the same road our Founders were forced to walk – questioning, analyzing, and looking deep within their souls. The similarities between the past and the present are amazing. If you desire to test the American people’s resolve and challenge their patience, you are accomplishing your goal. You know what is happening within the hearts and minds of the average American. That is why state legislatures are offering and passing resolutions, re-affirming the 10th Amendment and state sovereignty issue. That is why the Tea Party movement is growing by the day and is attended by rich and poor alike. That is why you and Congress are hearing from the American public in record numbers on an increasing range of major issues including the bail-out, the stimulus plan, “cap and tax”, and government intrusion into health care.

    Your speech sounds sensitive to the economic and emotional needs so heavy on our people. Yet, your continued references to being guided by the “Rule of Law” (our Founders knew this meant God’s Higher Law and the Highest Law of the Land – the Constitution) are hollow and disingenuous.  Your recent speech in front of the original Constitution of the United States of America in the National Archives makes it all so clear that your words mean nothing.  Your agenda and you yourself appear to be that “rule of law” – effectively setting aside all Constitutional constraints.  It’s unfortunate that I must be so direct, but you are leaving the American people with very few options.

    Mr. President, it is clear by your speech and actions that your oath to the Constitution is not binding to you and, therefore, is a broken oath.  On many fronts, so much of significance has happened in such a short time.  You (and the Congress) are overriding state sovereignty and encouraging the states into unsustainable programs through Stimulus Funds: this will force them to beg you and the elite in Washington for help when the funding runs out.  Your policies are destroying the wealth of hard-working Americans by plunging this nation into inescapable debt to our enemies and by justifying the disastrous printing of trillions in fiat money.  What you and the Federal Reserve do not destroy immediately by exploding our debt, will be completely devoured by the ensuing hyper-inflation.  What an insidious way for you and Congress to spend what you do not have by robbing it from every hard-working American who has responsibly worked and saved!

    You have violated historic contract law by choosing who wins and who loses, while Chrysler and General Motors is eviscerated and turned into ‘Government Motors’.  You have thumbed your nose at the ‘Balance of Power’, so carefully conceived and implemented by our Founders, by appointing unaccountable “Czars” to function as your direct emissaries over fundamental areas of public policy, thereby blatantly by-passing the checks and balances of Congressional oversight.  You pursue special interest agendas motivated by the faddish science of “Global Warming” or “Climate Change”, or whatever it will be called next.  In the ‘cap and tax’ plan, you justify the biggest tax assault on the American people ever conceived.  Yet, you boldly assure the American people that it will cost them nothing, since only the “polluters” will pay.  But, in the process you will destroy thousands o f truly sustainable jobs (in exchange for temporary “green” jobs – like insulating buildings and re-caulking windows).  Bringing America to its knees in financial dependence, in energy dependence, and a gutted manufacturing sector is sadly what’s happening. It appears that in reality, the “Change” you promised is just your personal change—clearly not what the American people so desperately hoped for.

    So Mr. President, these things that I and the American people have come to observe and conclude are bringing this nation to a point closer each day that resembles the circumstances that forced the hearts, the minds and then the hands of our Founders.  As we quickly approach the remembering of Independence Day – July 4, 2009, please remember that as you make your choices, so must we.  May you and all the American people reread the Declaration of Independence – very carefully.  Identify the principles they clearly stated and then apply them to today.  Feel the intensity of the letter sent to the King.  Understand the careful steps they undertook to make the moral case for freedom and independence in the context of the history of mankind.  Note in particular the foundational precepts woven into paragraph two, written as much for the benefit of Americans yet unknown and unborn as it was a message to King George.  As the President who holds the highest elected position in both honor and responsibility in this Republic, place yourself in the position of the King, look in the mirror, and then look across this great land at the faces of our great people and listen to their pleas.  The King didn’t know for sure all that Declaration Letter would mean for him, but I am certain that he knew he had ignited the will and passion of a freedom-loving people for which only time would prove the outcome.

    So it is today.  Now, we have the Constitution against which to compare the words and actions of those in public office. The people, Mr. President, are awaking.  They are realigning their priorities, purifying their motivations, and galvanizing their wills.  Their freedom and their families are what they love and, thankfully, what they will defend.  As to what comes next, I cannot say.  I do know that another Declaration Letter is not necessary since this country already belongs to us.  Our freedom and this republic are already ours.  It is the return of freedom they demand. It is nothing less than the adherence to the Constitution and to the oath we have both taken that they demand.  We, continuing to carefully note and compare as our Founders did, are also coming to serious and reasoned conclusions. Our path is charted – unknown perhaps as to its ultimate outcome – but certain as to its demand upon us.
    From all those who love their Freedom,

    State Representative Sam Rohrer
    District 128 – Berks County


    My Yardwork Slave

    June 17th, 2009

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    The pic above (which you can click on to embiggialize it) is of my nephew Matt.  He is my yardwork slave.  You see he started a business of doing yardwork for people.  He cuts my lawn every other week.  Or at least that’s what he thought he was getting in to.  You see I am in the unique position of being his uncle so I have the power of…’as long as you’re here why don’t we…’.  Hehehehe!  Every other week he comes by on a Saturday and we get alot of stuff done around the house.
    Well this past weekend he came by to help with the bushes in front of the house.  Again he didn’t know what he was getting in to but when we were done, 3 hours later, we were both tired and sweaty.  Matt does a great job and is a hard worker.  So next week he’s coming to cut the lawn and I have some work in the back yard to do too.

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    We did a pretty good job!


    The Spring Primary Vote

    May 19th, 2009

    The off-season spring primary races are on.  Until 8pm tonight.  Local primaries always kinda’ give me a laugh.  There are always the three overweight women running against each other for something or another, Mayor, city councilor or township council member.  It doesn’t matter.  They are all the same.  One has a logo touting their happy, happy goodness.  It’s usually a sunburst or a bird of peacey kinda’ look.  The other has a block font showing off their commitment to work.  She’s normally the one droning on and on about what she is going to do for the community.  Every once and awhile there is the lone guy running for something who tries to run on his record.  Ha!  What a moroon!  For some reason the mid-fifties white guy, no matter what his record always comes in last.
    Right now we have about 9,000 mid-fifties white guys and one mid-fifties white woman running for a judgeship.  How much you wanna’ bet she wins and a couple of guys get in too because it’s a vote for three kinda’ vote.
    The sad part of all this are the folks who have no clue what these people are all about.  Most don’t.
    Personally when I went into the voting booth I voted for the two guys I know for township supervisors andI voted for a judge that I met volunteering his time at the cathedrals dinner for the homeless.  That’s it.  Everyone else got a big FU from me.
    I’m glad it’s over and I’ll be looking forward to more of the Phillies!!!!!!


    The Great Pork Barbeque Debacle

    May 9th, 2009

    I was invited to join an exclusive club at work.  It’s the club that makes a hot lunch for everyone Monday through Thursday.  I was given my once a month date and almost three weeks notice.  It didn’t take me too long to figure out that I was going to make my pork barbeque as my first lunch.  Ya’ know I kinda’ wanted to impress so I chose something easy and very yummy.
    You don’t really think it went that easy do you?
    Oh no my dear readers it didn’t go so smoothly.
    My lunch was due to be delivered to my co-workers last Thursday 7 May.  After work on Wednesday I went to the local butcher and bought three loin end pork roasts.  Aw Geez!  Let me tell you the three I picked out were some of the most beautiful roasts I’ve ever bought.  I like the loin ends because the bones are bigger and it’s just better meat.  So I get home about 1830 and put two of them in a slow cooker with a can of beer, Tony Chacheres Creole seasoning, chopped onion and minced garlic.  No big deal I just wanted to cook the roasts well and slow.  I cooked the roasts on low until 0500 the next morning.
    Now it’s Thursday morning at 0530 and I make my BBQ sauce and put it on the stove.  I THOUGHT I set the burner to low but…
    I went and got in the shower and de-stinked myself only to return to kitchen to find my BBQ sauce smoking.
    I proceded to practice my swearing… Allot!!!
    I covered the burnt sauce and placed it in the sink.  What to do now?  I decided to practice some more of my swearing.
    OK, Adapt, Improvise, Overcome!
    After deboning the roasts I dumped some catsup, Guldens brown mustard, Wishyoucouldsayit sauce and some brown sugar.  It didn’t look right so I added a bit of water.  I was still convinced it wasn’t right.  To me it seemed there wasn’t enough BBQ sauce on the meat.  By this time it’s getting close to go to work time so I decided to go with it.
    Well I took it to work and plugged in the slow cooker I had it in and set it for low.
    I guess with all this build up you guys want to know how it was received.  It was received well!  I mean the folks I work with raved about it.  The best compliment I had was someone said I should quit my job and sell this at county faires.
    Well Jayzus!  I am currently cooking the last of the roasts and I hope to standardise that recipe.
    Damn I’m good… sometimes and if not by design then by sheer luck.


    Firearms Refresher Course

    April 22nd, 2009

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    1.  An armed man is a citizen.  An unarmed man is a subject.
    2.  A gun in the hand is better than a cop on the phone.
    3.  Colt:  The original point and click interface.
    4.  Gun control is not about guns; it’s about control.
    5.  If guns are outlawed, can we use swords?
    6.  If guns cause crime, then pencils cause misspelled words.
    7.  Free men do not ask permission to bear arms.
    8.  If you don’t know your rights, you don’t have any.
    9.  Those who trade liberty for security have neither.
    10.  The  United States  Constitution (c) 1791.  All Rights Reserved.
    11.  What part of ’shall not be infringed’ do you not understand?
    12.  The Second Amendment is in place in case the politicians ignore the others.
    13.  64,999,987 firearms owners killed no one yesterday.
    14.  Guns only have two enemies; rust and politicians.
    15.  Know guns, know peace, know safety.  No guns, no peace, no safety.
    16.  You don’t shoot to kill; you shoot to stay alive.
    17.  911:  Government sponsored Dial-a-Prayer.
    18.  Assault is a behavior, not a device.
    19.  Criminals love gun control; it makes their jobs safer.
    20.  If guns cause crime, then matches cause arson.
    21.  Only a government that is afraid of its citizens tries to control them.
    22.  You have only the rights you are willing to fight for.
    23.  Enforce the gun control laws we ALREADY have; don’t make more.
    24.  When you remove the people’s right to bear arms, you create slaves.
    25.  The American Revolution would never have happened with gun control.
    And my favorite…
    26.  If guns cause crime, then forks caused Rosie O’Donell to be fat.


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