tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35586256741162556232024-03-13T06:03:44.079-04:00Dirigonzo's PlaceObservations, commentary, opinions, and musings from your correspondent on the Coast of Maine, where we live "life as it should be." (We used to be "Open for Business", too, but somebody stole the sign.)Dirigonzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comBlogger226125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3558625674116255623.post-68252663031355693592014-09-02T18:58:00.001-04:002014-09-02T18:58:12.636-04:00Give 'Em Hell, Harry!*Harry S. Truman was President of the United States from April 12, 1945, when he was sworn in following the death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, until January 20, 1953, when Dwight D. Eisenhower was inaugurated to succeed him. He was the 33rd president and it was during his term of office that the Baby Boom generation came into being. It can fairly be said that the Boomers' parents, and so by extension the Boomers themselves, were affected by the policies, politics and principles of Harry S. Truman. If George Washington was the "Father of Our Country" it can safely be said that Harry Truman was the "Father of the Baby Boom".<br />
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Mr. Truman was noted as much for the type of politician he was as for his politics. He was, in a phrase, "plain-spoken", known for telling it like it is, especially when speaking about Republicans and their policies - hence the phrase, "Give 'em hell, Harry!", about which he was reported to say, "I never give them hell, I just tell the truth and they think that it is hell". Unlike most politicians, Mr. Truman didn't waffle on issues or hesitate to take a stand - "I never sit on a fence. I am either on one side or another". When a decision was necessary he made it, and he never backed away from responsibility for the consequences, most famously the decision to use the Atomic Bomb to bring an end to World War II. "It was the hardest decision I ever had to make. But the President cannot duck hard problems - he cannot pass the buck." So let's call him forthright, decisive, and willing to take responsibility - we should never settle for less in anyone who aspires to the high office of president.<br />
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As to his politics, Harry Truman was a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat who believed in the core principles of the party. "Every man should have the right to a decent home, the right to an education, the right to adequate medical care, the right to a worth-while job, the right to an equal share in the making of public decisions through the ballot and the right to a fair trial in a fair court." (July 6, 1947) As to the role of government in securing these rights, this excerpt from his State of the Union address on January 7, 1948, sums up his view: " We do believe that governments are created to serve the people and that economic systems exist to minister to their wants. We have a profound devotion to the welfare and rights of the individual as a human being." He was passionate that the Democratic party was the right party for America, as he stated at a rally Chicago in September, 1953: "It is our duty to win if we can - for the simple reason that the principles and programs of the Democratic party are what's best for the United States.<br />
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All of that was more than 65 years ago; we Baby Boomers have grown old and been replaced by Gen- Xers and they in turn are giving way to the Millenials, with Generation Z (still waiting for a catchy new name) waiting in the wings for its turn. How would a man like Harry S. Truman fare in politics today, and how would his principles and policies apply to the political issues facing the nation in the second decade of the twenty-first century? Those are the questions that I hope to explore in advance of the upcoming mid-term elections, perhaps with the hope of nudging some folks around to see that what was good for the country in the mid-twentieth century is still good for the country today.<br />
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To that end I have created a facebook page (because "social media" seems to be where it's at these days and fb is the only one I know how to use) where I will share posts and articles on current events from various sources and then discuss them in terms of what Harry S. Truman had to say on similar issues back in his day. It should be an interesting exercise to see how well his political philosophy and principles apply to the challenges faced by modern-day America. I hope you'll join me and participate in the discussion.<br />
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*The title and all of the quotes included in this post were obtained from "Give 'Em Hell Harry", edited by Mark Goodman (copyright 1974 by Universal-Award House, Inc.)<br />
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<br />Dirigonzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3558625674116255623.post-54406429653671158752014-06-18T22:29:00.001-04:002014-06-18T22:29:46.631-04:00Additional thoughts on having a swimming poolLast Fall as I was preparing to close the pool for the season I opined here whether having a pool was worth the time and effort it took to open, maintain and close it in light of the limited season and opportunity for use. Well, it's a new season and I'm happy to say that all of my doubts as to the wisdom of pool ownership have disappeared and my enthusiasm has been restored.<br />
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This Spring none of the circumstances that delayed opening the pool were present and I was intent on getting the cover off and the water cleared up before the local amphibian community showed up to claim it as their breeding ground. Alex and I got the cover off in late May and I was pleasantly shocked to discover that the water was mostly clear - I could actually see the bottom o,f the pool which has never been the case before! This development encouraged me to get the pump and filter operational as soon as possible and that process, too, went more smoothly than I had hoped and by the first of June I had the whole system up and running without a sign of any leaks or other complications.<br />
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I only had to shock and vacuum the pool twice to get the water to a crystal clear state and the chemicals adjusted to proper levels and by the weekend I was able to declare the pool open and ready for use. The first weekend in June has always been my target date but this is the first year I ever made it! The early June weather, always a questionable variable around here, cooperated and soon the water temperature had reached 75 degrees and the air temperature topped 80 - that's all the reason I need to get naked and jump into the pool! It's the middle of June and I've already probably been in the water more times than I was all last Summer.<br />
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There's been just one small complication to my uninhibited enjoyment of my time on the pool deck or in the pool - it seems a couple of gray tree frogs also claimed squatting (or whatever they do) rights to the territory. I first spotted them sitting on top of the rail as I was working to get the pool open but they seemed harmless enough so I let them be. Soon after I got the filter running I discovered the two of them in the skimmer - sadly, one had not survived the ordeal. I put the remaining frog back on the rail where I had first seen him and wished him well, but I was sad that he had lost his mate.<br />
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A few days went by and I had not seen Mr. Frog although I could hear his cohorts calling in the woods around the pool. Yesterday as I drifted around on my float I spotted something peeking out from under one of the corner covers on the deck; closer inspection revealed it to be Mr. Frog himself. Apparently he has established residency there and before long I heard him calling to his brethren, presumably in search of a mate. This afternoon, Alex and I spotted him sticking his head out from under the corner cap again, and before long he started to issue the distinctive "Braaack" call unique to his species - sadly, there was no reply and I feared he had lost his opportunity to find a mate. I needn't have been so pessimistic. Tree frogs are nocturnal creatures so all he needed to do to get a response was wait until nightfall.<br />
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Tonight the air is filled with the calls of love-sick tree frogs and I'm hopeful that Mr. Frog will find his true love. I just hope he doesn't plan on raising his brood in my pool, because that's just not going to happen - I know of a nearby frog pond that I could recommend to him.<br />
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But having a pool - oh yeah, it's worth it!<br />
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<br />Dirigonzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3558625674116255623.post-14978072195103607842014-05-29T19:47:00.000-04:002014-06-14T19:14:45.448-04:00It's all about "community"I've lived in Freeport for more than 40 years. I wasn't born here so I can't claim to be a native but I think my longevity here gives me some standing as a citizen and, more important, as a member of the community. It's the community that I want to talk about.<br />
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I've lived practically my entire adult life here; I've paid taxes, gone to PTA meetings, attended town council sessions, helped establish the youth football program, supported the local Boy Scouts and Little League, worked in the local hardware store, supported local businesses, and tried to be a good neighbor. There have been lots of changes in the town since I moved here in 1971 but there is one thing that has not changed: the "Freeport community" has always encompassed the neighboring towns of Pownal and Durham. Three separate towns, yes, but one "community".<br />
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Freeport Community Services is a wonderful organization that enriches the lives and provides assisatance to the residents of all three towns; likewise the Freeport Community Library is a wonderful resource that serves residents of Durham and Pownal as well as Freeport; there is even a local newspaper, the Tri-Town Weekly, devoted to providing coverage of news and events in the three towns that comprise the "Freeport community". My sons attended Freeport schools and had friends and classmates from Pownal and Durham. The residents of Durham and Pownal work in Freeport and shop in Freeport. Freeport, Pownal and Durham are three separate entities in terms of municipality but I would argue that they are one in terms of community. Which brings us to the movement afoot for Freeport to withdraw from RSU-5 and go it alone in the education of our children.<br />
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Some background is needed here. Freeport has always maintained a school system to provide education from kindergarten through high school. My sons went to Holbrook Street School for their early education, attended Mast Landing and Freeport Middle School during their formative years, and graduated from Freeport High School. Their experience was enriched by the presence of classmates from Durham and Pownal as part of the Freeport School System community. This "community" was formalized when the State mandated that local communities consolidate their educational resources to form "Regional School Units" as an efficiency measure, and RSU-5 was born. <br />
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RSU-5 resulted from the formal consolidation of the school systems of Freeport, Pownal and Durham into one entity which incorporated the facilities of the three towns into one entity devoted to the education of students from all three towns. The objective was to ensure that all students from the three separate towns enjoyed access to a quality education, and that the citizens of the three towns would have a voice in how that education was funded. The experiment got off to a pretty good start but recently it has foundered because of budget issues; the citizens of Pownal and Durham balked at approving expenses favored by many citizens of Freeport and all of a sudden the wheels started coming off.<br />
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A group of Freeport citizens who were incensed that they had not gotten their way in the budget vote organized a movement to have Freeport withdraw from RSU-5, which is their right. They are well organized and well financed, so their efforts led to an initial vote to have the town "explore" withdrawal. State law mandates several steps to be negotiated prior to a second vote to complete the process for a town to withdraw from an RSU, and the committees negotiating the process are apparently hung up on one critical issue: if Freeport withdraws from the RSU, will it be the "school of record" for students from Pownal and Durham? Incredibly, the withdrawal committee is balking at answering "yes" to this question!<br />
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Which gets us back to the concept of "community". It seems strange to me that we would turn our backs on the children of our neighboring towns and say "sorry, there's no room for you here". It seems even stranger that we would deprive Freeport students of the diversity and richness of experience that derives from broadening the student base beyond the town boundaries. The folks favoring withdrawal from the RSU may very well have compelling arguments in their favor but I can't believe that "we don't have room for students from Pownal and Durham" is one of them.<br />
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So I say this to my fellow Freeporters: withdraw from RSU-5 if you feel you must (I will vote against it) but please don't turn your backs on any of the children of the "Freeport Community", which includes students from Durham and Pownal. Freeport must be the "school of record" for our neighbors because if we abandon our "community" what are we teaching our children?Dirigonzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3558625674116255623.post-345557412882989062014-01-22T19:03:00.002-05:002014-01-22T19:03:35.596-05:00Slow and steady"<em>So I'm on a mission: to occupy the syndicated space of RPDTNYTCP by appearing
daily to comment on the puzzle and to offer a peek into the early days of the
blog. My hope is that just as the "prime-time" blog has grown and evolved the
syndicated segment can, too. "We're more than one-half, we're more than
one-half!" Well, maybe I need to come up with a better chant but you get the
idea. If you do the NYT crossword puzzle, even if you only TRY to do it, get
over to RPDTNYTCP and leave a comment, dammit</em>!"<br />
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That's the concluding paragraph of a piece I posted here over two years ago (<em>My "Occupy" Movement, 10/20/2011 </em><a href="http://dirigonzo.blogspot.com/2011/10/my-occupy-movement.html">http://dirigonzo.blogspot.com/2011/10/my-occupy-movement.html</a>) and it seemed like this would be a good time to revisit the topic for an update on the status of events and happenings surrounding the syndicated segment of <em>Rex Parker Does the NY Times Crossword Puzzle.</em> And I'm happy to report there have been some very positive changes over the last couple of years.<br />
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I've maintained my pledge to show up every day (with very few exceptions) and add my comments to the blog, if only to be a constant (and sometimes lonely) presence just to establish that the comment line is still open five weeks later, and maybe encourage other potential contributors to join in. Whether this has been helpful to the cause or detrimental is hard to say, but over time some commenters who had contributed occasionally began to show up with more frequency, and some new names emerged as "regulars" who came to join the party frequently, if not daily. And so a small but burgeoning, active community has arisen where once there was only a ghost town. <br />
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A community, even a virtual one, needs a name and we have tried out several over time. My own favorite was "Syn-City" and I still use it on occasion, but the most regularly used moniker for our little chunk of cyber-space is "Syndi-Land" and its denizens are "Syndi-Landers" or just "Syndies". Recently I've noticed both terms being used with a certain amount of pride attached as the community has developed a character which is quite different from that of the main body of Rexites ("kinder, gentler" is a phrase that comes up quite often) and I think most regard the difference as a good thing.<br />
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If Rexville is a hustling, bustling metropolis populated by a cosmopolitan assemblage of erudite contributors all rushing to be to be among first to the finish the puzzle and the earliest to comment, then Syndi-Land is the laid-back exurb where those of us who wish to avoid the stress of the "rat race" can join together and share our more relaxed approach to life in general and puzzle solving in particular. In many respects our little group resembles a retirement community where folks can discuss, critique (but seldom "criticize"), share and compare experiences, views and ideas on any number of topics sometimes even including the puzzle. The one thing we all have in common is that we solve (or try to - a "Did Not Finish" is not considered a failure among our group) the puzzle and come together to discuss it in our own time and at our own pace. The one thing everyone seems to agree on is that reading Rex's write-up and the comments, and participating in the blog community improves our puzzle-solving skills and makes the experience more fun.<br />
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The defining characteristic of a Syndie is that each of us solves the puzzle in our local newspaper, using a pen or pencil (or crayon or whatever) to fill in the actual grid published in the paper - we do NOT solve on-line as do most of the other Rexites. Any one of us could subscribe to the NY Times crossword puzzle on line and solve the puzzle on the day it comes out instead of five weeks later; I think that we choose not to do that is the defining characteristic of a Syndi-Lander. Our reasons may vary but the bottom line is the same: we are content where we are. <br />
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I'm hopeful that other syndi-lurkers will see the commentary going on among the Syndies and feel compelled to join us. There may even be a "prime-timer" or two who are ready to quit the hectic competition among the early contributors, and they would most certainly be welcomed into our little enclave. "Slow and steady" seems to be a good motto for Syndi-Land - it's how we solve our puzzles and it's how we grow our community.<br />
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As I said at the outset, I take no credit for what's happening in Syndi-Land, but I am very proud and glad to be a part of it.<br />
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If I can wait five weeks for a puzzle, certainly "MaƱana is good enough for me". Here's what you get when you type it as it might appear in a crossword grid:<br />
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With the tilde (a word I learned from doing crosswords) in place, you might get this:<br />
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P.S. - A former syndi-lander turned prime-timer commented a while back that she sometimes yearned to rejoin the "bird-watching, star-gazing, cold-enduring" folks in syndi-land. I can't think of a better way to describe our little community!<br />
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Dirigonzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3558625674116255623.post-78666275432683279142014-01-10T19:15:00.000-05:002014-01-10T19:15:32.432-05:00The Peacock Family TragedyI live in a small town and because I work in the local hardware store, where almost everyone winds up at one time or another in search of some needed item, I know most of the citizens by face if not by name. So when I see a news account of a local family who has suffered a loss I take interest and wonder how I can help them out.<br />
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And so it was when I read of a fire that had destroyed the home of Richard and Diane Peacock - Diane is a regular customer whom I know by both face and name and I knew at once that I wanted to help. Freeport is a caring community that looks out for its own and by the time I learned of the need someone had already established a fund at the local credit union to receive contributions on behalf of the victims, so providing some financial aid was easy. Still, I hoped to do more. And of course Providence intervened to make that possible.<br />
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Rick and Diane came into the store while I happened to be working - they had been in previously to purchase a very small item for the home that a neighbor vacationing in Florida had offered for their use until their home could be replaced. As it turns out, they got the wrong part and needed to exchange it and I happily offered to help them.<br />
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We found the part they needed without difficulty and they were glad to have it, but as they looked around the store they found several other items that they needed in their new, temporary home (they lost <em>everything</em> in the fire) and by the time we arrived back at the register they had quite an armload of goodies and I allowed as how some special pricing was in order. OK, here comes Providence.<br />
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My boss, the new owner of the store, was near the register so I introduced him to the Peacocks and briefly told them their story. By sheer coincidence (for lack of a better term) he had JUST received an email from his wife who had just read a news account of the fire and wanted to do something to help the victims. Call it Karma, kismet, fate or whatever, but Woody (he's the owner) had just learned of the loss from his wife, who was spending the holidays in a far-away state, and now he was standing face-to-face with the victims - needless to say, he was in a very generous mood!<br />
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When Rick and Diane left the store they had the right part to replace the one they had purchased earlier, plus the items they added on the way back to the register, plus a few things that Woody felt would be helpful - all free, because the forces of the universe all combined to make such a thing happen. You may call it luck, and maybe that's all it is - I don't have any better explanation for why things worked out that way, but I do have my suspicions. Whatever you call it, I'm glad for the minor role I was able to play in helping, in a small way, some good folks get back on their feet after a tragic loss.<br />
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Dirigonzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3558625674116255623.post-18180831239920809322013-12-22T17:51:00.000-05:002013-12-22T17:51:02.900-05:00Thanks, Sis - I found the puzzle you left for me!Every week I do the Premier Crossword by Frank A. Longo, which appears in the local Sunday paper, and then I post an entry about the puzzle and my experience solving it on a blog I have for just that purpose. I enjoy doing this and the process has become an important part of my weekend routine (and we all know how much I love "routine". I do other crosswords as well and for the most part I enjoy sharing the experience with whoever happens to be around to participate, but I really like to do the Longo puzzle as a solitary exercise so I can focus on what I like or don't like about the puzzle and can analyze my own reactions to it without being distracted by anyone else. It's my way of carving out an hour or two of "me time" without outside distraction or influence, and I like it.<br />
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Last week, delivery of the paper was delayed by the arrival of a major snow storm - the motor-carrier who delivers my daily paper plus the Sunday Telegram is super efficient but he's not crazy so he wisely chose to delay delivery until the roads had been cleared and made safe by the very excellent Public Works employees who take care of these things during and after a storm. By the time the paper arrived I was already busy clearing my own yard so the puzzle had to wait. It was still undone by the time I retired for the night so I planned to take the puzzle page with me the next morning to work on while I waited for the veterans whom I drove to the VA facility to be ready for the return trip, so no problem.<br />
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But, as Robert Burns famously wrote in his poem "To a Mouse, On Turning Up Her Nest With The Plough", "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men Gang aft a-gley, [<em>often go awry</em>] " (robertburns.org), and my plan did just that. I had not counted on an insomniac house-guest completing the puzzle while I slept but that's just what she did, so I arose in the morning to find a completed grid along with a note proudly announcing that she had completed the puzzle without any help! Good for her, bad for me, but I quickly developed a "plan B". <br />
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The route I take in the van takes me right past a local convenience store and I surmised that, due to the storm, they might very well have Sunday papers left over when I went by early Monday morning - I would simply pick one up, chuck the rest of the paper which I had already read, and do the puzzle while I waited at Togus. Genius! So here's where things get weird.<br />
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I went directly to the paper rack in the store only to discover that there were no Sunday papers left - I was disappointed but it wasn't the end of the world so I started to leave when I spotted a single paper on top of the ice-cream freezer near the from door, obviously left there just for me! I picked up my trophy and took it to the cashier who very helpfully pointed out that it was "yesterday's paper" but I assured her it was just what I wanted and she happily took my money, saying that I had saved her the trouble of throwing the paper out, which somebody was supposed to have done before her shift began just a little earlier. So I got a paper that wasn't even supposed to be there to begin with, but that's just lucky! Then things got even more weird.<br />
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The paper had the appearance of having been read and put back together, which didn't bother me because I just wanted the puzzle section anyway. But when I finally had a chance to search for that section I couldn't find it - of all the sections and inserts in the paper it looked like the section that contained the puzzle was missing! Panic started to set in. But I'm a determined individual not given to quitting easily so I started to go through the entire paper piece by piece in search of Section G, where the puzzle resides. That's when the situation went from weird to just plain spooky.<br />
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In the center of the paper, amid all the ads and inserts that abound during the holiday shopping season, I spotted a torn page kind of crumpled up and jammed down into the crease of the center fold - it looked more like a scrap than anything useful but I pulled it out anyway. It was the top half of a single newspaper sheet which had been torn roughly in two, probably by some mechanical processing error, and as I extracted it and uncrumpled it I discover that I had found the Premier Crossword with the whole grid and all of the clues intact. With a little more careful unfolding and application of some Scotch tape to hold the whole thing together, I had my puzzle! <br />
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I've written in this space before that I truly believe there are forces which we do not understand at work in this universe and that not everything that happens can be chalked up to random chance, pure luck, fate, or whatever you call it when something entirely unexpected happens like that. I could be wrong but I don't think it was pure accident that placed that one vital piece of a destroyed section in my paper. Or maybe it was - I don't expect to ever know the answer in this lifetime but if I learn the answer in whatever comes next, I'll try to let you know.<br />
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Until I get an answer, if I ever do, whenever something unexpected and good like that happens I like to think of my departed parents and sister and wonder if just maybe one or all of them is still keeping an eye on things back here and helping whenever they can. Probably not, but I still take comfort in the thought - because, really, I need all the help I can get.<br />
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Speaking of angels (which I was, without using the word) here's a seasonal song on the topic which enjoyed and I hope you do, too:<br />
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Dirigonzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3558625674116255623.post-48084198219685482412013-12-03T21:01:00.001-05:002013-12-03T21:01:45.504-05:00Wicked Woman*Today's (syndicated) New York Times crossword puzzle included the following clue: 45 & 46 (Down) - Quite bad; the corresponding answers were PRETTY AWFUL. This entry generated some commentary from the regular contributors to a blog devoted to the puzzle, including this from @Z: "PRETTY AWFUL is an interesting construction to consider (how did 'pretty' become
a word that adds emphasis? 'Awful' as in god-like or as in terrible? Maybe Hera
would be the embodiment of PRETTY AWFUL? It's just kind of weird)."<br />
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All of which started me to thinking about emphatic words and phrases that I use or hear regularly but which might strike anyone "from away" as weird or non-sensical. So in the interest of helping visitors to Maine understand the level of emphasis imparted by figures of speech which locals may use when describing something, here is a primer of terms that may be employed to specify the degree of a particular description:<br />
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- "Pretty" may indicate a higher or lower level of degree depending on the context. Something said to be "pretty good" is OK but not up to the highest standards, and something that's "pretty bad" is worse than just bad. "It's pretty cold out" probably means the weather is not too severe, whereas "It's pretty cold out there, I'll tell ya" indicates more extreme conditions.<br />
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- "Plenty" on the other hand is unequivocally higher in degree. "It's plenty cold out there" means it's not just cold, it's really cold. Go outside only if you have to.<br />
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- "Some" or "some-ol'" also indicate a higher degree of intensity, so "It's some friggin' cold out" and "It's some-ol' friggin' cold there, Mr. man" both mean you should probably stay inside under any circumstances. "She's some pretty" and "She's some-ol' pretty" are both high compliments to the lady in question. But if her cooking is "some awful" or "some-ol' awful" you should make reservations at a good restaurant.<br />
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- "Awful" raises the level of intensity to a whole new level - "I'm sorry" may be a sincere apology but "Hey, I'm awful sorry" conveys real regret. "She's an awful good-lookin' woman" means she's drop-dead gorgeous, and "I didn't pay an awful lot for it" means it was pretty cheap.<br />
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- "Wicked" is the superlative of modifiers. When none of the others quite convey the extreme condition you wish to impart "wicked" is the word you want. "It's wicked cold out there" means don't even think about going outside. Anything that's "big" is exponentially larger if it's "wicked big", and so on. anytime you're looking for the right word to express something in superlative terms, good or bad, "wicked" is the way to go. Here are a couple of guys who totally get the usefulness of the term and have put it to good use to ensure highway safety:<br />
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All of the above terms can be used to great effect in conjunction with the word "massive", but that's a topic for another post.<br />
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So "pretty awful" might mean quite bad but "awful pretty" is a whole other story - funny how that works, isn't it?<br />
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Dirigonzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3558625674116255623.post-79795745512873603602013-11-22T20:49:00.000-05:002013-11-22T20:49:40.882-05:00Cutting the CordIt's been almost three years since I announced in this space that I was considering dumping the cable company (<a href="http://dirigonzo.blogspot.com/2011/02/im-considering-dumping-my-cable-company.html">http://dirigonzo.blogspot.com/2011/02/im-considering-dumping-my-cable-company.html</a> )and last week I finally did it. As with the last time, it was a confluence of events that precipitated the need for a change: another hard-to-resist offer from Fairpoint DSL service (this time with prices that get even LOWER over time) arrived just in advance of a package from my cable company, which contained a device required to receive the now encrypted signal for all channels.<br />
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I never watch TV anymore but I occasionally have guests who like to watch a ball game or tune in the local news so I had no problem shelling out a few bucks a month for the basic cable package. However, when I discovered that I apparently didn't even have that anymore since I had not installed the requisite decoder, I said, "enough is enough". The time to cut the cord was at hand.<br />
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I called Fairpoint to get the particulars of installing their DSL service for my Internet connection and I was pleasantly surprised to find that they would send me the necessary modem, which I could install myself after they had done the necessary technical work on their end - no service call was required. I was even more pleasantly surprised when the very helpful young woman suggested that I could save money on my phone service by switching to another plan, with the overall net effect being that I would pay for phone service and Internet combined about the same as I had been paying for phone service alone - OK, we have a deal!<br />
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The equipment arrived as promised and, after a slight delay due to an incomplete installation on their part, my new high-speed Internet service was up and running. I played with it for a couple of days to be sure everything was operating as advertised, and then I boxed up my old Comcast modem and the brand-new decoder they had just sent to me and took the whole kit and caboodle to their local office to cancel my service. I have to say that process was surprisingly easy and efficient - the lone customer-service rep on duty apparently had a lot of experience in these matters because while I was there she dealt with a steady stream of customers who came in with equipment to return. <br />
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On the way home from cancelling my cable service I stopped at the local mall to check out the selection of antennas designed to receive over-the-air HDTV signal and after a few minutes of shopping I came away with an indoor model that promised clear reception of all channels within 50 miles, for under forty bucks. When I got home and hooked it up I was once again pleasantly surprised to discover that it brought in a total of 15 channels, which is probably more than I had with cable.<br />
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So to recap: my $70 per month cable bill is history; my phone bill is pretty much unchanged at $50+ but now I get Internet as well as phone service; and all my local TV stations are free after a one-time investment of $40 or so. Why didn't I do this years ago, I wonder?<br />
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I love to end these posts with an appropriate video so I googled "cutting the cord" and here's what I got back - enjoy!: <br />
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Dirigonzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3558625674116255623.post-40158042847693259692013-10-14T12:54:00.000-04:002013-10-14T12:54:32.125-04:00Some thoughts on having a swimming poolMany years ago when the boys were little putting in a pool seemed like a good idea for all the reasons you can imagine, and so we put one in the back yard. We chose a Gibraltar Pool which is an above-ground model with a 16' x 24' swim area, a large deck on the end for sun-bathing and there's a 4' high railing around the whole thing. It's a nice looking unit and it's low-maintenance so I have to say over the years I have been very happy with it. Now that the boys have grown up I pretty much have the pool to myself so it has gone from being a recreation place for the neighborhood kids to a place where I can sun-bathe in the nude and skinny-dip to cool off, which is pretty much the extent of my summer recreation lately.<br />
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This year I was incredibly late getting the pool opened up and ready for use. There are several reasons for this, not the least of which is that by the time I went out to pull the winter cover off I discovered a whole eco-system of critters living in the water on top of the cover. Since the surface of the pool is four feet above ground level I wondered how a bunch of frogs and tadpoles came to be up there, but that mystery was cleared up when my younger son, who was home for the summer, remembered that he had found a frog while he was mowing the lawn and he had put it up on the pool to keep him safe while he mowed. How that one frog turned into a whole friggin' community is still not known but the fact remained that I had to do something about the whole population before I could open the pool.<br />
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Well, long story short, a woman who comes into the hardware store occasionally remarked that she was building a frog pond in her back yard and I, knowing a golden opportunity when I see one, asked if she would be interested in the tadpoles inhabiting my pool - she was, and the deal was made. I would transfer the critters into a pail and she would come pick them up to take to her frog-pond. This is what we call a win/win situation, and after not too much longer I assigned the task of gathering the little swimmers up and getting them into a pail to my son and he did a pretty thorough job of scooping them out and transferring them to their container to travel to their new home.<br />
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It was mid-summer by the time all this transpired and by the time I got the cover off the pool and got the water cleared up through repeated applications of shock treatment it was later yet. I did get to sit on the deck several times but I think I actually went in the water only once, so I guess I have to ask myself if it was really worth the effort because now it's time to close the pool again and put the cover back on for the winter. But yeah, it was worth it and I'll just have to get an early start in the Spring to extend the season next year - I just hope I don't have to cope with any more vernal pool fauna. I wouldn't want the Department of Environmental Protection to designate the pool as a "natural habitat" subject to regulation - then I'd never be able to use the pool again!<br />
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It's a sunny day and still pretty warm - maybe I'll just go sit on the pool deck and think about it for a while longer. I can always close it tomorrow.<br />
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(Here's the note Martha, the tadpoles' new mom, left in the pail when she brought it back:)<br />
<img height="255" src="https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/?saduie=AG9B_P8f35itMHJLbCm531cnWGBH&attid=0.1&disp=emb&view=att&th=141b7d568a0d779f" width="400" /><br />
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And here's a song that seems strangely appropriate to the situation:<br />
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Dirigonzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3558625674116255623.post-39272325980890119142013-07-02T16:08:00.000-04:002013-07-02T18:04:07.353-04:00The Evil Duck Strikes AgainI know I shouldn't let it bother me, but when someone is a total asshole to me for no particular reason it tends to get under my skin. Case in point - recently I left a comment on a blog I frequent to give a shout-out to another commenter, a woman whom I have come to know and admire through reading her posts and exchanging infrequent emails with her. We've never met nor do I expect we ever will but I still enjoy tossing an occasional compliment her way, so when she posted a comment using one of her made-up names (based on answers from the puzzle at hand) I saw it as a perfect opportunity to reach out to her with this:<br />
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<span dir="ltr"><a class="avatar-hovercard" href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168" id="av-85-03903353503511480168" rel="nofollow"><img alt="" class="delayLoad" height="35" longdesc="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyYTYBCEopvIKPyHzHlUbDFly1blNE1ktWYgYsyTDAtu04-0GD-BEsROODpEvXmj1xcHJoOcospA40_c-6Mpq0UMUAAq7fOuxxHnlELhcVsvVDMdL1ZwmWNs101Q6njVPUwFq1-zuER8nM/s45/gonzo%25252Bpeace.jpg" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyYTYBCEopvIKPyHzHlUbDFly1blNE1ktWYgYsyTDAtu04-0GD-BEsROODpEvXmj1xcHJoOcospA40_c-6Mpq0UMUAAq7fOuxxHnlELhcVsvVDMdL1ZwmWNs101Q6njVPUwFq1-zuER8nM/s45/gonzo%25252Bpeace.jpg" title="Dirigonzo" width="35" /> <noscript>&amp;<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background: yellow;">lt</span>;<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background: yellow;">img</span> <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background: yellow;">src</span>="http://1.<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background: yellow;">bp</span>.<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background: yellow;">blogspot</span>.com/-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background: yellow;">xhWgFIBZnPc</span>/UP2j9mazrTI/<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background: yellow;">AAAAAAAAATA</span>/<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background: yellow;">dxbsXSOyzYI</span>/s45/gonzo%25252Bpeace.<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background: yellow;">jpg</span>" width="35" height="35" class="photo" alt=""&amp;gt;</noscript></a></span></div>
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="comment-5574451528423731167"></a> <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168" rel="nofollow">Dirigonzo</a> <span class="comment-timestamp"><a href="http://rexwordpuzzle.blogspot.com/2013/06/patroness-of-quebec-sat-6-29-13-rocker.html#comment-5574451528423731167" title="comment permalink"><span style="color: #777759;"><em> 6:55 PM </em></span></a><em><span style="color: #777759;"> <span class="item-control blog-admin pid-1117208247"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/delete-comment.g?blogID=35115061&postID=5574451528423731167" title="Delete Comment"><span class="delete-comment-icon"> </span> </a> </span></span><span style="color: #777759;"> </span></em></span> <br />
<dd class="comment-body">@ACM - "Agitato Coeurs Mennen" is perhaps your most apt pseudonym ever as it perfectly describes the effect you have on many males here (and elsewhere, I assume), most certainly including me.</dd><br />
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This was intended solely as a good-natured shout-out to someone I know well enough to think it might tickle her if she saw it; it never occurred to me that anyone else would take any interest or find a reason to respond, much less launch an <em>ad hominem </em>attack thinly disguised as a tongue-in-cheek (I guess that what's it's supposed to be) "warning" about a stalker (that would be me, I guess). What I failed to take into account when I posted the comment was the fact that Evil Doug, a despicable figure who haunts the blog waiting for some unsuspecting sole to post something he finds objectionable so he can skewer them with his rapier wit (in his mind), has what can only be called a pathological hatred for @ACM and any mention of her name is bound to elicit a prompt and hateful reply from him. So I should not have been surprised when the following appeared within minutes of my post: </div>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="comment-3762879104635872727"></a> <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/17593231055589228837" rel="nofollow">evil doug</a> <span class="comment-timestamp"><a href="http://rexwordpuzzle.blogspot.com/2013/06/patroness-of-quebec-sat-6-29-13-rocker.html#comment-3762879104635872727" title="comment permalink"><span style="color: #777759;"><em> 7:43 PM </em></span></a><em><span style="color: #777759;"> <span class="item-control blog-admin pid-334151427"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/delete-comment.g?blogID=35115061&postID=3762879104635872727" title="Delete Comment"><span class="delete-comment-icon"> </span> </a> </span></span><span style="color: #777759;"> </span></em></span> </div>
<dd class="comment-body">Ooh, looks like we got a stalker on the prowl. Be careful, ladies. Just because they seem like safe little creampuff admirers on the blog, they might be praying to their creepy shrines to you in their bedrooms. Read their personal blogs, do some serious research, and--whatever you do--don't agree to meet them without trusted people at your side, if at all....<br />
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Doug</dd><br />
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I'm not sure why the comment annoyed me as much as it did, especially since I'm certain that is exactly the reaction Doug was hoping for, as he seems to take great joy, and maybe even some measure of pride, in annoying people. Anyway, Doug advised his audience to "Read their personal blogs..." and I honestly hope lots of them will do just that and read this post plus an earlier (much more analytical) one devoted to "Evil Doug". Only a total asshole would launch an unprovoked personal attack, cloaked in the guise of "humor" or "wit", in reply to a comment that had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with him. Doug has driven several commenters away from the blog with his outrageous behavior; rest assured I am not going anywhere.</div>
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Did I mention that I think "evil doug" is an asshole? This song is too good for him, but I'm a generous kind of guy so I'll dedicate it to him anyway. Here you go, Doug, this one's for you - take it to heart, Buddy, because it's all about you.</div>
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Love, Dirigonzo</div>
Dirigonzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3558625674116255623.post-49881542563021014822013-07-01T20:19:00.000-04:002013-10-14T12:59:58.040-04:00Meeting the In-LawsI recently returned from a quick trip to Augsburg, Germany which, despite US Airways best attempts to ruin the experience on both the trip over and the return flight, was an unexpectedly good time. I say "unexpectedly" because I'm a homebody who doesn't enjoy travelling anymore, and honestly I had been anticipating the journey with more trepidation than excitement ever since the necessity of the trip became apparent. There are not many things that would get me to embark on a trans-Atlantic flight for a 5 day stay away from home, but the marriage of my older son is one such inducement.<br />
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It's been almost a year since Joshua moved to Germany and got married to Daniel in a small, private ceremony, so an occasion to bring the families and friends together to celebrate the marriage was long overdue. Making arrangements for such an event is never simple and when the guests are scattered around the globe (literally) with a variety of commitments and obligations finding a date that works for everyone can be nigh impossible, but finally June 19, 2013, was settled upon and I packed my bags for the journey. Josh's brother, Alex, would fly with me and we would join their mother in Augsburg the day before the celebration, with plenty of time to settle in and get ready for the big event.<br />
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You know what they say about "the best laid plans..." - our flight was delayed by several hours and when we finally arrived in Munich our luggage, with our clothes for the dinner party, was nowhere to be found. Subsequent investigation determined it to be still in Philadelphia, the departure point of our international flight, with no prospect for arrival in time for the occasion. "Plan B" was quickly formulated - it so happens that Josh and I wear clothes of about the same size, and Danial and Alex are both tall, slender young men who can share a wardrobe, so there was no need to purchase new clothes, we would simply borrow some. Problem solved.<br />
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The weather was another matter. The day we arrived it was sunny and hot, as was the next day but the forecast for the evening, when the celebratory dinner was to take place on the restaurant's outdoor veranda, called for "class 2" storms - whatever that means. Well, for once a weather forecast was accurate and just before the appointed time the skies opened up with torrential rains and golf-ball sized hail, accompanied by high winds - the very definition of a "class 2" storm, apparently. Those of us already in Augsburg arrived on time, but wet. The guests coming from Munich were delayed by a loss of power on their train, and those coming from elsewhere faced a variety of challenges depending on their location and their mode of transportation. Eventually, though, everybody arrived and the party was moved to an indoor dining room that had been reserved for just such a circumstance. Problem solved.<br />
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The dinner, as arranged and paid for by Josh and Daniel, was elegant with multiple courses of food and drink all carefully selected to appeal to the tastes and sensibilities of the diverse guest list - maybe you "can't please all of the people all of the time" but they came pretty close and if there were any complaints, I didn't hear them. But the food and drink, good as they were, paled in comparison to the company. <br />
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Josh and Daniel's circle of friends, many of whom were in attendance, includes a fascinating array of young people engaged in a variety of projects and adventures. For me, though, nobody was more fascinating and interesting than Daniel's parents, Mono and Paul. Both are international music stars in their own right, but perhaps Paul is better known in the US because of his appearance on records with the likes of Freddy Mercury, Eric Burdon and Sting. There was no formal seating arrangement for the dinner but I found myself, through a stroke of sheer good luck, sitting directly opposite these two fascinating individuals, and since the marriage of our sons has united our families we had much to discuss. And talk we did, mostly about the '60s, music and old hippies since those were topics to which we could all relate and about which we all had something to say. This was an opportunity to get to know one another through small talk rather than discussion of serious matters, and to this end I think we enjoyed great success. By the time the dinner was over we had a sense of what "the in-laws" were all about, and Mono and Paul invited my family and me to come to their home later in the week to continue to get acquainted.<br />
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Saturday afternoon the two families, joined into one by the marriage of Josh and Daniel, came together for light refreshments and enjoyable conversation at the residence of Mono and Paul on the outskirts of Munich. It's been a long time since I had a more enjoyable afternoon; we were welcomed with the warmth and hospitality usually reserved for close family members or long time friends, and we had a free-wheeling conversation that ranged from Freddy Mercury's tuna salad recipe (which was delicious) to world politics. By the time we had to leave to catch our train for the return to Augsburg I was confident that my son had married into a family that has an abundance of love and kindness to share, and don't we all need all the love and kindness we can get? <br />
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Every marriage involves two people certainly, but it also involves the circle of people close to them - their families (the in-laws) and close friends who support the marriage and help the couple make it through the hard times that every relationship inevitably faces. I take great comfort in the fact that Josh and Daniel live close to Mono and Paul, who have the wisdom, experience and love to help see them through whatever difficulties they may face. <br />
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Now that I'm back home, thousands of miles away from the newly weds, I can only hope that they will find the joy, peace and happiness of a secure marriage - and that if they hit turbulent times that they will have the good sense to seek the counsel of those who love them.<br />
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All any dad wants is for his son to find true love, and to experience the peace, happiness and fulfillment that love can bring. Josh and Daniel, this is my wish for you.<br />
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Apropos nothing in particular, I love this from Paul:<br />
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<br />Dirigonzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3558625674116255623.post-5946650364286100942013-06-06T22:35:00.000-04:002013-12-08T18:54:02.847-05:00"...a date which will live infamy."Today is June 6, and I spent the whole day with a vague feeling that there was something important about that date. It was late this afternoon when I was reminded that it's the 69th anniversary of D-Day, the date Allied forces hit the beaches at Normandy in the offensive invasion that turned the tide in WW II. The casualties were horrific. More people were lost in a few hours there than have been killed or wounded in both Afghanistan and Iraq in a dozen years of warfare. How soon we forget.<br />
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Our history is replete with dates that marked events that seemed unforgettable when they occurred but have nonetheless slipped into obscurity with the passing generations. Perhaps the most notable of these is December 7, 1941, the day the Empire of Japan launched a sneak attack on the U.S. Naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, ''...a date which will live in infamy" according to the famous speech by FDR. Within an hour of that speech Congress passed a declaration of war against Japan and officially brought the U.S. into World War II. Yet, how many Americans today recognize the significance of "Pearl Harbor Day"?<br />
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More recently, of course, there were the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and that was recent enough that our national obsession with commemorating the date has not begun to subside, and yet I am sure it will - or maybe I should say I hope it will. Our national memory of events lasts only as long as the citizens who were affected are around to keep the memory alive. When the war has been won life returns to normal and those who were not around to witness the horror forget the sacrifice of those who fought and died to preserve our freedom. Perhaps this is as it should be.<br />
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So I wonder, in another 50 years or so will the date September 11 be just another day when perhaps a few old-timers have a feeling that there is something significant about the date they should remember? I hope so, because that would mean that life has returned to normal and the terrorists did not succeed in altering our way of life and our freedoms. We can forget the significance of 12/7/1941 because we were victorious against the enemy who precipitated the events, and I hope we can forget 9/11/2001 for the same reason. Or it truly will be "a date which will live in infamy" and the terrorists will have won.<br />
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Or maybe it's already too late:<br />
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Surely Americans will never forget the date on which they began to lose all of their freedoms - is that date 9/11? Ask me in 50 years.Dirigonzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3558625674116255623.post-42127969631576734142013-05-30T19:31:00.000-04:002013-07-02T19:13:38.510-04:00More thoughts on being a MainahIt's been a couple of years since I recorded my thoughts about what makes a person an authentic Mainah but with the arrival of summer, and along with it the "summer complaints" that Mainahs love to grouse about, it seems like a good time to enhance my definition to list a few disqualifying characteristics since some of the summer visitors will try to lay claim to the title on dubious grounds.<br />
<br />
You cannot lay claim to the title Mainah, even if you were "born and raised in Maine", if <u>any</u> of the following descriptions apply to you:<br />
<br />
1. You own a car with plates that don't say "VACATIONLAND".<br />
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2. You don't pay any state income tax because you claim "residence" in a state that doesn't have an income tax.<br />
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3. You voted in the last local/state election in a precinct not in Maine. Or you just didn't vote - either one disqualifies you because who's in charge matters and Mainahs care about these things. We don't all agree but we all care.<br />
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4. You read "Down East" magazine to stay up to date in Maine news but you don't read a Maine newspaper.<br />
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5. You order from LL Bean because you like to "shop local".<br />
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6. You don't own a snow blower, or even a snow shovel, because - well, why would you need one?<br />
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7. You think the primary reason to own a generator is to make sure the A/C doesn't go off.<br />
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8. You call the drive-in restaurant on the old Bath Road in Brunswick "Fat Boy's".<br />
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9. You come to "visit" in the summer but "go home" when the weather turns cold. "Home" is where the heart is but you can only have one - you're either a Mainah, or your not.<br />
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10. You stop in New Hampshire to stock up on cheap booze on your way to Maine for the summer. (OK, Mainahs do this too, but we do it year-round whenever we're coming home on I-95.)<br />
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11. You really hope the proposed tax reform bill doesn't pass because it would raise taxes paid by tourists and non-residents. (You get a "bye" on this one if you actually know what I'm talking about.)<br />
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12. You think Maine is a great place to visit but you wouldn't want to live here year-round.<br />
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So there you go - if any of the above applies to you, you are not a Mainah no matter where you were born and raised or how long you've been coming here. You may call yourself a "native son (or daughter)", a Mainer-at-heart or maybe a displaced Mainer, but to be a Mainah you have to take the good with the bad and participate to make Maine a better place. To do anything less makes you a tourist.<br />
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Thanks for visiting - see you next year?<br />
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<br />Dirigonzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3558625674116255623.post-17556199941356261702013-03-31T20:55:00.000-04:002013-04-01T18:26:01.971-04:00The Old Post Office BluesThe Founding Fathers thought having a post office as a national institution was important enough to include a section in our Constitution specifically providing for its creation. Today's US Postal Service actually has roots that predate the Constitution, all the way back to 1775 when the Second Continental Congress appointed Benjamin Franklin as the first Postmaster General, so the Post Office has been an important part of the social and economic fabric of our nation since its infancy. I think the Post Office, by whatever name you call it, is still important and deserves our support to help it stay financially healthy (NOT profitable!) and fulfill its mission. But I've already told you all that in an earlier post ("The Post Office needs our help" 8-1-2012); I repeat it here just to establish my creds as a supporter so you won't think I bear any animosity toward Post Office (even though I am a little steamed at them right now).<br />
<br />
Here's the thing: the Post Office, specifically the local post office in my home town, lost my passport! I really, truly didn't want to believe it was true so I waited longer than I should have to follow up on a letter the State Department sent saying the document had been issued and would come in a separate mailing. When I finally admitted that maybe my passport wasn't going to be delivered I called the State Department, where a very pleasant young woman quickly determined that it had in fact been mailed to me as the letter had promised. She was able to provide the mailing date and, more important, the USPS tracking number which would enable me to establish where in the postal service it might be. She wished me luck in finding it but she didn't sound very encouraging, and she told me about the form that the State Department has for just such situations. Apparently I am not the first applicant whose passport has gone astray.<br />
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The USPS on-line tracking system is actually pretty remarkable in its own right. Armed with the tracking number for a specific piece of mail anyone can follow that piece as it goes through all of the stages of process and delivery through the vast postal mechanism - right up until the point where it just disappears, that is.<br />
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Let me interrupt my tale here to interject a statistic provided by the USPS itself:<br />
<img alt="Photo" class="img" height="283" src="https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/c0.0.384.384/p403x403/581552_10151584731074810_1020356252_n.jpg" width="403" /><br />
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160 BILLION - that's 160,000,000,000 which is an incredible number (unless you are the government and are talking about money)! If the USPS were 99.99% reliable in delivery, and that would be an astounding level of reliability for ANY business, it would still lose 16 million pieces of mail a year! But none of those should be a passport.<br />
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The State Department doesn't just drop a passport into a mail box and hope for the best. Each document is given its very own tracking number which the post office accounts for and updates at every step in the delivery process. My passport's tracking number was 9205596900893484941076 and here's its history from the minute it entered the postal stream:<br />
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Current Track & Confirm e-mail information provided by the U.S. Postal Service.<br />
<br />
Label Number: 9205 5969 0089 3484 9410 76<br />
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Shipment Activity Location Date & Time<br />
------------------------------<wbr></wbr>------------------------------<wbr></wbr>--------------------<br />
Delivery status not 03/01/13 10:34pm<br />
updated<br />
<br />
Out for Delivery FREEPORT ME 04032 03/01/13 8:34am<br />
<br />
Sorting Complete FREEPORT ME 04032 03/01/13 8:24am<br />
<br />
Arrival at Post Office FREEPORT ME 04032 03/01/13 7:18am<br />
<br />
Depart USPS Sort SCARBOROUGH ME 04074 03/01/13<br />
Facility<br />
<br />
Processed through USPS SCARBOROUGH ME 04074 03/01/13 12:34am<br />
Sort Facility<br />
<br />
Depart USPS Sort LITTLE ROCK AR 72231 02/28/13<br />
Facility<br />
<br />
Processed at USPS LITTLE ROCK AR 72231 02/27/13 7:32pm<br />
Origin Sort Facility<br />
<br />
Accepted at USPS HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK AR 71913 02/27/13 6:17pm<br />
Origin Sort Facility<br />
<br />
Electronic Shipping 02/27/13<br />
Info Received<br />
<br />
------------------------------<wbr></wbr>------------------------------<wbr></wbr>--------------------<br />
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Do you see what happened there? The passport was mailed in Hot Springs, Arkansas (really?) on 2/27/2013, arrived in Maine only two days later and on the same day was sent on to my local P.O., where the trail ends - "Delivery status not updated". How is this even possible?!<br />
<br />
I went to the post office to see what they could do to find my passport and the answer was, "not much". The mail clerk I spoke with made a perfunctory search in a few bins before she turned the matter over to the postmaster, who in turn asked my rural carrier, all to no avail. "Sorry, we don't know what happened to it and there's nothing we can do. You'll have to contact the passport office to have them send another one."<br />
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Okay, I'm a little steamed as previously announced, but there is something that I don't understand. If you have a tracking system and it reports "Delivery status not updated", why do you not immediately go to the last person who handled the item to see what's going on? When the postmaster called me to acknowledge that the passport was well and truly lost, she said. "It was human error, we just don't know what human"! It seems to me that a timely inquiry when the status was not updated would have helped her determine that. I'm not looking to place any blame here but what's the sense of having a tracking system if you don't follow up on what it reports to you? The local post office is not that big a place and I'll bet that if somebody had gone looking for my passport right after it went missing, they would have found it.<br />
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It's enough to make me wish the State Department had sent my passport via Federal Express. I guess I just have "the old post office blues", but I'm sure I'll get over them.<br />
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<span id="goog_1647094340"></span><span id="goog_1647094341"></span><br />Dirigonzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3558625674116255623.post-11985021591858620892013-03-14T17:57:00.000-04:002013-03-14T17:57:49.961-04:00Bully-in-ChiefSay what you want about Maine Governor Paul LePage (and it seems everybody has a lot to say about him) but you have to give him this: the man knows how to get his way in a dispute with the legislature, even when the Democrats control both houses.<br />
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A while ago Mr. LePage apparently decided that his top fiscal priority was to immediately repay a debt of several hundred million dollars owed to Maine hospitals, and he proposed a bill to accomplish this in one fell-swoop with funding to be provided by new debt (bonds) to be repaid from the proceeds of a new liquor-distribution contract which has yet to be negotiated. Then, and here comes the good part, he announced that he would not sign any new bills coming out of the legislature until his bill was passed. Nothing whatsoever gets done until the governor gets his way. Most chief executives could not hope to pull off such a brazen stunt, especially with the legislature firmly in the hands of the other party, but Governor LePage has spent the first two years of his administration that he is fully capable of standing by his threat, so his top priority instantly became the legislature's number one issue, too.<br />
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Democrats protested mightily of course as they had their own list of priorities and repaying the hospital debt wasn't first on the list. The governor, predictably, stood firm in his resolve and used every opportunity to convey his message, nothing gets done until the hospitals get paid. This steadfast resolve ultimately allowed him to frame the issue totally on his terms and left the legislature with no alternative but to agree to the concept of repaying the debt, with only the means of funding the payment remaining at issue. I'm sure the governor was very pleased - with the result and with himself. His tactic, which was classic bullying behavior, had worked very nicely - I suspect even Mr. LePage might have been surprised at how easy it was to get his way.<br />
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Is there any way we can get President Obama to adopt this technique to get legislation through Congress? Can you imagine the howls from "conservatives" if he ever tried a similar tactic? Come to think of it, the strategy wouldn't work in Washington because Congress doesn't pass any bills anyway, and Republicans would love nothing more that to be able to point to the president and say it's all his fault that nothing gets done. So never mind.<br />
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I should close by reporting a happy ending, of sorts, to the saga. The governor was so pleased that Democrats came around to his way of thinking on paying the hospitals that he agreed to sign an "emergency" bill passed by the legislature today to permit bars to open early on St. Patrick's Day. See, he can be reasonable when he gets his way. With any luck at all we'll all be able to sing this song by 7:00am this Sunday (without the "emergency" legislation we would have to wait until 9:00am before we could start drinking - how sad is that?): <br />
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Dirigonzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3558625674116255623.post-71654737316076395882013-02-11T17:50:00.000-05:002013-02-11T17:50:30.972-05:00"He' aint' haughty, he's my brother""Esquire" magazine's <span class="userContent">Rule No 1,002: People in mobility scooters always seem a little haughty.</span><br />
<span class="userContent"></span><br />
<span class="userContent">I take the term "mobility scooters" to mean battery powered wheelchairs or the 3- or 4-wheeled scooters steered with handlebars, all of which are used by persons with physical disability to get around in their day-to-day activities. Let me tell you about a man who uses one.</span><br />
<span class="userContent"></span><br />
<span class="userContent">I volunteer at the VA Medical Facility once a week and I spend a lot of time waiting in the lobby of the hospital there, observing the comings and goings of the veterans who are there for medical treatment. A not insignificant number of these men and women move about the building in those "mobility scooters" to which Esquire's "rule" refers. With some the need is readily apparent to the casual observer, others not so much because not all infirmities are visible to the naked eye - but one has to think that any one of them would much rather be able to walk than to have to ride in a motorized device.</span><br />
<span class="userContent"></span><br />
<span class="userContent">I first saw the man who is the subject of this narrative several weeks ago and I have seen him a few times since. He moves about the hospital building in a motorized wheelchair which he controls with a "joy stick" that he operates with his left hand, because that is the only extremity he has - his right arm and both legs are missing! I was pretty impressed with his ability to move about easily and confidently despite missing three limbs and I was amazed, and glad, that his "mobility scooter" afforded him the independence that he exercised as he didn't seem to require an assistant or even a service animal to help him get around. But there's more, I learned.</span><br />
<span class="userContent"></span><br />
<span class="userContent">The next time I saw him I happened to be outside in the hospital parking lot when he approached a van near me and stopped near the side door. He apparently used a remote control because the door opened and a lift came down so he could "drive" onto it, lift himself into the van, close the door behind him and move to the "driver's seat". I watched the van start, back out of the parking spot and proceed to move down the road; and because I was just leaving too, I followed him off the hospital grounds and down the highway for several miles and not once did he drive in a fashion that would in any way indicate the van was not being operated by an "able bodied" driver. I guess the van was like a "mobility scooter" on steroids, because it certainly provided him with the ability to move about independently to a degree that I would not have imagined possible.</span><br />
<span class="userContent"></span><br />
<span class="userContent">As a footnote to the story, I recently saw him at the hospital accompanied by a woman whom I took to be his wife, but of course maybe she wasn't. In any event when they left the hospital and went to the van, her presence didn't change his routine one bit and he drove the van away with her in the passenger's seat - but I guess that's to be expected as she probably doesn't know how to operate the adaptive controls that allow him to drive. But it still made me chuckle.</span><br />
<span class="userContent"></span><br />
<span class="userContent">So "haughty"? No, I don't think so. Anyone who uses a "mobility scooter", be it a veteran or a civilian with a disability for whatever reason, would rather be able to walk and for a publication like "Esquire" to print a "rule" that they seem haughty is insensitive at best, and I think arrogant, too. Apparently the editors of the magazine don't know anyone who has a physical debility that limits their mobility - but even so why would they go out of their way to publish a "rule" that stigmatizes everyone who needs mechanical assistance to increase their mobility? They should rescind the "rule" and apologize to everyone for ever publishing it.</span><br />
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<span class="userContent"></span>Dirigonzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3558625674116255623.post-57787314599259674462013-01-29T20:12:00.000-05:002013-01-29T20:12:04.266-05:00War on Everything!Here's what I don't get: If we are the peace-loving, benevolent people we say we are, why do we so readily go to war against anybody and anything that we find to be in any way dangerous, disagreeable or objectionable? Seriously, why is that?<br />
<br />
On the international scene we have during my lifetime (which began shortly after WW II ended) been at war, in the sense of armed conflict, in Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Bosnia, wherever we were during "Desert Storm" and "Desert Shield", Iraq, Afghanistan, African nations that I have never heard of other than we sent troops there, and I can't even begin to list the places in the mid-east that we have sent drones, special forces or both in our prosecution of the "war on terror". Most of these conflicts came after we defeated the godless commies in the Cold War. And of course our ongoing "war on drugs" has led to military action by troops, CIA operatives, mercenaries and "contractors" in Mexico and several South American nations. I'm sure this list is not exhaustive - but it certainly is exhausting to think about.<br />
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On the home front, we have actual paramilitary operations conducted by heavily armed police forces using military tools and tactics to wage war on drug lords, gangs, and the occasional fringe group of lunatics who are intent on making war against the federal government.<br />
<br />
If one reads the national headlines for a while it becomes apparent that we as a nation are waging metaphorical war on poverty, illiteracy, illegal aliens and illegal downloading, disease in general and cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and Alzheimer's (among others) in particular. Depending on your point of view you may or may not agree that there is a war on women, religion, science, unions and, of course Christmas. Again, the list is not all-inclusive. (I forgot to mention the "class war" that the president may or may not be fomenting to advance his political goals.)<br />
<br />
Here's what I think we could do as a first step to reduce the perception, and maybe even the reality, that we are a nation that will go to "war" at the drop of a hat - let's limit our use of the term "war" to apply only to those situations that fit the classic definition of the word, as supplied by Wikipedia: "<strong>War</strong> is an organized and often prolonged conflict that is carried out by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_(polity)" title="State (polity)">states</a> or other types of parties wishing to form or control states or other types of territories. It is characterised by extreme <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aggression" title="Aggression">aggression</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy" title="Economy">economic</a> disintegration and irrationality, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society" title="Society">social</a> disruption, and usually high mortality.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-AHD_1-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War#cite_note-AHD-1"><span>[</span>1<span>]</span></a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-MWD_2-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War#cite_note-MWD-2"><span>[</span>2<span>]</span></a></sup> War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political communities, and therefore is defined as a form of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_violence" title="Political violence">political violence</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interventionism_(politics)" title="Interventionism (politics)">intervention</a>.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-AHD_1-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War#cite_note-AHD-1"><span>[</span>1<span>]</span></a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-3"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War#cite_note-3"><span>[</span>3<span>]</span></a></sup> The set of techniques used by a group to carry out war is known as <b>warfare</b>. An absence of war is usually called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace" title="Peace">peace</a>."<br />
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Maybe, just maybe, if we stop using the term to apply to situations that don't fit the definition we can look for solutions that actually seek to get at the cause of the problem and thus develop solutions that will solve those problems. I mean really, you can't fight a war on "terror" or "drugs" or any other inanimate object because they don't lend themselves to being defeated by frontal assault. If we start viewing them as "problems to be solved" rather than "wars to be fought" perhaps we can reboot the process to seek creative, effective, peaceful solutions to the problems "that bother us so" (to paraphrase Jimmy Buffett).<br />
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How about we just declare victory in all of our wars, stand the troops down, and redirect the vast resources to finding solutions instead of fighting wars?<br />
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Wouldn't it be lovely if "peace" broke out everywhere we are fighting a "war"?<br />
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Dirigonzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3558625674116255623.post-36402285175815183322013-01-07T20:47:00.000-05:002013-01-07T20:47:49.993-05:00Happy birthday to the KING of Rock 'n' RollJanuary 8, 2013 marks 78 years since the birth of Elvis Presley. I might not have remembered this fact if my radio friend, Bill Audette, the old time rebel of rock 'n' roll, had not done a special tribute to the King and his music this morning on WMPG radio with a special edition of The Night Train Show.<br />
I grew up in the very early days of rock 'n' roll - Elvis singing 'Hound Dog' is pretty much my earliest recollection of hearing music that was different from the music my parents listened to - and I liked it! So I called Bill and asked him to play it, and of course he did, and oh so much more!<br />
<br />
Bill played 2 1/2 hours of all Elvis hits, near-hits and long-forgotten tracks. I thought I knew pretty much every song Elvis ever recorded but Bill rooted out some I had never even heard of - and they were all great! Whether you are an ardent Elvis fan (who isn't?) or never heard of him (what planet have you been living on?) you have to listen to this tribute, because if you are already a fan it will remind you just how great the King was, and if you are not already an Elvis fan this will make you one. The show is in two parts and here they are:<br />
<a href="http://www.billsnighttrain.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/jan7pt1.mp3">Tribute to Elvis - part 1</a><br />
<a href="http://www.billsnighttrain.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/jan7pt2.mp3">Tribute to Elvis - part 2</a><br />
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And just so you can see what all the hoopla was about, here's a video of Elvis doing 'Hound Dog' on the Milton Berle Show in 1956 (my, how the times have changed!)<br />
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<br />Dirigonzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3558625674116255623.post-33917252781457281632012-12-27T00:00:00.000-05:002012-12-27T00:00:49.777-05:00A father's love<h1 class="too_big">
<span style="font-size: small;">I'm the father of sons and the son of a father (of course) and I can attest that while the love between a father and his son may not be talked about much it is nevertheless always there. The story line in this set of comic strips made me wish that I had done a better job of telling my dad that I loved him, and helped me realize that I need to keep telling my sons that I love them - so they won't have to read it in the margin of my unfinished crossword puzzle.</span></h1>
<h1 class="too_big">
<a href="http://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine/2012/12/17">Pearls Before Swine</a> by Stephan Pastis</h1>
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<li>December 17, 2012<a class="photo" href="http://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine/2012/12/17#mutable_866770"><img alt="Pearls Before Swine" class="strip" src="http://assets.amuniversal.com/3528c6b01ff701300264001dd8b71c47" width="600" /></a></li>
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<li>December 18, 2012</li>
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<a class="photo" href="http://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine/2012/12/18#mutable_867158"><img alt="Pearls Before Swine" class="strip" src="http://assets.amuniversal.com/364638101ff701300264001dd8b71c47" width="600" /></a></div>
<li>December 20, 2012</li>
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<a class="photo" href="http://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine/2012/12/20#mutable_867890"><img alt="Pearls Before Swine" class="strip" src="http://assets.amuniversal.com/3883fde01ff701300264001dd8b71c47" width="600" /></a></div>
<li>December 21, 2012</li>
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<a class="photo" href="http://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine/2012/12/21#mutable_868253"><img alt="Pearls Before Swine" class="strip" src="http://assets.amuniversal.com/39cf2e401ff701300264001dd8b71c47" width="600" /></a><br />
<li>December 24, 2012</li>
<img alt="1b24b060254501300452001dd8b71c47?width=900" class="strip" height="202" src="http://assets.amuniversal.com/1b24b060254501300452001dd8b71c47?width=900.0" width="640" /></div>
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<br /></div>
<li>December 25, 2012</li>
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<a class="photo" href="http://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine/2012/12/25#mutable_869549"><img alt="Pearls Before Swine" class="strip" src="http://assets.amuniversal.com/1bdd8000254501300452001dd8b71c47" width="600" /></a><br />
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Or as George Strait put it:<br />
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I love my sons every day, always and forever, and I know they love me, too - it's just that sometimes we all need to be reassured of that love. Just as Andy did.</div>
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Dirigonzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3558625674116255623.post-36801651025341179512012-12-25T20:59:00.000-05:002012-12-27T19:05:07.501-05:00Guns don't kill people......they just make it really easy for people to do it.<br />
<br />
...bullets do, but that seems like a distinction without a difference.<br />
<br />
...unless of course they discharge accidentally and the gun owner dies.<br />
<br />
...but if you are in front of one when it goes off chances are you're going to be dead anyway.<br />
<br />
...but if they don't, why are they called "lethal force"?<br />
<br />
...and neither do IEDs - but don't tell that to anyone who has served in Iraq or Afghanistan.<br />
<br />
...and the ones that hold a lot of rounds don't kill them even faster.<br />
<br />
...and the Pope isn't Catholic and bears don't shit in the woods.<br />
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Anyone, specifically including Wayne LaPierre of the NRA, who honestly believes that guns don't kill people should have his second amendment right to bear arms revoked on grounds of sheer stupidity or lack of mental competence. A gun will kill a person quickly and efficiently as will any weapon of war - killing, in the final analysis, is what they are for and to deny that fact is either dishonest or ignorant, because the evidence is clear and overwhelming: guns DO kill people.<br />
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If we could agree on this one simple fact maybe the conversation as to what to do to reduce gun-related deaths in America could move forward. Maybe we could agree that guns aren't the whole problem but they are certainly part of the problem - would that be a reasonable starting point?<br />
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Because really - we have to do something to reduce the gun-related violence that is inflicted on innocent citizens in this country. Does anyone have a problem with that?<br />
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OK, one final time: Guns don't kill people...<br />
<br />
...but rappers do.<br />
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Dirigonzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3558625674116255623.post-11941362373455983862012-12-20T18:32:00.000-05:002012-12-20T18:32:08.793-05:00"Your proposal is acceptable"I admit my nerves are more than a little frayed by the latest incidence of mass murder using firearms, this one targeting school-age children for crissake, which are inevitably followed by pronouncements from the NRA that "guns are not the problem". Some say that this time is different, that the age of the victims and the atrocity of the act have changed the dialogue concerning gun control and this time we will see meaningful regulations to rein in the gun-related violence that has plagued our nation for so long. To which I say, "We'll see"; consider this headline from today's news: "Gun lobbyists [that would be the NRA] plan media push after Newtown massacre" - I'm willing to bet they will not be calling for any restrictions on the "absolute right" to own guns, including those that qualify as weapons of mass destruction.<br />
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But maybe the cold-blooded murder of 20 elementary school children and several of their teachers was a cataclysmic event that will awaken the American public of the need to stand up to the gun lobby once and for all and demand an end to the unfettered access to the means of inflicting such violence - because let's face it, the politicians won't do anything until we make them do it.<br />
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Here's an illustration of the kind of cataclysm I'm talking about and how it might affect the dialogue:<br />
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I'm sure you already get the symbolism, but Edgar who is obviously used to having his way with everything, represents the NRA and his proposal is totally acceptable to an American public that is sick and tired of being told, "You can have my gun when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers". I hope the NRA is in for as bad a day, metaphorically speaking of course, as Edgar experienced in this clip. I'm not sure what the sugar water represents but it's pretty funny so I left it in.<br />
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Here's the key scene again in case you missed it (and because it's so much fun to watch):<br />
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Can you "Imagine all the people" rising up against gun violence? That would be a very bad day for the NRA and a very good day for the children of the world. John Lennon, who (unironically) lost his life to a gunman in a senseless act of violence, had this to say (and it gives me hope):<br />
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Please call your elected representatives and tell them we've had enough gun violence and you want them to do something to stop it! And if they don't, vote the cowards out because really, guns are the problem, or at least a big part of it, and we need to do something about them.<br />
Dirigonzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3558625674116255623.post-56532117316600796602012-12-18T15:37:00.000-05:002012-12-18T15:37:41.181-05:00New Mexico Chili Cook-off<div style="background: white;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">This is the funniest e-mail story I have received in a long time so I'm sharing it here so you can have a good laugh, too. Enjoy!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /><span style="font-size: large;">For
those of you who have lived in New Mexico, you know how true this is. They
actually have a Chili Cook-off about the time Halloween comes around. It takes
up a major portion of a parking lot at the Santa Fe Plaza. Judge #3 was an
inexperienced Chile taster named Frank, who was visiting from Springfield, IL.
<br /><br />Frank: "Recently, I was honored to be selected as a judge at a
chili cook-off. The original person called in sick at the last moment and I
happened to be standing there at the judge's table, asking for directions to the
Coors Light truck, when the call came in. I was assured by the other two judges
(<i>Native New Mexicans</i>) that the chili wouldn't be all that spicy; and,
besides, they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted
and became Judge #3." <br /><br /><i>Here are the scorecard notes from the
event:</i> <br /><br /><b><u>CHILI # 1 - MIKE'S MANIAC MONSTER
CHILI</u></b> <br /><b><u>Judge # 1</u></b> -- A little too heavy on the tomato.
Amusing kick. <br /><b><u>Judge # 2</u></b> -- Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very
mild. <br /><b><u>Judge # 3 (Frank)</u></b> -- Holy crap, what the hell is this
stuff? You could remove dried paint from your driveway. Took me two beers to
put the flames out. I hope that's the worst one. These New Mexicans are crazy. </span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><div style="background: white;">
<br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>CHILI
# 2 - EL RANCHO'S AFTERBURNER CHILI</u></b> <br /><b><u>Judge # 1</u></b> --
Smoky, with a hint of pork. Slight jalapeno tang. <br /><b><u>Judge # 2</u></b>
-- Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken seriously.
<br /><b><u>Judge # 3 </u></b>-- Keep this out of the reach of children. I'm not
sure what I'm supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who
wanted to give me the Heimlich maneuver. They had to rush in more beer when
they saw the look on my face. <br /><br /><b><u>CHILI # 3 - ALFREDO'S FAMOUS BURN
DOWN THE BARN CHILI</u></b> <br /><b><u>Judge # 1</u></b> -- Excellent firehouse
chili. Great kick. <br /><b><u>Judge # 2</u></b> -- A bit salty, good use of
peppers. <br /><b><u>Judge # 3</u></b> -- Call the EPA. I've located a uranium
spill. My nose feels like I have been snorting Drano. Everyone knows the
routine by now. Get me more beer before I ignite. Barmaid pounded me on the
back, now my backbone is in the front part of my chest. I'm getting sh*t-faced
from all of the beer. <br /><br /><b><u>CHILI # 4</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span></u></b><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">-
BUBBA'S BLACK MAGIC</span></u></b></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /><b><u>Judge
# 1</u></b> -- Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing.
<br /><b><u>Judge # 2</u></b> -- Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish
for fish or other mild foods, not much of a chili. <br /><b><u>Judge # 3</u></b>
-- I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to taste it. Is
it possible to burn out taste buds? Sally, the beer maid, was standing behind
me with fresh refills. This 300 lb. Woman is starting to look HOT ... Just
like this nuclear waste I'm eating! Is chili an aphrodisiac?
<br /><br /><b><u>CHILI # 5 - LISA'S LEGAL LIP REMOVER</u></b> <br /><b><u>Judge #
1</u></b> -- Meaty, strong chili. Jalapeno peppers freshly ground, adding
considerable kick. Very impressive. <br /><b><u>Judge # 2</u></b> -- Chili using
shredded beef, could use more tomato. Must admit the jalapeno peppers make a
strong statement. <br /><b><u>Judge # 3</u></b> -- My ears are ringing, sweat is
pouring off my forehead and I can no longer focus my eyes. I farted, and four
people behind me needed paramedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told
her that her chili had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue from
bleeding by pouring beer directly on it from the pitcher. I wonder if I'm
burning my lips off. It really ticks me off that the other judges asked me to
stop screaming. Screw them. <br /><br /><b><u>CHILI # 6 - VARGA'S VERY VEGETARIAN
VARIETY</u></b> <br /><b><u>Judge # 1</u></b> -- Thin yet bold vegetarian variety
chili. Good balance of spices and peppers. <br /><b><u>Judge # 2</u></b> -- The
best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, garlic. Superb. <br /><b><u>Judge
# 3</u></b> -- My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous,
sulfuric flames. I crapped on myself when I farted, and I'm worried it will eat
through the chair. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except that Sally.
Can't feel my lips anymore. I need to wipe my butt with a snow cone.
<br /><br /><b><u>CHILI # 7 - SUSAN'S SCREAMING SENSATION
CHILI</u></b> <br /><b><u>Judge # 1</u></b> -- A mediocre chili with too much
reliance on canned peppers. <br /><b><u>Judge # 2</u></b> -- Ho hum, tastes as if
the chef literally threw in a can of chili peppers at the last moment. **I
should take note that I am worried about Judge #3. He appears to be in a bit of
distress as he is cursing uncontrollably. <br /><b><u>Judge # 3</u></b> -- You
could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I wouldn't feel a thing.
I've lost sight in one eye, and the world sounds like it is made of rushing
water. My shirt is covered with chili, which slid unnoticed out of my mouth.
My pants are full of lava to match my shirt. At least during the autopsy,
they'll know what killed me. I've decided to stop breathing. It's too
painful. Screw it; I'm not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air, I'll just
suck it in through the 4-inch hole in my stomach. <br /><br /><b><u>CHILI # 8 - BIG
TOM'S TOENAIL CURLING CHILI</u></b> <br /><b><u>Judge # 1</u></b> -- The perfect
ending, this is a nice blend chili. Not too bold but spicy enough to declare
its existence. <br /><b><u>Judge # 2 </u></b>-- This final entry is a good,
balanced chili. Neither mild nor hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost
when Judge #3 farted, passed out, fell over and pulled the chili pot down on top
of himself. Not sure if he's going to make it. Poor fella, wonder how he'd
have reacted to really hot chili?<br /><b><u>Judge # 3</u></b> -- No report. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">By now you probably have a hankering for some Red Hot Chili Peppers, so here you go:
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Dirigonzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3558625674116255623.post-44227094344013323612012-12-16T20:31:00.000-05:002012-12-16T20:31:25.148-05:00Moral DilemmasAndrea Carla Michaels is a self-admitted name-dropper and because she has met some famous characters she has some interesting names to drop. I won't try to impress you by reciting all of the names she has mentioned in the anecdotes she has related in posts I have read, but Bonnie Raitt and Neil deGrasse Tyson are just a couple of celebrities with whom she has crossed paths and whose names she has mentioned.<br />
<br />
So I was not surprised to learn that Andrea had at one time long ago found herself in a social setting with none other that John Lithgow, the acclaimed actor, author and musician. What did surprise me, though , was what Andrea learned about John Lithgow during the encounter and the dilemma that knowledge caused for her many years later. Andrea can explain it much better than I can:<br />
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<br />
So there you have it, some "inside information" on a celebrity that may seem inconsistent with his public persona but really, what do we know about anyone other than what they choose to let us know? As to Andrea's dilemma about whether to publicly expose the hypocrisy when she had the chance, well it's hard to say what I would have done if I were faced with the same situation. But I think the take away lesson for Mr. Lithgow and all of us can be found in Andrea's closing line: "Don't cheat - because you never know who is going to tell the story 20 years later."<br />
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Dirigonzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3558625674116255623.post-31918796490351985682012-12-03T20:21:00.000-05:002012-12-03T20:21:57.987-05:00The Geminids are coming, the Geminids are coming!Everybody loves shooting stars and we should be in for a bunch of them later this month. It's December already and that means that the Geminid meteor shower is coming. The Geminids are caused by the dust and debris of an asteroid called 3200 Phaethon and they will peak on Thursday evening the 13th into Friday morning the 14th. Conditions are right to produce up to 100 visible meteors per hour this year, so put on your parka, grab a glass of something to keep you warm and find a place with a view of the eastern sky in the constellation of Gemini (just to the left of Orion as an easy reference point) (viewers in the warmer climes can skip the parka - and if you live in the southern hemisphere sorry, you're just plain out of luck).<br />
<br />
December also brings the winter solstice for us in the northern hemisphere and this year it occurs at 6:12 a.m. on Friday the 21st. Whatever holiday you celebrate to mark the occasion I hope it is a happy one. The winter solstice marks the longest night and shortest day of the year, and then the days grow longer (and some say the cold grows stronger), so Spring cannot be far behind - now that's something worth celebrating!<br />
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December 21 also marks the end of the Mayan calendar, an event which some say will mark the end of the world but which others regard as just the start of another cycle of the calendar - check back with me on December 22 to see who was right. <br />
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The full moon, my second favorite night sky event after shooting stars, is at 5:21 a.m. on the 28th so the viewing should be excellent (weather permitting) on the night before as well as the night of - enjoy both nights if possible! The full moon in December is called the Long Night Moon, which I'm guessing is a literal reference to the solstice, because if the full moon occurs before Christmas it's called the Moon Before Yule.<br />
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Here's my musical tribute to the December night sky - "Winter Solstice" by Cold Specks. I'm willing to bet you've never heard this before, so enjoy the song and enjoy the astronomical wonders of the December night sky - it's all good!<br />
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Dirigonzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3558625674116255623.post-24725717458673236102012-11-26T22:26:00.001-05:002012-11-26T22:26:44.009-05:00Enlightenment<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOojUycJgsNmUNo1NdNjYilAqjfCZXV2hjPqM0PXcVQlmI8ZSY1W4b5RJMf-jv_UcCJ7CqeDhBS5_G1rGCvPR-b57Ph88j0S6vshdlLPwPjpkiMhgLfACm7R9nEK8OyRiErdeAq82V_nI/s1600/enlightenment.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOojUycJgsNmUNo1NdNjYilAqjfCZXV2hjPqM0PXcVQlmI8ZSY1W4b5RJMf-jv_UcCJ7CqeDhBS5_G1rGCvPR-b57Ph88j0S6vshdlLPwPjpkiMhgLfACm7R9nEK8OyRiErdeAq82V_nI/s640/enlightenment.tif" width="640" /></a></div>
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I've been an advocate of "disciplined practice" for a long time, and as principles of life go you could do a lot worse than "Everybody have fun tonight". Here's a video of the song, performed by Wang Chung, with the lyrics so you can follow along and see what Eddie and I are talking about.<br />
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So there you have it, the secret to staying unflappable in these troubled times is "Everybody Wang Chung tonight", and disciplined practice - lots and lots of disciplined practice. And Eddie is right - children are little germ factories, so stay away from them (unless it's your grandchildren - they're OK).Dirigonzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.com0