Chuck Norris Approved

Another reason why America should vote for ex Governor Mike Huckabee -- he's got the backing of the toughest man in the world.....Chuck Norris.

The Day the Caveman Cried....

The past few days were busy to say the least for the Ski’s. Despite all the work that was done to complete our move and begin settling in to our new life here in the City, we were able to conduct a pleasant visit to the Institute for Contemporary Art where we got to see Louise Bourgeois’ spiders and the Design Life Now exhibit. Quite interesting and provocative at the same time. It certainly expanded my horizons. Definitely a must see for those interested in modern art; however, whether or not I go back remains to be seen.

Following such a enriching experience, the Ski’s took in the movie Into the Wild on Saturday night at a movie theater a stone throw’s distance away from our new apartment. (This could be the end of me I am telling you!). The movie was nicely made but quite depressing. I felt like reading some Nietzsche and then starving myself to death after seeing the movie.

Staying with the movie theme, Capote was watched on our new “mother of all t.v.’s” on Sunday night. This movie was definitely not what I expected and while it was both weird and bizarre at times, it was well made and Phillip Seymour Hoffman did an outstanding job acting. A must see for history and literary buffs.

A few days later, to pull myself out of the stone age, I obtained a ZIP CAR card so that I can use a car whenever I need one. Never in a million years did I ever think I would do such a thing. But alas, I walk to work now while my better half gets to drive the new ride so should I need a vehicle in a pinch, one is ready for me.

Finally to my delight and my eager anticipation, this evening I am attending an invite only viewing of a private collection of World War II memorabilia at this museum. This invite happened over night and I am extremely excited about visiting! Details to follow.

And that my friends, is that.

Country Ghetto

Thursday night I saw a really good band that I actually enjoyed. While the better half went indoor rock climbing with friends, I went over to a local dive named the Roxy to watch a Southern Rock band named "JJ Grey and the MOFRO" jam out some blues and country rock. They had a good crowd and it wasn't a bad venue. I picked up their CD as well --- Country Ghetto, and I like it. If anyone see's these guys playing in their area, go and take a look. It's worth the listen.

Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you....

Fatal Airplane Crashes Drop by 65%. Thank God. I still will need a bottle of Maker's Mark and a few Sudafed's before I get on my next plane though.....

Traveling soon?

If you are, then check out this article in today's New York Times. Quite the racket........

What Happened???!!!???

So the Ski's had a few life changes this past week. With that said we apologize for the lack of posts as finding time to update has been a challenge. During the next few days we'll be updating the blog highlighting all that has happened - our trip to London and our move into the City.

In the mean time here are some highlights from our trip to London:

1. I got yelled at by British Customs police when I didn't follow orders. (it was the plane ride)
2. We saw the woman Beefeater at the Tower of London
3. We caught a Arsenal - Derby Football match at Arsenal Stadium (crazy time)
4. The tube has no air conditioning
5. Glimpsed the Van Gogh's at the National Museum
6. Rode the double decker Red Bus
7. Starbucks are everywhere in London
8. Imperial War Museum is worth the money and the visit!
9. Rosetta Stone is worth the visit and quite cool to view
10. Watch out for Asian Tourists in London
11. Ate some Fish'n chips but missed the tartar sauce
12. No air conditioning anywhere
13. Cabinet War Rooms is worth the visit
14. The Arabs own everything in London - like the Japanese here in the States during the 80's
15. Parliament has a cool tour - we need to have this political set up here in the states
16. The Queens last name is Windsor not "II"
17. Sara got hit on by a sleazy Frenchman at the British History Museum
18. Almost had the desire to drink a Coors Light at an extremely old pub.
19. Outclassed by the Gentlemen's clubs on Pall Mall Street (not the x rated kind mind you)
20. When asked where we were from, I said "Boston" and not "USA" - it's the HUB right?

Fancy a Pint?

Tonight the Ski's board a Virgin Atlantic flight to head across the "pond" to visit the centre of the British Empire -- the City of London. The next few days will be spent visiting Parliament, catching a glimpse of the Queen at Buckingham Palace, touring the countless historical museums, listening to the call to prayer, having a pint in a pub older than the United States and petting the British Bulldog.

I have been waiting a long time to visit London and hopefully my expectations of taking in lots of history will not be dampened. A complete recap of events will be posted upon our return.

Oh, and thankfully, to ease my traveling fears, Virgin Atlantic has channel 9.

Unfortunately though, this just had to happen......great......just great.....

A Real American Beer.....(I suppose)

I know that it's almost October and that I'll always be forever a Coors Light man but I have to hand it to Budweiser --- they know how to come up with cheezy yet poignant commercials. Here is a commercial Budweiser did for 9/11. They only aired it once so as not to benefit financially from it but rather to acknowledge the tragic event (supposedly).

Bizarre Monday in the News

I don' t know what's more comical in todays news---- The fact that Blackwater Security (mercenaries) is getting booted out of Iraq even though they are the principal security detachment for U.S. State Department officials in that country or the fact that France would declare war on Iran should they obtain a nuclear weapon. What a Monday.

DHS and the Blogosphere

The Department of Homeland Security this week became the latest cabinet level entity in the Bush Administration (Health and Human Services was the first) to start a blog. It's called the Leadership Journal.

This should be entertaining.

Forget the Jihad for a moment we have other problems.....

Very interesting article may be found here.

Take me to Jersey please.....

This past weekend, the Ski's motored down to the Jersey "Shoarh" for a friend's wedding in Brant Beach NJ. Leaving late Friday evening we were able to make it through the Bronx, over the crumbling GW bridge and then past Newark without getting shot at or our car stolen to stop at Wall Township NJ around 2AM. It was here where we stayed in a lovely yet incredibly sketchy and smelly Travelodge hotel room. (Let's just say I slept that night with one eye open.) Yeah, no hot water in the morning either.....



The next morning we were able to make it to Brant Beach where we stayed at the hotel "Daddy O's." Despite the name it was a nice up scale chic hotel as well as only one of three hotels in the area. Anyways, once we arrived we were able to see this goombah get out of a huge Cadillac:











Needless to say, it made my day. Unfortunately you can't see his numerous gold chains, slicked back hair and the pinkie ring. Oh and his name was Tony. You can't make this stuff up kids....


After sitting on the beach and catching some rays on the beach, we shuttled off to the wedding and to the reception where we had a great time and got silly on the dance floor.



Finally, the return trip home was made even more exciting by us stopping at H & H bagels in down town New York City.



Overall it was a great weekend despite all the driving.

The Fightin Side of Me

Tuesday evening, the ski's took in the Ray Price, Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson Last of a Breed Concert. Three absolute legends (Merle is my hero) crooned the night away to old time classics such as 'Whiskey River" and "Mama Tried." It was a great experience taking in such classic music. Absolutely phenomenal.

Oh and a little note about Merle - In 1972, then-Gov. Ronald Reagan gave Haggard a full pardon for his past crimes. Another reason to respect the Gipper.

I'd Like to Check You for Ticks......

On Friday evening, the ski's ventured up North to the Essex Junction Vermont Fair to take in a Brad Paisley Bonfires and Amplifiers Concert. Brad was accompanied by Taylor Swift and Kelly Pickler and all three were quite good. Paisley just became my favorite country music performer. (Sorry Toby). It was an outstanding concert despite being surrounded by 18 year old wannabe country girls wearing cowboy hats and boots. When Brad busted out with some renditions of Johnny Cash, the crowd went silent except for the ski's screaming in excitement. Oh well, as my wife says, us Yankee's just don't get it! Anyways, Taylor is going to sell lots of records once she turns 18 and Pickler we realized isn't the sharpest tool in the toolbox as she was easily distracted by the ferris wheel off to her right. (She looks a heck of a lot better than in her first video though!)

The fair itself was a blast as anytime one gets a chance to walk through a Carnie, you see all sorts of walks of life! But the evening was made by seeing john deere tractors, cows, chickens and a woman smoking a menthol screaming at us to get our palms read. Good times, good times...

Vermont is certainly the place to be!

Book(s) of the Month - August

August brought three great books to my hands -

1. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson. This book was a 1954 clever and riveting vampire classic. Quite out of the spectrum of books that I normally read, but it was a fast and fun read. Moreover, this is the book that brought us the Charlton Heston movie "Omega Man" and will also bring us Will Smith's upcoming movie "I Am Legend." Be warned that it's a very short story and has a quite unique ending to it.

2. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. Since 1997 I've always remembered seeing this book being prominently displayed in airport bookstores but I never bothered to pick up the book and read it. The reason you may ask? Becuase I thought it was about plane crash survivors lost in the mountains, and since I was going to be getting on a plane, I wanted none of that! Anyways, this was a great book. Krakauer tells quite a tale about the tragedy that nipped at his heels on Mt. Everest. My favorite part of the book is the ending where he and another author and climber that were on the mountain battle about whose story is more realistic. The afterword by Krakaer is hilarious.

3. Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick. To steal a line from the book, this was truly a story of courage, community and war. The book details the journey of the Pilgrims from "Old Europe" to New England and the settling of Plymouth Colony and the perils that the colony had in settling its community in a new and unknown world. The relationships with the various Indians and the war that followed was quite interesting as I grew up in and among the various battle "sites" between the colonists and the Indians. This is definitely a book that I would recommend to those interested in the extreme "Olden Days."

Okay, now off to the bookstore and to find my books for September!

Summering in the Berkshires....

This weekend the Ski's and some good friends met up in Lenox Ma to take in a James Taylor show at Tanglewood. Mr. Taylor put on his "One Man Band" show and it was quite good. It was a nice Friday evening out on the lawn with a few bottles of wine and some imported cheeses surrounded by Liberal New York Yuppies listening to some fantastic music. What a fulfilling cultural experience that was.

Saturday was spent touring the Berkshires with a stop at a Wine Tasting Show and a used book yard sale. Then to top it off we all took in "A MidSummer Night's Dream" at the Shakespeare & Company the next evening. The adaption of the play was quite entertaining although girlski thought they were a little too in touch with their sexuality and tried to hard to make the play comical.

Overall it was a fun, relaxing and entertaining weekend.

I believe in supporting the American farmer - whatever it takes.

Interesting article in today’s Christian Science Monitor.

From rock cocaine to watermelons, these felons are finally putting in an honest days work on family farms throughout the West. As farmers are continuously put under increased Federal pressure to not hire ‘undocumented’ workers, farmers have begun using inmates to help bring in the harvest. While it is not exactly the best solution to the problem, it is nonetheless a potential answer to the diminishing pool of laborers not afraid to get their hands dirty.

One thing that caught my attention in this article was that the unions are horrified at the notion that farmers are even considering using felons. Give me a break, how many ‘documented’ workers or non incarcerated persons are you going to find that would be willing to work a 10 hour day in 100 degree heat doing real farming? Even if you pay them twice the minimum wage? Not very many.

“We Won Didn’t We?”

TNT's ''The Company,'' a six-hour, three-part documentary/drama about the CIA, the KGB and the Cold War ended last night, and let me tell you something, it was quite good. Based on Robert Littell’s novel “The Company,” the show revolves around the lives of three idealistic Yalies that each take different paths during the Cold War. For a t.v. show, it did a really good job covering the actual history of both the CIA and the Cold War. And what’s more, it did a great job explaining the deceptions and treachery about the art of espionage.

For those that are interested in history, this series was a decent “outline” of the Cold War. Sure some things were made up or left out (Robert Hanssen and Aldrich Ames for example), but it sure makes one think about how we ever managed to win the Cold War. The U.S. was certainly plagued with KGB moles throughout the Cold War. Anyways, the show is worth watching. Trust me.

My favorites of the show:

I’m not a big fan of Michael Keaton, but he did a superb job acting as James Jesus Angelton (codenamed “Mother”), the CIA’s legendary quirky mole hunter who had a long, obsessive search for a Soviet agent he was convinced was hidden inside the CIA foiling the CIA's every move (quite true and quite an interesting story).

The other all star of this show was Alfred Molina of whom played Chris O’Donnell’s mentor within the CIA and was quite the cowboy and quite determined to “hold back the Goths at the Gate.” My type of guy. I could only wish to be like him. Alas, I grew up in the wrong decade.

Favorite quote of the movie:

“Don’t get lost in the wilderness of mirrors” – J.J. Angleton

sounds like a blast

a company out of arlington, tx makes a living shuffling wacko-storm-loving-tourists around the great plains looking for tornadoes.

save your money, folks. buy a trailer in perryville, mo and you'll see one within a year of moving.

a couple outdoor disasters

another flightseeing plane goes down in alaska.

1) i'm glad my mom didn't hear about these incidents before we took our trip!

2) what a terrible accident -- in the article, notice that the little girl survived, but her brother and both parents didn't. horrible.

climber killed by thrown rock.

1) think about this if you're tossing a rock off a cliff -- is there any chance someone is below.

2) i think i feel as bad for the the thrower as the climber... that is a terrible thing to live with the rest of your life.

Operation Decrease Moving Fraud

For those planning on moving, take a look at the following resource as it's quite helpful.

Right at Your Door

Take a look at this upcoming movie. Looking past the "24" subplot the movie brings forth quite the concept. What would you do if this happened to you one beautiful morning? Live or Die?

A complex father son relationship

An interesting article about the John Adams of the 21st Century can be found here.

worst skateboard fall ever

this is just ridiculous. you'll cringe when you see this.

Jihad the Musical

What in the bloody poppycock are the Brits doing now? Bollocks!!

Partnership for the Ages

"Separated -- yes -- by an ocean, we are still united by the
streams of history and the strengths of our ideals. Standing together on this
foundation we will prevail in the greatest struggles of our times."

I get all weepy eyed when I hear people talk like this. Prime Minister Brown's remarks may be found here.

Out of the Stone Age

Well folks, I finally left the dark ages and joined the 21st Century. My beloved wife bought me an IPOD. And I love it! So now besides listening to Pancho and Lefty and to Hank Williams croon away, I can also listen to my Podcasts of Face the Nation, ArmChairGeneral and National Geographic! Awesome! Taking the "T" will never be the same.

The Tobacco Story

It's that time of year again. Broad Leaf tobacco is ripe and ready to be cut. Spent the weekend on the family farm with all sorts of walks of life helping to harvest the crop.

mi papa es en mexico

check out this good lookin' guy!

my pop is headed south of the border this week. he joined the local church group for a mission trip to chiapas, mexico. i think they are going to build a church, or something selfless like that. my dad is pretty good at the church building skills: last week he helped rebuild my hometown church, which was destroyed last fall in a tornado. this week he takes his skills to our southerly neighbor.


his humanitarian resume thus far:
- red cross meal kitchen in louisiana after katrina
- red cross chain(saw) gang to help clean up after tornadoes
- rebuilding bethlehem baptist church in crosstown, mo
- building una iglesias en mexico


i'm sure i missed a few things, but that's a start. he and my mom have decided that retirement is better spent traveling the country, playing with grandkids, and volunteering to help others.

um yea, and what have you done lately to help someone out?

Maybe I should take that Aviophobia class....

Uggh. I shouldn't have wrote that blogpost about flying yesterday. Last summer my wife, my in-laws, and myself took a somewhat similiar flight in Alaska that didn't work out so well for the five poor souls that crashed yesterday. Goooobers......

Are you a Rebel or a Yankee?

To find out how much Southern blood your speech shows, take a look at this. I personally have 25% Dixie in me and the rest is “Dandy Yankee Doodle blood.” For those that check out this site, let me know what you are. I am taking a poll as to see how many Dixies compared to Yankees check out this site......

Not quite aviophobia but there's still no love...

Phew. The chance of multiple engine failure on a plane is next to none. And here I thought it was at least a 20 percent chance. Anyways, for those that have little love for flying, the New York Times put out a great article today about the Fear of Flying. While I’ll freely admit that I’d rather take a fishing trawler to South America rather than flying, I am not nearly as bad as the people described in the article. While a lot of people will poke fun at my fear, my traumatic experience on an American Eagle flight from Bradley CT to Kennedy NY during an ice storm scared the living hell out of me when I was a 10 year old kid. A few years later, another instance in the Pacific when the plane hit wind shear and did what felt like a 6 mile nose dive rather firmed up my belief that flying is for people other than myself. Despite my anxiety, I’ll get on a plane as I know it is more practical as well as safer than driving (unless you are driving with me) or taking the fishing trawler I mentioned earlier. Besides, I landed on a glacier uphill out in the middle of nowhere in a small plane that ended up getting stuck in the snow and we had to push it out. I can fly anywhere now without fear – right??

A blast from the past

I know that most of you folks probably think I am crazy for even mentioning this stuff, but seriously, who does this anymore? The cold war is over correct? First the Russians send over an assassin to knock off a political dissident living in the U.K by using radiation poison (seriously, they just couldn’t have used a knife or a shooting umbrella?) The Brits obviously then get a little annoyed that this happened both on their turf and under their noses. So after they figured out who did it they ask to extradite the killer from Russia so they can put him up on charges. The Russians refuse for various political reasons. To retaliate, the Brits PNG (persona non grata) a few Russian diplomats out of the U.K. and ask them to not come back. In return, and becuase they have to have the last say in the matter, the Russians do the same to British diplomats in Moscow and to add to the action, they send a few Russian bombers to cross over into British airspace to prove a point that they won’t be intimidated. Good lord. Kids, lets play nice. The focus is on the Islamic nut jobs that want to kill us remember?

Safest Seat on a Plane

So a good friend of ours flew out to Paraguay for the week to conduct official state business. We won't go into how he defines "official," but nonetheless he's representing our good Commonwealth down in the sultry city of Asuncion. Anyways, he was nervous about his travels down south as he was going to be flying TAM airlines. (Exactly, the airline that had a little braking problem last week.) So after a quick search, I found the following link to help him out. Not sure if he'll see this until he comes back (last we heard he made it to Brazil) but if he does, change your ticket to be seated at the back of the plane!

adventures on ice and snow

i made it to the summit of mt rainier (elev 14,410ft). the trip was a blast. here is a picture that i was able to snap on the descent.

The Pesky Russian's are at it again.....

How I wish for the old days when one knew their enemy. This simple act would have made world news across the america heartland back in the old days. Now its just a hidden article in Time Magazine.

Geopolitically speaking, this is a smart move on Russia's part. How the U.S. will act to this will be interesting. And this concludes your International Relations moment of the week.

Book of the Month

If one enjoys reading about Ideological warfare and the role of Religion within the future of conflict, as well as reading about anything to do with the British, then the book Londonistan by Melanie Phillips is highly recommended. Ms. Phillips provides a controversial look as to how British society has succumbed to Islamic fundamentalism and how the appeasement of militant Islam by British officials during the 1980s and 90s has fostered Islamic extremist groups on British soil. A simply brilliant book that makes one think about the Ideological crisis that the West finds itself currently embroiled within but does not fully comprehend or take seriously.

Sniffle sniffle....

My wife left me for a mountain. This is how I feel right now....

The time has come......

i leave tomorrow morning for seattle to attempt to summit mt rainier.

The Mother Of All Let Downs.......

It is amazing how quickly one may become greatly disappointed if access to the internet is readily available. While checking my email I noticed a section on upcoming movie trailers and decided to click on the section and preview the various upcoming movies for the year. One of the trailers that I watched was for the movie I AM LEGEND with Will Smith. Before you read any farther take a moment to watch the trailer here.

Looks interesting huh? Another end of the world movie that has a science fiction plot that sort of loosely reminded me of the old 1985 Dennis Quade movie ENEMY MINE. Or at least that’s how I interpreted the trailer and secretly wished the movie to be like. After watching, I was pretty excited. Despite my excitement, and the fact that Will Smith would be in the movie, I had that nagging feeling that it would be very similar to Independence Day. Nevertheless, I thought that this movie had the potential to be that movie which I eagerly await all year for. So, I looked it up on the internet to learn more as the name "Robert Neville" was familiar to me.

And boy was I hugely disappointed (disappointed just like when I found out that the trailer for THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW was not accurate.)

The movie is actually based off of the 1954 science fiction novel by Richard Matheson and will be another adaptation of the book much like THE OMEGA MAN with good ole Charlton Heston was. (Who can ever forget that toothy laugh of his in the movie?) Oh well. It’ll be a vampire movie that takes place in down town Manhattan. I’ll still watch it – but it won’t be that movie that I count down the days for.

Oh and sorry for all the Dennis Quade references.

Happy Fourth of July!

Book of the Month

For those interested in reading a great book about how one man can change the world, take a look at Greg Mortenson's book, Three Cup's of Tea. Random luck changed this man's life and through some silly determination he began to promote peace throughout a hostile region one school at a time. The book takes place in Pakistan and Afghanistan pre and post 9/11. For further material concerning Mortenson take a look at this.

dream ticket?

apparently, ak governor sarah palin has a couple other friends in the lower 48.

This Is Africa (T.I.A.)

The month of June brought three decent movies to the Ski household. Three gritty political dramas that reminded the ski's how good we have it here in the U.S. of A. All three centered around Africa and were all quite entertaining.

The first was Blood Diamond with Leo DiCaprio and Dijimon Hounsou. Despite Leo's fake accent, the movie was quite entertaining as it focused on two men chasing after a giant pink diamond while the countryside surrounding them fizziles out of control. I especially liked Colonel Coetzee and the way the movie depicted the diamond trade and children as soldiers. The movie sort of made me want to raise a mercenary army and take over countries. Sort of.

The second was The Last King of Scotland . The movie was based on the true events of the brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin's regime through the eyes of a Scot that randomly became not only his physician but also his closest advisor. Forest Whitaker stole the show despite the movie being centered on the physician. For an interesting article regarding the movie, take a look at this. My favorite parts were when Idi Amin dressed up as a cowboy and the Scot physician gave the British spies a hard time.

Finally, the last movie was Catch a Fire with Tim Robbins and Derek Luke. The movie focused on South Africa during Apartheid and how the government's actions towards one man made him into a "freedom fighter/terrorist." A great cat and mouse political thriller that focused on the past. Also based off a true story of which I didn't know until the very end. Damn commie's had a role in everything.

All in all, the three movies really showcased the dark side of Africa and I encourage all two people that read this blog to rent them if time allows.

Le Blackberry

"French government officials have been ordered not to use handheld Blackberry devices amid fears that foreigners (read Americans) could spy on them, reports say." - BBC

A little economic espionage after a game of "BrickBreaker" perhaps? Never thought about this one, but if it's true, I hope someone bought the person that thought of this espionage concept a nice American micro brew.

Of course though, somewhere in America there is a smoke filled dark room full of spooks wearing trenchcoats slapping their foreheads and saying "damn! we should have thought of that!"

It's about the price of corn....it's always about the corn....

Anyone paying attention to your cost of groceries? If not, you may want to take a looksie at this article. The combination of the cost of freedom, the price of gas and the dependence of midwestern votes is raising the price of that 1 percent milk that you mix with your cheerios everymorning (among other items you may consume during the course of the day). Of course, my thoughts are that the farmer rarely sees any of this price increase. Therefore, forget about whatever store or conglomerate that you shop at for your fruits, veggies and sundries and support the local farmer! Save a few bucks and get some fresh produce. By buying local, you're helping your neighbor and not the Netherlands or whomever owns Stop and Shop these days.....

Clash of Civilizations Part Vier

Al Qaeda will lose the war on terror becuase of the simple fact that they don't worship the Brat. Get on board people. This is how we will win the war on terror! Oh, and if anyone is interested in ordering some good wurst. Take a look at this site. Just let me know and I'll go in halfs.

The Rebuttal

So, Fred Thompson, a potential 2008 GOP presidential candidate was challenged by Michael Moore to debate him on the issue of Health Care. For those that don't know, Mr. Moore will be releasing a new film named "Sicko" that examines the U.S. Health Care System in a fairly "moving" way. To film the movie Moore went to Cuba and such actions caused various politicians on both sides of the aisle to criticize him for going over there. Thompson in particular was very vocal.

Noting Thompson's fondness for Cuban cigars, Moore stated in his explanation of why he traveled to Cuba to film his movie, that Thompson is in no position to criticize him as he Thompson enjoys the support of wealth health care lobbyists. Moore went further and challenged Thompson in a one on one debate about health care.

This is how Thompson responded to Moore:



You decide as to who wins this one......

All I have to say is, this is one heck of a way to respond! Very clever. Most politicians would simply have either ignored Moore or issued a press release.

VERY NICE!

windsledding

happy memorial day to all two of our readers! i hope you both take a moment to reflect on the sacrifice that many men and women have made to keep us safe in this land of the free and home of the chotus.

this weekend, the skis were able to partake in two of our favorite hobbies: hiking and farming. the boyski played farmer in god's country (aka western massachusetts) while the girlski climbed mt washington.

after returning from my hike, i was perusing some mountaineering websites and stumbled across a link to a nyt article about tuckerman's ravine. (if you don't have a log in to nyt go here to get a password). during my saunter of the world wide web, i also found this great clip. it's a video of a couple of the observers that stay in mt washington's weather observatory. this was taken during the night of the biggest storm this winter. enjoy.

like a brad paisley song....

wanting to live out the words of a brad paisley song, the skis ventured to the show-me state (aka God's Country) to experience these lyrics "moonlight on a duck blind, catfish on a trotline. the sun sets about nine. this time of year..."

the picture shows boyski and brother-in-law pulling a catfish out of the missississippi river one early morning. the skis caught enough fish to host a nice little fish fry for the extended family....including fried okra, strawberries, orange jello with fruit chunks, and over 300 shotgun shells to shoot skeet.

.....and just like laura corse says, "a good time was had by all."

a slam dunk or A SLAM DUNK?!?

+Picture from the New York Times

A pander to the left wing pocket books? Cashing in on the Iraqi War? Settling an old score? Or simply telling it like it was? This book is going to be quite the story. George Tenet served the country as head spook for seven years and did, what I feel, a good job in the war against terrorism. His new book will take a close look at how the United States put Iraq in its crosshairs and how the administration took the Republic to war. Regardless, despite the old saying "dont judge a book by its cover," I can't wait to get my hands on this book and devour it. Even if the cover looks a bit feeble.

Damned Terrorists!

Today, as my wife and I traveled across the great Commonwealth to visit my parents and enjoy a nice warm day in God's country, I learned that those filthy good for nothing dog hating tierrerists have struck again and caused chaos amongst the farming community. This time they struck at the heart of the Connecticut River Valley....and most importantly...they attacked my family farm ......and thus made it personal. Rotten scum.

You see, the federal government will begin to severely limit if not eliminate Broad Leaf Tobacco insurance for "cigar" tobacco growers throughout the country as that funding is needed to support the boyz fighting gallantly (despite the liberals thinking otherwise) against those damn tierrerists in Iraq.

Due to this recent development, farmers throughout the Connecticut River Valley are scrambling to grow as much tobacco as possible this year as very few farmers will risk growing the crop in future years because of the lack of insurance. For those wondering, Connecticut River Valley broad leaf tobacco is quite risky to grow due to numerous considerations - hail, strong wind, heavy rain, blue mold or drunken teenagers with four wheelers.

So with that said, this summer, the fields of Western Massachusetts will be a buzz with workers and tractors tending the tobacco fields for one last hurrah. Then the farmers will lay low once again and wait for the demand for tobacco to skyrocket of which will bring back the insurance. Just another cyclical process that will effect the lives of those that tend the fields on a daily basis.

Oh and those that smoke cigars - buy them now because they're going to get expensive again. Believe me. It'll be like the early 90's when Demi Moore was hawking them on that expensive Cigar magazine.

Rotten scum.

War isn't funny, but this movie may be perhaps....

It was only a matter of time that this would happen. In the like of the many war movie spoofs during the 80's, another attempt to humour the masses has begun. Take a look at the trailer. I must admit, it does have a funny twist to it. Not exactly Fallujah....

A higher calling?

This is probably one of the most luckiest people alive. This poor girl is going to have nightmares for the rest of her life. She survived Columbine AND the Virginia Tech massacare. Unbelievable.

Photo of the day

The best caption to go with this picture wins a polish golumpki.

ARE YOU A DEMOCRAT, REPUBLICAN OR SOUTHERNER?

Here is a little test that will help you decide.
The answer can be found by posing the following question:

You're walking down a deserted street with your wife and two small children.
Suddenly, an Islamic Terrorist with a huge knife comes around the corner,
locks eyes with you, screams obscenities, praises Allah, raises the knife,and charges at you.
You are carrying a Glock cal 40, and you are an expert shot.
You have mere seconds before he reaches you and your family. WHAT DO YOU DO??

...............................................................
Democrat's Answer

Well, that's not enough information to answer the question!
Does the man look poor! Or oppressed?
Have I ever done anything to him that would inspire him to attack?
Could we run away?
What does my wife think?
What about the kids?
What does the law say about this situation?
Why am I carrying a loaded gun anyway, and what kind of message does this
send to society and to my children?
Does he definitely want to kill me, or would he be content just to wound me?
Should I call 9-1-1?
Why is this street so deserted?
We need to raise taxes, have paint and weed day and make this a happier,
healthier street that would discourage such behavior.
........................................

Republican's Answer


BANG!
.....................................
Southerner's Answer

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Click..... (Sounds of reloading)
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Click
Daughter: "Nice grouping, Daddy! Were those the Winchester Silver Tips or
Hollow Points?
Son: Can I shoot the next one!
Wife: You Ain't Taking That To The Taxidermist

a real ring of fire

terribly sad news...

johnny cash's house burned today. i have visited this house....i feel like a piece of me lived in this house. sniff, sniff.

Can't Have Easter Without My Peeps!

Well sports fans, its that time of year again. The Easter Holiday is always a time of reflection and sacrifice but its also a time of stupid humor as it is the time of year when Peeps go on sale once again and Peeps Wars begin!

So, go to your local CVS, Walgreens or Walmart and pick up a couple packages of Peeps and some toothpicks and then call your local bookie while you run to the nearest Microwave. It's time for Peeps Wars!

Peep Wars is a lot of fun, especially if you get a good group of friends together, as we did last night, and then haggle over the rules of the game. So to set the record straight, I turned to the ever trustworthy Wikepedia to get the real scoop.

As explained by Wikepedia:

"The messy and largely self-entertaining game, "Peep Jousting" is played with a microwave. One takes two Peeps, and licks the right-hand side of each until sticky. A toothpick is thereby adhered to each Peep, pointing forward like a jousting lance. The Peeps are then set in a microwave, squared off against one another, and heated up. As they expand, the toothpick lances thrust toward each opponent, and the winner is the one that does not pop and deflate. There have been many confirmed deaths of peeps. Ties (both fatal and harmless) are common. Both usually are eaten after the competition, however, regardless who the victor was, calling into question the nature of "winning" in such a circumstance."

So folks, there you have it - the rules of the game so now you too can play!

Oh and if you want to really explore the hidden dark world of peeps, take a look at this. I didn't know Peeps were so popular! Have fun and remember kids, its all fun and games until someone loses an eye or gets a sugar high!

Where in the world?

I know, I know, where in the world are the ski's you're probably asking. Well we've been all over. But to make things interesting, we are going to let our viewers choose where we've been these past few weeks.

Your choices are:

1. Lost somewhere off the coast of Iran. We received directions from the British but got even more lost.

2. Lying in a gutter by a curb somewhere in downtown Boston after twisting an ankle.

3. On top of Mt Washington and then falling down the mountain.

4. Teaching Karl Rove how to "boogie" to rap music.

5. Writing Nancy Pelosi's speech of telling the President to "Calm down with the threats, there is a new congress in town."

6. Getting fitted for my Guardian Angels red beret.

or

7. Overwhelmed by the book Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army by Jeremy Scahill (it's all a right wing christian conspiracy i tell you!)

You decide and let us know!

Mindless Ballyhoo

A new JibJab is out. And its funny. Check it out.

Through Hell and High Snow.....

Today's Associate Press reports:

McCain hires snowplow to clear his way
March 17, 2007

MILFORD, N.H. --Presidential hopeful John McCain isn't letting snow get in the way of his Straight Talk Express in New Hampshire.The Arizona senator has hired a snowplow to help make sure he gets to campaign events though snow, sleet and freezing rain on Saturday.
"We've got one leading the convoy of vehicles," said campaign spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker. "We are prepared for this New Hampshire weather."
McCain had events scheduled in Nashua and Milford in southern New Hampshire, before heading more than an hour and a half north to Lebanon and returning to the southern part of the state for a house party in Bow.

About a foot of snow fell overnight in much of the state. Sleet and rain were expected Saturday.

This my friends is an example of determination. Or, it could be simply that the good folks of Arizona are scared silly of that white stuff that falls from the sky.....

A Spectacular Firestorm or a Spectacular Dud?

Lately, the City of Boston has been in the news regarding Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and the potential dangers that it represents for the “Hub.” Boston is fortunate or unfortunate enough to be the only city to have such a energy resource near its heart. Without LNG, the Northeast would be a bit frosty during the winter.

However, the energy source comes with a price. Out of the various LNG facilities throughout the country, the LNG facility near Boston is the only one located in a highly populated area. So, as you can imagine, after 9/11 it became a “potential terror target” as LNG could (and I stress could) cause a severe firestorm that would burn the city to the ground. Unfortunately, there have been no tests as to see what would really happen to either a tanker ship carrying the cargo or the facility itself if it were to be successfully attacked by terrorists. Just a lot of theoretical “what ifs” represented in congressional studies and white papers. So it could either cause a big boom and incinerate everything for a mile or just fizzle and pop and do nothing. The great unknown represents the terror itself. Regardless, if you enjoy reading end of the world type scenarios, take a look at these articles:

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid35111.aspx

http://news.bostonherald.com/politics/view.bg?articleid=188445

Don’t forget to bring the marshmallow’s...............................

Temporary Lapse of A Blogging Sensation

Sorry folks but the last week or so we have been off being busy doing things we either love or hate. But we're back and that's all we can say.

The Final Voyage

Today, a dream came true.

I was fortunate enough today to be able to get aboard the USS JFK for a private viewing of the carrier. Absoulutely awesome time. The JFK arrived in its last port of call yesterday before it heads off to be decommissioned. And for the next few days, it will be allowing tours for people to view the ship. So today, I got to get aboard and have a looksee.

Braving the pouring rain, I boarded the carrier to take a glimpse of the ship, and this actually meant something to me. Since I can remember, I always wanted to see an "active" warship, let alone a carrier. I know, some kids dream of world peace and solving global warming when they are growing up, but all I wanted to do was visit a warship and see how it operated. As a kid, I always read books on warships and how they operated and loved watching movies like Flight of the Intruder and Top Gun. But I never got the chance to see such a vessel.

So today, I got to ride the huge airplane elevator, see the hangers and the flight deck of such a massive ship - while having a grin on my face the entire time. So with the faint smell of jet fuel in the air, we mingled with the crew, ducked through bulkheads, and climbed up and down the belly of the ship while getting a view of how the crew lived. It was an interesting time. I loved it.

My dream came true, now all I still want to do is land on a carrier one day. Is that too much to ask? That would be an experience!

The People Speak....well the Primates anyways....

Today while I was driving into work, I listened to the funniest thing on the radio. You see, after a couple of incidents involving Guerrilla Marketing, Boston's own Mayor Menino called for a ban on all guerrilla marketing campaigns within the City of Boston. While the Mayor has a few good points towards doing this, since some real stupid things have happened lately here in the "Hub," there is the issue of freedom of speech.

So, the Hillman Radio Show on WAAF decided to wage a little "Gorrilla Warfare" on City Hall to protect the 1st Amendment. (WAAF is a rather conservative radio show so the fact that they were protesting to protect the 1st Amendment was quite something.)

The radio show had Spaz from the show dress up like a gorrilla and protest. Listening to Spaz talk back to the cops and to various civil servants entering the building was just down right hilarious. Especially the point when Spaz was manhandled live on the radio. Quite the show. He made my morning.

Al's Own “Inconvenient Truth”

Interesting article forwarded to me today. I wonder if Leo would have acted differently towards Gore at the Academy Awards if he knew about this......hmmm....naw, probably not, all those that agree with Gore are all driving gas guzzling SUVs or fancy sports cars and not environmently friendly automobiles.

just take the tractor for another round

new favorite song: amarillo sky.

the money line: "diesel's worth the price of gold; it's the cheapest grain he's ever sold."

the video isn't half bad either. the video (go to the link above and click on the name of the song to see the video) shows scenes from a typical midwestern farm and high school boys that want to take over the family farm, despite the economic challenges. hits a soft spot for me.... so i really like the song.

god bless the american farmer. ;)

ash wednesday

today is ash wednesday - the first day of lent. i'm not catholic, but i'm taking part in this christian tradition because my husband is catholic along with every other individual in the entire city of boston. that's right... it's peer pressure.

now, boys and girls, if you recall yur sunday school/catechism classes, lent is the 40 days prior to easter. traditionally, we fast from a particular vice in order to sacrifice, as christ did, during his 40 days in the wilderness.

these days, i think we've gotten a little soft when it comes to lent. we give up stupid little things like soda, swearing, or talking with our mouths full. boo hoo. in the olden days, fasting was a little more severe. see this example from Socrates of Constantinople:

all animal products were strictly forbidden, while others will permit fish, others permit fish and fowl, others prohibit fruit and eggs, and still others eat only bread. In some places, believers abstained from food for an entire day, others took only one meal each day, while others abstained from all food until 3 o'clock. In most places, however, the practice was to abstain from eating until the evening and then a small meal without meat or alcohol was eaten.

so, in order to "toughen up" our lenten tradition, i propose this: your spouse/best friend/significant other gets to choose what you give up for lent. this way, lent would be a true sacrifice, rather than just an excuse to break a bad habit you've been trying to kick.

my husband and i tried this. he thought i should give up sarcasm. i thought he should give up tv.

yea right. i think i'll stick to giving up soda for lent.

The Romney Watch

Check out the following article from the Economist about Mitt Romney.

I particularly found interesting:

"Used to addressing small groups of clever people in suits, he seems slightly awkward on the stump. He glances too often at his notes. He fails to rouse a crowd. He is all substance and not much style."

If he is going to win over either Hillary or Barack "Hussein" Obama, Mitt's gonna have to turn up the charm.

Oh, and Romney was the first candidate to roll out a campaign ad on T.V. The ad went on the air today. Only being shown in New Hampshire and Iowa for the time being.

They call it....the "Dirty Dot"

For the past couple of days my wife has been in Dorchester on business and this part of town is not the nicest of neighborhoods. While not as rough as the "Rox," it certainly tried to be today. After hearing that shots were fired over the radio today in Dorchester, I immediately thought about my sweetheart and decided that I need to get her one of these. All I need is some steel plates and a welder. Hey if they can do it, I can right? This is what a good husband does......

remember sarah palin?

picture from nytimes.com - charles mason

remember the '06 elections and all my talk about sarah palin - alaska's first female governor?

she's back in the news, this time in the ny times. the picture above shows her with her champion snowmobiler husband. (i can't help but draw similarilities between her and myself)

the nyt article talks about her plan to build a natural gas pipeline from the north slope to the lower 48.

Trailblazen'

This weekend the Ski's went up North to "Camp Kabolder" in New Hampshire to do some serious sledding at our friend's place located in the heart of logging country. A hidden location deep in the woods only accessible by snowmobile in the winter time. As always, it was a time filled with good laughs and good fun but per camp rules I unfortunately cannot tell you about them:

Summer Indulgence

It's that time of year sports fans. It's time to overlook the self destruction of last year's season and begin preparing for the new one. I hope we didn't just buy into the hype of Red Sox Nation. Oh well. I don't care, as long as I get to scream KONICHIWA at the top of my lungs while stuffing Sushi into my mouth when Daisuke takes the mound at least once.

mcfadden and part d

a good article by dan mcfadden in the journal about Part D. it talks about the program, but my favorite part is the discussion about the healthcare industry in america.

interesting info:

In terms of health delivered per dollar of cost, our system is grotesquely inefficient. We spend $6,102 per person on health care each year, nearly 17% of GDP. Our neighbor Canada's single-payer system costs $3,165 per person per year, about half our expenditure, or 10% of their GDP. The Canadian costs and health outcomes are typical of developed countries, where government managed and financed systems predominate. The extra cost of our system is not buying us better health. The probability of dying between ages 15 and 60, a good indicator of failure of a health-care system to prevent and treat disease, is 8.1% for females in the U.S.; in Canada, the same probability is 5.7%.

very interesting consideration:

About a third of all medical costs are incurred in the last year of life, and are at best marginally effective. The incentives in the system do not force hard choices.

“McCain is yesterday, Giuliani is today, Romney is tomorrow”

Today Mitt Romney, retired Governor of Massachusetts, announced that he is running for president. After giving his “Here I Am” speech today in Michigan, Mitt Romney has officially entered the race for the U.S. Presidency.

In the last 44 years since Massachusetts provided the last U.S. Senator elected president, 35 sitting senators and governors have sought, with varying degrees of seriousness, presidential nominations. This upcoming election, Mitt has a decent shot of securing such nomination. Mitt's time in Massachusetts has given him the proven ability to govern across America’s increasingly vast political divide (come on this is Massachusetts!) As the lone red dot in the bluest of blue states, he has proven himself, rather difficulty, that he is able to make things happen in a partisan environment by providing health care for all, balancing the state budget, and reorganizing the state’s workforce.

Additionally, what I like most of all, is that he’ s a self made business man, has a loving productive family, and is a man of great personal character (no skeletons in this guys closet folks – in fact he saved people from drowning in New Hampshire!) Oh and let’s not forget about what he did with the Winter Olympics and his accomplishments in the private sector. This is important because out of all the candidates (both sides) for president thus far, Mitt is the only successful business man. Such a background will help as he’ll have something else to talk about besides being a politician all his life. Heck, he even looks presidential.

It’s also interesting that we can’t pick the Republican nominee out of the “litter” as of yet. Generally, one can usually predict the Republican nominee two to three years out somewhat reliably. And this lack of an identified nominee is what I believe gives Mitt a real chance at securing the nomination. Currently, GOP front runners John McCain and Rudy Giuliani are not beloved by the religious right – which will hinder their chances of winning the nomination. And Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback are loved by the evangelicals but have little name recognition nationwide-further hindering their chances.

Therefore, no Republican front runner has been “selected” by the party at this point – not even Giuliani. This allows Romney to introduce himself to the world as a fiscal and social conservative which allows for better positioning to become a more likeable candidate. During this time, Romney has wasted no time in waging a strong campaign by hiring tested advisors, creating a large war chest, and visiting key states throughout the country. How Romney uses this time will dictate whether or not he becomes the nominee for the party – obvious huh?

Thankfully his middle name isn’t Hussein.

However, there are a couple of issues that I think may prohibit Mitt from reaching Pennsylvania Avenue:

1.) Lack of Foreign Policy Experience. This will be a key factor in winning the nomination of either party in 2008. Between Islamic radicalism, Chinese interests, and a current bug up the Russian Bear’s behind, this country will need a sharp leader to get us through such challenges – and I question whether or not Romney has this capability. Although I did get a kick out of his refusal to provide Khatami a security escort a few months ago over at Harvard. Probably just made a few more enemies that we’ll have to conquer eventually.

2.) He’s from Massachusetts – not really a breeding ground for conservatives so carrying the state is a likely NYET!

3.) He’s a Mormon - I really don’t care but plenty of people in this country do. Kind of interesting that this wasn’t such an issue for Orin Hatch back in 2000, but I guess he had bigger issues to contend with – i.e. McCain and Bush.

By 2008, the American people will probably demand a president who can think broadly about an issue based on principle, and who can also build bridges to get things done. I think Romney can do it but there will be no endorsement from me at this time. It’s way too early for that.

Stay tuned.

For further reading on Mitt, take a look at the following links:

http://blog.electromneyin2008.com/
http://www.americansformitt.com/
http://presidentmittromney.blogspot.com/
http://mittromney2008.blogspot.com/


Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah!!!!!!

welcome back

you may have noticed that we have cleaned up around here. hope you enjoy our new look.