Mango

I recently bought these 6 mangos from the local "BJ's" wholesale club. What a tasty Brazilian treat! These mangos are the "Tommy Atkins variety so if you are on the "Atkins" diet they are probably an approved food. Mangos are an excellent source of vitamins A and C, flavorful and a good source of fiber, or so I am told by the mango box.

There is an old saying "It takes two to tango"; but I'm not sure if it takes "Mu to mango".

 

Mu as most of us know is an alleged "lost continent" as well as "Atlantis" and "Lemuria". I'm not sure if mangos originated in mythical Mu but the Pacific area of the Mu continent was probably warm enough to grow mango trees.

Trussed

Raise high the roof beam carpenters; as The Soundings Resort in Dennis Port on Cape Cod is progressing with their  22 unit  "Nantucket" building. The roof trusses are being installed along with the plywood siding. This building will have a walkway to the oceanfront beach area in the middle of the building so guests won't have to walk all the way around the building to reach the outdoor pool and oceanfront private beach.

Who is John Galt?

Who is John Galt?  Do you know or do you just shrug your shoulders and say "Beats me!". In this country there are some people who seem to carry "the world on their shoulders" while others sit back and feel that they entitled  to a living for free from the government and demand that the working class  pay for their free benefits with higher and higher taxes and regulations. Yes, in this country most people can be classified as producers or parasites. Which are you?

What would/will happen if the productive members of society decide it's not worth working so hard? Will the government arrest the working class people or coerce people to produce for the people who sponge off the efforts of others?

I saw a bookmark yesterday in the local coin store that said "Who is John Galt?" I know who he is, do you.? I bet Senator Rand Paul and former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan know who John Galt is.

Un-Occupied

I wonder what happened to the "Occupy Movement"? It is just like these "band of gypsies" disappeared from the face of the earth or at least from all the cities. No more tent cities anywhere protesting the "evil greedy 1%ers". Hey, maybe they met all their goals; whatever they were. Maybe they all decided to get a job and try to be a "1%er" as well. Maybe the whole point of the occupy movement was to make sure President Obama was re-elected and to paint Republican nominee Mitt Romney as a "greedy vulture capitalist". Yes, maybe all the occupy members are preoccupied and too busy shopping at "Staples" for a bargain computer or smart phone not realizing that Mitt Romney helped get the "Staples" business going. Maybe the former occupy participants are spending hours and days trying to sign on to the "Affordable Healthcare website" and don't have time anymore to trash the city parks with their piles of garbage and try to disrupt city traffic. Maybe the occupy movement members are all at "The Sports Authority"(another Mitt Romney /Bain Capital venture)  trying on some new shoes so they can gear up for the 2014 and 2016 election cycles.

Somehow the lack of current "occupy movement" activity has made the cities cleaner by their absence. These "un-occupied"  city parks are just not the same. The post occupy era is just not the same as cities return to their "pre-occupied" state.

Beer Popcorn

 Here's an interesting video that shows you how to make a popcorn maker out of a beer can. Make sure though that you drink the beer first all the way to the bottom of the can. I tried this once with a half full can of beer and was left with a soggy mess of beer and soggy popcorn.  Also, this only works with a can; I experimented with a plastic  bottle instead of a can and the bottle melted all over my stove top, not a pretty sight with a smoky foul smelling plastic smell. I also tried this with a beer bottle but was unable to cut a hole in the side of the bottle so I gave up with bottles.
    Amazingly, this beer can popcorn popper works with other brands of beer can besides Foster  but Foster  does have a larger size can than most brands so if you want a good amount of beer can popped popcorn then Foster is a good choice.  Popcorn and beer is always a good combination but make sure you have more beer or you pour the beer into a glass or mug so you can drink your beer with the freshly popped popcorn.

Addadecktome

 My parent's home in Connecticut is undergoing an "addadectome". The procedure although quite expensive was necessary as the previous deck was starting to rot and slope at an angle and generally unsafe. The contractors found a few boulders when digging to put in the support columns. May the old roof" rest in pieces" with its memories. This new deck is guaranteed for 40 years so when my parents are 124 years old they will have to replace the deck again I imagine.

"Live and Learn"

I guess in life we all "live and learn" from mistakes made so we don't ideally "make the same mistake twice". For example, last night before retiring to my bed and "dreamland" I decided to brush my teeth with some "Plus White Speed Whitening Finishing Polish". I understand there a "Fifty Shades of White" or something like that so I wanted to move my teeth up to a whiter shade of white. Well, by mistake, I dipped my toothbrush into the "Avon Basics Vita Moist" face cream jar and started "brushing away" for a few moments. Then I started to realize that my mouth had a funny taste in it and this funny taste made me laugh out loud before "PEETOOWY" I spit out as much as the face cream as I could into the sink. You see, although my mouth is part of my face, inside my mouth is usually fairly moist and I really don't need a moisturizer inside my mouth. If I get "dry mouth" I usually just get a drink of water or some other liquid.

So, lesson learned, although both containers are white on the outside, it  does matter what is inside that counts. Kind of like with people I guess; we all have an exterior package but have different personalities inside. Just as teeth whitener is not a good facial cream, I did learn that facial cream is not a good teeth whitener. "Live and Learn".

My China Tea

 My UCONN college roommate Jack recently returned from a trip to China. He was there during typhoon season and had to stay four extra nights in Hong Kong and fly back "business class" rather than coach due to the weather disrupting the air flights. Luckily he had trip insurance so he and his traveling companion didn't have to pay for the flight upgrade and the extra hotel nights.

 

Jack brought back this "Rickshaw Iron Buddha Tea" from China to me. No, this isn't my company tea and I don't get any royalties for them using my name. Imagine if I for example received a dollar for every box of "rickshaw tea" and with about 1.2 billion people in China more or less; why I could easily earn over 1 billion dollars I bet in no time at all!

Axel's 1st Birthday Party

Nephew Axel takes the (cup)cake and eats it during his first birthday party.

Building Up & Tearing Down at The Soundings Resort

 Things are building up and tearing down at The Soundings Resort this Fall as the renovation of this five acre oceanfront  Blugreen managed resort continues in Dennis Port on Cape Cod. Currently a new 22 unit luxury resort building is under construction and replacing the original 44 unit direct ocean view building which was constructed in the 1950's and 1960's. The pool building originally constructed in the mid 1970's is being torn down and being replaced with a brand new indoor pool. The original pool building from what I have been told was constructed with a huge crane located in the parking lot lifting the "wishbone like" wood support beams over the lobby area rooms. That must have been quite a sight!

Construction of this building phase is scheduled to be completed near the end of May 2014 and the Soundings Resort will boast the newest rooms on Cape Cod. The only thing these new rooms will overlook is the private Nantucket Sound ocean beach.

NIN 2013 Tension Concert Tour 10/11/13 TD Garden Boston ("Breathless")

I rode the P & B bus from Barnstable on the Cape to Boston on Friday 10/11/13 to see "NIN" (Nine Inch Nails) at the TD Garden. What a show!  I have never seen such a "light show" before at a concert. The concert stage had a "LED" type of cage that descended in front of the stage and band with all sorts of "crazy" light patterns somehow projected on the front of this cage. A few of the songs started with large amounts of generated "fog and smoke" from smoke machines situated on either side of the stage with so much "greyish,blackish" smoke that you would almost think a fire broke out as this huge wave of smoke almost filled the whole arena. During one song there was a fellow on stage with some sort of video camera filming the band as they played and the image projected on the rear screens was a combination of a picture that changed into red laser imagery. Yes the lighting effects truly......left one "breathless" with their complexity and synchronization with the music. There were of course "strobe lights", as well as many "whirling lights descenting from above the stage , stage lights shining into the crowd as well as on to the band, and columns of lights in back of the band as well as the "LED" lighted cage.

Concerts in big arenas are always a good place to find "bargain beer" and snacks. Why, I bought a 10-12 ounce plastic cup of Sam Adams Boston Lager beer in the stadium concourse and it only cost me $9.00! I don't know how they make any money at that price. I also purchased a small bag of shelled peanuts for the mere price of $5.00; another bargain indeed! I must admit that I did spill some of the peanut shells near my seat onto the floor; I do hope that they have someone available to clean up the shells after the show. OOPs! sorry about that. 

Trent Reznor, the main creative force behind "Nine Inch Nails" assembled a total of eight musicians for this incarnation and tour. The concert lasted about 2 hours and consisted of some new songs from the recently released album "Hesitation Marks" as well as some of the older material such as "Head Like A Hole" and "Hurt". This show was an energetic performance and included 2 "back up singers" which I understand were never present in previous tours. There was a "mosh pit" on the main floor of the "open seating" section as well as a few big balloons bouncing about the main floor. 

After departing the bus terminal at "South Station" I walked over to the MBTA (the "T") Red Line station and took the Red Line to "Park Street" where I changed to the "Green Line" subway to "North Station" and the TD Garden venue. After the concert I of course had to retrace my subway route to get to the Cape Cod bus which is scheduled to depart at 11:50 pm. being the last bus of the day with the next bus departing at 6:35 am. It got a little "dicey" for me as a remember the subway clock showing a time of 11:42 pm. while I was waiting in the Park Street station with South Station being the second "Red Line" stop. Luckily I was wearing my "Saucony" brand running shoes that night as I was calculating that it would be "hit or miss" on me arriving on time for the 11:50 pm. Cape bus. I ended up having to sprint from the Red Line South Station stop through the South Station rail terminal, past about a 200 yard open section of walkway where people board the trains, through an "S' turn at the bottom of the train area into the bus terminal, up a long set of stairs that reminded me of the "Rocky" stairs in Philadelphia as the escalators were closed for  the night. around a right hand corner and about an 80 yard straight away then up another large stairway by another closed escalator then through that crowded bus terminal to the Cape departure point. While running this "gauntlet" I was thinking, "I hope I don't have to spend all night in the bus station by missing the bus by a minute or two". I've missed bus connections from Logan airport and the South Station bus terminal before and didn't look forward to the possibility of being once again "homeless for the night in Boston". I was also thinking, "Gee, this running and dodging people reminds me of the old "Hertz " rental car commercial where "OJ Simpson" was running through an airport terminal and leaping over chairs. While climbing the first set of stairs I was starting to feel very "winded" but I pushed through the "breathless" state spurred by the desire as described not to have to stay all night in the bus station. Fortunately, although I arrived at 11:53 pm. at the departure area for the Cape Cod bus; the bus was late and arrived around midnight so I was there "wheezing and gasping" in my hyperventilating state as it took me a few minutes to recover to normal breathing.

Between the awesome concert and light show that left me breathless in amazement and the journey to the bus stop that literally left me breathless I definitely had a memorable night.

Nantucket Spirits

  This past week while inspecting homes on Nantucket for insurance updates I came across this "Thai Spirit House" in a tree in the front yard. The owners of this property besides living on Nantucket also have a boat that they use to "sail the seven seas". Spirit houses are used to house spirits so that they are happy and don't cause trouble for the inhabitants of the land nearby. Yes, even spirits don't like to be homeless. This 2 story spirit house has a ladder from the ground to the house as well as a ladder to the upper spirit house levels. There is also a little elephant out front so the spirits can travel around the island if they so choose.

Urban Cowboy

Yes, it looks like we have an " urban cowboy" in the White House. Like Gary Cooper in the movie "High Noon" our president Obama against the will of the American populace with a coalition of one nation so far (USA) seems willing to attack Syria on behalf of the terrorist rebels of Syria over a claim that Syria's Assad used chemical weapons against its citizens thus crossing the "red line" set by President Obama. And how does using chemical weapons in Syria affect America's interests with the potential of leading to an escalation perhaps of World War III by bringing Iran and possibly Russia into the Syrian civil war? I don't know. I do know however if President Bush were president today and did what President Obama is proposing there would be a "national outcry" and demonstrations across America about "Bush the cowboy war monger".

Now, what is the objective of sending bombs, cruise missile, and maybe a few "killer drones" into Syria when it has been reported that the "rebels" have used chemical weapons themselves and may even have used them this time just to bring America into this conflict and provide them with an air force that they don't have? Obama has stated that this proposed action is not for "regime change" but to show that chemical weapons use can and will not be tolerated without consequences.

Is America's role in the world to be the enforcer of world behavior against all atrocities? If so, then where was America when hundreds of thousands of people were being butchered and starved to death in Africa in western Sudan (Darfur)  or in Uganda where approximately 1.9 million people were displaced ? Where was America when dissidents in Iran wanted to topple their theocratic government? Where is America when Christian citizens in Egypt are killed and their churches burned? Is Obama's "red line" only concerned with how people are killed (chemical) versus being butchered by machetes, shot, or burned alive?

Oh, and what is the calculation of how many civilians will be killed with the US missile attack? Possibly or probably more people will die as "collateral damage" from the US attack if it comes than were killed by any chemical weapons. What happens if a missile strays off course and kills a few Russian advisers stationed in Syria?

Maybe, like in a chess game, the world leaders are thinking a few moves ahead. Maybe, by lobbing a few missiles into Syria, Iran will direct missiles into Israel. Israel will then attack Iran and attempt to destroy the Iranian nuclear facilities.

Yes, our "urban cowboy" in the White House if he proceeds is playing a dangerous game where  many unforeseen and unintended consequences can develop. I think we should "stay away" from this situation and let the Syrian government and the rebel terrorists fight it out amongst themselves. You didn't see any Syrians intervening in the American Civil War of the 1860's did you?

Hot Stuff

  Here's a photo of a few hot peppers I grew in my garden this year. I tried eating a whole one recently and for sure these peppers are "hot stuff!" My mouth , tongue, and lips felt like they were on fire and swollen and numb all at the same time.

Yes, this pepper was hot ...but not as hot I imagine as the "Ghost Pepper" (Bhut Jokolia) which is the hottest pepper in the world and approximately 400 times hotter than "Tabasco" sauce.

Some peppers have been used as a weapon and recently the "Trinidad Moruga Scorpion" pepper has superseded as of 2012 the title of world's hottest pepper. Peppers are rated using the Scoville heat units and the "Ghost Pepper" of up to 1,041,027 units compared with Tabasco rating of 2,500 to5,000 "Scoville heat units. Hot stuff indeed!

A Sweet Death

▶ Real News: REAL HISTORY: BOSTON MOLASSES DISASTER - YouTube  I don't know why but today I was thinking about the Great Boston Molasses Disaster of January 15, 1919 where 21 people died and 150 people were injured when a huge molasses tank blew apart with what was described as sounding like machine gun bullets as thousands of steel rivets popped off of the huge molasses tank sending a river of molasses traveling thirty five miles an hour and between 8 and 15 feet high as approximately 2,300,000 gallons of molasses roared through the North End leaving death and destruction in its wake.

Some people say that before you are born you choose your "life path" and also your death is also determined in advance. This theory states that there are no "accidental deaths". I guess these people chose a "sweet death" by molasses. There is an expression "slow as molasses" but with this raging river of molasses "ole molasses" wasn't slow on that day.

Would you choose "death by molasses"?  Or would you rather drown in a huge vat of cold beer?  Or would you choose dying by falling off of a mountain?  Did you choose to die in your sleep? Did you choose a "quick death" or a lingering slow battle from some affliction or other?

Some people say that being born is more traumatic than dying and that no one really dies as your soul is eternal as you transition from one level of consciousness here on the earthly plane to the next level of existence. God knows, time will tell.

Doppelganger

As most people know (not I suspect) it is said that everyone in the world has a "doppelganger". A doppelganger is different from a "gangdopehanger" or a "subwaystraphanger".  I think I wrote in the past about meeting my potential doppelganger while attending the University of Connecticut. A doppelganger as we all know is a "body double" or a "non-twin" person that could be considered a twin.The reason for me to reprise the "doppelganger" concept is a person I met this week on Nantucket Island. I met the policyholder and His Dad for an insurance inspection. When I saw the father I thought " Man, this guy is a "spitting image" of New England Patriot's owner Robert "Bob" Kraft. This man I met confirmed that many people have mistaken him for Mr. Kraft.  What is also interesting is that this man also is known as dressing like Mr. Kraft with the blue suit white collar look and both gentleman own homes in the same areas of Cape Cod and Florida. Both men even seem to speak the same way and one time they both were within 20 feet of each other at a charity event. Have you met your doppelganger?

"Happy Corn Dog Day!"

 Happy Corn Dog Day Everybody!!  I'm not sure if today is the official "Corn Dog  Day all over the world; but for me at least this year in my house I have proclaimed this day to be "Corn Dog Day". There is something satisfying about eating "food on a stick"; and I think, kind of fun too! How many of you enjoy sucking on a lollipop, or an ice cream bar or pop sickle? When ordering "Chinese food" I often enjoy "meat on a stick" such as "beef or chicken teriyaki". "Shish kabobs" are always fun on the outdoor grill. Who doesn't like toasting marsh mellows? 

Maybe some of us humans enjoy eating food on a stick from our ancient ancestors who used to cook everything over an open fire once they learned how to create and make a fire. Before there were knives, forks and spoons there were fingers and then sticks as far as eating utensils are concerned. Probably our ancestors first used to just hold their food in their hands over an open fire to cook their meat and vegetables. Then they learned to stick a stick through their food so they could get away from burning their hands so much and not having to breathe so much smoke.

Yes, "corn dogs" show part of the human evolution of eating food but still retain the past association of eating food on a stick. Plus, with a "corn dog" you don't have to buy a hot dog roll unless you really like rolls; then of course, you can just put your "corn dog" inside a roll. Hot Dog! I can't wait till next year's "Corn Dog Day" to have yet another "corn dog!".

Liberty Versus Security

Well now, what do you think of the ("OBAMA" )administration being exposed  for monitoring through the "NSA" apparently virtually all phone calls, e-mails, "Blogs" (maybe even this one) to try supposedly "protect us from potential terrorist threats" without our knowledge or consent? I personally think that this policy( "SUCKS"). It is one thing to monitor with just cause in the name of the general welfare genuine potential terrorist suspects but to allegedly monitor every public interaction does to me seem a bit much and frankly unconstitutional and actions more reserved for a totalitarian police state. The current Democratic ("DONKEY") administration to me is acting like a bunch of dictatorial "jackasses". These actions some would say are reminiscent of the "enemies list" era of Richard M. ("DICK") Nixon; only on steroids. Yes, the "Patriot Act" was established under the Bush administration; but, Obama has not only extended the Patriot Act provisions but expanded their scope to a level reminiscent of the 1940's German and Soviet all powerful governments. I guess for some this is OK as of course Obama is not Bush. Obama supporters are I guess content to give away their Liberties in the name of Security. It will be interesting to see what the future will bring with this almost "a scandal a day" administration.

Something Fishy

 Something fishy my way did come. Working at the Soundings resort in Dennisport and not just for scale, a guest had some great fishing success and offered me these here fish if I had the guts to clean them. Well, after cleaning them I surely had the guts as well as some tasty white fish. I did have a bone to pick with this fish dinner I made as I pan fried the fish fillets in olive oil on the stove top. I didn't have a "descale tool " and didn't think I should use a potato peeler to scrape off the scales before cooking. What I found though, to my surprise is that when you heat up the fish the scales come right off. I did not know that....but now I do!

Some people I guess do eat the fish eyes and also make fish head soup. Not me, I passed on these delicacies. I had quite the time cleaning these Sea Bass fish. It rained yesterday on the Cape and I thought " Well, this is perfect weather to clean the fish!" I went outside on my back deck with a cutting board, a few assorted knives, and a pair of tongs to try to dissect and degut these fish. I should have tried to film this action as although deceased these fish put up quite a battle; probably as I didn't have the right type or sharp enough knife. It took a while to hack off the fish heads and rip out the fish guts and a few times these fish squirmed away from me and fell of the deck down to the patio pavement stones below. I then proceeded to catch these dead fallen fish and wash them off with an outside faucet in addition to the steady rain that was falling throughout the fish filleting process.

 

In the end I had a good fish fry feast and buried the fish heads and fish guts out in a garden area in front of my house.

Natural Shave

 Every so often including today, I decide that I should treat myself to a close shave with a straight edge razor clam. I find the razor clam doesn't nick my chin like a metal blade and there is something satisfying about using a clam for a natural shave. I'm not sure but I think the Native American Indians used to use razor clams as I have never seen any bearded American Indian photographs and I do know that the shore dwelling American Indians used to eat fish, lobsters, and other ocean foods as well as using certain shells as "wampum" as a form of money. Maybe this is where the straight edge razor originated; I don't know.

GOLD FINGER

 I midas well admit it I'm a James Bond fan and "Goldfinger" is one of my favorite "Bond" films. Ole James over the years never seems to age too much but he must have had a lot of "face surgeries" over the years as sometimes James Bond has dark hair sometimes lighter hair, sometimes a "cleft in his chin and sometimes not in the movies and I swear, although I could be mistaken that Mr. Bond, James Bond even changes his height. Maybe as part of a disguise he employs "elevator shoes" with lifts but for some reason in some films Mr. Bond doesn't even look at all like he does in other movies; you could almost swear he is an entirely different person. I guess that is what you have to do if you are a "secret agent". The different looks that James Bond in the movies employs somewhat reminds me of "Inspector Clouseau" of the "Pink Panther" movies as the inspector would often employ many disguises during his investigative process. I swear though recently although I could be wrong; Chief Inspector Clouseau even resembles the comedian "Steve Martin". Call me wild and crazy but that's what I think.

 

I guess as we all age over time we all start to look different but James Bond and Inspector Clouseau to me really look so different over time  more  than other people I have met in my life..

 

 

Glass Outpost Pinecones

 I saw this outdoor coat rack today in Dennisport on Cape Cod. It always amazes me that glass is a liquid as it sure appears solid to me. I guess in life things aren't always what they appear to be.

 

This glass outpost reminded me of the song by the Boston band "Human Sexual Response" and their song "Land of the Glass Pinecones" which describes I think a scene after "last call" at some bars where people toss their empty bottles into the shrubs and trees and alleyways while leaving the club.

 

"Land of the glass pinecones

They only grow for the full moon
The farmers never gather them
The magic cones are heaven-sent
Land of the glass pinecones
Their seeds are made of rhinestones
The squirrels never scatter them
They know what rhinestone seeds portend
Land of the glass pinecones
They smash on the grass when the wind blows
The splinters fly throughout the land
And pierce the eye of every manLand of the glass pinecones
The eye now sees what the tree knows
The splinters burn, but then we learn
That when we spend we have to bend
Its all a part of nature's plan
All a part of nature's plan
Land of the glass pinecones "

So everybody, sing along as you litter and smash your bottles after the bars close.

"DEADMAU5 DEAD MOUSE"

 Over the last few days I have been listening on "Pandora" to a selection that starts off with the "techno electronic" artist DEADMAU5. I was discussing this with Pete at the Soundings Resort in Dennisport on Cape Cod. The next day (May 1st) I walk out of my house to get the daily mail and right by my front step I see this "dead mouse". This appears to be a "synchronous" event as I had never until the last few days played any "DEADMAU5" music or discussed this with anyone.

 

Some schools of thought say that through thought and intent everyone "creates their own reality" and what you think about will manifest itself in your life if you focus enough. Although I didn't think I thought that much about "DEADMAU5" or dead mice for that matter I guess I may have thought about it enough so that the universe manifested this dead mouse to my doorstep.

 

Some people also say that certain dreams can foretell future events in your waking life. I remember quite a while ago for example in one of my dreams I saw a gold ring. Wouldn't you know the next day after this dream I was walking down to the Swan River beach in West Dennis and I spied and picked up a gold class ring with a red stone on the side of the road.

 

What else does the "DEADMAU5"/dead mouse connection symbolize? I don't know. Maybe there is a neighborhood hunting cat around and this cat just wanted to show me its latest kill.

"Drink of the Gods"

 Lately I've been buying this organic "Yerba Mate" drink at the local "Shaw's" supermarket where I buy a lot of my groceries. I like going to a supermarket that is named after me.

 

This tropical rain forest based drink from South America's Ache Guayaki tribe is known by the tribe as the "drink of the Gods". Now, this drink is stimulating and similar somewhat to coffee in its effect; but how does this tribe know what God drinks? There is a song called "In Heaven There Is No Beer" so apparently God according to this song doesn't drink beer OR, maybe God drinks beer nonstop and there is no beer left for the people in Heaven as God keeps all the heavenly beer for himself.

 

I wonder if there is any food in the afterlife. In the Bible there is mention of" Manna" from Heaven as food just falls down from the sky. Maybe everyone in Heaven eats angel food cake and marshmellow fluff. Maybe there is no food in Heaven at all. God knows.

 

Is God a vegetarian? Does God like a good steak and potato? I imagine if you are God you can eat anything at any time in any quantity and never get fat unless you want to be fat; or you can not eat at all but still have plenty  of energy.

 

So, if you want a drink that is balanced, nutritious, with a energetic "buzz" drink the drink that the Gods prefer: "Yerba Mate".

 

TWO HEADED GOAT

 I saw this goat today that appears to be a "Siamese goat" or a "two headed goat" if you will at an Audubon preserve in Cummaquid on Cape Cod. Probably some poor farmer donated this goat as I'm sure a goat like this is harder to care for that the typical one headed goat. One advantage of being a two headed goat I imagine is you do have an extra pair of eyes to watch out for any dangerous situations. Also, with two heads there is always someone nearby to converse with in goat language. Sometimes though being so attached to someone may have disadvantages: for example say one goat head says to the other,"Remember the time our friend "Billie" found a full can of premixed Long Island Ice Tea and he not only drank the whole can right down but ate the can as well? The other goat replies,"Uh Yeah" I was right here with you."

 

Another advantage of being a "Siamese goat" I imagine is during the county fair "Three legged sack race" this goat pair has a lifetime of preparation. Yes, this goat is interesting for sure and I'm sure it has many unusual stories to tell the kids.

Sheepish

I saw these three sheep today in Brewster, Mass on Cape Cod while inspecting a house for an insurance survey. These sheep were a little sheepish as they kept their distance from me and didn't run over to me. They posed for this picture quite well not like most dogs that I'm supposed to photograph during my inspections as a lot of dogs run around when I visit them or want to jump on me. Believe it or not the owner of these sheep plays music for them over an outdoor speaker and when I arrived the sheep were listening to the classic "Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs" song "Woolly Bully". These sheep didn't run away and hide like some cats I meet. Some cats are curious and will come over to me, other cats just kind of look at me for a second or two and then go about with whatever they were doing before I arrive, some cats though are real "scardy cats" as they run into a bedroom and hide under the covers.

Yes, many animals have different types of "personalities" or should I say "animalities". These sheep although sheepish were not "baaaaad" even though they bleated a couple of times.

You Devil You

From the "Drudge Report " and "The London Mail" is this photo of the comparison of an actor playing "The Devil"in the "Bible Television Series" and someone else. Some people claim that there is a resemblance between these two faces, do you agree? I don't know, one picture (on the left) is wearing a "hoodie" while the other guy is not. Yes, one of these photos may represent "Satan" to some, the question is which one?

Sequestration

Sequestration, a word sweeping the nation, the Obama administration to much consternation and quite a bit of trepidation is using intimidation and exaggeration with no hesitation to purport the allegation of ruination should the initiation of the sequestration occur starting March 1st. I await with anticipation and hopefully no negotiation or further taxation the fruition of  the sequestration initiation. President Obama initiated the sequestration situation and is now trying to blame the republicans. It is a sad frustration situation if our governmental situation cannot submit to an accommodation of discretional spending reduction of such a small diminution compared with the total gargantuan governmental compilation of  super spending. Woe to all of us if a reduction in spending cannot be done responsibly through sequestration and without further taxation.

"Top Dog"

  Yes, the presidential elections of 2012 are now over. Hence, I was surprised to see a booth from the Cape Cod Dog Eaters Club at the Cape Cod Mall where I was shopping recently. They had a little table set up by the pet store and were trying to sell their remaining tee shirts left over from their endorsement of the re-election of President Obama. Now, President Obama, (the current top dog) was not my candidate, but, sometimes I can't resist a bargain as they were practically giving these shirts away. Why, they would even barter for dog biscuits, any spare dog that you didn't want anymore or even accept EBT card payments for these fine quality tee shirts.

Let me be clear, I am not a dog eater (except hot dogs on occasion)  but I do believe in the First Amendment of the Constitution and if you and President Obama have eaten dogs then who am I to dictate to you that you can't do this. Muslims for example in their religion are not supposed to eat pig products such as yummy bacon or drink alcoholic beverages. To that I say, "Great, all the more for me!" Some cultures eat bats, snakes, grasshoppers, monkey brains, and countless other native delicacies that I personally haven't tried and probably have no strong desire to try.

I was curious though about this dog eating group so I did ask them a little bit about their canine cuisine.  "What kind of dogs do you prefer to eat and how do you prepare these dog dishes?  Each person at the booth had a different favorite and some of their answers were as follows: "I enjoy a nice puppy dog tartar as the young raw puppy meat with some chopped garlic and onion, a little sea salt is quite delicious". Another canine chewer responded, "I like a nice Chihuahua chimichanga as I prefer spicy food." A third dog devourer described his favorite as a "Cocker Spaniel chowder" that he prepares in a slow cooker along with some carrots, potato, and celery.

So,there you have it, I did forget to pick up some of the Cape Cod Dog Eater Club literature as I personally am not interested in eating dogs or joining this club but I think they mentioned that they have a website. You could also probably check your local area for the nearest dog eating club and I understand that they will usually accept new members even if you are not a supporter of President Obama or have never eaten dog before. Yes in this "dog eat dog" world and stressful economic times there are a small but growing faction of "people eat dog" adherents.

A Scoreless Start

 Here is a photo taken today from the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut prior to the noon start of the UCONN vs Villanova men's college basketball game. It almost looks like the British "redcoats" from revolutionary wartime comprise the color guard. It was a "Dow Jones" game for a while (up and down with both teams trading leads) but in the end the scoreless start ended with a Villanova victory to the dismay of the "Husky" home crowd. In retrospect, UCONN doesn't seem to have a good record of success with noon starts; maybe this is too early for some of the college basketball lifestyle as I'm sure a few of the UCONN players were up perhaps all hours of the night before studying and doing their homework. I guess you can't always "win 'em all" and maybe the Huskies were still basking in the afterglow of crushing the #6 ranked  Orange of Syracuse in their last game.

It was fun to see the game however and also to see some of my UCONN friends from good ole "Crandall D", South Campus where we lived in 1975.

Seven Swans A Swimin'

 I saw these seven swans a swimin' today on Swan Pond in West Yarmouth on Cape Cod. I wonder what these swans thought of the recent snow blizzard and whether they could see each other during the snow "whiteout". Hmm, these "seven swans a swimin' " would be a good phrase to include in a song of some sort. Being Valentines Day today, maybe these seven swimming swans would be a good gift to give to your true love? Especially if two swans were directly facing each other;with their long curved necks they would form a heart shape. Yes, this would be a good Valentines gift or maybe a good Easter gift as these swans I'm sure would produce huge Easter eggs. A Christmas gift, not so much. I don't know.What do you think?

"Prison Talk"

During the recent "Blizzard" in Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick (D) (of course) declared a ban on non essential automobile traffic from 4:00 pm of Friday. Subject to discretion, anyone caught on the roads after 4:00 pm was subject to a $500.00 fine or a year in jail for violating this edict. Now, I understand that during a snow event it is easier to clear the roads with fewer cars on the road BUT, are these fines perhaps a little extreme? On Cape Cod in Dennis Port at 4:00 pm Friday there was maybe 1/4 inch of snow, (I may be exaggerating because there could have been 1/8 inch of snow).

I wonder how many people are now going through the court system due to this driving ban, how many people are getting hauled off to prison, and how many thousands of dollars in fines were assessed?

I can almost picture the conversations of the newly imprisoned trouble maker car driving defiers as they talk with their fellow prison inmates. "So, what you in for dude?, armed robbery?, killin' somebody?, pushin' smack?, pimpin' some ho's?" And you have to reply,"Ah, no, I was driving after 4:00 pm. on Cape Cod through about a quarter inch of snow and this state policeman arrested me for some sort of Gubernatorial decree about some sort of traffic ban. I thought this guy was joking with me so I asked him if he was crazy. My car radio wasn't  working and nobody at the Cape Cod tunnel where I work told me anything about this driving ban. Besides, how was I supposed to get home from work?, walk the 25 miles from my job in Sandwich to Dennis? The trooper wasn't amused so here I am stuck in prison costing the public probably $50,000 for my year sentence. Oh well, at least I'll get 3 meals a day and a free place to stay. Sucks for my family though as I'll lose my job and they'll all have to go on welfare. How about you? What brings you to this prison place?" "Well, the veteran  prisoner replies, I got caught removing some damn tag from my mattress and my cellmate got caught for compulsive littering AND j-walking".

Now, what do you think? Does the punishment fit the crime? Is Massachusetts safer with a few less drivers on the road? Well, maybe every one's commute to and from work will be slightly easier with these criminal drivers off the roads but to me I don't think we need a Governor who has to try to intimidate the whole state with a driving ban particularly parts of the state like Cape Cod where at the time of the ban there really wasn't any snow to speak of at the start of the 4:00 pm ban.

"Snow Dunes"

 Here is a photo taken from the second level of the East Wing of the oceanfront Soundings Seaside Resort in Dennis Port on Cape Cod after the "Blizzard of '13". They say, (whoever "they" are) that this storm is one of the top ten storms and was billed as the "Storm of the Century". Well, considering the century is only about thirteen years old, this may put the storm rank in a more realistic classification. I, for one, can recall worse storms than this although this storm was "nothing to sneeze at" ( unless you have a cold or the flu... in which case you would probably be sneezing even on a relatively warm, sunny, Winter day).

 

Usually I see a bunch of seagulls walking along the beach or standing in the freezing water, but today I didn't see any; or maybe they blend in so well that they are there but look like blobs of snow. I often wonder where the seagulls fly off to at night or during major storms. Maybe they have a big bird condominium complex somewhere or maybe they fly off to the Cape Cod Mall and try to sneak in to get out of the fowl weather. I don't know.

This is CNN

 Here is a photo of the CNN satellite truck parked in Dennis Port on Cape Cod as the CNN blizzard coverage filmed some storm coverage from the oceanfront Soundings Resort. CNN as you know is a "cable television" network and I had to help one of the technicians with his cables as they became stuck under the snow and ice. The Soundings Resort did not lose electric power during the blizzard and ended up hosting many electric repair crews from New Hampshire as over 130,000 total households lost power during the storm (including me).

 

I was almost tempted to go swimming during the storm coverage so that I could have my "five seconds" of national TV fame; but for some reason I resisted this urge and have to continue living in relative obscurity. Oh Well, at least I have my health and didn't risk "triple pneumonia".

"Monk Beer"

I drank this bottle of Belgian beer today, a Chimay Peres Trappistes Ale Grande Reserve  from Belgium. This 1 pint 9.4 fluid ounce bottle has a real cork stopper at the top of the neck and a wire fastener similar to some wine bottles. I bought this beer a while back at "Luke's Liquors' in Dennisport on Cape Cod as every once in a while I like to try a new brew. This beer was rated a "98" by some beer rating service;(I can't remember which) and probably because it was made by Trappist Monks, this beer has a "heavenly body". I'm sure, although maybe I'm wrong, you may have heard the expression "Drunk as a Monk"; or maybe the expression is "Drunk as a Skunk" although I have never personally seen a "drunk skunk" maybe because most skunks are mostly seen in the late nocturnal hours.I don't know if I would call this beer a "bargain brand" as this single beer cost around $9.00 but this brew has a 9% alcohol content by volume. I remember drinking "Stroh's beer" while attending Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio. Back then in 1972, the drinking age was 18 for 3.2% beer. So, this Chimay Trappist Ale beer has almost three times the alcoholic content.

On the bottle it states that the majority of the sales revenue is used to support charitable works. Hmm, I wonder if I can claim a portion of the purchase price as a charitable deduction? The bottle states that the water used in this beer is from the pure highly protected water of the abbey's well, maybe similar to holy water. The yeast used in this beer was isolated by Father Theodore; who may be known to some of his friends as "Father Ted".

This beer tasted fine by me. I can't confess to a refined beer palate, if the beer is cold and not too "skunky", I usually am fine with it.

I think I remember an episode of the old "Batman" television series where Robin said,"Holy beer, Batman!!" Young Robin was probably talking about this brand of brew.

I probably drank this beer today to celebrate two recent calendar events: "Super Bowl Sunday" today and "Groundhog day" yesterday. The "Punxatawney Phil" groundhog didn't see his shadow which portends an early Spring so I need to get in beer drinking shape for the warm weather ahead.

Loosey Goosey

These tres geese are "tre chic" as they "strut their stuff" ambling down some road somewhere on earth. I can't help but wonder "Yes, Y'all Geese are are dressed up and all but what's up with no shoes? You got dem fancy fancy hats (probably to celebrate the Easter Spring Season) but where the heck are your shoes? Maybe you were waddling or running late and plum forgot your shoes even though you were wearing plum colored outfits;I don't want to hurt your feelings but y'all got web feet.

 

At least your bonnets will somewhat protect you from getting skin cancer; but in the future you should wear shoes or people will think you  are some kind of uncouth fowl creature. Hey, maybe this photo was taken on a "casual Friday" and y'all were on your way to work and no shoes are required. Excuuuse me if that is the case. Y'all are stilin' fo sho.

INDI-MEX

 

I’m sure you have all heard the term “Tex Mex” relating to a fusion of Mexican and Southwestern cuisine. I recently purchased some Indian garlic spread and slathered some of this attractive brown and green “Patak’s”original garlic relish on a chicken and cheese burrito to create a spicy “Indi-Mex” concoction. This taste of India spread was on sale at the local “Shaw’s” supermarket on Cape Cod for a price of only $2.00 per jar down from an original $4.29 price. You just can’t pass up bargains like this if you are a fan of “Indi-Mex” meals. I can honestly say that this “Patak’s” original Garlic relish is the best Indian garlic relish I have ever tasted so I was doubly happy to see this item on sale and over 50% off.  I am curious to see if this “Indi-Mex” food concept will  take off and sweep the nation or I will be the one and only person to be caught up in this new wave of food fusion.

 

 

I know one time I tried a mixture of eating a cup of yogurt with eating a tin of smoked oysters from Korea or Thailand. Unfortunately, this combination ended up being literally “barf worthy” and I have never since eaten smoked oysters from a can again.

 

I am able to “keep this Indi-Mex combination down” without “Upchucking” so this combination definitely has some merit and the spiciness of the garlic sauce with the spicy burrito is good for waking up your taste buds. So, next time you are out grocery shopping keep an eye out for “Patak’s garlic sauce”; and don’t be surprised if you can’t always find it as remember that there are over a billion people of Indian descent in India alone so you have some competition.

Catching A Christmas Butterfly

Niece Kenzi is trying to catch the elusive pink and purple butterfly on Christmas Day with Auntie Leslie. Also shown on "You Tube" under the Uconn1976 film collection. This versitile butterfly also lights up the bedroom ceiling with a splendid starscape.