The Wall

My youngest had the pleasure of sitting with about a billion of his
closest hippie friends while Roger Waters performed for them.

I gotta admit to being a little jealous - I never got to go to a Pink Floyd concert.

*

It's day 2 of our latest heat wave and me and the dog are enjoying our air conditioning.

We hope you are enjoying yours.

*

Not much going on today and in case you're interested, no, I did not stay awake to watch the Red Sox last night. It's just too damned late for me.

Here are some links that I found for you:

• More proof that there is something very wrong with our species.



• I would never shoot anyone over crawfish. Shrimp, maybe, but crawfish, never.



• I'm betting that the guy that talked him into doing this spends all day long laughing out loud.

Once again, it's hot.

When it's 94° at 7:00pm, it's hot.

*

Try as I might, I was unable to stay awake for even one inning of baseball last night. When the games start at 10:00pm, they just have to go on without me.

I'm going to try and stay awake for a bit tonight but I make no promises. It's nice to have goals and all but let's face it, I'm old and tired.

*

Here are some links that I found while I was sitting around enjoying my air conditioning:

• Does anyone have a spare $550.00, plus airfare, they can let me have? 



• Our government at work... (And in my opinion, her "abilities" are pretty extraordinary...)



• I like the headline: "Upward Stupidity" 



• To boldly go where no man has gone before....



• I would like to answer her question, which is, "Why would I be banned from McDonald's?" How about, "Because you are an arrogant a$$hole and probably should be banned from our society in general."



• I'm sorry, but if your first name is "Earlene", you probably shouldn't be allowed to attend city council meetings. Also, I'm betting no one wants to see you naked.



• I can't help but notice that all the participants are male.



• Well, I guess this explains everything....

I'm not a big fan of dentists

So I went to meet my new dentist today and have him check out my cracked tooth.

Long story short, they took lots of x-rays and he's pretty convinced he can fix it.

I suspect that at some point in this long sordid tale, I will hear the words "crown" and "expensive" but right now, we're thinking simple repair.

*

The Supreme Court upheld the entire Obama Health Care law today, including the individual mandate that everyone must have health insurance.

I can only imagine the apoplectic seizure the Tea Party folks are  having right now. I can hear them all yelling, "This is socialism! Socialism I tells ya!" at the top of their lungs.

I would like to point out that Social Security is socialism, public school systems are socialism, DPWs are all socialism, fire departments are all socialism and police departments are all socialism.

Socialism isn't necessarily a bad thing and, in the case of health care, it's actually a great thing.

People without insurance go to hospital emergency rooms for treatments that should be administered by a doctor or a clinic. Things like a cold or a sinus infection.

The reason people are going to emergency rooms is because hospitals cannot turn people away. They treat people without insurance and then pass the costs on to those of us with insurance. This makes everything ridiculously expensive.

Now, people will either have to buy health insurance or accept the government supplied health insurance.

This is good because, lets face it, no one likes paying the bill for the guy in front of you.

And trust me, no one likes watching their kid or spouse suffer because they don't enough money or insurance to get them the care they need.

If you don't think it's a good thing, you either haven't been paying attention or you are a heartless SOB.

*

Here are some links:

• Stupid. Entirely understandable, but stupid none-the-less.



• Key phrase in this story: "There are perverts riding the subway every day and we can’t catch them all."



• Ouch.

Guess what?

Feeling much better today. Thanks for asking.

*

My wife hooked us all up with a new dentist a few months ago and I am the only one in the house that has yet to visit him. Simply put, I'm not due for a cleaning until the end of August so why would I go see him.

Well, there is one reason for me to go see him and that would be my most recent cracked tooth. So that means that tomorrow, I will be going to meet him and hopefully he can repair this thing.

I'd say it was a real pain in the ass but since it's located in my mouth, that just sounds wrong on many levels.

*

Today, I sat through a presentation put on by the Social Security Administration.

I am never going to be able to retire....

*

Here are todays links:

• I'm betting they were not terrorists. They were probably just some nerds who are pissed off about Vista and Windows 7....



• In case you're interested, yes, I would go eat there.



• We don't pay cops enough....



• Dah-Dum.....Dah-Dum...Dah-Dum..Dah-Dum.Dah-DumDah-DumDahDumDahDumDumDumDum...



• Key entry from our favorite police blotter: '8:49 a.m. A Kalispell man reported that he was “donated” a red bag containing marijuana and a pipe.'

Not feeling to good today.

Somehow, I managed to either eat or drink something that is causing me some internal distress. And when I say distress, I mean something else.

I'll let you figure out what I mean....

*

The Red Sox are currently tied for last place with the Blue Jays in the AL East. They both have a 38-35 record which puts them 6 1/2 games out of first place.

Amazingly enough, the White Sox are in first place in the AL Central with a (drum roll please....) 38-35 record.

Anyone tells you that the eastern division is easy needs to have their head examined. Both the AL East and the NL East are tough divisions.

*

I'm going to try and eat something and then watch the Red Sox. You can click on these links:

• I swear to God, it's not me.



• Only in Florida.



• Bah, just issue the contempt citation and then appoint a special prosecutor like they did during the Watergate scandal and the Monica Lewinski scandal.



• If you ever wondered why they tell you to take off all metal prior to an MRI.

I beat her in today!

I managed to get to work well before the Librarian Spinster but I didn't wait around to stare and wave at her. I got to work about an hour before she normally shows up and I figured that me sitting in my car for an hour would probably look bad to company security.

*

So my phone rang at 4;30 this morning and the robotic voice at the other end of the line informed me that one of the programs I support had failed. I hate robotic voices. I really hate robotic voices that insist I do something like "Push 3 to respond to this message". I really, really hate robotic voices that wake me up at 4:30 in the morning and insist I do something.

In the case of my job, the robotic voice is a system called "AlarmPoint".

Whenever I have to call the data center, they always answer the phone by saying, "This call is being recorded". When they say that, I always respond by saying, "Thanks for recording this call. AlarmPoint sucks!"

Several months ago I was contacted by a vice president who explained that they were able to eliminate three jobs by installing AlarmPoint and asking me to stop saying it sucked on the recorded line.

He said that as if I was suppossed to think it was a good thing...

*

I have only one thing to say about the Kevin Youkilis trade - It's about damned time.

Now all they need to do is figure out what to do with Carl Crawford and David Ortiz.

Carl Crawford, a guy who can't hit or throw, will be looking to come back and replace Daniel Nava, a guy who not only hits well, knows how to throw to a cutoff man as well as make a throw home if he's in close enough.

As for Ortiz, he's been hitting lately but I still contend that since that's all he really can do, he's taking a spot on the roster that could be filled with an everyday player. Most American League teams use the DH spot as "day of rest" for their infield. One day, the third baseman is the DH, the next day it's the short stops turn followed by second and then then first.

In other words, you don't lose a roster seat to a guy that only hits and you can give your players some much needed rest without actually sitting them on the bench for a game.

Once they figure those two out, they might finally field a team that wins more baseball games than they lose.

*

Here are a couple of links that you can click on if you want:

• I would not ask the nut case realians what they were thinking. I would ask the pilot what he or she was thinking. What brain damage did they suffer that made them think it was okay to do that?



• Our school administrators in action.

No Parking.

My son was tossing one of those "Y" shaped boomerang things around and he managed to get it stuck in one of the few trees left in my yard.

He decided that the best way to get the boomerang out of the tree would be to throw a big traffic cone at it to knock it out.

This is the result:

*

The Red Sox seem to be on a good streak lately. Assuming they win today (it's currently 7-3 Red Sox in the seventh inning), they will have won 8 of their last 10. Ant that, is what they need to continue to do.

If they can win 4 out of every 5 games, they will be in first place before you know it. Hell, if they can win 3 out of every 5 games, they'll be in first place before you know it.

*

Here are todays links:

• Key phrase in this story: "Tindell, in tears, pleaded for leniency."



• Only at Walmart.



• Presenting this episodes "Brilliant Criminal of the Day."



• Only in Florida.



• Key reader comment in this story: "Had they only stopped at Burger King, he could've had it his way."

Sandusky is going to have a crappy few years.

I've never been in prison but I suspect that the rumors about how the inmates treat child molesters are probably true. That leads me to believe that Jerry Sandusky is not going to enjoy the remainder of his life.

You know what? Good. I hope he suffers daily.

*

Well, my lawn is mowed and the grocery shopping is done. Time for some baseball.

While I'm watching that, you can enjoy these links:

• I don't see a problem with this.



• Ladies and Gentlemen, meet the newest member of the A-Team.



• I love the phrase "Bill Clinton Loophole". Oh, and it's also a "Only in Florida".

She got to work before I did.

I tried to get to work early enough to park in Ms. Ugly Librarian Spinster Honda Fit Woman's parking space but she was already there.

Maybe next week...

*

Here are a few links that you can enjoy if you would like:

• Why do we rescue these people?



• Hey, at least he gave her back her sunglasses...



• Personally, I think she might be a bit crazy but that's just my opinion.



• I'm betting that "moobs" where involved.



• Not only is this an "Only in Florida", it's also your "Naked Guy in the News"



• Yes, alcohol was involved.

Some people are a$$holes.

Every weekday morning, I drive into work and I park in the same place. I do this because I'm old and I won't remember where my car is if I park it in a different place. There are several other early arrivers who park near me and over the years, I've come to recognize the cars and sometimes the people.

I have names for these people. There's "Mr. Arrogant Two Parking Space Guy", "Ms. Prius-Obama Hottie", "Mr. Extra Long Truck Guy", "Mr. Block Your View With My Van Guy", "Mr. Compensating For A Small Penis Audi A8 Guy" and my personal favorite, "Ms. Ugly Librarian Spinster Honda Fit Woman".

Ms. Ugly Librarian Spinster, who arrives about 10 minutes before I do, always parks in the end spot in the first row. She currently drives a Honda Fit but her previous car was a VW of some kind. I suspect that her next car is going to be one of those Smart Car things. She seems to like ugly little cars.

This morning, I arrived at work before she did and I parked in what is traditionally her spot. As I was about to turn my car off, she pulled up. When she spotted my car in her spot, she got a look on her face that suggested she was about to have a nervous breakdown so being the nice guy that I am, I waved at her and moved my car to another spot. She pulled into her spot and immediately looked away from me.

Never mind a "Thank You" or a wave, I didn't even get a glance. She purposefully looked away from me. It was almost as if she held me in disdain for taking her spot in the first place and it was a damned good thing I moved or there would have been hell to pay.

I got out of my car and, as I walked past her, I kept staring at her in the hopes that maybe she would look up so I could wave at her but she didn't. She just ignored me.

Tomorrow, or at some other time in the near future, I plan on arriving early again and this time, I'm going to park in her spot and then sit there until she pulls in. I'll remain seated in my car, listening to Dennis & Callahan while she decides where to park and once she does, you can bet good money that I'll look up at her and wave as she walks by.

Like I said in the title, some people are a$$holes.

*

So the Red Sox are once again above .500 and they are no longer in last place in the AL East. As a matter of fact, they are once again in 8th place in the American League, just a half game behind the White Sox and a half game ahead of the Blue jays. They have one more game against the Marlins before they face the Braves and then the Blue Jays.

The problem is, the Braves and the Blue Jays are playing some pretty damned good baseball. That means the Red Sox won't have an easy time against either team.

It's going to be an interesting few days for the Red Sox. Hopefully they pay attention to me as I provide them my sage wisdom via my special coaching TV.

*

I was going to mention that it was another scorcher today but if you live around here, you already know that and if you don't live around here, you probably don't care.

Trust me, it was hot.

*

Here are todays links:

• Only in Florida (and apparently on a regular basis).



• Hey Pat! They're working on a new camera for you....



• Best entry ever from our favorite police blotter: "4:38 a.m. Two newspaper delivery drivers reported that a man “stalked” and chased them through Hungry Horse with an ax. Shortly after, a Hungry Horse man called in concerned about thieves and a suspicious vehicle that had stopped at every home on his street."



• I've become a huge fan of Jimmy Kimmel.

Just a bit hot out today.

I've said it before and I'll say it again -
Thank goodness for Mr. Willis Carrier and his most excellent invention, the air conditioner.
We should create a national holiday in his honor.

*

I took my eldest child to a common victualer and we enjoyed some adult beverages. Because of that, I'm pretty done for the night.

While I sit back and relax, you can enjoy these very few links:

• In Massachusetts, we have a lot of "bridge" towns. They have names like Cambridge, Southbridge, Stockbridge, Sturbridge, Northbridge and the one that I can't figure out for the life of me, Uxbridge. What the hell is an "Ux"?



• Key phrase in this story: "Police were unable to find the leprechauns or anyone else involved."



• What is it with WalMart and meth labs?

I love the Grand Slam Breakfast!

This morning, the folks I work with decided to go to Dennys for breakfast. Since I love breakfast (It's the most important meal of the morning), I confess to loving Dennys. I love IHOP too but since we went to Dennys, I love Dennys the most.

Friendlys, not so much....

*

Not much else happened today that I found exciting or interesting so I'll just leave you with these links:

• Here's a good safety tip: If you are going to WalMart, go to the bathroom before you leave your house...



• No thanks, I'll stick with the tried and true 'tested by a medical laboratory' method of figuring out what is wrong with me.

Politics are interesting yet boring.

I had the pleasure of listening to Senator Scott Brown this morning and no, I did not ask him how he greets Elizabeth Warren

As a matter of fact, I didn't ask him anything.

He gave us a nice campaign-ish kind of speech and he responded to a few questions from the small audience but he did something few other politicians do - when asked a question, he gave complete and honest answers. In other words, he actually answered the question asked.

I was so impressed with the fact that he answered questions honestly that I completely forgot to ask about Elizabeth.

Actually, I was more impressed with the fact that this is the third time I've seen Senator Brown.

While I've lived in this state my entire life, I never once saw Senator Kennedy and I have never set eyes on Senator Kerry. But Scott Brown has been our Senator for slightly more than 2 years and I've seen him three times.

That tells me that unlike his predecessor, Edward Kennedy, and his fellow senator, John Kerry, Scott Brown gives a shit about those of us that live outside of the 128 corridor.

*

I dug up these links for you:

• Only in Massachusetts.



• I'm thinking the citizens of either New Zealand or Mexico have the most freedom on the internet.



• Key entry from our favorite police blotter: "12:15 a.m. An intoxicated man momentarily misplaced his car and reported it stolen."



• If I know the internet, somewhere there is a picture of a naked Austrian politician.



• What is it with Austrians and sex?

Happy Fathers Day to all you dads.

I hope you managed to get a nap in.

*

I've come to the conclusion that ESPN likes to screw with me. Several times a year, ESPN takes a Red Sox game and when they do, they move the game start time back an hour. That means that this evening, the game will start at 8:00 pm and probably go until 11:30 pm and, as we all know, 11:30 pm is waaaaay past my bedtime.

I think ESPN does this just to screw with me because about 15 years ago, I was in their broadcast studio down in Connecticut and I might have mentioned, just in passing, that I remembered when Bill Rasmussen was at WWLP and maybe, just maybe, I might have said that he struck me as first class a$$hole.

You would think they'd be over it by now....

*

We here at The DailyNews© World Headquarters are beginning the preparations for the upcoming college year. That means we are once again looking for the best deals on dormitory "stuff".

As any parent of a college student will tell you, they need lots of "stuff" when they go to school. Everything from sheets for the bed to a small television. They need power strips, extension cords, tool kits, duct tape, etc... and things you didn't think of.

The things you didn't think of are the things that are going to cost you a lot of money.

Here's what is going to happen: You will move your child into their room and, as they are setting everything up, you will discover that you forgot double-faced tape to stick the posters to the wall. That's when you will say, "I bet they have that over at the school store!" and you will run over there to get some.

And that, my friends, is when you will pay $10.00 for a $2.00 roll of double-faced tape because if there is one thing that every school store in the world is good at, it's price gouging.

For you parents that are going to be taking your first child off to college come August, trust me when I tell you this: Before you arrive at the school, take a drive through the nearest town and find the closest WalMart. You will be a lot better off if you make a list of the things you "forgot" as you go along and then make a quick WalMart run just before you leave for home.

Your wallet will thank me.

*

Here are some links you can click on:

• Key phrase in this story: "...misjudgement regarding the woman’s anatomy..."



• No one ever said she was smart.



• I pray to God no one ever has to write a headline like this one about me.

Smart phones for everybody!

And this time, I mean it because my wife decided to join the 21st century. She is now the proud owner of her very first smart phone and so far, she seems pretty pleased with things.

*

So far, the Red Sox are winning.

Right now, it's 2-0 in the 6th inning and Lester is pitching pretty well. Ortiz hit a double followed by Saltalamacchia who managed to hit a home run.

Hopefully they can continue playing well.

*

Well, it was kind of a busy day today so I didn't find a lot of links. The ones I did find are here:

• Chris says, "Good for him....(I don't know if I would have called 911 though)"
  All I have to say is, "Chris, I know I wouldn't have called 911."



• Only in Florida.



• Dude, seriously? A taser? That was your only option?



• And I'm betting every passenger will be an overweight 50 year old bald guy.

Not much to say today

The Red Sox played the Cubs at 2:30 this afternoon and they managed to lose the game. Matsuzaka pitched and that's never good but it wasn't entirely his fault. They just couldn't hit the baseball today.

And, as I always say, the only way to win in baseball is to step on home plate more times than the other team.

*

Here are todays links:

• Anyone that didn't see this coming is either blind or stupid and the last time I checked, President Obama isn't blind...



• Man, this is one screwed up family.



• More proof that humans really are stupid.

Today is Flag Day.

The Stars and Stripes were officially adopted as our flag in 1777.

Prior to 1912, there were no regulations or laws regarding the proportions of the flag or the style and placement of the stars. This made for some interesting flag designs.

The flag that flew over Fort McHenry (The Star Spangled Banner) had 15 stars on it because Vermont and Kentucky had just become states.

There are numerous locations where, by declaration of Congress, the U.S. Flag is flown constantly. The most notable locations are:

• The White House.
• The U.S. Capital Building.
• The Marine Corps War Memorial (the Iwo Jima Memorial).
• The Washington Monument.
• Two flags are flown constantly at Ft. McHenry - the 15-star version and the current 50-star version.
• The Battle Green at Lexington, MA (site of the first shots of the Revolution).
• The War Memorial in Worcester, MA
• Valley Forge, PA
• Gettysburg, PA
• Any U.S. border crossing or port of entry that is open constantly.
• The Moon.

When I was born, there were only 48 stars on the flag. That makes me old.

The current flag (13 stripes, 50 stars) was created and adopted in 1960. Credit for the design is given to a 17 year old named Bob Heft. He designed it as a school project and received a B minus. After Congress adopted the design, his teacher changed her mind and upped his grade to an A.

With the possibility that Pueto Rico may soon become the 51st state, there are numerous 51-star designs being looked at. None of the designs have been approved by Congress but it should be noted that one of the designs was submitted by none other than Bob Heft.

You now know more about the U.S. Flag than you did a few minutes ago.

You're welcome.

*

Last night in that weird yet bizarre place we call "San Francisco", a  27 year old kid named Matt Cain did something only 22 other MLB pitchers have ever done - he threw a perfect game of baseball. No hits, no runs, no walks, no errors.

That, my friends, is quite the feat.

*

Here are some links that you can click on if you would like:

• Key phrase in this story: "Despite being a millionaire for a few months, Reyes paid $2,000 cash to buy a 1999 Dodge Caravan..."



• It's the old "Aliens are using heat rays to kill my cows!" defense.



• Remember the good old days when "the mob" was concerned about stuff like drugs and prostitution?



• Wow. And I thought we here in the U.S. were paranoid. Turns out we got nothing on the British.

They fertilized my lawn yesterday.

I guess Dave from Lawn Tech figures my new grass is old enough now that it can handle whatever it was that they put down. And since he knows waaaaay more about growing grass than I do, I'll just assume he's right and move on.

*

Here are todays links:

• It's funny whenever I hear someone call my little niece "Ms. Quintin".



• My original thought when I read this was, "I'd have to be pretty drunk..." but the more I think about it...



• I still don't know what the hell a "boffin" is.



• Trust me, just watch the whole thing.

I am not a fan of Windows 7.

My PC at work was recently upgraded to Windows 7 and i gotta admit, it kinda sucks.

I never used Vista so for me, the change was from Windows XP to Windows 7. Since I am not fond of change to begin with, you can imagine how well I'm dealing with this.

For the last 10 years, my PC has looked a certain way and behaved a certain way. Now, it just plain sucks.

Hell, it took me a week just to find the "Show Desktop" button...

*

Here are todays links:

• Attention citizens from Middleborough, MA: Do not read my postings because I might say, "Son Of A Bitch!" or something like that in one of them and I can't afford the $20.00 fines.



• Key phrase in this story: "You’d think someone would see someone throw it out there."



• Only in Texas.

I slept great last night.

As a matter of fact, I think I may have slept a little too great because right now, I'm freakin' exhausted.

*

Guess what John is bulding?
If you guess "Garage", you are wrong.
If you guessed "Gigantic Big-Ass Dog House", you are right.

*

The Secretary of Commerce got into a couple of hit & run accidents yesterday and they are saying it was caused by an unidentified seizure of some kind.

I can't help but wonder what the media would be saying about the so-called "seizure" if he was a member of the Bush cabinet....

*

Here are a few links:

• Key phrase in this story: "We get the feeling they can't stand the sight of each other anymore."



• I can't help but wonder if "Atlanta" is the new code word for "Congress".



• Les Stroud (aka Survivor Man) never told us about this....



• You gotta love dogs.

Well, at least I got my lawn mowed.

Now I have to water it because I'll be damned if I'm going to let all that grass die off.

*

As I said the other day, the Red Sox are back in full suck mode. They just can't seem to come together with all the right parts at the same time. On days that the pitching is good, the batting sucks. On days that the batting is good, the pitching sucks. When the pitching and the batting are doing okay, the fielding sucks.

But I didn't come here to talk about the Red Sox, I came here to talk about protocol.

The proper protocol for the singing of The National Anthem (AKA, The Star Spangled Banner) is to stand and salute.

For members of the military or para-military (police, etc..), that means standing at attention and facing the flag in a proper salute. For civilians, it means facing the flag and placing your right hand over your heart.

Having said that, I have one question:

When did God Bless America become our national anthem?  Why does everyone seem to think they need to stand and salute when that song is performed during the seventh inning of a baseball game?

Just askin' is all.

*

I found these links for you to click on:

• Key phrase in this story: "Mr Yummy jumped out of his van and smashed Mr Whippy’s window."



• Only in Tennessee.



• I'm betting they'll be the guys with the really clean teeth.



• I have no clue what to say about this....



• Only in Florida.

The Red Sox are back in full suck mode

The Red Sox are now back below .500 and it ain't looking good. They need to start winning again.

Either that or everyone else needs to start losing.

*

Kind of a slow day for me today. Not only didn't I get my lawn mowed, I didn't even think about mowing my lawn. I slept late (got up at 7:30), made some coffee and ate some breakfast. After that, I watched some Auction Hunters.

After that, I woke my kids because they had a commitment and after they were gone, New Ol' Bess and I went out and gave three chipmonks a free trip to paradise. After that, I watched some Auction Hunters.

After my kids got home from their commitment, I took the dog for a walk, came home and watched some Auction Hunters.

*

Here are a few links that you can click on if you are so inclined:

• I have a feeling that this is going to go poorly for those three guys....



• Here's a headline I never thought I'd see...  Not the nude part, the embarrassment part. I'm surprised it took this long for the nude part to show up.



• Um, okaaaaaay.



• Key phrase in this story: "Every lane of southbound I-75 was covered in pancake syrup."

Two guys I know did a good job.

Father Joe Serrano did a great job with the mass and Ray Muise delivered an excellent eulogy.

And that is all I'm going to say about that.

*

Here are today's links:

• Maybe they climbed up there by themselves.



• Key entry from our favorite Police Blotter: "11:26 p.m. Someone on Mission Way may have been the victim of a ding dong ditch."



• Here's your "Naked Guy in the News" story.



• Only in Florida.

This is a tough time for all concerned.

As some of you know, I have a brother and a lot of friends who are a cops. In my younger days, I was planning on becoming a cop but my life took a different turn when I discovered I had an ability wih computers.

Having said that, I have some small understanding of what is going on right now.

I was not a friend of Kevin Ambrose but I knew him. We sat on the sidelines together when our sons were young and watched them play sports. We ran into each other at the school open houses through the years and we usually gave each other a passing "Hey. How's it going?" and spent a minute bragging about our boys.

In other words, we knew each other, we liked each other and we talked when we saw each other. I can't say I knew him but I can say I knew him.

What I do know is that he was loved by his friends and family. The Springfield Police Department is in a state of shock and will be that way for a while. They will surround his family with a thick blue line, providing for them and protecting them for as long as they want it. They will staunchly defend against and attack any perceived slight against Kevin or his family.

I spent some time with 7 or 8 cops the afternoon of the shooting. They are big tough guys who were all crying and laughing. They were all hurt to the core and it was painful to see them that way. They will mourn, they will party and eventually they will move on but they will never forget.

There will be granite stones erected and fields renamed so that no one ever forgets.

There will be golf tournaments and fundraisers so that no one ever forgets.

There will be scholarships and awards offered to deserving young men and women so that no one ever forgets.

It's the least we can do for a man who died moving towards the gun fire, not away from it. A man whose last thoughts probably were, "Oh shit, I gotta get in there and protect that woman."

*

What say we change our attitude and get a little unserious.

*

The damned Red Sox can't seem to beat the damned Orioles no matter how damned hard they try, dammit. Beckett pitched a pretty good game but once again, they failed to touch home plate more times then the Orioles.

As I've said many times before, the only way to win a baseball game is to step on home plate more times than the other guy.

* 

Here are a few links you can visit:

• I've been to Texas. Those people are crazy enough as it is. They don't need this.



• It's the old 'hormones defense'.



• Yes, alcohol was involved.



• I don't believe that's his actual name.

Cell phones for everyone!

Well, not everyone.

My daughter upgraded her cell phone around Christmas, my eldest upgraded his cell phone in April, my youngest and I upgraded our cell phones today. The only one without a new cell is my wife and I think it's because she can't decided what she wants.

One of these days, she'll figure it out and get herself a new phone.

My new phone has that 4G-LTE thing and I gotta admit, it's damned fast. I don't get 4G at home but I do get it at work and it's nice. at 3G, I get about 1.1G download speed. With 4G, I get about 11 to 14G download speed.

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Here are a few links that you can click on:

• This is a video of the procession returning Kevin Ambrose to Springfield.



• What is it with little boys sticking their heads in places they don't belong....



• What a classy dame....



• Speaking of "classy"....



• Key phrase in this story: "...the neighbours described how the man masturbates and screams."



• Yes, alcohol was involved. Also, a cellphone, a lollipop and some pee.

Brilliant - simply brilliant

Attention Chris -  SupaStar says "Hey".

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In two weeks, I will have an opportunity to sit down with Senator Scott Brown in a small setting. He is coming to the company I work for and speaking to us for an hour about things that are currently going on in the senate. It's nice that he does these things out here in Western Mass. He's the first Massachusetts Senator in the last 30 years that actually spends time out here.

During his presentation, I'm hoping we will have an opportunity to ask questions. After giving it some thought, I think I'd like to ask him the following question:

"Senator Brown, when you see Elizabeth Warren on the campaign trail, do you pop your hand on your mouth and go 'Wo-Wo-Wo-Wo' or do you get all fancy and do the 'Tomahawk Chop'?"

The folks I work with think I should probably not ask that question.....

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Here are some links you can click on while I watch the Red Sox:

• How the hell did I miss this "Only in Florida" story from February of 2011?



• Presenting the winner of the Dad of the Year Award.

Kevin was a good guy.

Attention John and Mark: 80% ain't worth it. Retire now, take what you can and live a long, happy life bagging groceries or mowing lawns.

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That's about all I have to say today. Here are a few links:

• Why the hell is this news?



• Oops....



• Key entry from our favorite police blotter: "6:08 p.m. Someone accidentally 'pocket-dialed' 911 while grocery shopping, forcing a dispatcher to listen to a conversation about specific enchilada toppings."

No posting today.

Long, long day today.

I never even got near my computer. As a matter of fact, this is being posted via my poor rundown not-so-smart phone.

Rain - it makes the grass grow.

While the rain might be making my grass grow, it's also making the ground soft and mushy. That means that when the 80+ kids show up at my house tomorrow and start hanging around, my yard is going to turn into a muddy mess.

So much for me having a lawn this year...

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My son had a great time at the Ultimate Party last night. He was home and in bed by 7:00 this morning and for that, I am extremely grateful.

When I graduated from high school, it was very common for at least one or two kids to die in an alcohol-fueled car wreck. My class lost four or five over the course of the spring, the class before me lost four in one night and the class after me lost a few as well.

How our parents survived those times, I'll never know.

Now-a-days, us parents all Thank God for things like the Ultimate Party. My son may be exhausted but if that's the worst he has to deal with, I'm a happy guy.

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Time for an update on the Red Sox:

They are no longer in last place in the American League East!

This has been your update on the Red Sox.

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Here are some links to help you enjoy your day:

• Only in Pennsylvania.



• Whenever I see a picture of someone like this, I always wonder what bad decisions did they have to make in their lifetime to end up like this.



• Key phrase in this 'study' conducted by 'researchers': "...it doesn’t result in any detrimental affects to his genetic interests."



• Wait, are they saying they have "luxury sex shops" in Brazil?



• They need to make the kid who found the error the valedictorian of both classes. He's apparently the only smart kid around.



• Only in Florida.

Today marks the end of an era.

My youngest offspring is officially a high school graduate. This marks the end of an era for us. We have now successfully gotten all three of our offspring through the public portion of their educational experience and into the college years.

I am, as always, the proud dad.

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You know all the grass I planted and nurtured for the last month?
I have a feeling it's not going to survive the upcoming party.

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I spent my morning at work, my afternoon mowing my lawn and my evening sitting in the Springfield Symphony Hall watching Minnechaug produce 314 new alumni. That means I had no time for links.