I can't believe it's not a democracy!

Sorry for the light posting.

I am selfishly focusing on things happening in the meat world.  You know, job/career, where I want to live, things I want to do, etc.  And fucking global climate change is fucking with me.  Allergies.  I never had a problem until my 40s, really.  Now, I wake up with red eyes, I feel congested, my ear canals feel swollen/numb/painful...all at the same time.  So I made an appointment with an allergist, but I can't seen him until May 10th--and I made the appointment almost two weeks ago.  It's a really big problem here in New York City, and it's only going to get worse.  All because a relatively small handful of greedy fucking families need more billions to make them feel special.  The blowback...I hope that when it happens, that it is focused like a laser beam on they who deserve it. 

 

The new year is just two and one half hours away...

I hope that it is a healthy and happy one for us all.  To that end, I'm going to limit the amount of time I spend reading about politics.  It's all bullshit--politics is always peopled with the same sort of whores (and a handful of people who actually care), and they always are willing to do whatever their rich masters want.  So I will still surf and read your blogs, of course, because I want to keep informed enough.  But I plan on spending more time reading and getting to learn the classical guitar.  Going to do more cooking too.  

So, anyone else considering some changes for 2013?

I'm ok. Didn't lose power or phone, but Time Warner blows.

Time Warner is now my former internet provider.  I'm Verizon's bitch now.  Got a 4G thing b/c Time Warner's outsourced customer service reps apparently didn't know we had a big fucking storm and had no answer re: when service would be back on.  Hey, I wasn't looking to download porn, I was trying to get online to help out with work.

You see, my office is located across the street from the construction pit that is the former Ground Zero, the power around there was shut off to avoid electrical fires (caused by the flooding salt water), and no one knows when the power will be turned back on.  Anyhow, Verizon is evil, but it's evil that works.  I'm online again and will be helping out my co-workers who are doing three times the work because other co-workers have no internet, no phone, and no power (all in New Jersey, by the way).  

I have to add that while I got through unscathed, across the street starts the no power zone in Dumbo.  I assume the phone service is down too.  And a friend who lives in the village has no power, phone, or internet, and we think her cell phone died out.  Oi.  No one knows when power will be restored to downtown Manhattan.  Nor do they know when subways will be able to travel from Brooklyn to Manhattan.  It's a big fucking mess.  

Hope things are well wherever you are.  

All joking aside:

I have never seen the river this high.  Usually you can see about 5-10 feet of pylon at the piers.   I have no doubt that the river will top the piers by this evening.   Must add that on my way to Fulton Landing (object of photo), I passed a couple of sets of parents out with their toddler children.  WTF?  Yes, they were dressed in adorable rain coats, but my god, that's fucking insane.   Still, the grocery store across the street from my building is still open and has most items.  While  I saw some people making last minute purchases of essentials, most people were like the guy in front of me who bought a bag of hotdog rolls and a six-pack of  beer.   

 

 

Sorry for the light posting, and it's only going to get lighter.

I haven't been following the political goings on for a while. It's clear that unless Obama has a very young and pregnant girlfriend, he's getting re-elected. This back and forth shit is only happening to keep the broadcast whores flush in money. A presidential election year means baby gets to overeat. Fuck them. Turn off the tv. Obama won. That said, posting will continue to be light because my brother and nephew have birthdays in the next two days. Tomorrow is my brother's birthday, and it starts the 2 1/2 week period when we are the same age. Yep, my brother and I are 11 months and 11 days apart. I believe the term is "Irish twins." In any event, the celebrating starts tomorrow and doesn't end until the promise of work throws a dark shadow across my brow. I hope you all have a lovely and relaxing weekend.

The girls are fine.

Yes, it's that time of the year.  As if having a colonoscopy wasn't enough fun for July, I got to have my annual mammogram today!  Long and short, everything's fine.  I hope to never hear otherwise, but I know that the earlier cancer is detected, the better one's chances of survival.  No one likes going for a mammogram, but I'd rather deal with an annual visit than deal with the consequences of not going in time.  So, if you are supposed to get an annual or biannual mammogram and haven't gotten around to schedule it yet, call your doctor tomorrow and set up an appointment.  Just do it.  Thank you. 

Q: Hey, what's way more fun than an annual mammogram?

A: A colonoscopy!  

Ok, not way more fun.  The crap they make you drink tastes like, well, crap.   And paying a stranger to shove a camera up your ass....priceless!  (Actually, it has a price, and it's not cheap.)  But once you get that first screening over with, it is all worth it to hear this: your colon is healthy.  

I won't lie, it's not a fun rite o' passage, and like most people I know, I have no family history of colon cancer.  That said, there are some question marks concerning ancestry on my dad's side, and haven't we all have heard of someone who had no symptoms/no family history/no whatever who was diagnosed with stage 3 or 4 cancer?  If caught early, colon cancer is very treatable.  So you do it.  And if the results are good, you don't have to think about doing another screening for 7-to-10 years (that's what my doctor told me).  I'm just glad to cross this chore off the list for a long while.

And one important thing I've learned going through this process is this: No matter how hungry I am, I will never be happy to eat jello.  I can't believe people eat it on purpose.  

Mammogram is scheduled for two weeks from now.  Then doctors visits are done for the year.  Gotta say, I love having a doctor-free second half of the year.  I go because I want to preserve a good quality of life, but honestly, those people who love going to doctors must be sick.  

Nova Scotia is beautiful. Baddeck (the town where my father was born) was fabulous.

And our welcome couldn't have been more perfect: 

That's about 40 hard shell lobsters, caught that morning.  Another 80 were cooked up after this batch was gone.  My cousin cooked the lobsters in water he got from the salt water spring about 100 yards away--it was where our ancestors got salt water to produce their table salt.  Heat up the water, drop in the lobsters, boil for 12 to 18 minutes, and then enjoy the best lobster you have ever tasted.  No melted butter needed.  Honestly, I don't think it can get any better. 

I think I need a small break.

Work is insane.  Not insane busy, just insane as in upper managment is seemingly raising the bar on stupid. It's almost as if they want to destroy the place.  They may get their wish.  So no peace there.  

Meanwhile, this weekend a good friend had to put down her very well loved cat, and one of my closest friend's father died.  It was expected--he was very ill--but that doesn't make it easier.  He lived a very good and long life, and he was--without a doubt--the best father I ever met.  I can't even begin to tell how much he will be missed and by how many people.  Yeah, he was a very special man. 

Long and short, it's been a rough couple of weeks, and I need to take care of personal matters and then chill.  On Friday, June 22nd, I am going on a road trip to Nova Scotia to meet the cousins who did not know that I existed (nor my brother and half-brother) until a couple of years ago.  Ah, family secrets.  I didn't know I was the butt of one, and probably not for a good reason.  Still, it's not their fault or mine and the person who placed the obstacle between us is dead and can't do a damn thing now.   

So, I may post something between now and the end of June, or maybe not.  I probably won't be visiting my usual must see sites for a while too, but I'll be back.  Have a lovely rest o' June. 

Why? It's called reason. And yes, it's about fucking time:

The rise of atheism in America: Why many are leaving religion. Look, I have no complaint with people who are spiritual or who want to believe in some higher power, I am just tired of them trying to impose thier beliefs on others and interfering with the operation of government and the education of children.

I believe that some of the filthy rich are desperately trying to maintain a vast class of uneducated sheep who are willing to live marginal lives because they think god and Jesus or Allah or whomever will reward them in heaven. But the filthy rich who are manipulating these people are doing it at a time when we don't have the luxury of arguing over whether global climate change is happening (it is). We need reason to govern us, now. And the whore media, by giving legitimacy to the religious spokeswhores who are willing to go on tv and lie about the state of the world, well, they need to be replaced. I'm just glad for the good news that despite these efforts--or because of them?--Americans are finally waking the hell up. I mean, it's 2012 for christ's sake (figure of speech). I realized that the religious tripe that I was being fed was bullshit by the time I was 8 years old.