Category: Uncategorized

Yorktown Battlefield

The pile of Virginia vacation pics continues. These are from the battlefield known as the battle of Yorktown. This is the place that General Cornwallis surrendered and the fighting in the American Revolution ended.

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Yorktown was mostly a siege, with the Colonials and the French entrenched around the British troops.

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According to the info we got on site, most of the nastiest fighting took place in two mini forts, called redoubts. The French and Colonial trenches were separated by redoubts nine and ten. The Americans took one and the French took the other. Then the two lines were joined and the only hope for the English was to try crossing the York river to their rear. They tried, but the weather didn’t cooperate and they lost their boats. At that point they were just plain screwed.

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Death to the NHL

So is it true that people who bought into the NHL’s radio broadcast via their iOS app have to buy in again for the playoffs? This despite the fact they only played half of a season this year?

This better not be true. It most certainly better not be true.

Clockwork Angels the Audiobook

On my drive home today I started listening to the Clockwork Angels audiobook. It was read by Neil Peart. I’m still only at the beginning, but my first impression is that when it comes to audiobooks, Neil is a great drummer. No offense.

The other thing you learn very quickly is that Mr Peart is aboooot as Canadian as you can get. The first line: “It seems like a lifetime agoooo.”

You just have to love it.

Confederate History Museum

Last week we visited the Confederate History Museum in Richmond, VA. The museum includes the Confederate White House. The place that Jefferson Davis lived and worked during his time as a treasonous leader of a treasonous nation.

Just in case you thought I was a Confederate sympathizer or something.

The one thing about the visit that fascinated me the most can be summed up in this picture:
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The story is that when Richmond finally fell in April of 1865, President Lincoln took a ride down from Washington and visited the mansion. We did the same thing, only 148 years later.

The house was cool. Very ritzy in a Victorian kinda way. Gaudy by today’s standards, I think, but definitely swanky.

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The absolute highlight of the visit came at the start of the tour. Our guide took us to the front entrance way and told us how the street outside was dirt, meaning mud, back in the 1860s. As a result, the entrance way was always dirty. To combat this, they didn’t have tiles on the floor, they had a mat that was painted to look like tiles. It was disposable, so every few weeks it would get dirty enough that they would peel it up and put a new mat down.

The guide then told us that the marble walls were not actually made of marble. They were covered with a wall paper that looked exactly like real marble. You couldn’t tell the difference until you were close enough to touch it.

After sharing these two neat details (as well as a few others) he asked if anyone had any questions. My step son then proved that he is the cleverest human alive. He raised his 10 year old hand, and when called on asked, “Why is everything in here fake?”

Huge laughs. It is possible that the Federals in the room were laughing louder, but that’s okay. Some of our group seemed to be under the impression that the war was still on going. Some seemed to be under the impression that the South won. Those of us who live in an place that did not secede from the Union knew better, and that was our little dig against the rebellion. Whatever your historical political leanings may be, my step son is one damn funny kid.

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Cameras were not allowed inside the mansion, which is why you’re only seeing the outside here. The museum was interesting. Again, it sort of glossed over the fact that all of the Confederate triumphs still lead to their defeat. What can you do though, it wasn’t called The Civil War museum, it was the Confederate History museum.

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I traveled through Richmond back when I was in High School and I remember not being impressed at all. Last week I thought much more highly of the place. At least the little bit that we explored. There were some great old houses. I’m not sure it’s someplace that I’d like to live, but I would definitely visit again.

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Busy

I’m already tired.

It has begun.  That time of year when we go from being busy to being off the wall crazy busy.  Instead of just having to get the kids to and from piano and karate, we now have to get them to and from piano, karate, baseball, and softball, and unlike piano and karate they do not play baseball and softball together.  Tomorrow, they both have a game starting 30 minutes apart.  Monday, they both have games starting at the same time.  It’s madness!  It’s also fun.  Expect many updates on the status of baseball and softball games.  Who’s winning, who’s playing which positions in the field, who’s getting hits.  All that fun stuff.

Still, I’m tired.  I think allergies might be involved.  My step son is missing his second consecutive day of school with a fever.  Obviously that’s not allergy related, but I wonder if maybe he has a little allergy action adding to the misery.  We’re all tired and stuffy.  If that’s the price one pays for not freezing their ass off when they go out of the house, then it’s worth it.  I just wish I could breath and sleep a little better.

Let’s not forget that we’re less than a week away from more of this:
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Even though we are only a week removed from this:
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The Bruins play game two of their first round series with the Leafs tomorrow.  They spanked the Leafs hard in game one.  Let us hope that continues.

The Red Sox… kinda rule.  Who knew that all they needed to do to erase the horror of last season was trade their most expensive players and fire  schmucko the clown.  They have the most wins and the highest winning percentage in all of the majors.  Please please please please please let this not be a fluke.  Last year was so painful, I can’t take a collapse this year.  I just can’t.  World Series of Bust, babie!  (says the guy who was hoping for nothing more than a .500 season)

Idiot

I mean… how stupid do you have to be?

An 18 year old high school student from Methuen was arrested yesterday for making “terroristic” threats on his facebook page.  He did things like mention killing a lot of people, and outdoing the marathon bombers.  Here’s a story from the Eagle Tribune.

I mean… just… ummm… really?  I ask again, how stupid can you be?  I mean… you know… doing this at any time since 9/11 would be the absolute pinicle of stupidity, but to do it now… half an hour from Boston… today… just two weeks or so after two doucehcanoes set off bombs at the Boston Marathon… and to mention outdoing said douchecanoes?  I mean… I mean… Can a human be more idiotic than that?  Is it physically possible to do anything more stupid than that?  I don’t think so.  I think this is the single dumbest crime ever commited in the United States of America, if not the world.  This 18 year old high school kid now sits in prison with a $1,000,000 bail and he faces 20 years in jail.  TWENTY FREAKING YEARS!!!  How did this kid not see this coming?  He put the damn post onto Facebook for Christs sake!  How can a member of the human race be that stupid?  I mean… what the hell, kid??

Bad Virginia Beach Pano

I do love the iPhone camera’s new panorama function. I just wish I took better pictures with it. This is Virginia Beach on our one really warm day last week.

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Click the image to go to Flickr, then click the actions button and select view all sizes from the drop down. Then click original to see the full size image.

2013 NHL Quarterfinal Predictions

This is the time of year when I have some goofy fun making NHL playoff predictions.  This year?  I could give a crap.  I am still so pissed off about the lock out that the entire league has been boring to me.  I just don’t care that much about a league that doesn’t give a rats ass about its fans.

So this year I am just going through the motions.  I’ll watch the playoffs.  I’ll root for my Bruins, even though they spent the better part of the last two months playing as if they couldn’t give a rats ass about anything.  I’ll try to be engaged, but I’m not holding my breath.

Every year when I make my first round picks I preface it by saying that these are not based on anything other than my gut, and my gut is often wrong.  This year I mean that even more because in the abortion of a half-a-season we were stuck with, I barely noticed any of these teams at all.

So here goes.  Starting in the East.

Penguins vs Islanders.  Congrats, Long Island (soon to be Brooklyn).  You got back to the playoffs.  Now die quickly so the Pens can work on getting healthy.  Go Pittsburgh.

Canadiens vs Senators.  Obviously the Canadiens are going to kick the holy hell out of the Senators, but I am rooting for Ottawa here.  They are a shell of themselves, what with the 11,036 injuries (that’s a Tempest Fero reference, for those in the know) and all.  Because of this, they are the cinderellas of the East.  They should have fallen apart ages ago, yes the term “ages” is sarcastic in this 48 game bullshit of a season.  Still, I am going to pick them to hang on long enough to beat the team that I hate the most.  Go Ottawa.

Capitols vs Rangers.  Who gives a shit.  I completely hate them both.  Go Refs.  Urgh, but if I had to pick one… I guess the Rangers, but I hate them too much to say Go New York.

Bruins vs Maple Leafs.  Obviously, I’m picking the Bruins.  Unfortunately I am pretty sure they are going to lose, and their death will be not with a bang but a whimper (that’s a TS Elliot reference, for those in the know).  The team that prides itself on defense can’t hold a third period lead.  How many games do they have to throw away before people stop seeing them as contenders and start seeing them for the mediocre crap team that got off to a really fast start that they are?  I’ll give them the Go Boston, but don’t come crying to me when the Leafs knock them out in the first round.

Blackhawks vs Wild.  Congratulations, Wild.  You get to be destroyed by the Blackhawks.  Enjoy your four games.  Go Chicago.

Red Wings vs Ducks.  It sure is going to be fun watching the storied Detroit franchise get blown away by a Disney Movie.  Go Anaheim.

Canucks vs Sharks.  I am going against my better judgement and picking the team that always always always lets me down, and as a result I always always always swear I will never pick them again.  Yet I some how always do.  Go San Jose.  I think I just guaranteed you’ll lose, but I am picking you anyway.

Blues vs Kings.  The Kings didn’t let me down last year.  I’m sure they will this year, but hopefully not in the first round.  Go L.A..

There you have it.  My stupid, pointless picks for a stupid, pointless lock out season.

Go Bruins.