Tom's Hideaway

Pure Michigan: Winter Virgins

2011-12-01T10:22:00.000-05:00

Turkeys Causing Trouble Again!

2011-11-23T08:03:00.001-05:00

Over the past few years Turkeys have begun to fight back during the Thanksgiving holiday. They are tired of being the center of attention on tables across America.

I am sorry guys, all this graffiti across town has got to STOP !! Turkey tomorrow , leftovers the next. Heck, I might consider Turkey for Christmas if this public destruction of property doesn't stop!!

HAPPY Thanksgiving !!

Funny Email, Thanks Vita!!

2011-11-15T10:21:00.001-05:00

At a wedding reception recently someone yelled,

"All the married men please stand next to the
one person who has made your life worth living.

The Bartender was nearly crushed to death !!

Still Crazy but not on FOX !, Glenn Beck , It's Time To Start Worrying About Chocolate!

2011-10-15T00:31:00.001-04:00

That Crazy Comedy Network FOX News came out in 2009 a skit about the climate change conspiracy they called CLIMATEGATE ! It was hilarious and they had their CRAZY Guy character GLENN BECK Break the story. Crazy Glenn of course had always been a non believer in the whole science of CLIMATE CHANGE and had joked about it a lot on that FAKE NEWS Site that FOX aired almost as often as The Simpsons.

Oh wait, I think I am confusing FOX News with The Onion, because Crazy Glenn was serious !!

This is a rush transcript from "Glenn Beck," December 2, 2009. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

GLENN BECK, HOST: We have been following the climate-gate scandal this week. If you haven't heard about it, you ain't alone: mainstream media refuses to cover it. E-mails hacked from England's leading climate data hub show that researchers behind the global warming hysteria, they're just cooking the books. If you are not outraged, you should be — $145 trillion is what the solution is going to cost us.

Ah, but the CLIMATEGATE Scandal was Debunked, and the story died.

Unfortunately, like many stories that get broadcasted with big headlines that are later found to be false, the damage had been done. Many, otherwise intelligent people, who believe everything that comes out of a blowhard like Glenn Beck and his cohorts, won't hear about the story being false and will continue to think Climate Change is a hoax.

Well I just hope they don't like CHOCOLATE !!!

According to many reports I have read recently, due to rising Temperatures in West Africa and the Ivory Coast, where most chocolate in the world is produced! It is becoming "Too Hot for Chocolate"

CHOCOLATE SHORTAGES, almost worse than running out of water!!!

Cocoa growers may have to start shifting to other crops in order to make a living, leaving us less chocolate. in fact they may shift to growing nuts!

Maybe they will name a new nut, a BECK Nut or a GLENN-B Nut

I like CHOCOLATE way more then Nuts!

On a happy note, Crazy Glenn must have really been grating on people other than myself. He announced on April 6th, MY BIRTHDAY, that he was leaving FOX News.
He left at the end of June as pompous as ever. of course the real conspiracy there was that it was a mutual decision. HAH !! I'm thinking after losing almost half of his viewers, falling ratings and the fact that HE'S CRAZY had a little to do with it.

Of course if you still love GB, you can visit his Web Page which has a great tag line.

GLENN BECK The Fusion Of Entertainment and Enlightenment

OKAY, I have to go buy some CHOCOLATE !,

WOMEN - from funny email..Thanks Jimmy

2011-10-03T11:22:00.000-04:00

WOMEN: A real woman is a man's best friend.

She will never stand him up and never let him down.

She will reassure him when he feels insecure and comfort him after a bad day.

She will inspire him to do things he never thought he could do; to live without fear and forget regret.

She will enable him to express his deepest emotions and give in to his most intimate desires.

She will make sure he always feels as though he's the most handsome man in the room and will enable him to be the most confident,sexy, seductive and invincible...

No wait...Sorry.....

I'm thinking of whiskey.

It's whiskey that does all that shit.

Never mind.

Patriots Win

2011-10-02T11:11:00.001-04:00

I predict a Patriots win over the Oakland Raiders. Why? because he's cut his hair. Obviously with all the Beber comparisons last year and the shaggy performance last week he has realized that his game is directly affected by the length of his hair. No scouting reports are necessary, he cut the locks and is now set to break whatever momentum the Raiders might be bringing on the field today at 4:15pm in Sunny California.

I am glad it is going to be the Raiders that are going to be destroyed by Brady's return to the field, I've despised that team since I saw them move on to the playoffs in 1976 against my favorite Patriot quarterback and football player, before Brady, Steve Grogan in 1976 on a bogus penalty.

Redemption Time

For Margaret Mary, (MOM)

2011-09-30T08:25:00.000-04:00

Mom, everyone misses you, but I know that you are kicking it up there with the angels !

For Mary Margaret

2011-09-29T08:49:00.000-04:00

Tonight a gathering will take place to celebrate Mary's life, who we lost September 29th, 2004. It's something her family, her friends and I have done since we lost her. She is gone but she left a mark and she will always be remembered.

Outspoken, funny, maddening at times !! She gave me her love and, sometimes her wrath, I probably deserved it ! It was her kindness toward my children and grandchildren, my family and my friends, that are my favorite memories of her. I will always miss her but I know that I was lucky to have known her and love her. Lucky still to have met her family and her friends so that on this day we can be together and celebrate her life and the spark she added to all our lives.

My Three Girls !!!

2011-09-26T16:16:00.000-04:00

Up Early for the View

2011-09-22T06:31:00.001-04:00

Had to be up early but the view out the bathroom window made up for it.

Need the right App

2011-09-19T22:32:00.001-04:00

That's right, I am not sure what's going on here at Tom's Hideaway these days. I have this new iPad that frankly, I am addicted to, and while I have had some " great ideas for the blog" I find myself without the time to write anything original.

I have been a crazy Twitterer madly posting my Status via Facebook on my iPad 2 with my Facepad app. I am pretty certain that one day we will have " apps" for everything .

If I want to review the last place I ate, there's the Yelp App

Find out when my bus is due, I got that app

Games, maps, twitter, Facebook, they've all got apps..I have em.

The thing is, they don't all work as well as you would like them to, I'm still looking for a dating app that gets results!!

It should be pretty easy with what they have to work with, I'm a stud for heavens sakes!!

"Talk Like a Pirate Day" Busted: Not Even Pirates Spoke Pirate

2011-09-19T20:36:00.000-04:00

"Talk Like a Pirate Day" Busted: Not Even Pirates Spoke Pirate

First Time and a little bit about forecast

2011-08-29T23:17:00.001-04:00

Using blogger+ app, I am writing my first post from my new iPad 2.

So lets talk about the weather...

What kinda of hyped up news event will happen this week ? It seems the network and local news stations are really loving all the possibilities for catastrophe we had last week here on the East coast. Certainly there were some unfortunate deaths associated with the Hurricane, but first the earthquake and then the hurricane supplied the news teams plenty of extra time sell advertisement slots and fight for viewers in the effort to really overwhelm the public with dire warnings. oh and to make some serious cash with all those ads.

It was almost comical to watch one weatherman, or should I say, meteorologist, almost look sad to announce that the hurricane had been downgraded to a tropical storm just before arriving in NYC and hours before it would strike this region.

When he realized it was NYC, he said something to the affect that ,they, New Yorkers wouldn't be able to say that they had suffered a Hurricane. It was a little of the rivalry between New York and Boston manifesting itself in Weather Central, sure we were probably never going to see the storm get here as a Hurricaine, but Ha Ha, NYC didn't get one either.

The fact is, it was already a CAT 1 hurricane. And weakening. Certainly a serious storm but nothing to warrant the attention it got.

Then there is this quote from Michelle Bachman...

" I don't know how much God has to do to get the attention of the politicians. We've had an earthquake; we've had a hurricane. She said, 'Are you going to start listening to me here?' Listen to the American people because the American people are roaring right now. They know government is on a morbid obesity diet and we've got to rein in the spending."

This person is a potential Presidential Candidate? Glen Beck spun God into the picture too, jumping on the Mormon tradition of hoarding for the potential doomsday that waits for all of us liberals out there.

Those who don't drink the Glen Beck Cool-Aid will all meet an untimely end because we don't hoard. Even if we did, we are a bunch of stupid liberals who would just give everything away.

If the Michele Bachmans, the Becks, or the Palins ever truly capture enough of the hearts and minds of this country with their crazy rhetoric, then our world will be reduced to a small population of God fearing anti evolutionists who love money, guns and oil. They despise what many call " Women's Rights" while endorsing corporal punishment and the death penalty. Scoff at what scientists refer to as Climate Change and continually and mistakenly call it Global Warming, blaming Al Gore and the rest of the democrats and liberals and those pesky immigrants

Sure the deficit can' t be blamed for GE paying only about 3% in income tax. hey, they make a lot of money and 3% is a lot of money.

Wish I could get away with paying only 3% in taxes.

Well, let's see if this will post...

2011-08-05T13:03:00.003-04:00

Large-scale Oil Painting: Gypsy Dancer - eBay (item 190560492598 end time Aug-05-11 08:15:10 PDT): "Oil on canvas - Beautiful Gypsy Dancer (Approx. 9ft W x 12ft H)

Painted & signed by Bob Whitesitt 1995, this unique oil painting is a symphony of motion and color. With a tambourine in one hand and finger cymbals on the other, her skirt, beads and ankle bells are captured in motion as they swirl all around this lovely, sensual dancer. Wonderful details include coins and a rose laying upon the rough floor boards at her feet, while red ribbons and bells seem to encompass her.

Presently on a rolled canvas with eyelets across the top and bottom, this stunning work could be mounted for hanging, perfect for a tavern, dance studio, or any private collector with the proper wall space.

Good condition with subtle wear marks on right side as shown in the photos."

Save Your Bottle and Get 10% OFF

2011-07-21T13:57:00.003-04:00

Of course you can only get the deal if you are in the local area.

The Office is located in Swampscott, MA.

Visit the web page for more information at www.cosmeticdermcenter.com

Paying attention to the stars..

2011-06-28T07:15:00.000-04:00

Read my Horoscope and I guess it's probably not a good day to tell everyone I told you so or point out anyone's incompetence....it's gonna be hard.....because I am an ARIES..

My Horoscope For Today

It's a sign of intelligence when you want to grow into a more evolved person, but proving that you're right is not the best trajectory toward self-improvement. There's no justification for provoking a disagreement in order to demonstrate your competence. Instead of being argumentative at work or at home, show everyone how helpful you can be now. Cooperation is your smartest strategy today; it's certainly better than wasting energy in unnecessary conflict.

I'll let you know how it went...

Monday Morning

2011-06-27T11:17:00.000-04:00

Bus Stop

2011-06-17T09:11:00.000-04:00

Keeping my Carbon Imprint low, waiting on the bus coffee in hand. Still feeling great after the Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup!

It's FRIDAY !!

Work, haircut, food.....and Beer are all on the menu tonight...Have a great weekend all!

Peanuts

2011-06-10T09:37:00.000-04:00

Originally Posted here

Miss Airport 2011 Calendar..Thanks Levita!

2011-05-11T08:01:00.000-04:00

American Healthcare.............

He missed Watching The Celtics Game on Sunday

2011-05-04T11:24:00.000-04:00

But clearly, Sean had a better time than the Celtics did against Queen LeBron and the Miami Heat...

Funny Email, thanks Mitch

2011-04-19T09:54:00.000-04:00

Picture courtesy of the Foxtongue Gallery

A tough looking group of bikers were riding when they saw a girl about to jump off a bridge so they stop.

The leader, a big burly man, gets off his bike and says, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to commit a suicide," she says.

While he did not want to appear insensitive, he didn't want to miss an opportunity he asked

"Well, before you jump, why don't you give me a Kiss?"

So, she does and it was a long, deep lingering kiss.

After she's finished, the biker says, "Wow! That was the best Kiss I have ever had. That's a real talent you are wasting. You could be famous

why are you committing suicide?"

"My parents don't like me dressing up like a girl......"

MOM

2011-04-11T22:43:00.000-04:00

She was the best, and here are some picture memories of my mother who sadly passed away on Sunday April 10, 2011. Love you MOM !

Coming To America

2011-03-31T07:35:00.000-04:00

A Russian arrives in New York City as a new immigrant to the United States. He stops the first person he sees walking down the street and says, "Thank you Mr. American for letting me come into this country, giving me housing, food stamps, free medical care, and a free education!"

The passerby says, "You are mistaken, I am a Mexican."

The man goes on and encounters another passerby. "Thank you for having such a beautiful country here in America."

The person says, "I not American, I Vietnamese."

The new arrival walks farther, and the next person he sees he stops, shakes his hand, and says, "Thank you for wonderful America!

That person puts up his hand and says, "I am from Middle East. I am not American."

He finally sees a nice lady and asks, "Are you an American?"

She says, "No, I am from Africa."

Puzzled, he asks her, "Where are all the Americans?"

The African lady checks her watch and says, "Probably at work."

Perils of a Catholic Upbringing

2011-03-04T07:26:00.012-05:00

As I walked down the busy sidewalk, knowing I was late for Mass, my eye fell upon one of those unfortunate, homeless vagabonds that are found in every city these days..

Some people turned to stare. Others quickly looked away as if the sight would somehow contaminate them.

Recalling my old pastor, Father Mike, who always admonished me to 'care for the sick, feed the hungry and clothe the naked,' I was moved by some powerful inner urge to reach out to this unfortunate person.

Wearing what can only be described as rags, carrying every worldly possession in two plastic bags, my heart was touched by this person's condition.

Yes, where some people saw only rags, I saw a true, hidden beauty.

A small voice inside my head called out, 'Reach out, reach out and touch this person!'

So I did.......

I won't be at mass this week .......

AMAZING

2011-03-01T08:55:00.000-05:00

It all started in Mississippi in 1958.....What a crew !!

Adam & Eve

2011-02-22T12:15:00.000-05:00

Wow, Betty White back in the day.......

The Irish, an informative email from Gailsie

2011-02-21T12:00:00.000-05:00

It takes an Irishman!

After having dug to a depth of 10 feet last year, British scientists
found traces of copper wire dating back 200 years. They came to the
conclusion that their ancestors already had a telephone network more
than 150 years ago.

Not to be outdone by the Brits, in the weeks that followed an American
archaeologist dug to a depth of 20 feet. A story was subsequently
published in the New York Times: "American archaeologists, finding
traces of copper wire 250 years old, have concluded that their ancestors
already had an advanced high-tech communications network - 50 years
earlier than the British."

One week later, the Dublin Times reported:
"After digging as deep as 30 feet in his backyard in Nenagh, County
Tipperary, Seamus O'Reilly, a self-taught archaeologist, reported that
he found absolutely nothing. O'Reilly has concluded that 250 years ago,
Ireland had already gone wireless."

Makes you bloody proud to be Irish.....

What do you have next to your bed??

2011-02-17T12:20:00.000-05:00

Today show panel cracks-up: "Watch Karl Stefanovic run off camera laughing, as the Today panel crumbles into hysterics. Courtesy: Channel 9."

Funny Email: 1st Tine Sex....Thanks Mary

2011-01-31T09:50:00.000-05:00

1st Time Sex:

A girl asks her boyfriend to come over Friday night to meet, and have a dinner with her parents.

Since this is such a big event, the girl announces to her boyfriend that after dinner, she would like to go out and make love for the first time.

The boy is ecstatic, but he has never had sex before, so he takes a trip to the pharmacist to get some condoms. He tells the pharmacist it's his first time and the pharmacist helps the boy for about an hour. He tells the boy everything there is to know about condoms and sex.

At the register, the pharmacist asks the boy how many condoms he'd like to buy, a 3-pack, 10-pack, or family pack.
The boy insists on the family pack because he thinks he will be rather busy, it being his first time and all.

That night, the boy shows up at the girl's parent’s house and meets his girlfriend at the door.

"Oh, I'm so excited for you to meet my parents, come on in!"

The boy goes inside and is taken to the dinner table where the girl's parents are seated.
The boy quickly offers to say grace and bows his head. A minute passes, and the boy is still deep in prayer, with his head down.

10 minutes pass, and still no movement from the boy.

Finally, after 20 minutes with his head down, the girlfriend leans over and whispers to the boyfriend, "I had no idea you were this religious."

The boy turns, and whispers back,

"I had no idea your father was a pharmacist."

Funny Email...Thankyou Gailsie

2011-01-28T14:48:00.000-05:00

Over five thousand years ago, Moses said to the children of Israel ,
Pick up your shovels, mount your asses and camels, and I will lead you to
the Promised Land.

Nearly 75 years ago,(when Welfare was introduced) Roosevelt said,
Lay down your shovels, sit on your asses, and light up a Camel, this is the
Promised Land.

Today, Obama has stolen your shovel, taxed your asses, raised the
price of camels and mortgaged the Promised Land!

I was so depressed last night thinking about Health Care Plans, the
economy, the wars, lost jobs, savings, Social Security, retirement funds,
etc . . . I called a Suicide Hotline. I had to press 1 for English. I was
connected to a call center in Pakistan . I told them I was suicidal.

They got excited and asked if I could drive a truck ...

UCLA Study

2011-01-24T08:04:00.000-05:00

It's been around but I received this from Jimmy at The Barnacle and it always makes me laugh...

A study worth sharing with friends both male and female:

A study conducted by UCLA's Department of Psychiatry has revealed that the kind of face a woman finds attractive on a man can differ depending on where she is in her menstrual cycle. For example: if she is ovulating, she is attracted to men with rugged and masculine features. However, if she is menstruating or menopausal, she tends to be more attracted to a man with duct tape over his mouth and a spear lodged in his chest with a bat up his ass while he is on fire.

No further studies are expected on this subject

Funny EMAL and a winter Pic

2011-01-13T11:44:00.000-05:00

The Funny Email:

I just got off the phone with friend living in
North Dakota near the Canadian border.

He said that since early this morning the
snow has been nearly waist high and is
still falling.

The temperature is dropping way below
zero and the north wind is increasing to
near gale force.

His wife has done nothing but look through
the kitchen window and just stare.

He says that if it gets much worse,
he may have to let her in.

Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros Acoustic Cover (Jorge & Alex...

2011-01-07T07:28:00.001-05:00

Wow, this beats American Idol any day !

Give The Guy A Ticket !!

2011-01-05T17:00:00.003-05:00

Yesterday after my morning shower I headed to the kitchen for much needed coffee. I switched the news on to get a weather update and the story making the news was a New Hampshire guy that got a ticket for speeding while he was hurrying to the hospital with his wife in labor...here's the story.

So this guy, speeding a 100+ MPH, to get his wife to the hospital deserves the ticket. He not only wasn't in a good frame of mind to be driving that fast, he put his entire family and others at risk...but there's more...

Again this morning he was on the news because I guess it wasn't big enough news day for anything else. The news station is polling people to see what the public thinks about this non story, 53% agreed with me but really I don't even want this information!

I just wanted to find out who won Mega Millions, sadly it wasn't me.

So to make matters worse, This guy , his wife and I can only presume, the newborn babe, will be on Good Morning America tomorrow.

What's next? A reality show for expectant parents speeding to the delivery??

I wonder if I was driving and I reallllllly needed to go to the bathroom and I drove 100+ MPH to get to the next rest stop, if I could get on the news....

HEADLINE, Ticketed for Speeding, Masssachusetts man says "I HAD TO PEE!!"

Best Commercial I've seen for Drunk Driving

2010-12-28T07:27:00.000-05:00

Funny EMAIL

2010-12-21T09:40:00.000-05:00

A woman from Los Angeles, CA who was a tree hugger, a Democrat, and an anti-hunter, purchased a piece of timberland near Colville, WA .

There was a large tree on one of the highest points in the tract. She wanted a good view of the natural splendor of her land so she started to climb the big tree. As she neared the top she encountered a spotted owl that attacked her. In her haste to escape, the woman slid down the tree to the ground and got many splinters in her crotch.

In considerable pain, she hurried to Mt. Carmel ER to see a doctor. She told him she was an environmentalist, a democrat, and an anti-hunter; and, how she came to get all the splinters. The doctor listened to her story with great patience and then told her to go wait in the examining room and he would see if he could help her.

She sat and waited three hours before the doctor reappeared.

The angry woman demanded, "What took you so long?"

He smiled and then told her, "Well, I had to get permits from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management before I could remove old-growth timber from a recreational area. I'm sorry, but due to Obama Care, they turned me down.

Thinking About...In Pictures

2010-12-12T14:21:00.000-05:00

Not in any specific order, I guess that's how my mind works.

My Girls

Banana Cream Pie


Burger and Sweet Potato Fries...

Sean's Apple Pie with his TRADEMARK Lattice Crust


Patrick

Dogs are Awesome TOO.

2010-12-11T07:15:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving and a Message From a Turkey

2010-11-23T10:30:00.001-05:00

Most of us have something to be thankful for, unless of course, you are a Turkey living in the United States today.
Even the Turkeys can be thankful for Vegans, Vegetarians and for those who might choose Ham over Turkey for their tables this Thursday.

Despite the wholesale slaughter of countless animals used for the consumption of us hungry Americans, I really love Thanksgiving. It's about community, family and friends getting together for a good meal and some wine too, I hope.

I am thankful that I don't have to go out and kill the animal myself.
I am thankful that I won't have to cook this Thursday.
I am thankful for my family & my friends
I am thankful that after only a 3 days rest my New England Patriots are playing The Detroit Lions because, honestly, the Lions suck and the Patriots are probably a little tired after their win over Indy Sunday .
I am thankful that I don't have to work on Thursday !
I am thankful that Guinness Stout was created, one of the best mistakes ever!

So I invite you to let me know what you are thankful for, and if by chance you read this and are not from the USA...Go ahead and celebrate with us, it's ok. Just take time to think about what you are thankful for and then just start eating and drinking!.

Happy Thanksgiving !

The Family

2010-11-18T14:28:00.000-05:00

My Son Patrick and Daughter Jennifer

My Granddaughter Raine

My Grandson Haven

My Granddaughter Jazzlyn (Jazzy)

Mom and my Aunt Alice

My Dad and his sister Alice

All these pics were taken last week as my Mom & Dad celebrated their 60th Anniversary and my Dads 82nd birthday, I would have included a picture of myself but I can't compete with these characters!

Jazzy sent me the news yesterday via the next picture...

She's gonna be a big sister next year!

Sun Goes Down and The Moon Comes Up

2010-11-10T15:09:00.001-05:00

This was the full moon rising over Swampscott, Ma a couple weeks ago, the sun still shining off the windows of Anthony's Pier 4...

Dating?? Guys, Be Sure to get that MSDS

2010-11-08T10:01:00.000-05:00

MSDS you ask?? That's right guys they don't just make Material Safety Data Sheets for Hazardous Chemicals or Medications...They make them for women too..See Below.

I received this in an email today but I wish I got it years ago!

Another Bloggers Blog

2010-11-01T07:58:00.000-04:00

It's gonna be cold tonight so I thought I'd put a picture of some palm trees I took in San Diego last October

Sometimes it's important to share a good post. My sister sent me a link to the Church of The Flying Spaghetti Monster and well....It's important to read it

Thought For the day

2010-10-21T09:34:00.000-04:00

Why do people say "The car is making a funny noise" when their is usually nothing funny about the cost of car repairs these days??

photo courtesy of jyzz on FLICKR

Another Demotivational Poster

2010-10-07T11:41:00.000-04:00

Doriot

2010-09-09T08:28:00.000-04:00

Pronounced "Door-E-O" often referred to as Dory or Do-Do....

A dogs life is a series of naps, walks, treats, meals and of course the requisite petting....A dog's Life..

Never worries about money, doing the laundry the dishes, or getting the painting done...

OKAY..I am Jealous!

G-Tom and the G-Kids

2010-08-26T10:19:00.000-04:00

Tom Wins Again

2010-08-23T20:03:00.001-04:00

Tom...aka.. The King of Quiddler...I am just a master wordsmith!!

Public Service---Jury Duty Scam

2010-07-26T10:23:00.000-04:00

Pass this on to your grown children. This has been verified by the FBI (their link is also included below). Please pass this on to everyone in your email address book. It is spreading fast so be prepared should you get this call. Most of us take those summonses for jury duty seriously, but enough people skip out on their civic duty that a new and ominous kind of fraud has surfaced.

The caller claims to be a jury DUTY coordinator. If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the Scammer asks you for your Social Security number and date of birth so he or she can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant. Give out any of this information and bingo, your identity was just stolen.

The fraud has been reported so far in 11 states, including Oklahoma , Illinois , and Colorado . This (swindle) is particularly insidious because they use intimidation over the phone to try to bully people into giving information by pretending they are with the court system.

The FBI and the federal court system have issued nationwide alerts on their web sites , warning consumers about the fraud..

Check it out here: The FBI Site: http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june06/jury_scams060206.htm
And here at SNOPES http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/juryduty.asp

Yep! It's true

Pictures from Vietnam 1965-66 ---Part 3

2010-06-30T21:48:00.000-04:00

I have tons of pictures from Dad that he took while serving a year in Vietnam and it's tough picking just the right ones but here are some more...

Giving out food and supplies to the locals

The little guy has a bar of soap and I think he's ready for his bath too!

Still has that soap!

Young girls pedaling to school Saigon 1966

Saigon, 1966...pretty sure they have a different sign up now.

More downtown Saigon 1966

Downtown Plaza Saigon, 1966

There's Dad making friends.

Well that's it for now....part 4......maybe soon

Some Pictures from Vietnam 1965-66..Part 2

2010-06-30T15:23:00.000-04:00

A News Correspondent waiting on a ride.

The big guy himself, DAD. Pleiku Air Base

Some Pictures from Vietnam 1965-66 Part 1

2010-06-28T21:10:00.001-04:00

These are some pictures that my dad snapped while serving in the US Air Force in 1967...

The Jello Shots were Great

2010-06-18T12:09:00.000-04:00

Game 7 Celtics vs Lakers....we were ready

Things were looking good

It was a close game, but the Celtics fell short...

Minnie says...."Maybe Next Time"

Primal Update

2010-06-15T09:49:00.000-04:00

For those who know me or live in close proximity, then you know, I've quit smoking for nearly 2 months and been all about dieting, exercise and well making the cover of November's edition of Men's Health...We all have to have goals right??

I have been living on about 90% Primal Diet for about 8 weeks now

I Work out every other day

Just went down a waist size after dropping, conservatively, 18 pounds

No Bread, no baked goods, high protien and lots of big assed salads....I am sure I'll be approached soon for the cover of Men's Health or maybe MAD Magazine

Rainy Day

2010-06-10T08:22:00.001-04:00

Looks like rain through the weekend, still even in the rain we can find things that make you smile.

Happy Monday

2010-06-07T08:52:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday....

Even happier after that late night Celtics Victory in Los Angelas last night.

Marvin Moves In....

2010-05-26T09:08:00.000-04:00

The other day a neighbor found Marvin on the sidewalk, lost and seemingly missing an eye. I took out my cell phone and dialed the only person I could think of....it was early and she is not a morning person but Marvin needed help so I took the chance...the rest is history.

Marvin now has a new home and he's the luckiest bird on the block..

Meet Marvin

Strangely enough birds from all over the neighborhood stop and feed Marvin which goes against anything I ever heard about how wild birds treat birds that have been taken in by humans.

Marvin's new Condo

Marvin spends the day outside in his condo. He has one eye, currently doesn't know how to fly and the only way we can get him fed is for other birds to stop by and feed him. I don't know what the future holds, if he will ever fly. I do know that he will eventually be able to eat bird seed on his own and I am thinking he'll be indoors this winter, the envy of all the other birds.

It's Over, Goodbye..ADIOS my friend....

2010-05-19T22:00:00.000-04:00

If you ever were my friend is the question. I have had it with you and I plan to keep a safe distance from now on...

I am sure I will see you around from time to time. You can come over for dinner, family parties...JUST don't sit next to me.....because even though I reallly like you, I know deep down. You are just no good for me.

Sure you try to slip in to my world in so many different forms...Bread, Sweeter Muffins, Potato Chips, Crackers all those "healthy snacks" you try to pawn off on me..

I'm done with baked goods and junk food because you are all just filled with carbs I don't need..

After kicking the smoking habit now for 20 days, leaving bread and all your relatives behind has helped me lose 12 pounds in the past few weeks.

Sure I have been somewhat consumed with my Primal Diet but I don't miss all those yummy baked goods one bit...

Cause they make you FAT!

I'm Going Primal !! I wonder if I'll need a spear?

2010-05-03T23:21:00.001-04:00

It might be the affect that quitting cigarettes has on one's brain....but I have been reading quite a bit of Mark Sisson's Blog...Mark's Daily Apple : Primal Living In The Modern World and I like it...I figure if I am gonna give up cigarettes, I might as well take it a little further.

Picture courtesy of Mark's Daily Apple
With few a few exceptions, I am gonna approach my diet like the Primal Man. If I can't kill it with a spear, or pick it off a tree or in a garden...I am not gonna eat it...

Rain early but spring is here and it's geting nice out....

2010-04-25T16:58:00.000-04:00

By Wednesday of this week it will be sunny here on the East Coast and it will be raining in San Diego...

Funny Email Picture

2010-04-19T10:13:00.000-04:00

Tea Party Time in Boston

2010-04-14T09:12:00.000-04:00

I really can't put words to how I feel about the Tea Party being here in Boston today so I'll leave it to the guys at the Boston Phoenix ...read the article Tea Is For Terrorism

Then you can give me your views.

Of course if you happen to be a right wing, bible thumping, gun toting death penalty advocate who is against abortion don't bother reading the article just use the comment area to say HI! I already know where you are coming from.

A 28th Amendment...It's Time

2010-04-06T11:48:00.002-04:00

An idea whose time has come

For too long we have been too complacent about the workings of Congress. Many citizens had no idea that members of Congress could retire with the same pay after only one term, that they didn't pay into Social Security, that they specifically exempted themselves from many of the laws they have passed (such as being exempt from any fear of prosecution for sexual harassment) while ordinary citizens must live under those laws. The latest is to exempt themselves from the Health Care Reform that is being considered...in all of its forms. Somehow, that doesn't seem logical. We do not have an elite that is above the law. I truly don't care if they are Democrat, Republican, Independent or whatever. The self-serving must stop. This is a good way to do that. It is an idea whose time has come.

So here it is....

Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution

"Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States ."

I received this in an email and am supposed to pass it on so please tell your friends and their friends and their friends, friends and..

Well you get the picture!

Comments welcome below!

Celtics, St Patrick, Arks......

2010-03-15T23:35:00.000-04:00

St Patty's Day is upon us and I'll be wearing the green at the Celtics game Wednesday night. I'm bringing a friend of mine who I don't see often enough. The last time we went to a game together was Game J in 1986 when Larry Bird and the gang trounced the Houston Rockets and won the NBA Championship.

Well the game Wednesday isn't quite as promising, current Celtic team has been falling a bit flat lately, but the company will be good and it is St Patrick's Day!!
___________________________________________________________________________________
In other NEWS!

The rain has finally stopped falling!! I was beginning to think the Mayans got it wrong and the world was ending now instead of December 21st 2012. Despite the fact that Peabody, Ma got over 8 INCHES of the wet stuff....... I never got to sign up for those Ark Building Classes and was beginning to regret it..But it stopped..

The Mayans are still on course...we got a good 20 months or so before were going to need an Ark

Plenty of time to enjoy a couple Martinis and enjoy life...

Hope all is well in your world.

Surfing The Web Can Be Dangerous

2010-03-11T09:19:00.000-05:00

Photo courtesy of Shal's Pics and wikicommons

I think Surfing, in general, might get a little dicey..

EMAIL Joke

2010-03-01T20:49:00.001-05:00

During a recent password audit,
it was found that a blond
was using the following password:

"MickeyMinniePlutoHueyLouieDeweyDonaldGoofySacramento"

When asked why she had such a long password,
she said she was told that it had to be at least 8 characters long
and include at least one capital.

The pic courtesy of chris, thanks (-:

The New Asprin

2010-03-01T10:14:00.002-05:00

HEART ATTACK ~ THE NEW ASPIRIN

IMPORTANT READ.......

Bayer is making crystal aspirin to dissolve under the tongue. They work much faster than the tablets.

Why keep aspirin by your bedside?

About Heart Attacks

There are other symptoms of an heart attack besides the pain on the left arm.
One must also be aware of an intense pain on the chin, as well as nausea and lots of sweating, however these symptoms may also occur less frequently.
Note: There may be NO pain in the chest during a heart attack. The majority of people (about 60%) who had a heart attack during their sleep, did not wake up. However, if it occurs, the chest pain may wake you up from your deep sleep.

If that happens, immediately dissolve two aspirins in your mouth and swallow them with a bit of water.

Afterwards:
- phone a neighbor or a family member who lives very close by
- say "heart attack!"
- say that you have taken 2 aspirins..
- take a seat on a chair or sofa near the front door, and wait for their arrival and...
~ do NOT lie down ~

A Cardiologist has stated that, if each person, reading this tells 10 people, probably one life can be saved!

I have already shared the information- - What about you?

Another Busy Weekend

2010-02-23T08:51:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was another one to remember...

With my daughter, her hubby and the kids it's always an increase in activity! The good kind that is. Seeing the kids always makes my day!!

Anyway my oldest granddaughter wanted to do two things...see Avatar in 3d at the IMAX and go to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. So we set out on Saturday morning and went into the museum via the Train and Subway...

The day started with a dusting of snow but as is typical in New England...it warmed up to 50 degrees later in the day with bright sunshine and blue skies.

I found a picture by a guy named Renoir just hanging on the wall..

He's not bad!

We ate lunch at the museum and my poor daughter was fighting off a headache the whole day!! The screaching sounds on the subway brakes didn't help the much...but she was a trooper.

and doing just what her daughter wanted to do...

We got back home rested up and went to AVATAR later that night.. I love that 3d stuff...it's so cool.

The kids hit the road on Sunday morn and around lunch I hooked up with a couple friends and headed to Gloucester to the Cape Ann Community Cinema . Before the show I had a delicious Bloody Mary topped with big tasty olives and a succulent large shrimp and fresh celery at Elliot's at the Blackburn. Across the street at the cinema, we watched a bunch of Cartoons from the 30's, 40's and 50's that were banned...some not even available for sale today here in the USA!? But you can buy them in Japan. The theater is filled with comfy couches, the popcorn was fresh and we were able to bring in our own wine to sip on during the show!!

Gloucester Inner Harbor Feb 21, 2010

Anyway it was a Boston to Gloucester weekend and I hope everyone had a good one...today I am getting my finger operated on and so it may be awhile before I can type!!

Smith Nation Comes To Town

2010-02-21T11:15:00.000-05:00

I got lucky this weekend and got to see all my girls together...

My daughter Jennifer came down with her brood and my Mom and her were all smiles.

and of course my granddaughters Jazz and Raine came for the trip and everyone looks great!!

Jazz loves to sit with her DAD

....and my Grandson Haven is getting so darn Handsome!!

Vegas Calling

2010-02-15T21:39:00.002-05:00

Vegas Strip from Wikimedia

Las Vegas, too often we get a chance to go there and find ourselves pumping money into a one armed bandit and forget that there is so much else to do when we visit the place. I want to get back as it's been a few years since I was there and silly me spent all my time, off the strip and in the casinos...It's fun but it would have been great to see a Vegas Show or two..

What I think I'll do next time I book a trip there is get my tickets at Ticketmaster for at least one Vegas Show before I even get on the plane. I know the cacophony of sounds that flood over you when you walk into a casino! The winning slot machines ringing in your ears, the shouts at the roulette tables, will all lure me to the nearest blackjack table or craps table and I will just want to win!!

Of course I love to throw down some bets and win but one of my most memorable trips there was when I took a ride outside of the city and coming back down the hills that night and seeing the city from a distance, the pulsating lights, the clear mountain air...it was beautiful.

There is just so much to do there and it's only when you are gone that you realize you probably should have stepped away from the tables and taken in the sights and sounds that make it such a fun place to go

I missed Bette Midler when I was there last time and I just know she would have made the trip...

Of course there is more Nightlife in the city that never sleeps than just about anywhere. I know I'll still throw a few bets down but I never go there expecting to win and only bet what I can afford. With the airfare specials and great hotel deals I get in my email it's time to book a trip. I just want to be sure that if I come back I have more to remember than just losing at the gaming tables.

And of course I am a single guy with a great new haircut and some fresh new jeans...I am ready baby!!

The Cover Up

2010-02-14T10:08:00.003-05:00

Sporting a new hair cut courtesy of my friend The Bonster, I hit the streets of Cambridge, MA with my buddy Joe, looking for some live music and a few cold I.P.A.'s

Joe had told me about an Irish Pub (The Plough & Stars, 912 Massachusetts Avenue) that featured live music at 4pm. It's a small place so if you want to catch a seat at the bar, get there early. We did and the Englishman who was sitting next to me at the bar told me before the band began to play that "The bar should charge admission because these guys (Josh Lederman and the Csars ) were really good"

He was right and throw in a surprise appearance...My son Patrick stopped in to see me and was able to listen to a song before heading out to do whatever 18 year olds do...

I was particularly impressed with the Clarinet player, really don't see that in a bar band too often, and the fiddle player was also quite good. It was a mix of Irish music and whatever else the band felt like playing...

After the show we headed to Somerville and ate one of the BEST Burgers and absolutely delicious Fries and Onion Rings at R. F. O'Sullivan and Son. This was Joe's idea as well. It didn't hurt that Joe knows the management and we were able to get a table in few minutes.

To finish off the night, I left Joe with his friend at the restaurant and I went to the Lizard Lounge, a short walk as you can see in the map above, for The Cover-Up hosted by Brendan Boogie "A Tribute To Neil Young"

The Cover Up series of shows is something Brendan gets some of the most popular bands in the Boston music scene to come down and play in this tiny basement bar with velvet walls where Budweiser Bottles are only $3.25 and they play covers of some of the legendary musicians of our time.

Josh Buckley

The Show was awesome and the musicians didn't just play the notes they played their hearts out. It was a mix of solos and ensemble bands. Neil Young's music can be acoustic or filled with heavy metal romps. All the acts were great ! I spoke with the singer, Josh Buckley, from The Gilded Splinter's who hopes to release their newest album, HOUSE, sometime in March 2010 and he told me he was hoping to find places to play up in my neck of the woods...I've gotta send him a list of places so I can check out his music next time.

The Lizard lounge had some great looking Nachos but I was stuffed with Burger and so I didn't get to try them. Overall I think it was a great venue to see a show and you won't go broke paying $3.25 for a bottle of Budweiser....

I took some fairly good pics but I will have to post them later as I left my camera in my friend Jackie's car !! Hope she locked it!!

Well I am off to work

Funny Email........40 Years of Marriage

2010-02-10T10:30:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Joe Mabel for the picture

40 yrs of Marriage

A married couple in their early 60s was celebrating their 40th wedding
anniversary in a quiet, romantic little restaurant.
Suddenly, a tiny yet beautiful fairy appeared on their table. She said,
'For being such an exemplary married couple and for being loving to each
other for all this time, I will grant you each a wish.'
The wife answered, 'Oh, I want to travel around the world with my darling
husband.'
The fairy waved her magic wand and - poof! - two tickets for the Queen Mary II

appeared in her hands.. The husband thought for a moment: 'Well, this is
all very romantic, but an opportunity like this will never come again.
I'm sorry my love, but my wish is to have a wife 30 years younger than me.'
The wife, and the fairy, were deeply disappointed, but a wish is a wish.
So the fairy waved her magic wand and poof!...the husband became 92 years
old.

The moral of this story: Men who are ungrateful bastards should remember
fairies are female.....

Have to thank my ex wife for that one...he he

Moving Pictures

2010-02-08T22:05:00.001-05:00

"Daisy Galloping" by Eadweard Muybridge 1887

I'm always wondering where to get good pictures for the blog..I take some OK ones but using other people's photos sometimes requires permission and in some cases payment..I find that Flickr is a good source and as long as the photographer posts that you can share his or her work you usually just need to give a link back to where you found the picture. My Flickr Account is nothing compared some of the quality photos you'll find out there.

Another great place to find photos and other media that you can use is at Wikimedia Commons where you will find all sorts of picture categories like the animated above, or just below...

Newton's Cradle a finalist for animated picture of the year in 2006

I didn't know I could post animated pictures !! Damn I am getting smarter and smarter....

I'm Craving Captain Crunch French Toast

2010-02-06T13:29:00.000-05:00

But the Blue Moon Cafe is all the way down in Baltimore, MD !! I gotta get back there this year and visit my extended family and while I am there I guess I'll have to get some of those famous Maryland Crab Cakes !!

I am too hungry to write this darn post I have to go eat something NOW!

What about Stem Cells??

2010-02-01T16:33:00.001-05:00

In 1630 Galileo Galilei, the famous Italian philosopher, mathematician and scientist finished writing Dialogue Concerning Two Chief World Systems. It was published 2 years later but Pope Urban VIII suspended the distribution of the book and ordered Galileo to report to Rome to appear before an Inquisition. Galileo's treatise exposed major differences between what the church believed of the heavens. He went on to support, to vigorously according to the church, the Copernican theory which contended that the earth revolved around the sun. He was convicted of heresy and sentenced to life in prison. While his sentence was reduced, after he agreed to change his book, he lived the rest of his life under house arrest.

So what about Stem Cell research ?? Is this the dark science of today?

Photo Courtesy ABC Science Online

Harvard's Stem Cell Institute, strives to learn from stem cell biology, ways to treat Blood Diseases, Pancreatic Cancer, Nervous Disorders and more. The controversy surrounding Stem Cell research is that human embryos are being harvested for their stem cells and that women who live in depressed economies around the world, are donating their eggs while undergoing hormone injections and surgeries which ultimately put them at risk for all sorts of problems.

While it is my belief that this science should not be allowed to go without regulation, advances in the science have already allowed researchers ways to harvest stem cells without harming a fetus. The iPS stem cells or Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells are adult stem cells that have been genetically reprogrammed to behave like embryonic cells and are aiding researchers quest to find treatments for ALS, Parkinson's Disease and Cardiovascular Disease.

With science there is always a chance that we will discover new things that can affect one's world view. To react like Pope Urban VIII and his imprisonment of Galileo in 1633 seems silly today. We should promote and support the research done at Havard's Stem Cell Institute. Their research and others like it may one day give hope to those, crippled by ALS or Parkinson's Disease, a chance to live a normal life.

And That's My Opinion !

Tom Bunny in HDR

2010-01-31T18:06:00.000-05:00

Tom Bunny was my original Profile picture three years ago but he took some time off and recently wanted another shot at working with me here at Tom's Hideaway. From a recent photo session here is the venerable Tom Bunny in HDR

My HDR Experiment

2010-01-30T00:40:00.003-05:00

I downloaded a free trial of Photomatix Pro and started experimenting with High Dynamic Range imaging or HDR. It's a process where you use 3 different photos of the same subject at three different exposures and then combine them all into one photo. Like the one here of my very patient nephew who had to sit as still as possible while I fudged around with my camera settings..

Kinda Cool I think.

Web Hosting from Dot.Easy

2010-01-25T15:27:00.006-05:00

Unless you are out to do business on the net, considering a web host is something people really don't need to do. There are tons of places where you can start up a blog for free. It's a great, it's fun and at times, frustrating, when no one comments , but for me at least it's always been free.

If I was to take the next step and come up with a business online I'd want a little more than what my current host (BLOGGER) let's me have. I was recently asked to look at a free web hosting service and I thought...FREE! So I checked them out to see what they were offering that I didn't have already.

If you have ever started a blog or signed up for and email account then you understand that you are not always going to get the name you want. It would be nice to be tomshideaway.com but blogger has to stick there name in the http address so I have to be tomshideaway.blogspot.com.....ain't no one gonna remember that if you say it in passing. So much easier if it ended in .COM, .ORG or .NET !!

At DotEasy it's not all free, you are paying for the NAME you want everyone to be able to remember. It was fun just using there Domain Search to find out what I could come up with for a new website. Funny how some of the crazy names I came up with were already taken, for instance STINKYWATER.COM & YOURDEAD.COM, were already taken!!

So if you are thinking about upgrading your blog or website, then web hosting and domain names are things you should really consider. Anyway....go ahead...do it....try to think up some good names for websites HERE, and let me know what was already taken!!

They currently have a promo right now where you can register for any domain name for only $4.95 for your first year. Just use the coupon code 0910FWH when registering for a domain name.

Running Towards Spring

2010-01-22T13:34:00.001-05:00

It's 2010 and January is nearly gone. With only 28 days of Feburary to suffer through, Spring is on the horizon!!

Time to start thinking about shedding the coat and maybe even shedding a few pounds to boot.

During the holiday season I seem to really put on that winter weight! I know if I want to be able to fit in my speedo when Summer arrives I need to get out and buy some new running shoes and get on the treadmill. Heck even if I don't lose very many pounds the new sneakers will look good.

I pick the treadmill over running outside. Even working out on the Elliptical seems safer than running the winter streets. Too many hazards with snow covered sidewalks and early morning black ice. You just get started working out and then BAM you slip fall and break your wrist. A car drives through a slush puddle and covers you in ice cold water. Lets face it, your chances of getting hit by a car whilst running the treadmill are much slimmer than running in the street.

Not only can running in the streets be dangerous physically, but think of all the exhaust fumes you breathe in as the cars stream by. It's the basement for me or maybe joining a local gym.

Certainly it's time for new shoes whether I run in them or not! Those suckers are gonna be 2 years old soon!! New shoes, exercise, eat right and well there are so many things I could do but I don't want to bite more than I can chew.

I guess I better go try on my speedo from last year and see how much work I have ahead of me!

OH...... when I was checking out the Footlocker Running Shoes site, I saw a button on their page that links you up with the American Red Cross, where you can help by donating, to help the people of Haiti, where so many have died from the catastrophic earthquake and those who have been left behind have lost so much.

Advice for Men: Don't Be Too Nice!!

2010-01-19T11:34:00.000-05:00

To those guys out there who have met someone new. Be careful not to be labeled, "Too Nice."

If you hear that, you are headed for failure.

Women seem to be drawn to men who appear to be self absorbed. Those guys with the perfect hair, the muscled bodies and very often, small brains. The ones that seem to spend more time concentrating on themselves and how they look. These self absorbed morons may have something to teach us "Nice Guys".

Instead of opening the doors for women, paying the bar tab or practicing chivalry of any kind , try being rude, self centered and loud. It's this kind of behavior that seems to really draw them in.

Think about yourself more often and what you need, what you like. Lately I find myself totally fascinated by ME. It's only natural that they will be equally fascinated as well....

Try to appear aloof and distant and when, inevitably, they approach you...appear disinterested. Women seem to respond more when they are ignored or under appreciated. Wear some obnoxious jewelery. Put your sunglasses on indoors, NO Clip On's please!!

It's ok to be NICE, just don't go overboard. If you find yourself sharing a shrimp cocktail or nachos at some point, don't even worry about taking the last of it without offering her some. If anything, she'll just think you are a jerk, which is what you are striving for here!!

They like jerks because they believe they can mold them into something different!!

When you are too NICE, there is nothing they can really work with, nothing to change.

Once you have established yourself as a self absorbed a--hole your possibilities of attracting the opposite sex will be limitless! It's a new paradigm in this battle of the sexes.

Once you have hooked the one you want, gradually revert to being nice but be careful not to move too fast. It gives them the feeling that they have crafted you into what they want. Someone who cares enough about them to change their misguided ways.

Certainly it would be easier for everyone if they could be happy with a guy that knows what he likes and is a gentleman from the very start of a relationship. But that's not how it works guys...

Stop being "Too Nice" today and enjoy the ride.

A Flickr Favorite

2010-01-19T10:19:00.000-05:00

Saw this picture of New York City from a gallery of pictures from called Stuck In Customs,

Titled "New York On Fire at Dusk"

Cool picture, wish I'd taken it!

Sunday Morning in Boston

2010-01-17T22:58:00.001-05:00

Went into Boston this morning and the streets seemed pretty quiet. A lot of that snow you see is getting washed away by heavy rains as I am writing this, but don't worry!! The temperature is supposed to drop and when I wake up tomorrow there could be 6" inched of that fresh white stuff....Awesome!!

NOT!!

Marblehead Massachusetts (Sunset)

2010-01-09T08:31:00.002-05:00

Gambling Online

2009-12-30T20:39:00.001-05:00

Online Gambling sites like, Casino Red , take the travel out of having to go to Vegas or some other far off place to lose your money. Instead of paying air fare and a hotel room you can just snuggle up to your friendly PC and place your bets. It's enticing but is it smart ??

Heck I have trouble trusting the Casinos I have visited in person, never mind the Virtual ones. Interestingly enough this is a billion dollar industry and much of the money being wagered is from the U.S.

Trying to find out if it's legal?? Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

It seems operating an online casino or facilitating the betting is probably going to get you in hot water here in the U.S.A., but merely making bets...as long as they aren't sporting bets.. seems to be ok, sort of.

A man from North Dakota, Jeffrey Trauman, made some sports bets and won $100,000 online but he violated a State Law for which he was fined $500. It still seems Jeff came out a winner in that. As far as I have been able to determine, there is no specific Federal Law that prohibits people playing online it just gets tricky on how the money is channeled to and from the casino.

Places like PayPal and many major Credit Card companies won't allow their customers to use their services to transfer money from their accounts to online casinos because of U.S. laws that prohibit that practice. But just because it's illegal for banks to do it, there are still those out there that want to help you find a way to do it

So it's true that it is easier to gamble from home or your local internet cafe, but maybe it's better to have the Casinos a bit out of reach. Clearly online or when you are at your favorite Casino, gambling is a risk, and one should always be aware of what they are risking.

Good Luck whatever your choice might be and Happy New Year to all

Merry Christmas

2009-12-21T10:12:00.000-05:00

Thanking the one's we could live without....

2009-11-23T20:54:00.000-05:00

Without the people that make our blood boil, life might become boring. It's time to give thanks for those who have helped our hearts work a little harder by simply being themselves. Help me start a new tradition by thanking the people we would love to send on a vacation to the Sun...

I want to thank all the nit wits, assholes, grumpy old codgers and little punks that pissed me off from time to time over the past year...Thanks guys, you make me feel like a much better person than I probably am.

Thankyou to Sarah Palin, without you, McCain might have gotten elected President of the United States...Thanks Sarah!

Thanks to Senator John Ensign R-(NV) and the South Carolina Governor and leader of the Republican Govenor's Association the honorable Mark Sanford for having extramaritial affairs, you have helped me to remember that most of you elected officials are lowlife scum, thanks guys!!

Thanks to Department of Revenue and the Internal Revenue Service, if it wasn't for the zest your employees seem filled with every time they collect money from me I'd think that no one in government is doing their job, thanks guys...The check is in the mail !!

Thanks to the makers of Tamiflu and the Neighborhood Health Plan, you guys working together still managed to screw me for a $50 Co Pay for 10 pills, I haven't been touched like that in years...Thanks Guys!!

I'll thank the nice people in a later post, is there anyone despicable enough out there that you would like to thank??

Please feel free to thank them in my comment section

Government at Work

2009-11-17T18:38:00.002-05:00

OUR
CONGRESS AT WORK.

Should we buy them larger screen computers - or - a ticket home,
permanently?

Nothing else need to be said. This is one of their THREE DAY WORK WEEKS that we all pay for. I am ready to start from the beginning by voting out all elected officials and not letting any of them stay in office for more than two terms. No more lifelong healthcare, retirement, voting in their own pay raises, taking perks on our taxes, etc.

House Minority Leader Lawrence F. Cafero Jr., R-Norwalk, pictured standing, far right, speaks while colleagues Rep. Barbara Lambert, D-Milford and Rep. Jack F. Hennessy, D-Bridgeport, play solitaire Monday night as the House convened to vote on a new budget. (AP)

The guy sitting in the row in front of these two... he's on Facebook, and the guy behind Hennessy is checking out the baseball scores.

These are the folks that can't get the budget out by Oct. 1, Seriously!!!

So, weve got a 30 day budget extension. Well, guess what, 30 days from now we will be
in the same boat. I guess this makes it easy for the news reporters as all they have to do is recycle the same headlines from this week and from 2 years ago. And these yo-yos will still be playing SOLITAIRE!!!

I'm all for voting ALL out and start with a clean slate! Max terms and no life time benefits!!!

My First Demotivational Poster

2009-11-03T17:06:00.002-05:00

CRAZY!

2009-10-24T09:30:00.004-04:00

The Weather Ahead or Jealous in San Diego

2009-10-07T08:48:00.001-04:00

Looking at the week ahead it seems that sunshine and 70 degree tempratures have been forecast for the San Diego, CA area. Poor miserable slobs.

Here in the Boston, Ma - We are , with the exception of a sunny dry day on Thursday, looking at rain over the next week !! Nice !!

Sorry San Diego !!

Remembering Mary

2009-09-29T08:51:00.001-04:00

It's been 5 years since Mary passed away and every year whatever family we can put together remembers and celebrates the fun she added to our lives. Last night was no different as her nephew and niece danced and her brother in law Mark, sister in-law Linda, her big sister Kathryn, her two brothers Charles and John,her Mom Gailsie and I had dinner together, and kept Mary close to our hearts.

An Album Of Recent Pictures from Tom's Hideaway

2009-09-22T08:18:00.000-04:00

Toms' Hideaway

Any Favorites,

Post a comment on particular pictures or the whole set.

Some New Photos

2009-09-20T18:52:00.000-04:00

Two Hancock Buildings in the distance

I've been away for a few days working out of town and so I took a few shots from the porch of the place I am painting. I'll be headed back there tomorrow night for a while longer but I hope you enjoy the views from the top floor of a Brownstone in the South End (Boston, MA)

In the second picture the greens really came out, I was shooting the picture in Night Mode.

Sunflowers out side of New Hope Baptist Church 740 Tremont St, Boston

Holy Flowers BATMAN !!

Gloucester Sunset

2009-09-15T08:28:00.000-04:00

Celebrity Sightings

2009-09-14T08:15:00.000-04:00

Mike and Tom

Seemingly everywhere lately, the ubiquitous Tom, was sighted at Fenway Park the other night. He an his friend Mike were smiling on the way home from the Park as the Red Sox won

Whacked out ACID Trip

2009-09-12T17:19:00.001-04:00

I've been experimenting with ,

NO not ACID !! I have been experimenting with ideas as to a title that might grab some poor suckers attention just long enough to write a damn comment !!

I also thought I'd throw in a few pictures of what I think it might be like if you watched the NFL on LSD

Really though,

I'm just guessing ....

Seems as though it would be a bit

surreal

Thing is, using Crazy Titles may be a little like the boy crying wolf.
Here I am promoting a story about a "Whacked out Acid Trip and there was really no acid involved!!

Think of this visit as being part of an experiment  and you are one of the test subjects, sorry I haven't any drugs for this experiment. On the bright side,  I don't have any surprise elctro shock treatments in store for you either !!

So how did you find this post? and What led you here??

Labor Day Weekend...The End

2009-09-06T19:46:00.001-04:00

We are lucky to have a great weather for this Labor Day weekend.

The weekend that really spells the END of summer .

No more Beach Days....

The Party bear will miss those Beach Days !!

But the Fall remains my favorite season, the colors, the warm days with no humidity. Cool nights that are great for sleeping and Football !!

Thanksgiving, my Favorite Holiday in my Favorite Season

Every Sunday and Monday and sometimes Thursday...It's Football, Snacks and Beer !!

Of course there is also Baseball if the Red Sox can keep it going this October and if they only go farther than the Yankees I will be happy with their season.!!

Enjoy your weekend and let me know,

What will you miss about summer ??
What are you looking forward to this fall ??

Blast From The Past

2009-09-02T20:57:00.001-04:00

July 4, 1937

My Dad is the Tall Handsome Devil in the front row, his little sister to his right and the kids from the neighborhood where he grew up in rural Pennsylvania. Also pictured are my Grandma and Grandfather.

Thanks to my cousin Tom, for digging out the picture and sending it to me.

The Power Of Suggestion

2009-08-26T23:33:00.003-04:00

Have you ever wondered about the power of suggestion and how it might impact your life??

I read somewhere once that "only crooks and grave robbers play on our unfounded insecurities and use those to manipulate and control us." I wonder if the power of suggestion is really that strong??

In the 1950's a professor of psychology did an experiment to test his theories with regard to "social pressure." and to see if such pressures could make a person say something that was obviously incorrect.:

Here is a synopsis of the test results that I found at the wikipedia site:

This experiment was conducted using 123 male participants. Each participant was put into a group with 5 to 7 "confederates" (People who knew the true aims of the experiment, but were introduced as participants to the naive "real" participant). The participants were shown a card with a line on it, followed by another card with 3 lines on it labeled a, b, and c. The participants were then asked to say which line matched the line on the first card in length. Each line question was called a "trial". The "real" participant answered last or penultimately. For the first two trials, the subject would feel at ease in the experiment, as he and the other "participants" gave the obvious, correct answer.

On the third trial, the confederates would start all giving the same wrong answer.

There were 18 trials in total and the confederates answered incorrectly for 12 of them, these 12 were known as the "critical trials". The aim was to see whether the real participant would change his answer and respond in the same way as the confederates, despite it being the wrong answer.

Solomon Asch thought that the majority of people would not conform to something obviously wrong, but the results showed that participants conformed to the majority on 37% of the critical trials. However, 25% of the participants did not conform on any trial. 75% conformed at least once, and 5% conformed every time.

Interesting that over one third of the people tested conformed with the obviously wrong answer. I guess they wanted to be part of the group. They felt comfortable in the first couple of tests and began to bond with those around them. Peer Pressure is what it is..

So what groups are you a part of? Maybe it is a Religious group? Political ? Are you Conservative? Liberal ? Maybe it's a combination of them all. Maybe religious people tend to find themselves locked into a conservative political group because they find that the liberal groups that are around tend to be at odds with their conservative religious views. After all, Liberals might as well call themselves Communists, right ??

Where do we form our opinions, beliefs? Do we come up with them ourselves or are they formed within our groups??

Maybe we share opinions that are popular and promoted by our favorite media outlets? Take Glen Beck for example. Here is a guy that has great popularity. If you are a fan of Glen Beck then it is likely that you are a conservative.

He describes his show as a "Fusion of entertainment and enlightenment" He has suggested that Obama's Health Care reform is a means by which he can effect reparations for slavery. If you are a fan of his then it is likely that you believe that. One because you like Glen Beck and two because you want to be part of the group that likes Glen Beck. Peer Pressure, just like in High School !! Cool (-:

His shows are filled with moral outrage and apocalyptic views of the future. Basically if you are part of his fan base, his group, then Glen Beck can scare the shit out of you. That is certainly not his primary purpose but it sure helps the ratings.

I am wondering these days where all the conservatives get programmed and I think I am on to something even bigger then Glenn Beck !!

Talk Radio !! Did you know that among Americans 12 and older, that 90 Percent of them listen to radio each week. That is more than the Television, Newspapers Magazines or even the Internet.

Through 1700 radio stations across the US, some 50 million Americans are listeners of the news/talk format every week. GUESS WHAT ??

Of the 257 News/Talk stations owned by the 5 top commercial station owners:
91 Percent of those stations are Conservative
9 Percent are Progressive or maybe prone to expounding on more Liberal Discussions of the daily news.

Which group are you in??

I got these stats from this report: The Structural Imbalance of Political Talk Radio. Read it if you dare!!

Of course if you like Glen Beck then you will likely dismiss me as a rabble rousing communist. That is, if you want to stay comfortable in your group of peers, even if they are wrong about so many things!!

Bottom line here is be your own group and step away from the traditional biased media and start trying to find the real problems in America. One of them is the News. Another is the Insurance Companies. Is Obama the enemy, I don't think so. The Savior, no. But he is someone trying to make a change? Unfortunately in this political climate that we live in. The money being thrown at Washington's legislators from the private sector will only dilute and muddy the change.

We need to make Health Insurance AFFORDABLE for everyone.

I didn't say FREE, I said Affordable.

Don't let the crooks, (The Insurance Companies) win.