CapeCodToday Blog Chowder

What a joke the state Republican Committee is. I swear this is the first time I've seen this guy'sname in print in a month! He may be a great candidate, but all I know about him is who he's married to and who his daughter is.

How about this Scott: tell me who you are and what you stand for, tell me why you should be elected, and most importantly, ASK ME FOR MY VOTE!

This silence from the state repubs tells me loud and clear that they've thrown in the towel.

Ned -- there is at least one more. Madeline Kahn, as Lilly Von Schtupp in "Blazing Saddles," sang a similar song, and pretty funny, too.

I am conflicted on this issue. I don't believe that anyone should be prevented from running for office, but on the other hand, the corruption and all that goes with it has gotten completely out of hand. So, put me down as being in favor of term limits, albeit reluctantly.

Ned - for Heaven's sake, switch to decaf.

Thanks for the pronunciation guide, Bethany, I have always been irritated by the incorrect usage -- much like I've been annoyed by folks who promounce the town of Peabody as "Pea-body" instead if "Peebiddy" as the good Lord intended.

and of course I don't even need to point out that "Gloucester" is "Gloster" and "Worcester" is "Woosta."

The first photo is terrific. The young lady looks like she just had a perm for the photo. Also, it looks like it might have been an overcast day -- were you using a fill-in flash? One more question: what kind of camera do you use?

Dossal? Surely you mean "docile?"

David, I like the title.

I'm sure you've heard the famous Texas line "All hat and no cattle."

Edward Gorey. . . I met him once at a concert at the Hyannis temple. A Strange man, a great man, and a cat lover -- the latter always a plus in my book.

What a joke. He hasn't accomplished anything positive yet, but he's tried hard, so they say.

By the same reasoning, they should award the green Masters jacket to the duffer who can't play golf worth a damn but tries real hard every weekend.

Dear Mwalim -

For a college Perfesser, your spelling is surprising. I'd suggest you enroll in a Remedial English course. For starters, please understand that "quite" and "quiet" are two different words with entirely different meanings.

Permoc - You want to vote more than once? Contact Acorn, I understand they can arrange it.

Richard, everybody gets a gold star when it comes to the conspiracy game. . . that applies to many on your side of the idealogical fence and many on mine. However, in my life I have always resisted being a conspiracy theorist, because I've always believed that embracing a conspiracy theory is what the itellecually lazy do. If it seems reasonable and believable, there you go, I don't need to check any more facts!

There's a lot that has gone on that we don't know, and it behooves all of us to attempt to get more informed before we start pointing fingers at each other -- not a criticsm of your piece, mind you, but just an admonishment for everybody.

Jeez Crusader, somebody struck a nerve. Sit down and take a deep breath please. Your thoughts are well appreciated but none of us want you to blow a fuse.

Dick Cheney, when he wasn't pushing Halliburton's financial interests from within the administration, was recruiting a bunch of Saudis with the intention attacking the United States.

What's to wonder? Makes perfect sense to me.

Ana - who voted who in? A simple answer: as Karl Marx said, "useful idiots."

How did this dude get so close to the seat of power in the White House? A rhetorical question I guess, Robert, because you already answered it.

No. 1, he is an avowed communist -- that'll get you a long way with the Saul Alinsky crowd these days; and No. 2, he was vetted by a clueless staff in the White House to whom skin color is more important than meaningful qualifications.

God help the United States.

Very nice, Richard . . . . . Eric Burden and the Animals, reminds me of a time when I sowing my wild oats and having one hell of a good time.

Keep it up laddie, I always enjoy your postings, and as an avowed wingnut who almost never agrees with you, I do appreciate your writing -- looking forward to crossing swords with you down the road. Maybe that sentiment is the most we can we can expect from "bipartisanship?"

Neddy, I understand. I'll not hold them responsible. Still, you have to give him credit for his mastery of the keyboard. . . . . pretty darn good for a chimpanzee, I'd say.

And Walter, when are you going to restrict the comments section to humans only?

Okay, if you want to split hairs, point taken.

I don't know where the esteemed bartender plys his trade, but I'll bet they refer to him as "mini-bartender" because he is obviously a very small person.

I believe Ms. Schatzberg WAS speaking for herself.

What are you talking about, Ned? I'm not happy -- quite sad actually. I didn't agree with the man; didn't vote for him ever, but I respected him. Unlike most politicians he never lied to me about his beliefs -- never misrepresented himself. A sad day indeed!

A lesson in modern-day civics: In the United States of America, our Constitution provides for 100 members of the Senate. Who gets selected for those seats is up to the judgement of the votes, for niety nine of them. The one remaining seat is the property of the Kennedy Family, and shall remain so in perpetuity.

Possee - regarding your last paragraph, I agree wholeheartedly with your sentiments, but I'm jaded after many decades of watching the politcal scene.

In the upcoming mid-term election, I'll bet you that the enlightened voters of the People's Republic of Massachusetts will return the exact same odious slate of miscreants, dopes, and losers to extended terms.

Mooner17 - you make a good point, but the fact is that newspapers derived most of their income not long ago from advertising and that income source has gone away. So, a new busiess model is needed, and believe me, somebody will come up with one. In the meantime, charging for online content (I believe) will only work of you are producing a real good quality product, with I feel neither the Globe or the Cape Cod Times does. And they're not alone. Now I would gladly pay for the Wall Street Journal or New Yorker magazine, but they a few notches above.

My point is that I feel the law of diminishing returns will come into play. Charging for online content for the Globe and Cape Cod Times will not enhance earnings -- it'll simply drive customers away.

Great idea, Boston Globe. Get prepared to have NO readers, of which I will be one.

Hmmmmm -- let's see, I don't see anything in the phrase "Life, Lberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" that translates to "Guarantee of an illness-free life, and a guarantee of a lifetime of happiness thanks to the government." That's a big stretch, and one of the early steps of trading one's liberties for Big Momma goernment, which of course will never be able to deliver on these promises anyway.

Health care is a great benefit, to be earned through one's labors or paid for in cash. It is not a right!

This story is far too long in the tooth. Should have been over a week ago. Cop did his duty -- Gates was tired and stressed and over-reacted. Period!

And Peter, I think socialists hate cops because they consider them to be social and intellectual inferiors -- as they consider most of us to be. That's why they want big government to make our decisions for us, since we are incapable of doing it for ourselves.

My hat's off to Christy for having the stones to run as a Republican, and not as an Independent. Let's have a primary slugfest!

I'm an Independent, but if Christy ran as one, he'd split the ticket and we'd be guaranteed four more years of "Yes We Can." Shudder.

And yse, I'm leery too. Leery of EVERY candidate, present and future.

Wow, this really has animated the crew of responders.

For me, I'm still waiting for a "wise" response. . . . . . I think I hear crickets chirping.

Mary - I'd like to emphasize one point that younger folks might not be aware of. Back in the day, the entire Kennedy clan was protected and insulated by an invisible army of pals, PR flacks, and connected coat-holders that would spring into action when requested. I'm sure all the calls that Teddy made after that incident were to these people. They immediately mobilized and no doubt exerted great pressure on Chief Arena, the Massachusetts State Police, and the media. I can imagine the police chief was simply overwhelmed by the pressure and the threats, and so he didn't perform his professional duites as thoroughly as he might if someone named John Doe were the driver of the Oldsmobile.

Hello wise, I have no problem with folks disagreeing with things that I have written. However, I'm curious about the other "lovely traits" you speak of. What are they exactly?

If it suits you to think I'm a homophobe, go right ahead. I'm not, of course, but I am very critical of know-nothing legislators who claim they represent my interests in the halls of government.

Ted Kennedy, the main reason folks from Massachusetts are regarded as a laughingstock around the rest of the country, Barney Frank and Gerry Studds notwithstanding.

You know what they say, "More people have been killed in Ted Kennedy's car than have died at nuclear power plants."

Goodbye Walter. The last newsman we could trust. He was a liberal, to be sure, but nobody knew that until after he was retired. Today's talking heads wear their biases on their sleeve, and the country is the worse for it.

How about a launching ramp rant? Like last year on a summer weekend when an SUV with 2 kayaks on top parked right on the ramp while the boats were unloaded, then spent about 20 minutes arranging gear while blocking the ramp. Hello!! You can pick those things up and carry them around, unlike the guy waiting in line with a 20-footer that weighs about 2 tons!

If I were Mr. Stephen Fockler, I'd petition the Court to have the "l" removed from my last name. Just for giggles.

How about the guys on the highway who get a "testosterone rush" and speed up when you try to pass them in the passing lane. They might have been going 60 when you came up on them, but you've got to get up to 85-90 to get by them,and once you do pass them they slow right down again.

Oh boy! I've got plenty, becuase I'm an old grouch, but here's two.

1. People in the supermarket who walk around supporting all their weight on their forearms on the handle of the shopping cart. Stand up straight and have some pride and dignity for Heaven's sake!

2. Guys (mostly) who dine in restaurants while wearing a baseball cap. In case you didn't know, doofus, it is impolite to wear your hat under these circumstances.

What's not being focused on is how many of her decisions have been overturned. Why should I believe that someone who can't seem to "get it right" with respect to the Constitution much of the time should be seated on the court of last resort? She's probably an adequate jurist and a nice lady, but is that enough? Sure, she has a richness of life experience, but so do I and most of you. In my case I don't feel that entitles me to anything at all except maybe being regarded as a bore.

With regard to racism, I'm one of those cockeyed optimists who believe that for the most part it's a thing of the past. It's over, except for some nut jobs out there and those who profit from it, racism is as dead as a dodo -- sorry about that, but let's move on.

Excalibur - I agree about the clam cakes. I believe they have a pet clam on a string and they drop him into each fresh batch of batter and quickly retrieve him.

Heresy, to even suggest anyone would even think about making, much less eating, Manhattan clam chowder.

Wow, c-b, that's all kind of confusing.

For me, and not wishing to speak ill of the infirm, it did strike me that Ted was asking for a little "special treatment" from the Pontiff. Not something that we often see from the Kennedy clan -- unless you count Cardinal Cushing's annulment of inconvenient marriages, a certain Martha's Vineyard police force looking the other way, punishment of Coast Guard personnel who had the temerity to report on a drunken boating incident, etc.

Gee, I guess you're going to have to color me skeptical.

bdarr, I agree. This reinforces my resolve to abstain if I'm going anywhere near the devil hootch. It hasn't helped my popularity during the holiday seasons with my workmates at office parties and such, but I really don't want all you lurkers looking at my ugly mug on these pages.

Just curious. The guy has lost his driver's license. How exactly has he been getting that boat and trailer from place to place?

Wow, how to respond to all this? Richard, as you may or may not know, I am an avowed conservative (read:not Republican). I really enjoy reading your blogs because, although I often do not agree with your premise, I find them well thought out, well articulated and worthy of consideration.

Having said that, Cindy Sheehan is a dope, and so is Sarah Palin. If the Repubican party thinks Sarah is the answer to the liberal tidal wave, I would suggest they might be better off with a candidtae like Daffy Duck.

Conservatives need someone like William F. Buckley to carry the message, but he's dead, and I don't see anyone else who could measure up.

Sad time for America: Liberals 1, Conservatives 0.

Right on, bro. This is a disaster in the making.

In Australia the have something called the "tall poppy syndrome", where any poppy that grows taller than the ones around it get chopped. Don't you dare presume to stand out from the pack!

This is all a poorly-disguised ploy to smack America down for its past prosperity. Imagine the impudence, that Americans could exceed the standard of living of so many throughout the world! Well, now we're going to pay, and I fear these plans will go ahead because of all the guilt-ridden lefties out there and the huge cheerleader corps in the media.

If Supreme Leader Obama has his way, in ten years America will be a third-world county.

OMG now we hear that Billy Mays has died! When will this madness stop? I'm really going to miss the man with the jet-black beard yelling at me on the TV. NOT!

I never liked his music, but that's just me.

Beyond that, he was a drug-addict and a pedophile. Can we please all just shut up?

For me, all potable water is treated with a Brita water filter, which I guess is just activated carbon -- good for removing organic compounds.

I have been fanatic about giving my pampered indoor cats nothing but filtered water for years, and yet in the past 10 years I've lost 2 to cancer -- go figure.

. . . . . . and they have trouble spelling too!

Ned, I can't find the bigotry, but if you say so . . . .

For all you musicphiles out there looking for tunes that will live on through a few generations, check out Leonard Cohen's recent album "Live in London." See if you think this geezer is a great songwriter/poet.

Mary - idealogically, you and I are diametrically opposed, but I appreciate your taking a critical look at the state Democrat Party's inner workings, warts and all. If folks like you could help to "clean up" your party, and folks like me would do the same with the GOP, the Commonwealth and the country would be lots better off, would they not? And you know, maybe that is the best exercise in bipartisanship -- you clean up your house, we'll clean up ours, and we will all try real hard to disagree without being disagreeable.

Jeff, I applaud your sentiments completely, as well as those of the other commenters before me. I wish you well, and bless your heart for being a right-thinking person (no pun).

However, as a committed right-wing nut, I don't think I can ever again trust the GOP to be the keeper of the flame. In fact, I feel it's rather arrogant for the Republican Party to assume that it is the party of conservatism.

I fear the Great American Experiment is ending, and the battle has been lost. The GOP is complicit in that failure.

Another annoying little feature of the 2002 race was that the powers that be sold the Lakeville State Hospital holdings to a developer for one-tenth of its actual value so Tolman would have the funds to run a race that EVERYBODY knew was a loser.

For the long-suffering citizens? Money and opportunity squandered once again.

Keelhauling is good, especially if the keel in question has a good growth of barnicles.

Possee -- I like your suggestions, but I think there should be a final caveat: "Anyone able to prove illegal alien status will not be subject to these regulations."

Nice article Stacey. Who knows, maybe the Massachusetts pols will just let the feds collect the money.

Just kidding!!

Of course, our best and brightest will initiate yet another fee-collecting scheme. And 10 years down the road it'll be 100 bucks to fish in the saltwater. By that time I'll be sitting in a corner drooling, so I don't care. Too many futile battles against town hall brings you to that place.

Okay Brittanicus, just two questions: who is going to pay for this universal coverage? And, what will you be saying when health care starts getting rationed by the government? Consider this; somewhere down the road you may be in need of a life-saving procedure, and some beaurocrat will tell you that you can't have it because -- I dunno -- you're over 55?

Think long and hard about what you wish for.

I have no problem with the development and their golf course. What really concerns me is the groundwater that is sucked up every day to water the greens and fairways and the pesticides and nitrogen-based compounds that are leached out, that are in the fertilizers and are killing our estuaries. All this so some rich doofus can doink a little white ball around.

You are creeping me out Ned. A return to the womb reenactment? My distant memory, though quite fuzzy, does not include a closet pole in my mother's womb.

This sort of thing (if suicide) seems to be more common recently. Namely, author David Foster Wallace and more recently, boat-designerPhil Bolger in Gloucester. I know Wallace was suffering from depression, but Bolger was experiencing senility and who knows, perhaps he prefered to go out by his own hand rather than slowly evolve into a turnip under the tender ministrations of a caregiver with a third-grade education and a criminal record as a sexual abuser? Who knows -- in Carradine's case it may be helpful to know something about his recent medical history.

Okay, I'm waiting. Who is the first moonbat who'll step up to the plate and say the Canal Plant SHOULD be paying more in taxes?

(Blissfully ignorant of the fact that the taxes will be passed on to the consumers.)

Yes indeed . . . nice little place, maybe 4-6 tables or you can eat at the counter. Charming and cheerful waitstaff as well. You can get their chicken or clam pies served or frozen to take out. And no, I have no connection with the place other than the fact I love their chicken pie -- no veggies, just chicken, gravy, and pastry!

Hint: When you next come to visit, try the Centerville Pie Company on Route 28. Have the chicken pie with gravy. You will never be the same afterwards.

Let's see . . . . . "blades longer than 50 meters." That's about 164 feet. Just how tall are towers going to have to be to avoid lopping off the heads of passers-by?

There is nothing I can add, except "brilliantly done!"

"this is no longer a Republic of the People.....that was taken away from us long ago". That's not quite true, Voice of Reason, nothing was taken away from us, we gave it away through our stupidity and apathy.

And to all you Republican bashers out there, please be aware that conservatism is not, and never has been, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Republican Party. They have proven that they are an unreliable caretaker and will never again be trusted by true conservatives. Are we headed toward a three-party country? I don't know, but change is in the wind.

"this is no longer a Republic of the People.....that was taken away from us long ago". That's not quite true, Voice of Reason, nothing was taken away from us, we gave it away through our stupidity and apathy.

And to all you Republican bashers out there, please be aware that conservatism is not, and never has been, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Republican Party. They have proven that they are an unreliable caretaker and will never again be trusted by true conservatives. Are we headed toward a three-party country? I don't know, but change is in the wind.

Deval won't be named to the Supreme Court. Mark my words, it will be a woman, a minority, AND a lesbian (not that there's anything wrong with that).

When you don't have any identifiable principles to stand for, I suppose it doesn't much matter which party you affiliate yourself with. Just choose the one that benefits you personally the most.

So seeya Arlen, it's been real, and by the way, take John McCain with you.

A very nice posting, and a touching homage to your grandfather.

A bit of trivia, and I'll bet any aviators out there know this -- how is it that the Corsair became "gullwinged?"

Counselor Latimer, you are an excellent writer, and you present your arguments with crystalline clarity. I suspect you are an excellent lawyer as well. Sadly, you also appear to be a card-carrying member of the Hate-America-First Society, and I can't help but wonder how you developed and honed your obvious skills in such a despicable and repressive country as the United States of America?

Sounds yummy. Tell me, where does one find a striped bass of legal size in the middle of April. Just between the two of us -- I won't tell anyone.

I'm convinced Seafood Sams' vary by location. I know lots of folks who swear by the mid-Cape one but I've never been there. I used to frequent the one at the Canal, but after a few very disappointing meals, I don't go there any more. Captain Frosty's is great -- expensive, and limited parking, but if you time your visit you can avoid the crowds.

Most people knew then, and still know today, the key to all this unpleasantness -- corrupt Falmouth cops!

I've caught two, the last one about 20 years ago, and only after long, cold, lonely days fishing the pools in a certain northside marsh. They were brown trout, but after their stay in the salt water they'd turned silver -- kinda looked like salmon. I'm proud to say I released them both.

You know some chronic masturbators? Wow, I don't know anybody well enough to know if he or she is a CM, and that's just fine with me.

Hey, a CM -- same intials as the Corrupt Midget.

Very well done! I know this, because I can smell the briny air as you describe collecting mussels. (Funny thing, I can't smell the garlic).

Ah yes, the Cape Cod Times, a newspaper of dubious value at best. And guess what? This morning when I stopped by the news stand for my daily rag, I noted that price has been increased to $1.00! Now I was irritated when not long ago the price went up to $0.75, but this is the straw that breaks this camel's back. No more -- I have purchased my very last CCT.

And you wonder why newspapers are folding?

And another nasty little detail that one of the Boston TV outlets is focusing on right now (Channel 4 maybe?), and that is the per diem payment that our solons get for taking the trouble to commute to work every day! For many years I took the bus from Barnstable to Boston 5 days a week, and even now I commute off Cape to the tune of about 90 miles per day. Do I think my employer should be paying for my commute? No way -- that's life in the working world.

It would seem to me that some significant savings could be realized by getting rid of this ridiculous and insulting perk!

I understand Obama and Patrick used the same campaign strategists, who invented a winning formula: find a charming, good-looking candidate, arm him with meaningless platitudes and vague promises, refuse to get specific when pressed on issues -- and feign impatience and brush off the bothersome questions. These two guys even used some of the same speeches, I swear. Well, it worked, and the United States and the Commonwealth are going to be paying the price for decades to come.

Thanks for the kiss in the mail, Gov Deval. Don't blame me -- I voted for Muffy.

Seriously though, only when you moonbats start voting for your best sel-interests and those of the community rather than your "ideals" will things change. I could see this disaster coming way back during the campaign when all we could get out of Deval was vague platitutes, like, oh I don't know . . . . .maybe "together we can?"

Snoopy, that is the beauty of Alzheimer's -- no such thing as an old joke.

The same old tired arguments about minutiae. Let's step back for a minute and look at the situation. We have federal government, state government, and local (town) government. County government is a vestige of the past and is redundant. Let's think about getiing rid of it -- reallocating its functions to one or more of the three listed above, realize some cost savings in the process, and then we can argue about what fees should be levied. That would be a start.

However, we'd have to be very watchful that all the employees and assocated costs presently under the county jusrisdiction would not be simply transferred into other governmental agencies, as seems to be the way things done now.

Bethany, thanks for a great story. I really do appreciate what you do with your livestock, but I fear I have strayed too far from our farming roots. If I had livestock such as chickens, pigs, etc., I would of course give them all names and would feel like I had to provide cradle to grave care for each and every one, followed by a proper burial when the time came. I know that's not what the real world is about, but that's me.

Another contadiction -- I'm also a fly tyer and fisherman, and I'm smart enough to know that the best fly tying materials are not manufactured from plastic in some Chinese factory. The thought of going fishing with an old friend is kinda touching.

Repubicans -- Democrats, there's not a dime's worth of difference between them. If the Republicans are engaging in obstructionism, they are simply following Rahm Emmanuel's advice "Never let a good crisis go to waste." And that, in my humble opinion, is exactly what both parties are engaged in right now.

Richard -- once again you've got it wrong. God created the Irish so the Scots could have someone to feel superior to (apologies for ending a sentence with a preposition).

I agree with much of what you say Richard. However, where we part ways is where you state that the corporate elites are "grabbing the power for themselves." From my perspective, I see the power that was put into the hands of the people being willingly being handed back to the political elites by the people themselves, thanks to a largely uninformed and apathetic electorate. Not that we shouldn't keep a sharp eye on the corporate elites, mind you.

I remember years ago, when we were last concerned with the unemployment rate, the pundits talked about something that I think they called the "institutional unemployment rate" and it was about 5-6 percent. These were the folks who were able to work, but were unwilling to work (Jeez, imagine that!). Anyway, if that still holds today, the "real" unemploiyment rate is about 2-3 percent, and that ain't too bad.

Well, I don't know if this is a mystery, really. All we have to do is look at history -- there are lessons to be learned there. Too big to fail? History shows us that any company that has gotten into financial difficulties, perhaps should be allowed to fail, or at least declare bankruptcy and be forced to restructure itself into a workable form. Taking this argument to the preposterous extreme, imagine if there were government intervention back in the days when the horseless carriage came on the scene. Uncle Sam might have jumped in to "save" the buggy whip industry, and we'd still have buggy whip factories today busily turning out products nobody wants. Another lesson history teaches us is that when in an economic downturn, the absolute worst action government can take is to increase taxes on productive people and businesses. That has the direct effect of damping the economic growth which is needed to pull the economy out of its slump. Now look at the course Governor Patrick and President Obama are charting and tell me if they've learned anything from history.

Very nice, councilor. I'm not sure if it's really true or fact-based fiction, but in either case, well written and I'll be sure to seek out your future writings.

I'm sure Jeremy and his female companion just needed a few bucks to get them to a Mensa meeting in New York.

I'm a passionate conservative and have NEVER voted for the Senior Senator (or his Junior counterpart either). However, with Ted, you always knew where he stood. He was never one to hide his intentions with vague platitudes, like our present Governor.

So I say, Senator Kennedy, I salute you and sincerely wish you Godspeed!

Petercohen -- remember, there are 2 parts of "reliabilty" regarding electric service. That is the electric generating part and the distribution part. I too, have been plagued with many outages over the years, but they have all been the responsibility of NStar, not Mirant. In fact, after hurricane Bob, when I was without power for a week, the Pennsylvania Power crew that finally got my power back on told me the distribution system here on the Cape was the most poorly maintained they had ever seen!