it's enough to make one wonder in amazement that such tiny and frail creatures as birds can survive the bitter cold and snow, and yet flourish. whackdeer, Cardinals, Goldfinches, Bluejays, Hummingbirds, Swallows, Purple Martins, Baltimore Orioles, Robins, Waxwings, Wrens, Starlings, Titmice. Woodpeckers, Herons, Pheasant, Quail, Hawks, Crows and a hundred other species I can't yet identify spend their years on my 20 acre Garden Center & Nursery. I have thousands of evergreens and deciduous trees for their usage. They nest, mate, rear their young and return each year to repeat the cycle. When any tree is "in use", I hang a SOLD tag on it with my name, to discourage customers from even getting near the tree, so as not to disturb an active nest. After the babies have developed feathers and flown away, I can remove the tag and nest, and once again offer the unit for sale. Many spend all year there, even through harsh Winters. I've been feeding them since Day One, when I opened in '91. Even during the Blizzard of '96, I brought seed, suet and water to those caught nesting in several of our 30ft x 100ft Production Greenhouses. It was rough for them to find any food with 48" of snow coving the ground most of the Winter. This year, I'm adding a small, heated water area outside my Office window, just under the Lath House, for the birds to drink from. Starting in November, I dump piles of wild bird food daily in the same area, from the 50lb bags I get every week. Each day, hundreds feed within view and it is a marvel that all those toothpick-thin legs and little feet don't freeze. Wonder if LLBean has any plans to market "Bean Boots® Birdie Booties™"? Nah. Around The Garden Center. Last Friday, traffic was typically heavy for the day after Thanksgiving with many returning from their short trips to relatives' homes for dinner; most had Friday and the weekend (natch) off. I went to work at O Dark Thirty (5:45am) on Friday. The Jeep Grand Cherokee V8 LTD will now live in the condo garage, since night temps are down to single digits. Sliding into a cold vehicle on a bitter morning truly sucks. Wind chill of -15°F was brutal. All nursery stock is now stored for the Winter. I'm now working on Spring 2001's scheduling of both landscape and maintenance jobs. It portends to be another busy year; we're already booked through July 2001. Finally, we got some badly-needed rain last Saturday evening and all day Sunday, and with it, temps back into the 50s. Ground moisture — or more precisely the lack of it — is continuing to be a problem. My landscape crews are digging in soil with the consistency of powder; it's that dry. For local Pennsylvania idiots morons cretins hunters, "Buck Season" started Monday and, once again, whole industries and towns have shut down to accommodate the people taking 1-2 weeks off to bag some venison. It's negatively impacted my business, in that suppliers and subcontractors are now unable to deliver many items my landscape crews need to get jobs done; ie topsoil, mulch etc. I'm scrambling to get materials delivered which would not normally be a problem, except that way too many yahoos have left many of us in the lurch. I'm still amazed that hunting is such a big deal around here. No, I'm not a hunter. I have no problem with the majority of hunters who eat the venison or donate it to local food banks to feed the needy, but I curse the scumbags who leave the carcass to rot after merely taking the deer's rack (horns) for a trophy. Personally, I don't like venison; a bit too gamey tasting for my palate. As November ends, it's O Dark Thirty when I leave for work and O Dark Thirty when I drive home in late afternoon. So I've decided to close on Sundays, since retail traffic is appreciably slower during the Winter months. For the past 10 years, I've always been open on Sunday, so it'll be both a challenge to find something else to do and a treat not to have to go in to work. I'll still have to drive down late Sunday morning to feed Pickles and check the place, but that's minimal and critical to my psyche. Besides, Pickles is used to seeing me everyday, so I would never abdicate that responsibility. The new Winter Hours signage was posted last week and takes effect tomorrow. For the past 3 weeks, I've been receiving BREAKING NEWS! emails by the hundreds daily from the InterNet Media about the continuing saga of minute-by-minute results of GWBush v GoreBoremoron. Upon opening the home 'puter, there are anywhere from 100-190 "updates" at any one time. I'll finally be glad to see all that shit stop, now that the Election has been decided in favor of GWBush. Or has it? The Office Multiple Computer Upgrade Ready For Spring 2001 Saga has begun: Jeff and I transplanted a new motherboard (aka "mobo") and 933Mhz CPU into my Sag Electronics 600, added-in 3x128mgb/133fsb memory sticks replacing the 3x128/100fsb in the original configuration, upgraded video and printer drivers. Now, both my home and office units are identical: 933Mhz CPU, 384MB SDRAM (3x128MB/133fsb), 9GB/ 10,000rpm SCSI Ultra-Wide Ultra-Fast LV2D HD, Plextor 40x SCSI CDROM, Zip 100 SCSI, 19" (18" viewable) Hitachi CM751 Monitor, Matrox G400 Video Card. Next, we sshit the front counter unit and upgrade Lynn's 333 unit to a 600; and build another 700 from scratch for her to use. All to be done well before Spring 2001. Since I had several meetings scheduled for Thursday, my usual day off, I took Wednesday off and got a few overdue errands done. Now that we're officially closed on Sunday until mid-March, I also have that day to get done what I don't during any weekday which I schedule a day off. Finally, some time to myself. gdnctr v3 is moving along very slowly. I've gotten the 2001 template for John's Journal completed and archived all entries from 2000, so far, but deciding upon which elements of Flash 5 I want to use on the site is taking more time than I'd planned. Since there are still many browsers out there which don't accommodate Flash without problems, I'm trying to be as judicious as I can in using any new technology which could cause visitors problems. More as it develops over the Winter. Besides TWA800 and hundreds of other "incidents", here's another reason I don't fly anymore. No follow-up discussion required. On Wednesday night, my condo Cable Modem connection took a precipitous dump: from 1511.1 Kbps/185.2 K bytes/sec to 109.1 Kbps/13.4 K bytes/sec and worse. I sent my ISP support team, Blazenet.net dozens of emails, but they were stupid, clueless, moronic morons who wanted to smoke crack, rather than fix my problem. I'm headed for DSL as soon as it's available; f*ck cable modems. After getting past the Big 50 last December 2nd, all upcoming birthdays are no big deal. I don't have any plans for tomorrow's 51 event; I'll probably just spend some quality time with my cats after finishing work in the afternoon. Yep right: it's not the years, it's the miles. Chores In The Garden. Sure, it's Fall but Winter's just around the corner. So here's a "list of things to do" in your garden(s) this month: »Cut back on feeding houseplants (do not feed dormant houseplants), »Water living Christmas trees (ice cubes work well), »Prechill tulips and hyacinths for forcing indoors. America Held Hostage: Day 24 On the afternoon of March 23, 1933, just prior to becoming the dictator of Germany, Chancellor Adolph Hitler addressed the Reichstag. He spoke for two and half-hours and, at one point, he said that the judges in German courts would have to show some "elasticity of judgment" for the good of society. It was seen as an attack on legal principles and earned him warm applause. Hitler told the elected leaders of Germany that the Reichstag was not threatened. It would soon vote itself out of existence. None of the promises he made that day were kept. Soon Germany would be ruled by one man and his Nazi Party loyalists. We have witnessed the Florida Supreme Court, made up of six Democrats and one independent, intervene in the election process to insure that Al Gore has more time to steal the election. The absentee votes from those serving in the military and sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution have been discarded. Counties known to be controlled by Democrats have been given further time to overturn the results of the November 7th election which gave George W. Bush the Electoral College victory needed to be the next President of the United States. The "elasticity" of the Florida Supreme Court has now permitted what is, in effect, the overthrow of the statutory law of the State. All that stands between AlGoreBore and the presidency is the Florida Secretary of State who could, if she wished, defy the court and assert her lawful duty — Go! Kate Go! — and the Florida legislature that can intercede to insure that the State's electoral votes go to the rightful winner of the November 7th election. Writing in "Hitler: 1889-1936 Hubris", biographer and historian, Ian Kershaw, records that the "Nazis' 'legal revolution' had nothing to do with legality" and then adds, "But the conservatives present raised no objections." The future of this nation, founded in the law of the Constitution, rests now the objections of conservatives. Failure to protest this effort to steal the election by every means available, including taking their case to the US Supreme Court and to Congress, if necessary, will leave this nation in the hands of men who have demonstrated that, in their case, "no controlling legal authority" is permission to lie in every way possible to achieve the control of the government. The Nazi rise to power in Germany, historian Kershaw notes was predicated on their "disdain and detestation for a parliamentary system generally perceived to have failed miserably" resulting in a "willingness to entrust monopoly control over the state to a leader claiming a unique sense of mission." AlGoreBore has, time and again, expressed his sense of mission. In his f*cked-up fantasy book, "Earth in the Balance", he wrote that saving the earth from what he believes is the destruction of the environment must be achieved by "an all-out effort to use every policy and program, every law and institution, every treaty and alliance, every tactic and strategy, every plan and course of action." This is what we see unfolding in Florida. "Every law and institution" is being corrupted to insure he becomes the next president of the United States. The Democratic Party has become the National Socialist Party. Forget the liberal filth; we're talking Nazis, socialists and communists here. In 1933, all power lay in the hands of the National Socialists and their leader, Adolph Hitler. It happened in the last century. It can happen in this one. Those who love the Constitution must now be prepared to rise up to defend it from the lib-dem criminals. "It's not the people who vote that count," Soviet dictator Josef Stalin once observed. "It's the people who count the votes." And AlGoreBore's vote-counting lib-dem slime are looking more and more like Stalinists every day. Gore's Florida court has, in its decision to require the Secretary of State to include selective hand recounts from three overwhelmingly Democratic counties, effectively violated the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment, thus trampling upon the rights of all American voters — not to mention some 1,100 military voters whose absentee ballots were disqualified. Here's a good wrap-up of all the increasingly critical media coverage of AlGoreBoremoron's attempt to delay and deny GWBush's duly-elected presidency. Finally, CBS News is calling Gore a liar. The GoreBoreLiars have even trotted out all the lowlife idiots they can find in the US Congress, with Irrev Jesse "Hymietown" Jack-scum heading the cabal. Not Blacks, mind you: idiotS, willing to lie, cheat and steal votes for their "Massah Gore Sir" master. How f*cking pathetic do all those race card-toting scumbags look and sound. It's become quite clear that the lib-dem socialist communist filth have become Nazis and will do whatever it takes to subvert the rule of law and pervert the US Constitution, in order to win the White House. Subhuman liberals like Bubba Jeffy Clintoon began the march against decency in '92, a mere 59 years after WWII's groundwork for world domination was laid. AlGoreBore is continuing the march, picking up the DNC-Nazi banner for a final assault on America. Or is it Amerika? shit For Brains DemocRATs. Finally, the GOP is using the very same tactics the slimeball DemocRATs have been using for years — though ignored and covered for by the lowlife liberal media — and are getting some "press" about it. I hate it when adults whine, but that's all the scumbag DemocRATs can do now is whine and point fingers, despite blatant cheating and trying to steal the 2000 Election. f*ck the DemocRATs; let 'em rot in Hell where they belong. Perhaps now that the US Supreme Court is ready to hear the case about illegal ballots being counted, it'll all come to an end and GWB will get what was rightly his some 3 weeks ago: the US Presidency. And the Lying GoreBore slimeballs will be sent packing. Then again, maybe not. That Bubba Jeffy is a Communist Socialist Nazi is well known, but did you know that the US Gov't is loaded with Liberal Cowards? Tens of thousands of them morons. The f*cking government and courts get involved in business and can f*ck-up entire commerce-based industries. Here's a cogent example of the meddling from socialist gov't scum and the havoc it wreaks with private enterprise. Here's another way the stinking lib-democRATs have f*cked up America: applying "PC" to everything and perverting the meaning of history, as well as the future. After wasting 37 years f*cking up the US Congress — like those 435 morons even need the help — another piece of shit liberal demoncRAT finally died and a smell abated. Henry Gonzales, a lowlife two-bit illegal alien illegal alien from Texas, is dead. Good riddance, scumbag. Rot in Hell. Why Is This Subhuman Filth Still Alive? Execution of society's most putrid misfits — murderers, rapists, armed robbers, child molesters, traitors — is the most effective method of seeing to it that the same crime isn't re-committed by that lowlife piece of subhuman filth. Only idiot liberal morons disagree. The Cripps, perhaps the most murderous, bloodthirsty dope-dealing gang in US History, is still in business. This scam is a food giveaway in Ghetto-town (LA) in conjunction with the Nation of Islam Garbage Filth, is an attempt to "legitimize" both lowlife groups. What a bad joke: murderers, rapists, armed robbers, racists, bigots, dopers etc doing charity. Nah, it's a lie. They all should have been executed en masse for their crimes. Another example of how f*cked-up the US Legal System is: A drug smuggler convicted in Arizona in the murder of a U.S. Border Patrol agent faces life in prison rather than the death penalty at his January sentencing as part of a deal with Mexico to spare his life in exchange for his extradition to this country to stand trial. f*ck the Mexican illegal aliens: execute the stinking illegal alien murderer. Why do people allow punks to run rampant and destroy a town, even if it's students celebrating the end of school? I'd look at it the same as race riots: shoot to whack of the scumbags all I could on sight. The barrel of my M16 would have been white hot as I wasted hundreds and thousands of the lowlifes. End of problem. Here's a piece of subhuman injun redskin-scum filth who needs to die, not serve 2 life terms, for murdering two FBI Agents in '77. This is bullshit: a mentally retarded piece of subhuman white trash shit is getting a temporary reprieve from the US Supreme Court, who've already ruled that such miscreants may be executed, for some f*cking technicality during his '79 trial for murder. Fry the slimeball. Where's the victim's rights? She's still dead. I hate it when the Supremes meddle in something which is none of their business. On a brighter note, Japan hanged three murderers this week; made my day. 'course, they've only executed 39 people in the past 7 years, which is pathetic, but at least they're trying. Lowlifes Aplenty Out There. Sure, I remember Fabian from back in the 50s and 60s; he was an empty pair of jeans then and now he's a deadbeat, refusing to pay his bills. Twice, the story reports, he's renigged on payments. One would think that no other contractor would extend the piece of white trash shit credit after a couple of such incidents. "Screw me once, shame on you; screw me twice, shame on me." It's amazing that the idiot Europeans — Brits, Frogs, Ginneaus, Spaniards, Swiss, Krauts etc — are so f*cking stupid as to keep feeding dead, ground-up animals in livestock feed to other animals, and then keep wondering why bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) "Mad Cow Disease" keeps re-occurring throughout their countries. Most people with a functioning brain know that if you get burned once, you don't stick your bare hand back into an open flame. Don't those European morons and cretins ever learn from their errors? Apparently not; they're still helping to propagate the disease. Speaking of disease, here's one: Mikey "Wacko Jacko" Jack-scum The Child Molester, trying to be a "friend to children". He's a sicko, half-breed idiot pervert who should be in prison for molesting a 13 year old boy several years back. Instead, he bought his way out of it for millions. He should be executed for his crimes against children. Ever wonder why DC is such a filthy shithole? Here's the answer: in '57, the Whites left as lowlife subhuman minorities flooded the place, and a proposed series of connecting roads and highways was halted, which would have permitted greater access to business by outside forces and could have helped sustain its growth was blocked by idiots. Now they wallow in their own crime, drugs and death. Enjoy, scumbags. Lock up this piece of white trash shit and throw away the key for running 705 tollbooth fees; plus, he's a f*cking liar in not admitting to it when caught. I hate moron scum like him, but a 450lb inmate might find him "attractive" during a 1-2 year stay in county prison. Bend over, lowlife. Aw gee whiz, some AIDS-riddled homo illegal alien boy and his fudge-packer "partner" were chucked off an airplane for kissing and holding hands. shit, if that was my airline, they'd have been immediately executed for such a perverted and demented display. I used to have tolerance and respect for gays, but since they've tried to destroy the Boy Scouts of America, I have zero f*cking tolerance for homo filth and their sick agenda these days. Huh? Morton Downey Jr arrested again on cocaine charges? Jeezus, that makes 5-6 times — hell, read the article, it's way more than that — he's an addict and needs to be executed and put out of our collective misery. Someone please put a .223cal/.357magnum bullet through this lowlife subhuman scumbag's empty head. Considering that blacks and hispanics commit 60%+ of the overall crime in this country, and are involved in 80%+ of drug-related crimes, I firmly believe racial profiling is a sound and effective practice by all law enforcement units. If I was a judge with such "discrimination" cases before my bench, I'd send the lowlifes and their ambulance-chasing shyster lawyers packing, pronto. Reaffirming what morons and scumbags they are, the LA City Council has broken off ties with the Boy Scouts of America, saying the group's exclusion of homosexuals and atheists was discriminatory. Personally, I have lost all tolerance for gays due to their wacko activist stance in trying to destroy the BSA. I truly and sincerely wish all of them a long and painfully-protracted death from AIDS. Soooooo, the traitor and commie lowlife Wen Ho Lee dumped 8-10 tapes into a landfill? And US FBI etc agents are wasting US Taxpayer's monies on finding them? Bull-f*cking-shit. Execute the yellow dog mother-f*cker son-of-a-bitch slope gook dink dog-f*cker. A 9mm bullet to his empty Chi-comm head would do it. I'd volunteer in a heartbeat. How the f*ck do companies such as L’Oreal, Maybelline, Oil of Olay and Cover Girl get away with putting deadly toxic chemical — dibutyl phthalate, or DBP — into their nail polishes? The compound is also found in patents for shampoos, conditioners, lotions, hair growth formulations, antiperspirants, sunscreen and even gum and candy. Unregulated death, is what it is. Diner City. Diner City, subtitled Your Online Guide to Classic Diners and the American Roadside, is as solid as a New Jersey truck stop, with a mission statement, Diner Facts, a for-sale section and, most important, many pictures, most with text. A map lets you click on state-by- state directories. But the American diner is alive and well, and there are fans and students, as devoted as any historic preservationists, who are busy identifying and glorying in its architecture and ambience. Some of Mr. Saari's scores of photographs — the nighttime pictures of the Mayfair Diner in northeast Philadelphia, for example, or Al Mac's in Fall River, Mass. — evoke the same sort of iconic majesty as O. Winston Link's photographs of bygone steam locomotives. The site has a recommended reading list and a computer game one can play. (The object is to save Nick's Diner from being bricked up by a remodeler.) There are many definitions of a diner, and fans can argue about whether 24-hour food is necessary, or swivel counter stools, or jukeboxes at each booth. My favorite link is the New Jersey Diners website; I've reviewed the list and can find all 19 I've eaten at over the 17 years in lived there. Belly up to real Americana, before it's gone!