I read on DKos that the Phelps picketers were outnumbered 5 to 1 by counterpicketers.

Yes, in some places that was true. They made about a dozen or so stops in Eastern Massachusetts over the course of three days. Protests were brief lasting an hour. In some towns they were alone with a police detail as they were completely ignored by the locals. It seems their protests were mainly aimed at children and Christians they don't see eye to eye with. They turned up at a couple high school graduations and at a school where a girl had won an award for a paper she wrote on Ellen DeGeneres. The rest of their stops were churches they have an issue with.

In the cases where they were well outnumbered the police had set up barriers to keep the groups apart to prevent violence. It was all handled quite well and the police did a great job. In Bedford they were ignored and people just went about their business. They were there from 7:05am to 8:05am so most people were too busy at that time of the morning to pay them any attention. I think it was Lowell where a much larger crowd greeted them and they were pretty much put in their own little steel caged area behind a wall of police protection. The town of Bedford did have a gathering in the evening for people who opposed these nuts. A peaceful affair just to show the townsfolk are united and unmoved by such insanity. My wife was putting on a French play with the kids that evening and it had to be moved to an earlier start time so people could attend the evening gathering. So at the very least this crap did bring some people together in a positive way. That's really the best thing I can say about it.  

Massachusetts the epicentre of filth! That's pretty funny.

I'm pretty happy they think that. Maybe they will avoid us in the future since we're all so nasty.

I wonder if they'll ever visit LA or SF. Not that I'd suggest it, but it would be interesting.

I would think they'd have that on their agenda but maybe they are keeping a lower profile there because they don't want to be harassed when they take the kids to Disneyland, Universal Studios, and the San Diego Zoo. How do you tell the kids "Hey, we can't take you to see Mickey or on the shark ride because it's in the epicenter of filth!"

You've got more popular tourist attractions out there. People from Kansas probably don't have much interest in a good lobster dinner or Cape Cod. Of course, if you go to Cape Cod in the summer everybody there is from New York.

How's it going, Reg? How's the missus? How's work?

Thank you for asking that's very thoughtful of you. I'm well, been a little crazy lately with some family issues but I'm good. My wife is looking forward to the end of the school year and has another job offer. She's quite in demand actually as she is one amazing teacher. There's a private school for advanced students, basically students who are in the 11th or 12th grade but are already ready for college, that is chasing her to take over their French program. There are only 100 students accepted to attend each year based only on their academic record. So it's an interesting chance to take a pretty good job. She's conflicted though about leaving her 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders in Bedford. She loves the little ones. Other than that she's chasing me about making our own little ones. It's amazing to me that a woman that is so bright and so beautiful has an interest in a clown like me. When I need convincing that there is a God...ha...I just think about that. A heathen like me has done little in life to be graced with such a blessing.

As far as my own work goes, I'm plugging along with this company I started. It's a solid enough business. Everybody needs fire equipment so it's not too hard to sell. We just need to build up our client base at this point so I'm pretty much a salesman these days. I feel good that I've started something of my own that really is a business that helps people.

So how are you doing? Did you take Bek to see that new Dogtown and Z Boys film? I figure that's gotta be right up his ally. Are you enjoying the film business? How's Sarah? She doesn't post here on the board anymore. That is, of course, unless she's posing as Fat Freddie. Seems unlikely though. I hope you're all well and safe.

Hey, you know I always wanted to work in the film industry and always had this idea that the best time to have done that was in the 1970's. I needed some light reading the last couple of weeks so I picked up that book Easy Riders, Raging Bulls and read about two thirds of it. It seems amazing that anything got done in the 70's at all. Got a kick outta them working up a plan to try and smuggle Huey Newton to Cuba. I don't know, I always figure you can only believe half of those tell all type books...but what a half!

                                                                                     Reg

PS My name was on Mr. Conyers list.