The Fall of Dictatorship and how to Celebrate it

No, not in Iraq.

From a chap in Portugal

25th April: The fall of dictatorship ...in Portugal, in 1974.

Yes, today we celebrate the coup d'etat that (re-)introduced the portuguese people into a democratic state.

Most older people usually find it outrageous that nowadays no one cares about celebrating the 25th April - most of us either go to the beach (well, not today, it's cloudy), meet their hometown relatives, go out and have fun with a group of friends, go shopping or to a cinema, or simply wake up late and get drunk at a late-night party. Funny thing is that most of this was forbidden or highly suspicious before 1974.

My take? There is no better way to celebrate freedom than exercising it. As we say here in Portugal, "25 de Abril, sempre." (25th April, forever). Enjoy the day and keep your eyes on those that constantly try to bend your freedoms - one day you may wake up finding out you no longer have them.

I like that attitude ;-)

A rather annoyed note from your local better business bureau

If you need work done on your house, avoid Jeeves Handyman Services (I figured with them paying for a magnet advertisement in the YP, they'd have some money and therefore be somewhat successful and reliable -- i thought wrong).

They have cancelled my appointment for cleaning our gutters and looking at the water damage (small, but noticeable) at the back doors 4 times now (the 3rd time they 1) tried to cancel the day before because they got the weather predictions entirely backwards, and 2) didn't show up at all, and the dispatcher lady couldn't even locate the guy who was supposed to do it).

Time to move on. I've stayed at home 3 times now, waiting for a handyman and only getting a cancellation call. I no longer have the time to stay at home (this week I was between projects, which was the ideal time to do it; now I'm in a project again and have to be at the office every day).

Damn.

Anybody in VA know of a RELIABLE handyman that keeps appointments?

woo hoo! we finally won one!

Check it out