Paul B's thread

[Paul B]

OK, I see. I also don't like it when I see "Vietnam Era" hats and other things for sale. Everyone over about 55 is a Vietnam era Veteran if they are a vet. They could have been stationed in Brooklyn so it doesn't mean much.

I don't wear WW2 hats because I was not in WW2. I don't put a "Medal of Honor" sticker on my car because I wasn't awarded a Medal of Honor.

A lot of Generals have Bronze Star medals all over their uniform. Most of those Bronze Stars were for sitting stateside doing nothing but being in charge of a unit in Viet Nam or some other country. Thats why you see those guys with 100 medals on their uniform. Those medals mean nothing.

I have 2 Bronze star medals but they have a "V" on them for valor. I am very proud of them but one of them I have no idea why I received it. I also have an Air Medal which I have no idea what it is for.

I crashed twice in a helicopter but you would think they would give you an air medal if you stayed in the air.

I also have a problem with lowering the American Flag when people die who were not hero's. That honor is set aside for Hero's, Presidents, Statesmen and a few others. (normally catastrophes like the World Trade Center, multiple school shootings etc.) When Whitney Houston died, President Obama ordered American Flags fly at half mast. My flag stayed fully up. I liked Whitney Houston and felt bad when she died. But she was not an American war hero, nor a President or Statesman. She was a singer who died of a drug overdose. It diminishes the honor of lowering the flag.

I could go on but I am boring even myself.

 

[Paul B]

I figure I would put this Chalk Bass here because he doesn't come out to the front very often. He normally spends his time writing on the back glass with chalk.

On another note, look at that beautiful growth on my rocks. I love it but most people would get out the tooth brush

 

[TPhan]

I figure I would put this Chalk Bass here because he doesn't come out to the front very often. He normally spends his time writing on the back glass with chalk.

On another note, look at that beautiful growth on my rocks. I love it but most people would get out the tooth brush

View attachment 202664

Beautiful fish! What is that beautiful growth on the rock?

 

[Paul B]

That "beautiful" growth is mostly Cyano. I love it.

 

[Paul B]

The news crew came here yesterday todo a story about a Christmas Card a little girl sent me in Viet Nam in 1970. They even got my fish tank in. I am waiting for Martin Scorsese to call me about the mini series.

Now it's on every 10 minutes all day so I am getting tired of looking at myself.

53 years later: Rediscovered 'thank you' card prompts meeting between Vietnam vet, pen pal

 

[Paul B]

So yesterday we took the Lady and her sister around because they have never been on Long Island and she wanted to see the "Famous" Hamptons.

WE took them to a winery were we are members. There was a party going on so the place was crowded.
As we walked in, most of the people recognized us from the TV appearance and all came over thanking me for my service and telling us what a nice story it is. I didn't know any of these people.

Then a few minutes later, a guy came to our table and gave me a $30.00 bottle of wine saying his Dad was a Vietnam Vet.

Then I took them to a farm stand here because she likes horseradish and they grow and produce it there.

The woman who owns it saw us get out of the car and ran out to hug me.

My wife and I went to a diner for breakfast and they have 3 TVs on constantly. The story came on a few times while we were there so quite a few people came over to talk as they recognized me.



Long Island is about 150 miles long, there are about 7 million people and we only have one local news station so most people here see it and it loops about every 15 minutes for like 2 days.

This morning everyone I ever knew in my life is calling to ask me if I knew I was on TV. It was a lot of fun.
The reporter and camera Lady took a lot of video of my fish and steam punk stuff and all the innovations I built in my man cave. She said there is to much going on here and they may have to come back and do another story.

This is Kathleen who wrote me the Christmas card in Nam in 1970.

And in the winery

 

[Paul B]

I had to do something I always say not to do and it is something you would do. I ordered a small can of sinking pellets.

These 3 Waspfish are getting very picky and only want to eat at night. They think they live in an all night diner, but they don't. Many times they won't eat during the day .


At night, before the lights go out, I will "shoot" some pellets into their caves in the hope they will eat at night. I really hate dry foods but I don't think my smaller ones are getting enough food in the day and with all the crabs and bristle worms I have, I need to supplement them.

Many times I can't even find the smaller ones.

 

[Paul B]

This has been a busy week and it's not over yet. Just 5 minutes ago I got a call from the "Honor Flight". That is an organisation who honors Veterans from all the wars by taking them to Washington BC once a year to honor them.

We will get a flight to DC and tour all the monuments. I assume listen to some speeches and get dinner. They will fly us back that night.

They asked me to apply last year but I didn't get picked, but I am going May 4th. I am kind of excited and Honored.

This is long so don't watch it. I didn't even watch the whole thing.

 

[Paul B]

Early this morning, like all mornings I took my hour long walk. When I got close to my house a school bus stopped next to me. The driver, a nice Lady about 50 opened the door and came out to give me a hug. She said the (grammar) school kids on the bus told her about my interview on the news so she had to give me a hug.

You can't make this stuff up. I wonder if school bus drivers stop Brad Pitt to give him a hug.

 

[mrjantzen]

You are getting some well deserved attention!

 

[Paul B]

You are getting some well deserved attention!

Yes, But I am mainly waiting for Scarlet Johanson to drive here and give me a hug. OK, her limo driver can drive her here.

 

[Paul B]

My reef reached 53 years old this week

 

[garyl]

How old is your oldest fish?

 

[Paul B]

I have 2 Fireclowns, One is about 32 the other is a couple of years younger.

 

[Paul B]

This is the receipt from the National MS Society. I always post the receipts from them when I donate to prove that 100% of my book profits go to them in my Wife's name. I don't want anyone to think I am buying Copperband butterflies or Prizapro with it.

 

[Paul B]

I am having trouble collecting enough white worms from my 2 cultures because they froze in my garage. It gets cold here on Long Island and I forgot about them. I have been trying to get them to reproduce faster but they are not in the mood so it is slow going but I still have some.

These are a big part of my No quarantine or medicate system because they supply live gut bacteria so I may have to start a new worm culture with the limited supply of worms I still have.

These guys especially are hard to feed but will eat all the live worms I give them. They just had a large lunch of them so should be good for a few days.

 

[Paul B]

My Hippo Tang has a little ich, 7 or 8 spots on either side which I feel is a good thing. That means there are active, live parasites in my tank which are keeping my fish immune. Those spots will disappear in a day or two and hopefully they will also try to attack other fish keeping all my livestock immune.

I realize many people would panic and tear the tank apart, quarantine everything for 74 days, go to church and make a Novena. Break out the copper and Prizapro and call a therapist.

This is a normal and natural thing you want to see in an old and healthy tank. If I never saw a spot on anything, Then I would panic.

 

[ChrisPchef]

My Hippo Tang has a little ich, 7 or 8 spots on either side which I feel is a good thing. That means there are active, live parasites in my tank which are keeping my fish immune. Those spots will disappear in a day or two and hopefully they will also try to attack other fish keeping all my livestock immune.

I realize many people would panic and tear the tank apart, quarantine everything for 74 days, go to church and make a Novena. Break out the copper and Prizapro and call a therapist.

This is a normal and natural thing you want to see in an old and healthy tank. If I never saw a spot on anything, Then I would panic.

Gotta say Paul, im a fan of your bold strategies like this^ as well as the hammer in the tank. Also get a kick out of the comedic relief!

 

[Paul B]

Also get a kick out of the comedic relief!

What comedic relief?

 

[Paul B]

It rained very hard last night and the streets are full of large puddles. I almost had to break out my SCUBA gear to get through some of them. But past the puddles are earth worms. Thousands of them so I picked up a couple.

There is one place I walked through where there wasn't enough room in the street to put my foot down without crushing 3 or 4 of them.

I couldn't take to many because I had no place to put them and being I am not a red neck, I didn't want to keep them in my mouth or pocket so I kept them in my hand.

After breakfast I will cut them up into bite size pieces but not to small as I still want them to wiggle and feed them to my 3 Waspfish who are slow eaters and don't always get enough to eat.

By the time they realize all that stuff hitting them on their nose is food, all the other fish get it and the stupid waspfish starts looking for food which is all gone.