Tag Archives: video

SNL: Chippendales

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Hilarious video with Patrick Swayze and Chris Farley! 😉

I remember watching this one years ago when it was originally on TV. I used to LOVE staying up to watch Saturday Night Live.

I still try to, but it just doesn’t seem as good as it used to be.

I miss John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Chevy Chase…

I loved the Coneheads, those ‘wild and crazy guys, the cheeseburger guy…

I still love their take on the news, “Weekend Update”.

I rarely stay up late enough to watch it anymore, but if I’m home Saturday night and still awake, that’s what’s on TV. 🙂

 

PS- I started working on this post while I was at home. I noticed after I posted it this morning that the video I thought I already had in the post had disappeared. I tried to put it back, but since I am at work, I can’t look at things like that. They block it all here. So, I am not sure exactly WHAT the link will show. I HOPE it is showing the video I wanted to put on here about Patrick Swayze and Chris Farley competing for a job as a stripper at Chippendales.

Will somebody please check it out and let me know if that’s where the link goes. 😉

So sorry. I’ll have to be more careful about what I try to post while I’m out here. It IS a funny video, even if it’s not politically correct. 🙂

Sad End to the Celt

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Here’s a link to a video which tells the story of the gorgeous yacht the ‘Celt’. It’s really a cool story.

luxury steam yacht Celt

luxury steam yacht Celt built 1902

Originally owned by a railroad tycoon, used by the Navy a couple of times (WWI and WWII), owned by Thomas Edison, used by the Circle Line for tours around NY Harbor, used by Madonna in a music video and more.

What a cool history for a boat like this. It would be wonderful if someone would fix it up again, but for now it looks like just another sad story of a beautiful ship wasting away in the boondocks. 🙁

http://screen.yahoo.com/broken-news-daily/mysterious-ghost-ship-incredible-history-004502570.html

Hyperbole: Why Exaggerating Is Always the Best Answer

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Here’s a helpful post on the use of hyperbole in your writing. There’s a hilarious Monty Python video included. I LOL, you will too! 🙂

Watch: Dancers Defy Beijing’s “Nuclear Winter”

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Watch: Dancers Defy Beijing’s “Nuclear Winter” Smog | Mother Jones.

I was just going through some of my emails, trying to catch up and I saw this post from Mother Jones.

What a great way to make things better over there, even if just for the few minutes it takes to watch the video. It’ll put a smile on your face and make you feel better. Enjoy! 🙂

This Video Will Make You Want to Become a Houston Harbor Pilot

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gCaptain Maritime & Offshore News | This Video Will Make You Want to Become a Houston Harbor Pilot.

 

I agree! It’s a good video, a good advertisement for the Houston Pilots.

I almost don’t even think about it any more; what a pilot does, what it takes to become one, what it’s like to be one, how much we depend on them.

I’ve sailed on dozens of ships when we’ve used pilots. I’ve been on the helm entering Cape Hinchinbrook going to Valdez, AK. I’ve been on the helm entering San Francisco Bay heading up to Benicia. I’ve been on the helm passing through New York Harbor. I’ve been on the helm transiting the Houston Ship Channel.

I’ve always admired the skill, experience and local knowledge the pilots have. They’re a fantastic aid to any ship passing through an unfamiliar port.

I’ve never really wanted to be a pilot myself, tho it is definitely a challenging job. I still like traveling and HOPE to be able to go somewhere interesting again one of these days. Pilots are experts on their port and they stay in one place.

It seems the pilots job is one most captains hope for one day but not me. 😉

“Maersk Viking” Heading to GOM: Take a Virtual Tour of the Rig

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“Maersk Viking” Heading to GOM: Take a Virtual Tour of the Rig – Oilpro.

Thanks to Mr Jeff Reed for posting this to Oilpro! That’s where I saw it posted. It’s a pretty neat video of the new drillship Maersk Viking.

I’ve been spending a lot of time (as mate/DPO) on very similar ships in the last couple of years. The drillships Pacific Santa Ana, DS-5 and DS-3 are all a lot like this one.

This one will be coming to the Gulf of Mexico soon. I keep trying to find a position on something working somewhere other than the GOM, but it seems all the work is here. I guess I’ll be stuck here til things change and there’s a boom somewhere else in the world.

You can take the virtual tour and get an idea of where I’ve been spending a lot of my time lately.

Ready for this jellyfish? Giant species found down under

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Ready for this jellyfish? Giant species found down under.

Today’s Creature Feature is this story from Tasmania. It’s a couple of weeks late, but hopefully it’s still interesting.

I love the description of these jellyfish as ‘snotty’. What would you do if you were walking down the beach and came upon a 5 foot long glob of ‘snot’? 😉

I’d probably do the same thing as the kid that found it! 🙂

I think it’s cool that the scientists are still finding things this big that they haven’t really had the chance to study yet.

Songs of the Sea: Little Talks

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I hope to make this another ‘regular’ feature here. I love music and I listen to all kinds of things. I like folk, rock, reggae. Irish, Latin, Cajun, blues, bluegrass, classical, etc. I especially love a good ‘ballad’. Pretty much everything except most heavy metal, rap and opera. 😉

I don’t listen to the radio much anymore. I don’t like listening to all the commercials and I really can’t find a station I can listen to for long before I get bored. The only one I listen to now is Houstons KPFT. They’re non commercial, listener sponsored and they have a huge variety of good stuff on there.

I thought I would try to share some of the things I’ve found that I liked on a more regular basis. I have posted a few songs in the past and people seemed to like them. I’ll continue to do that whenever I come across something I really like, but I wanted to showcase here music that relates to the sea in some way.

This particular song is one I just really like. I like the energy, HEY! I loved the imagery in the video. Absolutely fantastic! I liked the melody. I liked the feeling of the whole thing. In all honesty, I could barely make out the lyrics while listening to the song, but I did hear something about a ship. So I guess it’s enough to qualify for a “Song of the Sea”. 😉

So here goes… Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men…

“Little Talks”

Hey! Hey! Hey!

I don’t like walking around this old and empty house
So hold my hand, I’ll walk with you, my dear
[Video version:] The stairs creak as you sleep, it’s keeping me awake
[Live version:] The stairs creak as I sleep, it’s keeping me awake
It’s the house telling you to close your eyes

And some days I can’t even dress myself
It’s killing me to see you this way

‘Cause though the truth may vary
This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore

Hey! Hey! Hey!

There’s an old voice in my head that’s holding me back
Well tell her that I miss our little talks
Soon it will be over and buried with our past
We used to play outside when we were young
And full of life and full of love.

[Video version:] Some days I don’t know if I am wrong or right
[Live version:] Some days I feel like I’m wrong when I’m right
Your mind is playing tricks on you, my dear

‘Cause though the truth may vary
This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore

Hey!
Don’t listen to a word I say
Hey!
The screams all sound the same
Hey!
Though the truth may vary
This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore

Hey!
Hey!

You’re gone, gone, gone away
I watched you disappear
All that’s left is the ghost of you.
Now we’re torn, torn, torn apart,
There’s nothing we can do
Just let me go we’ll meet again soon
Now wait, wait, wait for me
Please hang around
I’ll see you when I fall asleep

Hey!
Don’t listen to a word I say
Hey!
The screams all sound the same
Hey!
Though the truth may vary
This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore

Don’t listen to a word I say
Hey!
The screams all sound the same
Hey!

Though the truth may vary
This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore

Though the truth may vary
This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore

Though the truth may vary
This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore

Statism is Dying

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Statism is Dying.

I sure as hell HOPE so! Nothing deserves it more. Nothing would make me happier!

I REALLY want to be able to live at least part of my life with the freedom I was promised as a child! Instead of watching it slowly stolen from me day by day here in the former “land of the free”.

I got this article from The Dollar Vigilante in my email today. I just HAD to pass it on in it’s entirety. I thought it was an excellent explanation of my views on government and the state. The videos are excellent, especially the second one by Josie the Outlaw.

I have been in an extended argument with some of my friends on Facebook over this kind of thing. I can’t seem to get them to understand the benefits of freedom and the sick, soul killing abuse of statism (or rule by others in any form).

I always have a hard time explaining what I mean and why the way I think about things actually makes much more sense than the way things are. Why I am still a ‘dreamer’.

My basic premise is that I own MYSELF. The principle of self-ownership is what everything else comes from. I think it’s pretty self evident, but apparently it’s not. Too many people just don’t seem to get it.

I don’t get it. I don’t understand them at all. Why do SO many people argue against that most basic principle? Why do SO many people feel they do not, could not, SHOULD not own their own lives?

IMHO, we are all born free, we all deserve to live as FREE human beings, since we ARE free from birth! Regardless of what other people say or do, they do NOT own you! IF they try to act like they do, then they are WRONG and you DO have a right to overthrow them in any manner you choose!

In my eyes, there is a very basic struggle going on world wide. It is the fight for individual liberty vs Statism; slavery and power over others.

I will ALWAYS be on the side of individual liberty and will do whatever I can to help that side.

I am still waiting for my friends (or anyone else) to come up with some good (LOGICAL) reasons for why anyone (other than a sociopath/psychopath) would support the other side.

Any takers?

Video: Dolphin Asks Diver for Help

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I’d like to be able to do more this week, but my schedule is just not allowing me much time to spend on the computer. Hopefully, things will improve soon. 🙂

I can’t believe it’s already been a week! For the second of my creature feature posts, for ‘Wild Wednesday’, I’ll put up this video I saw online last week. I just had to say awwww… the cute factor is pretty high up there.

I’ve always loved dolphins. That was my choice to come back as, if I ever got reincarnated. I’d love to be a dolphin! Every time I see them out at sea, they always bring a smile to my face.

They have a reputation for being helpful to sailors. It’s nice to see a favor returned. 🙂

Video: Ever Wonder What It’s Like to Work On A Livestock Carrier?

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gCaptain Maritime & Offshore News | Ever Wonder What It’s Like to Work On A Livestock Carrier?.

Ocean Drover

Ocean Drover

This is an interesting video (click the link). I got it in my email from gcaptain the other day. It’s just a short clip of the Master and the Chief Mate of the livestock carrier Ocean Drover explaining what it’s like to work on a ship like that.

What I thought was especially interesting was that both the Master and the Chief Mate were women. I was pleasantly surprised to see that. Especially since they were both Italian (and young).

I didn’t know that Italy had many women mariners. It’s a major accomplishment for anyone in any country to work your way up to that level. I was happy to see that these women made it. 🙂

I am REALLY hoping that the Maritime Labor Convention (MLC 2006) is not going to reverse all the progress we (women) have made over the last 50 years. I am already seeing some effects out here that make me wary.

The law of unintended consequences is raising it’s head again (IMHO). The last few ships I have been on have had issues with space. They constantly seem to run out of rooms.

I don’t know if it’s just poor planning or if they REALLY need all these people onboard, (we have almost 200 on here at the moment), but it seems they’re always having to finagle to get people a room onboard. They are trying hard to keep males and females separated.  They also try hard to keep people working opposite tours in the same rooms so you’re not in there at the same time. Last hitch I had to move rooms 3 times in the space of 3 weeks!

The way this relates to the MLC 2006 is that apparently (I haven’t read the whole thing yet), there is a new rule that women and men can NOT share the same room! In the past, we have been able to share the same room (we are usually never in there at the same time), tho they usually did that as a last resort. We work on opposite schedules, so we never see each other.

Someone at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) seems to think that is a problem, so they fixed it. Problem now is that there just is not room onboard to keep dedicated female rooms. SO, to solve that issue (since there are still more men working offshore than women), they just send the women home.

This is the same excuse they used to use all the time back in the old days. Back then, it just was not true. They could have put us in any room and we just could have shared it with the men. Which is exactly what we used to do, IF we could manage to get onboard at all.

It was never really a problem for me personally (sharing rooms), tho I do have to comment that I have heard a lot of stories that make me just roll my eyes. I can’t believe some of the things some women have actually SUED over!! They have made it a HUGE big deal for any maritime company to hire ANY female (again!)!

I really wish people would just get their shit together and learn to treat each other with respect (men and women). Women who choose to work in the maritime industry need to learn how to deal with a little off-color language and grow a thick skin. It is not like working in an office building on the beach, and it should NOT be expected to be!

I’m sure I’ll be castigated by the politically correct nit-pickers of the world (thankfully most of them are still limited to the USA so I can still hope to escape them), but I am really getting sick of them ruining my (and ANY womans) chances of actually enjoying the lifestyle I have chosen for myself!

Now, the MLC has made male/female sharing a room (ever) against the law and so it is not going to happen any more. I can see a lot of women having a much harder time getting jobs in the maritime industry (again) because of this new rule. 🙁

So, instead of helping women, they hurt us (BADLY) instead!

I REALLY wish governments would just get out of the way and let us do our jobs!

Movie Review: The Great Dictator

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moviethegreatdictator

I came across the Great Dictator today (again) and I can’t even remember where. I think it might have been in an email from the Sovereign Man (an ‘investment’ newsletter I subscribe to). Yes, yet another of my hobbies. 😉

I had a little time this morning so I took a look and tho I’ve seen the movie before I was just stunned this time. I guess I’ve just been primed by all that’s been happening in the world lately.

soldiers dont fight

I’ve seen a few Charlie Chaplin movies and I’ve enjoyed them all. For his time and place, I would agree with the people who consider him a genius. He could make you laugh, but he could make you THINK.

He had a way of putting himself out there and making people feel his emotions. He made people feel what he wanted them to feel. To understand his characters and their emotions.

He did so much in his films, and considering that a lot of them were silent movies, he was so far out and ahead of everyone else in the business, he really had no equal.

This movie was his first ‘talkie’. He played the leading roles of the dictator and the barber. He also directed it. He did a fantastic job in every way, and the public appreciated that. This was his most commercially successful film (even tho it was banned in most of Europe- for obvious reasons).

The Great Dictator came out in 1940 (while we were still formally at peace with Nazi Germany). It was written, produced, scored and directed by Charlie Chaplin. And he played the starring role(s)! WOW!

I watched the ending speech on youtube again and I can hardly believe how powerful and moving it STILL is after all this time. It is SO powerful. It is SO prescient. It is SO MUCH still true today!

I wish more people around the world could see this movie. It is a warning to us all. His speech is so moving. Even almost 75 years after he spoke those words, they can still affect me that way. I hope others can understand that feeling. I hope others can understand what he was trying to do with this film.

humanity

I hope people today will take his message to heart and unite to solve the problems we have. I hope people today will work together to find solutions to hunger, hatred, violence, sickness, oppression, poverty and war.

I hope people will come to understand that we (common people) need to unite to overcome the forces against us. It is the same now as it was then. There are people in this world who lust for power and will do anything to get it and to keep it. ANYTHING!

Nothing else matters to people like that. Not you, not me, not their friends, not their families, not their pets, not their neighborhood, not their community, not their country, not their PLANET! NOTHING!!

From the reviews of the movie and it’s commercial success, I think Chaplin succeeded in showing large numbers of people how idiotic it is to allow anyone to rule over you.

To give a dictator (or ANY form of government) the power to rule is just plain stupid. WE must maintain control over our lives. Chaplin does a fine job of showing that in his film.

Not enough people understood his message in time. We still had to fight the Second World War, (and then the Korean ‘War’ and then the Vietnam ‘War’ and then the assaults on all the little countries that no one even remembers-except the people who were directly hurt by them- and then the ‘War on Terror’ carried out in Afghanistan and Iraq and Libya and Yemen and Mali and, and, and…and America). 🙁

When is it going to end? Are people ever going to wake up? Will we ever find the gumption to tell all those power hungry bastards that insist they need to rule us “for your own good” to GO TO HELL!!

 

 

I actually started this post a couple of weeks ago and ran out of time to finish it up. It’s been on my mind for a while. So, it’s a good fit for todays Zero to Hero task: Revisit a Task and a Post. I did at least figure out how to get the video to play correctly since the last time I worked on it! 😉

If you’d like to know more about the movie, Wikipedia has a pretty good overview. Please let me know what you think! 🙂

Video: Yes Ma’am- Weight of the World

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Here’s a video of the band I was talking about in my earlier post tonight. I saw them playing in the street as I was window shopping on Royal Street in the French Quarter (New Orleans).

It was a gorgeous Fall day and their playing was just perfect. It put me in a good mood for the rest of the day. They had a bunch of people of all ages/types, dogs, kids on bikes, etc all watching, listening, dancing. It was a great experience.

I bought a CD from them before I wandered off. I really like it. They deserve more notice. The commercial stations don’t play stuff like this, but if you try you can find interesting new music like this on the radio or the internet.

In Houston, I listen to KPFT, 90.1 FM . Its listener- sponsored, no commercials. They have EVERYTHING on there. I like how they have such a huge variety. Everything from Irish music to Latino to Heavy Metal to Zydeco. You really need to go online and check out the schedule. 😉

I’m not sure what to categorize this band as. Folk? Americana? String Band? Bluegrass? Traditional? Alt Country? Blues? They could be called any of that, but the do it all well!

Check out the video.

Video: The Be Good Tanyas- The Littlest Bird

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I’m taking a break today from the Zero to Hero Challenge. Todays assignment was to look around at other peoples blogs. Find something there you really liked (not content). I’ve been doing some of that but I haven’t seen anything today that I really MUST have on my blog. 😉

Actually, I did see something a while back, but now I can’t find it again. When I do, then I’ll do more of todays assignment. Or maybe not. 😉  In the meantime I haven’t been doing much with music on here lately. I really love music. All different kinds.

I really like this band. The Be Good Tanyas. I have a couple of their albums. I thought I’d post this particular video since I just did that post on New Orleans and this video was done there (and around).

I see the street performers around the French Quarter every time I go there. I bought a great CD from a band last time I was there. OK, I’ll do another post on them. But first…

Cannibal Rat-Infested Ghost Ship Headed For The UK?

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Cannibal Rat-Infested Ghost Ship Headed For The UK? | Broken News Daily – Yahoo Screen.

DaDum…DaDum…

DaDum…DaDum…

Lyubov Orlova

It’s the Lyubov Orlova, ex-Russian cruise ship, back in the news again. Has she sunk, or hasn’t she? The news agencies seem to want to drum up some business with these stories of scary, deadly-disease-carrying cannibal rats running rampant over the UK and then Europe. OMG!

Sounds like the start of a cool new horror flick! I would definitely watch it. 😉

Here’s a link to an interesting video report from Yahoo and Broken News Daily…

http://screen.yahoo.com/broken-news-daily/rat-infested-ghost-ship-headed-224503964.html

How to Launch a FRC- NOT!!!

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One of the things we’re required to do as members of the deck department is to be “proficient in the use of fast rescue craft’. I remember when I first moved to Texas and was taking classes in order to get my AB (able bodied seaman) ticket.

We had to learn about all the lifesaving equipment on board our vessels. We had to learn all the parts of the life boats. What they were called and what they did. We had to learn about what kind of things were required to be kept in the survival craft and how to use them if we had to.

We had to practice launching and recovering the lifeboats. We had to know all the oar commands and practice rowing around the river. We had to practice recovering a man overboard and tending to their injuries. We had to learn about survival techniques and how to deal with any shipboard emergency resulting in leaving the ship.

Our AB tickets used to be good for life. Since the STCW (standards of training, certification and watchkeeping) Convention was passed, we have had to renew our certificates every 5 years (maximum) or we are not allowed to work.

I have to admit, I HATE having to spend my time and money (when I am supposed to be on my vacation) taking these classes over and over and over again! It just infuriates me! Not one of these organizations in charge of making the rules that WE have to live by, that our livelihoods and thus our lives depend on, EVER asks US for any input.

I don’t mind taking a class to actually learn something new. In fact, I enjoy that. Too bad most of these required classes do not do that. They cover things that we all learned (or should have) the first couple of months we ever spent at sea.

Watching this video, I can see why the IMO (International Maritime Organization) thinks more and more and more training is needed. I do have to say, it is embarrassing to watch. It’s sad, really, really sad. 🙁

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_QEsTnAIYlA#t=0

Video: Prelude FLNG Float Out

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Prelude FLNG Float Out – Time Lapse Video | gCaptain

Check out this video from gCaptain of Shells Prelude FLNG (floating liquefied natural gas) plant. It was built in the shipyard in Geoje, South Korea and will be headed to work in the Prelude gas fields in Western Australia. Interesting vessel! 🙂

It took a little over a year to build and they’re not expecting it to be operational until 2017. So far, they’re saying it’ll cost around $12 BILLION to build it! Expecting it to work for 25 years, that’s still a LOT of money! Personally, if I had a billion dollars to spend, I would want something to last longer than only 25 years!

People are always griping about how expensive gas is. This kind of cost for the equipment they need to get the basic resource out of the ground is PART of the reason for that.

I thought it was a pretty cool video and the ship itself is another milestone as far as what we are doing offshore around the world. Check out the link and the video! 🙂

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=HOBiNQDPOqI#t=10

Watch these emus freak out about a ball!

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We can’t stop watching these emus freak out about a ball | Grist.

FUNNY video! I don’t know why they don’t like the music. I thought the tango went quite well with the dancing. 🙂 I had a few good laughs watching this. Too bad the batteries died so soon.

Hope you enjoy it too. 😉

Video: Female Sea Captains

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A friend sent this to me the other day. I just got around to watching it. My computer is very slow and I’ve been really busy so it took a while. She figured I might like it since I’m a female sea captain. She was right, thanks J.! 🙂

It’s a sketch from Saturday Night Live (SNL). A whaling town has an epidemic that wipes out all the male sea captains and so the women take over the jobs. They have to avoid the mermen and find the white whale, with a few ‘she shanties’ sung along the way.

Well, no, it’s not as good as some of the real classic SNL skits, but it’s good for a few laughs, and after all, I really am a female sea captain. 😉

http://www.hulu.com/watch/560124

Fruit Tree Projects

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Communities Grow Stronger with Fruit Tree Projects – Community – Utne Reader.

I think this is a great idea and hope it spreads even further. I’d like to see it ‘go viral’, spread world wide, everybody getting involved! It has already spread from Santa Cruz, California all the way to Vancouver, to Australia, and even Fiji! 🙂

I have always hated to waste anything. Especially food. Maybe it has something to do with growing up where my parents always insisted I clean my plate. They warned about the ‘starving children in Africa’. I never figured out how my clean plate would help those starving children, but had to play along anyway.

I’m still a member in good standing of the ‘Clean Plate Club’. I’m sure I’m fatter then I should be because of it. I am working towards creating less waste in my kitchen and everywhere else.

I’ve tried to grow a garden in the past, but because I spend so much time at sea, I have not had much success. I do have a lime tree that is making plenty of fruit. Way more than I could ever use. I hate to see them just rotting in the driveway, so I already told my neighbors to just take whatever they want.

I think it would be a great idea if more people could do the same sort of thing. Like the article mentions, these fruit tree projects not only provide much needed and appreciated fresh fruits, but they build community in the process. They also teach useful skills and promote sustainability. I think they are probably fun too!

I’m not sure what the heck is going on in the US lately with the local vendetta on gardening. We used to encourage everyone to grow a garden. Now, we are allowing localities to force people to tear them up?!? WTF???

I remember a few years ago, my town forced my neighbors across the street to tear out the garden they had in their back yard. Supposedly it was illegal! Illegal to grow a garden? Behind a fence? On your OWN land???? In America, the land of the FREE??? I would have sued the SH*T out of them for a HUGE violation of my property rights!

If you want to tell me what I can do with MY land, then YOU can pay the mortgage and the taxes and every other expense. Then, and ONLY then, will it be your land. That’s when YOU get to decide what to do with it. After all, ownership implies being able to USE the thing you own. If you can’t use it, then you don’t really own it.

Apparently, this abuse of local tyrants citing ‘loss of property values’ as some kind of holy grail is spreading like wildfire around the nation. Here’s a link to an article from just the other day…http://www.care2.com/causes/why-are-cities-attacking-home-gardeners.html.

I really hope enough people are outraged by this kind of thing and will get out and raise holy hell with their city councils and homeowners associations and put a stop to this kind of thing.

Help out by signing the petition, Miami Shores: Let Couple Keep Their Vegetable Garden! – The Petition Site, watch the video and give a hand to the Institute for Justices’ Food Freedom Initiative (www.ij.org/foodfreedom) which is trying to help the couple involved in this latest outrage and by extension all the rest of us. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=avHrPbONTzE

Property values are NOT the be all and end all of the value of a neighborhood. In fact, they are probably far down the list for many people. Friendliness and community spirit are probably up there pretty high. I know they are for me. 🙂

Video: Overfishing

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They did a pretty good job with this video. It is undeniable that we have been over fishing for years. For decades. Might even say centuries now that it’s 2013!

I grew up in a small fishing community. My father was a commercial fisherman for a while. So were a lot of his friends. So were a lot of my friends. I used to be one. My brother still is.

I remember how it used to be when I was still fishing and I see how my brother struggles now. There is no comparison.

We have been raping the ocean (along with the rest of the planet) for a LONG time. Since we have figured out how to take such overwhelming advantage, we have not been allowing nature to replenish what we use.

I don’t know of any practical way to eliminate by catch. I don’t know of any solution to all the issues of farmed fish. I don’t know of any solution to poaching.

I don’t know of any  REAL solution to any of these problems EXCEPT the one that no one will even consider and that is for us as a species to voluntarily limit OUR population. Give every human being a chance at a GOOD life and in the process also allow the rest of the planet some space and a chance to recover.

I hope I’m not the only one on this planet who thinks that other species have just as much a right to exist here as we do. They all have a place and a purpose and we do NOT have the right to just use to the point of abuse anything and everything we feel like.

Coming from a background of commercial fishing, I’m not sure about this video. I have serious doubts about turning ANYTHING over to the politicians. I do NOT think the politicians are the answer to ANYTHING!

WE ARE!!

I have a suggestion for the fisheries… how about we try something like leasing the fishing grounds. Lease the areas where the fish (and other marine life) gather, similar to how we do it with the oil in the ground.

Hold an auction, let the highest bidder win the rights to use (NOT abuse) a certain area of the ocean. The winner would be able to fish there and would also be responsible for protecting his asset. This should put a stop to the practice of taking everything there is to take before the next guy does.

Of course, this wouldn’t work for every type of fish, but lots of them are known to either live or migrate into certain specific places year after year. If we could lease those areas to the fishermen and hold them accountable, we might even be able to GROW the fish stocks instead of depleting them.

I really would like to see this kind of thing given a good chance before we go any further with the restrictions. I have read about how fishermen in Britain have property rights to the streams they fish in. It seems to work there.

Here’s a link to an article about how it works in Scotland…

http://www.adamsmith.org/80ideas/idea/18.htm.

Actually, that website has a LOT of really good ideas…

www.adamsmith.org/80ideas,

glad I found it this morning. 😉

Scary Moment: Barge Crew Swims to Shore as Super Typhoon Lashes Coast

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Scary Moment: Barge Crew Swims to Shore as Super Typhoon Lashes Coast | gCaptain

I know the typhoon has passed now and the clean up and recovery stage is just starting but I thought some people who are not in the Philippines or have not had the experience of going through a hurricane or typhoon might like to see this video.

It’s a good example of some of the sorts of things people have to deal with when this kind of storm approaches. The crew of this barge was very lucky they were all able to get off and no one got hurt or killed.

I hope they managed to keep that status AFTER they made it to shore!! I sure hope the people of the Philippines will be able to make a speedy recovery from this horrible storm. I know that the US is already sending a couple of ships and other aid. I’ve already seen a few emails from charity groups collecting aid.

We’ll do what we can to help from here.

Helicopter ride reveals enormous mass of anchovies, herded by dolphins and whales

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Helicopter ride reveals enormous mass of anchovies, herded by dolphins and whales | GrindTV.com.

Here’s a cool article I saw on the front page of yahoo. It has some cool photos and a video of a huge bait ball and a bunch of dolphins and a couple of whales feeding off the coast of California. The photographer was so lucky to get these shots! 🙂

Gary Johnson at Stop Watching Me Rally

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Gary Johnson speaks at the Stop Watching Me Rally last Saturday. I wish I could have been there. Gary Johnson should have had the chance to speak during the last Presidential campaign, but like Ron Paul, he was shut out by the mainstream media and their bosses in the Democrat and Republican parties(y). Too bad. He has  lot of GOOD ideas. Listen for yourself…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=1iljZltuc_w

OSV Crew in Africa Performs Toto’s “Africa”

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WATCH: OSV Crew in Africa Performs Toto’s “Africa” in Viral Video | gCaptain

Great job by the crew of the Bourbon Peridot!

Working in Africa is one of the most dangerous places in the world for working seafarers. At least these guys still have a sense of humor. 🙂

It’s nice to see there are some places in the world where we can still enjoy doing our jobs. It’s encouraging to think that there is still some hope to find a shipboard job where its not all about the ISM, IMO, SMS, USCG, BSEE, and all the other alphabet soup that organizes our every move.

In the USA, the lawyers and accountants have taken all the fun out of the job. We would NEVER be allowed to do something like this here anymore. I see ‘no horseplay’ posted on almost every vessel now and the companies here do take that very seriously.

Someone would be hounding these guys about their JSA, and where the heck is their PPE? Gloves, safety glasses (with side shields), steel toes, long sleeved fire-resistant clothing, ear plugs, hardhats, etc. No one is allowed out the door here without all that on! 🙁

And OMG!!! He had a KNIFE! Not an alternative cutting device! He would be fired immediately! Sailors without knives are like birds without feathers. A necessary part of our garb has been stripped away from us. A safety item has been declared ‘too risky’ for us to use!! What total BS!!

No wonder most sailors who have been anywhere other than the USA are so desperate to get away from this place again and will work pretty much ANYWHERE else. Personally, I am willing to take quite a pay cut in order to enjoy my job again. Too bad that’s what they’ve done to this place. 🙁

Hey, anybody over there need a good DPO??? I’m available any time. 😉

VIDEO: Animation Shows Float-On of Costa Concordia Onboard Dockwise Vanguard

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VIDEO: Animation Shows Float-On of Costa Concordia Onboard Dockwise Vanguard | gCaptain

Here’s an update from gcaptain on the Costa Concordia. They have a neat little animation showing how they plan to put the Costa Concordia on the heavy lift vessel Dockwise Vanguard.

They won’t be doing any of this til the weather settles down in the Spring. For now, they’re working on prepping it for winter and getting it ready for the move in the Spring. They make it look easy. 😉

“A Glimpse Into The Lives Of Somali Pirates” Video Hits BuzzFeed

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“A Glimpse Into The Lives Of Somali Pirates” Video Hits BuzzFeed | gCaptain

Here’s a little video of the pirates from BuzzFeed and CNN. I’m not sure how they got this film, but its really very general and not saying much other than that yes, there are really a lot of pirates out there and nobody is doing much about the problem. 🙁

Video: A Drone Mates With a Queen Bee in Glorious Slow-Motion

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Video: A Drone Mates With a Queen Bee in Glorious Slow-Motion | Surprising Science.

This is a pretty cool video, I kept wondering how in the hell they managed to film it. A drone filming drones?

It’s part of a documentary, More Than Honey, which investigates the world of honeybees and Colony Collapse Disease which has been devastating the bees all over the US. I would like to know what’s causing it. Bees are so important, besides making honey, they pollinate a LOT of our food crops. Think about that. 🙁

 

Costa Concordia Parbuckling – Live Updates Plus How to WATCH

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Costa Concordia Parbuckling – Live Updates Plus How to WATCH | gCaptain

Here’s the latest on the salvage of the Costa Concordia. They did manage to get the ship upright with no major problems. Now they still need to stabilize it and refloat it so they can tow it off to dismantle it. I thought at first they were going to try to fix the ship but now it looks like they’re just going to scrap it. Such a sad story…

You can watch the videos in the link.

Daily Prompt: Toy Story- Sea Snark

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Daily Prompt:Toy Story- What was your favorite plaything as a child? Do you see any connection between your life now, and your favorite childhood toy?

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/09/12/daily-prompt-memento/

I’m not sure if my sea snark qualifies as a toy but playing with it (sailing) was my favorite thing to do while I was growing up (other than reading).

I used to take my little sailboat our almost every day, usually after school. Sometimes, I would even sail it TO school 🙂

Made out of Styrofoam, it was indestructible. Unlike the Titanic, it was actually unsinkable 🙂 We DID test that quite regularly 😉

I had SO much fun with that little boat. 🙂 I would go by myself. I would take out my friends. My brother would run circles around me with his outboard powered dingy, but I didn’t care. I always loved just sailing. Letting the wind drive me where I wanted to go. It was so engaging, so peaceful, so enjoyable. I STILL love sailing and go out every chance I can.

As a kid, I never would have imagined that I would wind up ‘sailing’ for a living (that’s what we call shipping out- ‘sailing’). I was on track to be a doctor back then. My grandparents were both pharmacists. My fathers mother was one of the first female pharmacists in the state of NY 🙂 (I definitely take after her) 😉 I made straight A’s in school and I did love studying all my subjects in class, especially math and science.

What happened was: I got sick and tired of taking the same classes over and over again in school. For example, I had been taking algebra since at least 5th grade. I always made straight A’s. I just couldn’t see the point of taking it AGAIN in 9th grade.

So, I started skipping those classes that I’d already taken. I was still making good grades. I could still keep up with the work. After all, I HAD already taken those classes (more than once). I’ll never understand why parents put up with the school systems dumbing down their kids so much!

Eventually, my family got tired of hearing about my transgressions from the school district. My grandmother decided I needed to go to a boarding school, to keep me from skipping 😉 Well, I give her credit. She tried. She really did.

Along with my Aunt Helen, my grandmother and I went on a road trip from Freeport NY, up through Niagara Falls (loved the Maid of the Mist) into Canada. We came back down through the Detroit area (went to a concert there- grandma wore earplugs 🙂 ). Visited family friends near Chicago. Stopped at a dozen fancy schools before we made it back to NY.

I have to admit, I was a total BITCH the entire trip. I didn’t want to go to any fancy-schmantzy rich kid boarding school! I would never fit in. I liked my life the way it was. I loved my town where I grew up and I could spend my days hanging out with my friends on the beach. Sailing, swimming, fishing, even sometimes jumping off the bridge to let the current carry me out to the Gulf so I could swim back in 😉

Yeah, I was also hanging out at the amusement parlor and the pool halls, sometimes the bars 😉 I was drinking and other things I wasn’t supposed to be doing.

It was really a lucky stroke of fate what happened when my grandmother got me back to her place in Freeport. She was so fed up with me after that search for an acceptable school for both me and her, she took me to the library and threw the book at me. Literally! She told me that it was a book listing ALL the accredited schools in the country and if I could find one in there that I liked, I could go there.

The book landed on a table in front of me. Opened to a page with a picture of a square-rigged ship in full sail. I was hooked! I grabbed that book and started reading that thing like my life depended on it (turned out it really did in a way).

The book gave details: the Oceanics School (http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=19720827&id=nN1VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5eADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6581,6541976). Based in New York City, the school would charter these large traditional sailing ships for months long cruises with their students aboard. The ship sailed around the world and the students learned to operate the ship. They held classes on navigation, seamanship, oceanography, cultural studies and languages of all the countries the ship visited.

I was so excited. I told my grandmother “that’s it!”. That’s the one I want to go to!! She was aghast!! She told me “no way”. “No way are you going to ruin your life with those damn boats like your father did!!” Up til he bought his dream boat, the “Island Girl”, my father was an engineer. A ‘respectable’ professional career man. My grandmother would never forgive the Island Girl for my fathers decision to quit the corporate world.

When I got home and told my dad about the Oceanics school, he was almost as happy about it as I was. He said “you’re going”, and “while we’re at it, we’ll send your brother too”! “You can’t skip school when you’re on a boat in the middle of the ocean” 😉 So, soon enough my brother and I were off to sail around the world. We had some absolutely fantastic adventures sailing the 3- masted schooner Ariadne from Athens to Martinique!

That trip changed my life. I returned without my brother to sail the Ariadne again from Martinique back across the Atlantic. I had some incredible experiences with some wonderful people. It DID change my life.

I will be forever grateful to the Gallaghers (especially Stephanie) who took a chance on me and then helped me SO much. Even after I graduated from the Oceanics, Stephanie was instrumental in getting me set up in the Ocean Marine Technology program in Texas that got me started on the way to earning my license.

Because of the chance to go to the Oceanics, I am STILL sailing. Almost 35 years later.  🙂 I recently upgraded to Master Any Gross Tons and can sail pretty much any ship on the ocean. I still love the traditional sailing ships best but there just aren’t enough of them around to make a living on. Too bad 🙁

So, yeah, you could say my favorite plaything when I was young is still my favorite plaything now. 🙂

Here are a couple of great links. The first one is by Tim Harris of the ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl which he sailed on as a cadet with the Oceanics in the early 70s. The next one is of the same ship in a storm. The last is a link to the ship itself, in case you’re interested in sailing her 😉

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=iokDVlHybtE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_YWgRBmVtY

www.lehmkuhl.no