Ashleys "Book of knots" says this...

Hangings at sea were infrequent. Such an occasion
furnished a bit of extra-routine labor, in which the
boatswain took especial pride, and in which no bungling
was tolerated. A boatswain's reputation would be
forever ruined if there were any hitch on such an
occasion.

Although most of the details were left to him, there
were certain well-established conventions which had to be
observed. These are given in detail in an old work on
seamanship. A fall was led through a single block at the
fore yardarm and thence to a second single block under
the fore cap. Between the two blocks was a SHEEPSHANK
KNOT (#1154), the upper bight of which was not _half
hitched_, as is customary, but was merely _stopped_
with light twine. This stopping would carry away
the instant the knot was hauled against the block,
so spilling the SHEEPSHANK. The weight at the _noose_
end at once dropped to take up the slack given by the
spilled SHEEPSHANK, and it was brought up with a jerk
by a toggle which fetched against the yardarm block.
The toggle was marlingspike hitched_ (#2030) and
seized to the rope at a point which allowed for an
exact six-foot drop outside the rail.

In preparation for this the fall was laid at length
along the deck ``ready to be hurried aft'' when
``twenty stout fellows seized the rope.''

Maybe we should think about that next time we catch some pirates(and have nowhere to try them).

The Russians understand that only enlightened Liberals really understand 'nuance' the way it's supposed to be understood....or something.
The rest of humanity need to be lead by examples.

Our consensus of being civilised past the point of no return, that hemp hawser would send the captain to the brig for the rest of his life....unlike the 17th century where it would be a 'career enhancing' move.


And I understand perfectly what that was about. Nothing shipboard was easy- even dying. So to make it even worse than just being hung, they hauled you up about 30 feet until you hit the yardarm and dropped you until the noose broke your neck.

First impressions

I've made no secret that the estrogen contingent of Casa Trainwreck are immigrants.

One of the first commercials Karen saw when she settled in was for Quiznos.
It wasn't this one, but it had the same ....actors.



To this day she won't even think of buying a sub there because of the dessicated rats.


I'm now watching a show called "Justified".
I like it. It's set in Kentucky about a US Marshall (??) who shoots a bad guy in Miami and is punished by getting sent back to his home town in Harlen county, KY.

I liked it at first, and as i grew on me- I've been noticing the subtle (and not so subtle) inbred hillbilly Liberal attitude to us in flyover country.
You know, the oversexed blonde's, violence as a second option and the southern criminal masquerading as a religious leader.

Oh mein Gott

One more example of associating The Won with Hitler.

Now we know

That some Presidents look like chimps, because of evolution you know.

Now we have real scientists (who probably even had real peer reviews done) discovering that some humans have from 1% to 4% of Neanderthal genes in their DNA.

Da dash don't be silent

The teacher was asking
"La A?"
"LaAh?"
"Lah ah?"
"LaAA?"

And the mother replied "It's Ladasha the dash don't be silent."

Now the NYT or at least one of it's writers is getting tired of those made up names, too.

If you want a better idea of how mangled some names have gotten, a certain Cajun has a weekly listing of winners on his blog. Go ahead and groan at the future.

waitaminnute

Something's been niggling (can I say that?) in the back of my mind since all these Libs started agitating against the AZ immigration reform act.

Now I Know what it was.

Aren't we always told- whenever we get yet another infringement of out privacy/rights that "If you don't have anything to hide, you don't have anything to worry about".
So,,,what's the problem? It's almost like they were going out of their way to mislead peop..............

OH!

This is my shocked face.

Finally some good news

It sounds like we've turned the corner on this pesky depression problem.

See- even though the unemployment numbers went up to 9.9%, that's a GOOD sign in Obammaland. See, somehow having more people looking for work means that ...somehow there's more work available??

Added to the fact that the employment grew at 290,000 jobs, we have the fact that the Census Bureau hired 635,000 temporary workers right about last month.


I'm not as smart as The Won, but does anyone make a connection between those two numbers?

Thanks Tam

For your little mind bump:

So, tell me something

Do all these Liberals who are so concerned about the 'rights' of illegals have ANY problems with their warrantless traffic checkpoints.

You know, where all vehicles are stopped for no reason- without ant warrants and made to show their papers?
Isn't that somehow....unconstitutional?

Oh, that's right- it's for the 'public good'...'for the children".
Oh, and if you're an undocumented driver- it's a car forfeiture.

I am surprised

Given the way both houses of Congress love to make special commemorative days- and given the high majority of Liberal Democrats infesting DeeCee, that we didn't get any MSM wall to wall retrospective of this day in history.

So, in remembrance of all the fellow travelers who didn't make it out of the (almost) riot at Kent State to be with their fellow Socialists who became 'The Man'...



Because those flower children would *never* think of causing anything but a peaceful demonstration....with daisies in rifle muzzles and all.

The report continued that the cadet "stated that the first three rounds were definitely not M-1s. He said they could possibly have been a .45 caliber. … [He] further stated that he heard confirmed reports of sniper fire coming in over both the National Guard radio and the state police radio."

The cadet also told the FBI he observed demonstrators carrying baseball bats, golf clubs and improvised weapons, including pieces of steel wire cut into footlong sections, along with radios and other electronic devices "used to monitor the police and Guard wavelengths."

Separately, a female student told the FBI she "recalled hearing what she thought was [the sound of] firecrackers and then a few seconds later [she] heard noise that to her sounded like a machine gun going off, but then later thought it may have been a volley of shots from the Guard."

So, tell me if I'm wrong here

I've been hearing about the finger pointing on this oil spill being allowed to hit the gulf shore.

I'm torn. We all know that this administration is run by people who think the bigger and more intrusive the government is- the better.
AND there were plans drawn up during the Clinton administration on how to deal with something like this massive leak. It included FEMA, the Coast Guard and other appropriate entities being on scene and taking the appropriate measures to corral the leak as soon as possible. Before it got out of hand.
They also had a plan to burn or syphon that captive oil before it could get out of hand.

With that in mind. It took this administration over a week to get off their collective @sses.

One one hand we can look at the usual claims of complete clueless ineptness -as were used to getting whenever a Dem steps on his d!ck.
--You know, "My patsy over at the EPA didn't tell me we had a plan to step in and rescue the entire gulf coast.

On the other, we have the *Most ethical and honest administration EVAR* sitting on their hands and waiting until it's too late to do anything positive before springing into action...............so they can point to the mess and massively expensive clean-up the next time we want to drill our own oil and say "But,,,looook at what happened last time....."

OR both. I wouldn't put either past this ideologue.

So what does that make me? An Oiler

Deafinatly better than Cricket

She said when I showed her this border closing ceremony:



...And didn't understand why I mentioned it being the British army on Crank.

So I'm redoing the router table

I'm adding a Dirt Devil(tm) Extraction system because I got tired of sweeping shavings out of all the hidden nooks and crannies that make up the power tool garage.

I'm making drawers to go under the table to hold paint and power tools.
Anyway, I've got the table saw running, and fine tuning the fence for the last of my finger joints when out of the blue I hear "I'm going to Hondo now. Do you need anything?"

"Jesaz Krist, you scared the crap out of me."
Pointing at the blade "Do you know what that is"

"...Ummm wood?"

"No, it's a table saw blade that's made to go through wood like butter, what do you think it would do to fingers?"

That's the second time she's done that this week- I'm going to have to make a sign saying 'WAIT until I notice you!'

"Your papers! Please!"

I keep hearing those lies about Arizona's immigration reform measure.

I hear there are going to be a hyped number of rallies with a hyped number of participants protesting the law that mirrors the official one voted on by their teleprompter Jesus.

Anyway, if I was asked 'for my papers' I'd show them this:


And the trucks insurance card.

Karen- being a legal resident alien would need the above and....



Which she's required BY. FEDERAL. LAW. to carry whenever she's out in public, and to show the appropriate authorities when requested.

And you Union thugs In the National League who are threatening an AZ Diamondback boycott?
I haven't watched a Major League Baseball game since you cancelled the World Series...the FIRST time. Go f*cking piss up a rope.

Sing it Rodney

In honor of these brave women marching in Farmington.

That'll certainly help

The ever vigilant and legalistic administration of The Won is sending their lawyers down to N'awlins to "help" with getting things together in the spill response.

I've never been involved in a major disaster, but my knowledge of utility...problems tell me that with things being bad enough, and just accomplishing anything positive just got ten times harder.
Now instead of just coming up with a plan and doing it, they'll have to run it past a bunch of eggheads who have no clue about what they're being asked, except what they know about suing people on one side or the other- and make their decision that way.

You know what's *really* bad about this?

You know they weren't drunk because they're in the 'Stan:



Now, about that DaDT...

Don't WE have any say?

The Liberals in DC just voted to authorize a vote for statehood in the VERY anti-American, spanish speaking welfare protectorate of Puero Rico.

...And we don't even get a say in adding that PoS fourth world island to our fellowship of like minded states. What are we going to have? 50 stars and a dangling turd on the flag? Where are the other 6 states going to come from Barry?

If my life took a different track

...And I ended up in aviation, I'd want to be a Warthog driver.

Missed this the other day

I was in stationed in Rota, Spain when Chernobyl blew.

Where were you when you heard about it?

Of course we didn't hear about it when it happened, because the Soviet Union- being the most open and trustworthy government the world has ever known- didn't bother telling anyone until days later.

When other governments started noticing funny things happening on their radmeters.

Here's a good rundown of then and now by a Russian Girl who likes to ride her bike through the results.

She's in Russia (duh)- so sometimes her site is down, but when you get there be prepared to be entertainingly educated.

So tell me - Ed,,,

Where *did* that money you paid back your GM loan come from?

You've seen that commercial where Ed Witacker is bragging about GM paying back that loan?

What he's NOT saying is that it was profits that payed it off, but even MORE taxpayer money from his buddy Barry.

What? You though he got that cherry job because he supported McCain?

Dude, you're trying to get people to buy your stocks, too. Why should anyone think that the next time Obama wants to repay the UAW for voter fraud getting him elected- that he won't steel ANOTHER 70% of your property to give to them?

He did it once, why wouldn't he do it again?

OH....and when are we going to hear a widespread MSM outcry about the safety concerns of your steering just locking up? Much less a record fine from your owners at .gov?

I've got it!!

We've got those self-important peacocks in DeeCee holding hearings and proposing all kinds of B.S. regulations to "Do Something!" about the last financial crash.

Maybe we should all start mailing them a letter saying something like:


Dear Congesscritter,

You're trying to get to the bottom of who is the real cause of our financial problems.
You're holding hearings and conducting investigations.

I can show you the *REAL* cause of most of Americas problems, please look at the enclosed- shiny side up.

The person you're supposed to represent,

Me
Hondo, Tx

Then be sure to enclose a pocket mirror.

They're starting to realize something

It looks like the MSMs Golden Child is getting a bit tarnished.

The author of this AP article may be one of those unemployment statistics when the White House sees it.

She's worn out her desk top thesaurus in trying to skirt the concept that Obowma is lying to the American people. But they starting to notice a bit of green tinge on their lips when they get off their knees nowadays -and they may start wondering why.

So it was the confederate flag that tipped the scales?

Because we know that the "88" (for HH -Heil Hitler) Wouldn't antagonize ant muslems.
Hitler is as popular to them as Che is to the staff in the White House.

Lets decipher the rest of that coded message...

The number 88 stands for the eighth letter of the alphabet, H, doubled to signify "Heil Hitler," said CAIR's Ibrahim Hooper. "CV" stands for "Confederate veteran" -- the plate was a special model embossed with a Confederate flag, which Virginia makes available for a $10 fee to card-carrying members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. And 14 is code for imprisoned white supremacist David Lane's 14-word motto: "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children."

OR- could it be that they were offended (again) by the graphic on his tailgate?

The giveaway that something was amiss, Hooper said, was the truck itself. An enormous photo of the burning World Trade Center towers covers the entire tailgate, with the words: "Everything I ever needed to know about Islam I learned on 9/11."

The way everyone is going out of their way to get offended, pretty soon they'll have to issue blank plates.

Oh! That's why

Someone in Russia clicked on my blog looking for bukkaki.

"Jeffery,,, come back"

See, I was enjoying this, when this caught my eye-



...And I couldn't help thinking of his nerdy brother:

This says it all

It explains why we have an entire government that feels free to do whatever they want to socialize America.

It's showing people old enough to join AARP talking about what they are going to do "when they grow up."
It's the whole "ME generation" personified. The same ones who probably elected what we have in DEE CEE now- the ones who operate on feelings rather than fact.
The ones who were telling each other at Berkley "Man, I have this Communist professor who really opened my eyes to the whole American Atrocity thing in Viet Nam,,,we need to do something to help those little brown people, man."

"Yeah man, we'll- like get some protests going, then we can walk away from S.E. Asia and let those little brown people get all copacetic with each other, man- them we'll spit on the returning service members and call them 'baby killers'."

"Cool man, them we can, like start questioning authority- man."

"Right man, and speaking "truth to power", man- it'll be groovy"


You know, in every other generation that actually contributed something positive to their country- they'd be acting their age...instead of their usual "ME" thing.

That's another reason I'll never send any of my money to AARP.

This weeks inner racist clip

Lifted from The same banned movie as the last one-

(Don't tell Obamas internet police I'm posting these)

You. Can't. Make. This. Up.

The unintentional hilarity of this picture from the O-bots at Yahoo! titled "Our Jesus takes a break- in the woods.

Here's some video of Michelle.

I feel this tonight

I could feel it before we got the weather warning...

Stampede on the Cimarron

By J. Frank Dobie
... The cattle and the night were so quiet that the two herders stopped now and again on their rounds to listen. They could not help expecting something. The air grew warmer and more stifling, as the lightning flashes approached and dim thunder began to rumble up. The men could still skylight the cattle.
Presently a dun steer that had been in the lead of the herd from the beginning and had been named Old Buck awoke, lifted his head slowly, rose to his knees, and looked around.
Apparently he did not trust the looks of things, but, being long experienced in life, wasn't startled, and he said nothing.
He got to his feet, raising his nose to smell, and gazed towards the approaching storm. The two men on guard sand as gently as they could th songs they had sung over and over to sooth the cattle down and prevent any sudden sound from breaking in and frightening them.

But Old Buck had no idea of going back to bed. He seemed to be expecting something--something as sudden as a telegram used to be. Another steer got up, stood still, expectant; then others and others until the whole herd was on it's feet, motionless. The songs grew louder now, unrelenting, pleading.

The night grew blacker, the lightning brighter, the humidity of the air heavier. And then, almost at once, on every tip of the five thousand horns of the waiting steers, appeared a ball of dull phosphorescent light-- the foxfire, St, Elmo's fire, will-o-the-wisp of the folklore of the world. In the intervals of utter blackness the two guards on the lone prairie could see nothing but those eerie balls pulsing on the tips of long curved horns. But the guards were not thinking of ghosts or remembering ghost stories now. Their voices rose high in the wild but cow-quieting notes of "The Texas Lullaby", which is not made of words and cannot be conveyed by musical notation. It is made of syllables and tones conveyable only by voices trained in darkness and deep thickets. The notes cime long, low and trenbly. The wailers of "The Texas Lullaby" did not yell or shoot; as men who savvied the cow, they would not scare the as yet still cattle.
The ghostly balls of fire on horns must have looked as strange to the steers as to the men. The steers began to move at a walk, their motion becoming circular, the riders around them preventing any decided movement away from the bed ground. At first the walk was slow; soon it became faster. And then out of blackness came a great flash of zigzag lightning forking down over the seething mass of animals, so close that darting tongues of flame seemed almost to lick their backs. At the same time a mighty clap of thunder shook heaven and earth, reverberating and doubling.

It's answer was the thunder of ten thousand pounding hooves that popped ans clicked, while horn clacked against horn. The stampede started with the swiftness of the lightning's leap.

All hands in camp had mounted at the first salvo from the skies; they reached the herd in time to join the pursuit. The gigantic thunderbolt had knocked out the sluice gates of the sky. The water poured down in sheets and barrels. It rained blue snakes, pitchforks and bobtailed heifer yearlings all at once. One minute it was darker than the dead end of a crooked tunnel a mile deep under a mountain. Then the prairie was a sea of blue and yellow light dazzling to all eyes.
......


That's the kind of storm I'm expecting tonight.


BTW...want me to finish that chapter?


UPDATE:

0105 HOURS- marble sized hail is *REALLY* loud on a metal roof. It scares dogs, too.