Bullet Points:
** Jules Smith on fading splendor. I imagined a bygone era of extravagance, where nobles waltzed beneath the chandeliers and laughter echoed in the moonlit gardens. Now, silence reigned, punctuated only by the distant cry of birds and the rippling of water against weathered stones.
** Who listens to Idiots? The Chilean communist activist Valentina Muñoz threatens those who refuse to yield to the Agenda 2030: “This is no longer a negotiation. That’s why it’s called an agenda and not a wish list.” My old friend Terry doesn’t…I can’t believe that he named his dog, Larry.
** Blood and Horror – (h/t Claudio) Near KLISHCHIYIVKA, Ukraine — After months of intense fighting to dislodge Russian units north and south of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, Kyiv’s forces recaptured the nearby tactically important village of Klishchiyivka in a move that Ukrainian officials say could set the stage for further military advances.
** Reasons not to fight an old man:
If you win, you just beat up an old man.
If you lose, you were just beat up by an old man.
More than likely the old man will shoot you where you stand.
** Only a moron believes that electricity used for air conditioning harms the planet but electricity used to charge a car battery does not.
From the Days of Fighting Sail
Ink
There are a number of articles about the symbolism of sailor tattoos, like “hold fast” and pigs, roosters, and swallows.
In the middle decades of the 19th century, there wasn’t the number of tattoos mentioned, compared to the late 19th and throughout the 20th century when they became more common. For instance, this register of seaman’s protection certificates (which are admittedly limited in the scope of things, since they’re only from a few specific ports) from 1796-1871 rarely list tattoos as distinguishing marks, beyond the odd mention of being marked with an inked anchor, eagle, or letters here or there.
“The SPC-A records start in 1796 and include tattooed men born as early as 1746. There were 979 tattooed men out of a total of 9,772 men whose records survive from 1796 through 1818.26 These men were marked with a total of about 2,354 separate designs.”
So, not a large number, but also 10% isn’t insignificant. The protection certificates while a reliable source, also only describe the man in one specific moment. I’m sure a few of those men who just have their moles and scars and crooked fingers listed eventually picked up a tattoo or two in their time. Most journal keepers perhaps didn’t think it important to mention who had tattoos though the typical motifs of anchors, nautical stars, girls, religious & patriotic imagery, etc. were certainly a part of the visual language at this point. Whaler William Abbe who sailed in the 1850s, devoted considerable attention to describing the physical appearance of some of his shipmates. In one instance, he wrote about the tattoos of one ‘Johnny Come Lately’ or ‘Jack Marlinspike’ (Real name, John Hewes of Buffalo NY)
‘from beneath this cap his face looms out – while beneath supporting his comical head is a bare neck and breast — hairy + brown —the upper timbers to a stout hull of a boat that boast a pair of arms all covered with India ink tattooings — the figure of American Liberty — Christ on the cross — an American Tar holding a star spangled banner in one hand + a coil of rope in the other — a fancy girl — + anchors, rings, crosses, knots, stars all over his wrists + hands — the memorials of different ports he has visited — for Jack has been in all kinds of vessels from a man of war to a blubber hunter — + has consequently been to many ports.’
From the logbook of another whaler who sailed in the early 1840s, James Moore Ritchie, had a page of his drawings with prices included. This potentially may have been a tattoo flash sheet for his shipmates:
American whalers also noted the tattoos of indigenous people who had signed on to whaling vessels, particularly in the South Pacific. William B. Whitecar, whaling in the 1850s wrote: “Several New Zealanders in the respective crews of these vessels attracted my attention from the tattooing on their bodies” making mention of “figures on their face and breast”.
Here’s just a small handful of tattoos recorded in jail records in Maine in the mid to late 1800s: many typical designs included anchors, knots, and initials. This sailor from Liverpool had an anchor tattooed on each arm.
Identify the Aircraft
1
Sometimes misidentified as a Fokker. An attempt at an all-metal stressed skin fighter. Unsuccessful due to poor handling, poor climb rate, and the war ending.
2
3
More effective under 5,000 ft AGL.
4
Identify the Aircraft:
1. Zeppelin-Lindau D.I
2. Handley Page Type O
3. FFVS J 22
4. Douglas Y1B-7
We’ll need to know the breed to determine if Larry fits.
Terry’s dog, Larry, is sort of a Heinzy, with an overriding percentage of golden labrador.
It should have been a wolf.
Looking forward to Napoleon.
Yes, it should have been a wolf or at least a bull mastiff.
Napoleon looks like it might be pretty good.
Jules- That is some excellent poetry with a wonderful visual…now all I can think about is the massive table set with splendor and all manner of cookery…and The Rule of Thumb. (thanks Brits for that one)
I’m listening less and less each day to the blatherer’s, started with Tucker’s ouster when FNC decided tanking it’s business was better than truth. Everything is politics, which now includes “the weather”. Politics used to be this thing over there in DC that most people paid very little attention, it’s now a constant buzzing trying to make itself important failing the premise that most people in “public service” are useless to societal betterment (as a rational person would define it), theirs is agenda-driven based on a tone-deaf warped world view. Unfortunately they have taken narcissism to an art form, demanding we imbibe in their idiocy every single day, 24/7. Most are all liars and cheats, and we’re better off without them meddling. Yet they do without consequence. — Impeach our guy for a false nit…but their guy, with this massive fraud and treasonous activity…ahh, that’s nothing.
I think I’m cranky…but I’m not alone.
Ex-1: Sent an email to my “Representative”, some lady I never heard of…asking why I have to pay a $0.27 tax (their universal euphemism is “fee”) on every ground delivery when I already pay (aside from a pile of others) fuel taxes and so does UPS/FedEx? Crickets. Re-sent another asking if I was ever going to get a response? Crickets. They work for us dammit, but that has morphed to the reverse.
Ex-2: Sent an email to the County “whatever she is but getting paid handsomely for whatever made-up thing she does” regarding the asinine “no bag” policy in stores despite everything one purchases in, say, Walmart, comes in plastic barrier packaging. Symbolism over substance (h/t Rush). It’s what drives the HOA Wannabe Ninny’s among us, usually starting in Junior High when they decided they were better than you and me. Who the heck are these people who dictate how a business should run and what’s acceptable for customer care? Get the hell out of stores you bums!
Lest we forget what these morons do, first it was paper bags that were deemed bad for the environment. Then plastic was king and okay. Then plastic was deemed bad. Then [more recently] a short stint with paper again (useless as the bags easily ripped with modern packaging). And now the ultimate environmental solution…NO BAGS. These people can’t make up their demented minds on anything (eg. globalwarmingcoolingclimatechangeiceagetoohot) yet want us to follow their stupid dictates.
Rant over…got stuff to do and some travel…it’s a TuneIn LiveIreland day for me, no politics is better than even a little, like salt water from the ocean – one sip is enough to know it leaves a lousy taste in your mouth ad is bad for you.
Ain’t it grand, being in the new 8th Congressional District? Can you say gerrymandering?
Thank you, Paul. And ( rule of thumb) we still say that! It’s also how we measure up our whipping sticks!
WSF- Exactly…like tentacles. It was a simple question, you’d think one of her underlings might actually respond, but there I go thinking normal again.
Jules- Two uses for the price of one…win!win!
Etsy could use a new store: Authentic British Whipping Sticks, diameter controlled by the timeless ‘rule of thumb’. They’d sell like hot cakes over here in The Colonies.
“LiveIreland”
How did I not know of this? It’s great. Love that stuff. Also Cape Breton stuff. I was sooo happy to find (randomly) a collection of such disks in a used record shop in Amherst, MA. Someone had sold off a box of the pure quill. The shop owner was happy too. “I thought it’d take forever to move. Was regretting having bought it.” But not happy enough to give me a bulk discount 😛.
Irish Pub Radio is another on L.I. Pandora has two I’m currently listening; The High Kings Radio channel, and The Wailin’ Jenny’s (heard on Prairie Home a lot)…both excellent mixes.
Need to check out Cape Breton, a lot of great talent there.
I have considered getting a Sirius or other some such satellite radio service and able to listen to Pandora with some of their selection of music. I am concerned of them able to track where my receiver is. Not that I am expressing my paranoia or wearing my full dress aluminum ensemble with matching all weather cover, but I don’t use a smart idiot phone for that ability and try to disable my geolocation on my laptop as much as I am able. I do enjoy the Irish Pub Radio on my computer while I am perusing blogs and reading excellent comments and insights at VM…
Sirius/XM is a one-way service. Your receiver just receives…no outgoing transmissions of any kind.
At least not yet….
“Now, silence reigned, punctuated only by the distant cry of birds and the rippling of water against weathered stones.” Far better for me to enjoy, then the cacophony of the well-heeled crowd of social mores. I don’t relish false and extravagant displays of wealth and so-called power. I much celebrate the solitude of that brook, animal callings and a few close, well armed comrades.
x2…otherwise life is drudgery without spiritual connection to anything worthwhile.
“Don’t Fight Old Men….”
Yep, we’d just as soon drop you where you stand, and really open up on you if you charge at us. Always reminds me of the scene in the first “Indiana Jones” movie where the guy takes out his big scimitar, whirls it around, and Indy just blasts him.
@Paul….You think you’re cranky these days? Add another 70+ million of us to your “Clan of The Cranky”.
We’ll need a lot of Authentic British Whipping Sticks.
Ukraine – will they have the manpower and time to take advantage before the mud season starts up again?
Resputitsa begins in October.
Re the old man, number three for sure… I’m too old to run…
Juliette’s thinking, understandably, of the Club.
We must RV there.
Old men, in the Business so to speak, don’t play fair. And, hat trip to “Fried Green Tomatoes,” have better insurance.
Eh, if I had a pickemuptruck, I’d have a brushguard on it just in case I need to brush a protestor or two.
And old men know to shoot till they feel better.