Tradition

Here's a piece of nautical tradition that may be on the wane.

The midwatch log entry for 1 Jan is traditionally written in VERSE. The NAVY TIMES used to run a contest & publish the best

Here's one from the USCGC SWEETBRIER:

BY THE CHANGE OF A SECOND, THE MIDNIGHT HOUR IS PAST
AS DOES THE OLD YEAR, FOREVER GONE, NEVER LAST.
THE WATCH IS SET AND STARTS A NEW SHEET
TO LOG THE STATUS OF THE ROSE OF THE FLEET.

IN CHARLIE SHE SITS FOR THE DAWN OF THE NEW YEAR,
MOORED PORTSIDE TO THE CORDOVA CITY PIER.
THE NORTHERNMOST HOMEPORTED U.S. SHIP IS SHE,
FOR SHE RESTS ABOVE LATITUDE 60-33.

ABOVE HER SEASONED DECKS HER ENSIGN FLIES HIGH
STIFF WINDS MOVING THROUGH HER MAST WITH A CRY.
SIXTY KNOT GUSTS WILL NOT ENDANGER HER MOOR
FOR DOUBLE-UPS ARE ON LINES ONE AND FOUR.

WAIST LINES ARE RIGGED FORE AND AFT
SO ARCTIC WINDS WILL NOT ENDANGER THIS CRAFT.
HER LATERAL POSITION WILL ALSO STAY TRUE
DUE TO QUARTER LINES THREE AND TWO.

BELOW A KEEL SET BY IRON AND SWEAT
LIES A MUDDY BOTTON TWELVE FEET WET.
WATER TWO KNOTS FAST PASSES ALONGSIDE
RANGING NINETEEN FEET THIS SPRING TIDE.

DECK AND MOORING LIGHTS DISPLAYED NIGHTLY
ARE ENERGIZED AND BURNING BRIGHTLY.
AND FOR THE SEAPLANES TO BEHOLD
ALL AIRCRAFT WARNING LIGHTS SHINE BRIGHT AND BOLD.

THE SMALL BOATS, THEY ARE QUITE STABLE
NUMBERS TWO AND THREE HELD ON DECK BY CABLE.
AND SWEETBRIER ONE IS AT THE STARBOARD LOW RAIL,
READY TO HANDLE LOCAL SAR WITHOUT FAIL.

MESSAGES ARE SENT ANYTIME WHEN,
THANKS TO LANDLINE 39-10.
AND WITH D17 WE MAINTAIN COMMUNICATION
FOR AS OPCON/ADCON THEY MUST KNOW OUR SITUATION.

ENSIGN SCHMIDT IS THE OOD
WITH DUTY SECTION TWO TO OVERSEE.
SECTION ONE, THREE AND FOUR ARE ASHORE, AS IS WISE
FOR THEIR LIBERTY IS AUTHORIZED.

0845 THIS DAY WILL EXPIRE
SECTION THREE'S LIBERTY BEFORE WE RETIRE.
AND ON JANUARY 87, THE SECOND DAY,
LIBERTY EXPIRES FOR ALL HANDS AWAY.

WE ARE THE ROSE OF THE FLEET BY NICKNAME
A MULTI-MISSION VESSEL JUST THE SAME.
WITH A CALL TO DUTY AND A COURSE TO STEER
SEMPER PARATUS THROUGHOUT THE NEW YEAR.

Isn't she beautiful?

It's a girl!

My wife is pregnant with our first child! We went this week for the comprehensive ultrasound and found out that we're having a girl. It is really neat to see that little body moving about. Before all of this when a friend showed me a printout from their ultrasound, I could usually make out a vaguely human form but not much more than that. Now I see so much more in them. I look at them and think how beautiful my daughter is. It's amazing! I can't wait to meet her.

The Real Brown Hound

Here's the lucky puppy who this blog is named in honor of. Meet Hunter;



He is a 5 year old Chocolate Lab and a very good dog. I hope that I can find him a girlfriend some day so I can have some of his progeny running around.

People's Choice Awards

Barbra Streisand is asking her fellow moonbats to vote for Farenheit 9/11 as best movie in the People's Choice Awards. Please go and vote for Spiderman 2. And then go on and vote for The Passion and Team America in the other categories. Wouldn't that make them mad?

Update:Well, they seemed to have stopped the voting on movies.

Coast Guard helicopter crashes

A Coast Guard helicopter has crashed in the Bering Sea. It was carrying crewman evacuated from a powerless freighter. Four of the ten people on board were rescued by another Coast Guard helo that was participating in the rescue. The four included 3 Coasties and one crewman from the frieghter. The search for the remaining six continues.

More info here.

Military Pogs

Greyhawk of The Mudville Gazette is currently blogging from Iraq. He has an interesting post today about the pogs that the exchanges over there are using instead of coins. I clicked on the pictures of the pogs and they each feature a military themed photo. They are pretty neat looking. As I got to the 25 cent pogs, I found the Coast Guard pog. Here it is;

Out with the Old, In with the new

The Coast Guard is retiring the Beretta M9 9mm Pistol from active use. They have chosen the Sig P229 .40 S&W. Here's a link to the specs.



Purely for nostalgic reasons, I am going to miss the M9. I've been shooting it for 13 years. I even bought one. Everyone I speak to says that the Sig is an outstanding weapon. I look forward to taking it to the range.

Church Commercials

Feddie, at Southern Appeal, has a problem with the latest ad campaign of the United Church of Christ. Check it out.

The ad shows two guys reminiscent of club bouncers screening churchgoers on Sunday morning. Some are denied entrance. The commercial implies that gays and minorities are being denied access to churches.

My problem with the ad is that it's misleading. Is anyone being denied access to churches? No. By being a member of a church, you are saying that you agree with the premises of that religion/denomination/sect, etc. That doesn't mean blind obedience to every letter of church law and theology but there are fundamental truths that are held dear. Why do you think Bishop Spong created such a furor when he questioned the divinity of Christ?

Windsor Report

Bishop Lee of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia has a well written article on the Windsor Report. A little background, in 2003, the Episcopal Church of the USA elevated an openly gay priest to the bishopric of New Hampshire. In reaction to that, the Archbishop of Canterbury convened a hearing to discuss the actions of the ECUSA and their impact on the Anglican Communion as a whole.

Pentagon to Cut Boy Scouts From Bases

The Boy Scouts seem to be under constant attack from the left. Now they've gotten to the Pentagon.

The Pentagon has agreed to warn military bases worldwide not to directly sponsor oy Scout troops, partially resolving claims that the government has engaged in religious discrimination by supporting a group that requires members to believe in God. The settlement announced last week is part of a series of legal challenges in recent years over how closely the government should be aligned with the Boy Scouts of America, a venerable organization that boasts a membership of more than 3.2 million members. Civil liberties advocates have set their sights on the organization's policies because the group bans openly gay scout leaders and compels members to swear an oath of duty to God. The ACLU believes that direct government sponsorship of such a program amounts to discrimination. The Pentagon said it has long had a rule against sponsorship of non-federal organizations and denied the rule had been violated. But it agreed to send a message to posts worldwide warning them not to sponsor Boy Scout troops or other such groups.

Goose

I bagged my first Canada Goose yesterday. I was thinking about deep frying it since I'll be cooking a turkey that way on Thursday. A coworker suggested that geese are too fatty/greasy for that. Other friends think it sounds good but haven't done it either. Has anyone else tried this?

Insult Art

From OpinionJournal's Tony and Tacky page.

Can anything top a British snub? Consider the reception planned for French President Jacques Chirac on his arrival yesterday in London: After alighting at Waterloo station, the Toronto Globe and Mail tittered earlier this week, Mr. Chirac was to watch "Les Misérables," the "musical adaptation of the Victor Hugo novel so disliked by French elites." The venue? Windsor Castle's Waterloo Chamber, "specially built by King George IV as a secular shrine to the defeat of the French, where large portraits of the Duke of Wellington and other British victors will glare down at the French President."

Arafat's Eulogy

Epitaph on the Politician

Here richly, with ridiculous display,
The Politician's corpse was laid away.
While all of his acquaintance sneered and slanged
I wept: for I had longed to see him hanged.

-Hilaire Belloc

Veteran's Day

Today is Veteran's Day. As you are out today running errands and you see a veteran, walk up to him and say "thank you." Trust me, he will really appreciate it.

Too Much Time On Their Hands

I was a little bored today and ran across Cockeyed.com. These guys have taken on the questions that have plagued all men when they were still bachelors. Questions such as; how much gold is actually in a bottle of Goldschlager? Is Ramen a bunch of short noodles or one long one? There's also, how many solo cups can you fill with a keg?

Then lengths these guys go to answer these questions it, well, disturbing. They went to the trouble though so check it out.

Just Asking

The editors at the Richmond Times-Dispatch want to know; How's that internal investigation of the ballyhooed Texas Air National Guard memos aired by CBS coming - and Dan Rather's apology to President Bush?

Fiesta Chowder

Now that it's starting to get cold, here's a great chowder to keep you warm. It makes a big batch and the leftovers can be warmed up for lunch or whatever.


Fiesta Chowder

List of Ingredients

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 (1.4 ounce) package fajita seasoning mix, divided
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cubed
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (15 1/4 ounce) can whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 (4.5 ounce) can chopped green chiles
3 cups water
1 cup uncooked instant brown rice
1 (2 1/2 ounce) can sliced ripe olives (optional)
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed nacho cheese soup*
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice


Instructions

1. Combine flour and 2 tablespoons fajita seasoning in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; add chicken. Seal and shake to coat.
2. Cook chicken in hot oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat, stirring often, 4 minutes or until browned. Reduce heat to medium-high; add onion and garlic; saute 5 minutes. Stir in remaining fajita seasoning, corn, next 5 ingredients, and, if desired, olives. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove lid, and stir in nacho cheese soup, chopped cilantro, and lime juice. Garnish, if desired, and serve with breadsticks, if desired.

*If you can't find nacho cheese soup, Campbells has a pepperjack soup that works really well too.

Linked to the Beltway Traffic Jam
Linked to the Carnival of Recipes.

Supreme Work Out

Feddie at Southern Appeal got a behind the scenes tour of the Supreme Court which included the basketball court. Can anyone picture the justices in a pick up game of hoops?

W!