tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740572667294775424.post6141536765608719465..comments2023-07-03T06:51:05.962-07:00Comments on O Dock: Two Relatively Unrelated StoriesO Dockerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08674140306304705852noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740572667294775424.post-77956701644142767942011-03-28T18:56:39.591-07:002011-03-28T18:56:39.591-07:00For what it's worth, I was able to access some...For what it's worth, I was able to access some AP photos of the boat at work.<br /><br />The boat has been dismasted and there is an ominous looking gouge at the water line, which may have been caused by the dismasting, or could be the result of a collision - it looks like it was done by something heavy that scraped along the boat.<br /><br />The boat has New Jersey registration stickers and the home port of Tom's River is painted on the transom. It looks like it wasn't in very good condition even before this happened. It's hard to believe a commercial rental company would have chartered something in this condition. Hard to tell from the photos, but it looks like there's no centerboard or retracting keel extended from the bottom.<br /><br />I don't know Macgregors very well, but I think it's one of the older ones - it's definitely not one of the later ones designed to use a large outboard. It has a fairly new looking Honda 8-hp on the transom.<br><br>O Dockerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08674140306304705852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740572667294775424.post-20461988149365689622011-03-28T18:29:14.076-07:002011-03-28T18:29:14.076-07:00I really hope the special needs thing is wrong.I really hope the special needs thing is wrong.bonniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04794351142636136626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740572667294775424.post-41199661997055245342011-03-28T18:09:39.573-07:002011-03-28T18:09:39.573-07:00(The part about the special needs ride is speculat...(The part about the special needs ride is speculation from outside the NBC story, by the way. Don't want to confuse speculation with what facts do seem reliable!)Pathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13417115374524861438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740572667294775424.post-78149711192097471232011-03-28T18:07:44.992-07:002011-03-28T18:07:44.992-07:00One source (NBC San Diego) says it was indeed a Ma...One source (NBC San Diego) says it was indeed a MacGregor 25, operated by a company from outside of San Diego, perhaps doing a special needs ride. <br /><br />"Harbor police say a non-profit company operated “Nessie”.<br />“It was a voyage, or a tour if you will, operated by this non-profit entity, which is not from San Diego. The operator of the vessel is from Southern California by Laguna. The vessel is registered to a company out of Indiana,” said [San Diego Harbor Police Chief John] Bolduc."<br /><br /><br />Source: Father, Son Killed in Sailboat Accident | NBC San Diego<br /><br />One other theory besides failure to crank the ballasted centerboard down would be complete failure of centerboard attachment and total loss of ballast; that would have been catastrophic in a heavily loaded boat with inexperienced sailors.Pathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13417115374524861438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740572667294775424.post-89259303482005256452011-03-28T15:48:58.756-07:002011-03-28T15:48:58.756-07:00Actually I will be serious now - Pat has now poste...Actually I will be serious now - Pat has now posted a lot more information on <a href="http://desertsea.blogspot.com/2011/03/san-diego-sailing-tragedy.html" rel="nofollow">Desert Sea</a>. He's making an educated guess that the boat was something like a MacGregor 25 or 26, and he's owned one of those, taught safety classes & done some loading/overloading experiments under controlled conditions. Has got what sound like some very plausible theories about what happened.bonniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04794351142636136626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740572667294775424.post-60489554561327339982011-03-28T14:29:26.236-07:002011-03-28T14:29:26.236-07:00Bonnie, I had to reread that story about three tim...Bonnie, I had to reread that story about three times to figure it out, too.<br /><br />I think the unaccounted for <b>guy</b> is the <b>woman</b> mentioned two graphs lower down in the story. Confusing editing at best. You're right, Max would not have been happy. But it's a good example of the kind of work copy editors do.<br /><br />I think we've all written stuff that seemed perfectly clear to us, only to discover it can be read in an entirely different light.<br /><br />Horrible accident, though. I wonder what kind of 25-foot sailboat it was that they had managed to load 10 people onto.<br /><br /><br />Mojo, I've been struggling with more than just arnold's punctuation, lately.<br /><br />He's discovered Amazon and has been ordering candy bars online. Of course, he bills then to my credit card. Do you know what next day shipping costs for a candybar?<br><br>O Dockerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08674140306304705852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740572667294775424.post-75021411014538879592011-03-28T10:15:38.855-07:002011-03-28T10:15:38.855-07:00Max would've looked at the third paragraph and...Max would've looked at the third paragraph and said <a href="http://www.thereporter.com/wirenews/ci_17716525" rel="nofollow">"So, where's the other guy?"</a><br /><br />Via Pat Byrnes's Facebook page.bonniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04794351142636136626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740572667294775424.post-64087906590206633262011-03-27T12:27:50.218-07:002011-03-27T12:27:50.218-07:00Speaking of that iconic Philadelphia shrine, rumor...Speaking of that iconic Philadelphia shrine, rumor has it that arnold has submitted a provocative article to Foreign Affairs entitled "for whom the liberty bell toll?"<br /><br />It's an essay on freedom in the word today, from a Blattarian perspective.<br /><br />Apparently, though, the "Max" replacement at Foreign Affairs is struggling with arnold's unconventional punctuation.Mojohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06721376775731666766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740572667294775424.post-90708984151926475882011-03-27T10:22:41.443-07:002011-03-27T10:22:41.443-07:00Tillerman, I don't think it was your comment. ...Tillerman, I don't think it was your comment. Almost any mention of Philadelphia will do that.<br /><br />Tugster, thanks for dropping by. You're right - today, the second estate is in as much trouble as the fourth. Or, is an elected governing body in the third estate?<br /><br />Where is Max when you need him?<br><br>O Dockerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08674140306304705852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740572667294775424.post-29747522465486415842011-03-27T07:31:17.333-07:002011-03-27T07:31:17.333-07:00maxes and maxineses . . . we need you not only in ...maxes and maxineses . . . we need you not only in news medias but also in governmentses at all levels. nice post!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740572667294775424.post-63345310454498231132011-03-27T06:26:00.313-07:002011-03-27T06:26:00.313-07:00Funny how that question always kills the conversat...Funny how that question always kills the conversation dead!tillermanhttp://propercourse.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740572667294775424.post-4352576485681262652011-03-25T04:19:51.095-07:002011-03-25T04:19:51.095-07:00Did I ever tell you that my name is on the Liberty...Did I ever tell you that my name is on the Liberty Bell?Tillermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00639738519386820997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740572667294775424.post-11616446938785744112011-03-24T23:53:09.456-07:002011-03-24T23:53:09.456-07:00Mojo ... I can tell you which of my students know ...Mojo ... I can tell you which of my students know 1776, Philadelphia, and Independence Hall: the immigrants.<br /><br />How ironic that so many people who are born here don't know the history and philosophy that make so many people who aren't born here want to come here.Carol Annehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08718249869806014823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740572667294775424.post-48737019550805796452011-03-24T18:27:46.519-07:002011-03-24T18:27:46.519-07:00So true, O Docker, and (can you believe it?), some...So true, O Docker, and (can you believe it?), some of them may not remember 1776...<br /><br />... and have no idea where Philadelphia is??<br /><br />... not to mention Independence Hall?<br /><br />But they've probably heard of Pat's.<br /><br />WV: delyshir... yes, we're talkin' cheese steak!Mojohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06721376775731666766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740572667294775424.post-49576223079975894612011-03-24T16:56:45.838-07:002011-03-24T16:56:45.838-07:00Mojo, I think I agree that I like the earlier poem...Mojo, I think I agree that I like the earlier poem better.<br /><br />And it looks like, again, a torch is being passed to a new generation.<br><br>O Dockerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08674140306304705852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740572667294775424.post-5024612252896186232011-03-24T16:41:11.395-07:002011-03-24T16:41:11.395-07:00I must admit that from a literary perspective, I m...I must admit that from a literary perspective, I much prefer The Gift Outright (the poem he actually read), to the Dedication poem.<br /><br />However, on reading through the latter, I was struck by the relevance of the excerpted passage below to current events in the Middle East/ North Africa:<br /><br />"...They would bring empires down about our ears<br />And by the example of our Declaration<br />Make everybody want to be a nation.<br />And this is no aristocratic joke<br />At the expense of negligible folk.<br />We see how seriously the races swarm<br />In their attempts at sovereignty and form.<br />They are our wards we think to some extent<br />For the time being and with their consent,<br />To teach them how Democracy is meant.<br />"New order of the ages" did they say?<br />If it looks none too orderly today,<br />'Tis a confusion it was ours to start<br />So in it have to take courageous part.<br />No one of honest feeling would approve<br />A ruler who pretended not to love<br />A turbulence he had the better of."Mojohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06721376775731666766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740572667294775424.post-13096895688211386362011-03-24T16:15:53.196-07:002011-03-24T16:15:53.196-07:00... and it was the archivist (of the JFK Library) ...... and it was the archivist (of the JFK Library) who opened the package with the "lost" poem.<br /><br />Do we know any archivists?Mojohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06721376775731666766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740572667294775424.post-70204107638877944152011-03-24T15:38:46.956-07:002011-03-24T15:38:46.956-07:00Great story.
Here's a link to the text of the...Great story.<br /><br />Here's <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/inauguration/frost_poem.html" rel="nofollow">a link to the text of the poem</a>, which, for some reason, I wasn't able to find at the msnbc site.<br><br>O Dockerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08674140306304705852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740572667294775424.post-13872281643320300362011-03-24T14:48:45.742-07:002011-03-24T14:48:45.742-07:00The official Library or Congress site About the Po...The official Library or Congress site <a href="http://www.loc.gov/poetry/about_laureate.html" rel="nofollow">About the Position of Poet Laureate</a> seems to suggest that the informal title of US Poet Laureate was used since 1937 to refer to the holders of both posts referred to in my previous comment. So Robert Frost was the US poet laureate in 1958/59 but interestingly enough not at the time of JFK's inauguration.<br /><br />And here's another interesting historical footnote. Frost wrote an original poem for the inauguration, but could not read it in the blinding sunlight, so recited another poem from memory. See <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12467043/ns/nightly_news/" rel="nofollow">here</a>.Tillermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00639738519386820997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740572667294775424.post-49544948078468610422011-03-24T14:28:04.541-07:002011-03-24T14:28:04.541-07:00Tillerman, your answer must have crossed with Mojo...Tillerman, your answer must have crossed with Mojo's, but Max would probably go with Mojo's version, anyway. In a newspaper, shorter is better (one of the reasons I would never make it as a newspaper writer).<br /><br />That's what I love about blogging, though - the stuff you learn.<br /><br />For all of these years, I've thought Frost was JFK's poet laureate - a pretty common misconception, apparently.<br><br>O Dockerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08674140306304705852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740572667294775424.post-11660131376148200342011-03-24T14:15:43.091-07:002011-03-24T14:15:43.091-07:00Mojo is right too. Prior to 1986 the post was call...Mojo is right too. Prior to 1986 the post was called Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress.Tillermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00639738519386820997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740572667294775424.post-27137205724876401632011-03-24T14:13:04.717-07:002011-03-24T14:13:04.717-07:00JFK didn't have a poet laureate. US poet laure...JFK didn't have a poet laureate. US poet laureates are not appointed by the president.<br /><br />The Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress (to give the post its correct title) is appointed annually by the Librarian of the United States Congress. In making the appointment, the Librarian consults with former appointees, the current laureate and other distinguished personalities in the field.<br /><br />At least that's what it says in Wikipedia which is almost as reliable as the San Francisco Examiner.Tillermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00639738519386820997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740572667294775424.post-38099760476888932712011-03-24T14:00:21.699-07:002011-03-24T14:00:21.699-07:00In answer to your question, O Docker, The Poet Lau...In answer to your question, O Docker, The Poet Laureate was not officially created until 1985.<br /><br />Robert Frost read at JFK's inauguration, but was not titled as such.Mojohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06721376775731666766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740572667294775424.post-493514973814447252011-03-24T13:23:18.841-07:002011-03-24T13:23:18.841-07:00JP, as you might have guessed, Max is a fictional ...JP, as you might have guessed, Max is a fictional compilation of a lot of Maxes and Maxines I've known over the years whose empty chairs now haunt me as I walk through a newsroom that's a much quieter place than it used to be.<br /><br />The worst transgressions seem to be in the online version of the paper where the pressure to publish immediately is greater and fewer eyes check what is released. There's also the temptation to print now and check later, since what goes online can be changed or removed - a luxury not available in print. Breaking news stories will often be updated five or six times in the course of a news cycle.<br /><br />Sometimes, I think the content of online newspapers is no more reliable than Wikipedia.<br /><br />Tillerman, why don't they call the online version the Daily e-Mail? And either Max or Carol Anne (if she happens by) will probably be lecturing you about run-on sentences.<br /><br />I could have used Max's help myself in this post. Extra credit to anyone who can spot the historical error I've made (at least, the one I know about).<br /><br />Baydog, at first I thought you meant the intermission reminded you of that old drive-in, but then I realized this post must have bored you as much as old Ali McGraw movies.<br /><br />That's OK, though. Blogging means never having to say you're sorry.<br><br>O Dockerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08674140306304705852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740572667294775424.post-6701968167660204332011-03-24T09:02:04.693-07:002011-03-24T09:02:04.693-07:00Holy crap that reminded me of the Brielle drive-in...Holy crap that reminded me of the Brielle drive-in when my brother and I saw Love Story with my parents starring Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw and we were in our pajamas playing on the playground they had there for kids who were bored by the movies that their parents wanted to watch.<br /><br />BTW, the use of the photo in that article is just plain weak. I bet that wouldn't have happened at that venerable Sacramento publication.Baydoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00751866865203182109noreply@blogger.com