The Doctor

I'm getting better on the hardwood sax, and the two recorders (alto and soprano) showed up this week, along with the method books. Music aplenty comes from my office now!

Jack Jr. knocked the tree over 5 times last year, but only once this year. I think he threw a good scare into himself. So we've put up a scarce bit of decoration, with the hopes that next year we can have a fully festooned Yule tree. Time will tell.

Wildberry Pie (figure it out, ladies) :)

Now, now, now, love. You're painting with an incredibly large, and if I may be so bold, liberal brush. I am not equating petty thieves with pedophiles, muggers with murderers, nor rapscallions with rapists. The punishment must be commesurate with the crime. But to argue that punishment is on a linear scale is naive at best. In truth, it's best represented on a logarithmic scale. Minor crimes receive minor penalties, but as you climb up the scale of offenses, the penalties must become radically harsher. If a human being decides (yes, I said decides) to become a predator against his own kind, in this case we are discussing humans, said predator must be eliminated. They are a danger to you, me and everyone. Personally, I do not care to pay, via ever increasing taxes, to house and feed these miscreants. Exterminate them, and let that be an example to those who dare to follow in their footsteps.

I remember Howard Cosell announcing it as if it were yesterday. I'll never forget. And I'll never stop Imaging. :) I know; it's a bloody sappy sentiment, coming from a pyrate. But John did sing about what every pyrate wants - Freedom. So speak to that which you want so dearly. Say it, whisper it, sing it, scream it! What do you want? FREEDOM!! That's why we're pyrates, and shall evermore be on the Account. To Live the Life, Pure and Free!

I remember calling my girlfriend at the time, who'd gotten me hooked on the Beatles, to give her the news. She hadn't heard. Her Mom answered, and I asked for Kathy. When she came on, her voice was a happy "Hello?" and all I could croak out was "Honey? John's dead. Some bastard shot him in the back. He's gone." I remember her choking on her own breath, like someone had just punched her in the stomach. And then the screaming and crying. And I cried, too. I'll never forget.

OK, here's hint #1 Originally released in 1975.

I have a number of friends that are former cops, detectives, and FBI. Their message, based upon their collective experience, is that murderers, pedophiles, and rapists cannot be effectively rehabilitated. They will commit more despicable crimes, each one worse than the one before. The only effective remedy is to destroy them, just as we would a destructive and murderous animal. The responsibility is on Society to pass judgement correctly, effectively, and swiftly.

I'm not sure if I posted this before or not, but it's worth repeating. :) Over a Barrel The most common method of punishment aboard ship was flogging. The unfortunate sailor was tied to a grating, a mast or over the barrel of a deck cannon. To Know the Ropes There was miles and miles of cordage in the rigging of a square rigged ship. The only way of keeping track of and knowing the function of all of these lines was to know where they were located. It took an experienced seaman to know the ropes. Dressing Down Thin and worn sails were often treated with oil or wax to renew their effectiveness. This was called "dressing down". An officer or sailor who was reprimanded or scolded received a dressing down. Footloose The bottom portion of a sail is called the foot. If it is not secured, it is footloose and it dances randomly in the wind. Booby Hatch Aboard ship, a booby hatch is a sliding cover or hatch that must be pushed away to allow access or passage. First Rate Implies excellence. From the 16th century on until steam powered ships took over, british naval ships were rated as to the number of heavy cannon they carried. A ship of 100 or more guns was a First Rate `line-of`-battle ship. Second rates carried 90 to 98 guns; Third Rates, 64 to 89 guns; Fourth Rates, 50 to 60 guns. Frigates carrying 20 to 48 guns were fifth and sixth rated. Pipe Down Means stop talking and be quiet. The Pipe Down was the last signal from the Bosun's pipe each day which meant "lights out" and "silence". `Chock-a`-block Meaning something is filled to capacity or over loaded. If two blocks of rigging tackle were so hard together they couldn't be tightened further, it was said they were "`Chock-a`-Block". Leeway The weather side of a ship is the side from which the wind is blowing. The Lee side is the side of the ship sheltered from the wind. A lee shore is a shore that is downwind of a ship. If a ship does not have enough "leeway" it is in danger of being driven onto the shore. Windfall A sudden unexpected rush of wind from a mountainous shore which allowed a ship more leeway. Groggy In 1740, British Admiral Vernon (whose nickname was "Old Grogram" for the cloak of grogram which he wore) ordered that the sailors' daily ration of rum be diluted with water. The men called the mixture "grog". A sailor who drank too much grog was "groggy". Three Sheets to the Wind A sheet is a rope line which controls the tension on the downwind side of a square sail. If, on a three masted fully rigged ship, the sheets of the three lower course sails are loose, the sails will flap and flutter and are said to be "in the wind". A ship in this condition would stagger and wander aimlessly downwind. Pooped The poop is the stern section of a ship. To be pooped is to be swamped by a high, following sea. As the Crow Flies When lost or unsure of their position in coastal waters, ships would release a caged crow. The crow would fly straight towards the nearest land thus giving the vessel some sort of a navigational fix. The tallest lookout platform on a ship came to be know as the crow's nest. Buoyed Up Using a buoy to raise the bight of an anchor cable to prevent it from chafing on a rough bottom. By and Large Currently means in all cases or in any case. From the nautical: by meaning into the wind and large meaning with the wind: as in, "By and Large the ship handled very well." Cut and Run If a captain of a smaller ship encountered a larger enemy vessel, he might decide that discretion is the better part of valor, and so he would order the crew to cut the lashings on all the sails and run away before the wind. Other sources indicate "Cut and Run" meant to cut the anchor cable and sail off in a hurry. In the Offing Currently means something is about to happen, as in - "There is a reorganization in the offing." From the 16th century usage meaning a good distance from shore, barely visible from land, as in - "We sighted a ship in the offing." Skyscraper A small triangular sail set above the skysail in order to maximize effect in a light wind. The Bitter End The end of an anchor cable is fastened to the bitts at the ship's bow. If all of the anchor cable has been payed out you have come to the bitter end. Toe the Line When called to line up at attention, the ship's crew would form up with their toes touching a seam in the deck planking. Back and Fill A technique of tacking when the tide is with the ship but the wind is against it. Overhaul To prevent the buntline ropes from chaffing the sails, crew were sent aloft to haul them over the sails. This was called overhauling. Slush Fund A slushy slurry of fat was obtained by boiling or scraping the empty salted meat storage barrels. This stuff called "slush" was often sold ashore by the ship's cook for the benefit of himself or the crew. The money so derived became known as a slush fund. Bear Down To sail downwind rapidly towards another ship or landmark. Under the Weather If a crewman is standing watch on the weather side of the bow, he will be subject to the constant beating of the sea and the ocean spray. He will be under the weather. Overreach If a ship holds a tack course too long, it has overreached its turning point and the distance it must travel to reach it's next tack point is increased. Gone By the Board Anything seen to have gone overboard or spotted floating past the ship (by the board) was considered lost at sea. Above Board Anything on or above the open deck. If something is open and in plain view, it is above board. Overwhelm Old English for capsize or founder. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea The devil seam was the curved seam in the deck planking closest to the side of the ship and next to the scupper gutters. If a sailor slipped on the deck, he could find himself between the devil and the deep blue sea. The Devil to Pay To pay the deck seams meant to seal them with tar. The devil seam was the most difficult to pay because it was curved and intersected with the straight deck planking. Some sources define the "devil" as the `below-the`-`waterline-seam` between the keel and the the adjoining planking. Paying the Devil was considered to be a most difficult and unpleasant task. Rummage Sale From the French "arrimage" meaning ship's cargo. Damaged cargo was sold at a rummage sale. A Square Meal In good weather, crews' mess was a warm meal served on square wooden platters. Son of a Gun When in port, and with the crew restricted to the ship for any extended period of time, wives and ladies of easy virtue often were allowed to live aboard along with the crew. Infrequently, but not uncommonly, children were born aboard, and a convenient place for this was between guns on the gun deck. If the child's father was unknown, they were entered in the ship's log as "son of a gun". Overbearing To sail downwind directly at another ship thus "stealing" or diverting the wind from his sails. Taking the wind out of his sails Sailing in a manner so as to steal or divert wind from another ship's sails. Let the Cat Out of the Bag In the Royal Navy the punishment prescribed for most serious crimes was flogging. This was administered by the Bosun's Mate using a whip called a cat o' nine tails. The "cat" was kept in a leather or baize bag. It was considered bad news indeed when the cat was let out of the bag. Other sources attribute the expression to the old english market scam of selling someone a pig in a poke(bag) when the pig turned out to be a cat instead. No Room to Swing a Cat The entire ship's company was required to witness flogging at close hand. The crew might crowd around so that the Bosun's Mate might not have enough room to swing his cat o' nine tails. Start Over with a Clean Slate A slate tablet was kept near the helm on which the watch keeper would record the speeds, distances, headings and tacks during the watch. If there were no problems during the watch, the slate would be wiped clean so that the new watch could start over with a clean slate. Taken Aback A dangerous situation where the wind is on the wrong side of the sails pressing them back against the mast and forcing the ship astern. Most often this was caused by an inattentive helmsman who had allowed the ship to head up into the wind. At Loggerheads An iron ball attached to a long handle was a loggerhead. When heated it was used to seal the pitch in deck seams. It was sometimes a handy weapon for quarrelling crewmen. `Fly-by`-Night A large sail used only for sailing downwind and requiring rather little attention. No Great Shakes When casks became empty they were "shaken" (taken apart) so the pieces, called shakes, could be stored in a small space. Shakes had very little value. Give (someone) a Wide Berth To anchor a ship far enough away from another ship so that they did not hit each other when they swung with the wind or tide. Cut of His Jib Warships many times had their foresails or jib sails cut thinly so that they could maintain point and not be blown off course. Upon sighting thin foresails on a distant ship a captain might not like the cut of his jib and would then have an opportunity to escape. Garbled Garbling was the prohibited practice of mixing rubbish with the cargo. A distorted, mixed up message was said to be garbled. Press Into Service The British navy filled their ships' crew quotas by kidnapping men off the streets and forcing them into service. This was called Impressment and was done by Press Gangs. Touch and Go This referred to a ship's keel touching the bottom and getting right off again. Scuttlebutt A butt was a barrel. Scuttle meant to chop a hole in something. The scuttlebutt was a water barrel with a hole cut into it so that sailors could reach in and dip out drinking water. The scuttlebutt was the place where the ship's gossip was exchanged.

"Cry, Baby, Cry" - The Beatles (White Album) Well I'll be damned, Here comes your ghost again. That's not unusual, It's just that the moon was full, And you happened to call...

Here's mine. It looks to me that the pyrate vessel is taking a beating in order to regain the weather gauge. I'd do the same.

At NASA, I had a male manager. One of the best I've ever known. Competent, direct, and fair. At Cargill, my manager was female. She was wonderful until the team got too large for her to manage comfortably. Then she turned into one of the worst managers I've ever had. At IBM, I've had two female managers, both incredibly competent and rank in my book as superb. I'd work for them again in a heartbeat. The two male managers I've had to deal with have been, respectively, bumbling and utterly lost. Everything built by the women has been sqandered by the men. It's frustrating, but the pays very good and I work from home full time.

To me, nerds are socially awkward nebbishes that push their glasses up and grope for their tricorder whenever a member of the female persuasion approaches. I find myself apologizing for these poor souls by stating that they really don't know how to approach any woman that's not inflatable. Geeks are anyone so into their own little world that they constantly relate anything anyone says or does into frame of reference that directly correlates to their said little world. Also, they don't reaaly get excited about anything unless it directly relates to their own interest in an unusual or essential non-mainstream way. To wit: I ran across a Christmas carol where they mention having sufficient powder and shot, cannon and ball, to spread their joyous Yuletide message. I'll look it up and post it for everyone's enjoyment. Aye, that would make me a pyrate geek. And bloody proud of it!

Past Times With Good Company - Blackmore's Night

Aye, Christine! Rest up as best you can. Hopefully you'll be as fit as a fiddle soon! As for me, the vertigo attacks are almost completely over. Yes, I know I crowed that the doctors said I was "cured", but all their diagnoses and 25 cents will get you a stick of chewing gum. The attacks are fewer, shorter, and less predictable, but just as intense. A steady diet of Dramamine seems to work well. I'm really excited to that I get to see one of my favorite Renaissance Faire duets, My Lady's Cutlass, tonight, and again on the 30th. They're brilliant, and not to be missed! Musical pyrates? How could one refuse?

As promised, here's the recipe for Pumkin Creme Brulee. Thanks go out to Emeril Lagasse. 2 cups heavy cream 1/4 cup light brown sugar 1/4 cup sugar, plus 4 teaspoons 8 large egg yolks 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg 1 cup mashed cooked pumpkin Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Arrange 8 (1/2-cup) ramekins or custard cups in a large metal baking pan. In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Bring to a bare simmer over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until frothy and lemon-colored. Slowly add 3/4 cup of the hot cream mixture, whisking constantly. Add the egg mixture to the remaining hot cream, and whisk. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin, and whisk until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. Divide among the prepared custard cups. Add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake until the custards are just set in the center but not stiff, 45 minutes to 55 minutes. Remove from the oven and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours or overnight. Sprinkle each custard with 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining sugar. Using a kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar. (Alternately, preheat the broiler, and broil until the sugar melts and caramelizes, watching closely to avoid burning and rotating the cups, about 1 to 2 minutes.) Place on small dessert plates and serve.

I'll post it this Saturday, love. It's a glorious, wondrous thing to eat. I'd be half the pyrate I think I am if I didn't share! :)

My ships, I'm sorry to say, are all virtual (a fancy word for "fake"), so their names don't mean a hill of beans, really. My flagship is typically the Saber's Apollo, named after my oldest Arabian gelding. Currently, that would be a Ship of the Line in "Sid Meier's 'Pirates!'" Undercrewed, but never outgunned; we're going after the Spanish treasure train, and we'll have her! Or, we'll die trying. Time will tell. In Akella's "Pirates of the Caribbean", my flagship is a large gun frigate, the Saber's Apollo, with a war galleon, the Lobo del Mar, as consort and freight. I did have a corvette, the Benita Renee, but she served as a fire ship in a particularly nasty encounter with the French. Woefully ineffective, but visually impressive when she exploded along side a Man of War. Took out the bowsprit and larboard forward three guns, and maybe 10 men from my foe, the fire ship went down taking 150 men with her. C'est la guerre... She bought us time to run. I'll get that Man of War, the Celeste, should she ever show her flag to me. 300+ men will die that day, and damned few will be mine.

A great number of us cook, from what I've observed over the past year or so. I've found that when I'm cooking, I'd much rather turn off the Idiot Box (TV) and listen to music. Here's what I like, according to the style of cooking I'm doing: Everyday - Jazz Large Meals - Corresponding holiday music, or uptempo Jazz Irish or other northern European - Celtic or celtic-flavored Cajun or Creole - Zydeco or New Orleans party music So, what in your CD tray while you create in the kitchen?

I had just finished standing on line for mead, when I was approached by a young boy. "Mister?" "Ah! No, laddy buck. Call me 'Captain'." "Uh, Captain?" "Aye?" "What are your boots made of?" "They're made of leather." "Um, what's 'leather' made of, Captain?" "Leather is made from cows, mate. Did you have a hamburger lately? Perhaps you ate the rest of me boots?" The little boy ran back to his mother yelling "EEEEEEEEWWWWWW!!!!"

We raise a jar in thanks to the blokes and lasses what put themselves in harm's way to help keep up safe and free! We are forever in your debt! May God hold ye, and keep ye, and bring ye home safe and sound!! :)

Happy Thanksgiving! The menu at Mad Jack's this holiday is as follows: Spinach and Cream Cheese Stuffed Pastries Mushroom Stuffed Cornish Game Hens Baked Sweet Potatoes Steamed Mediterranian-style Vegetables with a Gruyere Cheese Sauce Homemade Cranberry Sauce Pumpkin Creme Bruleé Yellow Tail Reserve Chardonnay Mulled Apple Cider

Happy Thanksgiving, one and all! May each and every one of you rejoice in today's blessings, and may the the coming years bring you even more!

We've all been through this silliness, so give it up! What absolutely assinine situation have you dealt with whan encountering the public? I've had more than one woman ask me if I was too hot in me garb, since the dew point up here in Minnesota can be ridiculous. Here be me answers... - "Too hot? I was hoping for 'incredibly sexy', but I'll take 'hot' on a a bad day!" - "It gets even hotter when I'm out of this garb. Care to go back to the car park for a bit of a cuddle?" - I look off into the sky, opposite the Sun, and declare "Aye, but it's better than the possible alternative, eh? Wait a moment... where's my banana?! Help! Guards!! Banana thief!!!"

Three Dog Night - Easy to be Hard C'mere, love. Tell Ol' Jack all aout it... :)