Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

Sadly, media malpractice has become standard practice.

I conferred with the team and they all agree – still not tired of winning!

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

Fundamental belief of white supremacy: white people are presumed innocent, minorities are presumed guilty.

Pelosi: “He either is stupid, or he thinks the rest of us are.” Why not both?

We’ll be taking my thoughts and prayers to the ballot box.

Fuck that bum, let’s go Joe!

The line between political reporting and fan fiction continues to blur.

Ron DeSantis, the grand wizard, oops, governor of FL.

rich, arrogant assholes who equate luck with genius

A democracy can’t function when people can’t distinguish facts from lies.

Every reporter and pundit should have to declare if they ever vacationed with a billionaire.

The poor and middle-class pay taxes, the rich pay accountants, the wealthy pay politicians.

Polls are now a reliable indicator of what corporate Republicans want us to think.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

Republicans choose power over democracy, every day.

This really is a full service blog.

Republicans are the party of chaos and catastrophe.

Despite his magical powers, I don’t think Trump is thinking this through, to be honest.

Republicans: slavery is when you own me. freedom is when I own you.

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

Every day Vance writes another chapter in the book called “Worst VP Pick Ever”.

Narcissists are always shocked to discover other people have agency.

You are here: Home / Nature & Respite / Respite Open Thread: Waffles and Hemingway Need a Home

Respite Open Thread: Waffles and Hemingway Need a Home

by | 131 Comments

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A miniature horse is up for adoption in Pennsylvania – but if you want the horse, you have to adopt his best friend, too.

Waffles is a six-year-old miniature horse, and his best friend is a goose named Hemingway.

Waffles is described as being small, but with a huge personality. He loves the typical “horse things” like grass and carrots, but there is nothing he loves more than Hemingway.

Linda Reider with the Bucks County SPCA said Waffles and Hemingway are a package deal.

“If you want to adopt Waffles, you have to adopt Hemingway. And if you want to adopt Hemingway, you have to adopt Waffles,” Reider told WFMZ.

The friends go way, way back – they were both taken from the same farm, where “the conditions were not good,” as Reider described it.

Even when Waffles was sick, Hemingway wouldn’t leave his side.

“When we go to give medicines or injections [to Waffles], Hemingway would get in between us and say, ‘I’m sorry, that’s my buddy the horse, he doesn’t want a shot today,'” Reider told WFMZ.

If you are interested in adopting this adorable pair, please visit the Bucks County SPCA’s website here.

If you aren’t able to adopt Waffles and Hemingway or are looking for a pet of another kind, please consider adopting another animal from the Bucks County SPCA or from your local animal shelter.

I’m sure there is room in Cole’s backyard…I’ll chip in for transport.

Respite open thread

Reader Interactions

131Comments

  3. 3.

    Anne Laurie

    You really wanna see a confrontation between the Blogmaster and a cranky goose*?

    *Geese only have one temperament setting: CRANKY

  10. 10.

    Jay

    Nashville Catholic School bans Harry Potter at its library. “The curses and spells used in the books are actual curses and spells; which when read by a human being risk conjuring evil spirits into the presence of the person reading the text," per email. https://t.co/R1U35v9aRG— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) September 2, 2019

  13. 13.

    Aleta

    What will Hemingway, the big determined goose, do if you try to give Waffles his medicine? I think this is important to know …

  20. 20.

    Sab

    My dad’s nursing home replaced the black swans in their little lake with black ducks. I am very relieved. They were mean. The management swears they were sent to a nearby farm. I choose to believe them.

  21. 21.

    debbie

    @raven:

    It is. I’m not liking what I’m thinking about the staff who just jumped off the boat. And I’m hoping I’m wrong.

  24. 24.

    kindness

    Can you imagine the size of the critter door Waffles would need? Yea John, do it! I wanna see pics of Waffles & the pups on a couch.

  28. 28.

    MazeDancer

    @Mary G:

    Maybe John’s friends at Barn With Inn have room?

    Just tweeted John about them. And came on to post that i did. Clearly, we’re in great minds mode.

    Mentioned in tweet that then John would have his own “Pearl/Penelope” to visit, post about, lord it over TaMara.

    Figured TaMara wouldn’t mind.

  31. 31.

    Aleta

    Isn’t it a curse to tell people that because of original sin they will experience guilt, cruelty, war and sin throughout history?

  32. 32.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    I have a little story.

    Three years ago, I decided that shooting pictures of the Milky Way would be really cool. I tried shooting here in Glendale(yeah, that didn’t work), so I decided to head out on Sept. 11, 2016 to Leo Carillio to shoot it. Well, I didn’t have any clue as to what I was doing, so I attempted to shoot it…first, before astronomical twilight and with not only the moon at 75% illuminated but right by the galactic core in the sky. After much processing in Lightroom I actually managed to see the Milky Way. Here’s that shot.

    So this past Friday night, with a new moon, I decided to recreate that shot. This time waiting until after astronomical twilight and no moon. The purple lighting was provided some other photographers wandering into my test shot, I liked it and incorporated into the final shot after stacking.

    I think this one turned out better.

  36. 36.

    Mary G

    Twiter is yelling at Jon Karl of ABC – isn’t he a righty? – for making fun of him saying the hurricane could affect Alabama.

    Trump shared incorrect info during an emergency, and now he's claiming he was right, when he was wrong. His own National Weather Service said he was wrong. This is a big deal. https://t.co/BkwTmYfBqN— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) September 2, 2019

  39. 39.

    Aleta

    @raven: Oxygen tanks, probably LPG for the galley and the refrigerators for the fishing. Maybe for a big grill on deck. They had two air compressors to fill scuba tanks— powered by gas or diesel? It looked like like they had a lot of wood in the main cabin below. One report said a wooden hull. It sounds like the crew went for help to the nearest boat.

  44. 44.

    Elizabelle

    @raven: I know. What a horror.

    Reminded me that we have not heard from the Comte, diving fan extraordinaire, for a long time now, have we?

    @debbie: It sounds like a lot of the crew had sleeping quarters topside, near the bridge, as one might expect. They may have leapt off the boat after realizing they could not get to the passengers bunking underneath the deck.

    Also sounds like some of the crew did sleep below — someone is awaiting news of his brother, who cooks for the guests and whom he knew slept below.

    I wonder if USCG and NTSB will require less bunks and more exits as a result of this tragedy. Boat sounds unescapable if a major fire broke out while passengers were in their bunks. This boat had conducted hundreds of safe trips, and it’s a reputable diving company, but it only takes one like this ….

  45. 45.

    Aleta

    @kindness: With a couple loads more of lumber he can turn that cute shed into a cute mini barn. From the shade of the pergola he can sit and watch the garden disappear as the goose eats, shoots and leaves.

  47. 47.

    debbie

    @Elizabelle:

    I’ve mostly been reading CNN live updates. One of the 911 dispatchers asked one of the crewmen if they could go back and unlock the boat. I can’t imagine why they’d be locked in.

  49. 49.

    chris

    @Aleta: Propane was my first thought. It sinks and fills the bilge first, one spark is all it takes. I saw the results once in BC. 50ish foot fibreglass boat pushed up on shore looked alright until my buddy pointed out the deck. The entire deck, wheelhouse and all, had been lifted up and moved about a foot off centre. Crew of three survived only because they were on deck and blown into the water.

  50. 50.

    catclub

    @Jay: Usually it is the evangelical schools down south which compete for most illiterate/least theologically sound arguments.
    Catholic school in the south is often an island of sanity (relatively).

  53. 53.

    Elizabelle

    @debbie: I am wondering about that “lock” comment. It makes no sense, and might be miscommunication. To find out.

    The LA Times has some really sharp reporting. The local dive community thought Truth Aquatics ran a safe and conscientious operation. Albeit: room for 46 people below deck, with a ladder and a 2 X 2 escape hatch? Maybe no longer.

    LA Times: California boat fire: 8 dead, at least 26 missing as officials prepare for the worst

    Bruce Rausch, a veteran dive master in Orange County and a retired San Onofre nuclear design engineer, said he has been on diving trips aboard the Conception more than a dozen times.

    Before any guest begins a dive, Rausch said, the ship’s first captain completes an extensive safety briefing that covers the location of life jackets, deploying life boats, and the location of two bunk room exits, a ladder at the bow end and an escapte hatch toward the stern. The briefing also discusses the alarms on board, as well as underwater alarms and notes the location of fire extinguishers.

    The safety briefing, Rausch said, is done within the galley at the site of the escape hatch, a roughly two-feet by two-feet square plank of wood with no lock or latch on it. Below, the rows of bunks hold a maximum of 46 people, some in single or double beds stacked in threes.

    I think the fire may have just sucked out all the oxygen the passengers depended on below decks. Does not sound like the crew was callous:

    Shirley Hansen and her husband, Bob, were jarred awake about 3:30 a.m. by the sound of pounding on the side of their 60-foot fishing boat. [Anchored close to the dive boat, which was maybe 20 yards off the island’s coast.]

    The crew had escaped the Conception by jumping into the ocean, retrieving a dinghy and paddling 200 yards to the Hansens’ boat, the Grape Escape, Shirley Hansen said in an interview.

    The crew was distraught, some wearing only underwear, she said. One man told the Hansens that his girlfriend was still below deck on the Conception. Another man cried, describing how they had celebrated three passengers’ birthdays hours earlier, including that of a 17-year-old girl who was on the diving trip with her parents.

    One crewman’s leg was injured, Shirley Hansen said, and another had visible ankle injuries. She could see the Conception ablaze from her boat and said there was so much smoke that she had to use an inhaler.

    As the Hansens handed out blankets and clothes to the crew, two of the men got back into the dinghy to see if anyone else had jumped overboard.

    “But they came back and there was no one that they found,” Shirley Hansen said.

  55. 55.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @Baud: I could see Jupiter’s reflection in the ocean, but I didn’t see the reflection of the galactic core until I’d taken the pics. It’s a keeper(and it’s available at BillinGlendaleCA.com).

  57. 57.

    Anotherlurker

    @raven: I have worked party boats, charter boats, commercial boats and one of the biggest fears is fire at sea.
    When selecting a bunk, I always make sure I know where the emergency exits are located.
    Regarding the Truth Aquatics boats, I knew someone who worked for them, years ago, and he took their safety procedures and implemented them for any boat he skippered. Their reputation is excellent. They are the gold standard for dive charter boats.
    I guess horrific accidents can happen to the best prepared.
    Such a sad day

  59. 59.

    Raven

    @Anotherlurker: Everything I’ve read is the same, class operation. I hope the survivors have information that will help in the future. In three weeks I’m going on a charter to the rigs in Louisiana. The 42 footer has 4 350 mercs and hauls ass.

  60. 60.

    Enzymer

    @raven: some old ladies (80’sh) of my acquaintance kept geese & guinea hens instead of dogs to guard their yards. The guinea hens would raise a racket audible a mile away if someone entered the yard. The geese were fiercely territorial & kept folks in their vehicles until called off.

  61. 61.

    Jay

    @chris:

    It “shouldn’t” be the propane.

    Safety Codes require that the propane be stored in a sealed locker, that drains overboard, so that any leaks at the tank, go overboard.

    The tanks are connected to appliances via a solenoid switch, so that when there is no demand for propane inside the boat, the tanks are “shut off”. There is also coding for what can be used for supply lines, bulkhead penetrations, chafe protections and securing the lines.

  65. 65.

    Jay

    1/10 DHS wants to implement DNA testing at the border, ostensibly to prevent child trafficking by proving familial relationship. They claim the genetic data will not be stored or shared. Those who refuse have their children removed from them.https://t.co/KGuOEQFmsN— SleepDoc CulinaryNinja ?️‍?? (@LaSammi3) September 2, 2019

  66. 66.

    Jay

    @RAVEN:

    Aluminum dive tanks would “explode” if the fire got hot enough. So would canned goods in the kitchen, fuel tanks on gas or deisel powered equiptment, even the propane tanks in the stern locker.

    Boats burn really badly. Lots of light panelling, paint, varnish, oils, fiberglass.

    Remember the really cheap rec room panelling of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. If you have ever seen that stuff burn, you will never allow it in your house. Boats still use lots of that.

  70. 70.

    Elizabelle

    WRT the post: Waffles and Hemingway are adorable. I know they will find a happy home soon.

    But for Hemingway the goose, Waffles could eventually take to the skies as an assistance animal. Miniature horses are allowed on passenger flights. Horses have long lifespans, much longer than service dogs.

    NY Times: The Completely Reasonable Reason People Are Flying With Mini Horses
    The Department of Transportation’s declaration that miniature horses should be prioritized as service animals has raised many questions.

    … There are many reasons someone would fly with a miniature horse, disability experts say. Although a growing number of emotional support animals have emerged in recent years, in the case of miniature horses, their function as service animal is primarily physical, said Kenneth Shiotani, a senior staff lawyer at the National Disability Rights Network.

    For some blind people, such as Cheryl Spencer, Confetti’s owner, guide horses serve as a compelling alternative to guide dogs. The animals are mild-mannered and fast learners, with nearly 360-degree vision. They may also offer balance support to individuals with physical disabilities.

    Mona Ramouni, 39, who is blind, has been traveling with her miniature guide horse, Cali, for the past 10 years. … She pointed out that training a service animal takes thousands of hours. “With a dog you’ll get eight to 10 years if you are lucky,” Ms. Ramouni said, adding that “with a horse you get 35, 40 years.” Her own horse, Cali, is 14. “She’s just getting to middle age,” she said.

    True miniature horses, which are not to be confused with ponies, are less than 34 inches in height. They were bred to be pets for European nobility in the 1600s, according to the International Museum of the Horse.

    Their compact size makes them capable of fitting into the back of a hatchback …

    But good luck catching a cab with one.

  72. 72.

    MagdaInBlack

    We had a pair of Toulouse geese, and a pair of Rouen ducks that we raised (as pets) in the basement in a crate under a heat lamp. I recall they were day old when we got them. Natually, they imprinted on us and followed us everywhere. The geese were harmless to me, but the best bodyguards ever towards anyone else.

  73. 73.

    ruemara

    Just dropping a line that sidebar articles and poems for the 1619 Project are done up to page 46 and can be found here. Full articles are probably going to be complete by Wednesday this week and then this will be half over.

  74. 74.

    TS (the original)

    @Jay: The money this government is willing to spend to separate children from their families – yet refuse to spend on health care, aged care, unemployment, housing relief and … infrastructure.

  75. 75.

    Elizabelle

    @ruemara: You have a wonderful voice. Thank you for the audio files.

    FWIW, I live just a very few miles from where Gabriel Prosser lived. Not sure precisely where his plantation/farm was, but it’s close. It’s interesting to wonder how a successful rebellion might have sped up history. But for a major storm, and early 19th century lack of communication devices …

  80. 80.

    Elizabelle

    @ruemara: A few of the files have warnings that owner has prevented downloads.

    But I will look forward to listening to these, with my coffee. Thank you again.

  81. 81.

    Jay

    @chris:

    There were so many crappy propane installations and misuse of propane appliances that there was a period where you couldn’t get insurance if you had propane on your boat.

    A 2 burner marine rated alcohol or kerosene stove would set you back $250, but you could buy a cheap propane camp stove for $49.95.

    I still remember when one of Vancouver’s big marina’s caught fire, ( boat using a propane space heater caught fire) and before the VFD was on scene, over 50 boats had burnt.

    The Dive Boat would have had an annual USCG inspection, with follow ups on any deficiencies, and reinspections if new gear was installed.

  83. 83.

    JR

    Happy belated to Maurice Hilleman, who would have turned 100 last Friday.

    Hilleman was the head of Merck’s vaccine’s division and developed most of the vaccines that we use today, including measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, haemophilis influenzae, and hepatitis a and b.

    I know we’re in a constant struggle against idiots who want to send us back to the dark ages, but sometimes it’s remarkable to note how far we’ve come in the last 50 years.

  85. 85.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??

    @Jay:

    One of the evil satanic Harry Potter curses is this: “skidaddle skidoodle your dick is now a noodle”

  86. 86.

    RAVEN

    @JR: I’ve come a long damn way. 50 years ago today I was on a C 141 Freedom Bird winging it back to the world.

  87. 87.

    Jay

    THREAD: Bernie’s newest FEC violations have given us the look we need inside his fundraisingI’ve warned you all previously that his claim of “grassroots, working class” donors & $27 donations is smoke in mirrorsSeems we’re choking on that smoke once again in 2020… https://t.co/xTQ1MLPuLD— JAM (@Eviljohna) August 31, 2019

  89. 89.

    debbie

    @Elizabelle:

    Thanks. I’m glad to be wrong. My mind went to that Italian cruise ship where the captain saved his own ass. I don’t seem to think much of people anymore. ?

  90. 90.

    Anotherlurker

    @Raven: Many people take a day at sea very lightly. However, boats can be very dangerous. My advice to passengers on trips that I worked: Have fun but be aware. A beer or 2 is fine, but excess alcohol is not a good thing . Be aware of where the safety equipment and emergency exits are located. Pay strict attention to safety briefings. Don’t push your dive limits.
    I have been lurking and following your tuna charter plans. The boat you are on sounds like an absolute beast!
    I wish you limits of fat, sassy Yellowfins! BTW, if you don’t have one already, get a vacuum sealer. Yellowfin freeze well if they are sealed. I would get 6 months to 1 year of storage, with the end product very tasty!
    I also try to avoid a fresh water rinse until just before cooking the fish. If it is un-avoidable, a fairly weak brine rinse, before pre-freezing and then, when the fish is frozen, vacuum seal. It takes time but the catch is precious!

  92. 92.

    laura

    Waffles is almost as big as chonky Mr. B, and every bit as adorable. I’m askeered of geese to this day, chased and run down by one when I was a wee’un. Dad had to wade in and rescue me.
    I mentioned the latest on the dive boat fire and spouse looked up the website. He’d done a bunch of Truth Aquatic dives and believes the last one, more than 10 years ago, was on the Conception. He was a commercial diver as a yoot, and thought they were a reputable, safety focused outfit.

  93. 93.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??

    @Jay:
    The first response to that tweet?

    Mark Cosby
    @Cosby
    Aug 31
    Replying to
    @Eviljohna
    @Deemoney521
    and 3 others

    As an independent voter I have zero reason to believe that the DNC approved candidates you support will do anything to help the poor or struggling middle class. They spend all their time In Beverly Hills and Martha’s Vineyard cozying up to the wealthiest 1%. I’m voting Bernie.

    What the fuck does “DNC-approved” candidate even fucking mean? And why is the DNC this boogeyman with them? They’re fairly powerless aren’t they? And besides, if by “DNC-approved” he means “qualified to appear in televised debates by a process that all campaigns agreed to going into the primary” then yes, all of the candidates are “DNC-approved”, including his precious St. Sanders

  94. 94.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Anotherlurker:

    Pay strict attention to safety briefings

    Back in January we took a couple-hour cruise on Lago Argentino to view the Perito Moreno glacier. Before we sailed, there was a safety briefing in Spanish and English, talking about PFD’s and such. I turned to my wife and said “don’t bother.” In that water, you’d be dead of hypothermia before they could get a Mayday call off.

  99. 99.

    trollhattan

    Proof (as if we needed any) that age does not assure wisdom.

    Cal Fire says several recent small fires in Placer County were ignited by transient individuals illegally camping in the foothills. On Friday, the department arrested one — a 74-year-old who’s suspected of starting two fires northeast of Colfax.

    Eugene Delmartin was camping and trespassing on private property on Drum Powerhouse Road in the unincorporated community of Alta when he ignited a vegetation fire that burned 1,300 square feet Friday evening, according to a news release.

    Cal Fire’s firefighters arrived on the scene around 5 p.m. and said in the release Delmartin was uncooperative — calling for the assistance of Cal Fire’s peace officers. Officers interviewed Delmartin, then arrested him on charges of arson and resisting arrest, according to the release and Placer County Sheriff’s arrest logs.

    Deputies said in the release Delmartin is believed to be connected to a fire that burned 4,000 square feet in the same area. Delmartin was booked into Auburn Main Jail on $300,000 bail at 7:47 p.m. Friday, arrest logs show.

    Friends live quite near there.

  100. 100.

    ThresherK

    I’m half-watching the ND-Louisville game on TV, and on three consecutive plays the ball is fumbled and lost. End result is ND ball (2 Louisville fumbles to 1 by ND). Field is fine, no rain.

    Wondering if that’s happened before.

  102. 102.

    mrmoshpotato

    @NotMax:

    Picturing you dragging a tuna on board the flight home, claiming it as a service animal.

    :)

    Picturing anyone doing this is hilarious.

  107. 107.

    MazeDancer

    So, John tweeted back about Barn With Inn adoption theory on pony with goose: “I have already alerted them”

    We’re all in for transport, of course.

  108. 108.

    J R in WV

    @Jay:

    Nashville Catholic School bans Harry Potter at its library. “The curses and spells used in the books are actual curses and spells; which when read by a human being risk conjuring evil spirits into the presence of the person reading the text,” per email. https://t.co/R1U35v9aRG— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) September 2, 2019

    i see this kind of nonsense, and can’t figure out where these people’s education went wrong. Obviously they never learned the difference between fiction and fact; between made up magic and theology.

    How do these folks ever get a theology degree if they can’t tell the difference between fairy tales and witchcraft and devil worship? We have a friend who was a Dr Vet Medicine, then a professor of epidemiology, then got the call and learned Aramaic, Hebrew, Latin and Greek so as to read scripture in the earliest languages. Now an Episcopal Bishop after years of study AND great pastoral work.

    Do you think they have time to get down on Harry Potter? Hell no!!! They have real pastoral work to do!! This exorcist doesn’t do pastoral work, he just drums up phony devil worship to fret about.

  110. 110.

    J R in WV

    @JR:

    Happy belated to Maurice Hilleman, who would have turned 100 last Friday.

    Hilleman was the head of Merck’s vaccine’s division and developed most of the vaccines that we use today, including measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, haemophilis influenzae, and hepatitis a and b.

    Thanks, JR, from J R… if that’s not too confusing. I have no idea one researcher led all that work. Amazing life’s work, how many lives has that team saved!

  112. 112.

    OldDave

    @Gin & Tonic:
    Damn – I believe that car accelerates faster from 200 mph to 250 than my supposedly sports car goes from 50 to 100. But then, nearly 5x the horsepower helps in that department. In any case, impressive.

  114. 114.

    chris

    @Jay:

    The Dive Boat would have had an annual USCG inspection, with follow ups on any deficiencies, and reinspections if new gear was installed.

    Agreed, but shit happens. This sounds more like an explosion than a fire that started and spread. IMHO that’s either propane or gasoline.

  115. 115.

    ruemara

    @Elizabelle: Yeah, I’m trying to thread the line between providing a resource and not distributing it, since I didn’t write the content. But if it impacts the ability to listen to the files, let me know. I’ll set it back to downloadable.

  117. 117.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??

    @Elizabelle:
    I assumed so. Sometimes you just got to gawk at the stupid

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:

    On sorry, my mistake ; )

    @Jay:

    I’m into Soviet-era Russian poets

    There’s a Russian connection.

    He’s an outrage retweeter.

    Are there any other kind? BS seems to attract a lot of these types. He’s an outrage machine himself, always wagging his finger and being all shouty

  120. 120.

    J R in WV

    @Jay:

    It’s a Catholic School Board, so there’s no proof of education or degrees.

    Well, of source not. But the guy who started the row is supposed to be an “exorcist” which would imply he is also a priest…

    Doesn’t that imply a degree in theology? Or does it just mean you go to confession daily with “Nothing to confess again today, Father!” Like I said, I have a close friend who recently became a Bishop, so I know from theology studies…

  121. 121.

    Jay

    @J R in WV:

    It’s Nashville, Jake.
    It’s a Catholic School Board, Jake.
    He’s a “Catholic Reverend”, Jake.
    He’s an “Excorcist”, Jake.

    I think if you get all the way down to the bottom of the Christ Crackers box there is a diploma at the bottom in some places.

  122. 122.

    Jay

    @chris:

    Once a fire gets going on a boat, there’s tons of stuff that “explodes”, and fires really get going on boats, which is why they are so feared. I’ve seen fires take off and “explode” so fast that they have blown hatches off and windows/portlights out, with out anything on board exploding.

    “Burning down to the waterline” isn’t just an expression, it happens often.

  123. 123.

    Ruckus

    @Anotherlurker:
    Fire at sea is probably the worst thing. USN here, we worked fire control a lot. Put out fires in boot camp. For my first year on board my damage control party position was entry. First in, axe in hand, fire hose behind me. The navy took fire very seriously after the USS Forrestal fire in 1967. Everyone had to at least be familiar with fire fighting, which wasn’t the case in 1967. At that time only the damage control rate was taught how to fight fires.
    We had two small fires on board the DDG I was stationed on, in the North Atlantic. They were not in my area and were taken care of extremely quickly but both were in the very early morning when 2/3 of the ship was asleep. It is a horrible feeling to know that the ship may be on fire, in complete darkness, you are a long way from shore, in water that the temp is low enough that at most you might last a few hours in if all the shit hits the fan and you are woken up by an alarm and have to get dressed, run to your station, and fight a fire. You don’t know where the fire is, is it in a magazine full of ammunition/missiles or near enough to set them off. The beauty of the navy was that for the most part no one was shooting at you. The ugly of the navy is that often there is no help, you can be on your own and everyone has to work together to stay alive in an emergency situation.

  126. 126.

    Ruckus

    @Elizabelle:
    Seen the miniature horses at the VA hospital a couple of times. These are emotional support animals and they have all the traits of normal sized horses. It’s pretty cool to see them, they put rubber booties on them so they can walk inside. Beautiful animals.

  127. 127.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Raven: Ok ok. It can be the service tuna for you and another passenger.

    Very generous of you by the way, sharing your service tuna for the flight.

  128. 128.

    Ruckus

    @ruemara:
    Had I known I wouldn’t have bought the printed work from the NYT. As it is the postage is more than the cost of the article.

  130. 130.

    JR

    @J R in WV: There were plenty of contributions from academia as well but it was Merck that put the products out. Something that oddly gets overlooked in the world of science (Fleming may have discovered penicillin but it wasn’t practical until we were able to mass produce it).

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