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Friday, July 13, 2012

A long month...

I work in a manufacturing facility. The spaces where the manufacturing is done is not air conditioned. As is normal this time of year, the temperature wrecks havoc on equipment and personnel. We have had several incidents resulting in bad product. Some to be blamed on equipment, some to be blamed on human error, some a little of both. Phone calls, e-mails and verbal conversations taking place in frustration, anger, and in less than hospitable conditions leads to less than constructive solutions shall we say.  

It has been an exhausting month at work. I come to stately  manor and find this in the Mailbox. 

































A new book:
















I dove right into it. I have all of the technical stuff on BB-55,





been on the decks and into the engineering spaces. The machine itself is fascinating, but this book speaks more of the persons that brought it to life.  


Whenever I think I have had a bad day at work, my new point of reference is now this:








 











Helps to keep things in perspective. 

I had a painting commissioned of the USS North Carolina (not the boat currently in service). She is in Texas and we went back and forth about this, that, and the other thing. I wanted both Kingfisher aircraft on the catapults at the stern. I wanted the "bedspring" radar on the main mast. She did a wonderful job and no matter what I do with lighting to get a picture of it, it does not do it justice. 

 













I hope everyone has a great weekend. For me? One on one training for some students Sunday. Tomorrow we are going to give this a workout:



 









I will let you know how it goes with this Model 4006! I personally think the .40 Cal S&W cartridge was a solution in search of a problem, but that's just me.

15 comments:

  1. Ahhhhh....BATTLESHIPS!
    I'm a "plankowner" on the Iowa, BB-61, since she moved to San Pedro from Suisun Bay/Richmond.
    My wife and I had a preview on July 2nd of the "Tour Alpha" they're running now.
    She sure needs a lot of work, and I'm on the volunteer list, waiting to be screened by the Recreation and Parks Department.
    It's really screwy, because I have a TWIC, and I've already been screened for some of the other volunteer work I do.

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    1. I am on the USS Laffey work detail. I spend more time and money on that tin can than the Showboat. And yeah, I hear you on the screening! Go figure.

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  2. I loves me the North Carolina, BB-55. Saw it one winter day some years back. Was the only one aboard for much of the day. I had a flashlight and a multi-tool and needless to say, I saw several areas of that ship that aren't open to the general public. Way cool indeed.

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    1. Murph, ok, when would you like to assault the Showboat again? Does the 1MC work or did you have time to test it?

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    2. Murph, pick me up here. Ten minutes from the house: http://www.airnav.com/airport/KEQY/ Then to here: http://www.airnav.com/airport/KILM. I can sit in the right hand seat without embarrassing myself. Flying is easy if you do IFR. Takeoffs and landings, well that is another story...

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  3. Oh, man. Try to stay cool! That has to be so hard!

    I haaaaate summer heat!

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    1. I do too Brooke, it makes everything harder.

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  4. Never tried the 1MC...Got thrown off another museum ship once for playing with the engine room telegraph in the way off-limits engine spaces, not realizing that I was actually sending signals to the bridge, where a tour group was. Got caught that day and learned not to touch such things again. But on the North Carolina back then, it was still quite possible to get into many spaces that led to other spaces if you weren't skeered to descend ladders several decks in the dark. Wear old shoes--there was water and oil down below.

    But that flight...looks possible indeed. What's IFR?

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  5. I'm looking forward to your thoughts on the S&W 4006... I carried a S&W 4516 (.45ACP) which was issued as a duty gun when I was an LEO... good gun, accurate, reliable... but heavy... I think they were eventually traded in to serve as anchors on Lake Eire freighters...

    Dann in Ohio

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    1. Dann- I did not get to it today, I was OBE. Maybe tomorrow. They are heavy!

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  6. Yep, things can ALWAYS get worse... Looks like some good reading!

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    1. I have enjoyed the book so far NFO, I appreciate the cartoons from the Ship Newsletter more than anything right now.

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