When The Queen Of The World voyaged on the SS United States

So they sank the SS United States off the Florida coast in the Gulf of America.  For those who haven't been following along at home, the SS United States was the fastest ocean liner ever built, reaching an astonishing 37 knots.  That's for a 990 foot, 50,000 ton ship.  It not only set a transatlantic crossing speed record (a little faster than 3 1/2 days), it obliterated the previous record by over half a day, basically 15% of the old total.

And now she's gone, as the largest artificial reef in the world.  We are still awaiting reports on how she is resting on the sea floor - she heeled over almost 90 degrees just before her final plunge.  The weather has been too bad to send divers down to inspect her.  Fingers crossed that she's upright, because it will be much less safe to dive her if she's on her side.

The Queen Of The World and I watched the livestream of her sinking.  You see, TQOTW was once a passenger on her.

TQOTW was a military brat.  My Father-in-Law was career Air Force, ending as a Master Sargent.  He was once stationed at RAF/USAFB Upper Hayford in England.  When they were deployed back Stateside, they went not via commercial air but rather on the SS United States from Southampton to New York.

The livestream brought out all sorts of memories from her 7 year old self: the great blast of the ship's horn, walking her dog Duke on the fantail (he came over in one of the ship's kennels), sitting with her mom on Steamer Chairs wrapped in blankets against the December chill while Stewards brought them mugs of broth.  Watching a submarine periscope come up and go back down, over and over again.  She thinks that the sub crew was bored and so was messing with the passengers.

And being seasick.  It was December in the North Atlantic, and this was in the day before stabilizer fins.  In fact, had there been fins available they probably wouldn't have been built onto the ship because the added drag would have cost speed, and with the United States it was speed uber alles.  The Navy financed much of her cost so she could be used as a troop ship if needed; her top speed was actually classified until the 1980s.  But the Navy continued subsidizing the US Lines by shipping troops during the off season which is why TQOTW sailed rather than flew.

And so it was a bitter sweet evening watching the sinking.  It made me think that there should be a song about the end of the ocean liner era, like Arlo Guthrie's City of New Orleans sang the disappearing railroad blues.

It doesn't seem that there is; at least I couldn't think of a song like that, and a search of Al Gore's most excellent Information Superhighway didn't turn up anything either.  So we will play her off with this from Bing and Rosemary which was popular during the ship's heyday.  Fair winds and following seas. 

Thoughts on Veteran's Day

I originally posted this over a decade ago, but it bears repeating again.

The citizens of the United States have a different relationship with the Military than many countries do.  The Military is seen as being part of the citizenry (and actually vice versa, as a reading of the Second Amendment will show).  In many countries the military is seen as separate and distinct from the populace.

This isn't unique - the same dynamic has long been in play certainly in the Anglosphere, and other nations as well (c.f. Switzerland).  This has resulted in the Military being seen as high status, and commanding broad respect through society.

It's the soldier, not the reporter who has given us 
Freedom of the Press.  
It's the soldier, not the poet, who has given us 
Freedom of Speech.  
It's the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the 
Freedom to Demonstrate.  
It's the soldier, not the lawyer, who has given us the 
Right to a Fair Trial.  
It's the soldier who salutes the flag, serves under the flag and 
whose coffin is draped by the flag, 
Who gives the protestor the right he abuses by burning the flag.

- Father Dennis O'Brien, USMC 

And so in the United States, today is the celebration of Veteran's Day.  The rest of the Anglosphere (and other places) hold today as Remembrance Day or Armistice Day, recalling the Millions slaughtered in the Great War which ended 95 years ago today.  America does not need a Remembrance Day, as we have our own Memorial Day holiday (an outgrowth of the American War of Southern Independence a half century earlier than the War To End All Wars).

As a result, there's less sadness here.  On these shores, today is a day for the living, not for the dead.  We see signs at small restaurants saying "Veterans Eat Free", which would be difficult for those asleep in Flanders' Fields.

But even here it's worth a moment's reflection on the War where Europe committed suicide, when a whole generation was butchered and damned.  And how they nearly took us with her, then and again 20 years later.  It's rarely the politicians who caused the problem who bleed.

Thanks to all who served, including Grandpa, Dad, Uncle Dick, nephew Daniel, The Queen Of The World's son, our Son-In-Law, and last but by no means least our very own ASM826.  The citizens - of whom you were once part and to which you returned - are grateful indeed that this nation does not fear its own Armed Forces. 

Hugh Laurie - Saint James Infirmary

If you gotta go to the hospital, this is pretty sweet to have on your playlist.

And props to Hugh Laurie for performing a great old classic that everyone - and I mean everyone, like Satchmo and Cab Calloway - has covered.  And crushing it. 

Cancer update #2

So I had surgery.  The doc injected something called a SpaceOar (yeah, stupid name).  Basically it's to provide some separation of the cancerous and non-cancerous tissue for the radiation will focus on the former and not the latter.

The doc also said he put in three gold bits that will help aim the beam better.  I thanked him for bedazzling my ass ...

And now the Queen Of The World has another surgery.  This shit is getting old.  I've never had a month that went like this, health-wise.

Foxtrot Mike Lima. 

Patrick Doyle - St. Crispin's Day music from Henry V

I started posting straight up classical music on Sunday back in 2011 or so.  I had run down by late in that decade - how many times can you post Beethoven, no matter how great a composer he was?  But The Queen Of The World suggested that I start posting music from Hollywood films because there is so much great music there.  And modern compositions, not reaching back into dusty historical archives.

And it's been fun doing this, precisely because there is so much great "classical" music at the cinema. But what I've never talked about is how truly great music can fuse with truly great acting to make something extraordinary.  Something where 2 + 2 = 400.  That's what we have here, with an Oscar-nominated performance by Kenneth Brannaugh and what really should have been Oscar-nominated musical scoring by Patrick Doyle is what was his first film score.

You see, today is the feast of Crispian. 

The fusion of Shakespeare's timeless script, Branaugh's magnificent performce, and Doyle's amazing score results if one of the top ten scenes from any Hollywood film.  Remove any of those three components and you have something forgettable.

But not this.  Patrick Boyle showed how it's done. 

Things are getting shaken up at the Navy

In a good way.  There is a serious need for more (a lot more) small escort ships, and the Old Way of doing business (DDGX and LCS) have been disasters.  Basically, NAVSEA piles tons of change orders on a program that gets further and further behind.  

Instead, the Navy is using the existing Coast Guard Cutter platform as the base for a new class of frigates, the FF(X).  Is it perfect?  No.  But it will be delivered soon.  Quantity has a quality all its own.

Dad Joke CCCLXVIIII

What is a pirate's favorite letter?

Most people think it's R but they really love the C. 

Happy Birthday to FotB Libertyman

Libertyman is perhaps the most prolific commenter here, rarely missing a Dad Joke (or much else, in fact).

The Queen Of The World says "Happy Birthday, Sir Libertyman".  I say "Check your email".

Oh, and many happy returns of the day. 

Ella Langley - Choosin' Texas

If you listen to music on the radio you've heard this song.  In a way its a throwback to the 1970s when radio stations would play all sorts of genres - Johnny Cash, Rolling Stones, Engelbert Humperdink.

This is clearly a country song, but it has been all over pop radio - It set the record for the longest running single on the Billboard Hot 100 in history.  A song that tells a story that everyone has experienced gives it broad appeal.

And it's quite a good song.  The Queen Of The World really likes it, as do I.  People who like old school country will like it, since it really channels the Old School.  People who don't like country probably will like it (that Billboard Hot 100 thing).

The Queen and I shall watch young miss Langley's career with great interest.

Choosin' Texas (songwriters: Ella Langley, Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick, Joybeth Taylor):

Just when I thought I got him to fall in love with Tennessee
I shoulda known better than to take him back to Abilene
I put him right back into her arms
I wasn't a match for that kind of spark

She's from Texas, I can tell by the way
He's two-steppin' 'round the room
And judgin' by the smile that's written on his face
There's nothin' I can do
It doesn't take a crystal ball to see
A cowboy always finds a way to leave
Drinkin' Jack all by myself
He's choosin' Texas, I can tell

Well, I guess he forgot about the Smoky Mountain rain
Them old Hank tunes, the Memphis blues we used to sing
He always loved "Amarillo by Morning"
I should've taken that as a warnin'

She's from Texas, I can tell by the way
He's two-steppin' 'round the room
And judgin' by the smile that's written on his face
There's nothin' I can do
It doesn't take a crystal ball to see
A cowboy always finds a way to leave
Drinkin' Jack all by myself
He's choosin' Texas, I can tell

When I'm eastbound and down, and I can't help but cry
'Cause I-40 gets lonelier with every mile
I'll know that his mind wasn't ever gonna change
'Cause his heart still belongs to the Lone Star State

She's from Texas, I can tell by the way
He's two-steppin' 'round the room
And judgin' by the smile that's written on his face
There's nothin' I can do, naw, yeah
It doesn't take a crystal ball to see
A cowboy always finds a way to leave
Drinkin' Jack all by myself
He's choosin' Texas, I can tell, no
Drinkin' Jack all by myself
He's choosin' Texas, I can tell

Come on, baby
Just when I thought I got him to fall in love with Tennessee

 

Duke Ellington - Autumn Leaves

This has perhaps the greatest jazz violin of all time, by (sometimes trumpeter) Ray Nance.  Ozzie Bailey does a spectacular job on vocals in both French (written by poet Jacques Prévert) and English (by Johnny Mercer).  The music was composed by Joseph Kosma.

Fun fact: this was Yves Montand's signature song.  Just about everyone recorded this (Sinatra, Doris Day, Andy Williams, Miles Davis, Joan Baez, and Nat King Cole who recorded it in Japanese), but I love this version.