Stan's Stuff



It takes your own web site...
and a lot of conceit

to think that anybody is interested in your thoughts and ideas.   Those of you who know me, know that I have both.   So I have created this eclectic page to explore, entertain, editorialize, enlighten, embellish, expose, educate, enchant, expound, encourage, endorse, examine, enliven, exasperate, enrage, exhilarate, enrich, entangle, explain, enthuse, extol, eulogize, evoke, exalt, excite, exhort, express, and embarrass anyone foolish enough to read it.

Who could ask for anything more?



The Submariner

I first read this article by the noted psychologist, Dr. Joyce Brothers, about 35 years ago and posted it on Stan's Stuff in 2007.   Dr. Brothers passed away May 13, 2013 at the age of 85, and Brent Taylor, my XO on Chivo 68-70, brought the article to my attention again.   It was true then and is still true now.

The Submariner

The tragic loss of the submarine Thresher and 129 men had a special kind of impact on the nation....a special kind of sadness, mixed with universal admiration for the men who choose this type of work.   One could not mention the Thresher without observing, in the same breath how utterly final and alone the end is when a ship dies at the bottom of the sea......and what a remarkable specimen of man it must be who accepts such a risk.   Most of us might be moved to conclude, too, that a tragedy of this kind would have a damaging effect on the morale of the other men in the submarine service and tend to discourage future enlistment.   Actually, there is not evidence that this is so.   What is it then, that lures men to careers in which they spend so much of their time in cramped quarters, under great psychological stress, with danger lurking all about them?

Bond Among Them

Togetherness is an overworked term, but in no other branch of our military service is it given such full meaning as in the so called "silent service. "   In an undersea craft, each man is totally dependent upon the skill of every other man in the crew, not only for top performance but for actual survival.

Each knows that his life depends on the others and because this is so, there is a bond among them that both challenges and comforts them.   All of this gives the submariner a special feeling of pride, because he is indeed a member of an elite corps.   The risks, then, are an inspiration rather than a deterrent.   The challenge of masculinity is another factor which attracts men to serve on submarines.   It certainly is a test of a man's prowess and power to know he can qualify for this highly selective service.   However, it should be emphasized that this desire to prove masculinity is not pathological, as it might be in certain daredevil pursuits, such as driving a motorcycle through a flaming hoop.

Emotionally Healthy

There is nothing daredevil's about motivations of the man who decides to dedicate his life to the submarine service.   He does, indeed, take pride in demonstrating that he is quite a man, but he does not do so to practice a form of foolhardy brinkmanship, to see how close he can get to failure and still snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.   On the contrary, the aim in the submarine service is to battle danger, to minimize the risk, to take every measure to make certain that safety rather danger, is maintained at all times.

Are the men in the submarine service braver than those in other pursuits where the possibility of sudden tragedy is constant?   The glib answer would be to say they are.   It is more accurate, from a psychological point of view, to say they are not necessarily braver, but that they are men who have a little more insight into themselves and their capabilities.

They know themselves a little better than the next man.   This has to be so with men who have a healthy reason to volunteer for a risk.   They are generally a cut healthier emotionally than others of the similar age and background because of their willingness to push themselves a little bit farther and not settle for an easier kind of existence.

We all have tremendous capabilities but are rarely straining at the upper level of what we can do, these men are.

The country can be proud and grateful that so many of its sound, young, eager men care enough about their own stature in life and the welfare of their country to pool their skills and match them collectively against the power of the sea.

by Dr. Joyce Brothers


(May 13)

Navy Hymn for Submariners

Robert Machen (68-69) sent me this special link for submariners.   I think that you'll really enjoy it.


Just click here to play this youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKMEl4HU0fA

Thanks to Bob Machen for these fine memories.
Stan (April 2013)

Tour A WWII Submarine

Art Dunn (69-71) sent me this link for an excellent online tour of a Fleet Submarine.

Pay close attention to these instructions!

This is a great tour of USS PAMPANITO (SS-383) on display at the San Francisco National Maritime Park.   The link is below, and once you have it up you can rotate the view of every compartment to see it 360 degrees.   Hold left mouse key down and drag to the left, right, up, or down.  And then scroll down and click on next page to change rooms.   To start, click on this link:
http://maritime.org/tour/index.php
or copy the link and paste it in your web browser.
Thanks to Art Dunn for this great link.
Stan (May 2012)

Memories of Key West and Other Places

Daniel Chun (65-66) sent me these fine pictures of diesel boats.


Here are some pictures of diesel boats in Key West and other places.   Just click here to download and play the slide show:
subslideshow.wmv
Thanks to Daniel Chun for these fine memories.
Stan (April 2012)

Reflections on Military Service

Jerrell Wright (57-58) forwarded this newspaper editorial to me.

Charleston, SC Post & Courier

YOU CAN LEAVE THE MILITARY
BUT IT NEVER REALLY LEAVES YOU

by Ken Burger Thursday, March 4, 2010

Occasionally, I venture back to NAS, Meridian, where I'm greeted by an imposing security guard who looks carefully at my identification card, hands it back and says, "Have a good day, Sr. Chief".
Every time I go back to any Navy Base it feels good to be called by my previous rank, but odd to be in civilian clothes, walking among the servicemen and servicewomen going about their duties as I once did, many years ago.
The military is a comfort zone for anyone who has ever worn the uniform. It's a place where you know the rules and know they are enforced -- a place where everybody is busy, but not too busy to take care of business.   Because there exists behind the gates of every military facility an institutional understanding of respect, order, uniformity, accountability and dedication that becomes part of your marrow and never, ever leaves you.
Personally, I miss the fact that you always knew where you stood in the military, and who you were dealing with.   That's because you could read somebody's uniform from 20 feet away and know the score.   Service personnel wear their careers on their sleeves, so to speak.   When you approach each other, you can read their name tag, examine their rank and, if they are in dress uniform, read their ribbons and know where they've served.
I miss all those little things you take for granted when you're in the ranks, like breaking starch on a set of fatigues fresh from the laundry and standing in a perfectly straight line military formation that looks like a mirror as it stretches to the endless horizon.   I miss the sight of troops marching in the early morning mist, the sound of boot heels thumping in unison on the tarmac, the bark of drill instructors and the sing-song answers from the squads as they pass by in review.
To romanticize military service is to be far removed from its reality, because it's very serious business -- especially in times of war.
But I miss the salutes I'd throw at officers and the crisp returns as we criss-crossed with a "by your leave sir".   I miss the smell of jet fuel hanging heavily on the night air and the sound of engines roaring down runways and disappearing into the clouds.   The same while on carrier duty.   I even miss the hurry-up-and-wait mentality that enlisted men gripe about constantly, a masterful invention that bonded people more than they'll ever know or admit.
I miss people taking off their hats when they enter a building, speaking directly and clearly to others and never showing disrespect for rank, race, religion or gender.
Mostly, I miss being a small cog in a machine so complex it constantly circumnavigates the Earth and so simple it feeds everyone on time, three times a day, on the ground, in the air or at sea.
Mostly, I don't know anyone who has served who regrets it, and doesn't feel a sense of pride when they pass through those gates and re-enter the world they left behind with their youth.
Thanks to Jerrell Wright for this nice article.
Stan (February 2012)

E-mail Tracker Programs and Etiquette

RM2(SS)   "Scuba Tom" Dean   (1968-70) sent me this information.   I published something similar on this page a couple of years ago, but it is certainly worth saying again.   We all receive these types of forwarded e-mails, and everyone should understand their real purpose.   Tom adds: The man that sent this information is a computer tech.   He spends a lot of time clearing the junk off computers for people and listens to complaints about speed.   All forwards are not bad, just some.   Be sure you read the very last paragraph.

E-mail Tracker Programs


Snopes.com and TruthorFiction.com

By now, I suspect everyone is familiar with snopes.com and/or truthorfiction.com for determining whether information received via email is just that: true or false and fact or fiction.   Both sites are free and both are excellent sources to check for scams and bogus e-mails.   Advice from them is VERY IMPORTANT!!   You can find these sites at


Here's some information you should know:

  1. Any time you see an email that says, "forward this on to '10' (or however many) of your friends", "sign this petition", or "you'll get bad luck" or "you'll get good luck" or "you'll see something funny on your screen after you send it" or whatever --- Ignore them and don't participate!   They almost always have an e-mail tracker program (cookie) attached that tracks the e-mails of those folks you forward to.   The host sender is getting a copy each time the e-mail gets forwarded and then is able to get lists of 'active' email addresses to use in SPAM e-mails or to sell to other spammers.

  2. Even when you get e-mails that demand you send the email on if you're not ashamed of God or Jesus --- Ignore them and don't participate!  That is email tracking, and they are playing on your conscience.   These people don't care how they get your email addresses - just as long as they get them.

  3. Also, emails that talk about a missing child or a child with an incurable disease "how would you feel if that was your child" --- email tracking.   Ignore them and don't participate!

  4. Almost all emails that ask you to add your name and forward on to others are similar to that mass letter years ago that asked people to send business cards to the little kid in Florida who wanted to break the Guinness Book of Records for the most cards.   All it was, and all any of this type of e-mail is, is a way to get names and 'cookie' tracking information for telemarketers and spammers and to validate active e-mail accounts for their own profitable purposes.   Ignore them and don't participate!

  5. Lastly: While it is perfectly acceptable to e-mail your representatives in congress, e-mail petitions are NOT acceptable to Congress or any other organization - i.e. social security, etc. To be acceptable, petitions must have a "signed signature" and full address of the person signing the petition, so this is a waste of time and you are just helping the email trackers.   Ignore petitions and don't participate!

So, do yourself a favor and STOP adding your name(s) to these types of lists regardless how inviting they might sound!   It’s all about getting email addresses and nothing more.   You may think you are supporting a GREAT cause, but you are NOT!   Instead, you are setting yourself and your friends up to get tons of junk mail later and very possibly a virus attached!   Plus, you are helping the spammers get rich!   Let's not make it easy for them!

Forwarding E-mails and Multiple E-mail Addresses

Before you forward an e-mail, you need to remove all of the information that is at the top of e-mails when you get them... you know, the e-mail addresses of who sent them to you and the e-mail addresses of the ones they send them to, and so on.   You can do this by clicking on forward and then highlighting and deleting (or backspacing) to remove this information.

When you add multiple addresses at the top of your e-mail, don't put them in the
To: line or the Cc: line.   Instead, put them in the Bcc: line.   This way, the recipients will receive their e-mail saying that you sent it to "Undisclosed Recipients".   This protects everybody's privacy and keeps their e-mail address safe from spammers.   If you do not have a Bcc: line on your email page, get someone to show you how to get it there.   All computers have this feature.   To add BCC line to a new message:   Open the new message, click on view (at the top) and then click on "All Headers" and the BCC line should be there.

Two Atta-Boys to Scuba Tom for passing along this great information about forwarding and addressing e-mails.
Stan (August 2010)

Saluting our Flag

LCDR Brent Taylor, CHIVO's Executive Officer 68 - 70, and several other CHIVO shipmates sent me this Washington DC press release:
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) today praised the passage by unanimous consent of his bill (S.1877) clarifying U.S. law to allow veterans and servicemen not in uniform to salute the flag.   Current law (US Code Title 4, Chapter 1) states that veterans and servicemen not in uniform should place their hand over their heart without clarifying whether they can or should salute the flag.
"The salute is a form of honor and respect, representing pride in one's military service, " Senator Inhofe said.   "Veterans and service members continue representing the military services even when not in uniform.   Unfortunately, current U.S. law leaves confusion as to whether veterans and service members out of uniform can or should salute the flag.   My legislation will clarify this regulation, allowing veterans and servicemen alike to salute the flag, whether they are in uniform or not."
"I look forward to seeing those who have served saluting proudly at baseball games, parades, and formal events.   I believe this is an appropriate way to honor and recognize the 25 million veterans in the United States who have served in the military and remain as role models to other citizens.   Those who are currently serving or have served in the military have earned this right, and their recognition will be an inspiration to others."
The bill was passed July 25, 2007.
Stan (August 2007)



How to Properly Forward Emails and Reduce Junk Mail
One of my SENNET shipmates, ETR3(SS) Dick Gorman (62-65) sent in these important notes about forwarding emails.
A friend who is a computer expert received the following directly from a system administrator for a corporate system.   It is an excellent message that ABSOLUTELY applies to ALL of us who send e-mails.   Please read the short letter below, even if you're sure you already follow proper procedures.
Do you really know how to forward e-mails?   50% of us do; 50% DO NOT.   Do you wonder why you get viruses or junk mail?   Do you hate it?   Every time you forward an e-mail there is information left over from the people who got the message before you, namely their e-mail addresses and names.   As the messages get forwarded along, the list of addresses builds, and builds, and builds, and all it takes is for some poor sap to get a virus, and his or her computer can send that virus to every E-mail address that has come across his computer.   Or, someone can take all of those addresses and sell them or send junk mail to them.   How do you stop it?   Well, there are several easy steps:
  1. When you forward an e-mail, DELETE all of the other addresses that appear in the body of the message (at the top).   That's right, DELETE them.   Highlight them and delete them, backspace them, cut them, whatever it is you know how to do.   It only takes a second.   You MUST click the "Forward" button first and then you will have full editing capabilities against the body and headers of the message.   If you don't click on "Forward" first, you won't be able to edit the message at all.
  2. Whenever you send an e-mail to more than one person, do NOT use the To: or Cc: fields for adding e-mail addresses.   Always use the BCC:(blind carbon copy) field for listing the e-mail addresses.   This way the people you send to will only see their own e-mail address.   If you don't see your BCC: option click on where it says To: and your address list will appear.   Highlight the address and choose BCC: and that's it, it's that easy.   When you send to BCC: your message will automatically say Undisclosed Recipients in the "TO:" field of the people who receive it.
  3. Remove any "FWD" in the subject line.   You can re-name the subject if you wish or even fix spelling.
  4. ALWAYS hit your Forward button from the actual e-mail you are reading.   Ever get those e-mails that you have to open 10 pages to read the one page with the information on it?   By Forwarding from the actual page you wish someone to view, you stop them from having to open many e-mails just to see what you sent.
  5. Have you ever gotten an email that is a petition?   It states a position and asks you to add your name and address and to forward it to 10 or 15 people or your entire address book.   The email can be forwarded on and on and can collect thousands of names and email addresses.   A FACT: The completed petition is actually worth a couple of bucks to a professional spammer because of the wealth of valid names and email addresses contained therein.   If you want to support the petition, send it as your own personal letter to the intended recipient.   Your position may carry more weight as a personal letter than a laundry list of names and email address on a petition.   Actually, if you think about it, who is supposed to send the petition in to whatever cause it supports?   And don't believe the ones that say that the email is being traced, it just aint so!   One of the main ones I hate is the ones that say that something like, Send this email to 10 people and you'll see something great run across your screen Or sometimes they'll just tease you by saying something really cute will happen.   IT AINT GONNA HAPPEN!!!!!   (Trust me, Im still seeing some of the same ones that I waited on 10 years ago!)   I don't let the bad luck ones scare me either, they get trashed.   (Could be why I haven't won the lottery??)
  6. Before you forward an Amber Alert, or a Virus Alert, or some of the other ones floating around nowadays, check them out before you forward them.   Most of them are junk mail that's been circling the net for YEARS!   Just about everything you receive in an email that is in question can be checked out a Snopes.   Just go to www.snopes.com.   It's really easy to find out if it's real or not.   If its not, please dont pass it on.
So please, in the future, let's stop the junk mail and the viruses.
(August 06)



Green Board
Stan

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