Stan's Stuff
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It takes your own web site... 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 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.
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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.
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: |
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.
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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 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
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! |
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:
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.
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.
Remove any "FWD" in the subject line. You can re-name the subject if you wish or even fix spelling.
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.
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??)
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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