Clouds Move, But Not All Ships Do

In August, when I was working in the Gulf off the coast of Texas, we had no days of rain. I was familiar with the tropical-like afternoon storms, but the first drizzle I received in August to cool the hot steel deck was a drizzle from Tropical Storm Edouard. But the dense clouds were a pleasant sight, providing for the first sub-90 degree day in weeks. And like that at home in Norfolk begins fall. Clouds overhead and weather within seasonable range (that is, below 80 degrees in mid September). The bonus summer weekends after Labor Day were beneficial for our beachfront commerce. I had spent a mere month on the ship off of Texas, and I anticipate going back again for a third stint. I guess Im a regular part of the crew now.

Arthur Miller's Life and Times

In reading “Death of a Salesman”, I became intrigued about the 20th century travelling salesman. I was moderately aware that hotels of the prewar era featured suites that doubled as showrooms, but had the feeling that the travelling salesman faded into obscurity. In the play, Willy Loman was at the peak of his career at the dawn of World War One (when he named the infant Howard, who would become his future boss). I found statistical evidence that there was a decrease in the number of salesmen over the 1920s. There was the use of telephone in business (as the 84-year old Singleton did in the play), which allowed making many virtual sales calls per day. There was also the centralization of business, where buying decisions were no longer made by individual store managers, but within the offices of a conglomerate. On the selling side, there was a flight to high performers; quality and performance over quantity of sales personnel. Who can forget Ben Loman’s cryptic proclamation that “When I was seventeen I walked into the jungle, and when I was twenty-one I walked out. And by God I was rich”. It’s not really clear if Ben, at the turn of the 20th century, had ventured to the Yukon Territory or colonial Africa. But to a contemporary student, this is an appealing prospect of winning the American dream. There are still many salesmen working on commission today. They don’t lug around heavy valises, but will ring you up to sell software or other services.

Third Battle of Bull Run

You need to pay attention when progressive environmentalists and Civil War enthusiasts are working hand-in-hand. Such is the case of a planned data center complex that would’ve been visible from Manassas National Battlefield. This hallowed ground- and its lack of suburban development- is cut solely by Lee Highway and Interstate 66, and is a stark contrast to the dense, freeway-based sprawl on both sides of this historical area. The battlefield gained local relevance when it became the adoptive home of adjacent Fairfax City’s Confederate War Memorial, commemorating the first soldier killed in action during the Civil War. Nor was this the first threat to Manassas National Battlefield: short-lived plans in the 1990’s called for construction of a new Walt Disney World complex in this area. In recent months, the Virginia Supreme Court nixed the data center proposal. In this circumstance, the data center was really a bad idea, especially when other parts of the City of Manassas and Prince William County are already equipped for new facilities. But it was a watershed moment, as cultural momentum nationwide quickly turned against the energy-gobbling, water table consuming facilities. Which I believe is an unfortunate reaction. In the past and to this day, conventional and nuclear power plants provided many shoreside second careers for marine engineers; and data centers were growing to provide the same roles. As someone described the qualifications of a marine engineer to operating a data center: “when you’re on a ship, you generate power and, using only the tools you have onboard. Compare that to a data center getting electricity from the public utility, and calling in reinforcements if a job gets difficult”. On another note: Leon Weckstein, an American soldier, had the Leaning Tower of Pisa in his crosshairs while liberating the Italian city from the Nazis in 1944. The famous tower may well have collapsed before the turn of the 21st century, as happened to the medieval Civic Tower in Pavia, in 1989. However, engineers were able to make the first effective fix to the tower’s dangerous lean. (lower the high side foundation of the tower, instead of trying to raise the low side).

Christened on the Fourth of July

I had been researching nostalgia for London’s pea-soup fogs of the 1950s and earlier, when I had the opportunity to experience one myself in Virginia. This was the acrid haze from Canadian wildfires, which have blanketed much of the eastern United States this week. While disconcerting to many residents, it reminded me of being in Bahrain and Dubai, where the sand mingles with the warm air. Leaving the United Kingdom behind, “America 250” would feel shallow if it was a veneer over crumbling foundations. Shortly before July 4th, the US Supreme Court affirmed the concept of birthright citizenship. This is the predominant practice in the Western Hemisphere, where one is automatically a citizen in the land of their birth. Citizenship by blood, as traditionally practiced in Asia and continental Europe, led to the problem of stateless residents when totalitarian governments stripped citizenship from undesired groups of people. I only recently learned that Britain practiced birthright citizenship until the end of its era of empire. So this principle of Americanism solidified, the celebration felt appropriate. With the plethora of available patriotic activities in June and July, one needed to chart their own course. Just one day, one week, or all month? There were naval and sailboat flotillas, the Great American state fair, vibe attire in red white and blue, firework shows small and great, and cancelled parades (it was a scorching week on the East Coast). I even came across Oliver Stone’s movie starring Tom Cruise, Born on the Fourth of July, watching it for the first time this year. To an extent, this annual celebration is a soft litmus test. Do you embrace the idea of the Fourth of July wholeheartedly, observe it dispassionately as a cultural phenomenon, or protest it? Overall, in communities across the nation, there is great staying power in the values of Mom and Apple Pie.

The Nuptial Detail

Over the weekend, I did a thing. I was a groomsman at a wedding for the first time. I didn't realize at the onstart that performing such a role is a series of intensive maneuvers. I had made other plans on both Saturday and Sunday morning, but decided to go with the flow. For those coming in from elsewhere, the travel is harder, but its easier to be "present". On being present, its often hard to do when you're at sea over half the year. Certainly, I've bought more wedding registry gifts for couples than Ive been to weddings. The come-to-Jesus moment for every mariner is the half-rhetorical question: "do you want to sail for the rest of your life and lose all your friends?" On the other hand, if one can set their work-life balance, as I did from the most recent hitch at sea, one can be more present. What is three days off to a mariner, when most workers have to carefully ration weekdays away from the job? Yesterday, I spent the day breaking down the wedding apparel: we handled swords in dress white uniforms. I'm glad I participated in this important event. Congratulations to Larry and Jen.

When Does Vacation Begin?

I "signed off" a ship last week (6/5). It was one week earlier than I had planned (6/11), and a date I chose for safety margin. I will be a groomsman at a friend's wedding on June 26th, but did not want the tempest of the seas delaying my launch boat, nor a weak-willed relief crew deciding to quit at an inopportune moment. While I do appreciate the time off, and the opportunity to catch up on a whirlwind of tasks that accumulated over two months away, I just wasn't ready yet mentally for a long vacation. This is a benefit of seafaring, but one that I hadn't indulged in. While sailing for the Military Sealift Command, I averaged 6 weeks off the clock per year. The average American deep sea mariner will put in 20 weeks of vacation. After careful consideration (does one week really mean one week?), I decided to take a one-week offer. After this, I'll be ready for vacation.

On Craftsmanship

Craftsmanship: trendsetting hipsters appreciated it, and taught others to love it too. Once one began to think about the item (the craftsmanship), one might begin to think about the maker (craftsman). How did craftsmanship fall to the wayside? Compensation is often based on deliverables. Engineers can take a results-oriented methodology and simply “swap the module” with a new part. Others will troubleshoot the problem and break out the soldering iron. (On consideration, an engine room Lots of spare parts lying around is likely able to afford paying its crew well). The craftsman, versus the parts-swapper, goes unappreciated until the troubleshooting skill becomes unique. The unicorn who is the “one guy” who can repair that license printer at the Coast Guard unit in Martinsburg WV, or “Gandolf”, the last person who knows the intern workings of the machinery control system. Then, the craftsman becomes invaluable.