I didn’t update Monday, because I was traveling. I also did not have an opportunity to fiddle with the mechanics of this Web site as I said I would, but it looks as if things are holding up well enough. Today’s classic A&J is an old favorite. The current A&J is based on a true story; the birds jump on the copious tufts of hair that result from brushing our shedding cats this time of year. I would think cat hair as a building material would produce avian nightmares, but apparently not. Maybe an exasperated mother bird tells her fledglings, “Shhh! Be very still and quiet! Here comes that cat again, looking for his hair!”
16 responses to ““I followed it home!””
Mindy, I believe we had pretty much the same discussion here about four years ago, when another California family let their sixteen-year-old daughter attempt a “well-planned” around-the-world solo sail. In the wrong type of boat. At the wrong time of year. And put her rescuers in peril. In the same waters that have apparently swallowed up a Boeing 777 with its passengers and crew, so far without a trace. So that she could set an age “record”. And shop a reality show deal about her “adventures”.
But since you brought it up, let me be an advocate for the two kids. Regardless of how you feel about the parents’ “right” to place two very young children in unnecessary danger, the very fact that disasters occurred which endangered their one-year old and required them to be rescued would seem to prove that the wisdom of their voyage is somewhat suspect, if not entirely lacking. I’m not quite sure how taking two small children on a camping trip equates to ending up with them being on a disabled and leaking 36-foot sailboat a thousand miles at sea, but to each their own disaster, I suppose.
It would probably be instructive as to what kind of people they are, and what their motives were, to check out their blog sites. (A week into their “adventure”, the wife posted, “This may be the stupidest thing we have ever done.”) Also noteworthy is that part of their defense of their decision to make the trip is the statement “…this is how our family has lived for seven years.” Let’s see, how many children would they have had seven years ago when they started living that way? Doesn’t matter, I guess, since the arrival of children should never be a reason for couples to change their lifestyles, should it?
And I’ll note that the first rescuers on site were the four California Air Guard pararescuemen who parachuted into the ocean from a C-130, treated the child, and stayed with the family until the Navy could rush to the scene. (How long did that take again? Three days?) 🙂 But PJ’s are used to endangering themselves on civilian “hero hunts”, and I’m sure they were glad they could pull the family’s chestnuts out of the fire. Plus our armed services are flush with taxpayer dollars to pay for such rescues, money which they would probably otherwise waste on such frivolities such as military pay or meaningful mental health services for our warriors.
Oh, and after they were rescued, even the pair of hardy adventurers agreed their boat was not seaworthy enough to even be towed to shore and that it should be scuttled. Like that of the teenage girl, their choice of sailing vessels for their trip may be somewhat suspect.
Our long hair cats shed 365 days a year. Fortunately we only have one room with carpeting. I am really thinking of going to hardwood floors and an area rug in that room.
I think todays retro is one of the top 10 all time favorites…thanks for bringing it back again for our amusment.
Good morning, all. Ghost, call it training for the servicemen involved, but I agree that it was a waste of taxpayer money. Reminds me of David Susskind’s retort to the woman who kept having welfare kids and stating that the government had to support them: “I resent having to pay for your hobby”. 😀
Good morning, Lily. Yes, I agree that many of the costs of the rescue have already been paid. But consider the additional costs incurred, especially had one or more members of our military died in the rescue.
BTW, my response to Mindy’s post should not in any way be considered an attack on the validity of her opinion. Because, you know, it isn’t. But she seemed to be defending the parents’ view of the situation and its outcome, and I decided to speak for the children. My opinion is that the health, safety and lives of minor children (in this case, very minor children) should trump what some may regard as the desire of self-absorbed parents for a free-spirit lifestyle.
The depth of my feelings on this subject is shown by the fact that I didn’t respond to Mindy’s comment about pokies. Three pairs, she said? Unless John was also looking at his own (an image that will likely take me all day to get out of my mind), I assume they belonged to Mindy, Ginger and Shelly (an image I will not be trying to get out of my mind). 😉
I know Mindy will cite this as further proof that I have an overly febrile imagination, but is Janis in her baby doll nightgown not displaying a hint of a pokie in today’s classic cartoon?
Debbe 😉 One writer’s take on the wisdom, or lack thereof, of continuing to use Windows XP after today…
https://www.yahoo.com/tech/still-on-windows-xp-heres-some-bad-advice-80911845810.html
But if you do decide to continue to use Windows XP after today…
https://www.yahoo.com/tech/seven-safety-tips-for-people-sticking-with-windows-xp-82027599094.html
People actually still use Microsoft?
Jimmy, I bypass the pokies and sailing aspects and say, re the birds and cat hair, they must have been cat birds, no?
Ghost? Consider this, please. Sailing with children aboard, well, is it any more dangerous than living on a fault line in California? Or the ring of fire on the Pacific Rim? Fewer children are killed annually in sailing accidents than in motor vehicle crashes on the highways while doing those family outings and camping trips. I can see your point, yes, but the family in question has a sailing/nautical background and for them the boating is as natural of the hiking and motor car trips and so on are natural to other segments of the populace. We talk in here about not criticizing others for different life styles [and the acceptance of those differences is part of the conversational appeal here] but I’ll digress and let this conversation fade away with the question: After a month is the Malaysian aircraft disappearance still the lead story in international news? It may be important, but is it really Page One material now? Enough. I apologize for starting the cycle in the first place. As Shelly & Russell WOT say, goodbye.
No worries, Mindy. As I said, I wasn’t criticizing your take on the situation, and I was looking at the actual outcome of the couple’s actions, not just those actions potential, large or small, for disaster. But again, I can’t look kindly or benignly on anyone’s choice of any “lifestyle” or actions that result in an innocent child being unnecessarily placed in harm’s way. It’s not like they HAD to sail around the world with two very young children right now.
Ghost out.
I guess that it was just me but I couldn’t get the previous day’s comments, then I got just a blank screen with the yellow borders and today I got absolutely nothing until now. I have been very interested in the missing airliner, especially the Chinese attempts with a Chun King can, a broomstick and a ball of string to snare a ping.
Ghost, I read the article about “bad advice for people still on XP,” and I have to take exception to the writer’s reasons not to consider migrating to Linux. First, most of the substitutes for Microsoft’s programs, such as LibreOffice, are a lot more similar to what you’re used to than he’s willing to admit. Unless you really find it hard to go back to using menus instead of ribbons, you’ll find it very easy to adapt. If there are Windows programs that you just can’t do without, most Linux distributions come with Wine, that allows you to run almost all Windows programs just about as well as you did under Windows. And, of course, that claim that it’s almost impossible to get support is pure, unadulterated FUD: Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt. Most people going from Windows to Linux are probably going to try Ubuntu, because it’s designed to be easy to use, and if you need help, you simply go to the Ubuntu forum at http://ubuntuforums.org/ where there are thousands of people ready, willing and able to give you all the help you need, and like almost everything else Linux related that the average user’s going to need, it’s F-R-E-E. You don’t even need to return the favor by helping others unless you want to, although if you do, your help is welcome.
Good morning Villagers…
Thanks GR 😉 for the links…..will be looking into Linux (if my son will do it for me) since it’s FREE….$ is an issue right now. Stinking property taxes are due soon in Indiana, and I resent paying them twice every year.
Not going there regarding the couple on the sailing boat with two small children.
Lilyblack, thanks for explaining “ho rid friends”…..we had that every Saturday night at our house, but they always brought their children over too, we “hid out” in the basement and played Barbie dolls. We had a nice set up in the basement though, one area had “children” size appliances and such.
Ya’ll have a blessed day…
Today’s real time strip has already stirred up the Dark Side 🙂 Oh, and I love the retro strip above, I remember it the first time I read it…..good one Jimmy
Thanks, sideburns. That’s what I thought, but it’s good to hear it from someone who is first-hand familiar with Ubuntu. Probably a lot of what the writer was saying about it is related to the fact that there are still a lot of folks out there whose reaction to “operating system” is “Huh?”
Debbe 😉
It wasn’t just you, Jerry. This page and GoComics have both been hide-n-seeking lately. That’s ok, I keep trying. The funny above is good, Jimmy! (ok, I like all of them…..)