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politics Shipping

Ineffitability of Capture

Between 1924 and 1932, Henry Landsberger conducted experiments at the Hawthorne Works, which was a telecommunications equipment manufacturing facility in Cicero, Illinois. During his investigations, Landsberger would vary the level of lighting in the factory just outside Chicago and attempt to measure its effect on worker productivity. Regardless of whether lighting was increased, or decreased, […]

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politics

Betrayal in Autismland

Apologies, again, for the relative radio silence. It’s not that I’m not writing. I promise I am. I’ve written a 17,000 word first aid manual, and a 22,000 word navigation and radar manual from scratch in the past 15 days. Throw in some marine risk consulting, and it’s been a fairly productive year thus far. […]

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culture History politics Religion

Bearing Witness

I did once visit the Greenpeace ship, Rainbow Warrior. Not the current ship to bear that name, but it’s predecessor. She was an old Aberdonian trawler, cut down the middle and lengthened to accommodate various fast daughter craft on her main deck, ready for commando-style launching while underway at sea. At that time, around 2009 […]

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culture freedom History politics Religion Shipping

Any Old Reason

It’s dim now, but what I remember most about that night was the physical pain. My mother woke me in the middle of the night in a state of total hysteria. ‘Get up, now! It’s Tony! He’s in the hospital! Get up, NOW!’ My left ear was in agony. It felt like it had been […]

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culture freedom History politics Religion

Venerable Documents

Why does the whole world have to listen to America? Why is everyone supposed to care about this place, no matter where they live on earth? What is so important about this society? And can’t we just ignore them? Aren’t they just evil, selfish, bad, no-good merchants of death and inequality? The USA is a […]

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culture politics Shipping

Wishful Thinking

Please, close your eyes right now, and make a wish. Go on. I’ll wait. I think it’s worth doing from time to time. Whatever your heart really desires right now, can probably reveal to you all that is worthy of gratitude in your life, and what you need to be doing less of. My sweet […]

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culture freedom politics Shipping

What We Want

Eternal Father, strong to save, Whose arm hath bound the restless wave, Who bids the mighty ocean deep, It’s own appointed limits keep; O hear us when we cry to Thee For those in peril on the sea. The Navy Hymn, William Whitting, 1860. Some went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants […]

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culture politics Shipping

Peacocks in the Jungle

Sex Re-Education Campaigns, Pride, Harm, Norms and Sailors. It’s hard to know where the time goes. I’ve been home for 1.5 weeks. Five days were spent doing ‘ultra-parenting’, taking the kids away from the wife to compensate her for my absence. This week I’ve been enjoying the greatly enhanced energy that comes with a combination […]

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culture History politics Shipping

Culture Safety

We rushed up to Aberdeen and demobilised the diving and mooring spread in record time. I’m glad we did because we’ve been sat here for eleven days off-hire, with another few days to go before it looks like we’ll sail. The Shetland job is cancelled now, so it looks like we’ll be ‘rock-bagging’ out of […]

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culture freedom History politics Religion

Corona Nation

Promotor Fidei, Punk. It has been one week since the anointing of King Charles III. King Charles the sausage-fingered. Sadly, William did not turn up in an Apache helicopter seeking trial by combat in a challenge to the throne, as I had hoped he might. The changing of robes, crowns and carriages was televised with […]