No boat content today...

Some important words about pepper spray, an interesting factoid about pepper spray, Krugman gets it right (no pepper spray content whatsoever) and a John Lennon song comes to mind...

One of the great things about doing a blog is I can pretty much do what I want as I don't have a boss telling me they need five-hundred "positive" words to pimp a new boat because the company that makes it is going to do a full page ad...  So, I can tilt at windmills, mock people in power, and point out that the Emperor and other assorted targets are somewhat bare-ass... Oh yeah, I also get to write about boats I like and suchlike!

You might say I enjoy my work...

So, as we come up towards (always towards never to) Thanksgiving I'd just like to say how proud I was watching those students at UC Davis stand their ground and take the high road. I'm sure it was difficult not to succumb to the eye for an eye politics that has become common currency and answer violence with violence... They turned the other cheek and by doing that quiet heroic act, showed the world that they were better than those who hurt and mistreated them while they exercised their democratic rights. Proving the point, in the process, that you don't have to kill someone to be a hero.

Lt. John Pike, on the other hand, entered the annals of history (extreme loser division) and will spend the rest of his sorry life as a social pariah... More Instant (and well deserved) Karma if you will.

I have no illusions that the course those protesters have set is going to be an easy one, and, as much as I hope not, I expect that it will get a lot worse before (or if) it ever gets better. The powers ranged against change and a just future these days are mighty, have no morality or scruples, and they mean to continue no matter how many people are harmed in the process because, after all, profits are at stake and profits matter more than people. Hard to fight that with a simple phrase like "Shame on you" but those words resonate strongly and I can still hear their echo...

I expect those echoes are resonating in some halls of power and boardrooms while bringing a certain unaccustomed emotion to those that hear it... Fear.

As it happens, I fear for those who go up against such a monster. Just as I fear for all of us in its shadow and it is more than time enough to lend those kids, grandmothers, and other brave souls fighting the good fight a hand...

Listening to Jack Bruce sing my favorite Mountain song.

So it goes...

A quick note on the how big ting...

Things are looking pretty grim when repossessing our infrastructure becomes a common occurrence, are paid firefighters and public employees an endangered species, and this post from Sailing Simplicity seriously kicks some butt...

So does this poster!

 Oh yeah... Did you know that Occupy Together now has a presence in 1420 cities?

Our last poll on how big a cruising boat a couple needs was not exactly a big surprise...

The bulk of the responders gravitated to the middle ground and we will simply say that I agree that for most folks a cruising boat of 26-35 feet makes all kinds of sense.

The 26-35 foot niches also, happily, contains a huge number of used boats for sale at very good prices and there is a lot of choice available.

Of course, it is important to keep in mind that good design is a really big factor in making a small boat livable... I never cease to be amazed at how some 30-foot boats feel huge in comparison to some 34-footers or vice-versa.

Listening to Los Lobos

So it goes...