USMMA Alumni Association and Foundation Evicted

Maritime Academy USMMA
21

in related news from within “The Village”…

[B]DoT IG asked to review USMMA sexual harassment policies
[/B]
APRIL 24, 2013

The Inspector General of the Department of Transportation is being asked to review sexual assault and harassment prevention policies and reporting procedures established by the U.S. Merhant Marine Academy, Kings Point, N.Y. The request comes from Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Health Care, and Entitlements.

In response to surveys conducted in the 2009-2010 academic year, 11 incidents of actual or attempted rape or assault were reported from members of the Academy community, while 21 midshipmen reported they had been sexually harassed. The survey also found that midshipmen, faculty and staff did not believe that senior leadership had created an environment in which sexual assault and harassment were not tolerated or that investigations of reported incidents would be fair.

“Sexual assault and harassment are intolerable at any U.S. government facility, and particularly at a service academy,” said Congressman Cummings. “I strongly support the recent measures developed by the Merchant Marine Academy’s new leadership to combat sexual assault and sexual violence, and an Inspector General’s review of the Academy’s training and reporting procedures will help ensure every available step has been taken to protect midshipmen, faculty and staff at the Academy.”

“The midshipmen at our Merchant Marine Academy need to know that sexual violence and harassment are punishable crimes with serious consequences and perpetrators will be brought to justice,” said Congresswoman Speier. “We are calling on the Inspector General to determine if the academy’s new policies are working to protect midshipmen and to deter sexual crimes.”

The Merchant Marine Academy has developed a new “Plan to Reduce Sexual Assault and Harassment” that includes nine specific goals to create a “no tolerance and full reporting” environment. The Academy has also hired a new Sexual Assault Response Coordinator and adopted a new policy to allow unrestricted reporting of sexual assaults.

22

Allow me to take this opportunity to provide what I believe is a quote suitable for public consumption at all levels.

The constant KP bashing on gCaptain is good for the US maritime industry in general. Many people read this forum, even if they never make a post, because it is one of the few sources of good maritime and offshore information available. The negative evaluation of the current value of KP to the nation expressed here is effective in forming public opinion of the US maritime industry and mariner. Decreasing support for the financial drain imposed by KP is a positive move toward the effective allocation of taxpayer funds to maintain a viable US Merchant Marine.

23

well, I hope nobody tries to say that they didn’t see this coming? Now we know why the Admin at KP gave the heave ho to the Alumni Association like they did…it was for the MONEY!

[B]Chuck E. Cheese to open new location on North Shore of Long Island[/B]
April 24, 2013 - by Booburg Newswire staff

IRVING, TX - CEC Corporation (NYSE:CEC) of Irving, Texas, parent company of the popular Chuck E. Cheese chain of family restaurants announced on Wednesday that it had struck a definitive 20 year deal with the administration at the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) at Kings Point to become a corporate sponsor and to add a brand new venue to the companies over 560 locations throughout the continental USA. The new restaurant will be in the Babson Center on the campus of the most highly esteemed and much respected school which is one of the five Federal Academies and on prime North Shore of Long Island, NY property just outside the wealthy NYC suburb of Great Neck. Located on extremely rare public waterfront land, the Academy grounds offer stunning views of the NY skyline and direct access to Long Island Sound.

On release of this news, Superintendent at the Academy, Rear Admiral James Helis, USMS said that the Academy as well as the US Department of Transportation of which the Academy is a part, is thrilled to be able to attract such a prestigious NYSE listed corporation to become a corporate sponsor of Kings Point. “CEC’s decision to “come aboard” at KP shows that the new Academy strategic plan introduced last year is on track and that the school is rapidly on its way to becoming the “crown jewel” of the five US Federal service academies”. He further added, that not only will having a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant on the campus bring much needed funds to support such activities such as the marching band at the Academy, but it will give the students there much sought after wholesome recreational activities to pursue now that all liberty outside the school grounds is to be permanently suspended and in addition that many of the customers coming to the new venue will be excellent recruiting material for new midshipperson plebe candidates. “This is truly a win-win for all of us and speaking for Secretary (of Transportation) LaHood, we are beside ourselves with excitement at all the fun and highjinx which lie ahead in the years to come.” It is expected that the workers for the new restaurant will come from the student body at the academy and since the school training vessel, the KINGS POINTER, will also be converted to give birthday parties on LI Sound, the students will earn valuable sea training days serving cake, pizza and soda at the parties aboard plus plus gain experience operating the vessel’s state of the art dynamic positioning system as they standby while the birthday kids play with it and push all the buttons!

Speaking for CEC Corp., Miss Tiffany B. Kice, Senior Executive VP stated after the announcement, “the Administration at the Academy came to us with a desperate plea that we help them rescue their school from the abyss and we of course saw nothing but money in the deal.” She added, “when they are crawling on bloody knees practically willing to pay you to open up a restaurant on their property how can you refuse, especially when the property is some of the most prestigious and valuable in the entire country?” It is reported that part of the package offered to CEC by the USMMA is that the school will divert money appropriated to renovate the cafeteria to build exclusive waterfront condos for senior CEC Corporation officers to reside in free of cost. An option in the deal not yet exercised by CEC Corp are naming rights to the Academy. If exercised, the school will become the “Chuck E. Cheese Maritime Academy of the USA”.

It was further announced that the KP Marching Band, revered in band circles as “George M. Cohen’s Own” led by Captain Kenneth R. Force, USMS will put on a gala show for the opening of the new restaurant with much singing, dance numbers by the midship boys and girls and the playing of many tunes for the occasion. Also the entire Academy student body, faculty and staff will hold a formal pass and review on the school’s parade ground where they will form into a giant likeness of the mascot the the CEC restaurants, the mouse known as “Chuck E. Cheese”. An official date for the event is to be announced but opening ceremonies are expected to be on April 1, 2014.

CEC Entertainment. Inc., headquartered in Irving, Texas, was originally incorporated under the name ShowBiz Pizza Place, Inc. and began trading on NASDAQ in 1989. In 1998, the company changed its name to CEC Entertainment, Inc. and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange using a new ticker symbol (CEC).

As of July 1, 2012, CEC Entertainment, Inc. consisted of 510 corporately owned and operated Chuck E. Cheese’s restaurants and 50 franchise restaurants. The company operates in 48 states and eight foreign countries or territories. CEC Entertainment, Inc. considers family restaurant/entertainment to be its sole industry segment.

Chuck E. Cheese’s offers a variety of pizza, a salad bar, appetizers, desserts and a feature musical and comic entertainment by life-size, computer controlled robotic characters, family oriented games, rides, and arcade style activities.

24

[QUOTE=rob;106951]I called the Supe’s office this afternoon to hear what he has to say, so hopefully we’ll hear his side of the story soon.[/QUOTE]

Looks like the Supe’s office is still thinking of what to say.
I read on another thread where Superintendent Helis mentioned at a DC gathering that the mission of KP is "to train leaders not mariners."
Perhaps the name needs to be changed to the United States Leaders Academy.
Once upon a time the most valuable document one received at graduation was the USCG License.

25

[QUOTE=Sweat-n-Grease;107021]
I read on another thread where Superintendent Helis mentioned at a DC gathering that the mission of KP is “to train leaders not mariners.”
[/QUOTE]

The last thing this nation or the USMM needs is an annual crop of freshly minted “leaders” with Kool-Aid stains on their shirts unleashed upon the world.

Between the traditional service acadamies and all the in-house military grad schools we are drowning in incompetent “leadership” as it is.

Will someone with some sense take a real leadership role and shut down that place while we can still afford to buy a for sale sign for the property! Please, if there is a single someone in Congress who hasn’t been bought who has the balls please stand up and take leadership to demand an end to the insanity of funding KP and financing the incompetent pretenders who run the place.

If terrorism is defined as acts intended to destroy or damage the ability of the USA to function and provide for its citizenry then why are there no drones circling the administration offices of KP?

26

[QUOTE=Sweat-n-Grease;107021]Looks like the Supe’s office is still thinking of what to say.
I read on another thread where Superintendent Helis mentioned at a DC gathering that the mission of KP is "to train leaders not mariners."
Perhaps the name needs to be changed to the United States Leaders Academy.
Once upon a time the most valuable document one received at graduation was the USCG License.[/QUOTE]

You are absolutely correct. On Tuesdays Washington DC luncheon Col Helis stated “we are about developing maritime leaders for the future”, “that remains our mission it’s about leadership development”. You can see it at minute 1:03.
Kings Point’s mission is to no longer train mariner but leaders. This is shameful.

http://www.maritimetv.com/Featured-Content/Featured-Videos?VID=maritime/130423_MaritimeTV_KP_Helis.flv
27

[QUOTE=Sweat-n-Grease;107021]Looks like the Supe’s office is still thinking of what to say.
I read on another thread where Superintendent Helis mentioned at a DC gathering that the mission of KP is "to train leaders not mariners."
Perhaps the name needs to be changed to the United States Leaders Academy.
Once upon a time the most valuable document one received at graduation was the USCG License.[/QUOTE]

Oh and at min 16:50 Col Helis basically says the Alumni really doesn’t have a voice in shaping Kings Point, that basically we should shut the hell up.

28

well, I hope nobody tries to say that they didn’t see this coming? Now we know why the Admin at KP gave the heave ho to the Alumni Association like they did…it was for ALL THAT MONEY!

[B]Chuck E. Cheese to open new location on North Shore of Long Island[/B]
April 24, 2013 - by Booburg Newswire staff


a future KP midshipman and Naval aviation flight candidate

IRVING, TX - CEC Corporation (NYSE:CEC) of Irving, Texas, parent company of the popular Chuck E. Cheese chain of family restaurants announced on Wednesday that it had struck a definitive 20 year deal with the administration at the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) at Kings Point to become a corporate sponsor and to add a brand new venue to the company’s over 560 locations throughout the continental USA. The new restaurant will be in the Babson Center on the campus of the rather obscure and little known school which is one of the five Federal Academies and on prime North Shore of Long Island, NY property just outside the wealthy NYC suburb of Great Neck. Located on extremely rare public waterfront land, the Academy grounds offer stunning views of the NY skyline and direct access to Long Island Sound.

On release of this news, Superintendent at the Academy, Rear Admiral James A. Helis, USMS said that the Academy as well as the US Department of Transportation of which the Academy is a part, “is thrilled to be able to attract such a prestigious NYSE listed corporation to become a corporate sponsor of Kings Point. CEC’s decision to “come aboard” at KP shows that the new Academy strategic plan introduced last year is on track and that the school is rapidly on its way to becoming the “crown jewel” of the five US Federal service academies.” He further added that, “not only will having a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant on the campus bring much needed funds to support midshipman activities such as supplying much needed Tuck’s Medicated Pads and brass polish for the marching band at the Academy, but it will give the students there wholesome recreational activities to pursue now that all liberty outside the school grounds is to be permanently suspended and in addition that many of the customers coming to the new venue will be excellent recruiting material for new little plebe candidates.” He went on to say, “This is truly a win-win for all of us and speaking for Secretary (of Transportation) LaHood and myself, we are just gosh darned beside ourselves with super duper excitement at the thought of all the fun and highjinx which lie ahead for us in the years to come.” It is expected that the workers for the new restaurant will come from the student body at the academy and since as part of the agreement, the school’s training vessel, the KINGS POINTER, will be converted to give birthday parties on LI Sound, the students will earn valuable training days serving cake, pizza and soda at the events aboard plus gain experience operating the vessel’s state of the art “dynamic positioning system” as they standby while the birthday kids play with it and push all the buttons on the bridge of the ship.

Speaking for CEC Corp., Miss Tiffany B. Kice, Senior Executive VP stated after the announcement, “the Administration at the Academy came to us with a desperate plea that we help them rescue their school from the abyss of a meaning and purposeless existence and we of course, saw nothing but money in the deal.” She added, “when they are crawling on bloody knees practically willing to pay you to open up a restaurant on their property how can you refuse, especially when the property is some of the most prestigious and valuable in the entire country and has contained within it not only a captive group of customers but all the peppy young “legal” workers we could ever hope for?” “There was simply no downside to this deal for us” Miss Kice added, “and CEC believes it is “walking away” with this one!” It is reported that part of the package offered to CEC by the USMMA is that the school will divert money appropriated by the U.S. Congress to renovate the cafeteria to build instead exclusive waterfront condos for senior CEC executives to reside in free of cost. An option in the deal not yet exercised by CEC Corp, are naming rights to the Academy. If exercised, the school would become the “C. E. Cheese Maritime Academy of the USA”.

It was further announced that the KP Marching Band, revered in band circles as “George M. Cohen’s Own” led by legendary and most robust Captain Kenneth R. Force, USMS will put on a gala show for the opening of the new restaurant with much singing and dance numbers by the midship boys and girls and the playing of many tunes for the occasion. Also the entire Academy student body, faculty and staff will hold a formal pass and review on the school’s parade ground where they will form into a giant likeness of the mascot of the CEC restaurants, the mouse known as “Chuck E. Cheese”. An official date for the event is to be announced but opening ceremonies are expected to be on April 1, 2014.

Monetary terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed but Wall Street food service business analysts estimate it to be in the high five figures. On release of this news, CEC Corporation stock soared $0.06 a share while USMMA stock in the US maritime community collapsed further into deep negative territory where it is had been languishing for several decades at least. Donald Trump, when asked for comment on the announcement stated, “I thought I had a lock on this deal with that miserable little pipsqueak Helis to take control of that fabulous piece of land and am thoroughly pissed at this whole BS!” He also said, “I hope the whole place gets washed into the (Long Island) Sound the next time a Hurricane Sandy comes to town!” and also went on to say “tell them, they’re all FIRED!”

CEC Entertainment. Inc., headquartered in Irving, Texas, was originally incorporated under the name ShowBiz Pizza Place, Inc. and began trading on NASDAQ in 1989. In 1998, the company changed its name to CEC Entertainment, Inc. and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange using a new ticker symbol (CEC). As of July 1, 2012, CEC Entertainment, Inc. consisted of 510 corporately owned and operated Chuck E. Cheese’s restaurants and 50 franchise restaurants. The company operates in 48 states and eight foreign countries or territories. CEC Entertainment, Inc. considers family restaurant/entertainment to be its sole industry segment. Chuck E. Cheese’s offers a variety of pizza, a salad bar, appetizers, desserts and a feature musical and comic entertainment by life-size, computer controlled robotic characters, family oriented games, rides, and arcade style activities. It also is worthy of note that the current Maritime Administration head, David Matsuda, is an ex assistant manager trainee at the Chuck E. Cheese restaurant located in Buford, Georgia and was instrumental is using his contacts within the CEC organization to bring the DoT’s initial unsolicited and unwanted offer to the corporation as well as negotiate the terms of the deal.

The United States Merchant Marine Academy has been in existence since 1943 in its present location and is operated with massive amounts of deficit funding provided by the US Congress through its annual blackmail induced appropriation to the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration or MarAd. The mission of the Academy is supposedly to create a pool of maritime “leaders” which would be critical to the United States in wartime although since the end of WWII there is some dispute within the professional maritime community if there is any validity at all to that claim by MarAd. The vast majority of graduates either enter the military services to be aviators upon graduation or finding little work on commercial ships end up either as maritime attorneys, at brokerage houses, insurance companies, operating power plants or in the food service and entertainment industries. Presently at $86M per year, the cost to the US taxpayer graduate one student is in the $400k per range with makes the cost per student some of the highest on the planet. Being fully funded by the US treasury, USMMA graduates end up getting a very expensive education for total gratis but have no legal obligation in any way to reimburse the taxpayer should they not pursue a lifetime seagoing career to become a true pool of reserve merchant marine defense assets which is the very reason the taxpayers fund their hideously overpriced second rate maritime educations.

Booburg Newswire reporters will soon publish more details on this announcement as they become available or are telephoned to us by anonymous sources.

29

[QUOTE=“c.captain;107028”]well, I hope nobody tries to say that they didn’t see this coming? Now we know why the Admin at KP gave the heave ho to the Alumni Association like they did…it was for ALL THAT MONEY!

[/QUOTE]

C Captain, I think you have too much free time. Don’t you have a ship to run?

30

[QUOTE=fullbell;107030]C Captain, I think you have too much free time. Don’t you have a ship to run?[/QUOTE]

All I can say is this just too damned easy for me!

speaking of jobs…anybody know if they are hiring at “The Onion” these days?

.

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USMMA Responds to Alumni Association & Foundation:

By now, some of you may have heard that the Alumni Association and Foundation has been asked to move out of its space in the Babson Center.

Last November, I approached the leaders of the Foundation to ask that they find new offices because the campus space, which they use rent free, would be needed once classroom renovations begin. Given the current budget environment and in an effort to avoid concerns about preferential treatment, I also asked them to work with us to develop a lease and begin paying rent in the meantime.

In four months, the Foundation declined to pay rent or work with us in good faith to find an acceptable alternative. The Academy subsequently received additional appropriated funding for renovations under the continuing resolution for Fiscal Year 2013 approved by Congress last month. The additional funding allowed us to move up our plans for this space, including updating the heating and air conditioning systems in preparation for building new classrooms. This opportunity, combined with the lack of progress with the Foundation, prompted us to require the Foundation to use or find other space for its work beginning at the end of April.

The Foundation can rent other space off campus to continue its work. It also has space nearby in the Lerner House it purchased four years ago, but in that time, the Foundation has not gained approval from the Village of Kings Point to rezone the property for commercial use. The Academy values its relationship with both its alumni and the Kings Point community and believes this issue is best resolved between the two involved parties, but we cannot put our plans on hold in the expectation that it will be resolved after four years.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have included links to both my original letter to the Foundation, which addressed a number of financial concerns, and my latest letter, which details our efforts to reach an agreement, here.

It is disappointing that we could not come to a better resolution, but I want you to know that the Academy deeply values its relationship with all Kings Point alumni and continues to seek out and work with graduates interested in ensuring a strong future for the school.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What does the Academy need the space for?

A: As part of its ongoing campus-wide improvements, the Academy needs the space for classrooms while other buildings are renovated.

Q: Why move the Foundation out now?

A: The Academy never signed a lease with the Foundation to use campus space. At a time when the Academy is facing space constraints and in order to avoid charges of preferential treatment, it has asked the Foundation to find other offices.

Q: Didn’t the Foundation offer you $60,000 each year for use of this space?

A: The Foundation’s response arrived after the Academy’s deadline and included several clauses unacceptable to the Academy, including sole rights to the property for the next ten years. The Academy will not agree to a lease that removes federal property from its control.

Q: Is it true that the Academy demanded that the Alumni Foundation pay annual rent in the amount of $1,785,168?

A: No. As you can see in the November letter to the Alumni Foundation, the Academy proposed an annual rental rate of $29 per square foot, which equates to an annual rent of approximately $145,000. The lease inadvertently stated $29/square foot per month. If this discrepancy had been pointed out sooner, we would have corrected the misperception immediately.

Q: Why isn’t the Academy helping the Foundation seek zoning approval for the Lerner House?

A: The Academy values its relationship with both its alumni and the Kings Point community and believes this issue is best resolved between the two involved parties.

Q: The Foundation says this is a punitive effort coming from the Academy and Department of Transportation – what do you have to say to that?

A: Since he first visited the Academy in 2009, Secretary LaHood has worked to secure record funding to rebuild campus infrastructure that hadn’t been touched since it was built in the 1940s. Thanks to his efforts, the Academy will have a new pier, a new ship, renovated barracks, a new dining hall and now, new academic spaces.

Both the Secretary and the Superintendent have reached out to all Kings Point alumni to emphasize their willingness to work together to ensure a strong future for the school, an invitation that remains open today.

Q: Why did you change the date the Foundation needed to leave from June to April?

A: Our original June offer was made in the expectation that the Foundation would begin helping the Academy by paying rent and utilities. In the four months since then, the Foundation refused to pay rent or work in good faith with us to offer a suitable alternative to our current space situation. The Academy subsequently received additional appropriated funding for renovations under the continuing resolution for Fiscal Year 2013 approved by Congress last month. The additional funding allowed us to move up our plans for this space, including updating the heating and air conditioning systems in preparation for building new classrooms.

Q: Why can’t you let the Foundation use Melville Hall?

A: This week was the first time the Alumni Foundation suggested using Melville Hall. However, we are scheduled to commence needed renovations in Melville Hall and are identifying a contractor to run the space for weddings, parties and alumni events traditionally held there.

Q. If all the other service academies provide their alumni organization with space on their grounds, why won’t you?

A. None of the other academies provide space in Federal buildings to their alumni organizations. The U.S. Naval Academy’s alumni organization is housed in a non-Federally owned building outside its gates. The alumni organizations at the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy lease land from their respective academies on which they built privately-funded buildings.

Q. Why are you not complying with the 1980 legal opinion that states that the Alumni Foundation must be located on board the Academy and that it belongs there rent free?

A. This 1980 legal opinion, which was provided to then-Superintendent Rear Admiral Thomas King, did not require that the Alumni Foundation be located on the Academy grounds, nor did it require that such space, should it be provided, must be rent free. Instead, the opinion stated that, in appropriate circumstances, a Federal agency could grant a non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable permit for the use of Federal property by a non-Federal entity and that rent need not be paid. Based on the circumstances in 1980, the Academy permissively granted the Alumni Foundation the rent-free use of available space that was not then needed for Academy purposes. Based on the circumstances today, the Academy has determined that the space currently occupied by the Alumni Foundation is needed to advance the Academy’s core academic mission of educating future mariners.

Updated: Thursday, April 25, 2013

32

Talk about rank and utter hypocrisy…the USMMA Alumni Association has raised $22 million dollars to provide KP with funds for activities not supported by the money appropriated by Congress and yet Helis speaks of them as freeloaders while out of the other side of his mouth he utters:

“the Academy deeply values its relationship with all Kings Point alumni and continues to seek out and work with graduates interested in ensuring a strong future for the school.”

This is ALL about the vitriol the USMMAAA sprayed over MarAd and the DoT when first GMATS was closed, the KINGS POINTER sent to Texass and then Phillip Greene frogmarched out the gate! Ray LaHood is a mafia boss extraordinaire…I wouldn’t be surprised if the head of the USMMAAA doesn’t get a severed goat’s head in his bed one night soon! Not that he doesn’t have it coming but nit at LaHood’s hand is all…

WHAT A MASSIVE FUCKING ASSHOLE THAT (La) HOOD IS! I MEAN IF THIS MISERABLE SCUMBAG DOESN’T LOOK LIKE “THE DON”, THEN I DON’T KNOW WHO DOES?

.

33

Oops, looks like the mansion gates are slowly closing and all the freebie-schooled wannabe mariners (that is, until graduation) are going to have to pay for their education just like everyone else (except that is, for those REAL service academy graduates from West Point, Annapolis, etc. who will go in Harm’s Way to serve this country “versus” the majority of Kings Pointers who go into silk suits, aligator shoes, business graduate programs and investment jobs).

It was Ronald Reagan, that platinum-plated diety of Republican Americanism, who preached his fire and brimstone message that “the Federal Government should NOT be spending taxpayer money on anything that the private sector or the states can do better and cheaper”. Amen to that. Hey … wait a minute! Looks like that thought may finally have finally taken root in MARAD. Why are taxpayer dollars WASTED on training a bunch of little Lord and Lordette Faunteroys when there are 6 major state institutions training better and brighter mariners at almost zero cost to the taxpayer?

Thank you Uncle Sam for putting on your steel-toed boots and nicely kicked the USMMAAA buttocks off campus. GMATS–Gone! Administration Malarkey–GONE! Training Ship–GONE! Officer’s Club–GONE! Alumni Association–GONE! You’re on course … FULL SPEED AHEAD – close the rest of that petrified white elephant carcass and save taxpayer money for beneficial taxpayer programs.

34

This is our inheritage and our country let us down again.

http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/9268/inheritage.jpg

35

While the leader at KP wants to make “leaders,” not Merchant Seamen.
Best KP get back to the garden and not producing more “leaders.”

36

[QUOTE=Sweat-n-Grease;107238]This is our inheritage and our country let us down again.

[/QUOTE]

thank yea most kindly John…this painting so much reminds me of the work of the tremendous Gordon Grant the even more awesome Anton Otto Fischer

once upon a time in a hard but honest land of hard working seagoing men…

37

[QUOTE=c.captain;107252]thank yea most kindly John…this painting so much reminds me of the work of the tremendous Gordon Grant the even more awesome Anton Otto Fischer

once upon a time in a hard but honest land of hard working seagoing men…[/QUOTE]

Thank you ~
It’s called “Harvesting the Sea,” an oil painting by Harold Knight, an accomplished English artist. I took an immediate liking to the painting, you can feel the wind and swells, see the wetness on the deck of the rolling vessel. The old days, days when proud Merchant Seamen worked long and hard, they made the sea their life.

38

[QUOTE=Sweat-n-Grease;107282]Thank you ~
It’s called “Harvesting the Sea,” an oil painting by Harold Knight, an accomplished English artist. I took an immediate liking to the painting, you can feel the wind and swells, see the wetness on the deck of the rolling vessel. The old days, days when proud Merchant Seamen worked long and hard, they made the sea their life.[/QUOTE]

It was a different world then my friend. A more difficult but much more honest world filled with simpler but harder working mariners. Little of that world can be found anymore. Those days, that industry and such men as now part of history I am afraid.

Here’s a pencil work by Gordon Grant, I know you will enjoy’

I don’t have to add where out little gang is headed…now do I? Makes me thirsty for a “boilermaker” or four!

39

[QUOTE=c.captain;107284]It was a different world then my friend. A more difficult but much more honest world filled with simpler but harder working mariners. Little of that world can be found anymore. Those days, that industry and such men as now part of history I am afraid.[/QUOTE]

Yup ~

[QUOTE=c.captain;107284]Here’s a pencil work by Gordon Grant, I know you will enjoy’ [/QUOTE]

YES, I do like it, in fact I’m one of them although you can’t see me as I wasn’t born yet.

Here’s a site for Harvesting the Sea:

http://marineoilpaintings.blogspot.com/2010/09/harold-knight-english.html

40

[QUOTE=c.captain;107068]Ray LaHood is a mafia boss extraordinaire…I wouldn’t be surprised if the head of the USMMAAA doesn’t get a severed goat’s head in his bed one night soon! .[/QUOTE]

so what was it I was saying about finding severed heads?..

//youtu.be/fo3g9qU0ToU

I was only expecting it to have been found floating in LI Sound is all

now being it is a giant bloated head, I have to wonder if it might belong to Captain Kenneth R. Force, USMS? Has anybody seen him lately? Hmmmm?