Flashback Friday | Freedom Of Speech & Boat Names

 

Today is Michael d’Agostino’s Flashback Friday. The idea is to republish an old post of yours that maybe didn't get enough attention, or that you're really proud of, or you think is still relevant etc. We started this blog almost three years ago and have lots more followers now then we did back then (thanks guys!) and many of them may not have seen some of our earlier blog posts.

I had mixed feeling about whether to share this post for Flashback Friday. I often write quite silly and fluffy stuff on the blog, but this one is much more serious post about freedom of speech.  

When we lived in New Zealand, we would walk the docks at our local marina and check out the other boats, and their names. One boat had a name which I found offensive. It inspired me to reflect on the importance of freedom of speech, even when you don't always like what someone else is saying. 

I realize this post may not be everyone's cup of tea, but freedom of speech is something I've been thinking about quite a bit recently following the recent US election. I'm curious what you all think about it too. I'd love for you to have a read and share your thoughts in the comments.

{This post was originally published in September 2013. You can find it here.}

 

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Westhaven Marina, where we currently keep our boat, is a lovely marina centrally located in Auckland with friendly staff, good facilities, great views of the downtown area and Waitemata Harbor and lots of different types of boats. 

Like most children, all of the boats in Westhaven are sweet-natured and have their own unique beauty. Except for one boat who I suspect bullies the other boats in the marina around and quite frankly frightens me. I blame the boat’s parents for giving her what I think is an offensive name, which may be the reason she is so mean-spirited. 

I’m not going to say what the name of the boat is, but it basically describes what a mob of angry people might do to a poor innocent person whom they hate because he or she is different. What they do their victim might involve a rope and a tree perhaps. And if you can’t quite figure out what the boat name means, they have a very helpful illustration on the side to help you out.
I’ve given some pretty obvious clues so you’ve probably figured out the name by now. If not, trust me, it isn’t pleasant. And if you’re American, it's particularly unpleasant. But maybe that’s just me.

I happen to think that describing ways to kill people on the side of your boat both in words and pictures isn’t very pleasant. A sailboat is meant to be a “pleasure vessel” and death kind of takes the “pleasure” out of it for me. You expect pirates and violence in the Gulf of Aden, but you don't really expect to see a boat with a death threat on it sailing in the beautiful Hauraki Gulf in New Zealand.

I try to give the boat owners the benefit of doubt. Maybe they adopted her and find it too expensive and time consuming to change the name she came with (I can relate to being cheap and lazy). Perhaps they don’t know what their boat name means (although the picture kind of gives it away). They’re probably Kiwis so I imagine the name doesn’t have the same impact on them that it would have on an American (although it does describe a way to kill people). Maybe they can’t read (but again there's the picture). Or maybe they’re just trying to be ironic. Who knows.

Part of me would love to set up my own little private agency which gives out tickets to people with offensive boat names (and maybe silly and stupid boat names too), but then I remember that I’m a big fan of freedom of speech and that it does come with a price. Sometimes that price involves being offended. People are free to  name their boat what they want and I'm free to choose to be offended or not.

By the way, feel free to give us a ticket for having a silly boat name – Rainbow’s End. We inherited the name when we bought the boat and, while it isn’t the name we would have chosen, we don’t find it offensive. Plus we’re too cheap to change her name and repaint the boat. And the bonus picture of a seahorse on the stern somehow makes up for it. If you’re offended by the name “Rainbow’s End”, exercise your freedom of speech and let us know.

What are the best and/or worst boat names you've come across? What are your thoughts on freedom of speech?

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Wordless Wednesday | Parade In Rhodes

 

Wordless Wednesday is supposed to be about posting a photo(s) without any words. But, I'm a rule breaker, so here are a few words:

1 - There's nothing more fun when you're traveling than to stumble across a parade, like this one when we were in Rhodes.

2 - I'm thinking about starting to wear flowers in my hair on a daily basis. They really jazz up an outfit.

3 - The costumes some of the kids wore during the parade were incredible. So much work must have gone into them.  

4 - I think my favorite group of kids were the ones with their pets. One even carried his bunny rabbit in a cage along the parade route. Not sure what the bunny thought, but it was adorable.

What words does this picture(s) bring to your mind when you look at it?

For more Wordless Wednesday fun, click here. 

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Thankfulness

It's that time of year again in the States - the countdown to Thanksgiving. A time to reflect on what you're thankful for and count your blessings. So that's what I'm doing - thinking about just a few of the things I'm thankful for.




1 - I'm thankful that I don't like pumpkin pie. One less temptation at Thanksgiving.

2 - I'm thankful I don't have to cook Thanksgiving dinner and instead have an invite to a friend's house. I was at the supermarket yesterday and it was a madhouse. More than a few folks were looking stressed out trying to get all their shopping done and everything organized for the big day.

3 - I'm thankful for all the interesting connections I've made through blogging. I got to meet up with Dan and Jaye from Life Afloat, some friends who I had originally met through blogging, and see their boat yesterday. While I was visiting, they introduced me to a really cool family on S/V Octopussy who are off cruising full-time and boat schooling along the way. They all love pumpkin by the way.

4 - I'm thankful that there are people out there who look out for animals in need. I met this adorable puppy yesterday. He witnessed his owner being killed by a car a week or so ago and, fortunately, some nice folks have taken him in and are making him feel loved. He's such a sweetie.

5 - I'm thankful that I have enough to eat every day and a sheltered place to put my head every night.

6 - I'm thankful for pants with some stretch in them. What did we do before spandex and lycra? I'll be needing my stretchy pants by the end of this week, if not before. Indiantown Marina is putting on a full week of Thanksgiving festivities complete with bands, dinghy races and plenty of food and drink. It's definitely the season of overindulgence. It's a good thing I don't like pumpkin pie.

7 - I'm thankful Scott will be back in a few weeks.

What are you thankful for? Do you like pumpkin pie?

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Some Secrets Are Dead Boring

Image courtesy of The Graphics Fairy

Did you ever do anything that backfired on you? Well I did the other day. Normally, I post on the blog every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, except when I don’t. A few months ago I had one of those "except when I don't" days.

Big mistake.

You see I have a mother who checks the blog every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. {Moms are the best blog readers by the way.} There was an immediate flurry of emails.

“Is everything okay?”

“You didn’t post today. Is something wrong?”

“Why haven’t you answered my last 436 emails?”

I think I wasn’t feeling well that day and had gone to bed which is why I didn’t see her emails right away.

On Monday, I had another one of those "except when I don't" days. This time I decided to prevent the panic by posting a short update on the blog letting everyone know that I wouldn’t be doing my normal blog post because I was busy working on a secret project.

Then the emails started.

“So, what secret project?????”

“When will you announce your secret project?”

“Tell me what this project is right now or I’m cutting you out of the will!”

Okay, she really didn’t send that last email.

I also got comments on Facebook and the blog from people keen to know what my secret project was.

Here’s the problem – my secret project isn’t all that exciting. In fact, this blog post explaining why I wrote about my secret project is a million times more exciting than my actual secret project. Sometimes, secrets aren’t all that exciting. Often they’re dead boring.

So let’s play a game, which will be far more exciting than my secret project. Trust me on that. I’ll give you some options about what my secret project is and you leave a comment saying which one you think it is.

(A) - Kitten

I’ve adopted a kitten and I’m trying to train her to use a harness and leash. I’m keeping it a secret because Scott will freak out when he gets back next month and finds a boat cat on board.

(B) - Spider

A spider has taken up residence on my boat and I spent all day Monday trying to hunt it down. I kept it a secret because my mom thinks it’s bad luck to kill spiders. We used to have to trap them and gently put them outside. This particular spider is freaking me out. It’s fast and jumps at me out of nowhere. I’m not sure that the trap and release method is what’s going to be happening here.

(C) - Lottery

I won the lottery and I’m busy meeting with accountants and lawyers.

(D) - Watermaker

I’m installing a watermaker so that I can have long showers whenever I want. It's a complicated project so I didn't want to tell anyone in case I messed it all up and ended up drilling through the hull and sinking the boat.

(E) - None of the above

If you go with (E), leave a comment about what you think my secret project is below.

Do you have any secret projects you're working on? Don't worry, I won't tell anyone what it is.

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Wordless Wednesday | Mountains

Wordless Wednesday is supposed to be about posting a photo(s) without any words. But, I'm a rule breaker, so here are a few words:

1 - Florida is flat as a pancake. Pancakes are delicious, but not necessarily I'm looking for in landscapes.

2 - When I flew to Oregon, I got an amazing view of all sorts of mountains.

3 - I like walking down mountains better than I like walking up them.

4 - If you walk up and down enough mountains, you burn off lots of calories and can indulge in a really large stack of pancakes. With extra syrup and oodles of butter. Guess who hasn't had breakfast yet.

What words does this picture(s) bring to your mind when you look at it?

For more Wordless Wednesday fun, click here. 

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Nothing To See Here Today, Except A Blue Cat

Normally, I blog every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, except when I don't. Today is one of those days where there's nothing to see here, except a blue cat. I'm busy working on a secret project and need to stay focused today, so to keep you amused in the meantime, here's a photo of a blue cat from the Andy Warhol exhibit I saw while I was in Portland.

What's on your To Do List today? Do you like Andy Warhol's work? What's your favorite cat (or dog or other furry animal) name?

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Snapshots From PDX

I just got back from visiting my family in Portland, Oregon - otherwise known as PDX (after the airport) if you're hip. Although if you're 50 years old and you think you're hip, you're probably not hip. You might have a touch of arthritis in your hips, but that's about it. After spending time with my 14-year old nieces, I am under no illusions about my distinct lack of hipness.

My mom wanted a black and white picture of me to display next to the one she has of my sister. We enlisted the help of one of my nieces to snap some photos. She took all of the photos you see in the blog today. That's her behind the camera. 

We decided to do a photo shoot at a cemetery. That's not weird, is it? Maybe what's weird is that we went back to the same cemetery three times while I was visiting. There was a shovel involved. Don't worry, it wasn't our shovel. Although we did have a rake. And a nailbrush. Don't ask.

Let's just say that the photo shoot wasn't a success. My other niece gave me pointers on how to pose and look into the camera. She did her best, but apparently I am the worst model ever. "Stop grimacing, Ellen! Pretend like you're having a good time - smile!"

There are a lot of photos of me grimacing instead of smiling. I'll spare you. Instead, here's a sweet headstone which talks about how much the guy loved watching sports and how he touched people's lives.

My niece did get a good picture of the back of my head. Probably because you can't see my grimace. I'm the shorter one with frizzy hair. My sister is the taller one with straight, smooth hair. Somehow it doesn't seem right for younger sisters to be taller. Shouldn't the oldest child be the tallest?
 

We were at McMennamin's Kennedy School for lunch. I found a picture of Leroy Vinegar on the wall when we were walking around. We used to love going to hear him play the bass when we lived in Portland.

 

I had a hamburger for lunch. Not the one below. That's my niece's. She got hers medium rare. I like the moo cooked out of my burgers.

I was surprised to find feijoas for sale at the local Safeway. They're an extremely popular fruit in New Zealand, often grown in people's backyards. I hadn't heard of them until we moved to New Zealand. I had no idea people ate them in the States. Have you ever had one? Personally, I'm not a fan.
 
Interest in emigrating to New Zealand has sky-rocketed since the election. When we applied for permanent residency in New Zealand we had to fill out a points-based application. At the time, they awarded points for things like education and work experience. Given the surge of applications they may soon get, I bet they're going to start adding questions about feijoas as a screening tool: (1) Have you ever had a feijoa?; (2) Can you spell feijoa?; and (3) Can you describe three ways to prepare feijoas?

And one last picture of one of my niece's boots. It's boot weather in Portland. When I got back to Florida, the first thing I did was plug the air conditioning in and take off my socks.

Have you ever had a feijoa? If you eat red meat, how do you like your burgers done? Have you ever taken a shovel to a cemetery?

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