Thinking Like A Mountain

There’s this thing when you’re hanging out with kids who aren’t yours where they’ll ask you a question and in my case I’m always like, I will answer you seriously, small human being who has just asked me a question. This generally endears me to kids who really love that I don’t condescend to them.

But I always worry that I’m overstepping or answering in a way their parents won’t approve of.

When we left dinner I asked my wife if my explanations for things seemed okay. I answered such questions as: “what is acne” and “why did I say people should eat dirt to reduce allergies”

My wife said it seemed okay. Ultimately we both just enjoyed seeing the way our friends parent and explain things to their kids without being patronizing or anything.

It can also be found on Google Drive here and on Bluesky here.

Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello Slams Hegseth Over Wounded Knee Medals

Morello: “What the f*ck is wrong with these people”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has decided that U.S. soldiers who received Medals of Honor for the 1890 Wounded Knee massacre will keep them, ending a review begun under the Biden administration. The massacre, in which Army forces killed hundreds of Lakota Sioux—many of them women and children—has long been condemned as one of the darkest chapters in U.S. history.

I've always thought that Mary Ann Patten was one of the most hardcore seafaring women. I mean:

It was 1856

She was 19 and pregnant

Her husband had fallen ill so she took command of his ship

Stopped a mutiny and made everyone accept her commands

Navigated the treacherous waters of Cape Horn and safely reached her destination

However, I just finished reading Joan Druett's Hen Frigates and found some serious contenders.

(Hen Frigate: c.1785 traditionally any ship with the captain's wife on board (neutral). Yes, there was a term for that)

Emma Armstrong

1879, the ship Templar arrived in San Francisco. Everyone thought the ship had been lost

However, the captain’s fifteen-year-old daughter, Emma Armstrong, had taken command

The ship had been caught through a gale and sickness spread on board

The captain’s wife died and the captain himself was terribly ill

The ship was without a navigator. Luckily, Emma had the requisite navigation skills because her father had taught her

Emma herself was ill. She had to be brought on deck in a litter to give directions and instructions

She brought the ship safely into port along with the valuable cargo

Miss Arnold 

1850, the ship Rainbow, having departed from England, reached Aden, North Africa

The ship was commanded by…Ms Arnold, the captain's sixteen-year-old daughter whose father had died

The untrustworthy second mate tried to deceive her and to run away with the ship. So she appealed to the crew and placed herself under their protection, a task they took very seriously

She then made them throw all the alcohol overboard

“I had been at work about two months when Christmas came on – and here I must relate a little anecdote. The principal [the tailor] and his lady were invited to a party among their friends…while it devolved on me to stay at home and keep house. There was nothing left me in charge to do, only to take care of the house. There was a large cat that generally lay about the fire. In order to try my mechanical powers, I concluded to make a suit of clothing for puss, and for my purpose gathered some scraps of cloth that lay about the shop-board, and went to work as hard as I could. Late in the evening I got my suit of clothes finished; I caught the cat, put on the whole suit – coat, vest, and small-clothes [breeches] – buttoned all on tight, and set down my cat to inspect the fit.