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#1
Featured / Re: The Subtitle Says This Is ...
Last post by Abbot Mythos - Today at 07:03:06 AMAs I've already written, the recent news about the hardships being experienced by the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln has jogged my memories. And so, I've been reminded of just how dangerous it is to serve aboard an aircraft carrier.
First off, "Airedales" being blown overboard from the flight deck by jet exhaust was common. But, being "ships company," I seldom heard anything about any of those incidents. And, as no one died in any of those incidents while I was aboard, and injuries were rare, Airedales tended to treat being blown off the flight deck like a slapstick comedy routine. Still, if an Airedale blown overboard believed a "plane director" had intentionally "turned a plane" on them, they would be really pissed. But, those occurrences were also rare, and were quickly dealt with by the flight deck crew.
Now, a couple of months prior to my first cruise, an Airedale was killed in a completely senseless accident. No one was ever punished for it, but some idiot officer, or petty officer, had ordered his people to move an F-4 Phantom from a safe, tied down location in the hanger deck, up to the flight deck, while the ship was rolling far too violently in rough seas to safely launch, or recover aircraft. Without going into the details, I was working nearby, and witnessed most of what had happened, except for actually seeing the man being washed overboard, as he was not in my sightline when the lowered aircraft elevator dipped into the waves during a violent roll to starboard.
When docked in our home port, it was not uncommon for bulky spare parts, etc. coming aboard to be temporarily placed in the aftmost section of the hanger bay, prior to being properly stowed. And, I remember that several days before the ship was deployed to the Mediterranean, on both my first and second cruises, I saw several metal, military coffins stacked up there among the other hardware.
I did a number of internet searches before writing this, but I'm now satisfied that what I remember is accurate. And, that is, during my first cruise, we lost three people. Two were pilots, in two different aircraft, on back-to-back days. Upon takeoff, both aircraft crashed into the sea directly in front of the ship. And, both aircraft, with their pilots aboard, were run over by the ship and sunk. The third person was a seaman who committed suicide. So, none of the coffins I had seen in the hanger bay before my first cruise were utilized, because no bodies were ever recovered.
Other types of accidents, both serious and minor, were common. But, unless you knew the injured person, or someone who knew about the incident, it was unlikely you would ever hear anything about it. For example, once, after running into a couple of boatswain's mate friends in a passageway, the younger boatswain's mate causally mentioned that he was in a good mood, because feeling had started to return to his finger. When I asked what had happened, I learned that his finger had been lopped off by a steel winch cable, rigged to suspend one of a number of ship-to-ship hoses during refueling at sea. (Refueling at sea took place just about every night, weather permitting. And, if we weren't taking on our own ship's fuel, or aviation fuel, we were refueling our escort ships. Most people have no reason to know that an aircraft carrier also serves as a floating fuel depot for its escort ships.)
Anyway, I also learned that fingers being lopped off during refueling at sea happened often enough for the older of my boatswain's mate friends to have been assigned "bagman" duty by the ship's surgeons. That is, it was his job to find the lopped off finger(s), put it/them in a plastic bag, and make sure the bag accompanied the injured boatswain's mate down to sick bay. And, that was because the ship's surgeons had mastered the skills required to reattach most of those lopped off fingers. And, it so happened that the surgeon who worked on my younger friend was so good, if I hadn't been shown his injury, I would have never noticed the very faint, circular scar on his reattached finger.
Last, to put all of this in prospective, my boat actually had, by far, the best safety record of all the aircraft carriers in the Navy.
First off, "Airedales" being blown overboard from the flight deck by jet exhaust was common. But, being "ships company," I seldom heard anything about any of those incidents. And, as no one died in any of those incidents while I was aboard, and injuries were rare, Airedales tended to treat being blown off the flight deck like a slapstick comedy routine. Still, if an Airedale blown overboard believed a "plane director" had intentionally "turned a plane" on them, they would be really pissed. But, those occurrences were also rare, and were quickly dealt with by the flight deck crew.
Now, a couple of months prior to my first cruise, an Airedale was killed in a completely senseless accident. No one was ever punished for it, but some idiot officer, or petty officer, had ordered his people to move an F-4 Phantom from a safe, tied down location in the hanger deck, up to the flight deck, while the ship was rolling far too violently in rough seas to safely launch, or recover aircraft. Without going into the details, I was working nearby, and witnessed most of what had happened, except for actually seeing the man being washed overboard, as he was not in my sightline when the lowered aircraft elevator dipped into the waves during a violent roll to starboard.
When docked in our home port, it was not uncommon for bulky spare parts, etc. coming aboard to be temporarily placed in the aftmost section of the hanger bay, prior to being properly stowed. And, I remember that several days before the ship was deployed to the Mediterranean, on both my first and second cruises, I saw several metal, military coffins stacked up there among the other hardware.
I did a number of internet searches before writing this, but I'm now satisfied that what I remember is accurate. And, that is, during my first cruise, we lost three people. Two were pilots, in two different aircraft, on back-to-back days. Upon takeoff, both aircraft crashed into the sea directly in front of the ship. And, both aircraft, with their pilots aboard, were run over by the ship and sunk. The third person was a seaman who committed suicide. So, none of the coffins I had seen in the hanger bay before my first cruise were utilized, because no bodies were ever recovered.
Other types of accidents, both serious and minor, were common. But, unless you knew the injured person, or someone who knew about the incident, it was unlikely you would ever hear anything about it. For example, once, after running into a couple of boatswain's mate friends in a passageway, the younger boatswain's mate causally mentioned that he was in a good mood, because feeling had started to return to his finger. When I asked what had happened, I learned that his finger had been lopped off by a steel winch cable, rigged to suspend one of a number of ship-to-ship hoses during refueling at sea. (Refueling at sea took place just about every night, weather permitting. And, if we weren't taking on our own ship's fuel, or aviation fuel, we were refueling our escort ships. Most people have no reason to know that an aircraft carrier also serves as a floating fuel depot for its escort ships.)
Anyway, I also learned that fingers being lopped off during refueling at sea happened often enough for the older of my boatswain's mate friends to have been assigned "bagman" duty by the ship's surgeons. That is, it was his job to find the lopped off finger(s), put it/them in a plastic bag, and make sure the bag accompanied the injured boatswain's mate down to sick bay. And, that was because the ship's surgeons had mastered the skills required to reattach most of those lopped off fingers. And, it so happened that the surgeon who worked on my younger friend was so good, if I hadn't been shown his injury, I would have never noticed the very faint, circular scar on his reattached finger.
Last, to put all of this in prospective, my boat actually had, by far, the best safety record of all the aircraft carriers in the Navy.
#2
RPG Ghetto / Re: Working on a setting, and ...
Last post by Abbot Mythos - August 21, 2026, 12:03:14 PMQuote from: Pergamos on August 21, 2026, 06:16:21 AMat the moment I'm using google docs. The material is a mess at the moment, but once it's not, I'll post links for you to look at if you're interested, I'm not using any other software right now, I'm not sure what would be useful.Having never played one, I know next to nothing about RPGs. But, please do post some links when you get around to it, as you've aroused my curiosity about those types of games.
#3
Apple Talk / Re: Introductions VIII: Some ...
Last post by Abbot Mythos - August 21, 2026, 11:14:07 AMQuote from: DishpitDipshit on August 21, 2026, 04:47:08 AMHello, I am a new spag here. I only learned of discordianism a couple months ago, so I will make a complete fool of myself. This may be intentional.Welcome to the forum.
I also really suck at introductions.
My current goal I am working towards is gathering enough brass scrap to cast into an apple.(gold is far too expensive for me)
#4
RPG Ghetto / Re: Working on a setting, and ...
Last post by Pergamos - August 21, 2026, 06:16:21 AMat the moment I'm using google docs. The material is a mess at the moment, but once it's not, I'll post links for you to look at if you're interested, I'm not using any other software right now, I'm not sure what would be useful.
#5
Apple Talk / Re: Introductions VIII: Some ...
Last post by DishpitDipshit - August 21, 2026, 04:47:08 AMHello, I am a new spag here. I only learned of discordianism a couple months ago, so I will make a complete fool of myself. This may be intentional.
I also really suck at introductions.
My current goal I am working towards is gathering enough brass scrap to cast into an apple.(gold is far too expensive for me)
I also really suck at introductions.
My current goal I am working towards is gathering enough brass scrap to cast into an apple.(gold is far too expensive for me)
#6
Propaganda Depository / Re: Flyers&Brainstorming
Last post by Abbot Mythos - August 21, 2026, 04:04:15 AMThere's an Introductions VIII: topic pinned at the top of the Apple Talk board. Being a new member, you may want to consider introducing yourself there. If not, then carry on.
#7
Propaganda Depository / Flyers&Brainstorming
Last post by DishpitDipshit - August 21, 2026, 12:40:36 AMI'll probably put incomplete ideas and finished flyers into this thread. They will probably be shit, but it doesn't appear that this topic is too active as of late, so I might as well.
#8
RPG Ghetto / Re: Working on a setting, and ...
Last post by Abbot Mythos - August 20, 2026, 09:41:13 PMPergamos,
Your project sounds like a substantial undertaking.
So, would you mind telling us something about the basics? For instance, what software will you be using to design your game?
Thanks.
Your project sounds like a substantial undertaking.
So, would you mind telling us something about the basics? For instance, what software will you be using to design your game?
Thanks.
#9
RPG Ghetto / Re: Working on a setting, and ...
Last post by Pergamos - August 20, 2026, 04:39:51 PMQuote from: Doktor Howl on August 20, 2026, 02:54:38 PMQuote from: Pergamos on August 20, 2026, 06:55:53 AMwell, maybe, if your job is biosphere engineering, or political organizing, or adjusting air chemistry. I'm also planning on including beehive as a playable character type.
All I'm saying is, most people play TTRPGs as a way of indulging in a shared universe in which you can deal with any problems you have with a big burning axe. This is its entire appeal to the 20-45 year old set; It gives you a relief from a world in which no problems have permanent consequences.
It turns out that being a murder hobo is good for you.
I do understand that. I don't know about the entire appeal, but I know it's a big part of the appeal. I'm aiming to work on a slightly different kind of escapism, building a better world, in slightly more realistic ways that are still easier, and more rewarding, than the frustrating shit pit that is the real world. Online discourse suggests there are people that like that style of play, it might be wrong, I suppose I'll see, at worst I'll have had some fun building mechanics and a setting.
#10
RPG Ghetto / Re: Working on a setting, and ...
Last post by Doktor Howl - August 20, 2026, 02:54:38 PMQuote from: Pergamos on August 20, 2026, 06:55:53 AMwell, maybe, if your job is biosphere engineering, or political organizing, or adjusting air chemistry. I'm also planning on including beehive as a playable character type.
All I'm saying is, most people play TTRPGs as a way of indulging in a shared universe in which you can deal with any problems you have with a big burning axe. This is its entire appeal to the 20-45 year old set; It gives you a relief from a world in which no problems have permanent consequences.
It turns out that being a murder hobo is good for you.