Stopping by
 

I came back to look at the burned out ruins of my once favorite cyber bar
because someone emailed me to say that the arsonist had been exposed. Of
course, I felt initial glee at the news but seeing a human face on this
individual and learning what a truly pathetic and sad story it is makes me
even more depressed than looking around at the wreckage.



I think everyone's missed an essential point here. When you are on
permanent parole, you do NOT go cruising. Remember the fellow who was
posting here a couple years ago who had his summer of cruising with his son
ruined? His son got busted for pot and the probation officer wouldn't let
them leave town. We've all been speculating why the sock puppet never goes
anywhere and the reason turns out to be even sadder than lack of courage,
funds, or proper equipment. I don't imagine parole supervisors of life
sentence sexual predators say, "Sure, sail off wherever you want and give me
a call when you get there." The only positive aspect is that it appears to
be a life he richly deserves, at least according to the judgment of his
peers and the parole board.



I feel the pathos of this because I have more things in common with this
fellow than most cruisers. We are both people of modest means who own old
and inexpensive boats. I plan to be living and cruising on mine when I am a
very old man and I often think about what will happen to me if medical
condition or other circumstances prevent me from heading out over the
horizon. There but for the grace of God and all that.



In this case though, the poor wannabe spent all those years working on the
boat hoping that his circumstances would change but with no real hope that
they would. Owning a cruising boat seems like the essence of freedom but it
isn't when the first Coast Guard boarding or customs clearance would result
in your being zipped back to prison. It would be sort of like having a
picture of a boat on the wall of your cell.



So, he did his sailing in the bar and gradually became an Internet pest with
a few shreds of credibility gleaned from books. I was eager to have him
exposed and chased out of here but, now that the story is known, I wish we
had just left him alone or accepted his ravings as amusing satire.



Killfiles work too but the way this group has evolved over the past couple
of years, mine pretty much just results in a blank screen. I've found a
place where people talk about boats they actually own and stay on topic
about real equipment and other issues. I'm glad I've moved on.



--

Roger Long

Stopping by
 

Excellent point. How would you explain this:

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.s...n&dmode=source



I can't believe there is only one yellow boat of that description in the
world. Just because the poster hasn't seen more than one doesn't mean much.
The windsurfer doesn't sound very plausible in the context of the rest of
it. Besides, with all the bombast, does it pass the straight face test that
the old web site wouldn't have had pictures of the boat someplace besides
the Keys?

Anyway. I think we should leave the poor soul alone. Cirrhosis will
evidently take care of things in due time.

--
Roger Long

Stopping by
 

On Sat, 21 Feb 2009 09:09:23 -0500, Nomen Nescio
wrote:

On Sat, 21 Feb 2009 07:33:07 -0500, "Roger Long"
wrote:

I came back to look at the burned out ruins of my once favorite cyber bar
because someone emailed me to say that the arsonist had been exposed. Of
course, I felt initial glee at the news but seeing a human face on this
individual and learning what a truly pathetic and sad story it is makes me
even more depressed than looking around at the wreckage.



I think everyone's missed an essential point here. When you are on
permanent parole, you do NOT go cruising. Remember the fellow who was
posting here a couple years ago who had his summer of cruising with his son
ruined? His son got busted for pot and the probation officer wouldn't let
them leave town. We've all been speculating why the sock puppet never goes
anywhere and the reason turns out to be even sadder than lack of courage,
funds, or proper equipment. I don't imagine parole supervisors of life
sentence sexual predators say, "Sure, sail off wherever you want and give me
a call when you get there." The only positive aspect is that it appears to
be a life he richly deserves, at least according to the judgment of his
peers and the parole board.



I feel the pathos of this because I have more things in common with this
fellow than most cruisers. We are both people of modest means who own old
and inexpensive boats. I plan to be living and cruising on mine when I am a
very old man and I often think about what will happen to me if medical
condition or other circumstances prevent me from heading out over the
horizon. There but for the grace of God and all that.



In this case though, the poor wannabe spent all those years working on the
boat hoping that his circumstances would change but with no real hope that
they would. Owning a cruising boat seems like the essence of freedom but it
isn't when the first Coast Guard boarding or customs clearance would result
in your being zipped back to prison. It would be sort of like having a
picture of a boat on the wall of your cell.



So, he did his sailing in the bar and gradually became an Internet pest with
a few shreds of credibility gleaned from books. I was eager to have him
exposed and chased out of here but, now that the story is known, I wish we
had just left him alone or accepted his ravings as amusing satire.



Killfiles work too but the way this group has evolved over the past couple
of years, mine pretty much just results in a blank screen. I've found a
place where people talk about boats they actually own and stay on topic
about real equipment and other issues. I'm glad I've moved on.


Excellent point. How would you explain this:

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.s...n&dmode=source


Not answering for Roger but it wasn't that long ago that the Famous
Wilbur was extolling a new rubber dinghy (with the oars shorter then
the dinghy). No mention of a rubber duck in the description of the
Mustard.
Cheers,

Bruce
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)

Stopping by
 

Nomen Nescio wrote:

Excellent point. How would you explain this:

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.s...n&dmode=source


Neal disappeared for a while in 2002 and then came back with a rather
detailed log of a 6 month trip to the Abacos, including pictures. I
remember pointing out that although he is fond of calling everyone else
a "motorsailer" almost every part of the trip, including both crossings,
was done under power according to the log. Or perhaps he just plagiarized.

I don't know when the Bahamas started requiring passports; before 9/11
they weren't required. And who knows exactly what the terms of C.N.'s
parole is. Felony convictions do not automatically disqualify for a
Master's license, but I wonder if the record was fully disclosed in this
case.

Stopping by
 

"jeff" wrote

Neal disappeared for a while in 2002 and then came back with a rather
detailed log of a 6 month trip to the Abacos, including pictures.

Well, I would be glad to know that he had actually gone on at least one real
cruise before swallowing the anchor (or having it shoved down his throat as
seems more likely). After all, however pathetic and annoying, he is a human
being.

--
Roger Long

Stopping by
 

"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
"jeff" wrote

Neal disappeared for a while in 2002 and then came back with a rather
detailed log of a 6 month trip to the Abacos, including pictures.

Well, I would be glad to know that he had actually gone on at least one
real cruise before swallowing the anchor (or having it shoved down his
throat as seems more likely). After all, however pathetic and annoying,
he is a human being.

--
Roger Long

True, no one is beyond redeption should they seek it. All that is required
is a true desire to live a good life, and the will to resist temptations
that prevent it.

Stopping by
 

KLC Lewis wrote:
"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
"jeff" wrote

Neal disappeared for a while in 2002 and then came back with a rather
detailed log of a 6 month trip to the Abacos, including pictures.
Well, I would be glad to know that he had actually gone on at least one
real cruise before swallowing the anchor (or having it shoved down his
throat as seems more likely). After all, however pathetic and annoying,
he is a human being.

--
Roger Long

True, no one is beyond redeption should they seek it. All that is required
is a true desire to live a good life, and the will to resist temptations
that prevent it.


....and keep ypur daughters and gradnddaughters locked up...

Stopping by
 

"Nomen Nescio" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 21 Feb 2009 10:57:07 -0500, jeff wrote:

Nomen Nescio wrote:

Excellent point. How would you explain this:

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.s...n&dmode=source


Neal disappeared for a while in 2002 and then came back with a rather
detailed log of a 6 month trip to the Abacos, including pictures. I
remember pointing out that although he is fond of calling everyone else
a "motorsailer" almost every part of the trip, including both crossings,
was done under power according to the log. Or perhaps he just
plagiarized.

I don't know when the Bahamas started requiring passports; before 9/11
they weren't required. And who knows exactly what the terms of C.N.'s
parole is. Felony convictions do not automatically disqualify for a
Master's license, but I wonder if the record was fully disclosed in this
case.


The time of the sighting in the Abacos in 2002 is just about the same
time this photo was taken:

http://offender.fdle.state.fl.us/off...ersonId=35467#

Read the date of the photograph, it's right next to the box that says
he lives in Ballston Spa, NY.

So was he in 2 places at once?

No, he was in only one place, and neither of those.

Stopping by
 

On Sat, 21 Feb 2009 07:33:07 -0500, "Roger Long"
wrote:


Killfiles work too but the way this group has evolved over the past couple
of years, mine pretty much just results in a blank screen. I've found a
place where people talk about boats they actually own and stay on topic
about real equipment and other issues. I'm glad I've moved on.

Recalling some of your threads - fuel system, auto-pilot, eg. - I
thought there was a lot of useful information exchanged.
Do you disagree?

--Vic

Stopping by
 

"Vic Smith" wrote

Recalling some of your threads - fuel system, auto-pilot, eg. - I
thought there was a lot of useful information exchanged.
Do you disagree?


Not at all. This was a great place. I didn't even mind Neal and all his
various guises. As they say, "The solution to pollution is dilution." The
problem was that most of the people who had useful information to offer
stopped showing up. It's hard to keep a bar going with a good quality
clientel when you have a whole group ****ing off the tables on the floor
every night. Same dynamics in a newsgroup. I eventually gave up myself but
I will credit this place with being a major contributor to the success of my
fuel polishing system.

--
Roger Long