St Augustine Fl heh Ben? I'll be sure to let some of the local "pigs" know how you feel.
Enjoy your freedoms. CT >>-----Original Message----- >>From: [email protected] [mailto:liveaboard- >>[email protected]] On Behalf Of Ben Okopnik >>Sent: Sunday, July 04, 2010 2:21 PM >>To: [email protected] >>Subject: Re: [Liveaboard] How many international sailors with HF get a >>restricted radio permit. >> >>On Sun, Jul 04, 2010 at 02:16:23PM -0400, Ron Rogers wrote: >>> Perhaps it was on another forum, recently, where a visitor to the EU had >>to >>> take a radio operator exam *which was in English*! I imagine that this >>is >>> for extended stays. Why tempt fate? During the Tiananmen Square riots in >>> China, some of my fellow American tourists wore Canadian label pins, >>etc. I >>> did not respect that behavior. >> >>I'm in two minds about that sort of thing, myself. Is it cowardly >>behavior, or is it just being extra-cautious - say, like getting a radio >>license before cruising? I guess it depends. E.g., it's not something >>that I would do by choice - i.e., I won't be packing any Canadian pins >>if I ever have to visit China :) - but if it was a situation where the >>political climate around me suddenly jelled into "let's kill all >>Americans", I would a) kick myself repeatedly for being so completely >>out of touch that I missed the warning signs; b) look for the shortest >>path out of the country/to safety; and c) be as inconspicuous as >>possible while running for that border. If that meant wearing a Canadian >>jacket, then so be it. Since I'm not Bruce Willis, I wouldn't be able to >>take a gun away from a Bad Guy and shoot him and a hundred of his >>buddies (with a gun that holds six rounds), so I guess I'd have to be >>smart instead of "bad"... >> >>What I _wouldn't_ do is wear that jacket *and* stick around to see the >>festivities. The situation is either bad enough to follow emergency >>escape procedures, or it's not. Anything in between smacks of cowardice >>_and_ stupidity. >> >>> The Chinese people were genuinely friendly >>> towards polite Americans. The detectives wearing leather jackets in >>hotel >>> lobbies - not so much. >> >>You should have asked them if they wanted to be horse food. :) It seems >>that foreign students in China - if I recall the story as it was told to >>me, the student in question was from the UK - used to be taught the >>phrase "do you want to be in trouble?", and were told to use it if >>someone was bothering them. This particular girl's accent in Chinese was >>absolutely awful - and so was the response of the people to whom she >>said it (confusion and shock, but it seemed to get the right result.) >>Turns out that pronouncing those words with the wrong tone carries a >>rather different meaning... >> >>> Times change and particularly in the new era of terrorism. Passports are >>now >>> required almost everywhere (maybe not Bermuda) and even to get back into >>the >>> States. >> >>I spoke with a US Customs agent in Hampton Roads, VA about two months >>ago and asked him about the details of returning to the States after >>visiting foreign waters. According to him - and his partner, who was >>standing right there, did not contradict him - you do not need a >>passport, and a US DL is perfectly fine. >> >>> Things change from one Customs officer to another to include here in >>> the States. In Mexico, they might try to nail you on a fishing license >>or a >>> radio license or how your hair is parted. It helps to at least appear to >>be >>> poor. >> >>Or at least to be a "working Joe" rather than a "millionaire on >>vacation". Provoking resentment pointlessly is a really good way to >>_become_ horse food. >> >>> As one NYC police officer said to me (as my broken car muffler deafened >>him) >>> "You're lucky that my wife was nice to me last night." >> >>Ah... what a lovely illustration of the "freedom" that we are entitled >>to in this country. Some pigs are indeed more equal than others. >> >> >>Ben >>-- >> OKOPNIK CONSULTING >> Custom Computing Solutions For Your Business >>Expert-led Training | Dynamic, vital websites | Custom programming >> 443-250-7895 http://okopnik.com >>_______________________________________________ >>Liveaboard mailing list >>[email protected] >>To adjust your membership settings over the web >>http://liveaboardonline.com/mailman/listinfo/liveaboard >>To subscribe send an email to [email protected] >> >>To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] >>The archives are at http://www.liveaboardonline.com/pipermail/liveaboard/ >> >>To search the archives http://www.mail- >>archive.com/[email protected] >> >>The Mailman Users Guide can be found here >>http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/mailman-member/index.html _______________________________________________ Liveaboard mailing list [email protected] To adjust your membership settings over the web http://liveaboardonline.com/mailman/listinfo/liveaboard To subscribe send an email to [email protected] To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] The archives are at http://www.liveaboardonline.com/pipermail/liveaboard/ To search the archives http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] The Mailman Users Guide can be found here http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/mailman-member/index.html
