Chat

[Michael]

[jil]

Merry Christmas!

[Maikel]

I wish you all a merry Christmas.

And if you have 45 seconds of your Christmas Day to waste, you might want to watch my animated wishes.

Christmas 2025, a short pop-up story.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/PQAUhW7infc

[Randi]

Neat!

[pommystuart]

Nice. Thanks.

[Maikel]

Thanks.

[arboggs]

Very cute, Maikel.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Here's a new teapot for the day, my mom's teapot wearing the tea cozy I knit her for Christmas:



(it might be a little big )

[Randi]

A little big is OK. A little small is usually not

[Caro]

April's teapot, for viewers in the UK.

[Michael]

[Maikel]

Very cute, Maikel.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Here's a new teapot for the day, my mom's teapot wearing the tea cozy I knit her for Christmas:

(it might be a little big )

Thanks April.
Too big for the teapot makes it perfect for mum's head?

[Caro]

It's well into January 1 on the other side of the world, so I'm posting this now with best wishes for a peaceful, hopeful 2026.

[pommystuart]

[pommystuart]

This may be of interest to some.

https://connectsci.au/news/news-parent/ ... y-how-much

[Randi]

There are advantages to being old.

[pommystuart]

Lancaster 16th Nov 1883

By order of Commanding Officer all persons holding rates under him were disrated. At 1105 Called all hands to muster.Captain Bancroft Gherardi read orders of the Navy department of Oct 30th detaching him from this ship on the reporting of Captain E.E. Potter, and the orders of Captain Potter to this vessel, and did then and there turn over to captain E.E. Potter to this vessel.
All persons disrated this day by order of Captain Gherardi are rerated by order of Captain Potter.

(That could have been shortened to your all sacked till the new captain arrives and you will get your ratings back.)

[ggordon]

I asked Google AI, "In the 1880s US Navy why were all men disrated and then rated when a new commanding officer came on board?"

Here's the response:

In the 1880s U.S. Navy, the practice of disrating and re-rating men when a new commanding officer arrived was a harsh disciplinary and control tactic reflecting the era's rigid hierarchy, allowing new captains to "clean house," reset discipline, and assert authority by stripping and then re-bestowing ratings (specialized jobs/pay) to reinforce loyalty and punish perceived issues, essentially resetting the personnel roster to their liking under the new command's absolute power.

Why it happened:
Assertion of Authority: A new CO wanted a fresh start, to establish his own command style, and to weed out underperformers or those not loyal to him, not the previous captain.
Discipline & Control: It was a powerful disciplinary tool, showing sailors who was boss. Losing a rating meant loss of pay and status, a severe punishment.
"Cleaning House": It allowed a new captain to quickly remove sailors he didn't want and promote favorites, ensuring a crew loyal to him.
Resetting the Roster: Ratings were tied to specific skills and pay. A new captain could strip all ratings and re-assign them based on his own assessment, creating a new, compliant, and ordered structure.

How it worked (Simplified):
Arrival of New CO: When a new commander took command, a general "disrating" might occur, stripping most or all enlisted men of their specialized ratings (like Boatswain's Mate, Gunner's Mate).
Re-Rating: The new captain would then re-rate the crew, assigning them new jobs and pay grades based on his judgment, effectively re-establishing his control and loyalty.
This practice underscored the absolute power of the commanding officer in the late 19th-century Navy, a stark contrast to modern naval practices.

[pommystuart]

Thanks Gordon. That was interesting reading.

[Randi]

An interesting bit of history, but from about 1865 on I don't remember ever seeing anyone not being immediately returned to their old rating after a command change

[Randi]

How to drive safely on ice and snow: Expert winter driving tips