Pirogue History

Since I began building my Bayou Pirogue, I have become increasingly more inquisitive about the history of the watercraft and it's use in the coastal south. As it turns out, there is quite a bit of heritage attached to these flat bottomed, shallow drafting craft. In fact, according to research compiled by the Army Corp of Engineers, the boats were infamous in Louisiana waterways during the Cival War. Before attacking Confederate Fort Burton, Union troops raided the nearby basin, confiscating sugar, molasses, cotton and firearms from Bayou residents. These raids by Union troops became increasingly frequent and made life more difficult for the local residents.

Union forces defeated the Confederates at Bisland, Grand Lake and Fort Burton in the spring of 1863, giving them control of the surrounding waterways wherever they could operate armored gunboats, and the Confederates could not match the firepower of these Vessels. Even with this advantage, though, Confederate guerrilla forces, as well as jayhawkers and smugglers, constantly harassed the Union forces, especially in the summer of 1864. Jayhawkers were roaming bands of deserters, draft dodgers and criminals who infested much of the backwater Bayous of Louisiana during the last three years of the war. Confederate irregular forces used the familiar terrain of the basin to their advantage, relying upon pirogues, skiffs and horses in their hit and-run forays against the federals. To deal with these problems, the Union command decided to destroy all ferries, bridges and boats in the basin as well as confiscate all contraband goods. Anything not produced locally, including flour, salt and other staples, became unavailable to residents. These policies antagonized local Union sympathizers and hindered the collection of intelligence. In November 1864, the Union command conceded that small loyal planters in the basin could keep their pirogues if they were hidden at night from "guerrilla thieves".
I am taking my time in the construction of my Cyprus Pirogue. I have decided to include chine blocks on the interior for the added stability. I want to be able to maneuver the boat with a punt while standing. I've decided that the lower Edisto past Parkers Ferry will be where the pirogue makes her maiden voyage. Hopefully it will be completed by the time we take our annual vacation to Edisto Island in the later part of June. I'm going to add fore and aft decks as well as a keel strip to increase its stability. It is widely known that the Pirogue is a "tricky" boat, meaning one might get wet while learning to pilot it standing up. I'm experienced in a canoe, so using the eddies and current of the Edisto to my advantage is something I am fully capable of, but tossing an eight foot cast net off the bow of a flat bottom boat less that 28'' wide and 10'' deep is not a challenge for the faint at heart. Trying it out at dead low tide in June is the most prudent plan, of course my kids will video tape the whole ordeal in case the inevitable happens and I go over the side with the first cast.

Networking DICOM enabled devices

Over the last few weeks I have been working with our Radiologists' IT guy, Randy, to optimize the virtual private network (VPN) between our PACS servers. The initial configuration has been working in a pull mode, but now we finally have a true point to point secure network. Sean, a colleague of mine from SPAWAR helped design the network. He has a ton of experience designing network security systems for both ship and shore based applications. Another SPAWAR guy we know, a true old school network engineer, has been developing teleradiology solutions for Navy Medicine since the technology emerged. Actually, Navy Medicine is one of my largest sponsors, so I also have a great deal of experience with the nuances and overarching regulatory requirements for medical networks. Just as it is for a small branch medical clinic in the military, if a small civilian family practice wanted to get into telemedicine or teleradiology, there would be very few options out there without going through the big box vendors like GE or Phillips. We find that in the defense environment, even though the medical activities rely heavily on technology, they do not have the resources required to implement information assurance and security effectively. After all, Information Technology isn't their core competency; medicine is. That's where commands like SPAWAR come in. We have the experience and know-how to integrate common off the shelf products to create a layered network protection strategy. We can help the medical commands insure HIPAA compliance. We figured the same holds true for private practice in the civilian world, even for small rural hospitals. We have been kicking around the idea of doing some consulting work through SWI diagnostics, my wife’s LLC. Her customer base is heavily rural, and initial conversations with some of these folks have generated a very positive reception. Although we may initially have to drive to Georgetown to reboot a print server for fifty bucks, we will eventually open the door to an array of future support functions, including helping rural practices go digital and securely connecting them to the outside world. Second opinions from university hospital specialist are only a click away.

Wall of Mediocrity

I ran across an interesting article in Slate magazine last week about unwitting parents who lavish their offspring with praise, even at the most mundane accomplishment. It has been a pet-peeve of mine for years, ever since my son’s first tee-ball practice. All of the "Oh, your soooo Awesomes" have taken a toll on me. I have no problem giving praise when it's warranted, but I've always thought that bombarding your kids with undeserved praise was more than a disservice, but a detrimental travesty that would eventually lead to some sort of group therapy. I got a good laugh out of Greg Fockers "Wall of Gaylord" in the movie "Meet the Fockers", where the mediocrity of Ben Stillers character was celebrated as spirited achievement in a shrine-like display erected by his father. This subject has always touched a nerve with me, and unfortunately in our society the behavior has become more ubiquitous. You see it everywhere...Parents showering praise for even the most meager of efforts. I know so many people like this, it turns my stomach. Here is an excerpt from the article:

The Wall Street Journal reported last month on the travails of employers faced with twenty- and thirtysomethings who've been told how brilliant and wonderful and special they are all their lives. The article tells of a consultant who counsels a manager to praise young employees for showing up on time after a pattern of lateness. How does one conjure a compliment out of "pathetic" and "entitled"? A personality test for narcissism given to college students every year shows an inexorable rise, with today's students being on average 30 percent more narcissistic than the students of 1982. Substitute "self-esteem" for "narcissism" and the results suddenly look rosy, but you simply can't, because all the $10 trophies and the lavish praise of mediocrity, or even failure, doesn't really bolster kids' self-worth. They drink the Kool-Aid, but they also know it.

Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck concluded that it's not praise itself that's the problem, but rather the kind of praise we pile on our kids. You’ve heard it a million times, “you’re soo smart” or “you’re the best player on the team!”, when what we should be praising is the hard work and the effort. Dweck speculates that if you tell a kid he's smart , the only place he's got to go is down, thereby avoiding challenges and freezing at the thought of failure, but tell him you admire his determination and he'll keep plugging away, bettering himself in the process.

Boat Fever

I am a huge fan of wooden boats, so the Charleston Maritime festival this weekend is definitely on my to do list, and I have my boarding passes in hand. For several years I have attended the holy city's maritime festival and watched longingly as others participated in the family boat building event. The family boat building event introduces novices to the wonderful craft of wooden boat building, where experts mentor families as they construct a small skiff from pre-cut materials. The event culminates with a launch party. I have threatened to sign up for the event every year, but as usual, we waited until the last minute to register. The family boat building event only accommodates twenty entries, and it fills pretty quickly as one might imagine. Feeling a bit overworked and disappointed that I missed the cut again this year, I vowed to build my own wooden boat. This was no overnight decision. I knew what design I wanted build and have had her plans in my head for years. So, with a bit of research and a few phone calls, my son and I are well on our way to building a classic Bayou Pirogue (pronounced pee-row). The pirogue was first introduced to the bayou in the late 1600's. It is somewhat of a mystery how the pirogue got to Louisiana, but it has been there for centuries and has become a part of the Cajun heritage. Originally the pirogue was hewn from large cypress logs, some measuring more than 12 feet in diameter. The cypress log was split down the middle. Then the outside of the log was shaped to the builders liking using only an ax and an adze. After finishing the outside, it was turned over so that the insides could be "scooped" out with an adze and other chisels. I ordered measured drawings from UncleJohns.com, and a supply of epoxy resin and wood flour from http://www.raka.com/. Larry Steeves, owner of Raka, inc. was a huge help, and has built a pirogue himself. I also spent some time researching construction techniques and found that by increasing the length and width of the vessel it would be a much more stable craft. A few of the images are of Tom Hills pirogue. Constructed in North Carolina, Tom's version is a faithful derivative of the classic bayou pirogue. I have set up the sawhorses and the tailgate tent on the patio and I can't wait to get started, I'll make sure to post plenty of step by step pictures. I haven't done much fiberglass work, so this should be fun. See you guys at the festival!

Final Touches

I took a couple of hours yesterday to put the finishing touches on the new office bathroom. I'm really very pleased with the results. It turned out far better than I had hoped for. Those nice corner sinks you see in the pictures were ordered from plumbingsupply.com, and I have no problems giving them a plug here. I have ordered a lot of stuff from them in the course of our remodel and have nothing but great things to say about their service as well as their prices. Overall, as a project goes I would give this one a difficulty factor of about 6 out of 10. Not overwhelming, but not for an amateur either. It took a wide array of skills to pull off - Framing, Plumbing, Electrical, Tilework, and Finish Carpentry...not to mention the architectural design, project planning and the demolition...both concrete and interior walls. The results look awesome, it is functional, and best of all, it meets the regulatory compliance we were lacking in the original bathroom. Enjoy the photos.

Finishing the office bathroom

So after a marathon weekend roughing in the new bathroom in our office, we spent Tuesday and Wednesday evening putting the finishing touches on the new space. We installed the toilet which is always fun, the sinks, wall sconces, and all of the various bathroom accouterments. Ahhhhhh...there's nothing quite like a brand new bathroom. I guess I'll be christening the throne soon enough. Enjoy the photos.

Rough In of the New Office Bathroom

Over the weekend, in true marathon style, we gutted and roughed in the new bathroom. When I say gutted, I mean we stripped the space down to the framing, relocated wiring, framed in a new ADA approved door, rerouted the plumbing, relocated the waste pipe (which involved busting up the slab), and drywalling the room. Quite a feat for a do-it-yourself job...mostly. I subbed out the drywall, because a mans got to know his limitations. My drywall always ends up looking amatuer. We use Martin and Sons for the drywall, they did the work a few months ago when we had the sagging drop ceiling replaced. They do an excellent job, and don't complain too bad about our not so perfect prep work. I will use them for every drywall job I do in the future and would recommend them if you're in need of drywall contractors. No job is too small, as you can see from these pictures. They completed this in a little less than four hours, and came back the following day to re-skim and sand. I defy you to find an imperfection. They make my crumby framing look great. The room wasn't square, off by about an inch in either direction. Not visible to the naked eye, but you cant rely on a t-square to score the sheetrock when the framing isn't perfect. Take a look at the first installment of pictures. I'll post the completed finish work separately later in the week.

On Simplifying Life

I’m in a miserable rut. I work constantly, and there is never enough time in the day to do what needs to be done. I'm having a terrible time getting motivated to do anything, and living in our house in the condition it's in is difficult to say the least. I haven't been able to enjoy myself in a long time. Even if I take a weekend off for some downtime, I end up doing nothing and feeling guilty for it. I keep telling myself that if we can just get through this office overhaul, I'll relax some, maybe go to the beach. We bought a family pack of splash passes this year even though I’d wager we won’t use them once. We find it difficult to grocery shop much less cook, or do laundry for that matter. We eat out often enough that even the fare from our finest local establishments is uninspiring. We irresponsibly have pets that we don't have time to care for. Not being able to see light at the end of the tunnel is weighing heavily on me. Setting priorities has become increasingly more difficult, and getting out of bed in the mornings is a challenge in itself. I filter through mountains of unkempt clothing every morning trying to find something suitable to wear to work, and it never seems to get any easier. I'm throwing down the gauntlet and making a conscious decision to simplify my life, to take time for myself and my children. Experts agree that simplifying ones life is the easiest way to become more productive. It's often suggested that we cut out activities that aren't consistent with our core values. I know I need to stop spending time to save money. Instead, I should be spending money to save time. I shouldn't spend an entire weekend putting up drywall when I can have a crew do it in six hours for less than 400 dollars. It's not worth my time. I've also decided that I'll plan for a weekend that doesn't involve work, to spend more time with my family and with folks that make some kind of positive contribution to my life. I'm going to stop spending time with people who drain what little energy I have left. If you're a needy friend or relative, sorry...I'll catch up with you later. I'm not going to focus any of my time on things I can't control. I'm not going to worry about what our contemptible competitors are up to. I'm not going to check my stock portfolio every day anymore. I'm going to cut back on the extra curricular activities my over-stimulated kids are involved with. If they need a day planner when their ten, their too damn busy. I'm going to take time for a glass of wine and an evening walk. Maybe I'll go fishing. Anybody know of a good home for a two year old border collie?