<2021-08-01T04:51:52.000Z> pinemarten: My dad told me he had a Walther P-38 WWII souvenir pistol he bought in the 1950s in Florida.    He sold it when I was very young or even before I was born.    This makes me sad now.
<2021-08-01T04:52:35.000Z> pinemarten: Some GI had sold it to a pawn shop in Florida where my dad bought it. 
<2021-08-01T04:53:45.000Z> pinemarten: I had been saying one time as a kid that the Lugar was cool, and he said the P-38 was much better.
<2021-08-01T04:54:24.000Z> pinemarten: Anyway, life is mostly regrets I guess.   Carry on anyway.  
<2021-08-01T04:54:48.000Z> Tripp: The P-38 is a MUCH better gun than a luger. Lugers are really clockwork guns, beautiful but not for war
<2021-08-01T04:55:22.000Z> Tripp: Anyway we all have things we could of had and such. The future is strange when it comes to those things.
<2021-08-01T05:33:44.000Z> pinemarten: Yes my father said it was much better, though the Luger is the meme gun.  
<2021-08-01T05:51:44.000Z> pinemarten: He is dead now many years.   We had a lot of issues.  
<2021-08-01T06:01:29.000Z> Tripp: Thats life man. Be thankful you have good memories.
<2021-10-08T19:03:06.000Z> pinemarten: I did 4 passages between US West coast to Hawaii, all in summer.   Twice short handed in a 10m sloop, once in a 44'  cruiser, once on a 60' sled.    Usually about 14 days.   These are considered fairly easy passages, but it is still pretty intense.   It depends a lot on where you are in the world.   I strongly advise to learn all you can on Other People's Boats (OPB).  Being delivery crew is a good way, especially if you can do it for no pay.   
<2021-10-08T19:04:36.000Z> Tripp: That is more than interesting. I'll take note of that then. Thanks a bunch.
<2021-10-08T19:30:50.000Z> pinemarten: You are in Europe? Things are pretty different there.   
<2021-10-08T19:33:00.000Z> Tripp: Been in America for the last long while
<2021-10-08T22:42:25.000Z> pinemarten: Oh, cool.   Well most people learn in small boats and move up from there.    If there is any racing scene nearby that is the best way to build general skills, literally learn the ropes.   But you need some basic skills first I think.
<2021-10-08T23:25:50.000Z> pinemarten: In SF area this is a good school that trains in J/24s.
<2021-10-08T23:25:52.000Z> pinemarten: youtube.com/watch?v=CEdFkbIYGno
<2021-10-08T23:27:58.000Z> Tripp: I'll have to look into it sooner than later
<2021-10-08T23:28:18.000Z> Tripp: Sort of want to give the airliner a big finger when it comes to travel
<2021-10-08T23:28:55.000Z> pinemarten: well I'm sure there are similar operations on East Coast, or Gulf Coast, FL etc. 
<2021-10-08T23:31:35.000Z> Tripp: I would assume you could find such things anywhere near a body of water
<2021-10-08T23:44:28.000Z> pinemarten: Eh, concentrated in specific areas.   LIS, Anapolis, Boston I guess, Puget Sound, SF Bay, some in SoCal.
<2021-10-09T00:05:38.000Z> Tripp: As expected
<2021-10-09T00:15:30.000Z> pinemarten: Individual people will have boats at lakes etc., you can learn in dinghys too but as far as a communities where there are keelboats you can learn on as crew, or be able to charter, it is more concentrated.    That said, I know an excellent sailor who lives in rural Montana, builds houses for a living, and wins ocean racing events. 
<2021-10-09T00:15:44.000Z> pinemarten: I dont mean to discourage you!
<2021-10-09T00:19:30.000Z> Tripp: Not one bit of this has been discouraging. If everything was easy it wouldn't be worth doing. Besides if I got discouraged I'd be dead. 
<2021-10-09T00:19:52.000Z> pinemarten: I started very late at age 40 sailing dinghys in a lake at a city park and in 15 years or so was solo ocean crossing.   Patience, and having it as a major life goal.
<2021-10-09T00:20:09.000Z> pinemarten: That's the spirit.
<2021-10-09T00:28:03.000Z> pinemarten: If you are young-ish and fit and can learn some bowman skills you will be in big demand in any area where there is racing.
<2021-10-09T00:31:14.000Z> Tripp: Money isn't much of a demand on my end. Its more or less just another means to explore places, the sailing that is.
<2021-10-09T00:33:30.000Z> pinemarten: Well that helps.   
<2022-03-13T18:39:02.000Z> pinemarten: If you are in UKR I hope you are OK.   I'm actually not sure what your situation is, you are a Russian or ethnic German who has fought for a while in the Donbas, and now has gone back?  Anyway best wishes and death to  ZOG.
<2022-04-29T19:21:58.000Z> pinemarten: Hey graf I feel somewhat silly asking at this late date, but you are in Ukraine fighting on the Russian side in the Donbass front?   I have something I need some help with. 
<2022-04-29T19:42:09.000Z> Tripp: That I am, anyway what is up
<2022-04-29T20:35:16.000Z> pinemarten: I was thinking about the situation, I can't help you militarily, but I was thinking on all the [Russian] civilians who have been displaced from their homes and otherwise suffered.   I'm sure the DPR government is doing what they can, but there is any legit relief organization that I could contribute to?
<2022-04-29T20:37:22.000Z> pinemarten: I mean I have cases of 9mm and 7.62x51mm but I dont think you can use the latter and I have no way to ship!   
<2022-04-29T21:07:03.000Z> Tripp: For civilian relief I honestly have little clue, I asked one of our younger guys and he says you'll probably have to sleuth through telegram or other Russiansphere places. Russia as far as I've seen is doing a fairly alright job, though to be honest I'm not around civilians much.
<2022-04-29T21:07:56.000Z> pinemarten: OK well I will do some more research.  Thanks and good luck!
<2022-04-29T21:09:37.000Z> pinemarten: There are 'Russians' at my work place but I think they are all Jews or Ukrainians, it is not a subject I can bring up.  Here in the US the propaganda campaign has been very very effective I'm afraid to say.  
<2022-04-29T21:10:35.000Z> Tripp: C'est la vie.
<2022-05-10T15:37:03.000Z> pinemarten: The RWA guys came through
<2022-05-10T15:37:15.000Z> pinemarten: t.me/RWApodcast/182
<2022-05-10T15:40:21.000Z> pinemarten: xn---22-fed8a4c.xn--p1ai/
<2022-05-10T15:41:27.000Z> pinemarten: I have to read some translated pages but RWA says they are legit.   