Re: [Thinkpad] New Pentium M chip: Dothan

Now lets keep it civil.
And stop messing with my *** dreams or I won't tell you the TRUE origin of
Murphy's Law (and this one is not a legend, it is fact).
----- Original Message -----
From: "James H. E. Maugham" <James.H.Maugham@verizon.net>
To: "Michael Stack" <mstack@niu.edu>; "Bruce Markowitz"
<scosgt@worldnet.att.net>
Cc: "Thinkpad List" <thinkpad@stderr.org>
Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2004 10:01 PM
Subject: RE: [Thinkpad] New Pentium M chip: Dothan

> Michael Stack <mailto:mstack@niu.edu> wrote:
> >
> > Maybe, maybe not:
> > http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq107.htm
>
> I really can't understand how you can get "maybe, maybe not" out of the
cited
> reference:
>
> The first recorded use of the term "brass monkey" appears to dates to 1857
when
> it was used in an apparently vulgar context by C.A. Abbey in his book
Before the
> Mast, where on page 108 it says "It would freeze the tail off a brass
monkey."
> [Source: Lighter, J.E. ed. Random House Historical Dictionary of American
Slang.
> (New York: Random House, 1994): 262.]
>
> It has often been claimed that the "brass monkey" was a holder or storage
rack
> in which cannon balls (or shot) were stacked on a ship. Supposedly when
the
> "monkey" with its stack of cannon ball became cold, the contraction of
iron
> cannon balls led to the balls falling through or off of the "monkey." This
> explanation appears to be a legend of the sea without historical
justification.
> In actuality, ready service shot was kept on the gun or spar decks in shot
racks
> (also known as shot garlands in the Royal Navy) which consisted of
longitudinal
> wooden planks with holes bored into them, into which round shot (cannon
balls)
> were inserted for ready use by the gun crew. These shot racks or garlands
are
> discussed in: Longridge, C. Nepean. The Anatomy of Nelson's Ships.
(Annapolis
> MD: Naval Institute Press, 1981): 64. A top view of shot garlands on the
upper
> deck of a ship-of-the-line is depicted in The Visual Dictionary of Ships
and
> Sailing. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 1991): 17.
>
> Looks like a definite NOT to me!
>
> Regards,
>
> James
>
> (In real life, Capt. James H. E. Maugham)
>
>
>

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Received on Tue May 11 22:27:55 2004