Monday 28 January 2002

At 1200, EST the Training Ship Empire State was moored starboard side to the dock in Vera Cruz, Mexico. The sky was partly cloudy and hazy, winds had shifted to the east northeast at 10 mph, air temperature was 85 degrees Fahrenheit, barometric pressure was 1024 millibars, and rising, the humidity was 88 percent, and the sea water temperature was 74 degrees F.

CAPTAIN'S LOG

"There are no short cuts to any place worth going." Beverly Sills

Speaking of short cuts; next, I am off to Egypt to visit the food pyramid. Yesterday, I wrote that the cadets were going south to visit Incan ruins. Thankfully, they ran out of gas money before reaching Peru or many would have missed our scheduled departure tomorrow. However, they did travel south and they did visit ruins- Mayan ruins, and Aztec.

Speaking of distant places, the state just to the southwest of Vera Cruz is Oaxaca. It is known as the "Tierra del Sol" and anyone who enjoys fresh air, mountain sunshine, and crystal clear lakes will like this part of Mexico. Oaxaca continues westward to the Pacific Ocean and, like Vera Cruz, has a beautiful coastline. The states of Vera Cruz, (we are visiting Vera Cruz, Vera Cruz; analogous to New York, New York) Oaxaca, and to the west, Tabasco comprise an area of compelling archaeological importance. Archaeologists and anthropologists have discovered evidence of human habitation going back to 1000 B.C. with the Olmec people. The Olmecs are thought to be the first pre-Columbian culture of Mesoamerica, and those who set the stage for the later Indian cultures of Mexico. The Olmec people lived along the Gulf Coast in what is now the southern Vera Cruz and Tabasco States. The Mixtec, the Zapotec, the Aztecs, and Spanish civilizations followed the Olmec. Zempoala, the last capital of the Totanac people, is located just outside of Vera Cruz. The site has several remarkable buildings including the Great Temple, the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, and the Temple of the Little Faces. The Totanacs were fierce rivals of the Aztecs; they supported and helped Cortes and for repayment were themselves, conquered by the Spaniards.

Now that you know that I know that the cadets were not off to see the Inca, let's talk football! How about them PATS! The playoff game was packed, despite the many alluring enticements in the Vera Cruz countryside. We obtained a large screen, satellite television system, courtesy of Chartwells (THE - take good care of you) Dining Services Company. "Fritz" Fritzinger, the Food Services Manager, located the necesssary equipment and had it delivered, setup, and operational with time to spare. That outstanding effort was easily voted the play of the day! Our hats are off to him.

Pittsburgh was clearly favored going in and not likely to loose the big game on home turf, so the opening kickoff was greeted with nail biting trepidation and uncertainty here in Vera Cruz city. Oh, but how quickly things change; soon the Steeler retreat was on and never a doubting Thomas lived among us. All enjoyed seeing Bledsoe return to form and working his offensive magic but the consensus for "best play" came from the defense: the combination blocked field goal and resulting touchdown raised the overhead. I doubt that the Mexican people have ever hosted a noiser ship. The swaggering excitement, the high fives, and the wait until Super Bowl bravado continued into the night.

Tonight is the famous "last night in the first port" drill. Tonight we set the hours for liberty expiration early because we have a lot to do to get underway by 0800 tomorrow. Senior cadets have "Cinderella Liberty", second class are back by 2300, sophomores by 2230 and freshmen have to return to the ship not later than 2200. For some strange reason some cadets (usually 4/c) try to cram 15 hours of having fun into the 8 or so hours available. The resulting excesses make for an interesting Quarterdeck watch, fill the ranks of the Extra Duty Squad, and unfortunately reduce the numbers of cadets on the beach in the next port. I don't know why this phenomenon happens every year. One would think the upperclass cadets, font of all oral history at the Academy, would impress the underclass with the importance of being back to the ship on time and the penalties for inappropriate conduct. Maybe it's like the warden said in the movie "Cool Hand Luke" : "Some men you just can't reach." Maybe tonight will be quiet... I'll let you know how it turned out tomorrow after we get underway enroute to another anchor exercise in the Cayman Islands, hopefully in TV range for the Superbowl. See You Tomorrow.. from the deep, blue waters just east of here.

Note: Pictures of the port visit and cadet adventure stories from Mexico will be appearing in the log through the next week.

QUESTIONS FOR TUESDAY 29 JANUARY

MATH: The referees were practicing the pre-game coin toss. The coin came up heads 12 times and tails 8 times. What percent of the time did it come up tails?

SCIENCE: What is the scientific study of the origin and the physical, social, and cultural development, and behavior of humans called?

HISTORY: A number of crops familiar to the Indians in North America became important to Europeans after the discovery and colonization of the New World. A list of those crops would include corn, potatoes, and others. One of the most significant crops became, in the long run, more important than gold. In fact, this product was so valuable that it was grown in the streets of the early communities in the southeastern settlements. Farmers raised this crop and sent huge shipments to Europe where many believed, as the Indians did, that it could be used as a medicine. Name the leafy plant that was so valuable that it replaced money in early colonial settlements.

GEOGRAPHY: The plant name that you are looking for in the History question is grown in many parts of the world, although North America accounts for much of its production. After you have discovered the name of this crop, search to find other countries, in addition to the U.S., that produce it as a part of their agricultural products.

ANSWERS FOR MONDAY 28 JANUARY

MATH: 1 USD is to 9.125 Mexican Pesos as N dollars are to 228 pesos. Therefore; 9.125N = 228 pesos, divide 228 by 9.125. N = 25 Dollars. The jacket is less expensive in Vera Cruz.

SCIENCE: The haze is commonly called smog. The sulfur dioxide and sulfate-containing aerosols can cause respiratory problems by triggering asthma attacks and cases of bronchitis, says Douglas W. Dockery, an environmental epidemiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston.

GEOGRAPHY: The fertilizers are growing vast amounts of algae (algal blooms) in the Gulf. When the algal blooms die and sink to lower layers of water the decomposition process takes more oxygen from the water than is replaced at the surface. The result is that, periodically, huge parts of the Gulf near the U.S. coastline have become "dead zones" where no fish can live.

HISTORY: The name of the war was the Mexican American War, 1846-1848 also called the U.S. - Mexican War. The commander of the American army was Major - General Winfield Scott.