Author Archives: dmonk@usc.edu

The Boat Carpenter’s Level

Main piece:

So, there’s this ritual among boat carpenters, right? Where on your first day you show up, ready for work – and all these guys, y’know, none of them are really new to carpentry? They’re all usaully guys that have done some work for someone for a while before going into the wooden boatyards.

They walk in, and half the time they have their tools in their hands. But sometimes they don’t, and the older carpenters will send them back out to grab them. Then right there, before they can start, all the guys will start diggin’ through their toolboxes and makin’ a big deal out of it.

When they find a level, they hold it up in the air and parade it around for a minute. They give the new guy a hard time about it, and ask him what it’s for. By this point, he usually has no idea what’s going on. Then they’ll say – go see if that seat over there is level. And when he tries, they’ll rock the boat back and forth so the bubble is goin’ all over the place, laugh their asses off, and then they throw his level into the harbor.

Can’t use a level in a boat yard.

Context:

Ritual described by Randy Peffer at Boatswayne Yard in San Pedro, CA. Randy is a career seaman, educator, and writer.

Background:

Boat carpenters have a strong brotherhood, as they do a highly specialized job. They are often forced to work together in tight spaces, and their safety is mutually assured rather than guaranteed.

Analysis:

This is a transitional ritual which is tied to a carpenter’s entry into the trade of boat carpentry.

Swing Attack

Main piece:

“Swing Attack” is a game played using a two swings and a volleyball. “Throwers” and “Shaggers” are competing for spots on the swings, which are occupied by “Swingers”.

Swingers kick a lobbed volleyball, then compete as many laps of the swingset as possible before the ball is used to peg them while not in the seat of their swings. Scoring is individual. Leaving the game (even for a bathroom break) results in an automatic reset of a player’s points. Therefore, it is common to dash for the bathroom during a particularly long kick.

A player may circle the swing set to score points on either his own, or his partner’s kick.

A short kick is a “low ameoba”. A high but short kick is a “high ameoba”. Medium-length kicks are “high” and “low squirtles” respectively. A long kick is a “T-bomb”, “T-bone”, or “T-stone” which lands in the “T-zone”. A kick over the swingset backwards can be caught by the “ass-stop”, and is called a “rodeo”.

Swingers are tagged by either a tap or a peg. The game concludes upon mutual agreement of players.

Context:

Game described by Jake Handley, born and raised in Decatur, IL.

Background:

Unlike many neighborhood games, Swing Attack is not proprietary in any way. It can be played on any swing set and with a variety of balls. It was invented through iteration, and can be enjoyably played by both children and adults. Swing Attack is uniquely scalable, and can be played by any number of players between three and ten.

Analysis:

Swing Attack relies on many elements of games like Matball which are played in Decatur’s physical education classes.

Sad Cake

Main piece:

9×13 Pan
2 Cups Bisquick
4 Eggs
2/3 Cup oil
1 to 1.5 teaspoons Vanilla
1 Box brown sugar

Beat eggs and oil until frothy. Add vanilla. Beat in brown sugar until thoroughly combined. Add Bisquick. Bake in a greased 9×13 pan at 350 degrees for about 30-40 min. However, be sure to check with a toothpick. Cake will fall upon removal from oven. This is part of its charm.

Context:

Recipe originally written by Elizabeth Bassa, Laura’s mother-in-law. Laura continues to bake “Sad Cake”.

Background:

Sad Cake is a charming desert which is comparable to the better-known “blondie”. The name Sad Cake is derived from the falling action of the cake which occurs when it is removed from the oven. As a result, the cake is very dense – especially at the middle of its pan.

Analysis:

This is a simple, tasty desert recipe which can be made with minimal preparation or supplies. It is accompanied by a name which makes it special, and something of a novelty.

False swallows

Main piece:

Sailors have a whole code, right, in the tattoos? So – your achievements, experience, your tattoos are like your resume among old sailors. Especially enlisted Navy guys. And there’s a whole symbology that is common to sailors.

For example, a pig and hen. You get them on your feet, to keep you from drowning. The thought is that pigs and hens can’t swim, so God would take pity on them and save you. This has gone back for hundreds of years.

One of the most common tattoos is a swallow – and a sailor gets one for each five thousand miles he sails.

But now we have a problem, cuz all these young guys are getting tattoos that they never earned. And if they never sail, that’s just fine but once they’re around sailors? Well, they look like fuckin’ assholes. You know how long I had to wait for my first swallow? Then I gotta see some little shit fresh off the dock who’s got four of them on his arm?

The thing is, ya gotta cover those fuckers up. Cuz if you leave them, you’re askin’ for it. From other sailors, from the sea, and from God. Sharpie, bandaids – doesn’t matter. But unless you earned it, no one wants to see it.

Context:

Ritual described by Randy Peffer at Boatswayne Yard in San Pedro, CA. Randy is a career seaman, educator, and writer. Randy has covered False Swallows on his own crewmen, especially during ocean yacht races.

Background:

Tattoos are part of sailing culture which are taken very seriously. Although work by Norman Collins is the most popular style, a variety of more modern tattoos exist as well.

Analysis:

False swallows reflect a common motif in sailing superstition – appeasing God/Davy Jones/the gods of the sea. Covering false swallows also reflects equity among crewmen and respect for seniority – two other values held highly in sailing.

Dandelion nose

Main piece:

We had this thing we’d do as kids… Like, young kids though like maybe 10 years old! So, you’d find a dandelion and pick it, then pressure one of your friends into doing this thing where you look at someone you have a crush on – then you bury your nose in the dandelion.

If it comes away yellow, we’d ooh and ahh and say that it meant you guys’d get married some day or somethin’. And the person’d look over, of course, and see someone looking at them completely embarrassed with yellow all over their nose. Then they know and the… middle school tension grows?!

I don’t know. It seems so weird now but I can remember so many times when we did this!! And dandelions are so gross too, but it was fun. And it didn’t always come away yellow.

Context:

Ritual described by Bree Tschosik, born and raised in Decatur, IL.

Background:

This ritual continues today among schoolchildren in the rural Midwest, of course with some variation. At an age where male/female relationships are still somewhat awkward, it provides an expressive and entertaining ritual for participants.

Analysis:

The chance element of dandelion rubs is what makes it so entertaining! Because it doesn’t always leave a yellow mark. And of course, the social relationships of participants is the main factor in entertainment value of this ritual.