Chanters and policemen's truncheon's

[PJ]

As a joke, I have told people (for years), that I could fight my way out of a bar brawl, by unhitching my D bass regulator, and swinging it around as a club,to clear a path of escape.

A Chieftain Low D also works.

[Tony]

Last year Ian Mackenzie sent me a prototype B chanter to sample that was very light and played very lively. When I inquired what kind of wood it was made from he replied:

"The wood is black bean (castanospermum) from Queensland and is better known as a furniture timber. I Just used this wood because it was an odd expendable piece.

If you actually wanted a chanter made from this stuff,I may have some difficulty in finding some but could make some enquiries in Sydney. It seems to have about the same characteristics as brazil rosewood."

He once told me (on the phone) he's turned many a chanter from old table legs.


I think Emer mentioned about pipes made from reclaimed greenheart. This is lumber that is highly water resistant. They used to make docks with the stuff.
Doesn't Allan Ginsburg still make pipes from greenheart?

[Joseph E. Smith]

Rory, I thought it was immensely funny. More power to your elbow!

djm

Saint Joe's going to be on your back now any minute

RORY

... in order for me to become a saint, I gotta die first, and then after a century or so they'll put it to a vote... but as far as gettin' on djm's back... I suppose I could, but he'll have to wait..... it's one hell of a long walk from Central Florida to his neck of the woods. It's also in the high 90's down here so the first month is going to be a little slower.

[Cynth]

Rodney King was beaten with PR-24 metal batons. To confirm that, you can go to this website:
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/project ... force.html

This is what they look like:

This is a technical description of the PR-24. Keep in mind that it was the aluminum PR-24AL that was in use by the LAPD.

"The PR-24 baton is a multi-purpose police instrument constructed of 100% virgin Monpac (TM) plastic. It is 24 inches long, 1 1/4 inches in diameter, and weighs 27 ounces. A handle is form-fitted at right angles to the long extended portion and helf in place with a hardened steel bolt. There are two variants—the PR-24AL, the short and long extended portions of which are constructed of aircraft aluminum, and the PR-24S, which is a single molded piece of extra strong polycarbonate material. "
http://thediagram.com/2_4/pr24_nom.html

The use of PR-24 batons is the fifth out of six steps in the LAPD Use of Force policy, the sixth step being the use of deadly force. (http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/project ... force.html)

I don't think it would make a very good chanter, but I could be wrong. I don't think Rodney King heard "lovely ringing tone[s] off them". I don't know why that film strip rorybbellows posted says "rodneys party" under it. That is actually disgusting. "Least [sic] we forget and all that" disappeared pretty quickly, didn't it, once djm said he thought it was "immensely funny".

There are a lot of people, in addition to St. Joe, who didn't and don't find much humor in the Rodney King beating and riots, in which 53 people were killed. I doubt that it is funny to get hit with one of these things, and I think it would be very few policemen who would think it was funny to hit someone with one of these. Without expressing any opinion at all about why it all happened and degrees of culpability, I think one can at least say that it was not funny.

Don't worry. I've no intention of continuing this. Carry on.

[PJ]

At the risk of getting on-topic, any other examples of innovative pipemakers making pipes from interesting objects - batons, table legs, etc.

Denis Leary has a very funny line about the problem with cannabis isn't that it leads to harder drugs - it leads to carpentry. People want to make bongs out of everything. It's probably an indication that a piper/pipemaker is getting a little too obsessed with piping when he/she starts sizing up everyday objects and thinking "That'd make a lovely flat chanter".

[Craig Stuntz]

Denis Leary has a very funny line about the problem with cannabis isn't that it leads to harder drugs - it leads to carpentry.

I've always observed bad taste in music to be the most dangerous side effect. You know the joke:

Q: What did one deadhead say to the other when the pot wore off?
A: Wow! This music sucks!

[djm]

It's also in the high 90's down here so the first month is going to be a little slower.

No better here, Joe. With the humidex its in the low 100s. You are welcome to take it back any time.

Cynth, I saw a double-D chanter made of metal in the possesion of Kevin Henry once, not sure if it was from a PR-24 or not. I do not support police battery based on race, but I get sick to death of apologies being demanded by the self-righteous for every dumb joke that may appear here from time to time.

djm

[Cynth]

Yes, I know, you've mentioned that before. I do not demand apologies, what point would there be in that?, nor do I expect the dumb jokes to stop. Far from it.

[Kevin L. Rietmann]

I read once about a flute made from a bicycle pump. They used to make fifes out of elder shoots (boortree) and a type of bamboo (furawn). I've seen old flutes that looked like they were made from table legs, or wagon wheel spokes perhaps.
The old style of bass regulator had a removable top section - some make this style now. That'd be more of a sure bet for a weapon, you wouldn't break any keys in the process.

[sean an piobaire]

I have to get into it once more! The police baton, and it's use in the USA, was probably started by Irish immigrants who became policemen, during the 19th century. These men would not have been strangers to the sprig of "Shillelagh". That is, the stick, made of blackthorn, ash wood, holly, or oak, used in " Faction Fighting". I first read about this in a book entitled: "Irish Faction Fighters of the 19th Century" by Patrick O'Donnell, the Anvil Press, Dublin, 1975. I can't find my copy, but I remember that one of the faction men named his stick "Death Without a Priest"(____gan Sagart) could somebody call a chanter by that name? Certain out of tune chanters come to mind....
The stick, when held in the hand, was supposed to extend a little ways past your elbow (the same length as the Scots knife, Sgian Dubh,the Skein Dhu, or black knife). The "Shillelagh" part of the name is taken from the name of the oak forest that grew near Arklow, Co. Wicklow.
There's a site by John W. Hurley (I think about the hurling stick,at the appearance of that name), called Irish Martial Arts or Bataireacht Sail Eille, that has plenty of info on this subject. I also visited the short, one page, The Bata, An Overview. The ordinary Gaelic word for stick is "maide". In O'Donnell's opinion, the origin of these 19th century fights were in the ritual combats that were part of the Big Fairs of the Middle Ages (and earlier) at Carman, etc. A sort of Olympic Games affair. Music Competions were also held at these events, and also the pipers leading the sporting teams on and off the field. I think about that everytime I play the Hurlers March! Sean Folsom
P.S. Then there's baton twirling, that art of American High Schools, throughout the nation, that was something the Faction men were good at, as well! S.F.

[kevin m.]

There's a site by John W. Hurley (I think about the hurling stick,at the appearance of that name), called Irish Martial Arts or Bataireacht Sail Eille, that has plenty of info on this subject. I also visited the short, one page, The Bata, An Overview. The ordinary Gaelic word for stick is "maide". In O'Donnell's opinion, the origin of these 19th century fights were in the ritual combats that were part of the Big Fairs of the Middle Ages (and earlier) at Carman, etc. A sort of Olympic Games affair.

This probably explains the title of Irish Air 'Fear an Bhata' (The Man with the Stick).I always wondered if it was referring to a plain old 'walking stick' or something a bit more 'martial'.

[rorybbellows]

Some will never understand the purpose of this kind of humour (for want of a better word) and will seek answers in rectitude .
I'm a big fan of all Mel Brooks films but some people just don,t understand how they work


RORY

[Joseph E. Smith]

Some will never understand the purpose of this kind of humour...

What's to understand? I view it as being in poor taste. As Cynth has pointed out, many, many people were killed and injured, businesses were torched as result of the Rodney King fiasco.... not one damn thing humorous about that. :roll:

[PJ]

In O'Donnell's opinion, the origin of these 19th century fights were in the ritual combats that were part of the Big Fairs of the Middle Ages (and earlier) at Carman, etc. A sort of Olympic Games affair.

I prefer the Arthur Guinness explanation of the origin of the faction fights.

[rorybbellows]

Some will never understand the purpose of this kind of humour...

What's to understand? I view it as being in poor taste. As Cynth has pointed out, many, many people were killed and injured, businesses were torched as result of the Rodney King fiasco.... not one damn thing humorous about that. :roll:

Is there any humour in watching two afro-americans being ordered into a pit of quick sand (while constantly being refered to as the N word) to retrieve a rail cart as not to risk the lose of horse;s and then being left there to die once the job was done,(blazing saddles)is there any humour in watching men being crucified while singing always look on the bright side of life (life of Brian,Monty python) and there are hundreds more examples I could call on.
You might think these are humourous but millions would disagree,there seem to be plenty of laughter in the cinema when I was there .
Look we could talk about this till we were blue in the face,you get it or you don.t get it , that’s it
I,m sure everybody is getting tired of this now ,I know I am

RORY