Showing posts with label Weather. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Weather. Show all posts

Friday, December 13, 2024

Wednesday, December 13, 1944. USS Goshen commissioned.

Today In Wyoming's History: December 13: Today is St. Lucy's Day. She is one of the patrons of writers. 

1944 The USS Goshen, originally named the Sea Hare, commissioned.  She was a fast attack transport.


The USS Goshen was sold in 1947 to American Mail Lines Ltd and renamed Canada Mail. In 1963 her name was changed to California Mail. In 1968, she was sold to Waterman Steamship, re-registered as the La Fayette. She was scrapped in 1973.

The US prevailed in the Battle of Metz.

The First Battle of Kesternich began on the German border with Belgium.

The Battle of Mindoro began in the Philippines


The Myōkō was  damaged beyond repair by the USS Bergall.

The USS Nashville was severely damaged off Negros Island by a kamikaze attack.

The U-365 was sunk in the Artic Ocean by a Fairey Swordfish.

The Great Snowstorm of 1944 ended.

Last edition:

Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Monday, December 11, 1944. The Great Snowstorm of 1944.

The Great Snowstorm of 1944 set in, impacting  northeastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, upstate New York, southern Ontario and southern Quebec.

Scene from Toronto..

The British 8th Army crossed the Lamone.

The Soviets heavily bombard Budapest.

The US 7th Army entered Haguenau.   The Germans unsuccessfully attacked 3d Army bridgeheads over the Saar.

The Germans completed the murder of the inmates of the Hartheim Euthanasia Centre.

British reinforcements reach Athens to combat some 25,000 ELAS troops.

The USS Reid was sunk off of Leyte by a kamikaze.

Kia (기아), then Kyungsung Precision Industry (京城精密工業), was founded in Seoul, which of course was occupied as part of the Japanese Empire.

Last edition:

Sunday, December 10, 1944. Hall of Fame.

    Friday, November 1, 2024

    Saturday, November 1, 1924. Political, and real, warfare.

    It was Saturday.


    Country Gentleman's cover was a follow-up from the prior week's.

    Sultan bin Saqr Al Qasimi II invaded the Emirate of Sharjah resulting in the overthrow of  Khalid bin Ahmad Al Qasimi, who had been the Emir since 1914.

    Sharjah was one of the Trucial States under British protectorate status. It is now one of the United Arab Emirates.

    He'd find his rule ineffective as he was ignored by Beudoins and Khalid retained support.  He remained the titular rule, however, until his death in 1951.

    The Royal Air Force introduced its Meteorological Flight Service.

    Éamon de Valera was sentenced to a month in prison for entering Ulster illegally.

    Frontier lawman Bill Tilghman, age 70, was shot and killed by drunken prohibition agement Wiley Lynn, who obviously wasn't that dedicated to the cause of his employment. Tilghman would lie in State in the Oklahoma state house.  Lynn would escape conviction, pleading self defense, but was killed in a gunfight in 1932.

    The days headline did, and did not, read like today's.


    Last edition:

    Thursday, October 30, 1924. King maker.

    Wednesday, October 9, 2024

    Just two weeks ago Congress passed a bill that included funding for FEMA.

    Be careful what you wish for, lest it come true!

    Aesop. 

    Contrary to news reports, it was not a FEMA funding bill, it was the stop gap bridge measure to keep the government open.


    The hard right in Congress, including Wyoming's lone Congressman, voted against it.  Voting against such bills has been really popular in the populist street level politics of Wyoming.  And the hard right sees it as a way to force fiscal responsibility, as long as you don't want to be too cynical about it.  It'd also handicap the government if it didn't pass, of course, which some long for.

    Rep. Hageman gave her reasons as follows:

    Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Harriet Hageman voted in favor of H.R. 9494 - Continuing Appropriations and Other Matters Act, 2025 (CR) that would keep the federal government open through March 28, 2025 and include the SAVE Act. The SAVE Act, cosponsored by Rep. Hageman and passed earlier this year by the House of Representatives with bipartisan support, would require states to obtain proof of citizenship—in person—when registering an individual to vote and require states to remove non-citizens from existing voter rolls. The bill failed 220-202.

    Representative Hageman stated, “Safeguarding our election process is critically important, especially with the open border policies of the Biden-Harris administration that have allowed over 11 million illegals to enter our country. By including the SAVE Act with government funding and extending the funding into 2025, when Republicans have a strong chance of controlling the House, Senate, and White House, America wins. We will be able to craft responsible appropriations bills that slash wasteful spending, stop the current administration’s radical climate agenda, and eliminate woke DEI programs from federal agencies – at the same time, we can ensure that only American citizens vote in federal elections.
    “I am disappointed that the House was unable to pass H.R. 9494 today. While Continuing Resolutions are never ideal, securing our elections and creating an opportunity to pass conservative spending bills in 2025 created a unique opportunity. I will not support a CR that fails to include the SAVE Act.”
    I'm sure her logic is likewise popular in the state, but I'd note that tying immigration to continuing spending is linking two unrelated things.  She voted against the bill that passed.

    Anyhow, while this wasn't a FEMA spending bill, FEMA is part of the government and gets its money from the government, which would have closed if the CR hadn't passsed. . . .

    FEMA is now addressing hurricane damage in the Southeast last week, and is about to deal with a second hurricane that looks to hit Florida with a fury not matched in a century.

    Interestingly, the Trump campaign is now lying (imagine that) about disaster relief funds not making it to Appalachia.  Trump has, of course, inspired the far right and the "shut the government down" midset.

    Well, what about us?

    Here are the list of disasters that FEMA recognizes for this year in Wyoming:

    Incident Period:  - and continuing
    Fire Management Assistance Declaration declared on 
    Incident Period:  - and continuing
    Fire Management Assistance Declaration declared on 
    Incident Period:  - and continuing
    Fire Management Assistance Declaration declared on 

     And quite frankly, there are going to be more to come.

    The Elk Fire near Dayton and Sheridan is now up to 75,000 and is only 10% contained as of this morning.  A forest fire broke out in this county yesterday afternoon.*

    These fires aren't stopping until it snows, and daily temperatures are freakishly high for October.

    Let's discuss subsidiarity.

    Subsidiarity on this site is defined in the Catholic sense.  It is an organizing principle that things (problems, matters, politics, economics) ought to be handled by the smallest, lowest or least centralized competent authority.

    Least centralized competent authority, not the least centralized authority.

    The most centralized competent authority can indeed be the Federal government for large disasters, particularly multistate disasters, and ones which require large sums of money that cannot be locally obtained.

    That latter is particularly the case for Wyoming.

    We can't afford these disasters on our own. We can't afford to fight them.  We can't address what they destroy.

    Wyomingites are on social media right now complaining that the country is ignoring us.  Well, attention works two ways.

    This upcoming 2025 Legislature is likely to see the House controlled by the "Wyoming" Freedom Caucus.  The "Wyoming" Freedom Caucus basically wants to give the Federal Government the middle finger salute.  But nobody in the state wants to tell Washington "no thanks, you keep your FEMA, Highway, FAA money, we'll do it on our own".  

    There's a word for lashing out when you don't get what you want, and see yourself as the center of things.

    A tantrum, angry outburst, temper tantrum, lash out, meltdown, fit, or hissy fit is an emotional outburst, usually associated with those in emotional distress. It is typically characterized by stubbornness, crying, screaming, violence, defiance, angry ranting, a resistance to attempts at pacification, and, in some cases, hitting and other physically violent behavior. Physical control may be lost; the person may be unable to remain still; and even if the "goal" of the person is met, they may not be calmed. Throwing a temper tantrum can lead to a child getting detention or being suspended from school for older school age children, and can result in a timeout or grounding, complete with room or corner time, at home. A tantrum may be expressed in a tirade: a protracted, angry speech.

    Wikipedia. 

    “Be careful what you wish for, lest it come true!”, Aesop counseled, and for a reason.  And Sappho counseled "don't bite the hand that feeds you".

    And, of course:

    Pride goes before disaster, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

    Proverbs 16:18.

    We've been pretty proud here recently. 

    Footnotes:

    *A message from the Game and Fish:

    Sheridan – The Wyoming Game and Fish Department advises hunters that the Elk Fire in Sheridan County continues to grow, impacting wildlife habitat and access to certain hunt areas.

     

    Hunt areas impacted by the fire or associated public access closures are currently located within Elk Hunt Areas 37 and 38 and Deer Hunt Areas 24 and 25. This is an active fire situation and these areas may change. Game and Fish is maintaining a fire information page for hunters and updating it regularly.

     

    As of Oct. 5, 2024, the following Access Yes areas have been closed until further notice:

     

    • PK Lane Hunter Management Area. 
    • Sheridan County Walk in Areas #8 and #12. 

       

    Game and Fish personnel are assisting public safety officials and fire suppression efforts as requested.

     

    Personnel will assess impacts to Commission-owned properties and wildlife habitat when it is safe to do so.

     

    Members of the public should be extra vigilant in watching for wildlife on roadways to avoid collisions, as animals may relocate to new areas where they usually aren’t expected.

     

    Wildlife are generally adept at moving away from wildfires and the department has not received reports of injured animals at this time. Members of the public who see an injured animal can report the location to the Stop Poaching Hotline at 1-877-WGFD-TIP. The hotline operates 24 hours a day and reports are sent to the nearest wildlife manager to respond.  

     

    Hunters should consult the Bighorn National Forest website and Facebook page for the most current information on fire conditions and public access closures. 

     

    Other resources for information about the fire, current road closures and other impacts include the Sheridan County Emergency Management Department and Wyoming Department of Transportation.

     

    Hunters can call the Sheridan Regional Office at 307-672-7418 for more information.

    Sunday, September 29, 2024

    Agitio ter consuli, gemitus britannorum . . .Repellunt barbari ad mare, repellit mare ad barbaros; inter haec duo genera funerum aut iugulamur aut mergimur.

    So on this Sunday, 2024, I worked, contrary to God's injunction, like on so many others. As a result, I didn't really catch up with the horrific plight of Appalachia in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

    It's awful.

    Which makes this the worst, and best, time to note this.

    We're headed into a legislative session, and an election season, in which the far right espouses a hatride of the Federal Government.  If you are in Appalachia, and vote for the populists, you are voting to handle this disaster on your own.  If you are in Wyoming, and voting populists, the same is true of the horrible fires we've experienced and are yet to.

    If that is your view, don't ask for help, as stupid and cold as not asking for help would be.

    We here are distributists, a philosophy that holds things should devolve to the lowest level possible. Here, that level is the Federal government.  Distributism works up, as well as down.

    Additionally, how long will we choose to ignore the signs?  We've waited longer than we should have as it is.  There's still time to act, no matter how much it impacts your temrporary pocket books, with you being temporary as it is.

    Sunday, September 22, 2024

    Tuesday, September 22, 1874. 1874 Hong Kong Typhoon.

     The third worst typhoon to hit Hong Kong hit on the night of September 22, 1874.


    Up to 2,000 people died in Hong Kong, and in nearby China, between 10,000 and 100,000 people lost their lives.

    Last edition:

    Sunday, September 20, 1874. An African American Wyoming Sheep Rancher.

    Saturday, September 14, 2024

    Thursday, September 14, 1944. Dragoon concludes. More SOE agents executed. The toll of the 1944 Great Atlantic Hurricane increases.

    Troops of the 3rd Bn., 7th Inf. Regt., 3rd Div., move through a muddy street in Montjustin-et-Velotte, France. 14 September, 1944. 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division.

    Operation Dragoon concluded.

    The Red Army commenced the Baltic Offensive.


    The Red Army and Romanian Army fought the Hungarian Army at Păuliș.

    British and Canadian troops took Coriano, Italy.

    Captured Canadian Army officers assigned to the  John Kenneth Macalister, 30, Frank Pickersgill, 29, and Roméo Sabourin, 21, were executed at Buchenwald.

    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recorded the third highest water level of Woods Hole, MA to date at 1.488 meters, no doubt due to the ongoing 1944 Great Atlantic Hurricane.

    The USCGC Bedlo and USCGC Jackson went down in the hurricane.

    Last edition:

    Wednesday, September 13, 1944. The Execution of the SOE Agents.

    Friday, September 13, 2024

    Wednesday, September 13, 1944. The Execution of the SOE Agents.

    The first meeting of American troops of General Patton's Third U.S. Army forces with French troops of General Patch's Seventh U.S. Army took place recently when their long reconnaissance arms met at Autun, France. Here Adjutant Emile Lancery, Bouhy, France, left, whose native group landed near Toulon, is shown shaking hands with Sgt. Louis Basil, Follansbee, W.Va., in the first scout vehicle of the Combat Command. 13 September, 1944. Combat Command B, 6th Armored Division.

    Greek, Canadian and New Zealand forces attacked the Germans at Rimini, Italy.

    The Red Army took the Warsaw suburb of Praga.  That evening, the Soviet air force began dropping supplies to the Home Army in Warsaw.  The action was undertaken due to US and UK pressure.

    The Greek People's Liberation Army and the collaborationist Security Battalions fought at Melgalas.

    The Navy begana pre invasion bombardment of Peleliu and Angaur.

    SOE agents Yolande Beekman, 32, Madeleine Damerment, 26, and Noor Inayat Khan, 30, were executed at Dachau.

    Yolande Beekman.

    Madeleine Damerment

    Noor Inayat Khan.

    The USS Warrington sunk in the 1944 Great Atlantic Hurricane.


    Last edition:

    Monday, August 26, 2024

    Thursday, August 26, 1909. A hostel idea.

    The youth hostel movement was born when a group of hikers lead by Richard Schirrmann found shelter in a school in a thunderstorm.

    Schirrmann was a teacher as well as an outdoorsman.  During World War One he served in the German Army, participating the 1915 Christmas truce, something that lingered in his area for quite some time after Christmas.  He founded the Youth Hostel Association in 1919 and founded the children's village "Staumühle" on a former military training ground near Paderborn, where my German ancestors hail from.  HE served as the President of the International Youth Hostelling Associating until the Nazis forced him to resign and put the control of the hostels under the Hitler Youth in 1936.  He rebuilt the association after the war.  He married late, in 1942, but had six children with his wife before dying in 1961 at age 87.

    The SS Cartago telegraphed a report of a hurricane near the Yucatan, the first radio warning of a tropical storm.

    Last edition:

    Monday, August 23, 1909. Bill Bergen sets a record.

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