The Best Posts of the Week for the Week of August 9, 2015

The massively declined standard of dress (and does it matter?)

Sunday, August 15, 1915. Byng and Carranza.

The 1915 Galveston hurricane reached the center of the Gulf of Mexico and turned northwards towards the U.S. coast. 

There was much ado about Carranza.

Lieutenant-general Frederick Stopford, commander of the landing at Suvla, was relieved and replaced with Lieutenant-general Julian Byng.

Ottoman troops began murdering Armenians around Urfa, Turkey, leading to armed resistance.

The UB-4 hit a mine and sank. The Russian minelayer Ladoga also did.

Libyan Senussi fired on a British submarine investigating reported military maneuvers near Sollum, Egypt. General John Maxwell accepted the explanation from Senussi leaders that the party mistook the sub as an Italian boat.

Random Snippets: Chesterton on cheese

The poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.

G. K. Chesterton

"Never Again". Yeah. . . right

A frequent comment by some casual students of World War Two has been to note how blind the Western Allies seemed to be to German atrocities.  The common theme is that, "if it were we, we wouldn't let it happen."

Well, we are.

In the past few days there's been all sorts of news about ISIL horrors, starting with the Taliban actually condemning ISIL aligned forces in Afghanistan for the brutal explosive featuring killing of prisoners to the institutionalized assault and slavery of non Moslem women.

So we wouldn't let these thing happen, eh?

Up in arms: Lex Anteinternet: NCSD Board Policy 5375. Dress Code.

I posted on this (nearly non news) item earlier this week:

Lex Anteinternet: NCSD Board Policy 5375. Dress Code.: The current NCSD dress code. Usually with something like this, the poster, if he's been out of school over 20 years (and I have. ....

As noted, the dress code in the local school district, which is highly onerousness, has been in place for at least 30 years or so, and likely stretches back to the 1970s.

Well, as with honored traditions everywhere, the tradition of student protest lacking information is now in full swing. Students in the district are rising in opposition and signing petitions, and the like, to change the policy as if its new, which it isn't, and as if it's oppressive.  Shoot, its hardly a policy at all, so it would be hard for it to be oppressive. But if the policy was "brush your teeth before school", that would spark some anger as well, no doubt.

One of the comments in today's paper was interesting both because it hearkens back to the same discussion 30 years ago, and because it shows how amazingly naive students of this age really remain.  Some student claimed that to the small extent it requires female students to cover up, and it doesn't do that much, it will sponsor viewing women as objects for assault.  I have a post in the hopper that will deal with that, but sorry junior, that's not the case and the opposite is true.

The degree to which women "encourage" unwelcome attention including violent attention has been debated forever, and I actually recall a high school age girl, not here, being discussed widely while I was in high school as she was in the news after being attacked.  Her attacker maintained and the judge accepted that she was partially responsible due to her dress, and there's been a few instances of such decisions since then.

Now, let be clear, the judge was completely in error and the criminal should not have been allowed to get away with that excuse.  There's no excuse for such behavior at all.

But, it's also absurd to think that a certain type of dress isn't distracting in a negative way.  Dress like an object and you'll become one to some degree.  That's not good, but to a certain extent, that's actually nature.  They don't print magazines with those photos in them because it proofs against assault you know, and certain sisters famous for being famous don't dress that way in the hopes you won't look at them and their. . . well anyhow.

That's not all of the dress code, of course.  And this isn't much of a code at that. No beer shirts, no hats indoors, etc.  But it frankly isn't much of an issue either.  Most kids don't violate this most days, and haven't been, even without knowing about it.  And it gives us a chance to see a time honored tradition, youthful protest over nothing in particular, at work.

Saturday, August 14, 1915. Border Tensions.

Gen. Ian Hamilton petitioned Field Marshal Kitchener for a change of command at Gallipoli.

The 1915 Galveston Hurricane brushed by Cuba as it became a category 4 storm.

Last edition:

Friday, August 13, 1915. Confused situation in Mexico.

Labels: 1910s, 1915, 1915 Galveston Hurricane, Austrian Navy, Battle of the Krithia Vineyard, British Army, German Kriegsmarine, Mexican Border War, Mexican Revolution, Mexico, Ottoman Army, Royal Navy, World War One

Friday Farming: Holscher's Hub: Prism

Prism

Today In Wyoming's History: Clearing scandal, eh?

Clearing scandal, eh?

In the news today was that DNA confirms that President Warren G. Harding had an illegitimate child by Nan Britton, with whom he apparently had a long running affair. The rumor had long existed, in no small part because Ms. Britton, after his death (and likely in need of income) wrote a book about their affair, which various Harding adherents discredited.  Now it seems to be proven that she was telling the truth.

Harding has long been at best forgotten and at worst not viewed as a particularly good President.  Knowledge of at least one other infidelity seems established, so how much this changes our view of Harding I don't know.  In Wyoming, Harding might be best remembered for the Teapot Dome Scandal.

Harding was actually a really popular President while he was President, but his reputation sank thereafter, with Teapot Dome playing a prominent part in that.  News of his infidelity, of course, came after his death, and was ultimately widely contested.  Up until the news of the DNA test results, it still was contested.

Anyhow, it's not so much this news that causes me to post this item about Harding, as this odd statement that appeared in one of the news reports on this item:

And, secondly, he hopes the discovery will begin to clear the air around Harding’s scandalized reputation in history.

“This book really ruined Warren Harding’s reputation, and as a result the important lessons of his presidency have been lost,” Robenalt said, who points out that Harding argued for non-interventionist policies before World War I that continue to be relevant following the lessons of the war in Iraq.

Hmmm. . . .

It's true that Harding had some things to his credit, but it's hard to see how confirmation of his marital infidelity in this instance will serve to "clear the air around" his "scandalized reputation in history".

This is not to say that this wasn't worth investigating for the family, or worth reporting in the news.  Just the concept of this repairing a "scandalized reputation" is odd.

Lex Anteinternet: NCSD Board Policy 5375. Dress Code.

Predictably, when this story ran on one of the local television channels; 

Lex Anteinternet: NCSD Board Policy 5375. Dress Code.: The current NCSD dress code. Usually with something like this, the poster, if he's been out of school over 20 years (and I have. ....

the inevitable teenager commenting about how "we're supposed to show our individuality" and how this is squashing it, ran on the news.

Shoot, this has been the dress code for at least 30  years, probably longer. If it was going squash something, it likely would have by now.

Friday, August 13, 1915. Confused situation in Mexico.

No invasion was really coming, but the situation was pretty confused.

Fighting ebbed at the Gallipoli battle of Krithia Vineyard with neither side being able to advance.

The HMT Royal Edward was sunk by the UB-14.

The Bisson sak the Austro Hungarian submarine U-3.

The British liner Campania was grounded by the 1915 Galveston Hurricane, at Galveston.

Last edition.

Thursday, August 12, 1915. Trouble in Texas.

Labels: 1910s, 1915, Aircraft, boats and ships, British Army, Gallipoli, Haiti, Mexican Border War, Royal Navy, Texas, World War One

NCSD Board Policy 5375. Dress Code.

The current NCSD dress code.

Usually with something like this, the poster, if he's been out of school over 20 years (and I have. . . shoot, I've been out of grad school for over 20 years.. . . hard to imagine), makes some comment about how things have changed and how back in the day. . .

Well, in actuality I think this is the same dress code, more or less, that they had back when I was in junior high.  It might actually be a little more restrictive than the applied code when I was in high school.  I think the same rules applied, but they weren't enforcing them all that much.  I know weweren't supposed to wear t-shirts with beer advertisements on them, but they weren't all that common at that time anyhow, and I don't think they bothered with enforcing that rule.  We were not to wear hats in class, I do recall that.

Which isn't to say that things never changed in the district. There were real rules at one time, but I don't really know when they ended.  I suspect, however, it was the 1970s.  Up until some point just after the Vietnam War every male student at NCHS (but not KWHS) had to take JrROTC and that did create a male dress code for at least one day per week. Earlier in the school's history I think that applied for more than one day per week.

 

 NCHS students in 1940s.

Girls at that time wore a school uniform, or at least for part of that time they did.  I don't really know when it ceased.

Whenever it did, the dress code that is the topic of the NCSD video, has pretty much been in place for at least 40 years.

Help Support NCHS's Welsh Auditorium Project (and my commentary on the lack of a pool).

The NCHS Welsh Auditorium is a of course a classic, but it stings a bit to see how much support the old auditorium is getting while the pool didn't manage it, and the new massive construction will lack a pool.

After this campaign came out, I contacted one of the board members about whether supporting the auditorium might mean we could still get support for the pool.  His reply noted that the auditorium had the support of a community organization that was backing it, where was ours.

I have to say, he was right.  We have no community organization boosting for a pool.  And I know that I don't have the time to try to start one, and I doubt after the defeat in the bond election, it would do much good. Still, this is disappointing.  Which may say something (perhaps not all that complimentary) about me. A pool matters to me. Any high school will have an auditorium, but having spent a lot of time at NC I nonetheless didn't manage to develop warming feelings for the auditorium, which is probably because I didn't take any sort of performance type classes.  Not that I begrudge the whole thing, but something just seems amiss.

Thursday, August 12, 1915. Trouble in Texas.

 Increased trouble on the Texas/Mexico border was being noticed.

As was also noticed, Haiti had a new President, Philippe Sudré Dartiguenave who took over following the lynching of the previous president Vilbrun Guillaume Sam and the start of the United States occupation of Haiti.

The 5th Battalion of the British Royal Norfolk Regiment was completely wiped out in combat at Gallipoli.

Royal Navy Air Service pilot Charles Edmonds became the first pilot to launch a torpedo at a ship, the ship being an Ottoman resupply ship at Gallipoli.

Last edition:

Wednesday, August 11, 1915. Yeoman's Tenth Law of History at work. The Ottomans kill the Armenian Intellectuals.

Labels: 1910s, 1915, 1915 Galveston Hurricane, Armenian Genocide, Australian Army, Battle of Lone Pine, Ethnicities, Gallipoli, Heroes, Ottoman Empire, Puerto Rico, Weather, World War One, Yeoman's Tenth Law of History

Mid Week At Work: Testing an airplane

Posted in honor of my day in the airport  yesterday, in which delays prevented me from reaching my destination, and every plane after the first one was delayed for one reason or another.

Oh well, I'm not really complaining about that.  I want them to fly safely.

I am, however, complaining about the grandmother who spent the first 1/4 of the last flight berating her teenage grandson in a very loud voice. Not cool.

Wednesday, August 11, 1915. Yeoman's Tenth Law of History at work. The Ottomans kill the Armenian Intellectuals.

The Ottoman Empire began the murder of 2,345 Armenian intellectuals held at Çankırı and Ayaş.  Victims included; 

Dikran Chökürian, writer and editor

Armen Dorian, poet

Parunak Ferukhan, musician

Melkon Giurdjian, writer and academic

Ardashes Harutiunian, poet and literary critic

Diran Kelekian, academic

Karekin Khajag, journalist

Garabed Pashayan Khan, physician

Shavarsh Krissian, athlete and sports journalist

Levon Larents, novelist

Kegham Parseghian, journalist

Smpad Piurad, writer and activist

Jacques Sayabalian, writer

Vartkes Serengülian, politician

Ruben Sevak, poet

Parsegh Shahbaz, lawyer and politician

Harutiun Shahrigian, politician

Siamanto, Armenian poet

Hagop Terzian, chemist and historian

Haig Tiriakian, politician

Krikor Torosian, writer

Daniel Varoujan, poet

It's worth noting that repressive regimes always go after the intellectuals.

There's utterly no excusing the Ottoman genocide, and yet Turkey continues to basically deny it.

Cpt. Alfred John Shout, an Australian Army officer of New Zealand birth, performed the actions that caused him to be awarded a posthumous Victoria's Cross:

His Majesty The KING has been pleased to award the Victoria Cross to the undermentioned Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and Men: —

Captain Alfred John Shout, 1st Battalion, Australian Imperial Force.

For most conspicuous bravery at Lone Pine trenches, in the Gallipoli Peninsula.

On the morning of the 9th August, 1915, with a very small party Captain Shout charged down trenches strongly occupied by the enemy, and personally threw four bombs among them, killing eight and routing the remainder.

In the afternoon of the same day, from the position gained in the morning, he captured a further length of trench under similar conditions, and continued personally to bomb the enemy at close range under very heavy fire until he was severely wounded, losing his right hand and left eye.

This most gallant officer has since succumbed to his injuries.

A weather station in San Juan, Puerto Rico recorded a 29.60 inHg (1,002 mb) pressure reading and winds speeds up to 60 mph (97 km/h) as the eye of the 1915 Galveston Hurricane passed south of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. 

Last edition:

Tuesday, August 10, 1915. Storms

Labels: 1910s, 1915, 1915 Galveston Hurricane, Barbados, Battle of Chunuk Bair, Battle of Lone Pine, British Army, Gallipoli, Ottoman Army, Texas, Weather, World War One

Perceptions and the Land and Water Conservation Fund

An article in today's Casper Star Tribune starts off as follows:

Think of your favorite park, ballfield or city swimming pool. Chances are it was paid for in part by the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

The federal grant gave $121,000 to help build Casper's Highland Park in 1974, for example. It supplied $64,000 at Curt Gowdy State Park in 1976. In 2007, it provided $66,930 to build a playground in Edness Kimball Wilkins State Park. 

The Land and Water Conservation Fund has doled out about $17 billion in 50 years, creating outdoor recreation opportunities across the country. But that run may be coming to an end.

Unless reauthorized in Congress, the fund will sunset Sept. 30.

“I don’t know how those projects would get off the ground without it,” said Dominic Bravo, administrator of Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites and Trails.

The article goes on to explain how the Land and Water Conservation Fund started off with modest funding during the Eisenhower Administration, but it greatly expanded during the 1970s.  It provides money to local government for recreational facilities of all types, and the categories are very broad, and its funded by revenues generated from off shore mineral exploration.  The original concept, according to the Tribune, was to use those off shore proceeds to fund recreational activities for the entire nation and its (then and now) growing population.

The law was built with a 25 year sunset, and it was extended once, meaning its set to sunset again on September 30.

Now, I'll make it clear that I hope its extended, but something like this says a lot about a whole host of interesting things.  It makes it clear how inaccurate our recollection of the past is, and how little we understand about the relationship between the states, people and the Federal government is today.

Starting off with the present, our own state is amongst the most libertarian of them all, and generally has a fairly hostile few of the role of the Federal government locally. But that doesn't keep us from taking Land and Water Conservation Fund money or Federal highway funds.  Indeed, we complain if we don't get the highway funds we  think we're entitled to.

With the recreation funds, we have no shoreline at all, so we can't really say that we have an immediate right to any of the money.  It isn't like local oil money.  If we feel that we deserve part of it, as we're part of the whole, well. . . that says something about the local arguments on the Federal domain as well, doesn't it?

Regarding our recollections of the past, and soon to be a subject of another post, there's come to be a belief for some reason that the 1950s were politically "conservative".  I'm not sure of the origin of that belief, but it's widely held, and I suspect it's widely held because of the concept that the entire boomer generation that came of age in the 1960s rebelled against their upbringing during the 1950s.   There's a lot of reason to question that assumption or at least to nuance it, but it isn't really accurate to claim that the 1950s were a Happy Days like era of conservatism.  In fact, the GOP was largely middle to middle left in the era, and the Democrats crowded them for that position.  There were exceptions, but what we really see is that the GOP moved towards the Democrats after World War Two, and the Democrats moved towards the Republicans.  Neither party had any problem with large Federal projects and Federal funding of any kind, reflecting the views that had come up during World War Two.  So, we got stuff like the Land and Water Conservation Fund during a Republican Administration, and again during the 1970s we find that the GOP held the White House except for four years.

I'm not really making a point about the fund, or indeed any of this.  It's just a comment regarding our perceptions.

Tuesday, August 10, 1915. Storms

As if border raids weren't enough of a problem for Texas, the 1915 Galveston hurricane became just that on this day, being observed north of Barbados.

The Battle of Lone Pine concluded at Gallipoli with the Australians taking 2,277 men killed or wounded, with Ottoman estimates were estimated between 5,000 and 6,000. The Ottoman's prevailed, but at a heavy price.

The Ottomans overwhelmed British defenses at Chunuk Bair.

Last edition:

Monday, August 9, 1915. Hard fighting at Gallipoli.

Labels: 1910s, 1915, Armenian Genocide, Battle of Chunuk Bair, Battle of Lone Pine, British Army, Gallipoli, German Kriegsmarine, Landing at Suvla Bay, Mexican Border War, Newspapers, Ottoman Army, Ottoman Empire, press, Royal Navy

The Big Picture: Holscher's Hub: Anchor Point, Alaska

Anchor Point, Alaska

Hurt feelings?

There's a case pending, apparently, in the Federal District Court of Wyoming in which environmentalist have sued the Peabody Coal Company.  I don't know what the suit is about.

Apparently the plaintiffs included lyrics of the chorus from John Prine's classic "New" Grass folk song, Paradise, in their complaint.  For those not familiar with the song, those lyrics are:

And daddy won't you take me back to Muhlenberg County
Down by the Green River where Paradise lay
Well, I'm sorry my son, but you're too late in asking
Mister Peabody's coal train has hauled it away.

The defendant apparently moved to strike that part of the complaint, and now that motion is pending.

Well, I suppose it isn't proper pleading, but Peabody has been around a long time and its survived okay since 1971 when the song was released.  Apparently, according to an article in the Tribune, they've never liked the fact that they were the target of the song, and it is pretty pointed, but still, seems like moving to strike is fairly pointless.

Monday, August 9, 1915. Hard fighting at Gallipoli.

Hard fighting at Gallipoli continued on.

British forces were ordered to capture Hill Q at night, but disorientation and friendly fire caused the effort to fail.

British infantry of the 32nd Bde were to exhausted after a night march and were destroyed in a Ottoman bayonet charge.

Fighting died down at Lone Pine.

Swedish diplomat Cossva Anckarsvärd released a report stating: "It is obvious that the Turks are taking the opportunity to, now during the war, annihilate the Armenian nation so that when the peace comes no Armenian question longer exists."

The HMS Lynx struck a mine in the North Sea and sank.  

The German auxiliary cruiser SMS Meteor was scuttled in the North Sea.

The news of yesterday's fighting in Texas hit the front pages in Casper.

Last edition:

Sunday, August 8, 1915. The Raid on Norias Ranch.

Labels: 1910s, 1915, Armenian Genocide, Battle of Chunuk Bair, British Army, Constitutionalist Army, Gallipoli, German Kriegsmarine, Mexican Border War, New Zealand Army, Portugal, Royal Navy, Texas, Texas Rangers, World War One