Sunday, February 8, 2015
Friday, February 6, 2015
WHEELS THAT WON THE WEST®: Types of Wood in Wagons
WHEELS THAT WON THE WEST®: Types of Wood in Wagons:
Very interesting, I wouldn't have guessed the wood was so varied, although in reading it, these various wood types make sense.
Very interesting, I wouldn't have guessed the wood was so varied, although in reading it, these various wood types make sense.
Lex Anteinternet: Standards of Dress. The police. A semi topical post
Quite a while ago, I posted this item on police uniforms: Lex Anteinternet: Standards of Dress. The police. A semi topical post.
In that post, I trace that topic, and I touch upon the uniforms worn by sheriffs departments.
This turns out to be a currently popular human interest story around the nation, and as I just learned from some of my friends in Latin America, the story has spread overseas. More specifically, the story of Sublette County Sheriff's Deputy Gene Bryson has received widespread distribution. He's retiring over a disagreement with Sublette County Sheriff Stephen Haskell about uniforms.
Bryson is a 70 year old deputy. That's way up there, and if he was a Federal law enforcement officer he would have had to retire a decade ago. At one time at least law enforcement officers employed by the State of Wyoming also had to retire at that age, i.e., 60, but a lawsuit filed by a Game Warden some years ago resulted in that being changed by judicial fiat. That's not really relevant to this story, however. I'm just noting it.
What motivated Bryson to retire is that Haskell mandated a change in the Sublette County Sheriff Department's uniform and eliminated cowboy boots and cowboy hats in favor of duty boots and baseball caps. Bryson, whose worn cowboy boots and hats his entire career, declined to go along with the change and opted to retire.
Frankly, he has a bit of a point, although Haskell has one too.
The point Haskell has is with the boots. Cowboy boots make poor duty boots, and even though many sheriff's officers have worn them over the years, they're more appropriate as dress items for law enforcement officers and other agencies than they are as duty boots. I wear them a fair amount (and there's a draft thread on them in the hopper that, like many draft threads here, has been there for eons), but as far as field use goes, they're only really a good item if you intend to ride a horse, or might have to. Even at that, "packers" are a better choice for a mounted service boot. Cowboy boots are slippery in wet or slick weather, they're difficult or at least unnatural to run in, and they don't provide much ankle protection to the wearer. Duty boots, although usually law enforcement agencies choose the lightest doofiest ones going, are a better option.
Not baseball hats.
I own my fair share of baseball hats, but they're a crappy and sloppy looking uniform item. Indeed, while they're convenient for many things, that's about all they are. They have no insulation value, they don't protect from the snow, rain and sun like a broad brimmed hat does. And as a rule, when a uniformed officer is wearing one, he looks out of uniform.
Now, I do have my fair share of these, and some of them are pretty neat. But I'm not arresting anyone either, and in spite of the fact that some lawyers now do, I don't wear them into the courthouse. And if I'm in a role where I need outdoor protection from the elements, I go with a broad brimmed hat.
While on this, I'll note also that there's an interesting trend for law enforcement and fire personnel to be issued what we used to call "paratrooper pants", or more recently cargo pants. At some point that too is more than a bit over done.
Trousers like that weren't even worn by any army anywhere up until World War Two, but the fluid nature of that war, combined with the need for some soldiers to be carry loads of items, i.e., paratroopers, lead to the adoption of cargo pants by the U.S. Army for paratroopers in the early 1940s. In 1943 these were adopted for all soldiers in the European Theatre of Operations in the form of the M1943 combat pants, that were to be worn over the standard wool pants (any time you see a paratrooper, or other U.S. soldier in Europe with cargo pants, he almost certainly is wearing wool pants underneath them). After the war, the M1943 pants were retained, with new designations, as field pants, replacing other patterns still in use, and during the Vietnam War the same pattern was adopted for the Tropical Combat Uniform. When the Army adopted the Battle Dress Uniform in the early 80s, they became the standard cotton trouser for soldiers, and Marines, and have remained so ever since in varying forms. For some reason, police departments have gone to them too, even though most police patrolmen are motorized and really don't need a lot of pockets. Sheriff's offices have started using them, and even fire departments do. It's probably a bit much.
Anyhow, I will note that Haskell's actions aren't wholly without logic, regarding the caps, as most officers are vehicle patrolmen now days, and a cowboy hat is inconvenient in a vehicle. And this follows a recent tread of services, including the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, British Army and Australian Army, of issuing baseball caps for patrol caps. So, even though they lack insulation value and don't do anything other than provide a visor, I somewhat get it. But, countering that, a fair number of law enforcement agencies, to include the Wyoming Highway Patrol, have gone the other way in recent years and noted the value of brimmed hats. The WYHP, for example, went from wheelhouse caps, which it had worn since its inception, to "smokey bear", or M1911 style campaign hats, so they can be used even by a highly motorized agency.
In that post, I trace that topic, and I touch upon the uniforms worn by sheriffs departments.
This turns out to be a currently popular human interest story around the nation, and as I just learned from some of my friends in Latin America, the story has spread overseas. More specifically, the story of Sublette County Sheriff's Deputy Gene Bryson has received widespread distribution. He's retiring over a disagreement with Sublette County Sheriff Stephen Haskell about uniforms.
Bryson is a 70 year old deputy. That's way up there, and if he was a Federal law enforcement officer he would have had to retire a decade ago. At one time at least law enforcement officers employed by the State of Wyoming also had to retire at that age, i.e., 60, but a lawsuit filed by a Game Warden some years ago resulted in that being changed by judicial fiat. That's not really relevant to this story, however. I'm just noting it.
What motivated Bryson to retire is that Haskell mandated a change in the Sublette County Sheriff Department's uniform and eliminated cowboy boots and cowboy hats in favor of duty boots and baseball caps. Bryson, whose worn cowboy boots and hats his entire career, declined to go along with the change and opted to retire.
Frankly, he has a bit of a point, although Haskell has one too.
The point Haskell has is with the boots. Cowboy boots make poor duty boots, and even though many sheriff's officers have worn them over the years, they're more appropriate as dress items for law enforcement officers and other agencies than they are as duty boots. I wear them a fair amount (and there's a draft thread on them in the hopper that, like many draft threads here, has been there for eons), but as far as field use goes, they're only really a good item if you intend to ride a horse, or might have to. Even at that, "packers" are a better choice for a mounted service boot. Cowboy boots are slippery in wet or slick weather, they're difficult or at least unnatural to run in, and they don't provide much ankle protection to the wearer. Duty boots, although usually law enforcement agencies choose the lightest doofiest ones going, are a better option.
Not baseball hats.
I own my fair share of baseball hats, but they're a crappy and sloppy looking uniform item. Indeed, while they're convenient for many things, that's about all they are. They have no insulation value, they don't protect from the snow, rain and sun like a broad brimmed hat does. And as a rule, when a uniformed officer is wearing one, he looks out of uniform.
Now, I do have my fair share of these, and some of them are pretty neat. But I'm not arresting anyone either, and in spite of the fact that some lawyers now do, I don't wear them into the courthouse. And if I'm in a role where I need outdoor protection from the elements, I go with a broad brimmed hat.
While on this, I'll note also that there's an interesting trend for law enforcement and fire personnel to be issued what we used to call "paratrooper pants", or more recently cargo pants. At some point that too is more than a bit over done.
Trousers like that weren't even worn by any army anywhere up until World War Two, but the fluid nature of that war, combined with the need for some soldiers to be carry loads of items, i.e., paratroopers, lead to the adoption of cargo pants by the U.S. Army for paratroopers in the early 1940s. In 1943 these were adopted for all soldiers in the European Theatre of Operations in the form of the M1943 combat pants, that were to be worn over the standard wool pants (any time you see a paratrooper, or other U.S. soldier in Europe with cargo pants, he almost certainly is wearing wool pants underneath them). After the war, the M1943 pants were retained, with new designations, as field pants, replacing other patterns still in use, and during the Vietnam War the same pattern was adopted for the Tropical Combat Uniform. When the Army adopted the Battle Dress Uniform in the early 80s, they became the standard cotton trouser for soldiers, and Marines, and have remained so ever since in varying forms. For some reason, police departments have gone to them too, even though most police patrolmen are motorized and really don't need a lot of pockets. Sheriff's offices have started using them, and even fire departments do. It's probably a bit much.
Anyhow, I will note that Haskell's actions aren't wholly without logic, regarding the caps, as most officers are vehicle patrolmen now days, and a cowboy hat is inconvenient in a vehicle. And this follows a recent tread of services, including the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, British Army and Australian Army, of issuing baseball caps for patrol caps. So, even though they lack insulation value and don't do anything other than provide a visor, I somewhat get it. But, countering that, a fair number of law enforcement agencies, to include the Wyoming Highway Patrol, have gone the other way in recent years and noted the value of brimmed hats. The WYHP, for example, went from wheelhouse caps, which it had worn since its inception, to "smokey bear", or M1911 style campaign hats, so they can be used even by a highly motorized agency.
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Movies In History: The Grand Budapest Hotel
It may seem odd to some to see this film listed here, but it shouldn't.
The Grand Budapest Hotel is an Academy Award nominated film that was a bit of a surprise hit last year. At least its a surprise to me, as it's the sort of unusual "small" story that we don't see get much attention anymore. The film itself almost recalls movies of the 1930s, during which it is set, more than contemporary movies. And perhaps its a bit of a tribute to those films really.
It's masterfully done as well. Set in a fictional Eastern European country that we're lead to believe must have been part of the defunct Austro Hungarian Empire prior to its World War One collapse, the movies does a surprisingly good job of capturing the feel of those countries which had only lately entered into independence. The Austro Hungarian Empire being multinational in nature, the mixed culture of those countries and those in its influence and orbit, such as Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and so on, is very well captured. The film features a fair amount of the use of the German language. French shows up as well. Last names are Slavic, German and perhaps Turkish. The depiction of the cities is appropriately ornate. The uniformed services shown in the film are also appropriately late Austrian in appearance.
This film is in many ways truly odd, and very well done. It is funny, but some of the humor is really off color and not appropriate for younger audiences. That comment would also apply to some of the things depicted in the film. But an American film pitched at a modern audience which features an Eastern European theme, set in the very early 1930s, is a real surprise, and that it did well is an even bigger surprise.
The Grand Budapest Hotel is an Academy Award nominated film that was a bit of a surprise hit last year. At least its a surprise to me, as it's the sort of unusual "small" story that we don't see get much attention anymore. The film itself almost recalls movies of the 1930s, during which it is set, more than contemporary movies. And perhaps its a bit of a tribute to those films really.
It's masterfully done as well. Set in a fictional Eastern European country that we're lead to believe must have been part of the defunct Austro Hungarian Empire prior to its World War One collapse, the movies does a surprisingly good job of capturing the feel of those countries which had only lately entered into independence. The Austro Hungarian Empire being multinational in nature, the mixed culture of those countries and those in its influence and orbit, such as Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and so on, is very well captured. The film features a fair amount of the use of the German language. French shows up as well. Last names are Slavic, German and perhaps Turkish. The depiction of the cities is appropriately ornate. The uniformed services shown in the film are also appropriately late Austrian in appearance.
This film is in many ways truly odd, and very well done. It is funny, but some of the humor is really off color and not appropriate for younger audiences. That comment would also apply to some of the things depicted in the film. But an American film pitched at a modern audience which features an Eastern European theme, set in the very early 1930s, is a real surprise, and that it did well is an even bigger surprise.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Lex Anteinternet: Lex Anteinternet: The best-laid schemes o' mice an...
Lex Anteinternet: Lex Anteinternet: The best-laid schemes o' mice an...: Small rig, in mine, 1972. A type that's change a lot. Lex Anteinternet: The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men: Lex An...The past couple of years the campgrounds at the Wyoming State Fairgrounds have been really packed, in part because the decision was wisely made to allow those campgrounds to be partially used year around by oilfield workers. It made a lot of sense, the facilities were there, but most of the year weren't used that much. Why not relieve the housing shortage in Converse County and maximize the return on the facility?
Last week the Tribune ran an article that now a lot of those campers have cleared out and others are contemplating doing so. Oilfield workers hauling off their trailers and going home. Another, very real, sign of the decline.
Today the Tribune reported that the Legislature proposes to take a $200M payment to the "rainy day fund" and apply it to the budget, to make up for a projected revenue shortfall. Also a sign of the decline in drilling.
And yet, we're still at the denial stage in some quarters, although that's gone from "it's not happening" to "it'll be short". I don't think the industry is saying that however.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Movies In History: Black Hawk Down
I realized that I hadn't discussed this film yet, although I did mention it the other day in my item on American Sniper.
This film centers of the horrific events of a failed raid into Mogadishu Somalia during that period of time in which U.S. forces were part of the international commitment there. It's a shocking film which is, in my view the single greatest and most accurate depiction of urban combat, and modern combat, ever made. The title comes about because of the crash of a Black Hawk helicopter during the event and the doomed effort to rescue the crews that came about as a result, but the film depicts far more than that, detailing the raid itself.
Generally everything is accurate about the film, including the depiction of combat. It depicts real events, and it used a couple of the actual Special Forces soldiers who were in the battle as advisers. Its not for the faint of heart, to be sure, as what it depicts is truly horrifying, but it is masterfully done.
This film centers of the horrific events of a failed raid into Mogadishu Somalia during that period of time in which U.S. forces were part of the international commitment there. It's a shocking film which is, in my view the single greatest and most accurate depiction of urban combat, and modern combat, ever made. The title comes about because of the crash of a Black Hawk helicopter during the event and the doomed effort to rescue the crews that came about as a result, but the film depicts far more than that, detailing the raid itself.
Generally everything is accurate about the film, including the depiction of combat. It depicts real events, and it used a couple of the actual Special Forces soldiers who were in the battle as advisers. Its not for the faint of heart, to be sure, as what it depicts is truly horrifying, but it is masterfully done.
Old Picture of the Day: Massive Logs
Old Picture of the Day: Massive Logs: Today's picture shows an Old Timers cabin made from some pretty massive logs. I guess you build with what you have, and this guy ha...
Monday, February 2, 2015
Random Snippets. Even I know better than that. . .
I don't watch football much. Prior to being married, in my adult life I'd normally not even catch one game in an average year. Since being married, I tend to catch the Super Bowl, as my wife likes the game.
So I saw last night's.
Now, while I don't watch football much, I have seen football, and I can recall watching quite a few games or parts of games when I was young, as my father liked football a lot.
And I well recall teams being down by one touchdown down near the end zone, in the last minute of the game, running plays as rapidly as they could without even huddling.
Which is why I was stunned even before they blew it, when the Seahawks didn't do that in the last 50 seconds of the game. Geez, if even I know that, what were they thinking?
So I saw last night's.
Now, while I don't watch football much, I have seen football, and I can recall watching quite a few games or parts of games when I was young, as my father liked football a lot.
And I well recall teams being down by one touchdown down near the end zone, in the last minute of the game, running plays as rapidly as they could without even huddling.
Which is why I was stunned even before they blew it, when the Seahawks didn't do that in the last 50 seconds of the game. Geez, if even I know that, what were they thinking?
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Engines of the Red Army in WW2 - Rail Transport in the Persian Corridor
Engines of the Red Army in WW2 - Rail Transport in the Persian Corridor
And a look at rail in the Persian corridor during World War Two.
And a look at rail in the Persian corridor during World War Two.
Engines of the Red Army in WW2 - Russian Rail Overview
Engines of the Red Army in WW2 - Russian Rail Overview
Really interesting look at the Rail of the Soviet Union during World War Two. The USSR was extremely rail dependent. Everyone was, of course, but they were to a greater extent than most, although the Germans very
much were as well.
Really interesting look at the Rail of the Soviet Union during World War Two. The USSR was extremely rail dependent. Everyone was, of course, but they were to a greater extent than most, although the Germans very
much were as well.
Air Travel then and now. . .I'm not nostalgic about it, it's gotten better
The Missouri River, note the barges.
As noted, I fly quite a bit. And I have a long history with air travel too. I first boarded a commercial airliner as a baby, and I can recall flying out of Casper on Western Airlines and Frontier Airlines, in jet airliners, as a boy still in grade school. By the time I was junior high I'd flown on Western, Frontier, Air Canada, and others I can't recall. I can well recall when you could still get a flight on a 707 from Casper to Billings Montana.
Given that, I have experience with the "glory days" of jet travel that people are nostalgic about now.
I'm not. Air travel is a lot better now. Shoot, it's better than it was ten years ago.
The current jets are so fast that a lot of the nostalgia that people place in old time air travel is really misplaced. I can well recall when you received multiple drinks and food on flights. That's because those flights were really slow. Now, they're so much faster it isn't even funny.
This first became apparent to me on a flight some years ago to Oakland. I'd flown to California before and was amazed when we were boarded on a "regional airliner", probably some sort of Canadair jet. That jet zipped to the destination so fast I was stunned. The week before last I flew to Toronto, which I've done before, on a direct connection from Denver. Sure, it took over three hours, again on a regional jet liner, but that isn't too bad really. This past week I flew from Tampa to Denver on an airbus that flew so high that we flew over satellites (okay, not really, but it flew high) and it was as smooth as a bus. Very comfortable, and really nice plane. The Dreamliner is even more comfortable.
These planes are just super, and speedy. They get you where you need to go very quickly, and if there isn't endless warmed up meals form the galley, well so be it.
Sunday Morning Scene: Churches of the West: Mother of God Catholic Church, Denver Colorado
Churches of the West: Mother of God Catholic Church, Denver Colorado:
This small Roman Catholic Church is just off downtown Denver. A remarkable thing about this church is it's fairly close proximity, in modern terms, with other Catholic Churches in downtown Denver, however, this one is on the border between the business and residential districts.
This church was built as a Protestant church in about 1900 and saw use by various denominations until the 1940s, when the Archdiocese of Denver purchased it.
This small Roman Catholic Church is just off downtown Denver. A remarkable thing about this church is it's fairly close proximity, in modern terms, with other Catholic Churches in downtown Denver, however, this one is on the border between the business and residential districts.
This church was built as a Protestant church in about 1900 and saw use by various denominations until the 1940s, when the Archdiocese of Denver purchased it.
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Movies In History: American Sniper
Given that it probably seems to those who stop in here that I see every "war movie" going, it will probably come as a surprise that: 1) I don't, and 2) I wasn't particularly inclined to see this one, but I don't really know why. It may be because I've known a couple of men, one particularly well, who had been snipers and they were profoundly unlikely to discuss it, which makes me feel just slightly odd about one who does. That isn't intended as a criticism, it's just a comment.
But I did see it last night, and because my wife wanted to, which is even more of a surprise. She recently read Chris Kyle's book, another surprise, and like it. I haven't read the book. Because she read the book, she wanted to see the movie.
Because I haven't read the book, I can't comment at all on how accurately the film depicts the events of the book. And I'm also not going to comment much on the surprising amount of controversy this film is generating, and from surprising quarters. I will say, however, that some of the criticism strikes me as very "parlor" in nature, i.e., the sort of slightly leftist commentary that comes from people whose view of conflict is very antiseptic. War is nasty, and that's just the way it. To depict that honestly, and to write about it, isn't something that deserves criticism. Nor does a person deserve criticism because they took an active part in it, which seems to be the basis of at least some criticism. It's interesting, indeed, how we're now at a point where that sort of criticism is not too uncommon in some quarters, when in earlier eras that would have been regarded as rather dishonorable.
Anyhow, what I will note is that this film, which depicts a lot of urban comment, is correct in material details, which it should be. It's pretty darned graphic, but not grossly over the top for the most part. Equipment appears to be generally correct with perhaps a few minor errors.
It depicts urban combat in a very gritty fashion, and it reminded me to a slight extent of Black Hawk Down, which in my view is the most accurate combat movie ever filmed. It's not Black Hawk Down, but it does a nice job with this story.
But I did see it last night, and because my wife wanted to, which is even more of a surprise. She recently read Chris Kyle's book, another surprise, and like it. I haven't read the book. Because she read the book, she wanted to see the movie.
Because I haven't read the book, I can't comment at all on how accurately the film depicts the events of the book. And I'm also not going to comment much on the surprising amount of controversy this film is generating, and from surprising quarters. I will say, however, that some of the criticism strikes me as very "parlor" in nature, i.e., the sort of slightly leftist commentary that comes from people whose view of conflict is very antiseptic. War is nasty, and that's just the way it. To depict that honestly, and to write about it, isn't something that deserves criticism. Nor does a person deserve criticism because they took an active part in it, which seems to be the basis of at least some criticism. It's interesting, indeed, how we're now at a point where that sort of criticism is not too uncommon in some quarters, when in earlier eras that would have been regarded as rather dishonorable.
Anyhow, what I will note is that this film, which depicts a lot of urban comment, is correct in material details, which it should be. It's pretty darned graphic, but not grossly over the top for the most part. Equipment appears to be generally correct with perhaps a few minor errors.
It depicts urban combat in a very gritty fashion, and it reminded me to a slight extent of Black Hawk Down, which in my view is the most accurate combat movie ever filmed. It's not Black Hawk Down, but it does a nice job with this story.
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