Lex Anteinternet: Lex Anteinternet: What's with all those dire warn...

 

 World War One era poster, from when coal heated most homes.

Earlier this week I published this:

Lex Anteinternet: Lex Anteinternet: What's with all those dire warn...: I was out of town this past week, so came home to a collection of newspapers. One of them related that Wyoming had lost 3,000+ oilfield jo...

Following that, there was an article in the Tribune about how the residents of the coal producing town of Gillette have continued to try to publicly back coal, against the trend of its decline.  The same day the Chinese came out with an announcement about a plan to combat climate change.

In this morning's paper I read that Alpha, a major coal company, has gone into receivership.  The bigger news, however (although that took top billing in the Star Tribune) is that President Obama released his plan for combating climate change which includes a significant drop in the use of coal in Wyoming, and the U.S., for power generation and a reduction of the use of fossil fuels in general.

The reaction by Wyoming's political leaders was predictable, if perhaps actually somewhat muted in some quarters. Governor Mead issued the following statement:

The Clean Power Plan is scientifically flawed and if implemented will not achieve minimum reductions. It is in fact damaging – not just to Wyoming, but the nation.  I will continue to fight regulations that are fundamentally bad for Wyoming and exceed the regulatory authority of the federal government.

That comment was brief, briefer than we might have expected.  That raises the suspicion that Mead felt obligated to reply, but didn't want to put too much effort into it.  Or perhaps he just issued a brief reply as the Clean Power Plan had just come out and there wasn't time for anything larger.   Maybe both.

I'm sure in the coming months there will be much local opposition to the President's plan, and there's absolutely no certainty that it will go into effect, but at some point, on something like this, I have to wonder if the course of events isn't fairly clear.  Coal has been in decline in regards to the type of use made of it for quite some time.  It hasn't been "King Coal" forever.  Weening the country, and the world, from most coal use would be a lot easier than weening it from petroleum oil.

When I was a geology student, coal was my focus.  Focusing on it today, no matter what we might say here in Wyoming, I think it's future is dim.  Not immediately, but not distantly either.  And as for petroleum and the local economy, with sanctions getting set to be removed from Iran, there's reason not to be too short term optimistic there either.

Defeated People

Some time ago I started an entry here on "defeated people", but because it seemed so negative, which was not my intent, I never published it.

It wasn't intended to be at all. Rather, the thread intended to look into the "post defeat" lives of the defeated.  We so rarely do that, but generally, people pick themselves up and move on.   But rarely does anyone look at that.  One of the reasons I so liked Cornelius Ryan's book is that he always included an appendix in his book listing where the principle individuals he interviewed now were, which was often illuminating.  Even badly defeated people often got back up on their feet and carried on.

This past week, as anyone who might stumble past this blog, I was in Alaska.  And in the course of that, stumbled across a community of Old Believers.  No matter what else a person might think of them, they're champions in this category as they've persevered against the odds, and defeat, for centuries. This caused me to reconsider adding this as a topic, rather than a single thread, so I'm going to add it as an occasionally recurring topical feature.

The lingerings of Russian Alaska

One of the maxims of Holscher's Laws of History is that "Everything last occurred more recently than you suppose".  Given that, I should have realized that there's be lingering aspects of Russian culture in Alaska.  Nonetheless, I was surprised to find this true.

The United States bought Alaska from Imperial Russia in 1867.  Quite a long time ago, by how we generally reckon things, but not all that long, really, in cultural terms.  Russia started penetrating into Alaska in the 1740s and things really got rolling in the 1780s, although their numbers were always limited.  Naturally, they brought with them the Russian Orthodox faith.

I guess I hadn't appreciated the extent to which Russian Orthodox missionaries operated in Alaska, but they certainly did, and they were successful.  And, for no real reason, I would have presumed that the influence of Russian Orthodoxy would have dramatically waned after the US purchase of the territory.  I knew that it remained a bit, but I thought just a bit.

 

Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord Church, Ninilchik Alaska. 

Well, I was wrong.

About 12.5% of the population of Alaska is Orthodox.  80% of the population is Christian.  The Orthodox population rivals that of the Catholic population, which is really amazing as the Catholic Church is by far the largest of the apostolic churches in the United States.  That the percentage is this high is all the more amazing as the demographics of Alaska have undoubtedly changed significantly since 1974, when the oil pipeline brought in a large number of out of state workers, which would have increased the Protestant populations significantly and the Catholic population as well.  Therefore, if we look at the pre 1974 demographics, and the long term resident demographics, the percentage of Russian Orthodox would be even higher.

And this would be strongly reflected amongst Alaskan Native populations, who would make up the bulk of the Orthodox in Alaska.

All this goes to show that culture is indeed resilient, as we also previously noted in one of our laws of history.  In some places the Orthodox parishes have declined, but demographically, they're still strong.  I shouldn't have made the assumption that I did.

I actually found this out, I'd note, in a bit of a roundabout way, and I'd guess many who visit Alaska never realize this.  As I find church architecture interesting, and post photos of them to a blog, when I was in Alaska I ran across a reference to an Old Believer church near Homer and then did a short search and ran into a second Russian Orthodox Church.  The Old Believer church, I should note, does not represent an enduring Alaskan cultural feature, as they moved into the region in 1966 (and there are actually several Old Believer communities near Homer).  In looking up a Russian Orthodox Church I photographed in Ninilchik I was surprised to find that there'd been a church I'd missed in Homer itself, and not only there, but darned near everywhere.  There were a lot of them, as indeed there should be, as there are Catholic churches everywhere and nearly as many Alaskans are Russian Orthodox as are Catholic.

Which shows, I suppose, when observing something, a person must be open to observing the unexpected.

The Big Picture: Turnagain Sound, Alaska

While the world is wringing its hands over a Zimbabwean lion. . .

the horror of Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe goes on largely without notice.

This story broke while I was away from the news for an extended time (which I have come to more and more appreciate).  So, I return to the news with the story in full swing.  Many are in a frothy righteous indignation over the shooting of "Cecil the Lion".

I haven't followed the story that closely, but it does appear that the stalking of this lion was out of bounds.  He appears to have been tagged and if what little I know about the story is correct, it was an illegal hunt.  But the real news broke because the lion was known and so it's a convenient foil for the "animal rights" movement, a deeply unnatural, indeed anti natural, movement that despises people, and animals as they really are.

But the really amazing aspect of this is that people are seriously stating that the alleged law breaker should be extradited to Zimbabwe.  Seriously? People didn't work themselves into a lather about Amanda Knox, who is accused of killing a human being, in such a fashion and demand that she be extradited to democratic Italy, and they're arguing somebody should be extradited to the madness of Zimbabwe?

If anyone should be extradited in association with Zimbabwe, it's the president of that failed pathetic state, Robert Mugabe.  Mugabe took over the leadership of the country when Rhodesia surrendered itself to the inevitable, and the country looked to be full of democratic promise.  He took a prosperous land, with multiple ethnicities, and has presided over a government that has used violence against its political opponents (including his movements former brothers in arms), and which has engaged in the expropriation of land. He's destroyed the economy and made life miserable for its inhabitants, so that a person can truly say that, unlike South Africa, the country was truly better off before the revolution.

Africa has progressed enormously over the past 30 years.  Zimbabwe, however, has regressed and is a joke.  Extradite?  Yes, do so, but extradite Robert Mugabe to the Hague.

How is that people can care so much for one animal, while ignoring so much about their fellow human animals?  And how is it that people can stand, at least in theory, for the bringing of democratic rule to a nation, and then care so pathetically little when it fails to take root?  Africa is full of hope, Zimbabwe full of despair, and we should be full of shame over our misdirected priorities.

Sunday Morning Scene: Churches of the West: Grant Avenue Methodist Church and Community Center...

Churches of the West: Grant Avenue Methodist Church and Community Center...:

Aviation in Alaska

 

We recently went through the  Alaska Aviation Museum, and posted about that here:

Holscher's Hub: Alaska Aviation Museum:

It wasn't news to me that aviation is far more critical in Alaska than in the lower 48 (is this also true of northern Canada?  I'd guess it would have to be).  But the extent to which this is true, and has been for some time, is something that has to be seen to be believed.  Truly amazing.  Aircraft are a constant feature of any town in a way that simply doesn't occur elsewhere.  And quite clearly, this has been true for some time.

Indeed, we're going to be taking a look at transportation topics in relation to Alaska here in the near future. The treatment wont' be all that in depth, but it's revealing for a variety of reasons.

Anyhow, aviation in Alaska is amazing, and obviously has been for quite awhile.

Lex Anteinternet: What's with all those dire warnings

I was out of town this past week, so came home to a collection of newspapers.

One of them related that Wyoming had lost 3,000+ oilfield jobs.

We've had a variety of posts on this topic.  As we've been doing that, occasionally we'd read the articles that would relate that this down turn wouldn't be that bad.  At one time, we felt compelled to post an item entitled:

Lex Anteinternet: What's with all those dire warnings. . . .: and why are they on a blog that supposedly looks at history around the turn of the prior century? St. Francis Mission, Midwest Wyomin...

Well, the loss was higher than anticipated.

And now that a deal with Iran of some sort has been reached, and we can anticipate that the embargo on Iranian oil will cease, the trend is likely to amplify.

Mid Week At Work: We are all ignorant on some subjects.

Monday at the Bar: Courthouses of the West: Albany County Courthouse, Laramie Wyoming.

Albany County Courthouse, Laramie Wyoming.

The trades and manual labor

Recently we've been posting about the Bond Issue and in that context, the school district's plan to seek to ask the voters to help fund technical and vocational training at the high school level has come up. 

Just prior to my noting that, I had an odd experience in which I woke up really early one morning and couldn't sleep, so I got up and turned on the television.  Good Will Hunting, which I'd never seen, was on, and even though I missed the beginning of it, I started watching and watched it to the end.  I must say it was a good film.  Part of the theme, and the reason I'm noting this here, is that the film argued that the exceptionally mathematically gifted protagonist should pursue a mathmatical career (although he ends up purusing his love first).  Indeed, in one major scence in the film his close friend argues that if he fails to do so and continues to work as a laberor, it would be a tragedy.

Well, would it?

I don't know.  Its easy for me to note what the movie argued but not so easy for me to opine on it.  I don't have laberor's job, and there's no doubt that most laborers do not get well paid.  The film does make an argument, in the form of a scene, to the effect that all labor has dignitiy, but it goes on to essentailly endorse the very widely held concept that jobs that involve no physical labor and all intellect are more worthy of those that do not.

I don't know what to make of that, other than to note that it is an extremely widely held concept. But a person ought to be careful about simply accepting it.  It's a very widely ingraned concept, however.

Unsolicited Career Advice for the Student No. 7. The perils of occupational predictions.

In spite of the title here, I'm not sure that this is really "career advice", so much as it is commentary and the recommendation to be cautious.

This post comes about due to the receent article in the Wyoming Lawyer about the Board of Law Examiners abondoning the Wyoming CLE requirement.  While I agree that the CLE was absurd, the BLE seems to be on the railroad track leading to the oblivion of local practice on this one.  This sort of "we have to do this as we have to do this" sort of process is really common.  People, once committed to a certain course of action, tend to stay that through even if it was never a good idea.  Quitting some things, quite frankly, is a good idea. And if the destionation is lousy, why go there. Get off the train somewhere else.

It's also prompted by having read some of the occasional commentary put out by local economic entites to the effect of "this brings in jobs".  I've also commented on that locally.  It amazes me the extent to which the "jobs" argument is so poorly analyzed.

Both of the factors mentioned above are important if you are starting out planning your career.  A couple of important trends seem to come to light when you do, which are:

1.  Technology is on the brink of premanently wiping out a lot of "good jobs'.

2.  The mega-urbanization of our economy has premanently exported jobs from towns and cities to big cities.

3.  Some professions that formerly had small town expression have permanently moved to mid sized cities where the professionals must have signficant infrastructure investment.

4.  With at least one profession, the law, the operation of technology and short sighted bar admisison policies will kill off the practice in rural areas.

Sunday Morning Scene: Churches of the West: St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church, and St. ...

Churches of the West: St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church, and St. ...:
 

Roosevelt Oklahoma farm goes back to basics

A Roosevelt Oklahoma farm goes back to basics.

C-SPAN Cities Tour - Casper: Teapot Dome Scandal

Mid Week at Work: Federal Adult Schools

The Press and Statute of Limitations Bogusity

I keep hearing press reports connected with one asserted crime or another, that because the allegations happened long ago, they are "past the statute of limitations", as if there's a national criminal statute of limitations that pertains to state criminal cases..

There isn't.

Many states do have statute of limitations for criminal acts.  But not all. Wyoming doesn't.  I'm sure we're not alone in that either.

Most recently, this has come up concerning the various news stories about Bill Cosby.  I won't go into that, but a common report is "the alleged actions are past the statute of limitations".  Maybe they are, but if they are, they're past the statute of limitations in California, presumably.  They wouldn't be past the statute of limitations in other locations, if the alleged acts allegedly occurred there, depending upon the location.

Monday at the Bar: Courthouses of the West: Joseph C. O'Mahoney Federal Courthouse, Cheyenne W...

Joseph C. O'Mahoney Federal Courthouse, Cheyenne Wyoming




Cheyenne's modern Federal courthouse.

I'm sorry, but these newer courthouses (this one must have been built in the 1970s, really just leave a lot to be desired externally.  Inside, it's very nice.  but outside, it looks just like a Federal office building.

Randon Snippets: The Horror of It All.

Putting walnuts in to chocolate chip cookies should be a crime.

Just saying.

Sunday Morning Scene: Churches of the West: Unknown Church, Riverton Wyoming

Churches of the West: Unknown Church, Riverton Wyoming: