"Anybody can make history, only a great man can write history."
Oscar Wilde, The Critic As Artist
"Anybody can make history, only a great man can write history."
Oscar Wilde, The Critic As Artist
June 9, 2022
Anyone curious what my logo represents?
June 9, 2022
Anyone curious what my logo represents?
"What does your logo mean?"
"What does your logo mean?"
I thought I would take a moment to describe my logo since I have had several friends and acquaintances ask why I chose the design.
First of all I did the initial drawing and I had input and assistance from two very talented people who helped with the design -- Karen Deem of Deem-Loureiro, Inc. and Therese Huffman of Signature Design, Inc. I cannot speak more highly of these creative individuals. They are simply the best and I am proud to call them my friends and be associated with them.
For the overall concept, I wanted a logo that showed my artistic talent but would also be a bold image. As a young man I was very interested in playing chess and other strategy games so it represents my love of strategy/wargames. I also loved (and still do) TV westerns. Specifically, the chess piece is a knight and is an homage to the classic show Have Gun, Will Travel. Do a search if you are not familiar with his calling card.
The knight's eye is representative of an Egyptian all seeing eye to symbolize my interest in Egyptology, mythology, and the cosmos.
The shield represents my study of military history and is also a subtle nod to my time as a Park Ranger and Deputy Conservation Ranger (a law enforcement officer's badge is referred to as a shield). I am very proud that I helped protect our natural and cultural resources for future generations so I wanted to be sure to include that on the logo.
The Tartan is the colors of the clan Murdock (Murdoch) of which I am a descendant. I have found a reference to one of my ancestors being a “known Jacobite” so my Scottish roots run deep.
The text style represents an older style typeface as I wanted something to convey the history of writing and the parchment background of my logo and website shows my love of books.
So there you have what my logo means to me. I am pretty proud of it. Let me know what you think.
May 1, 2022
Ever wonder about the guns used in western movies? Do you notice any discrepancies?
Tarnation!
They Are Using the Wrong Guns Again.
Tarnation!
They Are Using the Wrong Guns Again.
How many times have you watched a movie, particularly an old western, and thought, “They are using the wrong guns aren’t they?” Likely, for most, that thought never comes to mind and the cowboys are left to “shoot ‘em up” with six guns blazing (likely never reloading) until the bad guys are dead, and the good guys ride off into the sunset. For me, however, westerns are typically painful to watch. From “B” movie heroes to big budget westerns starring John Wayne, the silver screen is replete with examples of guns from the wrong period making their appearance in the actors’ hands. Again, for most this is no big deal as the larger story is what’s important, right? Well, let’s suppose that’s a truism and suddenly in a movie that takes place in the early days of flight when biplanes ruled the skies it is suddenly graced with the presence of a modern fighter jet. It would be jarring to say the least, and at worst it would make you lose your “willing suspension of disbelief.” I give you fair warning, if you like old westerns (and a few modern ones too) don’t read any further. You will never see a western in the same light again.
The worst thing that Hollywood can do is put a date on the screen. Dates are stakes that tie a movie to a specific period in history. When they do that, it creates problems for a film. For example, take the 2013 movie The Lone Ranger, starring Johnny Depp. At the very outset of the movie, they flash the date 1869 on the screen. Now, for me, I expect to see a post-American Civil War western and that the guns used would be reflective of that very interesting time when weapons were transitioning from muzzle loading percussion pistols and rifles to cartridge weapons. What I see instead is a character wielding an 1873 Colt Single Action Army (better known to almost everyone as the Peacemaker). Do you see my issue? Colt’s famed pistol, an icon of the old west for sure, was not patented until 1873.
In 1869 many people would have still been carrying percussion revolvers, many of which were surplus weapons from the Civil War, like this example of an 1858 Remington New Model Army.
This pistol was a revolver, but instead of loading a metallic cartridge like most are familiar with today, this pistol’s cylinder was loaded with charges of black powder and lead pistol balls. The revolver’s cylinder was “primed” with percussion caps. When the hammer of the pistol was cocked and trigger pulled, the hammer would strike the percussion cap and fire the weapon. It was cumbersome to load, but in the years after the Civil War pistols like this were cheap, and it was a vital tool for many moving west to the frontier.
Let’s move forward a few years. By the late 1860s and into the early 1870s, gun dealers were taking advantage of the use of the metallic cartridge for its ease of loading. Since there were thousands of surplus percussion pistols on the market inventive gunsmiths and dealers began converting the old “cap and ball” pistols to chamber a metallic cartridge. This required modifications to the gun such as altering the revolver cylinders, but it was cheaper than building new pistols from scratch. Pistols like the Remington New Model Army and the 1860 Colt Army pistol, pictured here, were likely candidates.
Finally, in the 1870s the Colt Single Action Army, and other purpose-built metallic cartridge firing weapons came onto the general market. Although you have likely seen it, here is a photo of the “Gun that won the West.”
The Colt, and its many competitors (Smith and Wesson, Remington, and several others) were expensive and even into the late 1800s conversions of earlier models were common. They were reliable and affordable.
Hopefully the next time you watch a movie set during the Civil War, soldiers won't be shooting the 1873 Single Action Army, but don’t hold your breath. You are likely to see one, or a hundred. Well, that’s enough for now. I don't want to get started on belt loops and zippers.