A century ago, the US Navy was just beginning to use radio communications. Otherwise, ships could communicate with each other only within line of sight.
But signalling by Morse code was slow. Radio propagation might be intermittent due to weather, sun spots, Northern Lights, ionosphere changes and other poorly-understood phenomena.
A result of the slow speed and unreliability of high frequency (also known to civilians as short wave) naval communications was to impose controls over message length. Officers drafted naval messages as though they were paying for the transmissions out of their own pocket. Not just by the word, but by the letter.
Administrative communications were usually sent by mail, even though delays were frequent. If the matter was urgent, it might go by radio, but using a terse, telegraphic style. The task was not unlike that facing users of twitter.
Officers would often receive message orders to transfer from one duty station to another. A transfer message might say something like: "RELDET PROPORICH USS NEVERSAIL(BB-99) ARREPCODU." Translation: "when relieved, detached. Proceed to the port in which USS Neversail (BB-99) may be located. On arrival, report to the commanding officer for duty."
Another approach was to use prowords - brief words combining several words into one. My favorite was "UNODIR." As in: "UNODIR USS NEVERSAIL INTENDS PROCEED HONG KONG LIBERTY." Translation: "unless otherwise directed, USS Neversail intends...." This required skillful timing. If sent too soon the Commodore might reply directing otherwise. Sent too late (for example, if Neversail is already entering Hong Kong) might bring down the wrath of the gods.
The modern day of satellite communications has doubtless removed some of a commanding officer's former flexibility.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Problems With Education
One of my problems well into my eighth decade is that I have lived for more than a third of the nation's history. For most of that time I was paying attention.
When engineers test materials or products, they have two kinds of tests: destructive tests and non-destructive tests. I have believed for a long time that our national obsession with testing has led to widespread use of destructive tests on our children.
A letter posted on Diane Ravitch's blog lends support to my view. The problem is not created by teachers, but by an unholy combination of politicians, school administrators and charlatans in the testing industry (not to mention the industrial-education complex).
I'll have more to say about this after the election.
In the meantime, I reflect on the fact that I never heard a word about supposed failures of the school system until school integration began to actually happen. Is there a connection? You can bet on it.
When engineers test materials or products, they have two kinds of tests: destructive tests and non-destructive tests. I have believed for a long time that our national obsession with testing has led to widespread use of destructive tests on our children.
A letter posted on Diane Ravitch's blog lends support to my view. The problem is not created by teachers, but by an unholy combination of politicians, school administrators and charlatans in the testing industry (not to mention the industrial-education complex).
I'll have more to say about this after the election.
In the meantime, I reflect on the fact that I never heard a word about supposed failures of the school system until school integration began to actually happen. Is there a connection? You can bet on it.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Pamlico County Election Summary
Pamlico County voters cast 249 early votes today.
Earlier in the day, the Pamlico County Board of Elections met to review absentee ballots returned to date, accepting 99 as valid. Taken together with the previous total of 2,908 votes cast, as of October 30, Pamlico County has cast 3,258 votes, or 34.45% of the county's registered voters. Four more days of early voting remain before next Tuesday's election.
In another action, the County Board voted two to one in favor of adding four hours to next Saturday's early voting period. State law requires that the vote be unanimous, therefore it did not pass. Therefore early voting will end Saturday, November 3 at 1:00 pm.
In other election news, state officials decry extremely aggressive and hostile electioneering at some locations:
RALEIGH -- North Carolina voters are facing some obstacles as they cast their ballots from voter intimidation to election misinformation. Election officials said enough is enough.
“Some of it is mischievous,” said Gary Bartlett, NC State Board of Elections executive director. “Some of it is just mean-spiritedness.”
Bartlett said he is seeing more problems during this year's early voting cycle than he has seen in his previous 20 years in elections.
“There have been fights that have broken out and there have been arrests made,” said Bartlett.
In fact, Bartlett sent a letter to all county board of election directors this week, warning them of problems he has seen throughout the state.
“There is really nothing we can do as staff,” says Wake County Board of Elections Deputy Director Gary Sims, “because if it is within that 50 foot we can stop it. But outside that 50 foot all we can do is make sure that we have an obstructed way for the voters to get to the polls.”
Voting site locations aren't the only concerns. Letters were sent out to targeted voters throughout the state from two outside groups.
The letter asks: What if your neighbors knew whether or not you voted?
In some cases, News 14 Carolina viewers said it showed they did not vote in the last election, when they actually had, and they said this tactic alarmed them.
For its part, one of the groups sending the letters, Americans for Limited Government, sent News 14 Carolina a statement saying: "...Using publicly available information, we have been able to identify voters who have a tendency to vote but for whatever reason have failed to do so at the most critical moments. We unapologetically urge these voters to exercise their right to vote, a goal which we are confident everyone applauds."
But election officials said voters from around the state are upset that these letters are circulating.
“We do know that it has upset a lot of people and there has not been anything positive said about that,” said Bartlett.
Early voting continues through Saturday. Election day is Nov. 6.
Earlier in the day, the Pamlico County Board of Elections met to review absentee ballots returned to date, accepting 99 as valid. Taken together with the previous total of 2,908 votes cast, as of October 30, Pamlico County has cast 3,258 votes, or 34.45% of the county's registered voters. Four more days of early voting remain before next Tuesday's election.
In another action, the County Board voted two to one in favor of adding four hours to next Saturday's early voting period. State law requires that the vote be unanimous, therefore it did not pass. Therefore early voting will end Saturday, November 3 at 1:00 pm.
In other election news, state officials decry extremely aggressive and hostile electioneering at some locations:
RALEIGH -- North Carolina voters are facing some obstacles as they cast their ballots from voter intimidation to election misinformation. Election officials said enough is enough.
“Some of it is mischievous,” said Gary Bartlett, NC State Board of Elections executive director. “Some of it is just mean-spiritedness.”
Bartlett said he is seeing more problems during this year's early voting cycle than he has seen in his previous 20 years in elections.
“There have been fights that have broken out and there have been arrests made,” said Bartlett.
In fact, Bartlett sent a letter to all county board of election directors this week, warning them of problems he has seen throughout the state.
“There is really nothing we can do as staff,” says Wake County Board of Elections Deputy Director Gary Sims, “because if it is within that 50 foot we can stop it. But outside that 50 foot all we can do is make sure that we have an obstructed way for the voters to get to the polls.”
Voting site locations aren't the only concerns. Letters were sent out to targeted voters throughout the state from two outside groups.
The letter asks: What if your neighbors knew whether or not you voted?
In some cases, News 14 Carolina viewers said it showed they did not vote in the last election, when they actually had, and they said this tactic alarmed them.
For its part, one of the groups sending the letters, Americans for Limited Government, sent News 14 Carolina a statement saying: "...Using publicly available information, we have been able to identify voters who have a tendency to vote but for whatever reason have failed to do so at the most critical moments. We unapologetically urge these voters to exercise their right to vote, a goal which we are confident everyone applauds."
But election officials said voters from around the state are upset that these letters are circulating.
“We do know that it has upset a lot of people and there has not been anything positive said about that,” said Bartlett.
Early voting continues through Saturday. Election day is Nov. 6.
Election Preparation
It has been a bit busy lately as the Pamlico County Board of Elections gats ready for next Tuesday's election. In the meantime, we're pretty busy with early voting.
Early voting continues at the courthouse until 1:00 pm Saturday afternoon. Plenty of time to get ahead of the crowds and pick your own time to vote.
Early voting continues at the courthouse until 1:00 pm Saturday afternoon. Plenty of time to get ahead of the crowds and pick your own time to vote.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Early Voting: 2012
The first time I voted early was in Texas in 1992. I thought it was a great idea.
Two decades later, I wonder why all states don't offer this opportunity to their citizens.
So which states have in-person early voting? Here is a link to an interactive map displaying each state's voting schedule.
Very interesting.
Two decades later, I wonder why all states don't offer this opportunity to their citizens.
So which states have in-person early voting? Here is a link to an interactive map displaying each state's voting schedule.
Very interesting.
Unscheduled Day Off At The Polls
The Pamlico County Board Of Elections scheduled today (Sunday, October 28) as a day of One-Stop (early) voting.
Hurricane Sandy intervened. Last Friday, the Executive Director of the State Board of Elections, as the senior election official, cancelled One-Stop voting on October 28 in Pamlico County and certain other counties near the path of the hurricane. He also recommended that we curtail Saturday voting by one hour.
The County Board met on Friday and decided to shorten Saturday voting by one hour. As it turned out, voting began to slack off considerably over an hour before we closed the polls. Even so, nearly twice as many voters cast ballots on October 27 as had voted the previous Saturday.
Today we all got a day off.
Tomorrow it's back to early voting. The County Board will meet on Tuesday afternoon for its regular weekly review of absentee votes and will address any other remaining issues affecting voting this week and on election day.
Hurricane Sandy intervened. Last Friday, the Executive Director of the State Board of Elections, as the senior election official, cancelled One-Stop voting on October 28 in Pamlico County and certain other counties near the path of the hurricane. He also recommended that we curtail Saturday voting by one hour.
The County Board met on Friday and decided to shorten Saturday voting by one hour. As it turned out, voting began to slack off considerably over an hour before we closed the polls. Even so, nearly twice as many voters cast ballots on October 27 as had voted the previous Saturday.
Today we all got a day off.
Tomorrow it's back to early voting. The County Board will meet on Tuesday afternoon for its regular weekly review of absentee votes and will address any other remaining issues affecting voting this week and on election day.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Early Voting: Days Nine And Ten
Yesterday, October 26, the ninth day of absentee voting, 315 Pamlico County voters cast votes. Yesterday afternoon, we consulted with the County and with the North Carolina State Board of Elections concerning Hurricane Sandy. We had planned to have early voting both Saturday, October 27 and Sunday, October 28.
After consulting with North Carolina emergency officials, the Coast Guard and NOAA, the State Board of Elections advised us that Sunday voting was a "no go." The State Executive Director cancelled our planned Sunday vote and recommended we curtail Saturday voting at least one hour. The County Board met yesterday and decided to cut Saturday voting by one hour.
Today, the turn out was 169 voters, nearly double the vote of last Saturday. It is now 11:15 pm Saturday, October 11 and the wind is out of the north at about 15 miles per hour.
After consulting with North Carolina emergency officials, the Coast Guard and NOAA, the State Board of Elections advised us that Sunday voting was a "no go." The State Executive Director cancelled our planned Sunday vote and recommended we curtail Saturday voting at least one hour. The County Board met yesterday and decided to cut Saturday voting by one hour.
Today, the turn out was 169 voters, nearly double the vote of last Saturday. It is now 11:15 pm Saturday, October 11 and the wind is out of the north at about 15 miles per hour.
Friday, October 26, 2012
Seventy Years Ago: Battle Of The Santa Cruz Islands
"Halsey's arrival in Noumea sent American morale skyrocketing throughout the region, as did
his assurances to General Alexander A. Vandegrift, the Marine commander on Guadalcanal, that
the Navy would give the Marines all possible support within its means. Halsey kept his word...."
"On October 23, as the Marines and Americal soldiers repelled a second violent Japanese assault, the Big E and her task force rendezvoused with Hornet east of Espiritu Santo, forming Task Force 61, under Rear Admiral Thomas Kinkaid. Halsey, anticipating a Japanese move into the waters northeast of Guadalcanal, ordered Kinkaid to sweep north of the Santa Cruz islands - a small, malaria-infested chain 700 miles north of New Caledonia - to engage the Japanese fleet...."
"Dawn on October 25, then, found the Combined Fleet and Task Force 61 steaming aggressively towards each other, closing range at close to 30 miles every hour. Confrontation was inevitable...."
"Anticipating the Combined Fleet would make a move towards Guadalcanal, Halsey ordered Kinkaid's Task Force 61 - consisting of Enterprise's TF 16 and Hornet's TF 17 - on an aggressive sweep northwest of the Santa Cruz Islands, hoping to outflank the Japanese fleet as it steamed southwards from Truk."
Admiral Kinkaid's two carriers and 169 aircraft were up against Admiral Nagumo's four aircraft carriers and 212 aircraft. Each force found the other the morning of October 26, 1942. By 0900 they had launched strikes.
Details of the ensuing battle are posted on the web site of the Enterprise CV-6 Association at http://www.cv6.org/1942/santacruz/santacruz.htm. The story reads like a novel. The web site's story continues here and here and here.
By the time the battle ended, USS Enterprise was damaged and USS Hornet, the Doolittle raider, was sunk. As of October 26, the US Navy had no operating aircraft carriers in the Pacific.
Even so, a numerically inferior force had kept Japan from achieving their goals.
"The Consequences
"Though tactically Santa Cruz was a draw, strategically it was a narrow victory for the Americans. Nagumo's carriers and Kondo's battleships had been turned away from Guadalcanal, giving the Marines and soldiers there some much needed relief. Perhaps more importantly, the destruction of the best Japanese naval aircrews, begun in earnest at Midway, culminated at Santa Cruz. Though plane losses were high on both sides - 74 American and 92 Japanese - the loss of airmen pointed to a Japanese catastrophe. Nearly 70 Japanese aircrews - including a number of squadron leaders - never returned to their carriers at Santa Cruz, while all but 33 American airmen did.
"The first hint of the damage done to Japan's naval airpower was seen the day of the battle, in the feeble afternoon strikes at Hornet. A more telling sign came on November 11, when Enterprise - after quick patching by Sea Bees and the repair ship Vulcan - sortied from Noumea, a full air group on her flight deck, ready to fight.
"The only Japanese carriers in the area - Hiyo and Junyo, both slow converted ocean liners - were well north of Guadalcanal, carefully staying clear of the American planes there. Without planes and the crews to fly them, the enemy's fleet carriers were impotent. Although Enterprise and her task force faced significant threat from ground-based air forces and submarines, the simple fact was this: 15 days after Santa Cruz, an American carrier stood off the Solomons, battered but ready for action, and not a single enemy carrier came forth to challenge her."
"On October 23, as the Marines and Americal soldiers repelled a second violent Japanese assault, the Big E and her task force rendezvoused with Hornet east of Espiritu Santo, forming Task Force 61, under Rear Admiral Thomas Kinkaid. Halsey, anticipating a Japanese move into the waters northeast of Guadalcanal, ordered Kinkaid to sweep north of the Santa Cruz islands - a small, malaria-infested chain 700 miles north of New Caledonia - to engage the Japanese fleet...."
"Dawn on October 25, then, found the Combined Fleet and Task Force 61 steaming aggressively towards each other, closing range at close to 30 miles every hour. Confrontation was inevitable...."
"Anticipating the Combined Fleet would make a move towards Guadalcanal, Halsey ordered Kinkaid's Task Force 61 - consisting of Enterprise's TF 16 and Hornet's TF 17 - on an aggressive sweep northwest of the Santa Cruz Islands, hoping to outflank the Japanese fleet as it steamed southwards from Truk."
Admiral Kinkaid's two carriers and 169 aircraft were up against Admiral Nagumo's four aircraft carriers and 212 aircraft. Each force found the other the morning of October 26, 1942. By 0900 they had launched strikes.
Details of the ensuing battle are posted on the web site of the Enterprise CV-6 Association at http://www.cv6.org/1942/santacruz/santacruz.htm. The story reads like a novel. The web site's story continues here and here and here.
By the time the battle ended, USS Enterprise was damaged and USS Hornet, the Doolittle raider, was sunk. As of October 26, the US Navy had no operating aircraft carriers in the Pacific.
Even so, a numerically inferior force had kept Japan from achieving their goals.
"The Consequences
"Though tactically Santa Cruz was a draw, strategically it was a narrow victory for the Americans. Nagumo's carriers and Kondo's battleships had been turned away from Guadalcanal, giving the Marines and soldiers there some much needed relief. Perhaps more importantly, the destruction of the best Japanese naval aircrews, begun in earnest at Midway, culminated at Santa Cruz. Though plane losses were high on both sides - 74 American and 92 Japanese - the loss of airmen pointed to a Japanese catastrophe. Nearly 70 Japanese aircrews - including a number of squadron leaders - never returned to their carriers at Santa Cruz, while all but 33 American airmen did.
"The first hint of the damage done to Japan's naval airpower was seen the day of the battle, in the feeble afternoon strikes at Hornet. A more telling sign came on November 11, when Enterprise - after quick patching by Sea Bees and the repair ship Vulcan - sortied from Noumea, a full air group on her flight deck, ready to fight.
"The only Japanese carriers in the area - Hiyo and Junyo, both slow converted ocean liners - were well north of Guadalcanal, carefully staying clear of the American planes there. Without planes and the crews to fly them, the enemy's fleet carriers were impotent. Although Enterprise and her task force faced significant threat from ground-based air forces and submarines, the simple fact was this: 15 days after Santa Cruz, an American carrier stood off the Solomons, battered but ready for action, and not a single enemy carrier came forth to challenge her."
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