Pat Tillman

Pat Tillman Biography - Facts, Birthday, Life Story - Biography.com

The soldier in the photo is Pat Tillman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Tillman) an American soldier and former professional football player. Tillman turned down a high paying contract with the Arizona Cardinals to enlist with the army. Pat was killed on April 22nd, 2004 by friendly fire under questionable circumstances. Pat was somewhat critical of the war in Iraq, but was a true patriot and should be considered nothing less then a hero for his strength and resolve to do what he thought was right. Pat was also an Atheist.

Pat Tillman Foundation | Dedication, Leadership, Continued Service

 

I agree 100% with Waylon Jenning's words below, "All the men, who couldn't fight, in a war that didn't seem right, you let them come home, America."   But, every draft dodger should have been made to stand in front of a Pat Tillman, looked him in the eye's and convinced him that they left because of their beliefs, and not that they were scared and afraid to die.  If they could not have convinced a Pat Tillman, without a doubt, that they left because of their beliefs, they should all have been locked up, and the key thrown away.  They deserved no more freedom or rights.

Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge--Truly Beyond My Realm Of Comprehension

1. New_Hoover_Bridge_construction.pps

The Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge is named after two-term Nevada Governor and decorated Korean war veteran Mike O'Callaghan and Pat Tillman, the Arizona Cardinals linebacker who joined the U.S. Army after 9/11 and was killed in Afghanistan.

  

 

The new bridge over the Colorado River at Hoover Dam...

Meet America's Newest Wonder

You're about to see a remarkable time-lapse presentation chronicling
the 5-1/2-year construction of the new bridge that now towers over the
Colorado River and Hoover Dam.

An instant tourist attraction, it stands 89 stories above the Colorado
River, commanding unparalleled views of Hoover Dam and Lake Mead.
It is the highest and longest concrete bridge in the Western
Hemisphere and boasts the world's tallest concrete columns of any kind.

Dedicated in October 2010, it provides a quicker and safer drive
between Phoenix and Las Vegas, eliminating the 75-mile detour and long
checkpoint jam-ups that ensued when traffic was banned across Hoover
Dam for security reasons.

 

What you will see is how the massive concrete arch begins to form
simultaneously from both sides of the river...and the amazing joining
of both halves of the arch coming together perfectly almost 90 stories
above the blue waters of the Colorado.

Keep in mind that all this was being done in extreme climatic
conditions where summer heat can exceed 120-plus degrees!

For that reason, much of the concrete work had to be done at night.

Furthermore, liquid nitrogen had to be injected into each load of
concrete to keep the pouring temperature at 80 degrees or less to keep
the concrete from drying too fast and cracking.

Imagine the planning, the precision, the engineering nightmares. 

 

  

 

1776-2012 And We Are Still Fighing A War. Yes, I Guess The Need For Prayer Has Not Changed

Courtesy of Henry Penndorf

The Eagle

While you are barbecuing today, or enjoying time at the beach with your family, take a moment to remember why you have this day, and who gave it to you.  Then remember to thank them.

Happy Birthday, America

ATTENTION ON DECK
PRESENT ARMS
ORDER ARMS
... DISMISS, CARRY ON

Memorial Day and July 4th are two very emotional day's for me.  This year they are particularly bad because I have to remember them in another country.  I grew up in what is called "the Vietnam Era."  I am still sickened to this day, recalling how our military was treated when the one's that could, returned home.   As if that memory is not bad enough, I now get to recall George W. Bush, the President of a free nation, dressing up in a flight suit, like he was as some kind of costume ball, and landing on the deck of a battleship, to declare victory, two day's after the current war started, which is still being fought 9 years later.  That man had no fucking right to dishonor the American military with that kind of spectacle, and should have been impeached at that moment.  I voted for him, and I will have to live with that the rest of my life.  I have not voted since, because apparently, I don't know how.................

2003 Mission Accomplished speech - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"All the men, who couldn't fight, in a war that didn't seem right, you let them come home, America"

Vintage Ringling Bros. Horses

Women photograph much better being "cute and charming" then do men.  For some reason, men come off looking kinda candy ass

Ringling Bros. Horses--Kenneth Heilbron 1945

Heilbron was fascinated with the circus when it was still in the Big Top. Whenever it came to Chicago in the 1940's, he would spend days shooting, mostly behind the scenes. In later years, he had two one-man shows in New York and Chicago, entitled "Behind the Dream".

Ringling Bros. Horses--Kenneth Heilbron 1945

Photographer Kenneth Heilbron, born 1903 in Chicago, died 1997 in Galena, IL. His family apprenticed him to a Parisian milliner in 1926, but it was the Paris of Hemingway, Picasso and Josephine Baker, an exciting time for American expatriates. Heilbron quickly switched to photography, perfecting his art until 1932, when he returned home to Chicago. There, he taught at the Art Institute of Chicago, authored a textbook that’s still being used today and worked for Time, Life, Fortune and Marshall Fields. His studio on North State Parkway was in what later became the Playboy Mansion, when he moved to Old Town. Although he had studio assistants, Heilbron did all his own printing. His series include: circus, cats, fashion, advertising, portraits, nature, Paris and Chicago. He retired to Galena in 1985. His estate was left to The Art Institute of Chicago

Al. G Barnes Elephant Tableau

Al G. Barnes Circus Elephant Tableau Wagon (CWM - Baraboo)

 

Steve Flint said: When the Al. G. Barnes elephant tab at CWM was first (re) constructed in 1986-87 the body was painted white. After further study of photo's it was decided to repaint the wagon in the ivory color that is on it now. At the same time repair was done to some of the carvings and the design was added to the front and back to make the wagon more historically accurate.

Al G. Barnes Circus Elephant Tableau Wagon (in Baraboo)

By Joseph T. Bradbury. Bandwagon, Vol. 1, No. 6 (Dec), 1957, p. 5.  [edited] 

 

Elephant Tableau Wagon, Al G. Barnes Circus, About 1922

We commonly call this wagon the "Al G. Barnes Elephant Tableau". It was built in the Al G. Barnes winter quarters in Venice, California in the winter of 1920-21 and first appeared on the Barnes show in the 1921 season. The Bode Wagon Works furnished the carvings for this and other Barnes wagons about the some time, but the actual construction of the wagon and the placing on of the carvings was done by the Barnes blacksmith and woodworking crew.

The wagon served on the Barnes show for the 1921, 1922, 1923, and 1924 seasons for sure and possibly longer. The Barnes show quit parading in mid-season 1924, the last parade being given July 14, at Denver. No parades were given in 1925 and following years. Some claim they saw it on the show as late as 1928, . Therefore there is a possibility that the wagon may have been carried in the years 1925-28, but I have not seen it in any photos of the show in those years. I have good coverage of the 1928 show in photos and the wagon is not present. It is my opinion, and only an opinion, but 1924 may well have been the last year on the show for the wagon.

After Al G. Barnes quit parading the wagon now becomes "lost" until the elephant carving only shows up some 15 years later. The [two] elephant carving[s] off this tableau wagon [were] recovered about 1939 and placed on the entrance gate to the World Jungle Compound at Thousand Oaks, California, near Los Angeles. This place has recently become known as "Jungleland", and the carving[s] [are] still there. What happened to the rest of the carvings and the wagon itself is not known to this writer but can be safely assumed that they rotted away or were discarded at the Venice (CA) lot.

 One extremely valuable comment comes from W. H. Woodcock, noted elephant trainer and fellow CHS member. Woodcock also is the leading circus wagon historian in the country and I accept always his findings as being positive fact. Woodcock says that the Sells-Floto Elephant Tableau discussed in the November issue was carried on the road by Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus in the 30's for several seasons during the time the show did not parade. The wagon was used as on elephant trapping wagon by Cheerful Garner. It was placed inside the menagerie, and the wonderful trapping and wardrobe man, Freddie Wells, kept the tableau as near immaculate as is possible with a circus. The wagon really fitted in good and looked like a circus sitting at the end of the elephant line. The wagon was there in 1935 and 1937 and the fact that it was kept inside the menagerie tent may be the reason why it shows up in very few photos of the show those years.

AL G. Barnes elephant tableau

FLINT said... The Barnes body was a bit wider than the Sells-Floto elephant tab and had the shorter wheels both front and back, thus allowing the body to be wider.

There was also an elephant tab wagon built for the Hagenbeck show but the carvings are considerably different.

FLINT said...Wade, I had to go digging around some more rather than just leave it as I have no idea what is going on here. The carvings at Jungleland came off of the Al G. Barnes elephant Tableau around 1939. I apparently don't have a photo of this wagon. According to some wagon notes that Joseph Bradbury kept, the carvings were created by Bode wagon works in Cincinnati who also made the carvings for the Sells-Floto elephant tab, thus the very close similarities in design.

The 1917 photo of the Hagenbeck-Wallace elephant tab was taken in the last year of its existence as it was destroyed in a train wreck according to Mr. Bradbury's notes.

Bob Cline said....'Unfortunately, it looks like the nicest of the "elephant tab" wagons, in my opinion the Hagenbeck-Wallace wagon, is gone forever.  What happened to the Sells-Floto "elephant tab" which was so similar to the Al G. Barnes "elephant tab" currently at Baraboo who's elephant carvings were formerly at Jungleland?  To bad there are not the funds to permit the magicians in the CWM wagon barn to totally "recreate" some of the great beauties lost forever.' 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM JOHN GOODALL

John Goodall said....The elephant carvings from the Al G. Barnes wagon were on the gates of Jungleland and Louis Goebel, owner of Jungleland, donated them to Circus World. The wagon shop built the wagon mentioned by Steve Flint.

Here is a photo from the 1950's of the elephants from Al G. Barnes Elephant Tab fronting the entrance to World Jungle Compound. They were donated to Circus World by Louis Goebel

Courtesy of John Goodall   

It is hard to explain the immense pleasure and feeling of pride that I get when I am afforded the honor of sitting down at the jackpot table with great circus historians like Flint, Bobby Cline, John Goodall, and others and coming up with another piece of a puzzle.  Will I grandstand some day with my grandchildren and say, "look, look.  That's my name right beside Steve, Bobby, John etc. etc."  You bet I will.                                                                                                                       

This You Can Be Outraged Over, But Leave King Juan Carlos Alone. He Broke No Law's, And Aided The Effort With The Purchace Of A License.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/06/120627-gabon-ivory-elephants-poaching-africa-animals-science/

 

 

http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/27/12441507-elephant-tusks-ivory-torched-to-keep-out-of-smugglers-hands?lite

 

 http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/27/us-gabon-ivory-idUSBRE85Q1I520120627

Courtesy of John Goodall