text:
John Dimitry , A. M., Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 10.1, Louisiana
Clement Anselm Evans, Ed.
Chapter 1 : Chapter 2 : Chapter 3 : Chapter 4 : Chapter 5 : Chapter 6 : Chapter 7 : Chapter 8 : Chapter 9 : Chapter 10 : Chapter 11 : Chapter 12 : Chapter 13 : Chapter 14 : Chapter 15 : Chapter 16 : Chapter 17 : Chapter 18 : Chapter 19 : Chapter 20 : Chapter 21 : Chapter 22 : Chapter 23 : Chapter 24 : Chapter 25 : Chapter 26 : Chapter 27 : A word of Explanation. Biographical.
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19th-Century American
chapter : page
Chapter 1 :
Chapter 10 :
A word of Explanation.
Biographical.
The Pennsylvania campaign
-- Hays' brilliant charge at Winchester -- battle of Gettysburg -- First day's fight -- Nicholls' brigade at Culp's Hill -- Hays' brigade on the summit of Cemetery Hill -- work of the artillery -- after Gettysburg -- Rappahannock bridge -- Mine Run -- Payne's Farm.
Late in June, 1863, Lee's bugle once more sounded for invasion. His army, in thoroughness of discipline, numbers and equipment, was the most formidable that had marched under the flag of the seceding States. There were ardent Confederates who believed that the Pennsylvania movement would prove a military mistake. Such distrust, however, nowhere showed itself on the surface. For Lee himself the invasion was a necessity. He saw that matters were fast going to the bad in the West. He knew that Vicksburg was making a heroic but hopeless defense. Her fall would bring the Mississippi a free and unmortgaged gift to the Federals. By a new and possibly successful invasion of the North he might offset inevitable disaster in the West. Such was his hope. He knew his army, he trusted in its strength and fiber.
Fredericksburg in December, and Chancellorsville in May had raised in an extraordinary manner the spirit of the army—victorious at both points. Its courage was accompanied by an increasing hope. Far more than ever before, a consciousness of invincibility had begun to be felt by rank and file. It proved to be a great error, an error which cost us the campaign. Yet, under the glorious history of the latter part of 1862 and the early [255] part of 1863, the error seemed to most minds, the direct result of recent events.
With his right, Lee had gripped the old defenses of Fredericksburg, associated with thronging memories of triumph; his left covertly advanced, under Ewell, toward Culpepper and thence to the Shenandoah valley. Early's division was directed by Ewell to march straight to the valley. On June 14th Early trapped Milroy, capturing 4,000 prisoners, with much material. Hays' brigade was at the front from the beginning of this movement, pushing the enemy back, with skirmishing during the 13th and 14th. On the latter day Early took the Louisianians around a considerable detour to the west, and about 5 p. m. ordered them to assault the enemy's works on a hill which appeared to be the key to their fortified position. After the artillery, which included the Louisiana Guard, had shelled the astonished Federals, who were not looking for fight in that direction, 'Hays advanced as was directed,' Early said, 'and ascended the steep slope of the hill leading to the enemy's works through a brushwood that had been felled to answer the purpose of abatis, and drove the enemy from his works in fine style, capturing in the assault six rifled pieces, two of which were immediately turned upon the enemy.' The enemy discovered the advance of Hays when he reached the edge of the abatis, about 150 yards from the works, and then, ordered to charge, his men swept forward so rapidly that they were in the redoubt before the enemy had time to fire more than four or five rounds. 'A most brilliant achievement,' said Early of this assault. At some distance was a small redoubt with two pieces of artillery, manned by infantry. Here the Seventh, Col. Davidson B. Penn, gallantly secured two guns. In the main work, a battery of the Fifth U. S. artillery (regulars) was captured, caissons and trappings complete.
Hays, in the movement against the key position in the defenses of Winchester, had the Louisiana Guard artillery [256] with him. Here Capt. C. Thompson, of the Louisiana Guards, fell mortally wounded, his death saddening the glorious victory. With D'Aquin nobly dead at Fredericksburg and Thompson slain at Winchester it was evident that the officers of the famous battery did not hide behind its caisson wheels. Hays reports his brigade loss for the two days at 14 killed and 78 wounded. Lieutenant Terry, Seventh, and Captain Dejean, Eighth, were killed. Lieut. John Orr, adjutant of the Sixth, was the first to mount the parapet. The adjutant did not regret the bayonet thrust which he received on this occasion. That night, while Hays' brigade was expecting another assault on the coming day, and the Guard was training its guns upon the main fort of Milroy, the enemy decamped. But Ewell had arranged for such a sequel. Nicholls' brigade, which had been skirmishing with the Federal line during the 13th and 14th, was sent with Steuart's brigade to the north of Winchester during the night. In the dark they struck the head of the retreating column, and being fiercely assailed a desperate fight resulted, turned into victory by the timely arrival of the Stonewall brigade. A Federal flanking party under the immediate command of General Milroy was gallantly met by the Second and Tenth Louisiana, who afterward led by General Johnson in person captured 1,000 prisoners and a stand of colors. The brigade loss was 2 killed and 13 wounded.
From Winchester Ewell marched boldly into Pennsylvania, Early crossing the Potomac at Shepherdstown on the 22d, and then marching through Maryland to Gettysburg. Hays' brigade was camped peacefully near the historic Pennsylvania village on the 26th. Ewell then advanced, with Gordon in the van, to York, near the Susquehanna river and the capital of Pennsylvania, 75 miles north of Washington. Johnson's division crossed at Boteler's ford and marched to Carlisle, still further north, and west of Harrisburg. In the last days of June [257] these commands were ordered back by General Lee toward South mountain.
Hooker, haunting the north bank of the Rappahannock, had observed Ewell's movement into the valley and believed it meant mischief to the North. When he found Longstreet following Ewell he also started for the Potomac. An army between the capital and invasion was the one besetting desire of Halleck, intent on defending Washington. Lee, consummate master of all strategy, no sooner had seen Hooker fairly in pursuit of Ewell than he took his hand off Fredericksburg, and A. P. Hill crossing the mountains marched with Longstreet into Maryland and on to Chambersburg.
Hooker's army was in Maryland keeping between Lee and Washington, on June 26th and then Hooker, chafing under Halleck's restrictions and unable to control events, with a great battle in the air, asked to be relieved from his command. Sober Meade succeeded him. This changed altogether the current of Lee's movement. Seeing Meade moving northwest from Frederick, intent on loosening his grip from the river, Lee became fearful for his own communications and the safety of Richmond, naked before her foe. General Dix was at Fortress Monroe, and before a resolute attack Richmond might have fallen. The capture of Harrisburg was abandoned; Longstreet and Hill were ordered eastward through the passes of South mountain, and Early back from the Susquehanna. Lee himself drew back from his invasion, striving to engage Meade's attention by a diversion east of the mountain.
Cautious Meade had seen through his great adversary's purpose. Having selected the general line of Pipe creek for his defense, he now threw his left wing forward to Gettysburg as a mask Already Lee was disposed to make sure of the same point. The shadow of the mighty battle was on them both.
On the 1st of July, 1863, the vanguards of the two [258] armies clashed on the west of Gettysburg. At 9 a. m. the first gun was heard. The shadow had melted away. Gettysburg, sternly questioning, alone was visible. On the Confederate side was A. P. Hill, with Heth and Pender; on the Federal, Reynolds, with the Third and Eleventh corps. The result of the first encounter was a victory for Hill. Gallant Reynolds—a heavy loss to his army—was killed during the action. History puts no faith in precedents, else Gettysburg would have opened another page on July 3d. Lee himself had no illusions. On the evening of the first day he showed his sound common sense in what he said to Longstreet: 'They are there in position. I am going to whip them, or they are going to whip me.' He trusted in his troops; cared little for the disparity in force; but never quite forgot that war had its lottery.
While Hill was fighting for Seminary ridge, Ewell, on his way back from the east, was in time to strike from the north; and his effective blow, which hurled Schurz back through the town, uncovered the Federal line still defiant on Seminary ridge, and compelled it to give up the strong position occupied during the next two days by Hill and Longstreet. 'Hays' brigade,' said Early, 'advanced toward the town on Gordon's left in fine style, encountering and driving back into the town in great confusion the second line of the enemy,' until the Louisianians formed in line in the street running through the middle of Gettysburg. They captured two pieces of artillery and Federal soldiers at every turn, and having no men to spare for guards, sent them to the rear as they pressed on. Hays declared he was satisfied that the brigade captured more prisoners than its own number. Their own loss was Captain Richardson, Fifth, and 6 men killed and 37 wounded. The Louisiana Guard artillery, also effectively participating, lost one man killed. During the evening Nicholls' brigade came to the east of Gettysburg and took position. [259]
The morning of July 2d found Hays' brigade, moved during the night to the east and front of the town, facing the northern extremity of Cemetery hill, the new Federal line. To the east of that was Culp's hill, faced by Nicholls' brigade, on the right of Johnson's line. The two Louisiana brigades waited all day, expecting orders to assault, which were not given until after the batteries, opening at 4 p. m., had for some time been thundering against the strong Federal position. Finally, about 7 o'clock, Johnson was ordered to the assault and his men advanced gallantly up the sides of 'a rugged and rocky mountain, heavily timbered and difficult of ascent; a natural fortification, rendered more formidable by deep intrenchment and thick abatis.' Colonel Williams reported that his men 'engaged the enemy near the base of these heights; and having quickly driven his front line into the intrenchments on their crest, continued forward until they reached a line about 100 yards from the enemy's works, when they again engaged him with an almost incessant fire for four hours, pending which several attempts to carry the works by assault, being entirely unsupported on the right, were attended with more loss than success.'
As soon as Johnson was engaged Early ordered forward his assaulting line, Hays on the right, Avery's North Carolinians on the left, and Gordon supporting, against Cemetery hill. It was a little before 8 p. m. and the darkness was some screen to their movement; but the enemy's artillery was in furious activity, and as the Louisianians crossed a hill in front they were dangerously exposed. But they swept on down into a hollow at the foot of Cemetery hill. There they found a considerable body of the enemy which opened fire, and the batteries began throwing canister, but the smoke and darkness enabled the brigade to escape 'what in the full light of day could have been nothing else than horrible slaughter.' Panic seized the Federals as Hays pushed [260] on up the slope, over a stone wall where many prisoners were taken; over an abatis, and through a line of riflepits where more prisoners were taken. The summit was gained, and with a rush along the whole line, Hays' men captured several pieces of artillery, four stand of colors and still more prisoners. Meanwhile, the North Carolinians, encountering stone wall after stone wall, had lost their commander, Colonel Avery, and not more than 40 or 50 were together in the last charge. The Louisianians, alone at the summit of Cemetery hill in the face of Howard's corps, at first encountered a strange silence. But soon, through the dark, heavy masses of infantry were heard approaching. Expecting support, Hays for an instant thought they were the friends promised in the crisis. But he soon perceived that the enemy was confronting him and surrounding him, and after a volley from his depleted ammunition he was forced to fall back in order to a stone wall at the foot of the ridge. His loss was heavy—26 killed, 151 wounded, and 55 missing. Among the gallant dead were Col. T. D. Lewis, Captains Victor St. Martin and L. A. Cormier, and Lieutenants W. P. Talbot, A. Randolph, R. T. Crawford. Lieut.-Col. A. De Blanc succeeded to the command of the Eighth. Early next morning (3d) Williams' men and their comrades, reinforced, renewed the assault, and the enemy in turn with a greatly strengthened line made a desperate effort to recapture their line of breastworks. The fighting continued till noon without favorable result. The loss of the brigade during the entire battle was 43 killed and 309 wounded. Lieutenant-Colonel Nolan, one of the best and most gallant officers of the Louisiana contingent, was killed in the charge across Rock creek toward Culp's hill, on the night of July 2d. Capt. Thomas Rice, of the Montgomery Guards, First Louisiana, took command of the regiment after Colonel Nolan's death, from July 2d to July 5th, when the army fell back into Virginia.
About midnight following the 2d of July, the Washington [261] artillery, having reached the field dusty and tired, were ordered to take position at the Peach orchard, whence Federal General Sickles had been driven. Before daylight of the 2d Eshleman's battalion was in position; Captain Miller and Lieutenants Hero, McElroy and Brown with four Napoleons; two Napoleons of the Fourth under Captain Norcum and Lieutenant Battles, and two Napoleons of the Second under Captain Richardson and Lieutenant Hawes. The howitzers were in reserve under Lieutenant Apps.
With some changes in position at daylight, they were engaged 'moderately' during the forenoon, under a fire which disabled the gallant Norcum. Walton now had 75 guns posted in one great battery, menacing Cemetery hill, and 63 more were massed before Hill's corps, including the Donaldsonville boys, to the north. Toward noon there was an outburst of Hill's guns, but it soon subsided and, says Colonel Alexander, 'the whole field became as silent as a churchyard until 1 o'clock.' The enemy waited for what Lee might do, and Lee was making ready for the last assault on Cemetery hill. It had been arranged that when the column was ready General Longstreet should order two guns fired by Captain Eshleman. At 1:30 a message came to Walton from Longstreet: 'Let the batteries open.' 'In a moment,' says Col. William Miller Owen of the Washington artillery, 'the report of the first gun rang out upon the still summer air (fired by Miller's battery). There was a moment's delay with the second gun, a friction-primer having failed to explode. It was but a little space of time, but 100,000 men were listening. Finally a puff of smoke was seen at the Peach orchard, then came a roar and a flash, and 138 pieces of Confederate artillery opened upon the enemy's position.'
From the opposing heights came back a thundering Federal answer, and the most terrific artillery battle of the war was on. The roar was deafening, stupendous— [262] the gorges of the hills vibrating with the shock and the two ridges echoing crash after crash. The Washington artillery and the Madison men were under both a direct and an enfilading fire, but stood bravely to their work. 'About 30 minutes after the signal guns had been fired,' according to Major Eshleman, 'our infantry moved forward over the plateau in our front.' Captain Miller and Lieutenant Battles were then ordered forward, but they had suffered so severely that only four pieces could be taken to support the charge. These, with one piece of Haskell's battalion, were the only guns advanced, and they came under the concentrated fire of the enemy. At the same moment, the brave men under Pickett and Pettigrew were seen falling back from the hill. Miller, Battles and Richardson were then withdrawn. It was found that Lieutenant Brown was severely wounded, Lieutenant Battles had both his guns disabled, and Miller had lost so many horses that he could manage but one piece. Major Eshleman then, with the howitzers of Moody's Madison artillery, Parker's battery, and a section of Cabell's, with the infantry 200 yards behind him, held the enemy in check till dark. Eshleman's loss was 3 killed, 26 wounded, 16 missing, and 37 horses killed. Lieutenant Apps was among the wounded.
Early in the day Captain Richardson had pointed out to Major Eshleman a 3-inch rifle gun abandoned by its defenders between the hostile lines, with the horses dead but harnessed to the pieces. William Forrest and James Brown, drivers, at once volunteered to bring the piece off. The gun was drawn off, and ammunition with it, under a hot and jealous fire from the enemy's sharpshooters. Forrest was not content with running this peril. Finding that in order to serve the gun against its old masters horses and harness must be had, he set out to hunt these, groping in the sulphurous and perilous semi-darkness between the lines, and brought them in despite the sharpshooters. A few days later the brave man was wounded [263] at Williamsport. In telling the story of heroic deeds, this of Richardson's drivers should not be forgotten.
The three Louisiana batteries aside from the Washington artillery won equal honor. If one called them the D'Artagnan, Athos and Porthos of the Louisiana artillery contingent in the army of Northern Virginia, one would not go far wrong. Among their comrades they were known as the Louisiana Guard artillery, Maurin's Donaldsonville Cannoneers, and Moody's Madison 'Tips.' Capt. Charles A. Green, of the Guard, with his Parrott guns, joined Hampton's cavalry on the evening of the 2d just in time to engage the enemy. At their position they could see the enemy's wagon-trains rolling away. The Guard could do nothing toward their capture, for the business in hand was of a more war-like nature. On the 3d they gave effective aid to Stuart and Hampton in the cavalry battle on the right flank. The Guard lost 7 killed and wounded. Maurin's Donaldsonville boys were just in time at Gettysburg, July 1st, to relieve one of Pegram's batteries whose ammunition had been expended on the foe. To keep worthily in a heady fight the place of a Pegram battery, was not easy; doubtless Pegram's eyes, young but keen, looking approvingly on the work and on the men doing it. Moody's Madison boys, with Alexander, shared the work of Colonel Walton's men shelling the Peach orchard on the 2d and the memorable artillery duel of the 3d. They were warmly commended by Colonel Alexander.
Only as Confederates is it permitted to us, in this work, to express an interest in Pickett's mighty charge. As Louisianians, it is made our duty to report a gallant charge up the same Cemetery hill by a Louisiana brigade commanded by a brigadier from Louisiana. We need not repeat the glorious story of July 3d. It is one of those tales of heroes which, as the Skalds tell us were rehearsed in Valhalla, will grow in acute interest as [264] the years recede from the field and from what has made it memorable.
This may be said for conclusion. If Pickett's famous division of Virginians made a heroic attempt to storm Cemetery hill on July 3d, so had Hays, with a brigade of Louisianians, made the same difficult journey on July 2d. If Pickett's charge with Virginians be immortal, who may doubt that the amaranth will equally crown Hays' charge with Louisianians? Between a brigade and a division there may be a difference in the length of the battle lines. In honor, there can be none!
After Pickett's division had been swept away on the perilous slope of Cemetery hill, Gettysburg was a battle lost to the Confederates. Lee still held to the ground where the battle storm had raged; but the battle had been fought and won against him. That Chancellorsville, in May, 1863, was the clearest, strongest, most carefully-planned victory gained, with equal conditions, by the army of Northern Virginia, is admitted in the North itself. It was the fight of a strong plan on one side, of no plan on the other. Against this, Gettysburg, in July following, was the first victory gained by the army of the Potomac which called a permanent halt to Confederate movement northward en masse. A year later, Early was to hazard a bold but useless rush as far as the breastworks of Washington. Not being 'in mass,' at best a minor affair, it served to emphasize the supreme lesson taught at Gettysburg.
Lee retreated at his ease by way of Hagerstown and Williamsport.1 Meade slowly, too slowly indeed for one [265] who had to his credit a decided victory, followed him hesitatingly across the river. Begun late, Meade's pursuit was active enough to have enabled him to strike Lee's flank by debouching through Manassas gap. The attempt was unsuccessful Lee withdrew to Culpeper while Meade advanced to the line of the Rappahannock. It was a duel in 'points' between the two—Lee, for all his small army, altogether the bolder and readier master. The commanders began a race for the possession of the Orange & Alexandria railroad. Lee's gaze was fixed upon Bristoe station. Warren, forming Meade's rear guard, gained success in a brilliant side engagement with A. P. Hill, which enabled Meade to post himself strongly at Centerville. For the moment Lee felt himself foiled. Throwing out a line of troops along Bull run, he destroyed the railroad south of that point and retired at his leisure, a leisure with a certainty of future triumph in it. Meade, quickly leaving Centerville, followed him, repairing the road as he went. Reaching the Rappahannock he crossed, forcing the passage. Lee, without delay, put the Rapidan between himself and the army of the Potomac.
Meade's continued movement might mean peril. In order to deter him, if possible, from advancing farther into the interior during the winter of 1863-64, Lee caused certain works previously constructed on the north side of the Rappahannock to be converted into a tete-de-pont to defend a pontoon bridge already laid down. Lines of rifle-pits were constructed at the same time on each bank. November 7, 1863, proved a day of gloomy remembrance both for Hays' brigade and the Louisiana Guard artillery. On the north bank, in the rifle-pits, was Hays' brigade; in the redoubt on the same side [266] was stationed the Guard with four guns. No position during the war was more helplessly exposed than this. The Louisianians were at first the only troops north of the river—the Sixth, under Colonel Monaghan; Eighth, Captain Gusman; Fifth, Capt. J. G. Angell, and Seventh, Col. T. M. Terry, were more or less advanced, and the Ninth, Col. W. R. Peck, was held in the works. Col. D. B. Penn was in command of the brigade during the early part of the fight. About 2 o'clock p. m. Sedgwick's two corps began to crowd about the devoted brigade, which was soon forced to concentrate behind the breastworks, where they held their position, under artillery fire, unsupported until about 4:30, when Hoke's brigade came over and took position to assist them. At dusk, according to Sedgwick, an assault was made by two brigades of Russell's division. There were three heavy lines, as Hays, who was in the fort by 4 o'clock, saw them. At the center, the first Federal line was broken and some of it captured. But the second and third lines swarmed over his right, leaving the battery in the hands of the enemy, and while he was preparing to order the Seventh and Ninth to a desperate counter charge his center was broken. New lines of the enemy appeared, and the Seventh and Fifth regiments and Hoke's brigade were surrounded so as to make escape impossible. 'My men,' says Hays, 'continued at their post in the works, fighting well to the last, and it was only when the command was cut in two and the enemy in complete possession of the entire hill that any thought was entertained of falling back. Indeed, there was no effort made by any one in my command to recross the river until nothing else remained but surrender. Many then escaped by swimming and fording the river, and some few on the pontoon bridge. The force under my command was small, between 800 and 900. That of Hoke's brigade was also small. The force of the enemy, I am confident, could not have been less than 20,000 to 25,000.' His [267] report of loss was 2 killed, 16 wounded and 684 missing. The loss in Green's battery, commanded by Lieutenant Moore, was 1 killed and 41 missing. Twenty-eight escaped. Hays himself was made prisoner, but was saved by a restive horse. Being surrounded, his horse took fright and ran away, carrying him clattering over the pontoon bridge, the bullets still seeking him. The General used afterwards to call this a 'narrow escape.'
It was something more, it was the most disastrous event in the history of the Louisiana Guard artillery. With guns gone the company temporarily was as Samson shorn of his locks. During its battle work its loss had been more in the ratio of numbers than that of any other Louisiana battery serving in Virginia. After the exchange in May, 1864, the company was formed into a mounted battery and detailed to act with the cavalry. It was employed chiefly in raiding the enemy's outposts and surprising their communications. The service was arduous; and finally, when the horses could not be replaced for the work, the battery took its place in the trenches near Richmond, and was in the retreat to Appomattox. The valor of the Louisiana Guard artillery, previous to Rappahannock bridge and on that day of wild fighting, assured the full performance of duty by the men. Whether riding with Hampton's legion or guarding like watchdogs the trenches, its valor was always to the fore. No special mention will be made hereafter of the Louisiana Guard artillery, save that the battery was at Appomattox, was surrendered there, but not before firing its last gun. Their comrades salute them, with no stain upon their record as Confederate artillerists from Norfolk to Appomattox.
Meanwhile the North, drunken with delight after Gettysburg, still demanded energy from the victorious commander. Action! action! always action! was the solitary message weighing down the telegraph. Lee had prudently put his army into cantonments for the winter [268] over a considerable space. Several of the lower fords of the Rapidan were left open. Lee had defended his right flank, however, by a line of intrenchment facing Mine run, at right angles to the Rapidan.
Meade was spurred beyond his usual hesitation. He resolved to turn Lee's position and seriously cripple his great adversary by a quick blow. Marching orders were issued to the several corps, the day and hour being added for each march; but one corps commander was three hours late. A pontoon bridge proved too short on account of high water in the Rapidan. So Meade got into position two days later than he had wished. Lee smiled, having already hastily concentrated. When ready for attack on the fourth day, Meade found Lee secure in his position (November 26th to 30th). Each army went back to its own lines. The troops being once more in winter quarters remained there. The North did not quite like the quiet after failure, but winter gripped hard both town and camp.
During this futile campaign there was some brisk fighting, and many brave men fell. General Early having taken command of Ewell's corps during the illness of his chief, Hays was put in charge of Early's division and Col. William Monaghan commanded the remnants of his brigade and Hoke's. Leroy A. Stafford, with the rank of brigadier-general earned gallantly on many fields, again led the Second brigade. Both of these commands were on duty.
Hays' brigade was in line of battle beyond Mine run during the 27th, and during the skirmishing of the day, Captain Bringhurst, of the Ninth, and three privates were killed. Then retiring to the Confederate side of Mine run, they remained there several days. On the 30th Lieutenant Wehmer and several privates were wounded on the skirmish line. That night they slept on their arms, but no battle followed.
Stafford's brigade was at Payne's farm, where there [269] was severe fighting on the 27th. The brigade advanced with a cheer to the support of the Stonewall brigade, but under a murderous fire found it impossible to proceed be. yond the crest on which the Confederate line had been established. The brigade lost 16 killed and 88 wounded. Three officers lost their lives: Lieutenants Kenna, Mc-Rae and Cotton. [270]
1 At Williamsport on the 6th, the trains, being unable to cross the Potomac on account of high water, were assailed by the Federal cavalry, with artillery, and successfully defended by General Imboden, and the Washington artillery and Donaldsonville battery. Eshleman, seeing his only salvation was a bold attack, sent Miller's battery forward 600 yards, supported by a line of skirmishers and later by Norcum's Napoleon gun. By this bold move Miller and Norcum repulsed the enemy in their front, while Battles, Squires and Richardson held the Federals back on other roads. Hawes, with two Napoleons, relieved two other batteries which had briefly aided them, and fought under a galling fire, losing 12 men at one piece. On this day the Louisiana gunners, after a most fatiguing march of two days without sleep, rest or food, were of vital importance to the army of Northern Virginia.
Atlanta, Ga. 1899.
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Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 10.1, Louisiana (this document)


Our current car-dependency is unsustainable – urban areas, major roads, and pinch-points through the region are already congested will only get worse, hurting both business profits and personal life. Transportation greenhouse gas emission are now the state's biggest contributor to potential climate disaster, and the environmental damage of producing fossil fuels continues to grow. Even if we had the space, building more roads or even expanding our existing ones will just induce more people to drive – until those lanes, too, are full. Current demand is also a poor indicator of people's preferences. Just because someone drives to work now doesn't mean they want to drive to work. For many people, it means that they don't have a reasonable or safe alternative, whether it be taking transit, walking, biking, or a combination. Most surveys show that people would rather not drive, or at least not drive under current conditions.
Continued economic growth and environmental sustainability requires that we create infrastructure that better matches the ways that people would actually like to travel, and that "nudges", perhaps even incentivizes, people towards less destructive methods of travel.
Public sector transportation officials, their engineering staffs, the private-sector consultants they hired to do the design, the construction firms who did the work – all of them had spent their lives, from their professional training to their work-life experience, building roads with the Interstate as the model of what a "real" road ought to be. (Not so many years ago, a veteran transportation official told me that "every driveway secretly wants to grow up into a highway.") The default assumptions were that motor vehicle traffic took priority over other road uses; that maximizing motor vehicle capacity and speed was the number one goal and anything that interrupted or slowed the traffic flow was bad. It was also considered necessary, and smart, to build in a "margin of safety" to compensate for possible driver error – so lanes had to be kept wide, curves gentle, and distracting street-side activity eliminated.
While many of these ideas are sound and necessary for Interstates, today's emphasis on "livability" as the key to municipal well-being implies a nearly opposite vision for non-highway roads. Pedestrian safety and bicycle functionality are given equal weight to car movement. Speed is seen as dangerous, and simply gets cars quicker to the next stop sign. Making roads feel comfortable as speeds higher than either the posted or the desired "target" mph makes them more dangerous rather than safer. Roads and the abutting land are valuable public property properly useful for things other than transportation and therefore sometimes the best use of a street is not allowing for as much parking as possible. And more.
For a long time, road design was shaped by the Internet model and car-centric values. As times changed, public values evolved, and advocates became active, every project became a battle ground. But f the same issues in every project is like running in place, a lot of work but little forward motion. The obvious need for system change pushed progressive transportation advocates to quickly expand from project-by-project critiques to overall policy.
MassDOT has taken steps to implement these policies. Building on its national leadership in "Context-Sensitive Design", new training sessions about Complete Streets have been given to Central and District staffs and made available to both municipal transportation planners and private consultants. A Complete Streets incentive funding program has been set up. A design guide for separated bike lanes has been issued. Internal committees such as the Design Exception Review Committee reviews projects and enforces the inclusion of at least minimum pedestrian and bicycle facilities. State-wide master plans for Bicycling and Walking are in process. Public input protocols have been strengthened and advocates are often brought in for discussion at the conceptual design stage instead of being forced to react after the fact to already-developed plans. Very few new state projects lack at least some attention to pedestrian, bicycle, and transit rider needs.
Of course, as any trip quickly shows, there is a lot that still needs to be done. While the default assumptions have improved, official guidelines still – correctly – leave a great deal of latitude for case-by-case variation based on the designing engineer's professional judgement. And, despite the influx of new people into the profession, as well as the retraining of more veteran staff, old habits and feelings die hard. Often, designers' professional judgement is still shaped by old assumptions. So, without intending to undermine policy, most engineers start a road design by figuring out how to accommodate the maximum number of current and future car traffic -- an estimating process that some people feel tends to overestimate 20-year traffic volumes— and only then try to squeeze in pedestrian and bicycle facilities. And often when they do try to add pedestrian and bicycle facilities, instead of reallocating available space they state a need to widen the right of way, which is often physically or financially impractical, leading to a decision to shrink or degrade the non-car accommodations.
This sometimes happens because a stand-alone project does not have good pedestrian/bike connections on either side, allowing the designer to feel that it makes no sense to include space-consuming non-car facilities that go nowhere – forgetting that you have to start somewhere. It sometimes happens because our cities (not to mention suburban and rural areas) still have so few state-of-the-art examples of non-car-prioritizing roads that it is hard for people to internalize an awareness of the huge safety, functionality, and environmental advantages of pushing their designs for maximum modal rebalancing. It sometimes happens because of resource limitations: most engineers start a design with an understanding of what they can pay for; plenty would love nothing more than to generate amazing designs if only their budget would allow it. And it sometimes happens because it is too easy to say that the full-route changes needed to make end-to-end walking and bicycling safer require a future, major project so aren't safe to be done on a piecemeal basis today – except that the expensive future project never comes.
One piece of good news is that we are seeing more sidewalks and bike lanes in MassDOT projects than we have in the past. We are seeing projects with 5' shoulders where we would have seen 4' in the past, and projects with bike lanes (and sometimes now even physically separated bike lanes) where we would have only seen shoulders previously. The bad news is that at intersections and pinch points, we are still often seeing substandard facilities.
For example, there have been numerous projects where a roadway is proposed to be widened, in part to provide sidewalks and bike lanes. However, as the road crosses under or over a bridge or overpass, there often isn't room to widen it unless that bridge or overpass is also rebuilt. That is rarely actually done, understandably, due to expense. Project designers should be adjusting the width and/or number of travel lanes through the constrained section in order to allow for pedestrian and bicycle facilities to remain continuous through the pinch point. What we see more often than not, however, are sidewalks narrowed severely or omitted from one or both sides of the street, and bike lanes removed or shoulders narrowed so that they are not wide enough for bicyclists to use them, forcing bicyclists to share a travel lane with motor vehicles through the constrained area. Omitting sidewalks or bike lanes, even through a short stretch, severely hampers the usefulness of the bicycle facilities along the remainder of the project. Yet, Design Exceptions are regularly requested and granted for these substandard facilities.
Similarly, design proposals frequently include bicycle-accommodation shoulders that drop off through intersections, so that additional lanes can be added to provide motor vehicle capacity at the intersection (for example, left turn or right turn only lanes, and sometimes even additional through lanes just through the intersection itself.) If a bike facility is to be useful, it needs to be continuous. LivableStreets regularly advocate for 5' minimum bike lanes that continue through intersections, reducing the need for bicyclists and motorists to negotiate in shared lanes, although we often do not end up with that result.
The advice is worth following for all aspects of road design. Given our current imbalance in favor of car movement, creating a Complete Street – as well as a more economically and environmentally sustainable transportation system – requires an explicit mandate from the highest levels of government and MassDOT to select projects and engineer solutions that help shift the mode share needle.
Thanks to Tom Dipaolo, Jason Degray, and Charlie Denison for their extensive and insightfully critical feedback on earlier drafts.
> IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY COME; But What If You Take It Away?
Steve, Thank you for this Post. Some signs of hope! I also read that Dutch Reach post and went back to read your 2008 post on the Dutch and helmets (or lack thereof). If it ain't Dutch it ain't much.


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A Glass Act
Soft Drinks International3 January 2002
Innovative packaging demands attention. With an increasingly bewildering array of products on the supermarket shelf, it is often the force that drives a browser to become a consumer. Despite the growth of PET, glass's versatility still enables brand managers to explore the full potential of this powerful sales tool. Bill Nankivell reports.
No other packaging material has the ability to position a product in the marketplace in the way glass can. Customers associate glass with a number of core characteristics - quality, purity, reliability and longevity - and when used as packaging these key values are transferred, through association, to the contents.
Despite increasing pressure from plastic manufacturers, glass has defended its market share through constant reinvention, becoming lighter, stronger and more versatile. An indication of its continuing popularity is that, overall, UK demand for glass containers has consistently risen over the last few years and notably in certain market sectors. For example, high levels of demand have been experienced from the top end of the mineral water market driven by an on-trade who want attractive, premium packaging to serve to customers.
Developing distribution trends have also had a marked effect. For instance, beverage sales in petrol stations have seen phenomenal growth in recent years. At such outlets many prefer to stock their refrigerators with plastic rather than glass bottles, which has led some of the key lifestyle drinks to move into PET. Such substitution has been countered to some extent by major brand names, including Pepsi, transferring back into glass in order to add value and authenticity to their product.
Popular, natural choice
Recent research carried out by Glasspac.com - the information bureau that promotes glass packaging to both the trade and consumer - indicates that consumers view glass as a more attractive and natural form of packaging material, which is better for the environment. An encouraging 64% of consumers surveyed believe that food and drink tastes better consumed out of glass rather than plastic, while 55% stated that they would like to see more products packaged in glass.
"64% of consumers surveyed believe that food and drink tastes better consumed out of glass "
There is strong evidence to suggest that this growing consumer demand for glass packaging is being recognised and responded to by manufacturers. A significant indicator of this is that in the last six months we have designed and produced more new products at Rexam than in the whole of 2000, a trend being experienced across the industry as manufacturers tap into the potential of glass.
The popularity of glass has always been underpinned by its environmentally friendly properties. Capable of being infinitely recycled without loss of quality and made of naturally occurring raw materials - primarily sand and limestone - it could be said that glass is the natural packaging choice.
British glass figures show a 38% increase in the amount of glass recycled between 1995 and 2000, indicating that the population is recycling more than it has ever done before, thanks to greater environmental awareness amongst the public and the increasing number of collection sites across the country. For successful recycling to occur, effective pull and push forces have to be in operation. The pull is necessary to encourage people to recycle, through both education programmes and legislation, while the push refers to the need to find an outlet for all the glass collected.
The recycling vs refillables debate continues to be an issue where there is a clear divide between the UK and the rest of Europe. While the use of refillables is ingrained in the off-trade on the Continent, in the UK they play a more significant role in the on-trade. Historically there are three key issues surrounding refillables - cost, design and logistics - all of which are interlinked. To be fit for purpose, refillable containers have to be robust in order to withstand wear and tear. Consequently, they have thicker glass walls, which make them heavier and which also means they are slower to make, as they take longer to cool and form. This increases both transportation and material costs.
Costs have also risen as a result of the increasingly complicated logistics involved in the returns process. Whereas previously a manufacturer could pick up the empty containers while delivering a new consignment, a reduced number of filling points means that bottles are travelling further than ever before. In addition, for the returns process to be effective, refillables have to conform to an industry standard with no distinctive shape and with decoration limited to a paper label, which can be easily removed during the cleaning process. This significantly limits the potential to brand such containers.
As the glass industry continues to improve the economical proposition of single-trip containers through techniques such as lightweighting, while also enhancing the current collection and recycling facilities which service the on-trade, the question is - how much longer can the refillable last?
The future's clear
The penetration of glass into different market sectors has only been made possible by the commitment of glass manufacturers to invest heavily in the latest equipment and techniques across the whole of the supply chain, in order to improve design, quality, lead times and overall customer satisfaction.
Conventional decorating techniques have also evolved in recent years. For instance, the latest generation of sleeving machines employ steam rather than hot air to gradually shrink the sleeve on to the container, allowing more intricate packaging designs to be produced. A further benefit of the new technology is that PET sleeves can be used for the first time. As PET has a greater shrink capacity than traditional PVC it can be applied to a wider range of shapes and sizes of container, increasing the design possibilities available to brand managers.
A recurrent criticism of glass is that it is heavy and breakable. The industry's response has been to develop a technique called lightweighting, which, as the name suggests, creates lighter bottles by using less glass, in turn reducing material and transport costs while also lightening the shopper's load.
Beverage Packaging in Western Europe - Statistical Overview 2001
Packaged beverage fillings data by seven end-use sectors. Extensive market data by material type and individual packaging size. Key market developments (beverage and packaging industries) and market outlook / demand forecasts
The technique is based on the fact that a glass bottle is only as strong as its thinnest point. With lightweighting, a bottle is designed to be thin all over without compromising on strength. Such uniform distribution is achieved by using Narrow Neck Press and Blow production techniques, which reduce deviation in the thickness of the bottle wall resulting in high strength, lightweight bottles.
Despite having been round for centuries, glass has managed to continue to evolve and stay relevant in the modern marketplace. Although the pressure from alternative packaging is sure to increase, efforts to maintain its pre-eminent position in the minds of consumers and drinks producers will help keep glass at the top of the packaging tree.
Companies: PepsiCo
What the stock market free-fall means for the drinks industry today and tomorrow, and PepsiCo's hope...
"Wine has been inherently conservative for a very long time" - just-drinks speaks to Kingsland Drink...
How to write a winning entry form for a drinks competition - Focus...
"The on-trade doesn't realise it can up-sell on a Coca-Cola" - Interview, Seedlip founder, Ben Brans...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Home / Uncategories / The Longest Paleo f(x) Recap That You Will Ever Read (or Casually Skim Through)
The Longest Paleo f(x) Recap That You Will Ever Read (or Casually Skim Through)
Saturday, April 26, 2014 Edit
On my flight to Austin Texas for my third Paleo f(x) conference, I felt a mix of emotions. I had attended two previous events, but this third event, the largest thus far, also comes at a time when my Paleo life has started to meld and merge with my personal and professional life to much greater extent.
I have been in the fitness industry for nearly a decade, so I am no newcomer to exercise and nutrition, but with this website, my involvement in Paleo Magazine (and the Paleo Magazine Podcast), and my recently completed Paleo Grilling cookbook, this whole "Paleo thing" has suddenly become a pretty big part of my life. What I think I'm trying to say is that the stakes are higher and there is more on the line.
These opportunities have been a blessing, and I'm doing my best to do right by them. To that end, I prepared relentlessly for the panels I was moderating and presenting on, I also tweaked and honed my solo presentation till I could tweak and hone no more (I think someone has said that if you sharpen a knife too much, the edge will break, which seems to be a relevant analogy).
Rather than stressing out, I decided to spend my time in the aisle seat of Delta flight 1186 getting some perspective by getting out of my head. I had received a copy of Michael Pollan's "Cooked" for Christmas so I cracked it open and dove in.
Moving at hundreds of miles per hour, I read about slow food, the ancient history of cooking, and how it is interwoven with so much of our lives. I couldn't help but reflect upon the Paleo movement and how, at least to me, it reflects this deep urge to recapture what we imagine to be a simpler time. Technology is making all of "this" possible, it is omnipresent and unavoidable but, as Michael Pollan says in cooked, "Humans cooked food, and then food cooked us." Perhaps smart phones, rapid transit, and all the other trappings of modern life are doing the same thing that the technology of cooking did to our ancestors. We are externalizing more and more of ourselves, outsourcing capabilities and capacities that we once possessed for the sake of convenience.
Yet the relationship between modern technology and the Paleo movement is not so straightforward. For every barefoot romp through the woods comes with an Instagram post, every from-scratch paleo meal appears on Facebook, and, without the internet, it is likely that no one would be using the word "Paleo" in the first place. Smart phones, digital cameras, and social media are the tools of the Paleo blogosphere (of which I am an active participant so don't think I'm casting stones, It's merely an observation) and it is by high tech means that the information, recipes, and resources that power Paleo are generated.
By necessity this relationship must carry with it a tension. Our technological society has driven the rise in sedentary jobs, disrupted circadian rhythms, and an overfed and undernourished populace. The "evolutionary mismatch" between our genotype and our environment is, according to ancestral health principles, at the root of our problem. The chronic disease brought on by technology is the very same thing Paleo seeks to combat...with technology. Are we "fighting fire with fire"? Or are we doing something else?
It is my belief that the power of Paleo comes not from the technology bloggers, authors, and the rest wield, it is from the story they tell.
To paraphrase a line from Nicholas Nassim Taleb's book "The Black Swan", sometimes you need a story to fight a story and the "story" of Paleo is one that, while told primarily through screens and phones, brings us back to ourselves.
Cooking at home. Walking. Lifting heavy things. Basking in the sun. However you slice it, these are simple pleasures that are elemental as well as revolutionary.
Corporate interests would have us believe that consumption is the only way to be happy, to be satisfied, to live a good life, but Paleo says otherwise.
Taking back the tools of production we spend time, invest energy, and in so many ways prove that health, happiness, and connection are birthrights, not things to be bought.
Austin. A progressive oasis in the heart of big Texas. Home to expats from all corners of the USA, Austin is cool without being douchey, weird, but in a good way. To put it simply, I love this city.
I love how there are signs on the road advertising "Grass Fed Beef", I love how being "weird" is a point of pride. I love how even the graffiti hits all the right notes. It's a perfect venue for Paleo f(x).
My first stop was Picnik. An indescribably adorable coffee shop perched atop a hill off of Lamar Street. My friend Charissa introduced me to this place, a burgeoning Paleo Mecca that sells "Bulletproof" coffee fortified with gelatin, gelatin!
Naomi, the effervescent proprietor of Picnik gave us the grand tour, and, after ensuring that we were properly set up with cups of coffee and food, sat down with us to chat. A warm dry wind whipped across the hilltop and sent utensils and napkins flying, but we were unperturbed. Between bites of barbacoa beef and veggies, we talked about the things Paleo people talk about when they get a chance to commiserate.
Deciding to "go Paleo", at least for us early innovators, often means spending a substantial amount of time each day explaining yourself to those who believe that life without bread is a pleasureless hell. At an event like Paleo f(x), however, surrounded by fellow Paleos (people who adhere to the Paleo lifestyle to some degree or another), the daily pressure of explaining oneself is relieved.
Without this pressure however, unabashed paleoness (the behavior of one that is Paleo) is free to exert itself and giddy Paleos profess their undying love of grassfed butter (or coconut oil), eschew shoes for perpetual barefootedness, and unapologetically Instagram everything they eat. #paleo
In the embrace of strangers who share many of your own peculiar preferences its hard not to feel like part of a tribe. Together, we relish our meals of fat and fermented things, converse about paleo blog posts, and share our plans for world domination.
Space to Explore
Past trips to Paleo f(x) have always left me feeling a bit remorseful. Between the sessions and social events, I would catch glimmers of the city and it's populace; lined up outside food trucks, rocking out to live music, and generally living it up. Determined to enjoy some of what this city has to offer, I made sure to fly in two full days prior to the start of Paleo f(x), enough time to really soak it all in. As luck would have it, one of my best friends lives right down the street from the Palmer Event Center, the venue that has hosted Paleo f(x) for the past two years, and he was happy to host me for a few days prior to Paleo f(x)'s start.
A vicious hailstorm had rolled through the night before my arrival, but in it's wake, a wave of cool clear air had descended upon the city. With beautiful weather came the urge for some al fresco dining, so me and my friend decided to visit a local sausage house. I can see the jokes already, "Two dudes walk into a sausage house..." but I let me tell you, this sausage house was nothing to laugh at.
House-made bratwurst, bockwurst, and currywurst cozied up against sausages fashioned from wild boar, duck, bbq bacon and shrimp. I opted for a local antelope (an oxymoron, perhaps) and venison sausage and, while waiting for my food, began nursing frosty mugs of dry apple cider. As the drink set in, we began to talk about the nature of things, the digestive barrels of gorillas, and how humanity came to be. Heady stuff for sure, but the opportunity to have such conversations out in the open is rare and must be taken advantage of.
I became aware that I was not just savoring the food, I was savoring the moment, my friend's company, the beautiful weather, and the crowd of strangers that shared appetites and inclinations similar to my own. The act of appreciating something, however, seems to cause the moment to quicken, slipping away faster and faster the more you try to hold onto it. The meal and the reverie had ended, and it was time to go home.
Paleo f(x) officially kicked off with a "Pecha Kucha" opening night party. I wasn't planning on attending, but my good friend "Relentless" Roger Dickerman, living up to his name, would have none of this.
Roger had been wheedling me all day and his efforts came to fruition with a little help from a friend. While eating lunch outside of Whole Foods (of course) we found ourselves in the company of Darryl "The Fitness Explorer" Edwards. Darryl, athletically built, tall, and dressed in a black t-shirt and black athletic pants, is constantly in motion. There is a music and a beat to his movements, and his energy is seemingly inexhaustible. His age, too, is indeterminate. He could be thirty or fifty, at the same time anciently wise and as playful as a child. He has a magic about him, equal parts showman and shaman, as I was about to find out.
The usual "hellos" and "good to see you agains" eventually gave way to talk about our evening plans. Roger immediately threw me under the bus and told Darryl that I was trying to bail on the opening night party.
I think I mumbled, "I'm gonna take it easy" or "I want to just keep things open" but halfway through whatever it was, Darryl hit me with a emphatic, "Really?!" that immediately shook my defenses. I was determined to flake out, intent on going the route of being comfortably noncommittal, but before I knew it, Darryl hit me with another "Really?!" This time I was stumbling, out on my feet, my last feeble attempt attempted to roll off my tongue, but, seemingly out of nowhere, I was out cold. I didn't hear the last "Really?!" as much as I felt it. I knew in my heart that my excuses were bullshit. I had been roundly defeated, I was now definitely going.
The night's event was held at the Ben Hur Shrine, which I just assumed was a Buddhist monument. This was not the case, however, as the anteroom was adorned with the visages of elderly men in strange hats. I quickly deduced (que "no shit Sherlock") that this was a Shriner shrine, the very same Shriners known for driving small cars in parades and it was under their watchful gaze that the assembled Paleos guzzled kombucha, gluten free beer, and various meat-based appetizers.
Although my day job involves very intense one-on-one face-to-face human interaction, it is routine interaction with familiar faces. Paleo f(x) is a highly unpredictable social enterprise, one that simultaneously elevates me to new heights of inspiration and possibility while dropping me right back into the high school lunch room. Fortunately, I spotted several friends among the crowd which offered a welcome respite from the sense of being adrift in a sea of social hierarchy.
Four of these friends, Dean Dwyer, Hamilton Stappell, Darryl Edwards, and Amy Kubal were presenting that night, so I grabbed a plateful of braised lamb and sat down to listen.
At it's core, Pecha Kucha is an irreverent, boisterous take on your typical powerpoint and the bulk of these presentations certainly lived up to this billing. Hamilton incited a paleo "battle of the sexes", Dean lampooned and praised the Paleo illuminati with his signature self-deprecating humour, and Darryl presented the curious case of...himself. Amy, however, decided to use the platform to reveal her personal struggles with exercise bulimia. Sharing her intimate battles with weight, body image, and self destructive demons was absolutely courageous and served to remind us that Paleo is not a panacea, that there is no diet healthy enough to heal certain wounds, and that even"healthy eating" or "exercise" can be wielded like a knife.
Painful and lovely, intimidating and intimate, all the facets of human interaction were rolled into one on that single night. Roger, you were right, going to the opening night party was totally worth it.
The Expo Hall
For the event proper, Russ Crandall (aka The Domestic Man) and I shared a room at the Embassy Suites located less than a mile East of the Palmer Center. The hotel was comfortable and, perhaps most importantly, featured a daily, complimentary breakfast bar.
Early Friday morning, we gathered our stuff (mandatory camera, identifying lanyard, and Paleo f(x) tote bag filled with various Paleo bars and snacks) and headed down to scope out the sitch. We both ignored the commodity crop cereals, hydrogenated oil infused waffles, and leaden bran muffins, and went straight for the scrambled eggs. Stuffed with protein and fat, we set out for the Palmer Center, a short walk through a less than scenic section of Austin.
Arriving at the expo hall, I was struck by how much has changed since the first Paleo f(x). From a few fold-out tables two years ago to a sprawling array of professional booths, stages, and products. The Paleo consumer base has grown exponentially, and with it, there has been an explosion of foods, drinks, supplements, and exercise equipment.
Notable among these enterprises, if only for their impressive booths, were Tessemaes, Epic Bar, and Barefoot Provisions. Each reflected a particular brand identity and ethos, respectively, a backyard cookout reminiscent of post World War 2 Americana (complete with a grill and lawn chairs), a hunting lodge adorned with taxidermy, and a reimagining of a country store.
While the booths were bigger this time around, they were far from "Big Business." More often than not, the person manning the booth was the same person who created the product. Not only were they sharing primal dark chocolate, paleo diet food bars, live soda, honest chips and raw tea, they were sharing their blood, sweat, and tears. The honest result of long hours spent cultivating something that they could proudly call Paleo, as well as their own.
An argument could certainly be made against the proliferation of packaged Paleo goods, but this brings us back to Paleo's unique synthesis of the ancient and modern. Using high-tech food production techniques in combination with high quality whole food products is in some ways a perfect expression of the modern Paleo movement.
We probably want to eat meat and veggies, whole and fresh, and sourced as closely to home as often as possible, but most of us don't live "off the grid" and are far from self sufficient. We buy our groceries at the store and right now the options are pretty dismal. If given the choice between a cricket protein bar and one made from chemically flavored cereal crops, I'll take the crickets.
These companies are filling the need for a real alternative and their innovation and willingness to put it all on the line for a burgeoning, but still fringe, marketplace is courageous to say the least. While their products still need to stand on their own in terms of ingredient quality and consistency (being "paleo" is not enough IMHO), they have certainly earned my support.
The 2014 presenter line up was stacked with multiple Ph.D.'s, New York Times bestsellers, Olympic Athletes, elite trainers, uber popular bloggers, and...me. The topics ranged from sex to sleep and everything in between, reflecting both the "theory" and the "practice" Paleo f(x) is known for.
However, finding the time to sit still and listen to any given panel or presentation however seemed impossible. My days seemed to follow a peculiar rhythm known only to a Paleo f(x) attendee; wander the expo hall for samples of cricket bars, fermented tea, and chocolate, have about thirteen spontaneous conversations, watch a presentation or panel for five minutes, repeat. Like a whirling dervish I bounced around in a trance.
Added to this, was the fact that I was tasked with moderating, sitting on a panel, or presenting on all three days of the conference. Perhaps I feared that watching a presentation would force me to confront my own impending presentation, one that was positioned almost precisely at the tail end of Paleo f(x). Perhaps I feared the inevitable, reflexive self-comparison that arose while watching other presenters ("Holy shit that guy/gal is good, wtf can I say after that?!") Perhaps constantly walking around, talking, taking pictures, and sampling foods, shoved such thoughts aside and allowed me to maintain a patina of serenity and civility.
The Friday night speakers dinner was hosted at Springdale farm, a bucolic wonderland of baby ducks, sprouting green things, and picnic tables arranged under a great oak tree whose canopy was dripping with hundreds of twinkling lights. The energy was at once vital and serene, I felt as if I was able to breathe much deeper than usual and strode into the social milieu with a preternatural confidence.
This confidence, along with a few kombucha cocktails led to some strange happenings however, as I soon found myself explaining to Robb Wolf and Chris Kresser why it was totally lame that Greedo shot first in the 1997 remake of Star Wars. "Han shot first!" I proclaimed, "You can't just change something like that."
Without getting bogged down by the details (you either get the reference or not) It's worth noting that this conversation wasn't as completely random and insane as it seems. Chris "Squatchy" Williams, a member of Robb Wolf's team, was wearing a "Han Shot First" t-shirt and Russ Crandall, a self-proclaimed Star Wars fan, was also present. Nevertheless, Robb responded that it was probably "the nerdiest thing he has ever heard in his entire life," a proud first that I was happy to claim.
The rest of the night was spent cracking wise with Joe Johnson, Steve Kirsch and Roger. Amongst other things, we explored the awkwardness that ensues when one person goes in for a fist bump and the other attempts a handshake. I'm pretty sure it scared the rest of our tablemates away as they gradually disappeared, possibly in search of more civilized company.
During a midday break in Friday's Paleo f(x) activities, Roger and I cut out of the conference to grab a bite to eat. I suggested that we hoof it to Torchy's, a killer taco truck located up the street from the Palmer Center. During our walk, and prior to stuffing our faces with chips, guacamole, and bbq pork and brisket tacos, a plan began to gestate along with our twin food babies.
The previous day Roger had moderated a panel on "Hacking Stress" and during the panel Evan Brand, had brought up the stress-relieving, performance enhancing, and, potentially, vision inducing effects of float tanks. A float tank (aka "sensory deprivation tank") supposedly induces altered brain states by allowing you to float in a large pool of epsom salt laden water. The salts make the water super buoyant so you lay there effortlessly, no paddling required. The floating, combined with ear plugs and a dark, soundproof room, steer your consciousness back towards itself. A high tech way to combat the constant sensory bombardment brought on by our technological society.
"I'd love to try that at some point," Roger said. "I'm game," I replied. Conveniently, there was a "Float Spa" a few miles south of the Palmer Center, so Roger and I made plans to visit the following day.
Saturday rolled around and I knocked out my responsibilities early on by moderating a panel on Paleo treats. Dallas Hartwig was one of the panelists and I came away with a new appreciation for the guy. He's best known for the super strict Whole 30 Paleo challenge, but he is actually is way more balanced in his perspective than I ever imagined. Bill Staley of The Primal Palate was a last minute addition to the panel and was responsible for my other big takeaway, I presented the question of "What responsibility do bloggers have when it comes to paleo treat recipes?" and directed it towards Bill. His blog features a fair share of "Paleo treats" and I'm sure he's had this question directed towards him before. He paused at first, on his face an expression of exasperation and frustration, but then noticeably relaxed and shifted into a passionate speech, the culmination of which was his belief that, "Bloggers don't have a responsibility for how people use their information, but they can present their information responsibly."
With my schedule clear, I met up with Roger and we proceeded to walk then run to the float spa. We had severely underestimated how long it would take to get there and found ourselves nearly sprinting down South Lamar. By the time we arrived, we were both completely out of breath and drenched in sweat.
The zen-like calm of the float spa was interrupted by two large, sweating, and heavily breathing guys. I immediately felt sorry for the demure woman manning the front desk. Embarrassed, I excused myself from the lobby to try and fan myself down while my tank was being prepared.
Pacing back and forth, hoping to "cool down", I had a chance to read the informational brochure provided by the receptionist. I learned that, since you are, in fact, floating naked in a pool of salt water, that innumerable other people have floated naked in, questions of sanitation and cleanliness necessarily arise. The informational brochure attempted to answer those questions with assurances that the float water was filtered several times between guests and was then disinfected with UV rays. This takes some time however, so there is a multi-stage process after you check in.
First, you are led to a small locker room where you remove your clothes and put on a complimentary robe and pair of sandals. Second, you are led to another small room which houses a pair of zero-gravity massage chairs, the same sort of chairs you might expect to find at a Brookstone store. As your float tank disinfects, you receive a shiatsu massage from an electronic masseuse. I cranked the intensity up and, at several points, worried that the chair might crush me in its hydraulic (or pneumatic?) hands. It was a bit like getting a rubdown from a transformer, if you can imagine such a thing.
Atmospheric techno music is pumped into the massage chair room and, broadcast on the large blank wall immediately in front of the chairs, was a laser light show. Reminiscent of flying through space and galaxies and stardust, the light show, I assume, prepares you to enter the cosmic womb of the float tank. What I experienced, however, was the early effects of the two Onnit Alpha Brain capsules I had taken back at Paleo f(x).
Evan Brand, the float tank evangelist, suggested that the Alpha Brain would be a nice adjunct to the floating experience. Perhaps this is true, but I found that the "nootropic" supplements stimulation, amplified my already racing thoughts and made sitting still while getting a robotic rub down difficult.
Soon enough, my float tank was ready and, unlike what I pictured in my imagination, these tanks aren't "pods". More like a large shower stall than a spaceship and easily 10 feet by 10 fee you enter the tank through a side door that provides ample clearance and comfort.
Prior to stepping in, there is an obligatory shower and some instruction from the float spa attendee.
There is so much salt in the water that there are warnings and waivers regarding skin irritation. Silicon ear plugs are provided and it is strongly recommended that you don't let any of the water get into your eyes or mouth. This made me a big nervous, but nevertheless, I slid into the lukewarm water, about 10 inches deep at the very most, and attempted to relax.
The only sound was the sloshing of the salt water and the ventilation of my lungs. Any movement sent me on a languid trip around the pool, bouncing off the walls like a 1990's screensaver every few minutes or so. Despite these distractions, I found occasional moments of peace and present-momentness. Unfortunately, present-momentness inevitably led to self-congratulatory thoughts and quick removal from the present moment. This went on for quite some time, 60 minutes to be exact, but at various points, this felt like 60 seconds and 60 years.
Time constriction or dilation seems dependant on whether or not you are enjoying yourself. During the moments where I drifted into a semi-conscious state akin to dreaming I can only assume time flew by. The near absolute darkness of the room, interrupted only by a slowly winking LED light that indicated where the door was, made any attempt at measuring time pure conjecture. Conversely, the moments where I felt a bit claustrophobic, overly self-aware, or anxious stretched out interminably. At a few points I considered exiting the tank early, but, given the effort and expense involved in this whole matter, I determined to tough it out.
When my time was up, the lights in the tank slowly came back on, along with music that sounded like birds chirping. After recovering my still sweaty clothes (putting on cold sweaty clothes after being in the warm float tank was pretty terrible) I returned to the lobby to check out.
I was surprised to see Roger still there as he was scheduled to moderate a panel back at Paleo f(x) within the hour. Prior to our float session we had discussed this with the float spa receptionist and she had assured us that she would call a cab to pick us up when we got out. She had fulfilled her obligation, calling a cab several minutes prior to the cessation of our float, but the cab was nowhere to be seen.
I've been in situations like this before and the temptation is to wait for the cab. Perhaps out of misplaced politeness or deference to the needs of others, I think to myself, "Oh, they are probably on their way" as my panic rapidly increases. Although it wasn't my ass on the line in this particular occasion, I felt a certain responsibility to make sure Roger got back to Paleo f(x) on time. Missing his panel would be, in simple terms, a fucking disaster and I wasn't about to let my friend get taken down by a delinquent taxi driver.
At this point, Roger had already made his way out of the float spa and into the parking lot, in an attempt to identify the cab that had been called and/or to find an alternative taxi service. While he did this, I pursued a different angle, approaching random people in the strip mall as they walked to their cars.
"Excuse me," I said to the family leaving a comic shop adjacent to the float spa, "My friend has to speak at a conference down the street and we could really use a ride." The fellow looked at his purple-haired wife and then looked back to me, "We're going the other way." he replied. Unperturbed I quickly began scanning the parking lot for another mark. A woman had just sat down in a white convertible and a s I approached the car, I swear the license plate said "JESUS".
Thinking that anyone who loves Jesus as well as the feeling of wind blowing through their hair is probably pretty cool, I approached the car and again deployed my plea. "Why of course!" she said, and, as the choir of angels sang, I called to Roger, who quickly hopped into the passenger seat. Moments later, he was on his way to his panel, on time, and with the wind whipping through his hair.
I on the other hand decided to walk back. With nothing to do and all the time in the world to do it, I began my trek back towards the Palmer Center, this time at a much more leisurely pace. Along the ways I stopped at Picnik for a chai flavored iced coffee. Sipping my drink I walked back slowly, taking in the sights, smells and sounds of the city.
Food trucks and kitschy restaurants rolled by. A small child played on an outdoor statue while her parents, sat and talked. The warm mid-afternoon sun beat down on my face and I soaked it all up. This, to me, was floating.
Ceviche Cologne
On Saturday night I wore Ceviche Cologne.
I was dining at Uchi, a highbrow Austin sushi house along with Stacy Toth, her husband Matt, Russ, Alex Boake, Sarah Ballantyne, Josh Weissman, a trio of Balanced Bites team members, and Stefani Ruper.
The restaurant was mobbed, clearly this was THE spot to be on a Saturday night. Our large party didn't help the matter and getting seated involved a substantial wait.
Eventually, we were packed into on a back table and told that dining was handled "family style", so dishes were meant to be shared. Given that everyone at the table was Paleo, this made the process of deciding which dishes to bring out somewhat easier. However, Sarah, following the autoimmune protocol, had stricter dietary restrictions than the rest. Fortunately, a surprisingly accommodating waitress pointed out options that were not only Paleo, but nightshade free, and soon the food began to flow.
With the arrival of the plates it became immediately clear that the kitchen was operating at another level. Pork belly and pork jowl, sea urchin roe prepared two ways, sushi and sashimi of impeccable quality, rice cooked in a hot pot with broth and bonito flakes, and ceviche.
Chopsticks darted to and fro, morsels of fish, and shellfish, and pig face were consumed. Eyes closed and minds were blown. Seriously, this food was good. There was a moment of awkwardness moment when I grabbed a bite of sea urchin roe that Stacy had her eyes on, but it was allayed with a quick ordering of "more of this please!" The plates quickly began to stack up and, in an attempt to make room for additional dishes, one of the assisting waitresses reached over my head to remove the platter that had moments before held the ceviche.
Ceviche, is a unique dish. Rather than being cooked in the traditional sense, raw fish is marinated in an acidic solution, most often the juice of a citrus fruit. The acidity of the fruit denatures the proteins in the fish, cooking it chemically rather than thermically. This also means that when served, a significant portion of this marinating solution is usually still present.
As the harried assisting waitress attempted to lift the plate, her wrist strength momentarily faltered. In the uppermost corner of my vision I became aware that the plate was tipped in my direction. I felt a wetness across my arm and face and immediately knew what had happened.
#cevichecologne was born.
The Three P's - Panic, Preparation, and Pressure
The final day of Paleo f(x) had arrived. I had a panel scheduled for the afternoon and, a few hours later, my solo talk. Before I go on, however, a bit of a preface is required.
My nightmare scenario, one that has plagued me since I began speaking and presenting at events such as Paleo f(x), is somehow getting distracted, losing track of time, and dropping the ball on my responsibilities. As a result, I tend to over prepare. Carefully plugging required events into my Google calendar, complete with phone and email reminders.
The time change from Jacksonville to Austin however had thrown off my carefully contrived Google calendar and everything was off kilter by one hour. My fitbit too, which doubles as my watch, was also stuck one hour behind Austin time. For the vast majority of the conference I was able to effectively manage this temporal glitch. I would look at my watch, run the quick mental calculation, and go on with business as usual. Apparently, fatigue, sleep deprivation, excessive quantities of paleo treats and gluten-free beer consumption does not enhance one's cognitive abilities and an insidious crack began to form.
I checked out of my hotel after one last "dry run" of my talk, dropped my things off at my friend Evan's house, and caught a ride back to Palmer for first big event of the day.
The panel was titled "Beyond food" and the whole thing went off without a hitch. The panelists were top notch and I was joined on stage by my new friend Steve Kirsch, the fucking awesome Kyle Maynard, the "lady in red" Kendall Kendrick, Dr. Dan Stickler, and Darryl Edwards. We dished on stress, sleep, and, yes, sex.
Sex was a late addition to the docket, a suggestion that came by way of Michelle Tam, and it was the hot topic of the day. Maybe I was still a bit flustered when we wrapped. as I decided that I needed a bit of fresh air. My talk wasn't for another few hours, or so I thought, and on the way out the door I happened to run into Roger.
We decided to take a walk together, capitalizing on the opportunity to hash out some plans for a project we have been jointly, but remotely, working on. We exited the Palmer Center and began to make our way down a looping path that circumscribed the building. A few minutes passed before we were interupted by my buddy Evan. I had invited Evan, the friend that I stayed with the days prior to Paleo f(x) as well as his fiance Reagan to come see my talk. I figured it would be good to have at least two people in the audience as I didn't expect attendance so late in the day and late in the conference to be high.
"Hey T, did I miss your talk?" Evan said. "No, I don't go on for another hour." I replied. He accepted my explanation and headed back to the Palmer Center, leaving Roger and I to continue on our way. I turned to Roger and noticed that he was intently looking at his phone. A sense of unease crept over me as Roger's head shot up and he looked intently into my eyes. "Tony, don't worry about the time, just run." he said. Immediately I knew what this meant. My talk wasn't schedule for a few hours hence, it was scheduled for now.
We both broke out into a sprint, something we seemed to be doing a lot of lately, and made our way back to Palmer. The doors surrounding the event center were all locked but I noticed someone walking inside. I banged on the doors and the person slowly came over, jokingly pretend like he didn't know what I wanted.
Whoever this was was clearly having a little bit of innocent fun, joking around with a fellow Paleo person who undoubtedly would appreciate a good laugh. I was in no mood for hijinks, however and I think the expression on my face convinced the unwitting obstacle in my path to avoid perdition to let me in.
Once inside, I tore through the expo hall and burst through the curtains that cordoned off my stage. I saw a group of people, my audience, already seated. My first thought was, "Holy crap, people came!" and my second though was, "Holy crap, people came!" Amy Kubal was my MC and she immediately called me out. "T. Fed, where the heck were you?!" she said. "I was walking with Roger!" I exclaimed. To this, she responded, "You were dicking around with Dickerman, great!"
Amy introduced me as I got miked and my presentation was loaded. The AV guy, upon noticing that I had my presentation saved in both PowerPoint and Keynote gave an impressed, "Nice man." obviously in recognition of my thoroughness. I assumed that my audience, who had at this point been waiting several minutes longer than they should have, did not notice my "thoroughness", more aware of the fact that I was late rather than my dually formatted files.
On stage and looking across the assembled crowd of 30 or so people I began with a sincere apology. I knew that I owed them a great talk, that I had to make it up to them and so my task was clear. "Hey everyone, thank you so much for being here today. I'm so sorry for being late, but I'm going to make this fun. I know you're tired, so we're gonna get this going." Perhaps it was the panic, the preparation, or the pressure, but as soon as I got my apology out of the way, I was ON.
For the next 20 minutes my carefully prepared notes went ignored as I spoke extemporaneously and directly to the audience. I picked out several familiar faces, Hamilton Stapell, Roger Dickerman, my buddy Evan and his fiance, as well as a few strangers whose eye contact and nodding heads conveyed the message that they were "feeling" what I was saying.
My talk was on the nature of progress, or rather, regress. I wanted to express how taking a step back is not a signifier of failure, but rather it is an intrinsic part of growth. Intentionally moving backwards paves the way for future steps forward. I painted broad strokes as well as giving specific examples. Some of my personal training clients back home had volunteered to be photographed, so I was able to use them as examples of "3D" exercise regression. I also gave a little break down on muscle ups, a skill I only achieved after deliberately regressing the movement, and made the proclamation of "bringing muscle ups to the masses."
I was on fire, I felt alive, the audience was engaged and this was exactly where I was supposed to be.
As soon as it was over, however, I was done, spent, and ready for a drink.
I exited the stage and said a few good byes before leaving with Evan and his fiancee.
It was "Sunday funday" after all and I still had another night in Austin.
Writing this, some weeks after Paleo f(x), was a great way to process the events and experiences of that week in Austin.
The word "process" seems to be thrown around quite a bit, but I think that this is an appropriate way to describe what happens when you reach back into memory, pull out the raw chunks, grind them up, and then reassemble the ingredients into a meal that can be eaten at leisure.
My skills as a storyteller are fledgling to be sure, so I really don't know how well I accomplished this goal. What was the story? What was the lesson? Did I experience a "hero's journey" of transformation or was it, in truth, an example of hubris and folly?
I went to Paleo f(x) intent on moving my career forward. Getting up on stage, giving talks, promoting this or that, making the case for my legitimacy as a Paleo authority, but I also found myself looking back. Reminiscing with an old friend about bygone days. Reflecting upon my life and where I have come from. Thinking about the errors of my youth and how unlikely it is that I am where I am today.
Writing this, I was surprised at how the theme of "the present" spontaneously emerged. We can discuss healthy eating, exercise, or any other health intervention, but all these actions ring hollow without that special ingredient of being fully present and engaged in the painfully few and precious moments of our lives.
However we get there, whether it is by flying thousands of miles, yukking it up with old friends, meeting new ones, floating in a tank of salt water, wearing #cevichecologne, or speaking a truth in front of a crowd, it really doesn't matter.
The present is always right there, underneath all the plans and regrets. Waiting patiently for us to pump the brakes and take a deep breath.
To see more pics from the conference, head over to my Instagram profile @TonyFedFitness


text:
Q: How to get channel's active members' count with Telegram API? I want to get a channel's active members' count but I don't know which method should I use?

A: You should use the Bot API

Bot API 2.1. Added more tools for group administrator bots. Your bot can now get a list of administrators and members count in a group,

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Competition in the Australian automotive marketing space is revving up.
With over 3500 new car dealerships sharing in 1.189 million new car sales yearly, dealerships need to stay in top gear to avoid being left in the dust. Having one of the most competitive automotive markets in the world, it's no surprise that in the past 10 years this segment's yearly spend on digital media has increased 450% to $230.3 million. And while competition in Australia hits the redline, the decision making process of the average vehicle shopper has picked up some speed too.
And in 2017, the length of time between identifying the need and actually purchasing a vehicle has halved to just 2.7 months.
This shorter purchase journey doesn't mean that today's consumers are less considerate in their decision. With over half of automotive internet shoppers using mobile devices to research, they're able to research a lot more effectively, conveniently and frequently. And with the rise of aggregate sites like carsales.com.au, influential review sites, and in-depth videos, the average consumer is more discerning and well-informed than ever. Consumers are so informed in fact, that they barely need to visit your dealership before making a decision. The average number of times a consumer visits a dealership before making a purchase is only 2.
With so many consumers taking up digital in their research, it makes sense that automotive marketing dollars follow. Like many auto dealers, you might already be spending big on social media marketing. While this might help connect with potential consumers, it isn't the most effective driver of conversions. Only 13% of automotive internet shoppers believe their purchase was influenced by information posted on social media. Email marketing however, has consistently earned pole position in the ROI race, generating on average $38 for each $1 spent.
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Leads brought in through enquiry forms, spec-sheet downloads, or other gated-content, might not be ready for a hard sell. Responding too early with an aggressive offer risks freezing your lead. Nurture email campaigns are the perfect strategy for warming up new leads.
When consumers are shopping for their next vehicle purchase, they're also shopping for their next dealership. And price doesn't play as big of a part in that decision as you would think, with only 63% of shoppers saying they would drive further to get a lower price. Whereas 73% would travel further to find a great salesperson, and 54% would travel further to buy from a dealership that had their preferred experience. And remember, car shoppers barely visit dealerships in person anymore. So how best to demonstrate the quality of your sales team and the experience at your dealership? Through professionally designed, relevant and timely emails.
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