Were all those uniforms ceremonial? I hope so. I wouldn't want to end up in combat wearing those… But I still would love to wear one maybe once in my lifetime.

Ugh… well, found out my computer's system drive is worn out. A year earlier than the usual 5 year limit that drives have. Now I'm forced to use my data drive to run my computer ‘til I can get myself a Terrabyte drive to use for data. And practically spent the entire day restoring everything, including things I didn’t back up at all… I've seen better days than this…

And I bet a lot of female Mass Effect fans still swoon over Garrus despite him having sharp teeth and the ability to snipe 3 Blue Suns mercs with one bullet…. :)

@Lonne
Yup! Hussars well and truly wore full dress uniforms in battle! -there were always variations people came up with to protect the uniforms and sometimes they left off wearing the pelisse over the shoulder, as you'd expect people made practical choices out of nessecity! But yes, people did wear the fanciest stuff into the most horrible, violent, awful batles.
The most moronic justification I've heard for the pelisse slung over the left shoulder was that it could protect you from swords on that side. No. No matter how many buttons and metal braid you might have on that thing it will never ever stop a sword. You can't even throw it on a sword like a cloak in fencing because it's tied up fast because you DO NOT want to lose it.
Nope, it was just worn for the style… and gave you an extra jacket for the cold winters, especially if you happen to be stuck in Russia.

The main heyday of the unit type with that outfit is really from the 1790s to about the late 1800s- they still wore variations before and after those dates, but not in battle and it wasn't the classic style any longer anyway.

The most famous instances were the nepolionic wars (early 1800s) and the Crimean war (mid 1800s). It was during the last years of the Nepolinic wars and the years between Crimea when the style was at its absoloute pinicle. It died off after Crimea because that war was so horrible and it had become so impracitcal and expensive by that stage that it was detrimental.
In one case it was found that arms were stiched to tight that troops couldn't lift them over their heads!

Here's an example of some extremely well kitted out fellows…


And I realise I based my massive huge trunpeter busby on the one in th pic, so it wasn't as stupidly huge as I came to think… funny how you forget these things. I've been spending YEARS on that outfit, so no wonder I suppose.



@Hippie!
There were lots of princesses wearing nicely tailored uniforms, these two Russian beauties for example:


more examples in this old pic here:
http://www.oldmagazinearticles.com/Royal_European_Princesses_during_WW1-1914_pdf

That's not what I meant by pelisses and dolmans in women's fashions of the time though. You can see examples in the film Vanity Fair. They're quite nasy. The fashion for women at the time was tight sleave or no sleave, low cut bust, tight under the bust and then a fairly loose and shapeless thing hanging from under the bustline. I hate it!

None of them look as good as this handsome devil though…

ozoneocean wrote:
@Hippie!
There were lots of princesses wearing nicely tailored uniforms, these two Russian beauties for example:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v439/ozoneocean/Hussar_and_Uhlan_by_VelkokneznaMaria_zps2a4f66da.jpg
more examples in this old pic here:
http://www.oldmagazinearticles.com/Royal_European_Princesses_during_WW1-1914_pdf

So lovely! I don't know if it's some kind of weird internalized misogny or just good clothing design, but I really like men's clothes that are fitted for women. Speaking of which, I just bought myself a great pair of Oxfords.



I saw a nice jacket kind of like those ones at The Bay a while back. Not sure what international equivalent of the Bay would be…The Hudson's Bay Company was a fur trading company that was more or less the foundation of Canada, and now it's a bunch of nice but slightly outdated department stores. Anyways, I can only ever afford things there on clearance and it cost way too much. :( I had forgotten about it, I'll have to be on the lookout for something similar.

ozoneoceanwrote:
That's not what I meant by pelisses and dolmans in women's fashions of the time though. You can see examples in the film Vanity Fair. They're quite nasy. The fashion for women at the time was tight sleave or no sleave, low cut bust, tight under the bust and then a fairly loose and shapeless thing hanging from under the bustline. I hate it!

Oh, I know exactly what you mean! Like this? I used to have a shirt that was cut in a similar style. Saw a picture of myself wearing it and realized how unflattering it was, never bought anything similar again. It makes even very thin women look like they have a belly.

I hate that almost as much as I hate the current trend of completely shapeless garments. Trying to buy sweaters this winter has been impossible because they're almost all enormous in the bust(which is saying something for me) and waist, and then fitted again at the hips. It's the weirdest style. Everyone knows that women's clothing looks best when it's nicely fitted in the bust and the waist, clothing designers! Get it together!

Very stylish shoes!
I don't think it's internalised mysoginy, hahaha! I think it's a mixture of things- the inherent dichotomy always makes that sort of clothing look interesting. But the very fact that a style is more typically associated with males makes the tailored aspects more obvious and therefore even MORE feminine than something without those associations.

Yes, that's he style exactly. Everything was made to that shape. Imagine a fur coat/dress tailored in that way, with frogging accross the front all the way down to the ground. It's so lame it's horrible.

I know what you mean by that modern version of it too. It actually really works well on bigger women and women who're pregnant, it flatters and enhances. It's one of the best styles for that bodyshape I think, but on all others it's just bad.

I guess those uniforms allowed soldiers to fight war “in style” as it were. Learned a bit about Samurai armor. The armor we keep seeing in popular media is ceremonial armor which was not meant for combat. I'm guessing the actual armor used was probably leather, wood and steel tied together with silk cord.

As for costumes, I have this evil villain I created long ago for a giant robot story I've had in my mind. What does this human like muscular villain wear that makes him intimidating in front of his generals? Well… he doesn't wear anything. At the same time he's also in the shadows to keep things from looking too bad for the audience. The thing I want to convey with a costume like that is his confidence in his own power and the idea that he's not hiding anything from the people working under him (who can CLEARLY see him while the audience can't). Would this be the way to convey a very confident villain (who may not be evil)?

Well… having a lot of fun with the DLC for Mass Effect 3 titled “Citadel”. Especially that intro scene to the casino. I have to say that Ashley looks good in a dress. Garrus looks good too, but he's not happy about the Turian Military not having too many options for formalwear. And I think Wrex is nervous about being in a “formal” event himself… Oh, and even if you're not romancing Tali as the Male Shep, she'll still take your arm anyway…

Extend back the golden age of hussars about fifty years. It goes back to the 1740's with the Hungarians versus the Prussians and the Russians just for good measure. Real cool light cavalry skirmishing at it's finest in the War of Austrian Sucession and Seven Years War and all in hussar dress before economy and practicality took over.

And for the last time it's Napoleonic Wars. The Neopolitan War was so brief and it's doubted whether any of the colorful uniforms were even worn. Though I love those sky blue chasseur uniforms. The Neopolitan army had an exaggerated sense of style because Murat kept redesigning their uniform more garish than the last. (They went nowhere, did nothing except dress nice and embarass everyone with how awful they were in combat) Knoetel might have exaggerated the busbies there anyway. For wearing Hussar dress no one beats Murat and LaSalle two great fashion setters.

Joachim Murat. Below see LaSalle the great hussar whose uniform inspired the hussar dress of the Second Empire under Napoleon III. The last great wearing of hussar dress was by the French and Austrio- Hungarian regiments in 1914 who both wore full color dolmans into combat. The Germans and Brits were in dull feldgrau and khaki. Throughout the classic era of hussars, hussars on campaign usually wore surout (simple buttoned jackets) or the pelisse as a jacket. Leave the barrel sash in the luggage. Pelisse and doman was rarely worn except by officer types and soldiers on escort duty. Even LaSalle is actually wearing his braided waistcoat under the pelisse and not the doman.

And I actually wrote a comic about all of this a couple of years ago when Ozone was first putting his outfit together. I have a splash page and some panels done but drawing all that braid and coloring all those uniforms wore me out. Ever try drawing a Russian infantry square? Whew, talk about overload. The hussar charge wasn't that bad but inking that many figures in tight formation killed me. And the artillery and the chassuers when Napoleon shows up argh. Anyone out there willing to illustrate it drop me a line.

Dropping the “ic” of nepoleonic was a spelling mistake ^_^
Those earlier hussar uniforms were a bit crap and under-developed, that why I didn't include them. From what I've read it was that period between waterloo and Crimea when they were at their fanciest, most gouche…
And there were definitely times when hussars went into battle with the full kit.

Love the insight into the Italian uniform paintings!

I always wondered what happened to that hussar comic you had planned! I tried drawing a simple pic of my own outfit the other day and just gave up. The detail that makes up the hussar outfit is waaaay too much trouble to draw! All that damn lace/braid and all the rest of it. Nightmare. No wonder you quit the comic idea! Frustrating!!!!!!

I've been on this hussar kick almost 5 years now I realise! Jebus.
And I have enough kit for two seperate, basic uniforms (…except I have no sabretache and only one barrel sash and crossbelt), so if I find another person my size we can be a pair of hussars! One in the pelisse, one in the dolman etc. Not many people are my size though, rather slight and slim.

This bedroom hussar is considering what more changes to add to his uniform now…
More braid on the cuffs… more braid on the front… a nice fancy shako… sillver bullion barrel sash…?

I can see it now… you two collaborating on a historical/comedic webcomic called “Adventures in Uniform”. :)

I saw a seriously annoying church sign today. It said “A DIVORCE IS LIKE AN AMPUTATION YOU SURVIVE IT BUT THERE IS LESS OF YOU”

Isn't that kind of awful? I've spent the last few years trying to convince my dad that he's not a failure as a human being because his marriage didn't work, and now he's going to be driving past that every day.

I mean, if it was just like “Divorce is really really hard emotionally,” I would get it. I still wouldn't understand why that's necessary to put on sign, but whatever. But no, it's “You are actually a less complete person now that you're divorced.”

Edit: The internet says it is a Margaret Atwood quote. Not sure if that's true, but it wouldn't surprise me.

HippieVan wrote:
I saw a seriously annoying church sign today. It said “A DIVORCE IS LIKE AN AMPUTATION YOU SURVIVE IT BUT THERE IS LESS OF YOU”

Isn't that kind of awful? I've spent the last few years trying to convince my dad that he's not a failure as a human being because his marriage didn't work, and now he's going to be driving past that every day.

I mean, if it was just like “Divorce is really really hard emotionally,” I would get it. I still wouldn't understand why that's necessary to put on sign, but whatever. But no, it's “You are actually a less complete person now that you're divorced.”

Edit: The internet says it is a Margaret Atwood quote. Not sure if that's true, but it wouldn't surprise me.

Ugh… that's got to feel nice. Not sure who told him that in the first place though. I do have to admit… sometimes I think I'm a failure as a man for not starting a family sooner, but then I think about all the things in my way back then, pick myself up, and just keep going. No use crying over spilt milk, right?

Speaking of interesting signs…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb1Gyk59ivc

Haha, Lonne, see how straight that guy stood? “Im a cyclist, look at my massive pectoral muscles!” :D

@Hippie- yes, churches are great for offensive signs… I remember there was this one near my firend's house that had: “PRESENTING A LIVING CHRIST TO A DYING WORLD” painted on a wall in big letters. I found that so horribly offensive… :(
In your dad's case though it's one of those blame the victim guilt trip things. People say that's a Catholic or Jewish thing, but ALLLLLLLLL Christian sects do it! Muslim and Hindu as well most certainly. Don't think Buhdism does it but there is probably some equivelent…
They're all bastards. -_-

Mainly though I think it's an attack on themeleves more than anything because they're the ones who look stupidest and most unfeeling by saying crap like that.

I noticed that too. Makes me wonder if I could take him in a fight (if for some reason I have to fight him)… Not that I want to…

Ah, the Japanese. I wonder what sort of uniform a giant robot team would have to wear to use this Giant Robot…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv1xmZT0zXs

Lonne, honnesly, if it was my team they'd all be ladies and the uniform would consist of Micky Mouse ears, a Micky Mouse T-shirt, black thigh-highs, black choker, and literally nothing else. :D
This anime wouldn't be for kids…

How would you design the uniforms?

ozoneocean wrote:
Lonne, honnesly, if it was my team they'd all be ladies and the uniform would consist of Micky Mouse ears, a Micky Mouse T-shirt, black thigh-highs, black choker, and literally nothing else. :D
This anime wouldn't be for kids…

How would you design the uniforms?

I'd go for… simple. Disney T-Shirts made from material that leaves them as flexible as normal shirts but can withstand small explosions. Advenced belt buckles that generate personal shielding, and glasses/visors that let the kids interface with the mech's controls. And then there's the training…

I had a guest lecturer in one of my classes today who was missing one of his front teeth. He was otherwise good-looking and well-dressed, and for whatever reason I found it really sexy.

This is why I can never understand people who have “types.” :P

—

Apparently there is a distinct possibility that the faculty at my university will strike. I have no idea what happens with courses/students if that happens. :/ Hopefully they reach an agreement soon, apparently the province sent in a mediator and they weren't able to settle it.

—

Good news, too - my summer job from last year has agreed to take me back even though I'm going to be studying elsewhere for all of May. : ) I thought it might be hard to find a job for only June, July and August so it's nice to have one less thing to worry about.

ozoneocean wrote:

And I have enough kit for two seperate, basic uniforms (…except I have no sabretache and only one barrel sash and crossbelt), so if I find another person my size we can be a pair of hussars! One in the pelisse, one in the dolman etc. Not many people are my size though, rather slight and slim.

Then you'd be an accurate representation of the typical regiment. Actual equipment returns show 200 troopers having 100 domans and 75 pelisses between them and almost no sabretache and barrel sashes. One wonders what the other 25 guys were wearing (probably surtouts or braided waistcoats) So the average hussar would be in a dolman with a sword, a pistol and maybe a shako but more likely his undress bonnet. And the busby would be in the luggage because it draws flies. :-D But dug out for combat because that fur provided good protection.

So there's this groady guy in a tasseled cap with patched coat and a sword pointing a pistol at you and he's the elite company of the elite 4th Hussars. You sure you aint' just another chasseur? Riiiight, the red and blue hat should have known chasseurs just wear green… and you're a hussar. At least all the cuirassiser have their breast plates and most of their helmets… but they're made of metal so last better than wool and fur.

The British light dragoons in the Crimea didn't have their pelisses until after their famous charge. And they were cold in the meantime.

I think you two might have to make a separate thread for uniform talk soon…

Hay there “Normals” I have a question that needs answering and this is serious since I have little emotional empathy. How do you tell if a woman likes you or is just trying to be polite because you creep her out?

LOL, so true Hippie!

@Bravo- any good historical films about the Napoleonic land wars you could sugest? -In English, I can't read subtitles while I'm working.
From what I've read, metal is great against swords but worse than weaing nothing against firearms (unless its reallly thick), because it deforms in and can tear apart and IN to you.
BTW, those uniform numbers were refering to the French units. Everyone had different situations.

@Lonne- referring back to your point about samurai armour; from what I've read arms and armour evolved a lot over the centrues in Japan, like everywhere else. In later centuries officials wore ceremonial styles of armour that were NOT what troops wore into battle at the time, but it was based on earilier styles that people really did wear in the past.
Like military gear the world over, old styles become ceremonial anachronisims, but just because they're only for show now don't mean that was always the case.
But I think with Japan we have the illusion that everying was static for centuries with no change because Japanese really loved to revere the past… I think what happens everywhere, but with Japan more than some others is that all of history becomes condensed into a single idealised image, and even when you know it wasn't like that, looking back is still like looking into the distance through binoculers: in that things become flattened and compressed together so that things that're far away rom each other look like they're all close together.

@Hippie- congrats on the job!
When you say you don't know about “types”, you still say the guys was good looking. Aren't people “good looking” when they match a “type”?
With me, for some reason, women with bony faces and long pointy noses really get my heart racing fast and hypnotise me like a cobra…

ozoneocean wrote:
LOL, so true Hippie!
@Hippie- congrats on the job!
When you say you don't know about “types”, you still say the guys was good looking. Aren't people “good looking” when they match a “type”?
With me, for some reason, women with bony faces and long pointy noses really get my heart racing fast and hypnotise me like a cobra…

I guess what I meant by calling him good-looking was that he didn't have any other major flaws in terms of ‘conventional attractiveness.’
The fact that he was missing a tooth somehow made him more attractive, but I might see another guy and find him less attractive for the very same thing. In fact, that's pretty darn likely with this particular trait.

I mean, there are definitely certain things that I like. Maybe what I'm actually saying is that I just have a lot of different “types,” and I think it's interesting when people only have one. :P

Call Me Tom wrote:
Hay there “Normals” I have a question that needs answering and this is serious since I have little emotional empathy. How do you tell if a woman likes you or is just trying to be polite because you creep her out?

Well, if you ask a girl out and she says no or makes an excuse and doesn't propose an alternative, she's not into you.

If I do like a guy…I dunno, I usually touch him more than I would most people and smile more. Those depend on how touchy and smiley she is normally, though. I make excuses to be around him.

You might have to describe the situation a bit more. How is she acting towards you?

@Call Me Tom

Determining whether a person is attracted to you is not much easier for Neurotypicals (NTs) as people who lack the “emotional empathy” meter.

What I do know is this: voice intonation is key.
Without even thinking about it, when I find someone attractive, my voice ends sentences at a higher pitch than when I started. I get this rising intonation from low to high pitch (increasing). It is the exact opposite when I am unattracted to the person, I keep my voice low and monotone, like a guy.

There is this thing called “Ladder Theory” where there are two separate ladders that women use to label men. Some are on the “friend-only” ladder and others are on the “dating” ladder. It was something immature that I used when I was younger, but sometimes if a girl sees a guy as only a “friend”, she may put her guard down more and be more touchy-feely and laugh at more jokes because of the comfort level.

Pretty much, ask her out for coffee and hopefully she will agree. Look at the direction her feet are pointing and shoulders are facing, if they are in your direction, there is a good chance their body language shows she is into you. Also–this is crucial, see if they have bathed/smell nice/wear nice clothes. If they are dressed too sloppy, they might just see you as a friend.

**Take this with a grain of salt. I am incredibly awkward around men because I have no brothers.

kawaiidaigakusei wrote:
sometimes if a girl sees a guy as only a “friend”, she may put her guard down more and be more touchy-feely and laugh at more jokes because of the comfort level.

Haha, that is also true, which makes my advice pretty useless. I think in my case I'm not generally a touchy-feely kind of person so there's always a reason when I'm amping it up, but (shock and surprise) people are different sometimes.

—

Do you guys delete comics off of your favourites list when they stop updating? Mine has gotten kind of unwieldy over the years to the point that I don't really use it any more, so I think I'm going to do that. But I'm also afraid that I'll want to find those comics again later…yar boo…

I never do… I have 725 now aparently, I don't fave things anymore though I just add potential features to a google doc. :)
I think a few of my faves were probably deleted by themselves when DD comics were deleted by the creators.

I could never read women. If I do find one who is attractive, I look away or do whatever I can to keep my eyes off them. Thing is… some women are creeped out when a guy looks at them, especially in this day and age…

Star Trek Online. Nice to see that Tim Russ is reprising his role from Voyager. And at least in the mission he's involved in YOU are not forced to carry the idiot ball (there's another mission where you don't get to question a superior officer's motives despite them ordering you to do things that don't fit Starfleet rules).

And to think long ago the role I saw him in had him wearing a black spherical helmet while dragging a large version of a hair pick through the sand, then shouting to his superior that he hasn't found anything(said superior was wearing a giant safari helmet and khakis and using a microphone to speak to his subordinate sitting right next to him).

Lonnehart wrote:
And to think long ago the role I saw him in had him wearing a black spherical helmet while dragging a large version of a hair pick through the sand, then shouting to his superior that he hasn't found anything(said superior was wearing a giant safari helmet and khakis and using a microphone to speak to his subordinate sitting right next to him).

Can't blame an actor for wanting to do something different after playing a Vulcan. Spaceballs by any chance?

I can't read women in the present tense. I can only read them in the past tense. I usually figure out what they mean after a few days to a few year interpretation. Except the wife, after 20 years I know her well enugh to anticipate everything. Guess that's why we're still together. Just happy to be stuck with you
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CWF-7kAar0But we meshed and I think I'll keep her. Now what did I do to be so lucky? I went against all my initial instincts and came to realize she was what I needed. But then of course all the indications of the ladder pointed in my direction.

Generally speaking from experience, if a girl laughs at whatever you're saying a lot more than seems usual and seems more actively engaged with you than is normal for your average interaction with girls, you probably have a better than even chance she's attracted to you in some manner. If every joke you tell falls flat, or you just don't seem to get a lot of receptivity to anything you do or say, it's safe to say you can move on.

I personally run into a lot of problems with women thinking I'm into them just because by nature I tend to be a bit of a flirt, and I act like I'm into everyone. Most people who actually get to know me realize it's an affected air to get people flattered and talking but there's always those few who aren't amused by it and just think I have some unwarranted attraction to them.

————

On another subject, I just got my second taste of OC pepper spray on Friday, and I can assuredly say that it get worse every time you do it. This is the second time I've been sprayed in the face with the stuff for training, and the pain was WAY worse than the first time around. It probably doesn't help that I was sick for this run, but damn does it suck no matter what. A jalapeno pepper has something like 2.5-5 units of heat to it. This stuff has about 16 million units per shot of it. And then they make you run a law enforcement obstacle course with the crap in your eyes. It's not so bad while you're doing the course, but right afterwards your face has the particularly fun sensation as though you'd just chosen to dry shave with a pissed off badger and a second degree sunburn. I ended up with a even nastier cold out of the whole mess too, because it has to be done outside in January without cold weather clothing on because you'll never get the stuff off of you if you wear it.

We're getting tasered this Tuesday.