Friday, February 21, 2014
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Friday, February 20, 1914. Revolutionary execution.
William S. Benton, a British rancher with Chihuahua holdings, was executed in Juarez by Villistas, after a "court-martial". He was accused of making an attempt on Villa's life, but his associates claimed he had no views on the Mexican Revolution at all.
More on this from a Scottish blog:
Pancho Villa murders Keig man
Rosa Luxemburg was tried in a Frankfurt court on charges of encouraging public disobedience and sentenced to a year in prison. In the Court she stated.
When, as I say, the majority of people come to the conclusion that wars are nothing but a barbaric, unsocial, reactionary phenomenon, entirely against the interests of the people, then wars will have become impossible.
Nice sentiment, but shallow thought.
Luxemburg herself has always struck me as not being too deep. Perhaps I'm wrong as she remains the deluded darling of the far left, and maybe there's more to her than my very limited knowledge is aware of.
James William Humphyrs Scotland made the first cross-country flight in New Zealand. On the same day, Winston Churchill, serving as First Lord of the Admiralty, flew as a passenger in a Sopwith Sociable.
Panama-Pacific International Exposition, Feb. 20, 1914, one year before opening day. San Francisco.
Legal, Alberta, was founded.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
On Line Dating: Are we really that busy?
This morning, on my way to work, I was listening to XM Radio when an advertisement came on advertising an on line dating service for busy professionals. The pitch was that they were too busy to get to know anyone, so the service had done all the heavy lifting for them.
Seriously? Are people now so busy that they can't get to know anybody?
If that's true, that's a horrible sign of something seriously amiss in our society. If people are now so busy, they can't even get to know a potential spouse in any sort of conventional way, our society is pretty much doomed.
People are busy, grant it. But at some point certain things are like canaries in coal mines. And if this is actually the case (and I hope its' not) its like a flock of canaries dropping dead all over the coal mine floor.
Seriously? Are people now so busy that they can't get to know anybody?
If that's true, that's a horrible sign of something seriously amiss in our society. If people are now so busy, they can't even get to know a potential spouse in any sort of conventional way, our society is pretty much doomed.
People are busy, grant it. But at some point certain things are like canaries in coal mines. And if this is actually the case (and I hope its' not) its like a flock of canaries dropping dead all over the coal mine floor.
Occupational Identity
According to psychologists, males (but not females) acquire an "occupational identity" as adults. If they fail to do so, supposedly, it's actually supposed to be a problem for the adult male.
I don't know about that, but I do know that males very strongly catalog people by occupations. One of the first things that males do, if they do not know each other, but are engaged in a conversation, is to ask each other "so, what do you do?" Casual male acquaintances usually also get around to asking, "so, how are things at work?" Only men who very deeply know one another will skip the work questions, usually.
I note this as I recently had an odd experience, although its frankly one that I've had in the past as well.
I called a person who is in the business of selling a certain item to ask about an example of it that I had heard, outside of work, that was coming up for sale. I could tell this person was struggling to place me in context, when suddenly he said "Oh! You are the lawyer!" Not only was it like turning on a switch for him, it also told me nearly immediately I wasn't going to be treated seriously.
That may sound odd, but certain professions are not taken seriously in regards to certain things. If, for example, a neurosurgeon went into a used car shop to ask about a beat up Volkswagen, he's not going to be taken seriously.
Here, the item that was going up for sale wasn't for sale just yet, but it was going to be that week. I asked this person to call me back as soon as it was listed. He said he would.
He didn't.
A client of mine, who is in the business that this thing pertains to, is now going to buy it and called me for help on that. Of course, I'll help. But how frustrating.
I've encountered this before. Years and years ago there was some grazing land that was somewhat tempting up for sale around here, and I called the listing agent and the agent never was able to figure out what I was asking about. He kept coming back to me with palatial mountain retreats. In his mind, that must be what I was wanting to buy. I finally gave up on him.
Or, in another instance, I once called a seller about something and left a message. I didn't hear back and didn't hear back. Finally, I called again, and he told me "oh. . . you wouldn't want it, it wouldn't interest a lawyer." Oh? Then why had I called about buying it in the first place? Geez.
In another instance, a rancher friend of mine had an early model Power Wagon which I very much admired. He knew that. He decided to sell it, and never told me. Why? Well, it just isn't the sort of thing he could have seen me wanting. By the same token, I'll admit, I once had a muscle car that I sold and later heard from his wife who complained that had she known I was going to sell it, she would have bought it. I just didn't see that being something she would have wanted.
I don't know what the point of this is, but I guess it's just an interesting observation about how we pigeonhole things. There's no reason that an oilfield worker wouldn't want season tickets at the Met, but I bet they'd have a hard time getting them. Assumptions. . .
I don't know about that, but I do know that males very strongly catalog people by occupations. One of the first things that males do, if they do not know each other, but are engaged in a conversation, is to ask each other "so, what do you do?" Casual male acquaintances usually also get around to asking, "so, how are things at work?" Only men who very deeply know one another will skip the work questions, usually.
I note this as I recently had an odd experience, although its frankly one that I've had in the past as well.
I called a person who is in the business of selling a certain item to ask about an example of it that I had heard, outside of work, that was coming up for sale. I could tell this person was struggling to place me in context, when suddenly he said "Oh! You are the lawyer!" Not only was it like turning on a switch for him, it also told me nearly immediately I wasn't going to be treated seriously.
That may sound odd, but certain professions are not taken seriously in regards to certain things. If, for example, a neurosurgeon went into a used car shop to ask about a beat up Volkswagen, he's not going to be taken seriously.
Here, the item that was going up for sale wasn't for sale just yet, but it was going to be that week. I asked this person to call me back as soon as it was listed. He said he would.
He didn't.
A client of mine, who is in the business that this thing pertains to, is now going to buy it and called me for help on that. Of course, I'll help. But how frustrating.
I've encountered this before. Years and years ago there was some grazing land that was somewhat tempting up for sale around here, and I called the listing agent and the agent never was able to figure out what I was asking about. He kept coming back to me with palatial mountain retreats. In his mind, that must be what I was wanting to buy. I finally gave up on him.
Or, in another instance, I once called a seller about something and left a message. I didn't hear back and didn't hear back. Finally, I called again, and he told me "oh. . . you wouldn't want it, it wouldn't interest a lawyer." Oh? Then why had I called about buying it in the first place? Geez.
In another instance, a rancher friend of mine had an early model Power Wagon which I very much admired. He knew that. He decided to sell it, and never told me. Why? Well, it just isn't the sort of thing he could have seen me wanting. By the same token, I'll admit, I once had a muscle car that I sold and later heard from his wife who complained that had she known I was going to sell it, she would have bought it. I just didn't see that being something she would have wanted.
I don't know what the point of this is, but I guess it's just an interesting observation about how we pigeonhole things. There's no reason that an oilfield worker wouldn't want season tickets at the Met, but I bet they'd have a hard time getting them. Assumptions. . .
Implements of the transportation revolution: Riker Truck
Riker truck being delivered to the U.S. Army, for use in the Punitive Expedition.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Wednesday, February 18, 1914. Insuring Villa and The Tennessee Walz.
Pancho Villa insured his life for $500,000 as a favor of his wife. That was a huge sum at the time.
Pee Wee King, co-writer of the classic Tennessee Waltz, was born.
King died in 2000 at the age of 86.
Monday, February 17, 2014
Old Picture of the Day: Car Dealership
Old Picture of the Day: Car Dealership: We wrap up Denver Week with this picture of a Car Dealership. The picture was taken in about 1900. The dealership was for the Felken Cy...
Old Picture of the Day: Express Wagon
Old Picture of the Day: Express Wagon: Today's picture is from about 1870, and shows a great scene in Denver that could be right out of a Western. The picture shows an E...
Old Picture of the Day: Horse Trolley
Old Picture of the Day: Horse Trolley: Denver week continues with this peculiar picture from 1903 of a horse-drawn trolley. The unusual thing is that the horse is riding, no...
Old Picture of the Day: Denver Stockyards
Old Picture of the Day: Denver Stockyards: Today's picture shows Cattle Buyers at the Denver Stockyards. The picture was taken in 1939. These buyers would be buying for the p...
Old Picture of the Day: Denver Train Station
Old Picture of the Day: Denver Train Station: Today's picture shows a scene from the Denver train station. The picture was taken in 1903. People dressed in grand style back then...
Old Picture of the Day: Dallas Cowboy
Old Picture of the Day: Dallas Cowboy: Welcome to Dallas Texas Week here at OPOD. We will be looking at pictures from times gone by of this great city. We start with this pi...
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Friday, February 14, 1914. Concerned farmers.
Protesting Swedish peasants.
Concerned Swedish farmers gathered in the courtyard of Stockholm Place to demand higher defense spending. There were 32,000 of them. King Gustaf declared to them that he shared their concerns, violating the Swedish constitution by taking an issue in a partisan matter. Conservatives supported higher defense spending and had organized the protest against the sitting Liberal government. The resulting controversy resulted in the downfall of the leadership of the Swedish government and the appointment of a government approved of by the King.
Gustav was king from 1907 until his death in 1950. Up until World War One he still held significant power in the country, and was highly influential in the Swedish government during the war. After the war, parliamentary actions would end up stripping the crown of them. He was the last Swedish monarch to exercise royal prerogatives, and 1974 constitutional changes ended them.
Gustav was pro German and anti Communist during the war and after. During World War Two, he had to be stopped by the Swedish prime minister from sending a congratulatory letter to Hitler for invading the Soviet Union. He nonetheless on behalf of tennis Davis Cup stars Jean Borotra of France and his personal trainer and friend Baron Gottfried von Cramm of Germany for better treatment by the Nazis, the latter of which had been imprisoned on the charge of a homosexual relationship with a Jew. Gustav himself was an ardent tennis player.
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Random Snippets: Toyota Pickup Trucks.
Has anyone else noticed that Toyota pickup trucks seem to be the prime mover of every third world irregular army on the planet?
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