Youngstown – Re-visited
Youngstown, OH – Steel Mill Safety While they were much more dangerous than today the steel mills of the Youngstown days were not without concerns for safety. Continue reading Youngstown – Re-visited
Month: September 2014
Buying a Thousand Pillows…
Yeah. So it is true that rich people can spend more money than middle class people, but there’s this upper limit on what we can spend. I drive a very nice car, but it’s only one car. I don’t own a thousand, even though I earn a thousand times the median wage. I have a few jackets, not a few thousand. My family can afford … Continue reading Buying a Thousand Pillows…
Youngstown – Revisited…
Youngstown, OH – Steel Mill They were dirty places to be but they provided a job for the locals. Continue reading Youngstown – Revisited…
Freestyle School….
As the new school year approaches, teachers have come to expect that many of their students will have forgotten some of what they learned earlier. It’s called summer learning loss, and some teachers believe it’s inevitable. Are they right?… The traditional educator’s remedy for summer learning loss is more of the same, more hours and more days of classes and, of course, summer school. What … Continue reading Freestyle School….
Steel…
Youngstown, OH – Steel Anybody with much study of America knows that Youngstown was one of the premiere cities for steel production back a century ago. The “Ohio Historical Society Youngstown Center of Industry and Labor” does and excellent job of giving you an idea of what those times were like. Since I am going to be away from my desk for a few days … Continue reading Steel…
Check Your Intelligence At The Door…
Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear. –Thomas Jefferson’s Letter, 10 Aug. 1787 I am going to combine my usual Sunday post on things inspiring/spiritual with my usual Thursday quotes. Thomas Jefferson, like most of the founding fathers was a Deist. That is he … Continue reading Check Your Intelligence At The Door…
Bedford Hoosiers….
Bedford, IN – Limestone workers I am going to visit Bedford Indiana for a second time today to show you a picture of many of the workers from 1910. One of my favorite things to do while we travel is to take pictures of groups from the past. I like studying the faces of all those hard working Americans from decades or in this case … Continue reading Bedford Hoosiers….
Home Away From Home…
We have a few very old maple trees on our property. The one shown here is pretty well hollowed out and that is where our cat Dexter likes to spend time. He climbs trees like a professional. This hole is about 15 feet off the ground which is no problem for him. Several times a year someone will stop and give us a quote to … Continue reading Home Away From Home…
Bedford Limestone
Bedford, IN – Limestone My roots are now firmly planted in southwest Indiana and that is limestone territory. Bedford claims to be the limestone capital of the world. There has been a lot of limestone shipped out of that small town including for the Lincoln Memorial and several other building in DC. This picture is of a picture in their local museum. If you want … Continue reading Bedford Limestone
Falling By The Wayside…
It seems that many of my blog friends are falling by the wayside lately. They are slowly disappearing from cyberspace. I used to read a dozen or so blog posts every day, now I read less than a handful. Some who seem to have maybe a thousand followers or more are calling it quits. I wonder what is happening? Many of these past blogging friends … Continue reading Falling By The Wayside…
American Food…
Cleveland, OH – Guarinos I know the hot dog is supposedly very American but I kind of think our food, like our population, is a melting pot of different ethnic varieties. In reality I don’t think of our population so much as a melting pot but as a stew; maybe I should think that way about the food also? Any large city has at least … Continue reading American Food…
Banking Establishments…
I sincerely believe . . . that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies, and that the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale. Thomas Jefferson in a letter 12 June 1815 Anyone that has studied Jefferson to any degree knows that he was an agrarian. That is he … Continue reading Banking Establishments…
Hoosier Cabinets…
Dearborn, MI – Henry Ford Museum The Hoosier Cabinet was an essential baking center for the early twentieth century. I had the pleasure of making several reproduction Hoosier in my cabinet business in the early 2000s. Continue reading Hoosier Cabinets…
To Face The Future…
The future is a scary place for many of us. We primarily see things that are out to get us and hurt us. We cling to the past as the good old days. The thing about that is that the past was simply not the good old days as we remember them. We seem to have an abject fear of letting our children out of … Continue reading To Face The Future…
Mark Twain
Hannibal, MO – Mark Twain Samuel Clemons, otherwise know as Mark Twain was perhaps the first truly well-known American writer. While I was not particularly impressed with Tom Sawyer it was a popular book. If you are ever in Hannibal MO you should visit his boyhood home there. Continue reading Mark Twain
7 Out Of 10….
Nearly all of 2014’s best-paying jobs require an advanced degree, according to a new ranking from the job portal Careercast.com. Seven of the 10 most lucrative positions are in the health-care industry. SOURCE: The 10 best-paying jobs of 2014 – Yahoo Finance. It is interesting to see that seven of the ten highest paying jobs are in our unsustainable healthcare sector. I doubt that this … Continue reading 7 Out Of 10….
Like It Or Not…
Norfolk, VA – USS Wisconsin Like it our not the mighty guns of the battleship USS Wisconsin is part of what it means to be American. Those guns wreaked havoc when they were fired. About the only good thing I can say about modern-day drones is that they cause less collateral damage (ie innocent deaths) Continue reading Like It Or Not…
I Can't Get No….
I know the Rolling Stones song goes “I can’t get no satisfaction” but for purposes of this post I am going to change it a little. I have been fully retired for about eight years now and was semi-retired for six before that. One of the things that I have found the most difficult to keep a handle on in these retirement years is stimulation. … Continue reading I Can't Get No….
57 Varieties…
Pittsburgh PA – H.J. Heinz Company Museum It is unclear just who invented ketchup but as usual an American perfected the process. As shown in picture taken of a mural at the museum H.J. Heinz was making it on a large scale. Here is a little about it from Wikipedia: Tomato ketchup was sold locally by farmers. A man named Jonas Yerks (or Yerkes) is … Continue reading 57 Varieties…
Before Becoming A Christian…
1) Christ is perfect but “Christianity” is not. Don’t mistake Christian Culture as God, they aren’t the same thing. Churches, pastors, theologians, and other believers will inevitably fail you, but Jesus never will. 2) It’s OK to change your beliefs. You’ll never have Christianity fully figured out. You won’t have an answer for everything. Theology is a journey, a Pilgrim’s Progress. Life, relationships, and experiences … Continue reading Before Becoming A Christian…
Small Business….
Salina, UT – Home Cooking The backbone of America is our small business owners. Mom’s Cafe, which we visited in 2009 is a prime example. It was a good place to eat and inexpensive meal while on the road. We stayed at a small motel just outside of town and ate our supper and next day breakfast there. Continue reading Small Business….
Celebrating Native Americans….
Another quick snapshot of my blog InSearchOfAmerica. Visit it by clicking on the mosaic map just to the right of this post. Rapid City, SD – A City of Sculptures I love all the sculptures in downtown Rapid City. Many celebrate our Native Americans. What could be more American than to celebrate the original inhabitants of this great country. Too bad it took us so … Continue reading Celebrating Native Americans….
Our 49th State…
Juneau, AK – Red Dog Saloon I’m not sure of the history of the Red Dog but it is now a big tourist spot in Juneau Alaska. Good beer, good burgers but not really unlike many mine in the “lower 48” as they say. I know Alaska residents don’t pay any taxes to speak of, in fact they all get paid by the government. It … Continue reading Our 49th State…
You're So Vain, You Probably Think This Post Is About You…
This is a continuation of last Friday’s post about why I blog and why I have been around longer than many of my blogging friends. The above title with a slight modification is from a song from Carly Simon in the early seventies. I am not really taunting you here it is just that like so many of my blogging buddies have been doing lately … Continue reading You're So Vain, You Probably Think This Post Is About You…
The Printing Press…
Urbandale, Iowa – Living History Farms I am thoroughly convinced that America wouldn’t be America if it weren’t for freedom of the press. Governments like all other institutions are prone to abuse of power and without someone to show us when that happens anarchy often follows. Continue reading The Printing Press…
Never Take An Active Part…
I have ever deemed it fundamental for the United States never to take active part in the quarrels of Europe. Their political interests are entirely distinct from ours. Their mutual jealousies, their balance of power, their complicated alliances, their forms and principles of government, are all foreign to us. They are nations of eternal war. –A Thomas Jefferson Letter, 11 June 1823, to President James … Continue reading Never Take An Active Part…
Celebrating War…
Indianapolis, IN – Celebrating War Our Civil War was the bloodiest war in our history. Re-enactments are common in many small and large towns. I personally don’t celebrate wars, they are our failures not our successes but ending slavery was a very necessary thing. Too bad it couldn’t have ended with a more civilized process than taking a half million lives to resolve it. Continue reading Celebrating War…
Why???
I have a question for my Republican friends. Yes, that sounds like the setup for a smackdown, but though the question is pointed, it is also in earnest. I’d seriously like to know: If Republican fiscal policies really are the key to prosperity, if the GOP formula of low taxes and little regulation really does unleash economic growth, then why has the country fared better … Continue reading Why???
Elfreth's Alley…
Philadelphia, PA – Elfreth’s Alley If you are ever in Philadelphia you must visit this place. It is about as original as early America comes. It is hard to believe that streets were actually that narrow even in those days… Continue reading Elfreth's Alley…
Capitalism – A Dirty Word…
I have been accused by some who have come to this site primarily in the antagonist mode to be anti-capitalism. I hope that is not the general persona that I put forth. It is true that I don’t think that unfettered capitalism is a good thing. If left to its own capitalism would morph into a survival of the fittest mode or something even worse. … Continue reading Capitalism – A Dirty Word…
Navy Pier..
Chicago, IL – The Navy Pier The Navy Pier in Chicago is a popular downtown tourist attraction. It has a stained glass exhibit that is beyond comparison. The view from the Farris wheel is astounding. It was built in 1916 and its primary purpose was as a cargo facility for lake freighters, and warehouses were built up and down the Pier. During WWII it was … Continue reading Navy Pier..
All About Coveting…
When I think of the word covet I think of the tenth commandment. Here is what that says “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.” I know covet is an old word so let’s be sure of the … Continue reading All About Coveting…
About That Beer…
Milwaukee, WI – Beer Capital of the U.S. At one time Milwaukee had many different beer manufacturers in its environs. Blatz was one of them but now it is luxury condominiums. The Pabst mansion is also a rather unique place to visit while in Milwaukee. I know beer is primarily German in nature but American beer is well, very American…. Continue reading About That Beer…
Having All The Answers….
This Sunday post is going to take a personal drift. Some of my antagonists over the years say that I have a smug attitude about Christianity and that I proclaim to be the only one who has all the answers. I hope these views are an exception rather than a rule for most who read my Sunday posts. But just in case I want to … Continue reading Having All The Answers….
Celebrating Native Americans….
Rapid City, SD – A City of Sculptures I love all the sculptures in downtown Rapid City. Many celebrate our Native Americans. What could be more American than to celebrate the original inhabitants of this great country. Too bad it took us so many years to realize that….. Continue reading Celebrating Native Americans….
I am going to spend the next few Saturdays trying to entice you over to my other blog at InSearchOfAmerica. Here is a composite of August’s daily picture. Click on the mosaic map to the right of this post to see the daily contributions to my American Mosaic Continue reading
RJ's Corner 