Hancock, MA – Hancock Shaker Village Hancock Shaker Village is one of the original Shaker communities so it has much more history than the one I visit most often near Lexington KY. The round barn as show above is their … Continue reading Shake, Rattle, & Roll…
This is a second post on the article from the Atlantic Magazine on the creative brain. Click here to see the article. The process of creativity has always fascinated me. Just what makes some people more creative than others? It is something they are born with or do they learn it through life’s experiences? I don’t often state it often but my IQ has been tested to be into the top 2%. That would surprise many of my teachers who I’m sure just thought of me as lazy as I was going through school. Sometimes I just didn’t have much … Continue reading Creativity and Mental Illness…
Omaha NB – Boys’ Town One of the critical parts of what is the heart of America are people who care and actually do something about it.. One of those people was a Catholic priest named Father Flanagan. He started … Continue reading People Who Care
“In schools they have what they call intelligence tests. Well if nations held ’em I don’t believe we would be what you would call a favorite to win.” – Will Rogers, 25 June 1935 I don’t think we would either Will. We would probably be about the same as where we are with our crazy healthcare system. Near the bottom of those that have schools and hospitals anyway. But there are a few of us who are darn smart and maybe they make up for all the dunces among us… Continue reading Our Nation’s IQ???
Des Moines IA – Brandeis Department Store Department stores are the epitome of a capitalist society. They started springing up in the early 1900s and soon became an important “go to” place in every large American city and even in … Continue reading Department Stores…
Out of the horror of World War II came one of the great achievements in all of human history: the Geneva Convention of 1949. It was a statement from humanity to itself that, in the aftermath of the bloodiest war in history, some decency might still be rescued. Despite the millions of senseless dead, despite all the mass murder and genocide and terror bombing, despite all the filth and hypocrisy and witless incompetence, the Convention states these things shall be held inviolate in war: Wounded and sick soldiers shall be treated humanely, and medical facilities shall be off-limits to attack. … Continue reading Whitewashing of torture….
The above image is a clip from the July 28,2014 issue of Time magazine page 12. It seems very hard to find what percentage of the population is gay in the U.S. The most often cited by those who don’t have an interest in the issue is about 1%. That seems to align somewhat with the Census Bureau numbers found above. But of course I realize even today that there are those who have homosexual tendencies who adamantly refuse to be identify themselves as such. Continue reading A Snippet Here A Snippet There…
The Triangle Factory Fire was a defining moment in US history. Here is a little about what Wikipedia says about it The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in Manhattan, New York City on March 25, 1911 was one of the deadliest industrial disasters in the history of the city, and resulted in the fourth highest loss of life from an industrial accident in U.S. history… The fire caused the deaths of 146 garment workers – 123 women and 23 men [1] – who died from the fire, smoke inhalation, or falling or jumping to their deaths. Most of the victims were … Continue reading Triangle Factory Fire…
Nearly 25 years later, the North Korean People’s Army, Navy, and Air Force are relics of a different era. Nearly everything is obsolete. North Korean tanks and armored fighting vehicles are up to 50 years old. This summer, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was photographed onboard an old Romeo-class submarine, an antiquated design first produced in the 1950s. The North Korean Air Force is only slightly better off; its newest fighter jets are now 25 years old most are closer to 50.Not only is the equipment obsolete, it’s becoming unusable. Late last year during naval exercises, two North Korean … Continue reading North Korea’s military is falling apart
Wall SD – Free Ice Water I still remember the miles after miles of seeing the road signs for Wall Drugs in the 1950s during our first family visit to the west. We stopped by there again a few years … Continue reading Wall Drug…
Instead of helping the poor, feeding the hungry, tending to the sick, sheltering the homeless, fighting injustice, speaking for the voiceless, sacrificially giving, and wholeheartedly loving our neighbors and enemies, churches have become co-opted by secular values and empty content. Emulating Christ is not for the faint of heart, and following his commands will probably mean becoming a church that embraces conflict, discomfort, work, pain, suffering, and truth. This is the messiness of Christianity — following God through the Pilgrim’s Progress of life, forsaking the riches of this world for the treasure of a Divine relationship. Are we brave enough … Continue reading Are You Brave Enough???
Des Moines IA – Native Americans It has not been that many years ago that native Americans were treated and thought to be less than human. It is nice to see them getting more respect and recognized as the first … Continue reading Celebrating Native Americans….
On our recent visit to NYC we also spent a day revisiting our old haunts in New Jersey. We lived there during my last four years in the corporate world. As seems to be so typical today my twenty-six years in corporate America in the Midwest came to an abrupt end when they closed down our division. We were told we had a job but it was now in New Jersey. Most of the six-hundred or so chose to stay in the Midwest and look for another job. For me, with only four years left for a full pension that … Continue reading New Jersey….
Aug. 14, 1935: President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act, which guaranteed an income for the unemployed and retirees. Social Security was initially created to combat unemployment, but now functions as a safety net for retirees and the disabled. It has remained relatively unchanged for 75 years. Social Security is funded mostly through payroll taxes called Federal Insurance Contributions Act tax FICA.When FDR launched Social Security, the United States was mired in the Great Depression, and poverty rates among senior citizens were estimated to be over 50 percent. Social Security was attacked by FDR’s critics, who called it “socialism.”SOURCE: … Continue reading The birth of Social Security..
Kennett Square PA – Longwood Gardens Longwood Gardens consists of over 1,000 acres of gardens, woodlands, and meadows in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. I have visited there a couple of times. It was the home of Pierre DuPont for most of … Continue reading Botanical Gardens & Industrialists
RJ's Corner - Having My Say 