Just like Melville's Ishmael, when the everyday worries become overwhelming, I long for the sea. However, since the sea is over one hundred miles away from Westminster, Maryland, I must settle for some other diversion. Sometimes it is escape to news from "yesteryear."
I'm looking at a copy of The Literary Digest dated October 31, 1908 (101 years ago!) Some items that were of interest to me:
01. An ad showing a young lady with a bow tie sitting at a vintage Remington typewriter. Model 10 has a column selector, and model 11 has a built-in tabulator. (My grandkids may not know what a typewriter is... they probably don't even need to know what a word-processor is, as long as their agile fingers can "text".)
02. An ad for a two month's summer tour of Europe for $250.
03. An ad for GRAFT.."The game of the hour; the game for Election days. More fascinating than Bridge or Eucre... 50 cents."
04. Ad for 1,000 acres in West Virginia for $9,000.
05. Ad for Miss Hess' French School for Young Ladies.
06. Ad for "The 1909 Fad!" This device projects any sort of "Post Card, Sketch, Photograph, or Clipping in all the brilliant coloring" on the wall as a six-foot reproduction. Cost for this machine in its fully assembled form: $5.
07. News about the William J. Bryan and William H. Taft strategic struggle to gain sufficient electoral votes to win the Presidency. Teddy Roosevelt puts in his two cents. (It all sounds so familiar.)
08. News that the United States Battle-ship fleet sailed around the world and in Sydney Australia the fleet was welcomed by 9,000 school-kids grouped to form the words "Hail Columbia" and to trace the pattern in colors of the American and Australian flags.
And then... get this.. in Yokohama, to quote the New York Post: "Toward the close of the reception, at a collation on the after deck of the battle-ship, Captain Okada drank the health of Ambassador O'Brien. Then followed a demonstration that will be long remembered by the Americans. The Japanese admirals and captains raised Ambassador O'Brien on their shoulders and marched around the deck with him, everybody on board wildly cheering. The same performance was repeated with Rear-Admiral Sperry and each of the other American admirals present."
And then, the New York Tribune said "Japan and America are, and are likely to remain for a long time, the chief, we might say the only important, naval Powers in the Pacific" and indicated that this friendly reception should put to rest any suggestion of friction between these two countries.
09. Lots of news about the Balkans and Austria .. sounds like the problems that led up to WWI.
10. News that unemployment in England has reached "painful proportions." Mr. Stewart Gray, the leader of "Hunger Marchers" clashed with the police at Trafalgar Square. About 150,000 men in London are out of work.
11. Sir Hiram Maxim analyzed a "sure fire system" for beating the bank at Monte Carlo, and found that the player would probably win.. "one dollar in 21,474 years."
12. Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Buchanan, of the British Army in India says: "The best way to put a stop to the plague where it is epidemic is to keep cats."
13. Professor Gaston Bonnier of Paris says that "a beehive is a perfect example of the equalitarian product of state socialism."
14. "A system by which a wireless-telegraphic apparatus may control from a central station the clocks of a whole city is now in use in Vienna."
15. Joseph Ruau, French Minister of Agriculture says that "fraud is common in food manufacture, and reminds us that absolute purity is not practicable or necessary."
16. There is now a simple test for distinguishing between butter and "oleomargarin". (Sounds like a time-consuming process utilizing fresh milk and a "stick.")
17. Mr. Israel Zangwill caused a commotion with his play "The Melting Pot", where he implies that Jews will be best off in America by being "absorbed" through marriage. The Jewish Comment (Baltimore) likes his play and agrees with his thesis.
18. Mr. Marc Debrol, French writer, was asked if people in the US are religious in the "real sense of the word".. He replied: "No. The American is too taken up with the practical side of life, too preoccupied with conquests and gain, to be meditative. There is no introspection... in this race for the dollar, the finer sensibilities dry up..." (!) Debrol says that America is a charitable country, but "Charity does not spring from private initiative; it is carefully organised, and in many cases by the churches... The poor must be fed and clothed, not out of pity, but out of prudence; they must not become discontented and revolt, disturbers of the national peace."
19. An ad for the Flexible Flyer, the Sled that Steers. "Send for a free cardboard model showing how it steers."
20. An ad for Whitelaw's Paper Blankets. Sanitary. Healthful. Warm. $3.00 a dozen.
21. An ad for Postum (coffee substitute still sold next to coffees in supermarkets.. I drank it for years. "There are still some well-informed persons who do not know that coffee contains a drug -- caffeine."
22. Ad for Harderfold Hygienic Underwear with the Inter-Air-Space System... "... affording protection against the vicissitudes of our variable climate..."
23. Ad for The Keeley Cure for liquor and drug using.
24. Finally...!! A joke from the Washington Star:
The Crank. "You say there is nearly always something broke about your automobile?"
"Yes," answered Mr. Chuggins, nervously.
"What is it, as a rule?"
"Me."
... so, not much has changed in 101 years.
.................................................................................................................................
Showing posts with label news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label news. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Anxiety
It's a beautiful morning in Maryland.. the sky is blue.. its already nice and warm.. I got up with the sun and sat on my back porch accompanied by our two cats and watched the groundskeepers work to make the golf course grass even more green than it already is. As my grandfather entered his '80s, he remarked each year when Spring arrived: "The grass is greener this year than it ever has been." Although I'm not quite that old, I can understand his observation. As we age, I'm sure that we notice and appreciate everyday things more and more.
Something that I notice this morning but do not appreciate quite as much as some other things, is the pungent odor of the manure that nearby Carroll County farmers are applying to their fields. I don't really dislike the smell, and, of course, an abundance of agricultural produce requires an abundance of manure.
When my family moved into our new home in Gamber, every young boy within five miles suddenly descended upon us to welcome us. (After all, in our family were two beautiful teenage girls.) One of these boys arrived by horse. He noticed that I, as a former city boy, had not the slightest clue about digging a garden. He offered to help me and I'm glad I agreed. A few hours later he and his horse plowed about a quarter of an acre in my back yard. I then provided the seed and his trusty horse provided a wealth of fertilizer. This turned out to be the best garden I ever had and I could join my fellow Carroll County "farmers" in setting up a table in the driveway so that passers by could help themselves to free tomatoes and cucumbers.
What does all this have to do with "anxiety"? It doesn't.. this was just a segue.
As for anxiety? Well.. look at the newpaper.. listen to the radio.. watch TV. Look at these headlines:
Warnings as Swine Flu Virus Spreads.
Helpful Teacher attacked by vicious Squirrel.
Deputy involved in fatal Shooting.
Suspect arrested in Shooting Spree.
Man shot after Attack on Teen.
3 shot, 1 killed in Pittsburgh.
Man charged in Delaware Fires.
2 arrested in Philly Murders.
Police fire Pellets at Kent State Rioters.
Storms pound Midwest.
Va Men hurt in Shooting.
Bomb kills 2 Guards in Kabul.
Professor still at large after Murder of Wife and Others
Five killed in Jersey Turnpike Crash
..... and worse of all: Swiss Voters ban nude Hiking!
What is this world coming to? Don't headlines like this contribute to our feelings of anxiety?
Some of those headlines were on the Internet, some in today's Carroll County Times. The CC Times is a great local paper.. but, being a newspaper, they also have to report news that isn't local. I understand that and also realize that the nice local news in the paper far outweighs the reports of carnage and idiocy that must be reported on. So, even in bucolic Carroll County, we encounter news that causes anxiety.
On today's second hour of the Diane Rehm show (NPR), an author talked with Diane and her thousands of listeners about the types and causes of anxiety and gave some tips on how to cope with it. She has written a book on the subject. I'm not going to tell you her name or the title of her book, so that you can get the pleasure of downloading the archived show to your IPOD or finding out the information by a plug into TWITTER as a fan of the Diane Rehm Show.
The author did mention that suddenly, in Salzburg, Germany, as she looked out the window of a highly located fancy restaurant, she developed a fear of heights. For many years, she could not take an elevator to the tenth floor of a building or higher. She was able to overcome her anxiety by following some of the tips given in her book.
When I entered my thirties, I thought that I was getting too fat. At the time, there was a Maryland doctor who was supposed to be able to help anyone lose weight. There were lines of patients around the block waiting to get to see him and either get shots or pills. I took my place in line and finally got to see him. (He was kind of chubby.. hmm?) Anyway, he gave me some pills to raise my metabolism.. they stimulated me too much, I became a nervous wreck.
So.. he gave me some pills to "take me down" (do you see the early mention of "uppers" and "downers"?) .. they took me "down" too far, so he gave me more "uppers", then more "downers".. etc etc. After a while, I did not know what way was "up" or "down" and my wife had to take me to the Emergency Room. They were able to "purge" my system and I was told that without pills I would be able to be normal again. (BTW, the doctor eventually was disbarred and disgraced.)
In recouperating from this medication, I had to endure a few weeks of "anxiety". I was not able to drive; when I went into a room, a door or a window had to be open; I was afraid to meet new people; I walked and talked like a zombie. I would never want to go through that again.
After a couple of weeks, to ensure that I had flushed all of the "anxiety" out of my body along with those diet pills, my GP ordered me to talk to a psychiatrist, a nice old man who was very much interested in parts of my life that I did not really want to talk about. I met with him four or five times and gave him lots of money.. I don't think I learned anything about myself that I didn't already know, but I did get one piece of insight from him that has sustained me through the problems and bad situations affecting me and my family over the years.
That insight was (as Saint Theresa is supposed to have said): This too shall pass!
And it does.
Something that I notice this morning but do not appreciate quite as much as some other things, is the pungent odor of the manure that nearby Carroll County farmers are applying to their fields. I don't really dislike the smell, and, of course, an abundance of agricultural produce requires an abundance of manure.
When my family moved into our new home in Gamber, every young boy within five miles suddenly descended upon us to welcome us. (After all, in our family were two beautiful teenage girls.) One of these boys arrived by horse. He noticed that I, as a former city boy, had not the slightest clue about digging a garden. He offered to help me and I'm glad I agreed. A few hours later he and his horse plowed about a quarter of an acre in my back yard. I then provided the seed and his trusty horse provided a wealth of fertilizer. This turned out to be the best garden I ever had and I could join my fellow Carroll County "farmers" in setting up a table in the driveway so that passers by could help themselves to free tomatoes and cucumbers.
What does all this have to do with "anxiety"? It doesn't.. this was just a segue.
As for anxiety? Well.. look at the newpaper.. listen to the radio.. watch TV. Look at these headlines:
Warnings as Swine Flu Virus Spreads.
Helpful Teacher attacked by vicious Squirrel.
Deputy involved in fatal Shooting.
Suspect arrested in Shooting Spree.
Man shot after Attack on Teen.
3 shot, 1 killed in Pittsburgh.
Man charged in Delaware Fires.
2 arrested in Philly Murders.
Police fire Pellets at Kent State Rioters.
Storms pound Midwest.
Va Men hurt in Shooting.
Bomb kills 2 Guards in Kabul.
Professor still at large after Murder of Wife and Others
Five killed in Jersey Turnpike Crash
..... and worse of all: Swiss Voters ban nude Hiking!
What is this world coming to? Don't headlines like this contribute to our feelings of anxiety?
Some of those headlines were on the Internet, some in today's Carroll County Times. The CC Times is a great local paper.. but, being a newspaper, they also have to report news that isn't local. I understand that and also realize that the nice local news in the paper far outweighs the reports of carnage and idiocy that must be reported on. So, even in bucolic Carroll County, we encounter news that causes anxiety.
On today's second hour of the Diane Rehm show (NPR), an author talked with Diane and her thousands of listeners about the types and causes of anxiety and gave some tips on how to cope with it. She has written a book on the subject. I'm not going to tell you her name or the title of her book, so that you can get the pleasure of downloading the archived show to your IPOD or finding out the information by a plug into TWITTER as a fan of the Diane Rehm Show.
The author did mention that suddenly, in Salzburg, Germany, as she looked out the window of a highly located fancy restaurant, she developed a fear of heights. For many years, she could not take an elevator to the tenth floor of a building or higher. She was able to overcome her anxiety by following some of the tips given in her book.
When I entered my thirties, I thought that I was getting too fat. At the time, there was a Maryland doctor who was supposed to be able to help anyone lose weight. There were lines of patients around the block waiting to get to see him and either get shots or pills. I took my place in line and finally got to see him. (He was kind of chubby.. hmm?) Anyway, he gave me some pills to raise my metabolism.. they stimulated me too much, I became a nervous wreck.
So.. he gave me some pills to "take me down" (do you see the early mention of "uppers" and "downers"?) .. they took me "down" too far, so he gave me more "uppers", then more "downers".. etc etc. After a while, I did not know what way was "up" or "down" and my wife had to take me to the Emergency Room. They were able to "purge" my system and I was told that without pills I would be able to be normal again. (BTW, the doctor eventually was disbarred and disgraced.)
In recouperating from this medication, I had to endure a few weeks of "anxiety". I was not able to drive; when I went into a room, a door or a window had to be open; I was afraid to meet new people; I walked and talked like a zombie. I would never want to go through that again.
After a couple of weeks, to ensure that I had flushed all of the "anxiety" out of my body along with those diet pills, my GP ordered me to talk to a psychiatrist, a nice old man who was very much interested in parts of my life that I did not really want to talk about. I met with him four or five times and gave him lots of money.. I don't think I learned anything about myself that I didn't already know, but I did get one piece of insight from him that has sustained me through the problems and bad situations affecting me and my family over the years.
That insight was (as Saint Theresa is supposed to have said): This too shall pass!
And it does.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Crazy News
There are a number of news stories today that make me think that the world has gone mad. Let me mention just a few of them. (Since I'm not privy to the actual facts and am just reading these stories in magazines or newspapers, I may be reporting on erroneous or misleading items in those media.) But anyway, here goes:
1. The Justice Department has said that they will drop corruption charges against former Alaskan Senator, Ted Stevens, because of prosecutorial misconduct. Huh? Was the whole thing a ploy to get the old-timer out of the Senate?
2.The Principal of Peabody High School in Massachusetts has shut down the students' monthly ice cream socials because everybody knows that ice cream is not good for you.
3. North Korea claims that it launched a satellite that is broadcasting communistic slogans. The world has yet to be able to tune in to this program.
4. A woman in Maryland walked into the propeller of an airplane. I wonder why.
5. In Pittsburgh, three policemen were killed when they responded to a 911 call for help in a fight between a woman and her son over a dog urinating in the house.
6. In Georgia, a jail inmate escaped, stole a lot of cigarettes, and then tried to break back into the jail.
7. A 79 year old Florida woman recieved a "priority" invitation to join the U.S. Marines.
8. A British chicken farmer has urged consumers to buy "medium" eggs, because he says it is painful for chickens to lay larger eggs.
9. A Pennsylvania man tried to do a hold-up at a convention of police officers.
10. Ex-President George W. Bush plans to give 10 speeches this year "to make some money".
11. A study has found that fidgeting kids are not being inattentive, they are just trying to stay focused. Parents are urged not to nag kids to "sit still" anymore.
12. Residents of Broughton in Southern England formed a human chain to turn away a car full of people shooting pictures for Google Street View.
13. A measure sponsored by Senator John Ensign of Nevada would repeal DC's strict gun registration requirements and its restrictions on semi-automatic weapons.
14. The father of a son who beat his mother to death in Maryland said that except for that one act, every man would be glad to have him as a son.
Enough!
1. The Justice Department has said that they will drop corruption charges against former Alaskan Senator, Ted Stevens, because of prosecutorial misconduct. Huh? Was the whole thing a ploy to get the old-timer out of the Senate?
2.The Principal of Peabody High School in Massachusetts has shut down the students' monthly ice cream socials because everybody knows that ice cream is not good for you.
3. North Korea claims that it launched a satellite that is broadcasting communistic slogans. The world has yet to be able to tune in to this program.
4. A woman in Maryland walked into the propeller of an airplane. I wonder why.
5. In Pittsburgh, three policemen were killed when they responded to a 911 call for help in a fight between a woman and her son over a dog urinating in the house.
6. In Georgia, a jail inmate escaped, stole a lot of cigarettes, and then tried to break back into the jail.
7. A 79 year old Florida woman recieved a "priority" invitation to join the U.S. Marines.
8. A British chicken farmer has urged consumers to buy "medium" eggs, because he says it is painful for chickens to lay larger eggs.
9. A Pennsylvania man tried to do a hold-up at a convention of police officers.
10. Ex-President George W. Bush plans to give 10 speeches this year "to make some money".
11. A study has found that fidgeting kids are not being inattentive, they are just trying to stay focused. Parents are urged not to nag kids to "sit still" anymore.
12. Residents of Broughton in Southern England formed a human chain to turn away a car full of people shooting pictures for Google Street View.
13. A measure sponsored by Senator John Ensign of Nevada would repeal DC's strict gun registration requirements and its restrictions on semi-automatic weapons.
14. The father of a son who beat his mother to death in Maryland said that except for that one act, every man would be glad to have him as a son.
Enough!
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