Let this sink in a minute

Via Instapundit at Business Insider a "Beautiful Visualization Of Nobel Prizes By Country Since 1901.

It is beautiful, isn't it?

Suggestions for further reading:

Visual Explanations: Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative. Edward R. Tufte. Graphic Press, Cheshire, Connecticut. 1997.

Sign, Image, Symbol. Gyorgy Kepes, ed. George Braziller, New York. 1966.

The Great Books Foundation Set One Volume Four: Aristotle, The Federalist Papers, Adam Smith. Great a Books Foundation, Chicago. 1966.

Foundations of Liberty: Independent Study Materials. Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University.

Our Wonder World: A Library of Knowledge in Ten Volumes Volume Two Invention and Industry. Howard Benjamin Grose, ed. Geo. L. Shuman & Co., Chicago and Boston. 1914.

Being a Boy. Charles Dudley Warner. Hard Press at Amazon. Offprint originally copyright date 1877.

A Little Refresher

Unbelievable: Common Core Problem Asks Kids to Choose Two Amendments to Remove From Bill of Rights

A mother in Arkansas has expressed concern over her daughter’s recent Common Core school assignment that asked her to remove and replace two of the first ten amendments of the Constitution. The team assignment stated that the Bill of Rights is “outdated and may not remain in its current form any longer.” Here is a copy of the assignment:

[snip]

The mother who spoke up said she was particularly troubled by the fact that her daughter’s Sixth Grade History class had received no prior training in civics or how to amend the Constitution, which may lead those children to incorrectly believe that it can be changed by a “special committee” as suggested by the assignment.

“After she brought it home and explained her assignment to me, it made me question exactly what she was being taught. Where I can see a class using critical thinking skills to modernize the words, as to help them better understand the Amendments, giving an assignment to remove two then add two with little explanation as to why is upsetting,” she said.

Which reminds me, I came in next to last with my b-ball bracket. The way Mr. Big Food scores, it's possible to know who doesn't have a chance of winning by this round. The fact that I was nostalgic for the good crappy old days-- I had UNC vs. Duke-- didn't bode well for me in the current climate. 

"... with shows, games, sports, guns, bells..." What? GUNS??

I'm working on a little project-- yes, I know, I should be ironing-- and I ran across this from John Adams to his wife, Abigail: 

I am apt to believe that this day will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bonfires and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward.

Brings to mind the phrase, "and by right ought to be..." doesn't it?

[from Mary E. Hazeltine. Judith K. Sollenberger, ed. Anniversaries and Holidays: A Calendar of Days and How to Observe Them Second Edition, Completely Revised. American Library Association, Chicago. 1965.]

 

Philosophers & Paywalls

My little weekly county newspaper has gone behind a paywall. This cracks me up. 

$26 per year. SUBSCRIBE NOW! DON'T MISS A THING!

As a subscriber to the print version I have automatic access-- just as soon as Swishu gets my request and emails me a passwords. I'm waiting. 

Now on to the philosophers.

There's a fellow who writes a column in my little weekly newspaper-- or maybe his thoughts are just letters to the editor. I don't know. He writes about freedom and taxes and the civil war and his dislike for Lincoln and Big Government. He almost always references "the great political philosopher, Lysander Spooner." Not being a philosopher, I am not acquainted with Spooner's work-- heck, I didn't even recognize his name the first time I saw it in one of this fellow's column. So I asked a couple of philosophers who Lysander Spooner was. Neither Mr. Big Food nor A. Leland knew. I believe they both responded, "Who?"

Not knowing who Spooner is did not keep me awake at night. But the fellow has a column this week about taxation and slavery in which he cites Spooner at length. Looks like today is the day we are going to get to the bottom of the Spooner issue. So I checked the definitive philosophy resource, The Encyclopedia of Philosophy Volumes 1-8. Nothing. Encyclopedia Americana. World Book Encyclopedia. Webster's Biographies. Still nothing. Two more history of philosophy reference books. Zip. So that infallible source, Wikipedia:

Lysander Spooner (January 19, 1808 – May 14, 1887) was an American individualist anarchist, political philosopher, Deist, Unitarian abolitionist, supporter of the labor movement, legal theorist, and entrepreneur of the nineteenth century. He is also known for competing with the U.S. Post Office with his American Letter Mail Company, which was forced out of business by the United States government.

Isn't that interesting? 

I skimmed the whole thing and went looking again (because you should always always check more than one source on matters relating to individualism, anarchy, philosophy, Deists, etc.). 

I searched for Spooner and for American Letter Company in Encyclopedia of American History, The Oxford History of The American People, The Great Republic: A History of the American People, The Growth of the American Republic, Bennett's The American Patriot's Almanac, AND six other history books, AND both Anniversaries and Holidays: A Calendar of Days and How to Observe Them. Nothing.

And yet, there's this at the Wikipedia entry:

Spooner's influence extends to the wide range of topics he addressed during his lifetime. He is remembered today primarily for his abolitionist activities and for his challenge to the Post Office monopoly, which had a lasting influence of significantly reducing postal rates.[34] Spooner's writings contributed to the development of both left-libertarian and right-libertarian political theory in the United States, and were often reprinted in early libertarian journals such as the Rampart Journal[35] and Left and Right: A Journal of Libertarian Thought.[36] His writings were also a major influence on Austrian School economist Murray Rothbard and libertarian law professor and legal theorist Randy Barnett.

In January 2004, Laissez Faire Books established the Lysander Spooner Award for advancing the literature of liberty. ...

In 2010, LAVA created the Lysander Spooner (Book of the Year) Award, which has been awarded annually since 2011.[38] The LAVA Awards are held annually to honor excellence in books relating to the principles of liberty, with the Lysander Spooner Award being the grand prize award.

Spooner's The Unconstitutionality of Slavery was cited in the 2008 Supreme Court case District of Columbia v. Heller, which struck down the federal district's ban on handguns. Justice Antonin Scalia, writing for the court, quotes Spooner as saying the right to bear arms was necessary for those who wanted to take a stand against slavery.[39] It was also cited by Justice Clarence Thomas in his concurring opinion in McDonald v. Chicago the following year.[40]

[my emphases]

You would think I could find something about him in my Library. But I cannot.

"One of our nations three most cherished historical treasures." Pictured in The Oxford History of The American People (Samuel Eliot Morison. Oxford University Press, New York. 1965).

Hahahahahahahaha. You thought I was going to talk about college football, didn't you? And I thought I'd just have some fun learning about something I must have forgotten. But as it turns out, we were both wrong. It's not in the least bit funny.

In fact, it's enough to make you cry.

For some reason, I've been thinking about the presidency this morning-- no particular presidency, just the presidency. I picked up a crappy old book about the presidency. Not really what I was looking for, though I wasn't really looking for anything in particular. I picked up another and was leafing through the glossy pictures and came across the Liberty Bowl. 

I confess. I know nothing of the Liberty Bowl. Other than the link above, a search for 'revere liberty bowl' generated a lot of hits for folks selling cheap reproductions on eBay. So I began to read about the Townsend Act and The Sons of Liberty in that crappy old book but as it's Monday and I do have chores to do, I thought I might take a shortcut and skim the Wikipedia article first. What I was really looking for was the full inscription. Wikipedia, right?

Wrong. When you search "liberty bowl" on Wikipedia, you are not take to a disambiguation page. you are taken to this:

Liberty Bowl

For the stadium, see Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium

The AutoZone Liberty Bowl is an annual U.S. American college football bowl game played in late December or early January since 1959. Since 2004, the game has been sponsored by Memphis-based auto parts retailer AutoZone.
Since 1965, the game has been held at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. For its first five years, it was played in Philadelphia.

And this, my friends, is why we have crappy old books. Because if we didn't, we'd think the Liberty Bowl was just another commercial racket designed to make ESPN money. But because we do have crappy old books, we can bring up the Liberty Bowl as we watch Mississippi State play in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis. And we can chat about those 

ninety-two members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives who refused to rescind a letter sent throughout the colonies protesting the Townshend Acts (1767), which taxed tea, paper, glass, and other commodities imported from England. This act of civil disobedience by the "Glorious Ninety-Two" was a major step leading to the American Revolution. The bowl was commissioned by fifteen members of the Sons of Liberty, a secret, revolutionary organization to which Revere belonged; their names are engraved on the bowl as are references to Englishman John Wilkes, whose writing in defense of liberty inspired American patriots. The Liberty Bowl, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution have been called the nation's three most cherished historical treasures.

 ~~
FYI: 

The page "Sons of liberty bowl" does not exist

either. It's enough to make you cry, isn't it?

It's Plain & Obvious. Duh.

The plain and obvious Meaning of the Words Freedom and Liberty, in common Speech, is Power, Opportunity, or Advantage, that any one has, to do as he pleases. Or in other Words, his being free from Hindrance or Impediment to the Way of doing, or conducting in any Respect, as he wills. And the contrary to Liberty, whatever Name we call that by, is a Person's being hinder'd or unable to conduct as he will, or being necessitated to do otherwise.

(Emphases in original; From "Concerning the Notion of Liberty, and of Moral Agency" by Jonathan Edwards [from the "Treatise on the Freedom of the Will," 1754] in Selections from Early American Writers 1607-1800, William B. Cairns, ed., The Macmillan Company, New York, 1912.)

Freedom and Liberty. 

My Opinion of You, Sir, Has Changed

Last January a fellow named Jonathan Jarvis gave a public address at State. We went. Here's what I had to say about the talk and Jarvis.

"National Parks and American Values: A Field Guide"

The National Park Service is nearing its centennial! Look forward between now and 2016 to a massive advertising campaign targeting young Americans-- seems the kids from the cities just aren't going to our National Parks in droves as they once did. If that trend continues, it would spell disaster for Retailers of Gear. Remember the ads with the talking baby giving investment advise? That's from the same Madison Avenue Advertising Firm that the National Parks Service contracted to get those kids to our parks and learn a little American History and perk up sales at R.E.I.* 

~~

I don't think that was supposed to be the take-away message from Director Jonathan Jarvis' public talk at State this evening, but that's some of what I heard.  

It was a well-attended presentation. And in all seriousness, it did focus on American Values. One small quibble-- I don't think the sense of "happiness" in the good Ol' Declaration had as much to do with "fun" as Jarvis does. But he got Freedom & Liberty right! And he loves him some history! 

The discussion was good. He struck me as extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of his agency, which is, you know, something a good executive officer should be. I suspect he comes by it naturally, having climbed the Ranger ladder.  And he with only a lowly Bachelors Degree. (To be fair, he has an "honorary" Ph.D. from his alma mater.) 

My Libertarian Brain is still thinking about what I think about a National Parks Service.

More here.

How could I have been so gullible as to have assumed the Director of the National Parks Service was a director rather than just another political hack sheeple doing as he's commanded? Shame on me.

This spectacle has turned from disgraceful to frightening.  

And now... off to the book sale!

Re-writing History.

This, Dear Friends, is why one does not rely solely on the World Wide Web for factual information. This is why one has books. 

I thought today would be a fine day to do a little reading at lunchtime and as I take some breaks from the ever-so-satisfying task of cleaning the workshop. And so I searched for "MLK I have a Dream." One of the top hits was from historywired.si.edu. I didn't stop to ask what university "SI" is, but I did give some credence to the .edu extension. Here's the content of King's speech at SI.

I had seen reference to and read portions of King's speech earlier this week. I did not read those portions at si.edu. I checked another site-- archieves.gov-- and downloaded the pdf. Sure enough, those missing portions were there. But just to be on the safe side, I checked a crappy old book, too. (A Documentary History of the United States, Seventh Edition. Richard D. Herrner. 2002.) And what do you know? Those portions were there, too.

SI has done some re-writing.

"It would be fatal for the nation ... ."

 The version on the right is the typewritten version held by the US Archieves which is word-for-word the text of the speech in the book. Comparing the two versions side by side we do not see word-for-word agreement. First, the word "Negro" appears nowhere in the SI version. Next, read the sentences beginning, "It wold be fatal" (the two are approximately across from one another). There are words added in the SI transcript. 

 

"... bright days of Justice emerge."

It's bright days-- plural on the right, and singluar on the left.

But that's not the worst of it. 

Re-writing history, three paragraphs at a time.

This isn't tinkering with style-- singular for plural. This isn't color-washed editing-- omitting "Negro." This is re-writing history.

And there's more!

"... unearned suffering is redemptive."

That sentence has been edited out in the SI version. 

Look also at the editing and re-phrasing leading up to "... I still have a dream."

Most interestingly, though, is the substitution of modern for Northern. 

Go back to the slums and ghettos of our Northern modern cities,

I must say, all of this really bothered me. Read the whole, real, speech. It's good. Who the hell at what .edu university thinks he/she can take the liberty to re-write King's speech? 

Historywired.si.edu is the Smithonian Institute:

Welcome to the Smithsonian Institution's HistoryWired: A few of our favorite things. This experimental site introduces visitors to some of the three million objects held by the National Museum of American History, Behring Center. 

With less than five percent of our vast and diverse collection on public display in our exhibit halls, we hope that Web sites like this will bring many more of our treasures into public view. The initial 450 objects, selected by curators from across the Museum, include famous, unusual, and everyday items with interesting stories to tell. They are not intended to be representative of the Museum's entire collection.

Design and navigation for HistoryWired were generously provided by SmartMoney.com using its Map of the Market technology.

Background

HistoryWired can be likened to a private tour through the Museum storage areas. Visitors select the objects that interest them; curators explain the items' significance. Like an actual tour at the Museum, information is presented conversationally and is backed by the impeccable scholarship of Smithsonian curators. And, like a real museum experience, visitors can share with others their enthusiasm (or lack thereof) about what they see and learn.

And there you have it. The impeccable scholars work hard to re-write history so you don't have to.

Just so You Know

Via Instapundit.com linking to Patterico's Pontifications: 

Senators are questioning whether the National Security Agency collected bulk data on more than just Americans’ phone records, such as firearm and book purchases.

I'd seen the bit about the gun registry the other day and thought, "But of course." But this was the first mention of BOOKS I'd seen.

Patterico links to The Washington Free Beacon: 

The senators noted that the federal government’s authority under Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act is broad and rife with potential for abuse. Among the senators’ concerns was whether the NSA’s bulk data harvesting program could be used to construct a gun registry or violate other privacy laws.

“It can be used to collect information on credit card purchases, pharmacy records, library records, firearm sales records, financial information, and a range of other sensitive subjects,” the senators wrote. “And the bulk collection authority could potentially be used to supersede bans on maintaining gun owner databases, or laws protecting the privacy of medical records, financial records, and records of book and movie purchases.”

[my emphasis]

Just so you know, Mr./Ms-Low-Man-On-The-Totem-Pole-Who's-Tasked-With-Following-My-Little-Blog, this coming Monday is the first Monday of the month. That's the once-a-month day the Public Library in Starkvegas has its book sale. I'll be there. I'll be especially interested purchasing crappy old books pertaining to American and English history, as well as those containing practical information such as how to properly tar and feather folks.

Since I'll be paying cash for my crappy old book purchases, it will be somewhat difficult for you to know just what books I'll add to by crappy old library. So, just so you know, I'll file a post with details. I appreciate that you must have a lot of little blogs to follow so just check back at your convenience. 
~~

The more I read about the Grievances, the more I appreciate how pissed off the Colonists must have been.

Farm Hand?

Via Instapundit.com:

As the first anniversary of her graduation in eco-tourism and cultural history approaches, Linnea Borjars remains jobless and frustrated.

Well, I am designing a food plot which I hope will attract not only turkey, deer, and quail but also artists, photographers and nature lovers. And we do have a lot of crappy old books in my library that I've tagged with both "cultural" and "history." And I could use a farm hand. 

Room, board & a chance to hang out with famous people included. 

A "famous" libertarian

300: Is That All?

If you've been following along, you may have noticed that I've been thinking a bit about those guys who, "with a firm reliance on divine Providence" mutually pledged to each other their Lives, their Fortunes, and their sacred Honor. I even asked, "Who were these guys?"  And so, you can imagine my delight when I learned that today in 1776 John Witherspoon was elected to represent New Jersey in the Continental Congress. (1)

And you can imagine my further delight to learn that Witherspoon, a Scotsman, arrived in the Colonies in August 1768 with his family and 300 crappy old books for the New Jersey College Library! (2) 

Witherspoon was a Presbyterian clergyman and President of New Jersey College-- later to be called Princeton. He had ten children, five of whom died in early childhood. (2) His three sons all fought in the Revolution. One was killed at the battle of Germantown. (1, 3)

Witherspoon was the only active clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence. (3, 4)

From Bennett, I learn that Witherspoon said

There is not a single instance in history in which civil liberty was lost, and religious liberty preserved entire.

It's taken from the final paragraph of a sermon Witherspoon preached in May, 1776. (5)

If your cause is just, you may look with confidence to the Lord, and intreat him to plead it as his own. You are all my witnesses, that this is the first time of my introducing any political subject into the pulpit. At this season, however, it is not only lawful but necessary, and I willingly embrace the opportunity of declaring my opinion without any hesitation, that the cause in which America is now in arms, is the cause of justice, of liberty, and of human nature. So far as we have hitherto proceeded, I am satisfied that the confederacy of the colonies has not been the effect of pride, resentment, or sedition, but of a deep and general conviction that our civil and religious liberties, and consequently in a great measure the temporal and eternal happiness of us and our posterity, depended on the issue. The knowledge of God and his truths have from the beginning of the world been chiefly, if not entirely confined to those parts of the earth where some degree of liberty and political justice were to be seen, and great were the difficulties with which they had to struggle, from the imperfection of human society, and the unjust decisions of unsurped authority. There is not a single instance in history, in which civil liberty was lost, and religious liberty preserved entire. If therefore we yield up our temporal property, we at the same time deliver the conscience into bondage.

[my emphases]

More on "minutemen and ministers" here.

References below the fold

Pass It On

That's what you thought you thought, George. We knew better.

Tip of the ballcap to Mr. Big Food's Dad!

And Speaking of Benjamin Franklin

oldest signer of The Declaration of Independence, who said,

Those who would give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety

it was in June of 1752 that Franklin flew a kite (1). 

In other history of June 11 (2):

1741-1775. Joseph Warren, physician and Patriot born. Warren gave up his medical practice after the Stamp Act was passed in order to become more politically active. In 1774 he helped write the Suffolk Resolves  denounced Parliament's "coercive measures" after the Boston Tea Party and called Massachusetts to arms. Paul Revere carried the Suffolk Resolves to the Continental Congress. Warren was killed on June 17, 1775 at the Battle of Bunker Hill (3).  

1776. Continental Congress appointed a committee to draft The Declaration of Independence (1)

References:

(1) William J. Bennett and John T.E.. Cribb. The American Patriot's Almanac. Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Dallas, etc. 2008.

(2) Mary Emogene Hazeltine. Anniversaries and Holidays: A Calendar of Days and How to Observe Them. American Library Association, Chicago. 1928.

(3) Charles Van Doren. Webster's American Biographies. G. & C. Merriam Company, Springfield, Mass.  1979.

I'm Naming Names: 56 of Them to Be Exact

56 Traitors

From Independence Day, 2012:

At The Volokh Conspiracy, Randy Barnett annotates the Declaration of Independence. His concise (e.g. doesn't take much time to at least skim through and come back to tomorrow when you have more time) article begins:

When reading the Declaration, it is worth keeping in mind two very important facts. The Declaration constituted high treason against the Crown and every person who signed it would be executed as traitors should they be caught by the British. Second, the Declaration was considered to be a legal document by which the revolutionaries justified their actions, and explained why they were not truly traitors. It represented, as it were, a literal indictment of the Crown and Parliament, in the very same way that criminals are now publicly indicted for their alleged crimes by grand juries representing “the People.”

But to justify a revolution, it was not thought to be enough that officials of the government of England, the Parliament, or even the sovereign himself had violated the rights of the people. No government is perfect; all governments violate rights. This was well known. So the Americans had to allege more than mere violations of rights. They had to allege nothing short of a criminal conspiracy to violate their rights systematically. Hence, the famous reference to “a long train of abuses and usurpations” and the list that follows. In some cases, these specific complaints account for provisions eventually included in the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

It ends: 

The assumption of natural rights expressed in the Declaration of Independence can be summed up by the following proposition:  “first comes rights, then comes government.”  According to this view: (1) the rights of individuals do not originate with any government, but preexist its formation;  (2) The protection of these rights is the first duty of government; and (3) Even after government is formed, these rights provide a standard by which its performance is measured and, in extreme cases, its systemic failure to protect rights — or its systematice violation of rights — can justify its alteration or abolition; (4) At least some of these rights are so fundamental that they are “inalienable,” meaning they are so intimately connected to one’s nature as a human being that they cannot be transferred to another even if one consents to do so.  This is powerful stuff.

[my emphases]

 I would emphasize different words today.

Who were these guys-- these 56 delegates to the Second Continental Congress? And how were their lives changed by becoming Traitors? Here are a few tidbits from The Founders' Almanac: A Practical Guide to the Notable Events, Greatest Leaders & Most Eloquent Words of the American Founders, Matthew Spalding, ed., The Heritage Foundation, Washington, D.C., 2002.

• Franklin, at 70, was the oldest; Thomas Lynch Jr. from South Carolina, 27, the youngest
• Eighteen were merchants, 14 farmers, four doctors, 22 lawyers, nine judges, one active clergyman
• Seventeen served in the military during the Revolution
• Five were captured by the British
• One, Thomas McKean of Delaware, wrote that he was "hunted like a fox by the enemy-- compelled to remove my family five times in a few months... "
• Two of Abraham Clark's sons were captured. John Witherspoon's son was killed at the Battle of Germantown
• Eleven had their homes and properties destroyed
• Francis Lewis' wife was taken prisoner
• John Hart died while fleeing capture

Here are the 56 Traitors, by name (links all go to Wikipedia):

• New Hampshire: Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton
• Massachusetts: Samuel Adams, John Adams, John Hancock, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry
• Rhode Island: Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery
• Connecticut: Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott
• New York: William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris
• New Jersey: Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark
• Pennsylvania: Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross
• Delaware: George Read, Caesar Rodney, Thomas McKean
• Maryland: Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton
• Virginia: George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton
• North Carolina: William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn
• South Carolina: Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton
• Georgia: Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

I Was Just Saying "Good night" to Rocky,

when Daughter C walked in and caught me saying, "Good night" to Rocky.

Rocky's spending the night in the Front Room. Mr. Big Food, Missy & I will be back here in the back.

We started the day with waffles.

Some people were eating breakfast at about the same time of days others were eating lunch, but it worked out.

And after we ate,

we did some things

that make us happy.

I liked this exchange.

I made note of it.

Here's what was going on before:

Mr. Bow Tie was wantin' to shoot Max's gun.

Oh. There's a trick.

That's why when you zoom in on the first photo, it's so cool.

Look at the way they hand off that loaded sidearm.

And then they tie dyed and Kyle did his chore and tie dyed and then we ate.

Burgers either provolone or.... pepper jack cheese, hot dogs, two different kinds and I can't remember the distinction. Potato Salad (vegan). Leftover Slaw. And a whole lot of condiments. I'd forgotten about the radish relish from last year. It's good on a dog. Hot dog.

The last couple of weeks have been good for the dogs. Thank you for your patience and indulgences.

Good night, Rocky!

Reading List (Updated)

You may have heard that some federal government agents of our employees have taken an interest in what United States citizens we-- their employers-- are reading. Here's my partial list, in case anyone's interested.

Good Lord! I missed one!

The Founders' Almanac: A Practical Guide to the Notable Events, Greatest Leaders & Most Eloquent Words of the American Founders, Matthew Spalding, ed., The Heritage Foundation, Washington, D.C., 2002.

Added: It's worse than I'd feared. It appears I've missed cataloging an entire shelf-- a shelf that contains nothing but crappy old books about US history. 

Hummm. I wonder how I might implement a system of checks and balances into my book cataloging system?

UPDATE: Problem fixed. I wonder how many other crappy old books will speak up an let me know I missed them?

 

Listen My Children...

and you shall hear

Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,

On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;

Hardly a man is now alive

who remembers that famous day and year

-- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1860) 

“Painting depicting the midnight ride of Paul Revere” -1937.
Artist A.L. Ripley.
Courtesy of the National Archives & Records Administration

[Full text of the poem as well as fascinating information on both Longfellow and Revere, below the fold.]

Two hundred and thirty-eight years ago Paul Revere made his famous ride to "warn Samuel Adams, John Hancock (who were also members of the Sons of Liberty) and the other colonists that the British were preparing to march on Lexington."

From the link:

On his way to Lexington, Revere stopped at each house to spread the word that the British troops would soon be arriving. Sometime around midnight, Revere arrived at the house of Reverend Jonas Clark, where Hancock and Adams were staying, and gave them his message. Soon after Revere’s message was delivered, another horseman sent on a different route by Dr. Warren, William Dawes, arrived. Revere and Dawes decided that they would continue on to Concord, Massachusetts, where the local militia had stockpiled weapons and other supplies for battle. Dr. Samuel Prescott, a third rider, joined Revere and Dawes.

[my emphasis]

Reflecting on yesterday's news and commentary regarding same-- for those who have lives, I'm talking about the crushing defeat of gun control in the US Senate-- I think there is, and always has been, in this country a fair number of Folk who are still ticked off that they are not subjects of the Crown. They are ticked off because they think they'd rather be in the House of Lords than in the United States Senate. And then there are their underlings who'd rather be in the House of Commons than the House of Representatives, where, you know, they're just representing.

Note that I call them "folk." That ticks them off, too.

Good Lord! I've Made a Mistake!

(No. That's not a cheesy way to invite comments from those who know me well.)

Dear Readers, 

Please accept my heartfelt apology.

Yesterday, I commented that some years ago on March 22nd Patrick Henry proclaimed, "Give me liberty or give me death." I was wrong. He asserted that on March 23, 1775.

Wonder what Patrick would have to say about this?

Starting in 2014, per the dictates of the federal government, your doctor must record your body mass index (BMI), which measures whether you are overweight, each time he or she treats you and turn it over to the government via your electronic health record, which every patient is required to have. Your BMI will then be tracked by the Health and Human Services Department, the agency rolling out ObamaCare, and a bevy of other state and federal agencies. Shock and anger ensued this week as CVS employees learned that if they didn't turn over that information to their insurers, they'd be fined. But CVS is merely rolling out what may become one of the most controversial aspects of ObamaCare a little ahead of schedule.

via Newsalert.

Anyway-- sorry about the mistake. Have a nice day,

Marica

Drink up!

It's World Water Day!!

Funny. My Calendar of Days and How to Observe Them makes no mention of World Water day. Hum. 

I do see that the British Stamp Act became law today in 1765. That's worth noting. 

Also, ten years later some dude with two first names for a name said, "Give me liberty or give me death." That's pretty strong language.

But no mention of Water Day.

Wonder whatt's up with that?

fb | BIG Data

via Instapundit.com:

BIG DATA: Study: Facebook Likes Can Be Used to Determine Intelligence, Sexuality.

Simply by delving into volunteers’ Likes, the researchers could determine in 95 percent of cases whether a person was Caucasian or African American and in 88 percent of cases whether the person was heterosexual or homosexual. They could determine whether the person is Christian or Islamic 82 percent of the time.

The researchers described Facebook Likes as “a generic class of digital record that could be used to extract sensitive information.” Volunteers used the myPersonality Facebook app to track their Likes, which were fed into algorithms to arrive at the results. The data were supported by information from volunteer profiles and personality tests.

Of course some of these Likes are a no-brainer. Liking “Being Gay” is at least a decent indicator of one’s sexuality. Liking Barack Obama means there’s a good chance you’re voting Democratic next time around. This is not exactly rocket science. But some Likes appeared to have zero connection to personal attributes. Sure, curly fries are delicious, but is Liking them the best indicator that you have a high IQ? Also, one of the Likes that helped identify heterosexual men was “Being Confused After Waking Up from Naps.” Is that really a trait only straight men are afflicted with?

While the results can be seen as hilarious for anyone that’s not a Harley-Davidson rider (I kid), the privacy implications are alarming. Facebook Likes are public by default.

Facebook isn’t about privacy.

The Farm doesn't have a Facebook page.