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Saturday, September 30, 2017

The 2017 Fog Fest Parade

Fog Fest 2017 The Preliminaries

Some Stunning Photos From The Civil War And The American West

Ron Clatworthy

12:51 PM (17 hours ago)
to
Rare, great historical photos!


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Cowboys around the hoodlum wagon, Spur Ranch, Texas, 1910

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Judging by the saddle style, this unidentified cowboy was working in the
late 1870s or 1880s. In his holster, he carries a Colt model 1873 single
action revolver with hard rubber grips, and he has looped his left arm
around a Winchester Model 1873 carbine in a saddle scabbard.
On the back of the photo is the light pencil inscription "Indian fighter".

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Snow Tunnel ~ On the Ouray and Silverton Toll Rd ~ Colorado ~ 1888

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1899 Concord, Michigan ~ Buggy & Wagon Shop

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April 1937 ~ Buttermilk Junction, Martin County, Indiana
Thankful someone took the time to photograph this type of beauty.

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1887 -- West Center Street, Anaheim, California
Now it is Disneyland!

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Moser's, Guns, Banjo's, and Mules at the livery stable
in East Tennessee around 1890

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In 1906, a massive magnitude 7.9 earthquake ruptured the entire San Andreas
Fault in Northern California. That is a huge running crack in the ground.
Now they are building houses right on the line as fast as the boards can be delivered.
Hmmmm...

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This is what real cowboys looked like in 1887.
Not as fancy as on TV, huh!

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Some of the toughest, bravest people we know of. They gave it their all to go
west and start a new life. This wagon train is in eastern Colorado in 1880.

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This moose team belonged to W.R. (Billy/Buffalo Bill) Day.
They were found by A Métis near Baptiste Lake, Alberta, in 1910 and
were reared by bottle and broken to drive by Mr Day at Athabasca Landing
during the winter of 1910. Mr Day and the moose team hauled mail and supplies.

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In the American Civil War, soldiers were required to have at least four
opposing front teeth, so that they could open a gunpowder pouch.
Some draftees had their front teeth removed to avoid service.
In our day they just jumped the border into Canada.

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Here we have a tired old prospector during the Klondike Gold Rush.

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Lulu Parr - Her skill with the gun caught the attention of Pawnee Bill,
who signed her to his show in 1903. She left that show but came back
in 1911. By that time, Pawnee Bill had joined Buffalo Bill's show.
Buffalo Bill was so in awe of Lulu's willingness to ride unbroken ponies
that he presented her with an ivory-handled Colt single-action revolver,
engraved with "Buffalo Bill Cody to Lulu Parr - 1911."

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From the driver's seat of a 40-horse team. These rigs were used to haul Borax
out of Boron, California, & then loaded onto railroads for manufacturing.
All this so you could do the laundry! Man, that's a lot of horses.

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Hoops had to be removed before taking your seat in a carriage and
then they were hooked onto the back of the carriage.

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A deer hunter living in a log, 1893. Tough guys live in tough places, I guess.
Home is where you make it!

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Omaha Board of Trade in mountains near Deadwood, April 26, 1889.
It was created in 1889 by John C. H. Grabill, photographer. The picture
presents a procession of stagecoaches loaded with passengers
coming down a mountain road.

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This is a stunning photograph from 1862. The image shows a Civil War
ambulance crew removing the wounded from a battlefield.
It shows a horse-drawn ambulance, and the Zouave uniforms of this unit.

The End

Friday, September 29, 2017

Muslim Iran Has A Big Problem With High Levels Of Alcohol Consumption

The World Affairs Councils of America
Your complimentary one-year subscription to DailyChatter is provided by the World Affairs Council of Northern California with the mission of educating and engaging Americans on global issues.

Good Morning, today is September 29, 2017.

NEED TO KNOW


DISCOVERIES

One Too Many

Despite draconian laws regulating the consumption and production of alcohol in Iran, citizens of this pious nation have easy access to networks that can get them a drink of the hard stuff whenever they like.
After decades of ignoring the rise of Iranians imbibing, the nation is finally admitting it has a drinking problem, the New York Times reports.
Alcohol has been banned since 1979 in Iran, but that hasn’t stopped Iranians from using the social lubricant. While official statistics show that at least 10 percent of the population drinks alcohol, domestic news reports claim that those in Iran who do drink indulge even more so than vodka and beer lovers in Russia and Germany.
Now, with the government’s consent, Alcoholics Anonymous groups, modeled after those in the US, have been established to help addicts. Drinkers used to be lashed and punished almost as severely as bootleggers, but the government has slowly softened its stance on a problem long hidden from the public eye.
“These days there is so much alcohol available, simply punishing everybody and using force is no longer working,” said Reza Konjedi, 36, a former alcoholic who runs several new Alcoholics Anonymous support groups in Tehran. “Now, security officials, the municipality, they all view alcoholics not as criminals, but as patients who need treatment.”

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Jack's Pearl Of Wisdom For Thursday 28 September, 2017

Crying is how your body speaks when your mouth can't explain the pain you feel.

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Jack's Warning About War With North Korea

Stratfor is the finest private intelligence agency on earth. They posted an article warning that the risk of war between the US and North Korea grows. They see a high probability of an incident leading to war. That article in on my timeline, by the way.
North Korea is hinting at firing an ICBM with a hydrogen bomb on it over Japan. It would then detonate in the air or on the surface of the Pacific Ocean. I can't remember any other country firing a warhead like this for a nuclear test.
The North Korean missile could go off course and hit Japan. Please let your own imagination look at possibilities here. The US very well could attempt to shoot it down with an anti-missile. This would be considered an act of war by the North Koreans. If the shoot down doesn't go right, the missile and a "hot nuclear war head" could land anywhere.
We could see US or North Korean aircraft shoot down escalating the tensions rapidly. There are many permutations and combinations.
Everyone assumes a degree of rationality and restraint. The conventional wisdom is that North Korea will not fire nukes unless they see a decapitation strike to affect a regime change. Once actual hostilities commence, no one can predict what will happen. The late Robert McNamara always warned about "the fog of war" and unpredictability.
I just have an awful feeling that something awful is going to happen.

The Risk Of War With North Korea Becomes Real

https://www.stratfor.com/article/word-war-north-korea-escalates-so-does-risk-real-war#/entry/jsconnect?client_id=644347316&target=%2Fdiscussion%2Fembed%3Fp%3D%252Fdiscussion%252Fembed%252F%26vanilla_identifier%3D283823%26vanilla_url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.stratfor.com%252Farticle%252Fword-war-north-korea-escalates-so-does-risk-real-war%26vanilla_category_id%3D1%26title%3DAs%2Bthe%2BWord%2BWar%2BWith%2BNorth%2BKorea%2BEscalates%252C%2BSo%2BDoes%2Bthe%2BRisk%2Bof%2BReal%2BWar

Sunday, September 24, 2017

The Greatest Women That I've Known In Almost 69 Years Of Life

Sarah Elizabeth Walters: She was my grandmother and lived to be somewhere between 101 and 103 years of age. She raised ten children, often as a single mother. When the Great Depression hit, she held the family together during the worst possible time. She was strong, resolute and loyal. She could also be charming and caring. She was so wonderful to me as a grandmother.

Ovita Culp Hobby: She was my father’s employer at the Houston Post Company. When my father was putting in overtime on a Saturday morning with me nearby, she would come down and talk to him and me. She was there at my dad’s funeral in January of 1976. Mrs. Hobby was a pioneer in bringing women to equality in society. She graduated from law school. She went on to be the first head of The Women’s Army Corps. She was the first secretary of The US Department of Health Education and Welfare.

U.S. District Judge Vanessa D. Gilmore: I appeared in her court long ago. She impressed me as a woman of incredible intellect, competence, and compassion. She rose to a high position in a profession dominated by males and with little African-American representation. Here is Judge Gilmore’s biography:

Rebecca Snyders-Darr: When I found myself in a homeless shelter in 1996, Rebecca was my case manager. I was always amazed at her competence and compassion for people. I often thought that she was wasting her time helping the poor when she could have had a great career in business, government, etc. When Rebecca left Northern California, she moved to the Chicago area. She became the leader of the Wings non-profit that helps battered and disadvantaged women. She has done an incredible job. Her non-profit gets the absolute best ratings from Charity Watch for transparency, use of funds, good management, etc.

Elena E. Torello: She’s my wife and has earned my profound respect and admiration in our 17 years together. Elena began life in a very lower-middle class neighborhood in Buenos Aires. In 1976 the military took power in Argentina. What happened next was “The Dirty War” where over 30,000 people vanished. In those dark days, your worst nightmare was the appearance of a green Ford Falcon in front of your house late at night. Elena’s family got such a visit. The family was in stark terror. When her father answered the door, some secret policeman asked for a woman who lived next door to them. They ran through her house and grabbed a pregnant woman. They hauled her away. She was never seen or heard from again. Elena went on to finish high school one year early. She was accepted to the University of Buenos Aires Medical School. She graduated with an Honors Diploma. She became a cancer specialist. She gave papers at international cancer meetings. She moved from Argentina to San Jose, California. She had to start her professional career over again. English was her second language. She found herself having to take very difficult tests in English that all medical school graduates must take. I was so proud when Elena scored in the top 5% of medical school graduates. At age 42 she started a medical residency. The normal student was around 27 years of age. Elena survived this ordeal. She was hired as a doctor by The Permanente Medical Group. She went on to be board-certified in internal medicine. Sometimes when Elena and I are out shopping or walking around, her patients will come up to her. They are all glad to see her. She often gets a hug.

Barbara Arietta: Adjectives like “political genius” or “female Lyndon Johnson” apply to Barbara. I have been politically active since 1966. Barbara has the most phenomenal knowledge of politics, politicians, and the political process that I have seen in my life. I worked with Barbara in a political club for many years. She earned my profound respect and admiration.

Artemis Westenberg: The aerospace industry still is “a mostly male club.” Artemis decided to be the exception. She went into the non-profit part of the industry. She was associated with the Mars Society for many years. She went on to co-found Explore Mars, Inc. I have been honored to work closely with Artemis over the years. She’s tough. She’s brilliant. You always know exactly where you stand with her. She’s an original thinker. She’s brilliant at selling. She has warmth and compassion.

Kalimah Salahuddin: This lady has earned my profound respect and admiration. She is African-American. She is a single mother who has raised some great children. Like me, Kalimah had to suffer the indignity of homelessness. Like me, she never gave up. She got a decent job and started to devote her life to political activism. She is a member of the Pacifica School District Board. She is active in groups like Saving Pacifica. I have been honored to have worked with her over the years. Despite the hard life that she suffered, she has never shown bitterness or felt sorry for herself. She has incredible energy and integrity.




The Greatest Men I Have Known In Almost 69 Years Of Life

    Soon I will be 69 years of age. Yesterday afternoon I was reflecting on the truly great men that I have known in my life. The final list is as follows:

Hubert Noel Ballew: He was my uncle who sadly died in 1968 at age 46.. He was a war hero in World War II both with the Royal Air Force and the US Army Air Corps. He was shot down and became a prisoner of war of the Germans and then the Russians. He went on to have an incredible career at Bristol Meyers as a marketing executive.

William "Bill" Alexander: My first job was in the construction business. Mr. Alexander hired me. He was a great teacher and a very inspirational man. He was a great leader. He fought with the British Army in Burma in World War II.

John H. Glenn: He was the first American to orbit the earth in February of 1962. In February of 1966, I went to his home and interviewed him for my high school newspaper. John was warm, friendly down to earth and incredible. I made a prediction that one day he would be a great political leader. I was right!

Michael O'Reilly Tackney: He graduated from the US Navy Academy in 1964. His father was an admiral in the US Navy. He was my commanding officer in Vietnam. We later served together at Bureau of Naval Personnel in Arlington Virginia. Lt. Tackney was a great leader in combat and a wonderful friend. He took a lot of personal interest in me. He gave me a lot of good advice and guidance in life.

James C. Lewis:  Jim was an Afro-Cuban man whose family moved to New York City from Cuba. He graduated from Columbia University. He became a pilot of transport planes for the US Air Force and CIA. I first met him in 1971 when we were serving in Danang, South Vietnam. He later became my employer in the 1980's. He was the most honest human that I have met in my entire life.

James Baker: In the summer of 1972, I "won the lottery" and got a 90-day internship with this man. At that time, he was a very wealthy and successful attorney in Houston. He was the manager of Richard M. Nixon's reelection campaign for Houston. Later he would serve as Secretary of the Treasury and Secretary of State. He was a modest, kind, and down to earth man. He had great empathy for people.

The Late President Ronald R. Reagan: Thanks to Mr. Baker's influence, I got to sit in a two-hour meeting with this incredible man. Ronald Reagan was the most charming human being that I met in my entire life. He was energetic and highly-intelligent.

H. Ross Perot: In 1972, he interviewed me for a job and made me a job offer. I was stupid not to take it. Mr. Perot came from a humble family in North Texas. He graduated from the US Navy Academy. He served five years in the US Navy. He went to work for IBM in sales afterwards. He would meet his yearly sales quota in the first two months of the year. He had a vision to build a software company. He borrowed $1,000 from his wife and started Electronic Data Systems. He became a billionaire and ran for president as an independent candidate in 1992. He had a mind that operated at twice the speed of a normal person's mind. He was warm and very friendly.


Joao B. Santos:  Joao began life in a Brasilian slum near Goiania, Brasil. He made his way to Sao Paulo. He learned English and caught the eye of some influential Americans living there. They sent him to San Jose, California. He got a BA degree. In September of 1998 he was working for Morgan Stanley. I got arrested for contempt of court. I was facing a trip back to Houston and an 18-month jail sentence. Joao barely knew me then. He led a courageous and determined fight to keep me in California. He showed courage and initiative that I have rarely seen in life. He literally saved my life. Whatever success that I now have in life never would have happened had he not been there for me.

Thursday, September 21, 2017

World War I: Russian Women Muster For A Battalion Of Death

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“Russian women soldiers, who have cut their hair short, shown in their dormitory.”CreditInternational Film Service/The New York Times Mid-Week Pictorial, Aug. 23, 1917
“When at last in the fever of change the Russian Revolution made anything possible,” the Mid-Week Pictorial reported 100 years ago, “a band of girls of adventurous disposition and endowed with the high courage of youth came forward and joined a ‘Battalion of Death’ to try to infuse the Russian Army with a new desire for victory.”
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“Pope Benedict XV, who has issued an earnest appeal to all belligerents to negotiate terms of peace.”CreditInternational Film Service/The New York Times Mid-Week Pictorial, Aug. 23, 1917
Their commander was Maria Bochkareva (spelled “Botchkareva” by The Times). Already a decorated soldier, she met in May 1917 with Alexander Kerensky, the head of the provisional government. To solve the problem of rampant desertion she proposed the creation of all-women battalions that “would shame the men into continuing the fight,” Carolyn Harris wrote on Smithsonian.com in April.
“On May 21, Bochkareva issued a call to arms, stating: ‘Men and women citizens! ... Our mother is perishing. Our mother is Russia. I want to help save her. I want women whose hearts are pure crystal, whose souls are pure, whose impulses are lofty. With such women setting an example of self sacrifice, you men will realize your duty in this grave hour.’ The speech, which was reprinted in the newspapers the next day, attracted 2,000 volunteers. Only 500 met Bochkareva’s high standards during training. In her memoirs, she claimed, ‘I sent away 1,500 women for their loose behavior.’”
American women, too, were actively involved in the war effort.
“It has been found that there is absolutely no kind of work, skilled or unskilled, that women cannot do; and it has been amazing how they have learned in months trades which were formerly supposed to require years to learn,” the Mid-Week Pictorial said. “Politically, of course, the demand for votes for women is enormously strengthened.” Three years later, after ratification of the 19th Amendment, universal suffrage was a reality.
Pope Benedict XV was on the cover of The New York Times Mid-Week Pictorial this week in 1917, as he had just issued a formal call for a cessation of hostilities to the “Leaders of the Belligerent Peoples.” In his appeal, the pope asked, “Is this civilized world to be nothing more than a field of death?” Two weeks later, President Woodrow Wilson responded that peace would be impossible with the imperial German government, “the ruthless master of the German people.”
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“An engine being cleaned and overhauled by women in the Erie Yards at Jersey City.”CreditUnderwood & Underwood/The New York Times Mid-Week Pictorial, Aug. 23, 1917
Times Insider is offering glimpses of some of the most memorable wartime illustrations that appeared in The New York Times Mid-Week Pictorial, on the 100th anniversary of each issue:
• French artists on the battle lines (Aug. 16)
• A graphic look inside a German bomber (Aug. 9)
• Raw recruits gather at Gettysburg (Aug. 2)
• A hellish battle scene captured by the camera (July 26)
• Feeding troops with a cumbersome kitchen (July 19)
• A phony battleship lures real sailors (July 12)
• Carrier pigeons in military duty (July 5)
• Fijians join the fight (June 28)
• A “dead town” in northern France (June 21)
• Immigrants among draft registrants (June 14)
• Terror on the high seas (June 7)
• General Pershing shows some vanity (May 31)
Continue reading the main story