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  1. Infectious diseases have changed the course of whole civilizations. There is archaeological evidence suggesting that plagues may have wiped out or caused huge changes in several prehistoric civilizations.(1) The Antonine Plague (2) of 165–180 AD was a major factor in weakening the Roman Empire to the point that it could be defeated. Most people think it was smallpox but we can’t be sure. Black Death(3) was the most devastating pandemic in human history killing 75–200 million people in Eurasia. It came in waves starting in the 14th century with periodic recurrences until the 16th century. European diseases that arrived with explorers and colonists like smallpox and measles decimated Native American populations. European diseases so depopulated Native Americans that they could only be a minor nuisance to European interlopers. Smallpox allowed the Aztec and Incan civilizations with thousands of warriors to be sacked by a few hundred Spanish Conquistadores.(4) The 1918 Flu Pandemic(5) killed 50–100 million people worldwide and pushed the war weary and flu ravaged combatants of World War I to the peace table in Versailles. These were just the big outbreaks that changed the courses of whole civilizations. Other diseases were a constant menace like cholera, typhoid, typhus, measles, consumption (tuberculosis and pneumonia) and other treatable diseases today that were fatal without antibiotics and mass immunizations. Humanity survived for thousands of years without vaccination but, infectious diseases have definitely left their mark. It is a great fear of doctors and government officals that a virus might mutate or be created by a mad man that no one has any immunity to. With world populations so high, dense and mobile, there would be nothing to stop it from killing billions. Worse still- over use of antibiotics and disinfectants is creating drug resistant strains of old diseases that are now emerging threats. (6) We only THINK that we are done with infectious diseases. They are not done with us. We can only vaccinate against the worst of them and use good public health practices to contain outbreaks when they do occur. Least we forget: the HIV/AIDS pandemic emerged in the early eighties and has killed millions world wide. Modern medicine and our modern world are not immune to emerging infectious diseases or new strains of the old diseases that have dogged humanity since prehistoric times. _________________________________________________________ Footnotes: 1- DNA Evidence that Plague Started Much Earlier Than Thought https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/23/science/in-ancient-dna-evidence-of-plague-much-earlier-than-previously-known.html 2- Antoine Plague https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonine_Plague 3- Black Death https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Death 4- Native American Diseases & Epidemics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_American_disease_and_epidemics 5- 1918 Flu Pandemic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1918_flu_pandemic 6- Dangerous Drug Resistant Infections on the Rise Among Children https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2017/02/25/dangerous-antibiotic-resistant-infections-on-the-rise-for-children-in-the-u-s-study-finds/?utm_term=.15672308e593 Further Reading: Garrett, Laura The Coming Plague Quammen, David Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic
  2. 1897 was Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee and the Royal Navy gathered at Spithead to pass in review. Note the boat chugging along doggedly front and center. It has an experimental engine that will soon rock the world- steam turbines. Faster and more reliable- when mated with fuel oil instead of coal, it will become the powerplant of choice in the next 10--20 years. This was just before the dawn of the age of the Dreadnought.. Technological breakthroughs were being made every day that enabled battleships to become the biggest and most lethal war ships in history. Electricity, hydraulics, turbines, radio, steel, welding-: with every new innovation the ships became bigger, faster and more powerful. HMS Dreadnought, 1906. The ship that included the newest technologies of the new century and set the pace for all the rest. Dreadnoughts became the ticket that had to be punched to be acknowledged as a Great Power. To build and maintain a fleet of Dreadnoughts required the economic wherewithal, industrial capability and technological base that only a Great Power could afford. Dreadnoughts were to the 20th century what advanced jet aircraft and nuclear weapons are to the 21st century. They define a Great Power, insure its security and add to its prestige. In a very few short years Dreadnoughts advanced from naval units to political status symbols.
  3. The Amazing and Wonderful Famous-Barr As I begin posting my series of Christmas short stories and novellas set in this department store, I am struck by how paltry and sad the Wikipedia entry is for this amazing company. In an effort to improve that article, I have created this short summary, which I hope to tweak and eventually add to wiki. My information comes from first-hand sources, primarily documents made by the company, such as employee newsletters and handbooks, and history books concerning the development of Saint Louis in the 19th century. Please feel free to leave me any feedback, as I do wish this material to be rock-solid and accurate. ---------------------------------------------------- Famous-Barr Overview: With origins stretching back to 1849, and hundreds of millions of dollars worth of annual sales, Famous-Barr was one of the oldest, largest, and most successful department stores companies in history. It was the flagship enterprise of the multi-national May Company, whose conglomeration of retail, department stores, and shopping malls were headquartered in the same downtown Saint Louis structure as Famous-Barr, The Railway Exchange Building. At the end of the 20th century, The May Company embarked on an aggressive expansion campaign, and by 2006, held more retail assets than their nearest rival, The Federated Department Stores Company. However, in that year, May merged with Federated, and all 30-plus Famous-Barr stores began operating under the 'Macy's' moniker. History: William P. Barr and Company William Barr was born in Scotland 1827 and immigrated to the United States as a lad at the age of thirteen. He entered the dry goods business in New York soon thereafter, and quickly rose to management positions. In 1849 he was entrusted by his firm with the capital to open a company in Saint Louis, which he did, and which quickly grew to be a major retailer and wholesaler. Barr's soon achieved financial independence, and through expansion and acquisitions grew to have no rival in the West. By 1880, the store had annual sales topping $2.5 million and moved into the Julia Building, thereby making it the largest retailer in the world. This impressive granite structure, completed in 1869, covered half a city block, fronted Sixth Street, and offered a basement level perfect for special events and promotions. The store took advantage of that fact, and for the Christmas season of 1880 offered the first-ever department store Santa Claus for children to visit free of charge. Two other stores, one in New York, and one in Connecticut, claim to be the origin of the tradition, but in the 1890's (well after Barr's); the NY store put an Santa actor in their window where no one could visit with him, and the CT store's owner dressed as Santa for a holiday parade, but was again not stationed in the store for visitors. Barr's originated the concept we know and love. By about 1900, Barr's occupied the entire block between Sixth and Seventh Streets, and Olive and Locust Streets, roughly 310,000 square feet of showrooms. In addition, they had a powerhouse, warehouse, wholesale division, mail order section, candy kitchen and bakery, plus shipping and receiving in a ten-story facility one block away at Saint Charles and Seventh Street. Famous Established in 1870 as primarily a men's ready-to-wear haberdashery, the establishment apparently had no memorable name above its door. Company history has it that an early customer arrived one day saying word of mouth was spreading rapidly in his rural area, and that the store was becoming quite famous in surrounding parts. The name Famous was instantly and officially adopted. The business grew rapidly, primarily due to the fact that ready-to-wear was a new concept in the 1870s, and Saint Louis firms like Rice, Stix and Company were in the vanguard of making affordable clothing in factory-like settings. The business grew rapidly, and became recognized as a leader of local civic pride with its entries in the Veiled Prophet Parades. They expanded their lines to full department store status with a move to an impressive structure in 1884, and then again to ever larger quarters in 1890, but still focused primarily on fashionable menswear. In 1892, tragedy struck. A fire damaged a part of the store's facilities and much of its merchandise. The insurance company paid off the claim, but seized the operations. This is where another immigrant and successful businessman enters the picture. David May bought Famous in a fire sale for $150,000. He had gone out as a young man from his native Germany to the Colorado gold rush. By the time he arrived, all the good claims were taken, but May looked around and saw the miners were flushed with cash but starved for clothes and other luxuries. He pooled his money and procured goods from wholesales like William P. Barr Company and made a fortune in Leadville. He opened his own mercantiles in many Colorado towns and cities, but kept his eyes on the big-time. The fire sale of Famous was his 'in' to one of the largest business markets in the United States (STL was the fourth largest city in the country) , and a foothold to compete against commercial giants like Barr's. May then formed a company to be a conglomeration of his different department store holdings, of which Famous was the new flagship enterprise. He procured a rental facility on Broadway and Morgan Streets, and the new Famous Company opened its doors in September 1892 with a gala event. May continued to purchase department stores in other cities, and each operated with its original name under the umbrella of The May Company, whose headquarters were established in the same building with Famous. Famous-Barr In the latter half of 1911, William P. Barr and Company was in disarray. Earlier in the year, the massive store had temporally closed its doors to begin demolition and construction of The Railway Exchange Building. As the upstanding businessman that Mr. Barr was, he retained the entire staff on salary, but made an arguable mistake in not seeking out temporary space to keep Barr's operations going during construction. Cost overruns, particularly due to the enormous building needing to be built atop an ancient sandbar, made the board members nervous. When Mr. Barr passed away, these gentlemen approached David May. The merger of The Famous Company and William P. Barr and Company occurred in 1911, and was finalized by the start of the new year. An advertisement in February 1912 announced the formation of the new 'Famous and Barr Company.' Ad announcing the formation of the new company from February 12, 1912. The newly merged company continued on with The Railway Exchange project and moved in on September 8th, 1913, making Famous-Barr the largest department store in the world on that day. This beautiful building, clad in ivory-colored terracotta, covers an entire city block, rises 21 stories, and provides nearly 30 acres of floor space, or in excess of 1,300,000 usable square feet. The structure remained the world's largest commercial building until the 40-story Equitable Building in Manhattan finally managed to offer more floor space in 1915. Operations thrived, with annual sales topping over $40 million in the early years – at a time when the Federal Budget of the United States was $69 million a year – and Famous-Barr became a model for progressive business practices, offering employee healthcare, retirement plans, 40-hour workweeks, and equal employment opportunities at a time when most companies did not. The store eventually expanded to provide more than ten full floors of retail space in The Railway Exchange Building, and The May Company's corporate headquarters took up a large portion of the rest of the facility. Plans were drawn up in 1940 to expand the operations with three satellite stores, but were shelved due to WW2. The expansion occurred after the war, and Famous-Barr was the first department store in the nation to have 'suburban' outlets. By 2006 and the sale of The May Company to its longtime rival Federated Department Stores, Famous-Barr was pulling in $1.5 billion in annual sales, and had more than 35 locations in 5 states, many of which have now been shut down by Federated.
  4. On our recent trip, we did some antiquing and I found several fun old cookbooks. I think I will present some of my most interesting findings over the next couple of weeks. If you like cooking, eating, history, or goofiness, it should be enjoyable. Of course I am easily amused Let's begin our old cookbook adventure. I started collecting these chestnuts from history because I love eating, the past, and of course reading. Soon I found so many interesting things about how food, cooking, and the interaction with technology and sociology shape culture. My first example I present from this past vacation is a tome entitled 'Housekeeping in Old Virginia'. This book was first published in 1879. The copy I purchased is a reprint, but it's the content that matters to me most. This book is a compilation of many cooks' contributions much like a church cookbook from today. What's unique about this collection is the depth of its study into the recipes. Until this point, previous cookbooks were concerned about managing a household along with general food preparation. This book almost exclusively deals with actual recipes and not how much it costs to employ a maid or what silver to use with oysters. From Marion Cabell Tyree: "It will be seen that she is indebted to near 250 contributors to her book. Among these will be found many names famous through the land. Associated with them will be discovered other of less national celebrity, but who have acquired among their neighbors an equally merited distinction for the beautiful order and delightful cuisine of their homes." I find this fascinating for several reasons. Perhaps one of the most important is the author felt compelled to support her writing with celebrity endorsements. She is also concerned with pleasing others with her cooking. Not too much different from today, it appears. Anyway, here is a tasty recipe if you'd like. Brunswick Stew About four hours before dinner, put on two or three slices of bacon, two squirrels or chickens, one onion sliced, in one gallon of water. Stew some time, then add one quart peeled tomatoes, two ears of grated corn, three Irish potatoes sliced, and one handful butter beans, and part pod of red pepper. Stew altogether about one hour, till you can take out the bones. When done, put in one spoonful bread crumbs and one large spoonful butter. - Mrs. M.M.D. Now, I don't expect most of you to run out and trap or hunt down some squirrels for stewing. I also think it speaks powerfully of the era. Keep in mind, chickens for stewing weren't the nice, tender spring chickens we see in the grocery store today. A stew chicken would be an old bird that needed as much cooking as a stringy and bitter squirrel would to become tasty. Brunswick stew is a recipe to redeem rather marginal ingredients to become something sustaining. In addition, I love the fact we are using both butter and bacon in this recipe. Delish!!! Until later...
  5. The Unsolvable Riddle Karl Heinrich Ulrichs, a reporter and lawyer, began writing a series of tracts which when finished in 1879 was called “The Riddle of Man-Manly Love.” In these booklets, he discusses the nature of sexuality including the innate quality of some men to love other men exclusively. As with Karl Kertbeny, Ulrichs wasn’t happy with the common references to gay men such as pederast or sodomite. He created some Greek referenced terms for sexual identity, Dioning for straight men and Urning for gay ones. Hubert Kennedy has written extensively about Ulrichs and his writings. Below is a link to one of his papers and it’s a fascinating read if you’d like. Ulrichs opines about “animal magnetism” of the draw between two lovers as well as about Urnings and Dionings. Here is a quote of his as he struggles to explain his idea of the innately Urning man. “This outwardly recognizable female essence I call the female habitus of the Urning. . . The female habitus is quite particularly in us in our childhood, before we have been reared into an artificial masculinity, and before we have had the depressing experience that every expression of our female essence will be ascribed to us as a disgrace (!) by our playmates as well as adults, before, that is, suffering under this external pressure, we began to carefully hide that female trait. The Urning shows as a child a quite unmistakable partiality for girlish activities, for interaction with girls, for playing with girls’ playthings, namely also with dolls.” (Inclusa, 13–14)” Kennedy page 9. Obviously, Ulrichs was trying hard to explain his own Urning nature had been from childhood and therefore innate and not “made” or “influenced” into gayness. He was making the same point as his contemporary Karl Kertbeny that gays weren’t created but had their preference from birth. It’s interesting how many of Ulrichs’ characterizations became stereotypes of “gay behavior” or noticing “gayness” in people. Attributing female attributes or tendencies would become the norm in western culture. We have to remember though that Ulrichs and Kertbeny were making an important point. Homosexuals or Urnings weren’t adopting non-normative sexual desires. They were simply expressing how they felt not perverting nature. Ulrichs soon found there were other men who identified as Urning but didn’t have the “female essence.” Instead of finding this “third sex” as being consistently effeminate, he discovered there were several men who were attracted to and desired other men but weren’t “carefully hiding the female trait.” They simply were oriented towards other men. Ulrich created other categories within the Urning system of classification to accommodate this. Here is a simple representation of what he found. The Human Male: A. Dioning(1) “Heterosexual” B. Urning(2) “Homosexual” 1. Mannling(3) “Straight acting and appearing homosexual” 2. Weibling(4) “An effeminate homosexual” 3. Zwischen(5) “A homosexual who exhibited male and female traits” 4. Virilised(6) “A homosexual who is with a woman” C. Urano-Dioning(7) “A bisexual” What Ulrichs stumbled across was the spectrum of sexualities. Without intending to, he discovered sexuality wasn’t an either/or proposition. Eighty years later, Kinsey would measure sexual behavior in males and find the same kind of array. He developed a scale which measured human male sexuality into a rubric. Ulrichs wasn’t a researcher in the sense he had a formal academic study with subjects and control groups. Yet, he managed to find that human sexuality was something quite remarkable and diverse. Ulrichs’ work wasn’t transformative like later activists would be. But, this German Urning found that like Gay Authors writers and readers, sexuality, love, and human behavior, is a rich source of ideas and expressions. His work over a hundred and fifty years ago is fascinating. The question of sexuality will never be answered. However, it sure is interesting exploring it. http://hubertkennedy.angelfire.com/FirstTheorist.pdf http://www.lgbtdata.com/karl-ulrichs-sexual-orientation-classification-scheme.html
  6. The more we learn about the Mayans, the more interesting everything is becoming... http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-42916261
  7. Thanks to MikeL and Valkyrie for inspiring this thread, you guys are the best. Like the title says, find a photo that you think is awesome, funny, cool, amazing, etc To start things off... Pretty ain't it?
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