Bruce's Smorsasborg

 By Bruce Shawkey Found this interesting book on the Internet authored by Florence Nightingale (1820-1910). She set what she believed were "best practices for nurses to maintain proper hygiene at hospitals. Her book was based on experiences while nursing at a hospital during the Crimean War. Conditions were awful. Many soldiers died from infection after being treated from their war wounds. Here's just one excerpt from her book regarding slop pails.  A slop-pail should never be brought into a sick room. It should be carried directly to the water-closet, emptied there, rinsed there, and brought back. There should always be water and a cock in every water-closet for rinsing. But even if there is not, you must carry water there to rinse with. I have actually seen, in the private sick room, the utensils emptied into the foot-pan, and put back unrinsed under the bed. I can hardly say which is most abominable, whether to do this or to rinse the utensil in the sick room. Though s...

 By Bruce Shawkey Upton Sinclair Upton Sinclair Upton Beall Sinclair Jr. (September 20, 1878 – November 25, 1968) was an American author, muckraker, and political activist. He wrote nearly 100 books and other works in several genres. Sinclair's work was well known and popular in the first half of the 20th century, and he won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1943. In 1906, Sinclair acquired particular fame for his classic muck-raking novel, The Jungle, which exposed labor and sanitary conditions in the U.S. meatpacking industry, causing a public uproar that contributed in part to the passage a few months later of the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act. One of the books he wrote in 1921 was "The Book of Life," in which expounded on his beliefs, backed by many experts of the day, on how to live, how to find health, happiness and success, and how to develop fully both the mind and the body. His chapter on proper diet is spot on with the advice that so-ca...

 By Bruce Shawkey Here's one for the "That's Incredible" archives. A collection of obscure books has been accumulated on the Internet archive bearing the name of The Sonny Bono Memorial Book Collection. A few titles include "America's Housekeeping Book," "Bicycling as a Hobby," and "2500 books for the Prison Library." The “Sonny Bono Memorial Collection,” a set of digitized full-text books published in the U.S. between 1923 and 1941. The collection takes advantage of an obscure section of U.S. copyright law, section 108(h), which allows libraries and archives to reproduce, distribute, and display books that are in the last twenty years of copyright, provided that the work is neither obtainable at a reasonable price nor being commercially exploited.  Another book is "2500 books for the prison library," one woman's opinion of the books most helpful in rehabilitating prisoners. The author is Perrie Jones (right), born 1886,...

 By Bruce Shawkey Manufactured in Japan in 1976 by Matsushita Electric Co. for J.C. Penney. It is a horizontal design, meant to set on a table or countertop. I was working a Penney's East Towne during this time, but don't ever recall seeing it in the appliance department, so it must not have been a big seller. Here's another one:  The Husqvarna Cupol A microwave oven from a weapons factory that some consider to be one of the world's weirdest.   Husqvarna has a long history of making a diverse bunch of products, though today they are chiefly known for their lawn care products. Here's a look at what they produced prior to this: 1689 – Firearms  The drilling work at the waterfalls in  Husqvarna , southern Sweden, was the first large plant. The state-owned rifle factory had some 1,000 employees at the beginning of the 18th century. The company was spun off from  Husqvarna Vapenfabriks Aktiebolag  in 1959. Shotguns were produced for 300 years, the last in 1...

 By Bruce Shawkey Found this interest magazin e online devoted to the early years of the airplane. The magazine was called "Flight" and was published in Britain, though coverage was also given to the Wright brothers in America. Note that flight lengths were stated in "meters," not miles. Later issues covered the dawn of commercial and military aviation. The Wright brothers' success in building and demonstrating the Wright Military Flyer for the U.S. Army Signal Corps in 1909 marked a significant moment in the history of military aviation. This marked the first time a military organization officially acquired an aircraft for its use.  Early Military Applications;  Reconnaissance and Observation: Early military aircraft were primarily used for reconnaissance and observation, providing a new vantage point for military commanders to assess enemy positions and movements.  World War I (1914-1918): The use of aircraft in the military expanded significantly during World...

 By Bruce Shawkey I've said this many times: Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. Here are some ideas from the Internet to mix it up at bit: Classic American Pancakes with syrup and butter (add fruit or chocolate chips for variety) Scrambled eggs with crispy bacon and hash browns Toast with jam, peanut butter, or avocado spread Freshly brewed coffee or orange juice Healthy & Light Greek yogurt with granola and fresh berries Avocado toast with poached eggs Smoothie bowl topped with nuts, seeds, and sliced bananas Green tea or a freshly made smoothie International Flavors English Breakfast: Eggs, sausages, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, and toast Mexican-Inspired: Breakfast burrito with scrambled eggs, cheese, and salsa Japanese: Miso soup, steamed rice, grilled fish, and pickled vegetables French: Croissants, pain au chocolat, and café au lait Quick Grab-and-Go Overnight oats with walnuts and milk Breakfast sandwich with egg, cheese, and ham on an English muffin Energy ...

 By Bruce Shawkey I remember my mother collecting S&H Green Stamps when I was growing up. Often they were dispensed by a machine, in different sizes and denominations, and they could be licked and placed into books. Here is an article from Wikipedia about the stamps: S&H Green Stamps was a line of trading stamps popular in the United States from 1896 until the late 1980s. They were distributed as part of a rewards program operated by the Sperry & Hutchinson company (S&H), founded in 1896 by Thomas Sperry and Shelley Byron Hutchinson. During the 1960s, the company issued more stamps than the U.S. Postal Service and distributed 35 million catalogs a year. Customers received stamps at the checkout counters of supermarkets, department stores, and gasoline stations among other retailers, which could then be redeemed for products from the catalog. Top Value Stamps ceased operations in the early 1980s, after which S&H accepted savings books for those who had unredeemed...

 By Bruce Shawkey The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History is a book by Michael H. Hart I ran across on the Internet. Such a book is, by definition, subjective. One person's influencer is another person's monster or idiot.  So now let us dissect Mr. Hart's choices. First off, his list contains three men from the Bible: Jesus Christ, Moses, and St. Paul. Whether these men actually existed or not is a matter of debate among Christians and atheists. That Christianity has been (and is) a powerful force in the world is indisputable. There are estimated to be 2.4 billion Christians in the world. But even then, there are huge divisions within the various types of Christians -- 200 alone in the United States: Lutheran, Baptist, Born-Again, Methodist, etc. Next, Mr. Hart lists Adolph Hitler as one of the 100 greatest influencers. Certainly a controversial choice, which Mr. Hart admits: I must confess that it is with a feeling of disgust that I include Adolf Hitl...

Here is a fascinating and detailed account of medicinal plants and their uses: https://archive.org/details/homesteading-survival-manuals/MEDICINAL%20PLANTS/page/n7/mode/2up I emailed this account to friend Mario Mardones because he is a big believer in medicinal plants, and his daughter Vanessa works for a company that makes medicinal remedies. One of supplements I take is sawgrass palmetto to help with prostrate health. Some time ago, a doctor wanted to take a tissue sample of my prostate, and I told him I preferred to use sawgrass palmetto over letting him "slice and dice" my prostate, which I'm sure insulted him. No matter; I think my prostate is just fine. I have enough other things to worry about. Certainly, many drugs that are supplied are based on medicinal plants. Digitalis is one I can think of that is manufactured from the deadly nightshade plant (left) and has been used for centuries. Here is the Internet has to say about digitalis: The Physicians of Myddvai, a...

  By Bruce Shawkey This is an interview with Lawrence Welk from a 1954 issue of TV Guide Magazine: Each week since July, 1955, a 54-year-old North Dakotan of Alsatian descent has been delighting some 40,000,000 TV viewers with a 27-piece band that, according to one affronted critic, "plays nothing but pure schmaltz." The schmaltz is, of course, more formally known as the Champagne Music of Lawrence Welk. "If music could he rated politically," another Hollywood critic has noted, "Welk would be about as far to the right of center as it's possible to get without colliding head-on with Wayne King." Welk himself, a stolid individual who likes to think carefully about a question and then answer it forth-rightly, doesn't object to being compared to Guy Lombardo and thinks schmaltz is not only here to stay but is profitable as well. (Referred to recently as a "Neanderthal Lombardo," Welk merely grinned amiably and said, "That is not possible...

 By Bruce Shawkey It is said that nothing is drier than trying to analyze humor. Humor, in its many forms, just is. Once you try to analyze it, it goes away. There is nothing LESS funny than trying to analyze humor. Yet that doesn't stop people from trying. Here we have a book, "The Psychology of Humor," written by Rod A. Martin, a Canadian with no claim to fame, other than he is a psychologist and his some academic prowess and has written one other book about humor. The Psychology of Humor is published by an academic publishing company. Copies are available at Amazon for between $30 and $50. I got mine for free on the Internet Archive.  Here is an except from the Introduction: Humor is a human activity that occurs in all types of social interaction. Most of us laugh at something funny many times during the course of a typical day. Although it is a form of play, humor serves a number of "serious" social, cognitive, and emotional functions. Fascinating questions ...

By Bruce Shawkey Was William Shakespeare really Edward De Vere?    This story has popped up on the Internet quite a few times over the years that the great British playwright and poet, William Shakespeare (1550 - 1604, was actually Edward DeVere and/or that De Vere wrote for Shakespeare and Shakespeare basically plagiarised it. It just isn't true. Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, was a real person. But there's no concrete proof that he was the true author of William Shakespeare's plays and poems. It's a confirmed fact that William Shakespeare wrote at least thirty-six plays, including such masterpieces as Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, Julius Caesar, and Othello, a magnificent set of 154 sonnets, and a few longer poems.  It seems beyond dispute that Shakespeare is preeminent among all literary figures. Relatively few people today read the works of Chaucer, Virgil, or even Homer, except when those works are assigned reading in school. However, a performance of one o...

 By Bruce Shawkey Found this neat booklet on the Internet titled "Rules For My Son." It was published by Hallmark in 2012 under license from St. Martins Press. I don't necessarily agree with all of them, but here they are.  1. When in doubt, wear a tie. 2. Ride in the front car of a roller coaster. 3. See movies on the big screen. 4. Be a vigorous dancer.    5. However, you're under no obligation to join a conga line. 6. Be a strong swimmer, especially in the ocean. 7. Avoid gossip. 8. Talent is learned. Learn to sing. 9. Stand up for the little guy. He'll remember you. 10. Be careful what you set your heart upon, for it will surely be yours. (James Baldwin) 11. Buy seasonal fruit from your local stand or bodega. 12. Men should not wear sandals. Ever. (We skip a few that I don't necessarily agree with) 17. On stage is no time to be shy. Speak up. 18. Start a band. 19. A T-shirt is neither a philosophy nor an advertisement. It's a shirt. Wear it plain. 20. ...