Straightforward… here is the bibliography for the project.

Censurados

Os estudantes da Uniban ABC perderam uma grande oportunidade de se redimir coletivamente, pelo erro cometido por alguns alunos no tumulto da noite de 22 de outubro. Tiveram a chance de mostrar maturidade ao organizar um protesto na noite desta terça-feira (3/11), coincidentemente a data em que a “Loira da Uniban” prometia voltar ao campus (o que não aconteceu). No entanto, preferiram um tom generalista. Foram ambíguos.

Acho que não entenderam o motivo pelo qual a universidade ficou mal vista na sociedade. Quem colocou nariz de palhaço na manifestação parece apenas ter aproveitado o mainstream do momento, já que nem mesmo organizadores souberam dizer quem errou: foi universitária por ir vestida com um minivestido ou os colegas que a xingaram? Ajudaram a perpetuar erros históricos que simbolizam o falso moralismo.

A ambiguidade dos alunos encheria de orgulho personagens como Anthony Comstock – o mais terrível censor da história da América, segundo o jornalista Gay Talese no livro “A Mulher do Próximo”. Evangélico, vingativo por vocação, Comstock nasceu em 1844, numa fazenda de New Canaan, região nordeste dos Estados Unidos. Deu nome a lei que resultou nas condenações de escritores, editores, entre outros, por “propagação de indecência, promiscuidade e degeneração”.

É o que estão fazendo alguns alunos da Uniban, assim como uma multidão de jovens que andam a dar opiniões em sites e blogs pela internet. Quando digo esse pessoal, eu me refiro àqueles que tentam censurar a estudante dizendo que ela também estava errada.

Quando Comstock procurou justificar sua campanha pela censura, em 1860, afirmou que pretendia proteger a juventude de “influências corruptoras”. É o que justifica quem critica a “Loira da Uniban” dizendo que a jovem utilizava roupa inadequada para o local.

Salve a hipocrisia. Entre os influentes que apoiaram a censura de Comstock estava o banqueiro J. P. Morgan, um homem que possuía vasta coleção particular de pornografia. E entre os que censuram o perfil da estudante de turismo estão que tipo de pessoas?

Em sua época, Comstock “contou com apoio de líderes comerciais e industriais, convencidos que a permissividade sexual desviava a energia dos trabalhadores”. “O governo federal, depois do turbilhão da Guerra Civil e com a persistência do crime nas ruas e da miséria, sem falar nos escândalos dos ricos barões ladrões, estava ansioso por qualquer pretexto que desviasse as atenções de sua própria inépcia e corrupção e lhe permitisse exercer um controle maior sobre a população irrequieta”.

E os jovens defensores da moral e das boas vestimentas, querem esconder algo? Ao manter posicionamento ambíguo durante seu protesto, eles, talvez sem saber, validam erros históricos. Mantém o pensamento reacionário, digno da mancha que os alunos da Uniban afirmam ter em seus diplomas.

Quando a assessoria jurídica da reitoria afirma que nenhum aluno foi identificado até o momento, fica a questão: qual o interesse da universidade? Propagar o saber ou manter uma simples atividade comercial?

Enquanto isso, a jovem fica privada de direitos básicos. Disse que não voltará a usar a minisaia na universidade, por vergonha. Já foi classificada como atriz pornô, soropositivo, bissexual e prostituta. E o mais constrangedor é saber que as acusações também surgem de universitários, pessoas que deveriam pregar tolerância e direitos humanos. No entanto, prevalece um preconceito cego, digno de classificar certos elementos como filhotes de Comstock.

The week of October 12 came and went so quickly I again didn’t get everything on my list crossed off for this project or my “real” job.  No surprise, it seems to be the pattern these days.  The following details, though, I am happy to report:

VCU Facilities Management has electronic versions of “rough” plans for the row, and has been so kind to share their files.  This will be a great addition to the project.

More importantly, Dr. Brownell and I have identified an early ancestor to the porches, found in Victorian Architecture: Two Pattern Books by A.J. Bicknell & William T. Comstock.  This book reprints the 1873 edition of Bicknell’s plans with 75 plates and Comstock’s 1881 edition with 80 plates.  A close cousin to almost every element of the porches are shown across these two books, including the “teeth” – as we were calling them – below the frieze, and as Dr. Brownell realized perhaps are actually a simplified version of lambrequins, as these plates seem to make more clear.

This presence points towards an elaboration of the Italianate element that derives from antiquated Venetian awnings, and promoted by A.J. Downing in his 1842 Victorian Cottage Residences, highlighted on page 116, and his 1850 Architecture of Country Houses, on page 316.

In reviewing all of these findings related to the ancestory of the porch design, we really began asking ourselves “Who designed this?”  If appears to be someone who has the ability to arrange forms effectively but doesn’t necessarily have to understand the significant history and theory of architecture.  These are Italianate concepts being presented under a “Queen Anne” style.  Comstock tells us in his preface to Modern Architectural Designs and Details that “present styles, while bearing many characteristics of their prototypes, do not adhere strictly to any of them.  Thus, is what is known as the Queen Anne (of the present day) is frequently introduced classic features,” which is exactly what we see with the porch frieze and simplified lambrequins.  He also tells us that some, if not many, of the designs in pattern books of the later 19th century were the work of “moonlighting draftsmen.”

UPDATE: While reflecting on the lambrequins, and noticing more and more this feature on wood porches I pass, I took a peek back through my photos from Venice from last year.  Sure enough, one of the first snapshots had captured this design feature still in use today…

and below you can see the motif repeated on our porches…

Immagino cosa ne pensa il Mago di SondriOz, lui unico al mondo ad aver visto arrivare la crisi, anche se proveniente da tutt’altra direzione, ma si sa, se Nostradamus va interpretato post factum, lui, il nostro per tre volte ministro dell’economia, non parla nemmeno per quartine ma per quartini. Noi, che siamo parchi di libagioni e non confondiamo, per lo più, le lucciole per lanterne, ci siamo fatti guidare in questa crisi da alcune stelle polari che ci hanno indicato sempre la giusta direzione anche nel buio più profondo. Tra questi i bravi analisti di Comstock, che non frequentano gli antri di Maghi o apprendisti stregoni e non usano filtri o pozioni magiche ma numeri, dati e la cruda analisi economica per spiegare quello che sta accadendo e dove stiamo andando. Quello che segue è il loro ultimo commento settimanale che conferma e riassume molte delle osservazioni ed analisi sparpagliate qua e la in questo ed in altri blog non iscritti al Club degli ottimisti di professione.

La ripresa economica tanto celebrata è costruita sulle sabbie mobili. L’attesa risalita del PIL nel terzo trimestre è basata su una massiccia spesa pubblica, un rallentamento nella diminuzione delle scorte, il programma cash-for-clunkers e alcuni numeri fuorvianti del mercato immobiliare. Allo stesso tempo i più importanti motori di una ripresa sostenuta, come una robusta spesa dei consumatori, l’aumento dei salari reali e una ripresa reale del mercato immobiliare, i motori necessari ad una ripresa economica, mancano tutti dall’elenco dei rimedi.

La spesa dei consumatori, che rappresenta il 70% del PIL, è probabile che rimannga depressa per qualche tempo a venire. Con l’indebitamento delle famiglie ancora vicino a livelli record, il deleveraging sarà una caratteristica dell’economia per un periodo prolungato. Il tasso del risparmio delle famiglie, che in precedenza costituiva in media circa il 9% del reddito disponibile, è ancora ad un misero 4,2% dopo essere caduto a zero durante il precedente boom. Da quando il reddito netto delle famiglie è crollato, la necessità di ricostituire il risparmio continuerà a soffocare la spesa. Allo stesso tempo i salari continuano a diminuire, la disoccupazione è in crescita, le ore di lavoro vengono tagliate e un gran numero di lavoratori sono stati costretti a lavoro part-time quando preferirebbero lavorare a tempo pieno. Inoltre, poiché i ricavi delle imprese sono ancora in picchiata, come risulta dai rapporti del secondo trimestre, le imprese continueranno a tagliare il costo del lavoro, riducendo in tal modo il reddito familiare ulteriormente. Inoltre c’è ancora la stretta creditizia e solo la parte dei consumatori più affidabile finanziariamente ha accesso ai prestiti. Tutti questi fattori fanno sì che la spesa dei consumatori e i profitti rimangono sotto pressione e impediscono a qualsiasi vera ripresa di acquistare velocità.

Al tempo stesso i recenti dati sulle case stanno dando una immagine fuorviante della solidità del mercato immobiliare. Le vendite di case esistenti in luglio sono salite del 7,2%, ma gli inventari di case invendute sono cresciuti del 7,3%. Una recente indagine a livello nazionale degli agenti immobiliari ha indicato che solo il 36% di vendite di case non sono state fatte sotto pressione. Le restanti vendite riguardano tutte procedimenti esecutivi (foreclosure), o short sales (al prezzo di vendita pari alla quota di mutuo da pagare) da parte di banche o di venditori non in default, ma in difficoltà finanziarie perchè disoccupati, o con una grave malattia o con problemi familiari. Inoltre il 30% delle vendite riguardano acquirenti della prima casa che hanno approfittato del credito d’imposta di 8.000 dollari che scade alla fine di novembre. Le vendite di case nuove sono salite anche a luglio, raggiungendo le 433.000 unità su base annua. Questo a fronte di 776.000 per il 2007 e 485.000 per il 2008, sempre su base annua. Ricordate anche che le vendite mensili annualizzate di nuove case ha raggiunto i circa 1,4 milioni nel 2007. Sciaguratamente nei prossimi tempi è probabile un’ondata di nuove forclosures. Un recente studio di Deutche Bank dimostra che il 26% di tutte le case con un mutuo sono ad un valore inferiore all’importo del mutuo e che questa percentuale salirà al 48% entro il primo trimestre del 2011. Questo porterà a ulteriori foreclosures e a prezzi più bassi, così come a un peggioramento dei bilanci delle istituzioni finanziarie che hanno concesso i mutui. Da aggiungere al quadro negativo un’altra ondata di azzeramenti di mutui a tasso variabile che aggraverà ulteriormente la situazione.

In conclusione le possibilità per una ripresa di tipo a V sono estremamente ridotte, ed è più probabile che, dopo un trimestre o due di incremento del PIL, l’economia continuerà a sprofondare in una ulteriore recessione. Questo sarebbe un tipico comportamento dell’economia a seguito di una crisi finanziaria. Dopo una risalita del 55% dal fondo, il mercato azionario sta scontando uno scenario molto più roseo, e probabilmente resterà estremamente deluso di come la situazione evolverà nel prossimo periodo.

Gli analisti della Comstock Partners non sono certamente iscritti al Club degli inguaribili ottimisti che da due anni a questa parte non fanno che ripetere che il peggio è passato. Ultimamente l’enfasi posta su alcuni dati meno negativi di quelli previsti ha fatto gridare al miracolo e all’inizio della ripresa. Purtroppo sappiamo bene che le cose non stanno così. Non si tratta di essere ottimisti o menagrami: basta leggere attentamente tutti i dati macroeconomici per dover ammettere onestamente che l’unica conclusione possibile è che la discesa è solamente rallentata o che le cose, per dirla in altro modo, stanno peggiorando più lentamente. Quelli di Comstock Partners ci spiegano chiaramente perchè non c’è nessuna vera ripresa e che anzi la prospettiva è quella di una ricaduta in un’altra profonda recessione.

Anche se il PIL nel trimestre in corso probabilmente risalirà, le possibilità di una tipica ripresa a forma di V sono estremamente scarse. In primo luogo, trimestri con un PIL positivo non sono insoliti durante le recessioni, e si sono verificati in sei delle dieci recessioni avute dal dopoguerra ad oggi. In secondo luogo, anche se l’attuale trimestre provasse la fine statistica della recessione, la conseguente ripresa è probabile che sia così debole che sarà difficilmente percepibile. In terzo luogo, l’incremento nel trimestre in corso sarà il risultato di un temporaneo recupero delle scorte per far fronte ad un ancora tiepido livello della domanda, e il programma di incentivi alla rottamazione che sta semplicemente anticipando le vendite di auto sposta la domanda dai consumi alternativi. Guardando al futuro, quelli di Comstock non vedono alcun motore di una ripresa sostenibile e ce ne elencano i motivi.

1) La spesa dei consumatori pesa per più di due terzi del PIL e, per una serie di motivi, i consumatori saranno sotto pressione per un po’ di tempo a venire.

2) La spesa dei consumatori negli ultimi dieci anni è stata sostenuta dal credito facile e dalle due bolle consecutive del dot-com e delle case. Le bolle dot-com e delle case non ci sono più e, mentre i tassi di interesse sono bassi, le condizioni per i prestiti sono molto più severe.

3) I tassi di risparmio delle famiglie nei decenni precedenti al 1992 erano in gran parte tra il 7% e l’ 11%. Il tasso è sceso costantemente fino a zero nel 2008 e salito al 5,2% nel 2° trimestre. Senza il conforto di un elevato e crescente reddito netto, l’aliquota del risparmio è probabile salga al 9% o più, con conseguente riduzione della spesa per beni discrezionali.

4) La spesa dei consumatori in genere ha rappresentato tra il 61% e il 64% del PIL dal 1955 al 1985, ma è ora al 70,5%. Un ritorno al 65% ridurrebbe la spesa del 7,8%, anche se non succederebbe tutto in una volta.

5) Il debito delle famiglie negli ultimi 55 anni è stato in media il 55% del PIL ed era del 64% non più tardi del 1995. Oggi è circa il 100% ed è un peso enorme per un gran numero di famiglie. Ogni riduzione del debito è un altro freno alla spesa.

6) L’attuale situazione del settore immobiliare è ancora un altro peso per i consumatori. Un recente studio della Deutsche Bank ha dimostrato che al 31 marzo, il 26% dei proprietari di case americani avevano mutui superiori al valore delle loro case e che questa percentuale crescerà al 48 % entro il 1° trimestre del 2011 così come ci sarà un ulteriore calo dei prezzi del 14%. Questo si tradurrà in un continuo aumento di foreclosures, riducendo ulteriormente capacità e propensione alla spesa dei consumatori. Le foreclosures a luglio sono salite del 7% mese su mese e del 32% anno su anno.

7) L’occupazione è ancora in calo, anche se ad un tasso inferiore, e i salari sono del 4,7% al di sotto di un anno fa, il più grande declino da quando è iniziata nel 1960 la serie statistica. Vediamo continuamente notizie su ulteriori riduzioni salariali, riduzioni di orari di lavoro e ferie forzate non retribuite, segno che il reddito delle famiglie rimarrà sotto pressione per qualche tempo.

Nonostante la recente crescita del valore delle azioni, il settore bancario è ancora molto fragile. Elizabeth Warren, professoressa all’università di Harvard e presidente della Commissione di vigilanza del Congresso, ha dichiarato che quasi tutti gli asset tossici che erano nei libri contabili delle banche lo scorso autunno sono oggi ancora là. Inoltre dopo il cambiamento delle regole contabili che ha permesso loro di non essere più vincolate al mark to market, le banche non hanno certo intenzione di vendere a prezzi di mercato molto più bassi che comporterebbero una pesante svalutazione. La Warren ha anche aggiunto che “Abbiamo un vero problema in arrivo” nei prestiti commerciali concessi per la maggior parte dalle piccole e medie banche. Larga parte di questi prestiti sono in scadenza dal 2010 al 2012 e c’è stato già un alto tasso di default in quelli già scaduti.

9) Un recente studio sulle passate crisi finanziarie svolto dai professori Kenneth Rogoff e Carmen Reinhart indica che le recessioni causate da crisi del credito sono durate molto più a lungo e si sono rivelate più gravi rispetto alla media, e che le conseguenti riprese sono state sotto lo standard medio. Inoltre, con l’eccezione della depressione dal 1929 al 1932, tutte le recessioni sono state limitate ad un solo paese o una regione e non sono stati di natura globale. Pertanto, nella maggior parte dei casi, la nazione colpita era in grado di trovare una via d’uscita nelle esportazioni, un’ opzione che non è disponibile in questo momento.

In conclusione, ora non ci sono i motori per un recupero duraturo e sostenibile. Bassi redditi e bassi consumi non sono in grado di sostenere null’altro che una debolissima ripresa e la ricaduta in una nuova recessione diventa una rilevante possibilità. Le azioni sono in un mercato orso fin dall’inizio del 2000, e con i tempi che arrivano, è probabile che i guadagni di oggi vengano abbattuti con un rapporto prezzo/utili che scende ben al di sotto del livello attuale.

Blogging is one of the most effective ways to build your linking strategy says BusinessOnLine search strategist Ray Comstock

The more people link to your site, the better your site will “rank” in a search engine results page.

Although “search rank” has lost a lot of its caché (more on that topic later), link acquisition is still a major part of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), and acquiring them can be a tedious task unless you start a blog that adds value to the conversations in the blogosphere!

“Blogging is one of the most effective link acquisition method,” explained BusinessOnLine senior search strategist Ray “Catfish” Comstock on a panel about SEO metrics at the Search Engine Strategies conference in San Jose, Calif.

Here’s the quick video excerpt on “Catfish” comments about link acquisition:

I used to have a goal to stay in every cool hotel in Vegas without staying in the same one twice. I am getting ready to go for a few days and I will keep with the tradition of staying somewhere new, although it will be tough to beat my last room at the Venetian.

Places Ive stayed-

The Tropicana-Old world, think Sammy Davis Jr. and Sinatra. Also think aggressive hookers, timeshare vultures and stories of dead hookers under the beds. It is going to be torn down soon so the escalators do not work, no one cares and there is a slight “on your own” feeling while staying there. Bring a Leatherman for your own repairs. 1 star

The Monte Carlo-A pretty nice property that is remarkably forgettable. The decor is first class, lots of marble and a great room. We scored a room for $40 and that was quite a steal. I don’t know why this place doesn’t stand out more.  3.5 stars

The Imperial Palace-This is by far the shittiest place I have stayed in Las Vegas. Being right on the strip is the only thing going for it. Rooms are always cheep and for that you get a tiny threadbare room (I dare you to black light it), rude employees and the need to wear your shoes at all times in the room. I watched one man freak out in the coffee shop saying he had been waiting for 20 minutes to get another cup of coffee and he was the only one in there before we came in. -1 star

The Las Vegas Hilton-Home of the Barry Manilow show that I wish I would have seen. Another forgettable property, average room, average restaurants but it is a stop on the Monorail system so it is quite convenient. We spent Thanksgiving night here and ate at Benihanas Japanese Restaurant. I liked that and wanted to make it a new tradition. 3.5 stars

Circus Circus- The big top. Live circus acts in the smokey rafters while penny slot machines belch below. It does have a large arcade/midway so it is a logical place to bring the kids if your in town. There is a large roller coaster that I have never been on.  Rundown is an understatement, all the reds and yellows are pink and browns now. The circus performers have the charisma of freshly minted runaways. 1.5 stars

The Mirage-Home of Sigfried and Roy and the famous strip volcano. Tropical themed with “classy” being passed a decade ago. Still nice, good rooms and service with lots of eye candy. Great location on the strip. Good pool area. 3.5 stars

The Venetian-This is where I stayed on my last trip and I fell in love with it. The standard room is a huge suite with a sunken living room and floor to ceiling windows. One touch shades, three flat screen TVs and a huge marble bathroom makes these my favorite rooms so far. Downstairs are the gondolas that travel throughout the property and the artwork and architecture is tops. Expensive but worth it. 4.5 stars

Lady Luck-Dark corners, smokey, lots of mirrors and guys in bad suits with broken noses working the floor. An old school hotel/casino in downtown. It closed down for a few years but I think it has opened back up. A few blocks from the Freemont experience, don’t make the walk at night. 1 star

The Gold Coast-Next to the Rio and the Palms, starting it’s own little pocket of casinos/hotels. Kind of a Spanish Motel 8 kind of look, big casino, a huge bowling alley and one of the rarest room amenities in the entire city, a window that actually opens to fresh air. Sure it is about six inches by 12 inches and in the bathroom but hey, it’s fresh air. Affordable rooms and eats and I scored about $300 on the dollar slots on my last day there. 2.5 stars

In Reno-

Atlantis-Cheesy mermaids and plastic tropical foliage. Average everything. We checked in next to another couple when we got there, we were in the tower and they were in the lodge. I didn’t think much of it until we were in the glass elevator going up to the 20th floor when we saw that couple going into the “lodge”. It was a former shit hole two story hotel they acquired and was on the edge of the block/property. Score for us. Cheesy and a done there did that. 2 stars

The Silver Legacy-This was the fanciest and newest casino opened in quite a while. It has a cause way hooking it with the Eldorado and the Circus Circus so getting around the three does not require the harsh slap of sunshine. Average rooms, I can’t remember anything that stands out. 2 stars

Circus Circus-See the Vegas review above. I swear it is a carbon copy minus the rollarcoaster and on a slightly smaller scale. Lots of elbows flying around the penny machines with the older hens. You get what you get and anything more gets you a fat lip. 1.5 stars

The Comstock-This classic is no longer around. I do not know what it became or if it was torn down but this was the first taste of sin that I got. My first hotel/casino with a miner theme. This spot was a snapshot in time, like watching the movie “Casino”. You could picture Patty Page being all the rage as bare ass cigarettes were crushed out on the carpeting. 1 star

Next on the list to visit is-

The Palazzo

The Wynn

Caesars Palace

THE Hotel at Mandalay Bay.

I’ll update as I go along. God I want an Elvis jumpsuit.

By Martina Comstock

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=100+Austin+St+Truth+or+Consequences,+NM+87901&daddr=Ciudad+Ju%C3%A1rez,+CHIH+Mexico&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=49.263588,-123.138565&sspn=0.200969,0.528717&g=vancouver,+bc&ie=UTF8&z=9

My partner Jason and I woke up at dawn at a hot-springs lodge in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. We hopped in my station wagon with wooden panels and set off for White Sands. We arrived in mid morning to beat the hot summer heat. We run and danced among the rolling dunes until mosquitoes left small red mounds on our skin. We drove to Las Cruises and wound up at the community market looking for something to eat. There were vendors selling crafts and tamales. We had burgers in a run down restaurant. We continued our journey down to El Paso, Texas where we would park so we could walk over the boarder into Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. We were on the freeway in El Paso looking for an exit. We saw a sign that said Juarez, so we followed it. We thought there would be a place to turn off before entering the city but little did we know that we were heading straight into the heart of Juarez. They didn’t even check our identification coming into the boarder. We parked at the side of the park…

As I panicked to find my identification. I had misplaced my drivers licenses not long before and I couldn’t find my passport. I was afraid that I might not be able to get back out of the country. There we mules walking outside the window as the surrounding cars base’s blared. Eventually I found my passport and we made our way into a tourism center. They advised us to park inside the city. We struggled to understand the maps as Jason circled around the city aimlessly looking for the plaza. We finally found a place to park. I was nervous because we had all our possessions in the car and the trunk didn’t lock and the back windows would randomly fall opened. We walked to the plaza in a daze, complete disoriented and culture shocked. We wound up in a church at the center of town. We walked in and both sat there in silence for what felt like hours or days. Amongst all the chaos, it felt like a safe haven.

100 Austin St Truth or Consequences, NM 87901

1.	Head west on Austin St toward Mims St		456 ft
2.	Turn right at Mims St		0.1 mi
3.	Turn left at Route 25/Main St  Continue to follow Route 25		3.0 mi
4.	Take the ramp to Las Cruces		0.7 mi
5.	Merge onto I-25 S		74.9 mi
6.	Take the exit onto I-10 E  Entering Texas		39.5 mi
7.	Take exit 19 toward State Hwy 20		0.2 mi
8.	Turn right at N Santa Fe St		0.5 mi
9.	Turn left at W Paisano Dr/US-85		0.3 mi
10.	Turn right at S Stanton St/US-62/US-85  Partial toll road		0.5 mi

Ciudad Juárez, CHIH Mexico

From high on the steeple of First Presbyterian Church

William St at Church St.

This is one of a set of photographs taken by a local professional photographer (no identification), one day on September 1933, each time looking in a different direction from the highest point on the top of the Presbyterian Church. These four aerial photos were put in an album of local pictures by Rida Barker in the 1930s. The album is now in the possession of Judith Caldwell of Prescott. Thanks to Judith for her contributions to this posting.

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View 1

Looking South-west

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Time has wrought many changes in the area of downtown Brockville which shows in this photograph. Looking westward, Buell Street is at the bottom, with George St. in the middle and Church street on the far left side. Most of the building shown on the west side of Buell St. have been replaced by the Post Office.

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Same View as above, but with identification notes added.

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View 2

Looking South-east

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This view is very interesting, as it shows Court House Ave. in the foreground. You can see the Gen. Isaac Brock monument on the grass of Court House Green. Further down is the John H. Fulford Memorial Fountain which was erected in 1916, at the time that the grassed boulevard and brick paving was put in place on the previously wide, dirt avenue. In the background is the newly built Hotel Manitonna (now demolished and the site of the Wedgewood Retirement Resort) and the Brockville City Hall. On the east side of Court House Ave. was located the impressive Comstock Building (now demolished) which stood here for over 70 years.

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View 3

Looking East

This is one of the most revealing picture of the roof top of the Brockville Court House in the foreground, and then the Leeds & Grenville County Jail. Most of the law-abiding public has never seen the interior of the Jail Yard on the left. The main high roof over the old court room was topped by the old bell tower (now demolished) and the original “Sally Grant” Stature of Justice (now replaced). In the background is the roof and steeple of Wall Street United Church.

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View 4

Looking North

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The last picture in this set was directed due north and contains an earlier view of the Canadian National Railway main line through Brockville. The road on the right side is William Street which was not the well-used road it is now because it didn’t lead much above Front Ave. One of the smaller steeples of the First Presbyterian Church is very evident in this view.

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First Presbyterian Church, photo taken about 1896

One can only guess how the unknown photographer of these aerial photographs would have climbed the inside of the church steeple and positioned his camera for each shot.

This photograph of the Presbyterian Church, ca.1896, is valuable in its own right. Notice the earlier boundary chain fence, entrance posts, and gates which surrounded Court House Green in the 1890s.

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]]> http://justbeer.wordpress.com/2009/02/09/bells-brewery-kalamazoo-stout/ Tue, 10 Feb 2009 06:28:34 +0000 simonpo http://justbeer.wordpress.com/2009/02/09/bells-brewery-kalamazoo-stout/

Part of our Oh Happy Day #3 package back in 2008, this bottle of Bell’s Kalamazoo Stout has been lurking at the back of my beer fridge for months, the picture on the label reminding me every day when I open the door why I don’t look in mirrors too often. But I digress – a late Friday night session seemed just the right time to crack it open, and boy, was I glad a did. A creamy, silky pint with a thinner than expected chocolatey head and a heady mix of roasted malt, chocolate and licorice on the nose lead you in to a sweet and delicious drop of beer, this really hit the spot. Whether you’re looking for a stout to ease yourself into the style, or are a seasoned connoiseur of the darker side of the brewer’s craft, this is going to go down well. Thanks, Mr. Rettell, for the delivery – look forward to checking out the rest of Bell’s offerings on their home turf sometime

JBB6 Rating: For the Win

Don’t take my opinion on it. I posted an article a while back where Robert George lectured on this issue here at Southern, and here’s a snippet from a liberal political activist that argues the very same thing:

“What’s more, I agree with Ruth Rosen’s more recent analytical post explaining the right wing’s philosophical objection to family planning at all. 

Here’s a snippet from her brilliant explanation of why Margaret Sanger was repeatedly arrested for opening her pioneering birth control clinics, why she and her fellows were attacked so ferociously by the forces of Comstock, and why contraception is still being attacked today:

… the religious right’s real agenda is not just to eliminate abortion, but to end the historic rupture between sex and reproduction that took place in the 20th century…. If reproduction ceased to be the goal, sexuality might become yoked to pleasure and that is quite unsettling to many Americans. That is the legacy the religious right has fought against, and it’s that agenda that cut funding for family planning.

As I explained in my book What Is Marriage For?, when women won the battle over contraception, it blazed the trail for the acceptance of lesbians and gay men. Hurray contraception, both practically and philosophically!…”

Ms. Sanger.

If you are unfamiliar with her please review her story.

This is not the place to regurgitate what is readily available throughout the web.

Choice. Persecution. The decision of others to legislate what a free minded, with all the liberties granted her by our founders.

If you are ProLife.

Please opine on all the cases where you would allow a women to make her own choice.

Rape by a father at 14?

Cervical Cancer?

A tubal pregnancy.

Instead of all the pro life rhetoric. Please address the difficult questions so we can find a common ground.

Remember the horrors of our historical mistakes on these issues.

How soon we forget.

Get educated.

Fresh off the boat from Minnesota (well… somewhere back east… my knowledge of what’s beyond Montana is a bit sketchy) comes this gift from a fine, fine Chicago gentleman – a bottle of Bell’s Brewery Oberon summer ale, which I can tell you right now has done much to brighten up a pretty dreary week.

Almost criminal that this is a limited-release seasonal beer, only available from late March to October. But seasonal it is – Bell’s summer ale pours a very hazy amber pint with huge downy cloud of a head that floats across the top of this creamy amber delight. A clean, crisp, citrus aroma greets the nose, followed by the refreshing bite of this wheaty ale and it’s long, refreshingly bitter finish that just makes you want to reach for another. Along with a sharp cheddar cheese filled croissant. Damn I’m hungry now.

Long story short: Bell’s, please find a distributor west of the Mississippi. We need easy access to you here in Washington.

JBB6 Rating: For the Win

The Washoe Valley Cemetery is located on the East side of Washoe Lake in Nevada.  It is the final resting place for many that passed through or lived in the area in the Comstock Silver days.

I am just getting started learning about this cemetery and those buried there.  I do know that it has been very difficult to find out any information about who owns the cemetery or to find someone that knows the history.  If you can help out my search, please let me drop me a note and share.

I am looking for more information about just what you can and can’t do when cleaning or preserving a cemetery.  If you can offer some insight, I look forward to chatting with about it.

Let the preservation begin!

DAYTON, Nev.– Each year people become lost, stranded or worse in the outdoors. This program will introduce you to the GPS (Global Positioning Systems) and will explore what GPS is, how it works and how it can be used to navigate in the outdoors.

This free program will be held on August 16 from 9 a.m. to noon at Dayton State Park.

A limited number of handheld GPS units will be available for the program, so participants are encouraged to bring their own GPS unit.

Please call 687-5678 to reserve a space. Everyone will meet in at the group pavilion.

Dayton State Park is located in the town of Dayton, one of Nevada’s very earliest Comstock settlements. The Carson River flows through the park and offers fishing and bird watching. The Rock Point Mill, built in 1861, was once used to process rich silver ore from nearby Virginia City—remnants of the mill are still visible within the park. Picnicking, camping, hiking and group use facilities are available. Dayton State Park is located on U.S. 50, 12 miles east of Carson City.

This is the 3rd in a series of posts exploring the Past, Present and Future of FreeThought. In this installment I would like to discuss how poorly FreeThought faired in the early parts of the 20th century but I promise to end on a high note. The primary focus will be from the turn of the century to the about the 70’s.

Comstock Laws, Contraception and Catholics

To understand the problems that eventually overwhelmed FreeThought in the first half of the 20th century we must first start with the enacting of the Comstock Laws of 1870’s. These laws essentially allowed the federal government the right to inspect and seize anything moving through the U.S. Postal service deemed “obscene” as determined by the local postmaster. Those things that were deemed obscene were anything from “diatribes against marriage to advertisements for veneral disease remedies”. Ingersoll himself spoke against the government being in the business of censoring and ultimately defining what was obscene.

Until the early 20th century the Catholic church held very little sway and was still considered a suspicious minority religion. However despite their small numbers the Catholic church actively began to crusade against public (and therefore secular and godless) education and contraception. Margaret Sanger, the inventor of the term birth control and it’s biggest crusader was ultimately arrested in New York City at the prompting of the local Catholic clergy. While opposition of contraception didn’t seem to win the Catholics any Protestant fans their eventual embrace of some of the most virulent, anti-communism would finally assuage the mainstream Protestant fears.

Bolshevism and the Red Scare

As the dawn of the Great War approached many freethinkers were imprisoned for sedition (such as Eugene Debs, a socialist, vocal opponent of the America’s entry into the Great War and an Indiana State Representative). After the Great War, the Bolshevik Revolution created a backlash against those that were perceived as godless and therefore un-American. Mainstream Protestantism began to link bolshevism and eventually communism with evolution much like the Catholic church linked communism and atheism. While true the Bolsheviks ostensibly embraced atheism it didn’t prevent them from replacing the State as the new religion. This of course didn’t stop the link from being made.

During the decades preceding the second World War, 2 Catholic personalities emerged on the national stage, Charles Coughlin and Fulton Sheen. Charles Coughlin was,

… dubbed “the father of hate radio” by a recent biographer, was destined to rise no higher in the church than the priesthood: his early populist message of Christian justice for the working man turned in the thirties into an anti-New Deal, pro-Nazi, and anti-Semitic – as well as anticommunist – platform. Coughlin’s diatribes were tolerated by Vatican officials and encouraged by his bishop for much of the thirties, but he was finally muzzled by an embarrassed hierarchy after Pearl Harbor.

Fulton Sheen on the other hand was an unblemished darling of the church hierarchy. His Catholic Hour radio show was broadcast by 106 radio stations throughout the 1940’s to eventually become a television star in the 1950’s with his show, Life is Worth Living, reach an estimated 5.5 million viewers. There is no doubt Sheen was virulently anticommunist as Coughlin even going so far as to advocate for spying on school teachers who might celebrate May Day (a socialist holiday, and one shared by labor unions). A close friend of J. Edgar Hoover, that bastion of free speech, Sheen would often get his personal friends appointed to what would ultimately become the FBI.

What does all of this mean for freethought in the first half of the 20th century? Nothing good. Freethinkers were more often labeled socialist (which many were) or communists. In general, an unpleasant period in freethought history.

Let the good times roll

I will end this section on a high note before I delve into my opinions on the Future of FreeThought. A number of important court cases would be decided in the mid-century. Everson v. Board of Education (1947) and McCollum v. Illinois (1948) would all but prevent public funds (even indirectly) from being used for religious instruction. The McCollum case would directly challenge “released time” when students would be released during the school day to receive religious instruction from local religious groups. Brown v. Board of Education (1954) which desegregated schools. Engel v. Vitale (1962) found that even non-denominational school prayer was unconstitutional. Roe v. Wade (1973) which protected a woman’s right to have an abortion.

Within the political arena a Catholic would be elected president and give a speech clearly stating that, “I do not speak for my church on public matters – and the church does not speak for me”. A clear difference that was lost on Mitt Romney. Of course, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 would finally pass The Congress.

I won’t detail the activities of secularist involved in the struggle for civil rights, such as, Andrew Goodman Michael Schwerner and James Chaney (who were eventually killed by racist shitbags), Stanley Levison and W.E.B. Du Bois. And modern day feminism, such as, Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan. I will simply assume you know all about it

The tragic early death of a young man, whose talents and potential were widely recognized by the people of Brockville and area, is a story that has been lost in our history.

Edwin Perkins Comstock was the only son of William H. Comstock (1830-1919) and his first wife, Josephine Flint (1840-1890). He was only twenty-six years old, but had gained a reputation in business and public matters that was beyond his years. His father, one of Brockville’s successful patent medicine manufacturers, had taken him into the family business when he was only 19 years old.

Young Comstock had become involved in many of the activities of his home town, and was well-known, bright, and popular, with all those he came into contact. He was described by the Rideau Record as “of a particularly cheerful and loveable disposition, kind and generous, good and true, strikingly free from many of the failings which oft times ruin the lives of young men in his position.”

Another outside newspaper, the Ottawa Free Press wrote that “the universal opinion of his fellow townsmen is that Brockville never had a citizen of his age before, who did so much for the advancement of his native place, and contributed as largely to the interests of charity.”

His health had been a concern for about a year before his final days. He had been struck in 1891 with what was described as a “hemorrhage,” leaving him in a critical condition. He rallied, however, and went south to spend the winter there. On his return to Brockville he felt very much improved. In the spring of 1892, however, he contracted a severe cold from which he never fully recovered, and which led to his death. He was attended by two physicians, Dr. McMonagle and Dr. Cornell who were unable to combat his illness which was pronounced in the press as “inflammation of the heart and stomach.”

His Funeral

On the day of his funeral, Wed. May 25, many people gathered at the family home called “Rockcliffe,” located on King St. East where his body had been laid out for two days. A short service was held at the house in the early afternoon, after which a procession led off for the public service at the First Presbyterian Church on Court House Square.

This photograph records the afternoon possession of funeral carriages traveling along the main street on May 25, 1892 from the family home of Edwin P. Comstock at 185 King St. E. to the mournful celebration of his life in the First Presbyterian Church. This young man had died two days earlier in the prime of his life and career. The shock and loss felt by the people of Brockville resulted in one of the large funerals ever known to be held in the town. The picture also shows the south side of King St. just west of West Market St. including the businesses from the Revere House hotel to Ritchie’s store. Notice, as well, the dirt road, wooden sidewalks and crossing, and the new wooden electrical power poles.

His funeral was the largest and most impressive seen in Brockville up to that time. The service was conducted by the Rev. William A. MacKenzie, assisted by Rev. Dr. Saunders, Rev. Mr. Cairns, and Rev. Mr. Cheetham. The church choir who supplied the music was led by Miss French.

After the formal service was completed, a long period of time was allowed for citizens to view the body while it was in the church.
It was not until about 4:30 pm that the procession to the old Brockville Cemetery led off. In the lead was the 42nd Battalion Band, followed by the 42 members of the volunteer Hook and Ladder Fire Co. with their wagons, Members of the Board of Trade, Town Council, and other citizens were next, all on foot. Then carriages provided by the Comstock Company and the Leeds Reform Association came along filled with floral tributes. Next came the undertaker’s carriage with Rev. MacKenzie, the hearse with his coffin, and numerous citizen’s carriages.

Besides the many people walking in the procession there were about 125 carriages in line. The cortege, owing to its great length, was fully a half hour in passing down Court House Ave. Every place of business was closed, the large factories were closed down and mourning emblems were displayed at frequent intervals along the route. Both sides of King Street, as far as the Kingston Bridge, were lined with people, many of whom could not hold back their tears.

The chosen pall bearers for the funeral were all warm personal fiends of the deceased, Messrs. George A. Dana, Oliver K. Fraser, Frank E. Clayes, Thomas Southworth, Alson A. Fisher, and Charles S. Cossitt. The casket of Edwin Comstock was buried next to that of his beloved mother, Josephine who had died just two years before, in the family plot in the old Brockville Cemetery on the south side of the highway.

As a final note, to quote the Brockville Evening Recorder: “Party feeling, which for many years had been carried to its highest point in Brockville, seemed to have been buried in the general grief, and as a result, young and old, rich and poor, Liberal and Conservative, united in giving expression to the general sorrow which all felt.”

Sources: This little-known story of the life and death of Edwin P. Comstock was found on the microfilmed pages of the Evening Recorder during the period of May 23-27, 1892. These filmed copies are invaluable for research, and can be viewed at the Brockville Public Library. These and other historical resources can also be discovered in the research library of the Leeds & Grenville Genealogical Society in the basement of the Brockville Museum. The photograph, a copy which is now in the photo collection of the Brockville Museum, is believed to have been owned by the family of Mrs. Griswoldine (Comstock) Lewis. Edwin was her half-brother. The photograph was also first published in Brockville, A Pictorial History (1972), edited by Adrian Ten Cate.

DAYTON, Nev.–Join a historian on a tour of the Rock Point Mill site on Saturday, June 14 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
 
Now just a quiet spot across from the Dayton State Park’s entrance, the site, after gold and silver were discovered in the 1850s and 60s, was anything but quiet. The Rock Point Mill was one of the largest stamp mills on the Carson River and one of the only ruins left from those mining days.

 
Local historian, Stony Tennant, will be leading a tour through the site, explaining the colorful history of Dayton’s role in working the Comstock Lode. 
 
The tour begins at Dayton State Park’s group-use area and it is an easy, short walk to the mill site.
 
Dayton State Park is located in the town of Dayton, one of Nevada’s very earliest Comstock settlements. The Carson River flows through the park and offers fishing and bird watching. The Rock Point Mill, built in 1861, was once used to process rich silver ore from nearby Virginia City – remnants of the mill are still visible within the park. Picnicking, camping, hiking and group use facilities are available. Dayton State Park is located on U.S. 50, 12 miles east of Carson City.