Cleanup in Aisle Lunatic (h/t romad1)

[smr-nj]

People really don’t know/acknowledge just how short a time ago this was.

[chasfh]

35 minutes ago, LaceyLou said:

The books The Warmth of Other Suns, and Caste (both by Isabel Wilkerson) also do an excellent job of describing this. I wish I could say my city was better... unfortunately I cannot.

Both books are excellent.

My read along these lines right now is Freedom's Dominion: A Saga of White Resistance to Federal Power, which came out late last year. It's the history of exactly what it says it is, starting with the "Indian Removal" process of the 1820s and 30s, through the War Between the States, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, post-Civil Rights, on up to Trumpism today, through the perspective of a single county, Barbour County, Alabama, home of the city of Eufaula. Fascinating and insightful.

I am fortunate to have the great Chicago Public Library system that makes just about any book I want to read available to me for the price of the tax dollars I'm already paying them anyway.

[chasfh]

5 minutes ago, oblong said:

I'm reading a book about the development of the Lunar Module.  When reps from Grumman went to Houston for a gathering of all the major contractors for Apollo, while the Johnson Space Center was still being constructed, the Grumman folks had to stay further away because they refused to stay at hotels where their black employees couldn't eat in the restaurant.   "He can stay here but we ask that he not go in the lobby and we can fix him something to eat in the kitchen".

The race to the moon was impacted.

Maybe someone should start a What Are You Reading thread! 😀

[smr-nj]

4 minutes ago, chasfh said:

Both books are excellent.

My read along these lines right now is Freedom's Dominion: A Saga of White Resistance to Federal Power, which came out late last year. It's the history of exactly what it says it is, starting with the "Indian Removal" process of the 1820s and 30s, through the War Between the States, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, post-Civil Rights, on up to Trumpism today, through the perspective of a single county, Barbour County, Alabama, home of the city of Eufaula. Fascinating and insightful.

I am fortunate to have the great Chicago Public Library system that makes just about any book I want to read available to me for the price of the tax dollars I'm already paying them anyway.

I also make use of my library, and have used it in conjunction with my Libby app, to download books.

 

But, I bought Caste because every now and then I like the physical feel of a book, even when I drop it on my face reading in bed. 😂

[chasfh]

6 minutes ago, smr-nj said:

I also make use of my library, and have used it in conjunction with my Libby app, to download books.

 

But, I bought Caste because every now and then I like the physical feel of a book, even when I drop it on my face reading in bed. 😂

I almost always get physical books, mainly because I don't like staring at a backlit screen for long stretches of time. Especially true on those nights I wake up in the middle of the night, can't fall right back to sleep, and then want to read something to lead me back to dreamland.

Although, by sheer coincidence, I did get a library book today through Libby, first time in maybe over a year, because an e-version was available but the actual book has a lot of holds on it. The book is:

Adrift

America in 100 Charts

Edited April 14, 2023 by chasfh

[chasfh]

Also, Sue, I ran out of likes for the day. I'll try to remember to give you one when I come back in another day. 🙂

[oblong]

I read on my kindle app.  Doesn't bother me.  I'm one of the rare ones I guess that prefer electronic.  Plus when I'm done they make references to other books on the same topic.  

[chasfh]

12 minutes ago, oblong said:

I read on my kindle app.  Doesn't bother me.  I'm one of the rare ones I guess that prefer electronic.  Plus when I'm done they make references to other books on the same topic.  

I've been keeping my eye out for a full book-sized kindle (~ 10" screen) that has a paperwhite background and allows for full color graphics. Either the technology is not there yet, or they're working on something like that now, or they're not actively working on it, or they've decided it's not worth the R&D hassle because iPads. But I would definitely drop a couple or three c-notes on something like that if it ever came out.

[Tigeraholic1]

1 hour ago, chasfh said:

First of all, we don't hang out in small towns when we travel. I'm talking about places like Nashville, Memphis, Jackson, Birmingham, Montgomery, Atlanta.

Secondly, white people in small towns or big cities, either up north or down south, wherever, never go out of their way to engage me, a stranger, and smile or say hi. Every once in a while here in the big city a black person, usually an older black guy, will engage me that way. It's slightly jarring because it's so out of place around here. But it's really common with black people in the south, and every time we go. Not always, and not every one. But enough do to lead me to believe that there's a specific cultural thing among those folks in that area, and for some reason.

Can’t a person just be nice? Sorry to accuse you of hanging out in small towns, geez…

[pfife]

Books and reading are for elitist libs but I strongly prefer Kindle to paper book

[RatkoVarda]

32 minutes ago, chasfh said:

 

Adrift

America in 100 Charts

great book - but depressing. So many things are not as they should be.

[chasfh]

17 minutes ago, Tigeraholic1 said:

Can’t a person just be nice? Sorry to accuse you of hanging out in small towns, geez…

Relax, no need to become agitated or defensive.

Sure, a person can just be nice. It happens a lot. I also find it interesting that a specific type of person in a specific area, which has a well-documented history of deadly oppression against that type of person, is unfailingly cordial to me, identified by sight as a possible representative of the local oppressor type, in stranger-oriented situations; while other types of people in that same area are not, and while the same type of person in other areas are also not.

I suppose that that specific type of person in that specific area could simply just happen to be, as a group, far more cordial (or "nice", if you prefer) than the other types I mentioned. It's possible, but I find that a little far-fetched when taken against the other, to me more probable, explanation: that the history of deadly behavior toward that type of person precipitated a necessary survival strategy of highly-visible, inordinate, even excessive cordiality as a way of gaining enough approval in the moment to survive the encounter. This is consistent with the voluminous historical documentation of the subject, it was a very real circumstance well past the mid-point of the last century, and it makes more sense than the explanation that, by simple coincidence, this group of people in this specific area just happen to be far, far nicer (i.e., more cordial) than any other group of people in any other area I have encountered.

[Tigeraholic1]

27 minutes ago, chasfh said:

Relax, no need to become agitated or defensive.

Sure, a person can just be nice. It happens a lot. I also find it interesting that a specific type of person in a specific area, which has a well-documented history of deadly oppression against that type of person, is unfailingly cordial to me, identified by sight as a possible representative of the local oppressor type, in stranger-oriented situations; while other types of people in that same area are not, and while the same type of person in other areas are also not.

I suppose that that specific type of person in that specific area could simply just happen to be, as a group, far more cordial (or "nice", if you prefer) than the other types I mentioned. It's possible, but I find that a little far-fetched when taken against the other, to me more probable, explanation: that the history of deadly behavior toward that type of person precipitated a necessary survival strategy of highly-visible, inordinate, even excessive cordiality as a way of gaining enough approval in the moment to survive the encounter. This is consistent with the voluminous historical documentation of the subject, it was a very real circumstance well past the mid-point of the last century, and it makes more sense than the explanation that, by simple coincidence, this group of people in this specific area just happen to be far, far nicer (i.e., more cordial) than any other group of people in any other area I have encountered.

When you started your reply with taking off your glasses and saying "First of all!" That was a little agitating so,,,, relax.

It could also be the persona you reflect to them. Maybe when they see you and your outward appreance they fear you to cause an issue? You being a Yankee, from Chicago  with no accent may complain to there boss or leave a bad review of their bussiness? Yes racism is real and everywhere but being nice sometimes is just being nice. 

[Tigeraholic1]

1 hour ago, romad1 said:

Those who served in the integrated military know all this stuff is stupid.  

Lots of racism still but when you work together you learn that the difference are not actually significant.  

Not many here can relate in this way. 

[Motown Bombers]

 

[Motown Bombers]

5 minutes ago, Tigeraholic1 said:

When you started your reply with taking off your glasses and saying "First of all!" That was a little agitating so,,,, relax.

It could also be the persona you reflect to them. Maybe when they see you and your outward appreance they fear you to cause an issue? You being a Yankee, from Chicago  with no accent may complain to there boss or leave a bad review of their bussiness? Yes racism is real and everywhere but being nice sometimes is just being nice. 

I figured if they knew he was from Chicago they would run and take cover. 

[oblong]

If a republican wins in 2024 I fully expect pardons for Jan 6 convictions.

[pfife]

I figured folks see chasf and tell him to shut up and play his guitar

[pfife]

Or to not eat the yellow snow 

[Motown Bombers]

 

[oblong]

You know these assholes would have different opinions on such things if it were their wives or teenage daughters that were victims

In their mind it's targeted towards black people, poor white people, and just "sluts" in general so they deserve whatever hardship befalls them and any hurt for the child is the fault of the woman.  But just the woman. Boys will be boys.  What are you gonna do?

 

[chasfh]

1 hour ago, oblong said:

You know these assholes would have different opinions on such things if it were their wives or teenage daughters that were victims

In their mind it's targeted towards black people, poor white people, and just "sluts" in general so they deserve whatever hardship befalls them and any hurt for the child is the fault of the woman.  But just the woman. Boys will be boys.  What are you gonna do?

 

Oh, they are all for abortions for their daughters if it’s convenient. They’re just against abortions for your daughters. You’re the one who needs to be saved, not them. They’re already saved. 😏

But in all seriousness, yeah. 100%. It’s to their benefit to be in charge of people and control what they can and cannot do.

[CMRivdogs]

I'll just sit here and sip my Tannat and shake my head at both sides...

 

[chasfh]

.

Edited April 15, 2023 by chasfh

[romad1]

What a sheiss