Pleasing things on a cold day

Watching birds with puffed up feathers.
Staying under the covers.
A pot full of hot tea.
Company.

Harry Reid: 1858

I will say, then, that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races; that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say, in addition to this, that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race.

--From Political debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas--

Of course Abraham Lincoln wanted to make sure everyone knew he was racist.

Post-modernism: 1651

The protestors urged for themselves, that, since all protestants rejected the pretence of infallibility, the major part of the church might fall into errors, in which case the lesser number could not be bound to submit to them...

--From History of his own Times--

 It's like there are multiple view-points and no one can be sure which one is correct, or if any of them are.

Poetry: 1656

THE FARTS EPITAPH.

READER, I was borne and cryed
Crackt so, smelt so, and so dyed.
Like to Caesars was my death,
He in senat lost his breath;
And alike inter'd doth lye,
The famous Romulus and I.
And, at last, like Floria faire,
I left the common wealth mine aire.

--From The muses recreation--

I think the popularity of poetry had declined in direct proportion with the ability of poets to publish fart jokes.

Of course in the future, no one will understand our biting political humor; all they'll find find funny is our fart jokes and the like.

The Bee Gees: 1640

Chevy Volt: 1640

This painting is supposedly illustrating Tulip Mania. I guess financial bubbles make people dream of alternative energy vehicles; everything is possible when money isn't an issue.

War for oil: 1640

This struck many of the enthusiasts of the king's side, as much as it exalted the Scots; who were next day possessed of Newcastle, and so were masters, not only of Northumberland and the bishopric of Duresme, but of the coalries; by which, if they had not been in a good understanding with the city of London, they could have distressed them extremely: but all the use the city made of this was, to raise a great outcry, and to complain of the war, since it was now in the power of the Scots to starve them.

--From History of his own Times--

 They had a high percentage of wind and water power, but were still dependent on fossil fuels.

Eminent domain: 1628

In the third year of his reign the earl of Nithisdale... ...was sent down with a power to take the surrender of all church lands, and to assure all who did readily surrender, that the king would take it kindly, and use them all very well, but that he would proceed with all rigour against those who would not submit their rights to his disposal. Upon his coming down, those who were most concerned in those grants met at Edinburgh, and agreed, that when they were called together, if no other argument did prevail to make the earl of Nithisdale desist, they would fall upon him and all his party in the old Scotish manner, and knock them on the head.

--From History of his own Times--

 And that is how democracy works.

All the news that's fit to print: 1705

My chief design in writing was to give a true view of men and of counsels, leaving public transactions to gazettes and the public historians of the times

--From History of his own Times--

Because you'd never expect to find the true views of politicians in newspapers. With our spin doctors and our classified information it's hard to believe we are any different today, even with our much vaunted "transparency". Who are the ones always saying how transparent things are anyway? Politicians!

Information overload: 1773

There came on a dreadful storm of wind and rain, which continued all day, and rather increased at night. The wind was directly against our getting to Mull. We were in a strange state of abstraction from the world: we could neither hear from our friends, nor write to them. Col had brought Daille on the Fathers, Lucas on Happiness, and More's Dialogues, from the Reverend Mr. M'Lean's, and Burnet's History of his own Times, from Captain M'Lean's; and he had of his own some books of farming, and Gregory's Geometry. Dr. Johnson read a good deal of Burnet, and of Gregory, and I observed he made some geometrical notes in the end of his pocket-book. I read a little of Young's Six Weeks' Tour through the Southern Counties; and Ovid's Epistles, which I had bought at Inverness, and which helped to solace many a weary hour.

--From Boswell's Life of Johnson--

It's like Twitter went down and they spent the day watching DVD's borrowed from friends.

What is so bad about being consumed by media? Seems like very intelligent people of the past lived and breathed media. Even when they weren't using media they were talking about or making illusions to things they had been exposed to.

I propose that it is the quality of media that matters, not quantity, and hereby resolves to try and immerse myself as much as possible in the world of thoughts and ideas.

Time for reflection

Do cats care when a new decade arises? No, and why should they. Every day is the beginning of a new ten year period. But human minds seem to find some special fascination with the end of each year, decade, or century. Not that this is wrong, per se. What bothers me, is that people wait until the end of these periods to reflect on the past, when they should be reflecting on the past every day of their lives.

Evidence of cause and effect doesn't just make itself shown at the end of years or decades, it's much more elusive than that; sometimes easily visible, and sometimes popping up at odd intervals. Look for it at only certain times, and you may never see a thing, or lack the abilities to see anything useful.