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The Invention of Watches

4/30/2020

The history of watches began in the 15th century. The origin of the word "watch," is said to have derived from the word "watchmen." A practical application at that point was for watchmen and guards to be able to track their shifts. If the watches were water resistant back then, sailors could've definitely have used them as they were constantly going on and off duty.

The watch was powered mechanically through springs up until the 1960's when quartz watches took over in the lower-end market. Expensive watches kept their finely tuned mechanical engineering. There was a boom on watches in the 1980's because the prices went so low (digital), but then the prices jumped up again as the "Quartz Crisis," hit. It wasn't a matter of there not being enough quartz as there was plenty, it's just that mining production hadn't caught up to demand.

Watches began as pendants hanging around peoples' necks then in 1810 the Queen of Naples was seen with a wristwatch. It became popular among women but men primarily used pocket watches until the Civil War. In some circles pocket watches remained popular until the early 1900's. It was more expensive than a wristwatch so generally men of wealth still used them.

The U.S. Cash Cow in the Middle-East

4/30/2020

You ever wonder why that during all these years of wanting to pull out of Afghanistan and Iraq, that various attacks would prevent us from doing so? Both ISUS and the Taliban know that we'd leave if given the chance but they keep us there. Why? You'd think they'd want us out.

To solve most problems of this nature you have to think about motives such as influence, power, and money. It has always been this way with mankind. If organizations such as these don't have an enemy that they can convince their people they're fighting against in order to protect them, then none of the motives would be met. Why would there be a need for leadership teams? Why pay for soldiers if there isn't a fight? Fighting is part of the economy in the Middle-East like tourism is to Italy.

Weapons are a huge market. Technology has even become big as these terrorists organizations aren't the goat herders of old. Because these countries are usually under trade embargos, the black market for food supplies, technology and weapons, is huge and countries like China, France, Germany, and Russia make a lot of money off the instability in the Middle-East. They are caught frequently not following U.N. sanctions but aren't cited which is something Trump is so irate about.

So the bottom line is that many countries instead of pushing for peace, stay out of the process. They quietly sit back while making billions of dollars in the black market. Even though they don't want to admit it, they don't want us out of the Middle-East (with the exception of Syria which Russia is using for a strategic military location), because we're the ones creating demand for their illegal products. We don't have to be a Sherlock Holmes to realize that we just have to follow the money to find the answers we're looking for.

When Nothing Is Left

4/29/2020

Sometimes you reach the point where there's nothing left to be done but assign blame.

The Pony Express

4/28/2020

Although many people have heard of the Pony Express, it was actually a short-lived business operation as it only lasted 18 months between 1860 and 1861. The three men who came up with the idea already had government contracts moving supplies through mostly oxen and wagons. They had 6,000 employees and around 75,000 oxen.

The Gold Rush brought hundreds of thousands of people into California and many of them wanted a way to more quickly get mail and packages out east so these men devised a plan which would include 120 riders, 184 stations (post offices), and 400 horses. Buffalo Bill was one of their first riders.

Wagons were limited as to where they could go but horses could make more of a straight path in any direction. It doesn't sound so good now, but the Pony Express could go from coast to coast in 10 days. The operation was halted several times as riders were getting killed by Indians and of course mail and packages were taken.

The cost for sending packages was extremely expensive ($155 in today's dollars), then the price quickly went down to $31.10 as they were trying to find a price point that would be more acceptable but still allow them to make money. Unfortunately for them, cable lines were run across the country and the telegraph took away much of their business so they went under.

Wells Fargo bought their logo. In 1992, Congress designated The Pony Express Trail as a National Historic Trail, and the U.S. Postal Service trademarked the words: "Pony Express," in 2006.

Superheroes and Women's Rights

4/26/2020

Before I go on with this post, it's coming from someone who doesn't have a clue about the other side of the story but it's something I find baffling so I'm writing it.

With the various women's rights movements taking place, one of the things that came up is that young girls need more superheroes. There already was, before the last ten years or so, several including Bat Woman, Bionic Woman, Cat Woman, Wonder Woman, etc. It really wasn't until the last ten years that DC Comics and Marvel Comics put superheroes out there again in their various movies and often times a woman has been part of the team of fighters.

The fact is, young boys weren't changing their futures because of having fictional superheroes; in most cases they weren't even part of a young boy's life with the exception of comic books which a minority of young boys read.

So what baffles me is that why would the women's' movement think that young boys were getting a leg up because they had superheroes. I knew they were fictitious when growing up. I didn't think that I could magically save the world with my superpowers. I didn't form negative opinions about women from reading or watching stories about superheroes.

It's not the fictitious heroes that make the difference. Young girls don't need superheroes like this, they need to study real superheroes like Susan B. Anthony, who for me, is in my top five of the greatest people who have ever lived. Sometimes the women's rights movement gets off on unproductive tangents which in my opinion, takes away from their effectiveness.

African Safari

4/26/2020

To go on an African Safari requires a lot of studying of the rules to ensure you're safety and to clearly understand when and if any unfortunate event occurs, that the touring company is liable. In other words, if you jump off the jeep to chase after lions, they will not be liable for your death.

The other thing that becomes very clear as you read the material is that you're acknowledging that the moment you leave the compound you're officially inserting yourself in the food chain. Bon Appetit.

Where Are You Going?

4/22/2020

The problem with a lot of people is that they'll easily follow someone without asking where he or she is going. We should know the road we're on and why we're on it and if we see a bunch of people on the same road, we're probably going the wrong way.

Cow or a Bull?

4/22/2020

Our farm, and many of those around us, raised cattle. There are many times when I've heard someone make a funny comment that they'd much rather be born a bull than a cow. I then squashed their thought process when I told them that a male calf has around a 95% chance of being castrated and then ending up in the meat department of some grocery story. :)

Horses

4/22/2020

I grew up with horses and I found that when you ride horses, you never want to take a shortcut.

Do You Know?

4/21/2020

When my father passed away he had filled out a journal that reflected upon his memories. My sisters gave it to him and it is actually one of the greatest gifts I've ever received because I found out things about my father I would've never known. Do you know these things about your mom and dad:

1) What do they remember wanting to be when they grew up?
2) What kinds of things did they worry about back then?
3) Do they remember who their first boyfriend or girlfriend was?
4) Do they remember how old they were when they got their first kiss?
5) What was their favorite sport to play?
6) What was their favorite subject in school?
7) What was the biggest thing they got in trouble for when growing up and what was their punishment?
8) What was their first car?
9) What was their first job and do they remember how much it paid?
10) What was the greatest thing they got wrong (miscalculated), about being an adult? 11) What are three things that they feel are most important to having a happy life?
12) This is a tough one and one that might not receive an answer, but what do they feel was their biggest mistake along their journey?
You might not be interested in all the questions I listed but if there are things you'd like to know, now is a great time to find out if they haven't already passed away. Your parents cannot have a legacy without you. You extend their existence through knowledge of their life. Know as much as you can and pass it on to your children.

My parents were awesome, I just wish I knew the extent of their awesomeness while they were still alive because quite frankly, they would've received more respect from me. If only I had another chance.

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Author: John Mann

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