A History Lesson

All right kiddies, gather 'round for a lesson in history. I hope I'm doing this for nothing, but I found yesterday's comments a little disturbing (not the ones about coffee).

John Locke, 1632 - 1704, English philosopher, founder of British empiricism. Locke summed up the Enlightenment in his belief in the middle class and its right to freedom of conscience and right to property, in his faith in science, and in his confidence in the goodness of humanity. His influence upon philosophy and political theory has been incalculable. He is best known for authoring his Essay on Human Understanding and Two Treatises on Civil Government. He is best known for his statement that man is entitled to life, liberty, and private property; a saying that the Declaration of Independence got its inspiration for its life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. He is also known for saying "the government which governs best, governs least." We owe to him all the ideas that we hold dear in the founding of our democracy.

I hate to burst anyone's bubble, but I have actually never even seen part of an episode of "Lost." It just isn't my cup of tea. I have never seen an episode of CSI:anything, 24, Law & Order, NCIS, Veronica Mars... Those kind of shows just don't do anything for me. Part of what makes me me is my love of sports and cartoons (the funny kind on Cartoon Network and the like, not the twisted adult kind you find on Comedy Central). I'm a simple guy who likes simple pleasures, and when I sit down to be entertained, I often just want a good laugh. Or I like to learn, so I often watch the History Channel and Food Network, too. Sorry to disappoint anyone. If it counts for anything, I am currently watching the Amazing Race. I love to see all the imagery from the different countries people travel to.

Speaking of the Food Network, I absolutely love Good Eats with Alton Brown (pronounced al-tun like the name "Al," not awl-tun). The guy is just ageniuss. He brings you the "why" of how food works, as opposed to merely the "how" to cook eggs benedict. As opposed to Emeril (who is really loud and annoying) who teaches you how to make super "kicked-up" or "fufu" type food, Alton just wants you to know how to make better scrambled eggs, or even a good fruit cake (there really is such a thing). He figures you're smart enough to take it from there and create your own variations that will turn into family favorites you can hand down for generations. He is leading a new kind of food revolution for home cookin' in America. He talks the science of food, as well as it's history (he has a nutritional anthropologist on his show as a regular feature), and he adds just a dash of pop culture to make it fun. He references authors from Hemingway to Melville with a wit and wisdom that is uncommon. And you know that he has to be somewhat of a quirky weirdo in real life. People with so much common sense who are well versed in history and literature just are. But that's okay, I'm one too, and he's my kind of quirky weirdo.

Speaking of Melville, about a decade ago, the US Forest Service made a move to attempt to change the name of "Smokey the Bear" to just "Smokey Bear." Honestly, either still sounds likemascotott for RJ Reynolds if you ask me. But, he has always been "Smokey the Bear" ever since the Teddy Roosevelt incident that birthed him. The USFS played a particular radio commercial almost constantly for seemingly months to try to make us Americans change our mind and think it was always "Smokey Bear" not "Smokey the Bear." I appreciate all the credit they give us in spite of their advertising "Smokey the Bear" for over fifty years and him "bearing" (chuckle, chuckle...huh, hu...never mind) the name for nearly a century. The commercial would say, "You wouldn't say 'Easter "the" Bunny' or 'Santa "the" Claus.'" One day as we were riding along somewhere in the famijalopyopy listening to the radio, my little brother blurted out after that shpeel "Moby 'the' "Dick" to which immediately we all burst into laughter. I still laugh every time I recall it. Not only is it a memory of better days with him, but it is so true. Stupidity is rampant in our country in the form of politiccorrectnessess. It is nice to be able to laugh at it and life, and know that there is still hope for our country.

I'm gonna do a little meme that you can play along with if you wish. I picked it up...somewhere. I don't remember exactly now, but if that person happens to run across my blog, thanks for the idea.

Grab the book closest to you
Open to page 123
Scroll down to the 5th sentence
Post the text of next 3 sentences on your blog
Name of the book and the author

The excise seemed particularly unfair to inland settlers because it applied to liquor as it left the still, not at the point of sale. This meant that whiskey produced for private consumption or barter was still subject to excise. Furthermore, many of the settlers had come to America to get away from revenue collectors and government interference.

A History of the World in 6 Glasses, Tom Standage.

Anyone hazard a guess to what historical event this led to under what government?

That's it for today.

Blessings,

Jared

"Man is fond of counting his troubles, but he does not count his joys. If he counted them up as he ought to, he would see that every lot has enough happiness provided for it." Fyodor Dostoevsky