Tag: Heimatkunde
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Manors vs non-manors
Random thought spawned by calling the western part of this state Bezos Manor. Bezos unquestionably owns Seattle and thus the state in a personal way. He is lord of the manor, residing in the manor. In old German terms he is Jeff von und zu Seattlesburg. Before he claimed the manor in 2010, it was…
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Back to the 50s
NOT this week’s theme of Missed Points! Some new neighbors (not next door) have been taking advantage of pleasant weather in a pure 1950s way. The whole family is outside playing around, making happy noises, and barbecuing. Kids are walking and biking. Tonight they’re SINGING ALONG WITH THE RADIO IN HARMONY!!!!!! By god, I haven’t…
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Impressive system
This monster has been SLOWLY rotating and SLOWLY sliding eastward for several days without weakening or breaking up. Thursday night it gave us an unusually strong storm with plenty of lightning and isolated big gusts. Fortunately the gusts didn’t hit my neighborhood this time. The central cyclone is clear. Right now the monster spans all…
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Opening a view
This is an ordinary urban view of an ordinary unkempt backyard. The view is important to me because it wasn’t available for several years. From 1991 until 2008 I used the back door often. In 2009 a renovation made it harder to open, and I gradually stopped using it. This year my old washing machine…
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Bailey’s Corners vs Potterville
Picture of the Enid square around 1954 judging by the newest cars. The mix of car brands (at least in this small sample!) fits my theory of Okie oddballs. Oklahoma was settled by nonconformists, so nonconformists remained common. Nine cars visible. Two Chrysler products, one Ford, three GM, one Hudson, two Studebakers. If you selected…
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Temples great and small
Reading another part of the McAlester guide to American architecture. The chapter on Greek Revival styles includes an unexpected math formula. The first term is the veranda or porch. All of the Euro colonizing powers added porches in different forms when they encountered hot non-Euro climates in India, Africa and the Americas. Most of these…
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What old houses think
I’ve always been an animist, not a human exceptionalist. I’m pretty sure all animals and plants are conscious, and fairly sure that some inanimate things can acquire souls. This cartoon from a 1926 architecture journal does a damn good job of expressing what old houses (and old humans and old dogs) think.
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Bravo to Festus!
Many cities and states and countries are rejecting Altman’s demand to take over their minds and water and electricity. Festus joined the trend. Festus is a familiar place. One of my engineer uncles lived there for a while, and my old friend Larry also lived there for a while. It’s good to see a declining…
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When given a chance
This morning’s store trip was enjoyable for the first time in a while. Perfect weather, sunny and 40. The sun was filtered to bring out colors sharply. While waiting at the bus stop I noticed that somebody had drawn a heart and some words in this dirt, obviously meant to be visible from the bus.…
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We’re not using what we have
The local paper has an article about a recent bus crash. A driver was following the computer instead of his eyes, and crashed one of the new double-decker buses into a railroad overpass. I’ve been riding STA buses for 35 years, so I know something about the setup. I’ve been programming for 45 years, so…
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Reprint on Okies
Linked in previous Chuck Norris item, worth a reprint. = = = = = START 2017 REPRINT: A couple days ago I tossed in a techy sidenote on UNARY VARIABLES, just as a random pointless pun: ANTI-WAR is the key. Left and right, liberal and conservative, had some meaning in earlier centuries, but since 1946…
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Perfect contrast
Via Hollywood Reporter, Chuck Norris decided that God needs some Attitude Adjustments. I think he’s right, and I’m sure he’ll Git-r-done. By all accounts Norris was a good and decent man who wanted to live the right way. He was born in Oklahoma to a typical Okie family, part native and part hillbilly. = =…
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Life in the Cracks Day (reprint)
From the National Days website: The Festival of Life in the Cracks Day on March 10 celebrates the sprouting of greenery in the cracks of sidewalks and walls to commemorate the coming of springtime. This annual event acknowledges the complexity of the cycle of life and how renewal and rebirth are integral parts of it.…
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Positive signs from the neighborhood (redated)
Jan 13, 2026: For 20 years a vacant apartment building was the worst thing in the neighborhood, constantly squatted and constantly visited by cops who weren’t allowed to do anything. This situation was NOT understandable. The property was owned by an LLC who could afford to fix things if they wanted to. In 2017 the…
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Earbird 2
Taking out the trash this morning, I brushed against the overgrown windbreak. As usual, thought I should try to trim it back. Suddenly noticed I was face to face with a TINY bird in the branches. He didn’t seem bothered by the closeness, just continued walking along the branch. TINY: less than two inches long…
Polistra's Mill 