Retro Truthiness

I swear I'll start posting more...someday

2006-10-03T22:36:00.000-05:00

I do actually have stuff to post on here- I just really haven't had time. So if there's anyone out there that would like me to add them as a contributor, I'd be more than willing to do that. (*nudges little brother*)

I did, however, come across this today:
History of Smokey the Bear

I'm a big fan of Smokey. It was my favorite book as a kid and when I did all that work at the UI Library last summer I managed to get some duplicate pieces and such that were being discarded. Most of the images I now have are included on this website.

For those of you that don't know, I am working in another Government Depository so hopefully I can continue my work here. But again, that requires time. Or perhaps just ambition.

"A tree hurts, too"

2006-07-27T15:45:00.000-05:00

"A tree, like a human person, can be hurt...Hurt in the sense of injury, damage, or wounds, but of course not in the sense of feeling pain."
"...and like you and me, a tree responds to its wounds. It may not say 'ouch,' but it does react. A tree 'hurts,' too."

("A tree hurts, too", Northeastern Forest Experiment Station, Forest Service, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, 1973)

More of the world's conflicts arise out of emotions than out of economics.

2006-07-18T16:48:00.000-05:00

"There is a widespread belief among Americans that all human beings are motivated mainly by aspirations for a better life and that they will pursue these aims steadily and with good sense when the opportunity is offered to them. This ignores the fact that there are passions in men which are more powerful than the simple aspiration for a better life- passions based upon religion, nationalism, pride, prejudice, tradition, and so on. More of the world's conflicts arise out of emotions than out of economics. War itself is very bad economics. Still, we cannot seem to get it through our heads that offering people a chance to improve their standard of living does not in itself cause them to behave consistently in a purely rational manner. Man is not content with material things alone, and economic opportunity is only one of his aspirations."

Some Right and Wrong Thinking About American Foreign Assistance
by Thomas E. Naughten, Director, U.S. Operations Mission in Thailand,
International Cooperation Administration,
January 27, 1959

"Fires Hinder the Almighty's Plans"

2006-06-22T16:45:00.000-05:00

"We have said it before, but we say it again: When foolish man lets land become impoverished and infertile, the Almighty Himself comes in and tries to rebuild it. He tries to restore the fertility man has robbed it of...
But do we cooperate with him? Not at all. At least not most of us. Most of us burn off grass and broomsedge. Many of us are unconcerned when fires kill young deciduous trees and stunt the growth of all pines they touch. We burn up countless thousands of dollars worth of nitrogen and humus in the form of broomsedge, dry grass, pine straw, and forest leaves, and thereby invite three disasters: (1) Deprived of the humus-cover the Almighty has developed, the land starts washing again. (2) Deprived of the nitrogen which goes up in smoke, the soil becomes as poor as it was when the Almighty's own process of soil-restoration began. (3) We are forced to be high priced commercial nitrogen to take the place of that we have let burn up.
'The Land is mine', said Jehovah of old. And still when foolish man impoverishes it, He seeks its restoration. Shall we cooperate with Him or hinder Him? Every fire that sweeps over our fields or forests this spring constitutes our answer to this question." Progressive Farmer, Birmingham, Alabama

(From "The Voice of the Press on Forest Fires", U.S.D.A. Forest Service, 1940?)

A tidbit...

2006-05-25T20:26:00.000-05:00

I've been collecting quotes and tidbits from gov docs for the 3 years I've been working there. I found a fun one today- I'd forgotten about this-

In a publication about how kids should resist peer pressure to drugs, they list responses to the ever-dreaded question, "Hey, want a joint?"

And their suggested response?

"I really don't think I want to get into grass until I can afford my own."

"The 'tenderfoot,' when camping in the mountains, usually builds a regular bonfire and cooks himself while burning his food."

2006-05-25T15:40:00.000-05:00

In the "Forestry Handbook for California" (1936):

"Good Woodsmanship and Forest Laws"
What to do when lost: If the Good Woodsman loses his way he does not run around and yell at the top of his voice. He realizes that loss of mental control is more serious than lack of food, water, or clothing, and that the man who keeps his head has the best chance of coming through in safety. He, therefore, acts in accordance with the following helpful rules:
1. Stop, sit down, and try to figure out where you are. Use your head, not your legs.
2. If caught by night, fog or storm, stop at once and make camp until daylight in a sheltered spot. Build a fire in a safe place. Gather plenty of dry fuel for use during the night.
3. Don't wander around. Travel only down hill. Follow water courses or ridges that lead down into the valleys.
4. If injured, choose a cleared spot on top of a hill or peak and make a signal smoke with green leaves and branches. The fire lookout men or the pilots of airplanes may see the smoke.
5. Don't yell, don't run, don't worry, and above all don't quit.*

*(emphasis in original)
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In the same publication, I found some wisdom that I agree whole-heartedly with. Too bad we seem to have forgotten this:

"Our wise farmer knows the best use to which he should put his land in order to hand it down to his sons in better condition than he found it. He rotates his crops so that the soil does not lose its fertility by too constant use. He cultivates and fertilizes his orchards so that they will continue to produce large harvests. He grazes the proper number of cattle on his pastures so that the grass will not be killed by over-grazing. He cuts only the mature trees on his woodlands for fence posts, poles and firewood, and protects the young trees that he leaves to produce a continuous wood supply.
If the Nation had cared for its land as our wise farmer has done, from the time it was first settled, there would be no need today for land use planning. But it took a great world depression to teach us how completely we as a Nation are dependent upon our soil resources--soil to grow agricultural crops and forage for livestock, soil for forests and woodlands, and for the vegetation that protects the watersheds of our streams which are essential to our very existence."
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And some amusing law enforcement tips for forest rangers...and really, for the rest of us:

"Law Enforcement on National Forests- California District" (1926)

Getting a lead:
"if possibilities permit, eliminate at once the busybodies who always claim to know all about every happening, and go after those who really know most or were first on the ground."

The interview:
"This is always a test of wits, but the investigating officer has the whip hand, since the witness is usually playing a dangerous game which affects his calmness. Flasehood involves a frame-up. The necessary thing is to get behind the frame up. The means by which this can be done is thorough questioning; perfunctory or aimless questioning will not do it."

Ain't nothin' nice about split skins y0

2006-05-24T16:44:00.000-05:00

Helpful hints on what to do when one is camping in the "new" fabulous national parks. I've saved you from the immense amount of recipes including powdered milk and various dried fruits and vegetables. (Including the tips on how to clean freshly killed game.)

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To Cook on a Rock-- Take two large clean, dry, flat stones, place one above the other with a few pebbles between to keep the stones apart, and build a fire around them. When they are well heated sweep away the ashes and place the slices of meat between the stones. (Milan and Smith)

"Hot Dogs"-- Put frankfurters into boiling water and let simmer for 5 minutes. Don't let them cook too rapidly or too long for their skins will split and they won't look so nice.
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"Cooking Over the Camp-Fire" July 1945 (Forest Service)

You'd be amazed at how much Russian Jews in Chicago eat!

2006-05-23T20:31:00.000-05:00

In the early 1900s, the government began to learn how to determine fat and protein amounts in food and the calorie was invented. A publication from the Dept. of Agriculture entitled "Investigations on the Nutrition of Man" included the results of a survey of various groups of people. While the statistics on how much each group eats and what sort of things they eat amazingly corresponds to the sort of food that would probably have been available to them (in terms of grain vs. meat), the groups they were separated into are far more interesting. I figure it'll just be easiest to give you the complete list- the amusing bits sort of jump out at you anyway:
PERSONS WITH ACTIVE WORK:
Rowing clubs in New England
Bicyclists in New York
Football teams in Connecticut and California
PERSONS WITH ORDINARY WORK:
Farmers' families
Mechanics' families
Laborers' families in large cities
Laborers' families in more comfortable circumstances
PROFESSIONAL MEN:
Lawyers, teachers, etc.
College clubs
PERSONS IN DESTITUTE CIRCUMSTANCES:
Poor families in New York City
Laborers' families in Pittsburg, Pa
MISCELLANEOUS:
Negro families in Alabama
Negro families in Virginia
Italian families in Chicago
French Canadians in Chicago
Bohemian families in Chicago
Inhabitants of Java Village-Columbian Exposition 1893
Russian Jews in Chicago
Mexican families in New Mexico
Chinese dentist in California
Chinese laundrymen in California
Chinese farm laborers in California
Fruitarians

Yay Guns!

2006-05-22T22:46:00.000-05:00

According to a 1967 publication from the Department of Agriculture, the "Safe Use of Firearms..." leads to:
- Good sport
- Good exercise
- Relaxation
- Tests skill
- Develops companionship
- Gives pride of accomplishment
- May provide food
I'm glad they agree with me! While playing with guns only OCCASIONALLY provides me with food, it always relaxes me. And of course, nobody loves me like my gun does!
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They also suggest that "Alcohol and gunpowder don't mix!"
Well of course, sillies! Gunpowder isn't soluble is it?
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Just a reminder: You should always always always "Keep Children, Guns, and Ammunition Apart". I recommend keeping them in their own rooms. Putting your kids' bedroom between the gun room and the ammo room is probably the best idea. I mean, they won't be able to be in two places at once!
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Now, shall we review the breakdown of 173 home firearm fatalities?
---------------------------------------------
Playing with gun: 49
Examining or demonstrating gun: 25
Cleaning or repairing gun: 22
Russian roulette: 11
Picking up or setting down gun: 9
Loading or unloading gun: 9
Tripping or falling with guns: 7
Scuffling for possession of gun: 5
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I know what you are all thinking... Did the number of victims of Russian Roulette go up or down after the release of the Deer Hunter? I don't know, but I think the stats are obviously out there. Thus begins the first "Retro Truthiness" big fabulous prize giveaway! If you can tell me the number of victims of Russian Roulette before and after the release of the Deer Hunter and explain the relationship between those numbers, YOU WIN!*
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Oh but the fun with stats isn't over!

"Of 7,530 hunting casualties reported to the National Rifle Association, the following were the 12 major causes of the accidents:
Victim of out of sight shooter: 1,075
Victim covered by shooter swinging on game: 827
Shooter stumbled and fell: 714
Victim mistaken for game: 655
Victim moved into line of fire: 429
Trigger caught on brush or other object: 331
Removing weapon from or placing in vehicle: 291
Ricochet: 278
Defective weapon: 274
Weapon fell from insecure rest: 224
Riding in vehicle with loaded weapon: 223
Crossing fence or other obstacle with loaded weapon: 216"

(Quotes and stats taken from "Keep Your Sights on Safety- 24th National Farm Safety Week, July 23-29, 1967" issued by the Department of Agriculture)

*Void where prohibited. Not everyone will win. You must not be present to win. Prizes are not yet chosen thus will be carefully selected upon your victory.

You'd be amazed how warm Chinchilla is in the winter

2006-05-19T16:28:00.000-05:00

In the late 30s/early 40s, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture began researching "other crops" to add to and/or replace crops that became increasingly difficult to produce. One type of crop that had previously been unconsidered was fur. While there remained a demand for fur, there were less and less trappers that could harvest the fur from nature and it was determined that it was best for farmers to begin raising the sort of animals one would get fur from in capitivity. This included mink, red fox, silver fox, beaver, and raccoon. They attempted to raise other sorts of furry animals and hoped that consumer demand would increase. There are two notable rejected furry things. Although, their reasoning for abandoning these "crops" seems completely irrational to me.
1) Skunks- Although one can obviously de-scent a skunk in captivity, the black fur with white stripes surprisingly received little rise in demand from the general public.
2) Chichillas- Although one would think that this cute, fluffy, soft, grey-ish creature would make a fantastic coat, it seems that it too, was not in high demand. As you would think, many many small furry things were required to make a coat of any size, which made them less desirable already. Keeping many chinchillas in capitivity was filled with its own difficulties, making them far more trouble than they were worth.

And what EXACTLY is this Retro Truthiness of which you speak?

2006-05-19T14:11:00.000-05:00

It's very very simple really. I am working in a government depository library this summer. A very large part of my job is doing what we library sorts call "Retro Work". What this means is that I get to dig through the card catalog, pull the corresponding documents off the shelf, and find a record so that it can be put online and is then searchable through the fancy shmancy library website. This also means that I get to look at things that no one has cared about for nearly a century (as is evidenced by the fact that they haven't been touched for decades). This also means that I get to absorb the fantastic forgotten knowledge of the government, ie. Retro Truthiness. Big Brother "tells it like it is". And because I'm positive that this information is going to be helpful to others, I'm going to share it with all of you. Really, who knows better than The Man?