Today in History

August 23, 1904. The automotive tire chain was patented by Harold D. Weed of New York. This has allowed us to do things like this:

It always amazes me to see old photos like this and see what old cars were capable of. Many of today's so-called 4wheel drive vehicles wouldn't be able to get half of the places these old cars made it. 

Sound City

This is one of those documentaries that I've been itching to see ever since I got wind of it. As I checked to see if anything new had become available on Amazon Prime Instant Video, I was excited to see this movie available for free streaming. I love watching music documentaries, and this one piqued my interest even more because it is directed by Dave Grohl. Dave is one of my favorite musicians, and I've watched his evolution from Nirvana drummer to Foo Fighters frontman over the years with admiration. He is incredibly talented as a musician and now the role of movie director can be added to his repertoire. The film shows the story of Sound City, a Southern California recording studio that has seen the recording of such monumental albums as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' Damn the Torpedoes, Dio's Holy Diver, and Nirvana's Nevermind. Even as the rest of the music industry went digital, Sound City hung on to recording with tape and maintained the goal of capturing quality in music. So much of music today is digitally altered, and it can be hard to tell if a musician is actually talented or if a computer has made them sound good. The musicians featured in this documentary, who have all recorded at Sound City at one time or another, are those who are truly talented and view making music as an art. One of the best parts of the film is near the end, as it transitions from the Sound City story to showing the recording of a new album with some of the musicians that have recorded at the studio. Dave, Krist Novoselic (Nirvana), and Paul McCartney (who, looking at a list of albums recorded at Sound City, I'm not sure ever actually recorded there. But who cares, it's Paul McCartney) record a song for the new album. It's awesome seeing these two generations of musical icons come together and jam. If you love music, then check this film out.

More info can be found here: http://buy.soundcitymovie.com/

Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet

Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet, by John G. Turner, tells the story of a fascinating and complex man, one who was loved my many but reviled by many as well. Much like Richard Bushman's Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling, Turner's work shows that Young was human, complete with faults and mistakes. It seems at times that many members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (of which I myself am a member) view our prophets as almost mythical figures who were not capable of doing wrong. Of course, this is not the case. Brigham Young was a complex man who had his share of faults, along with the many good qualities he possessed. Turner (who is not Mormon) does a good job of addressing the many issues that arose as Young served as President of the church. As expected, he examines his handling of the Willie-Martin Handcart company tragedy as well as the Mountain Meadows Massacre. He gives praise to Young for how he managed to move an entire church across the frontier and establish a new Zion in the Rocky Mountains. I enjoyed this book and felt that Turner examined Young's life as objectively as possible. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in church history, or in the history of the American West or American religion in general.

Back to New Mexico

It's funny how things work out sometimes. Three years ago I graduated from New Mexico State University with a Master of Arts in History. I took what I thought to be the more practical route and specialized in Public History. I did an internship at one museum and volunteered at another. I graduated with no job, and we moved back to Idaho to live with my parents. I interviewed at several museums and historic sites, but nothing materialized. I ended up going back to Target (for the third time in my life) and Marie went back to teaching at Head Start. It felt like we were going backwards. I soon realized my hopes of working in a museum were not going to come to fruition. I decided I needed to pursue another avenue. As an undergraduate I kicked around the idea of going to library school before eventually settling on public history. So, it wasn't a difficult decision to pursue another masters in library science, even though I really, and I mean really, didn't want to go back to school. I was so done with school, but I knew I had to do something. The University of Oklahoma has a very good library school, and they offer the program from the Tulsa campus. Marie's dad and stepmom happen to live in Tulsa and have a 1 bedroom house on their property. Small, but shelter nonetheless. So two years ago we headed to Oklahoma. I'm an Idaho boy. I don't do well in the Midwest. It's hot, it's flat, and I'm a wee bit scared of tornadoes. It was a struggle for me here, especially early on. As time has gone on, I've become a little more used to living here but I still miss the west. I graduated with my library degree and gained some great library experience through three different jobs (all part-time). However, that full time job that would launch my career still evaded me. I was getting interviews, and good ones at that. I even had an on-campus interview at Wichita State University for a very good job that I really thought I was going to get. Turns out they didn't hire any of the three candidates they brought on campus. Apparently they must be looking for a super librarian or something. No hard feelings. Ok, maybe just a little. Then, in June, things started to change. I had the very distinct possibility of being offered a full-time job in Tulsa at Phillips Theological Seminary, where I was working part time. In fact, they did offer me a full-time position. However, in the meantime, I had also been asked to come on campus at New Mexico State University (yes, my alma mater) for a second interview for a Digital Projects Librarian. Fortunately, I didn't have to wait long to hear back from NMSU. They called me within 3 days of my interview and offered me the job (this is in no way typical of academic library jobs). What's crazy is the position was posted in December. I didn't initially apply for it for various reasons. Marie kept urging me to apply for it, especially after it was reposted. So I did, around the end of April. They called me the first week of June, I did a phone interview a week later, and was in Las Cruces two weeks after that. Then the job offer came (and a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders). I'm still kind of in shock, just because it seemed like it was never going to happen. So back to Las Cruces we go. I'm so excited to be heading back to the mountains and deserts of the west. I can honestly say there isn't much about Oklahoma that I will miss other than Marie's family. The winters here were nice, and there are some cool places that we were able to visit, but I just don't belong in the Midwest. I'm excited (and a little nervous) to start my new position, and to finally start a career instead of just having a job.

The Great Typo Hunt: Two Friends Changing the World, One Correction at a Time

This book was really fun to read. It follows the exploits of Jeff Deck and Benjamin Herson, who travel across the country looking for and correcting typos, mainly on signs and things of that nature. Jeff also spends some time with his girlfriend as well as another friend, but the majority of the time is spent with Benjamin. Some people that know me know I myself can be a stickler for typos and correct grammar and punctuation, although by no means do I understand the English language like Mr. Deck (he works as a professional editor). But, I do notice typos quite a bit. Thus, I could relate quite well to what these two were trying to accomplish. It seems like one of the most common mistakes is the use of its and it's. They found issues with this everywhere. I see it all the time as well and it drives me crazy. Don't use it's if there's no possessive. I also see people using an apostrophe to make something possessive when there is absolutely no reason to. They encountered this quite often as well. You might think a book about this subject matter would be boring, but the authors make it quite entertaining with their humorous writing style. They also get into a bit of trouble with the National Park Service, although what they did was certainly not intended to be malicious. What's ironic is that the court papers they are issued for their little run-in with the NPS were laden with typos and other errors. I found that to be one of the more amusing aspects of their journey. I recommend it for those interested in the English language as well as those interested in road trip memoirs. And, in case you were wondering, I did find myself paying extra attention to find typos and other errors within the book. I didn't find any. That's not to say there weren't any, but I didn't find any. I'm guessing that due to the nature of the book it was edited and looked over extremely carefully. The authors would look pretty silly had there been errors. So, if this kind of thing sounds interesting (it probably won't to most people), check it out.

More information here: http://greattypohunt.com/

Today in History

In light of Tuesday night's incredible NBA Finals game (hopefully tonight's Game 7 will be just as exciting - by the way, what kind of fans leave a 5 point game with 30 seconds left? Seriously, do these people not know that Reggie Miller scored 8 points by himself in 9 seconds? Never leave a game that close. Stupid fairweather fans), today marks the 20th anniversary of the Chicago Bulls beating the Phoenix Suns in the Finals in 1993. Holy crap, 20 years. Really? The Bulls won Game 6 on a John Paxson 3 pointer, beating my team and my favorite player Charles Barkley. I remember watching that game on my tiny little black and white TV, because our color one was being repaired (remember TV repair shops? remember b&w TV, for that matter?). It was a heartbreaking game, but a very good series. I sure do miss those days, but it's been fun watching so many future Hall of Famers in this year's finals. I really don't care who wins the series, I'm not a fan of either team, and hopefully the Thunder will be back next year (once Barkley retired, I kind of lost interest in rooting for one team, but the Thunder have captivated my interest and Durant is by far my favorite current NBA player. I just don't have any die-hard allegiance to any sports teams outside of the Broncos. They're the only team I care passionately about). Anyways, enjoy the game tonight, hopefully it will be another classic.

An Important Day in Animation History

Today marks the introduction of two beloved animated characters. The Tasmanian Devil made his first appearance in the cartoon "The Devil May Hare" in 1954. Garfield made its debut as a comic strip in 1978. So, technically, I guess more than two beloved characters were introduced, since Odie and Jon also came along with Garfield. That raises the question, though. Is Jon beloved? He's kind of neurotic. Check out Garfield minus Garfield, which examines Jon's craziness: http://garfieldminusgarfield.net/ (the site is currently under maintenance but should be back up soon). Anyways, enjoy the very first Garfield comic:

The "Devil May Hare" video can be seen here: http://www.supercartoons.net/cartoon/683/devil-may-hare.html.

Pedal Driven

Why do I keep doing this to myself? Why do I voluntarily watch documentaries that show the beautiful mountains and open spaces of the West? Nature porn...Anyways, this is another of those serendipitous Netflix finds. Pedal Driven looks at the conflict between mountain bikers (specifically freeriders building illegal trails) and the Forest Service in Leavenworth, WA. Trails would be built, and the Forest Service would go in and tear them down. Any progress made between the two parties would be set back. As the film progresses, though, a dialogue begins to open up between the interested parties. The managing ranger in the Leavenworth area even takes a trip with the bikers to Oregon to look at how some of the National Forests there have worked with bikers to allow for good trails to be built on public land. The point of the story, at least to me, is that if groups with conflicting interests will sit down and discuss what they want and what the different options are, compromises can be made and both can leave satisfied. (Hear that, Congress?) This film also really made me want to get back on my bike. I used to do a fairly good amount of mountain biking back in Idaho, of course I was in better shape at that point in my life. I did take the bike out for a quick ride this morning, and even though it hurt, it was fun. I'd like to get out and try some of the dirt trails close to Tulsa, but with the Oklahoma summer bearing down on us and temperatures starting to climb into the mid to high 90s, that might have to wait. I might just have to stick to early morning rides on the bike path close to home for now. Anyways, if you're interested in mountain biking or public lands management, check this film out.

http://pedaldriven.howellatthemoon.com/

Hard Twisted

Hard Twisted, by C. Joseph Greaves, is a fictional account of an historical event. I guess that makes it "historical fiction." I've never really been much of a fan of historical fiction, but in this case, I was oblivious to to the fact that the book was based on a true story until the author's notes and acknowledgements at the end. Honestly, I didn't know much about the book at all when I decided to read it, I only knew that it was partly based in Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl period, which is an era and a region that highly interests me. The author was inspired to write the book after finding several human skulls while hiking in a canyon in southern Utah. The skulls were of local Native Americans, but Greaves became interested in the murder of former Blanding (Utah) area sheriff William Oliver. The book revolves around the journey of his murderer and a young girl he essentially kidnapped and took with him on the road. The book's style is reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy, although Greaves doesn't quite reach McCarthy's levels of avoiding punctuation, just the lack of quotation marks during the dialogue. Anyone interested in the history of this incident, as well as fans of westerns (I always enjoy an early 20th century story set in the west, as it paints a picture of two eras colliding, as the Old West becomes the New West), will enjoy this book.

More information on the book and the history behind it (spoiler alert) can be found here: http://chuckgreaves.com/hard-twisted/

Today in History

So, I probably should have written about more important stuff that happened earlier in the week, like the Teton Dam Flood in my beloved home state of Idaho, which occurred on June 5, 1976. Or perhaps D-Day, June 6, 1944, probably one of the most important days of the 20th century, if not all of history. Alas, I missed out. As I looked for something to write about for today, nothing really stood out to me. So, we'll go with another celebrity birthday. On this day, in 1978, Bill Hader was born in Tulsa. Hader joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 2005 and quickly became one of the show's stars. By far my favorite character of his on SNL is the New York City Correspondent Stefon, who appeared on the Weekend Update with Seth Meyers. Another role of his that I loved was his character in Hot Rod. Stupidly funny. Happy birthday Bill Hader.

Today in History

May 25, 1977. Star Wars is released. Need I say more?

Oh, and it's also Sgt. Slaughter's birthday.

Today in History

Joplin Tornado Memorial Park

 May 22, 2011 - A massive EF5 tornado slams into Joplin, Missouri, killing 162 people and causing over 2 billion dollars in damages. It is one of the deadliest and costliest tornadoes in American history. As part of cleanup efforts organized by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I had the opportunity to go to Joplin the weekend after the storm and assist in the process. It was an experience I will never forget, and the devastation and destruction I saw was something I had never hoped to see again. However, just two days ago, the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore was ravaged by a tornado of equal strength. This is not the first time Moore has been in the direct path of a monster tornado, but this one seems to feel different, especially after two elementary schools were hit and 9 children were killed within one of the schools. It is very likely that Tulsa stakes of the church will be organized to go to Moore and assist in the ongoing cleanup. If we are asked to go, I will certainly be ready and willing, although emotionally I'm not sure if I'm ready for that again. The images of Joplin haunted me for months after we left. I have been back to Joplin several times since the tornado and it's amazing how fast the town has come back. They are resilient, and the people of Moore are as well. They will rebuild.

Some of the destruction in Joplin:

Song of the Day

Today in History

May 11, 1910 - Glacier National Park established in Montana, becoming the 10th national park. I've only had the opportunity to visit Glacier once, and that was when I was a small child. My memories of that occasion are vague at best. I would love to go back, especially now that many of the park's namesakes are melting and in danger of disappearing altogether.

NPS website: http://www.nps.gov/glac/index.htm

Also, if you haven't seen Ken Burns' The National Parks, check it out, as Glacier is one of the parks spotlighted in the series. http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/

Today in History

Probably the only Raider I ever liked. Running over Brian Bosworth was priceless.

 May 7, 1982 - The Oakland Raiders officially move to Los Angeles. Raiders owner Al Davis had been trying to move the Raiders for two years, but the NFL had taken action to prevent the move from happening. A U.S. Federal District Court Jury found that the Raiders should be able to move. They would win a Super Bowl in two years, but after that things were never all that good for the Silver and Black in L.A. Davis never got the stadium he wanted and eventually moved the Raiders back to Oakland in 1995. Rapper Ice Cube directed an ESPN 30 for 30 documentary about the Raiders' time in L.A. and their impact on the city, titled Straight Outta L.A. More info on the film can be found here: http://espn.go.com/30for30/film?page=straight-outta-la

Today in History

Besides it being Cinco de Mayo, today also marks the 70th birthday of Monty Python member Michael Palin. Most widely known for being part of the British comedy troupe, he has also starred in various movies and done a series of travel documentaries. He is best known to me as Sir Galahad in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, one of the my all time favorite movies. Happy birthday, Mr. Palin.

Paranorman

Friday is family movie night. We're always looking for something we can all enjoy, as Mommy and Daddy don't really want to sit through Lilly watching Tinkerbell for the 800th time. Paranorman is a movie I've had on my radar since it came out. I had heard a lot of good things about it and was excited to see it added to the Netflix streaming catalog. We were a little worried about it scaring Lilly, but she's a big fan of The Nightmare Before Christmas so we thought we'd give it a try. I'm glad we did. I really enjoyed it, as it was well written, visually stunning, and just fun to watch. But it also comes with a good message. Just because someone is different is no reason to persecute and hate them. I couldn't help but think of Bully as the movie began with Norman being made fun of at school and even at home. Fortunately, Norman becomes the hero and saves the town. That certainly doesn't happen most of the time in the real world. I saw a statistic the other day that noted that more deaths now occur by suicide than by car accidents. Why can't we just look past our differences and get along? I know that's probably not likely to happen anytime soon, but we can always have hope (And yes, I realize that not all suicide is caused by bullying). Anyways, this is a good family flick with a touch of the weird (which is why I wanted to see it in the first place). Check it out.

Deaths in the music world

We saw the deaths of two musicians this week - on complete opposite ends of the spectrum. Chris Kelly, one-half of the early 90s rap duo Kris Kross, was found dead of what looks like an apparent overdose. Jeff Hanneman, one of the founding members of Slayer, died of liver failure. As a middle aged kid in the early 90s, Kris Kross was inescapable. I was never a big fan, but I can certainly still remember the lyrics to "Jump." The thought of putting my pants on backwards might have crossed my mind a time or two as well. Give me a break, I was 11. I never got much into Slayer, although a big fan of the other three of the "Big Four" thrash bands. That being said, I understand the importance the band played in the founding of thrash metal. Their album Reign In Blood is widely regarded as one of the best albums of the genre. Both the hip hop and metal communities are mourning this week.

Bully

This is a heartbreaking movie to watch. Bully tells the stories of several young people who deal with bullying on a daily basis. Several of the kids profiled were bullied to the limit and took their own lives. No kid should ever have to view that as a way out just to get away from being bullied. Of course, many will say that bullying is part of growing up; you know, "boys will be boys" and other ignorant crap like that. The fact of the matter is bullying is a serious problem and it's going to take a concerted effort to put a stop to it. Unfortunately, it seems there are so many people in the world who aren't willing to view it as a problem. One of the kids profiled in this film whose story really struck me is a 16 year old gay girl in Tuttle, Oklahoma. As soon as the town found out she was gay, they completely turned their backs on her. She was driven off the basketball team, kids would move away from her if she sat near them in class, and even several teachers participated in bullying her. It blows my mind how people who confess to be Christians (and in small town Oklahoma, that's pretty much the whole town) can have so much hatred towards a person. This is a movie I think everyone needs to see; I don't think a lot of people realize just how damaging bullying can be. It's not an easy movie to watch, but it's an important one.

Song of the Day

SRV covers the Hendrix classic. He turned it into one of his own classics.

To Live Is To Die

To Live Is To Die: The Life and Death of Metallica's Cliff Burton, by Joel McIver, takes a look at the legendary bassist whose life was tragically cut short after a tourbus crash on a Swedish highway. The book paints a picture of who Cliff really was: a headbanger and partier, yes, but also someone with a love for philosophy and classical music. McIver shows Burton's love for musical theory and how it made him and those around him better musicians. One of the more interesting aspects of this book is how McIver breaks down each individual album, song by song, that Burton played on before his death, and what his influence and impact was on each song. Much has been said and speculated as to what direction Metallica would have taken had Cliff not died so young. Many fans and critics are quick to say that albums such as the Black Album and Load and ReLoad would not have happened. However, McIver points out that Cliff, in his last interview before his death, had talked about the band taking a more mellow and melodic approach in the future. He loved his metal, but he had very wide-ranging tastes in music, expressing fondness for bands like Lynyrd Skynryd and R.E.M. Who knows what would have happened with Metallica if Cliff had survived? What we do know is that he helped turn a dirty garage band into the founders of thrash metal and eventually the biggest metal band in the world. His work on the band's first three albums continues to be viewed as iconic among bass players, and the albums to this day continue to sound as fresh as they did at the time of their releases. He is missed but his legacy lives on.

Song of the Day

Kacey Musgraves - Merry Go 'Round

Maybe there is still hope for country music...

Where the Yellowstone Goes

 

This is one of those serendipitous Netflix finds; anything with the word "Yellowstone" in it catches my eye. This documentary, by Hunter Weeks (director of 10 MPH and Ride the Divide), follows a small group, including a Montana fly-fishing guide, who embark on a 30 day journey to float the length of the Yellowstone River. Because it is illegal to float the Yellowstone within the boundaries of Yellowstone National Park, they begin their journey just outside the park boundaries in Gardiner, MT and end the journey where the Yellowstone meets the Missouri River in North Dakota. I really shouldn't watch these types of shows, it just makes me miss the West.  As we prepared to move to Oklahoma, I knew I would miss it, but I don't think I realized just how much. My heart aches to be back near mountains and sagebrush. Oklahoma has its beautiful spots, but the problem I have here is that nearly all land is privately owned. There are very few public lands. I miss my public lands. That being said, this is an interesting documentary that shows the beauty found along the longest undammed river in the lower 48 states. It also shows some of the people found in the communities along the river, and their connection to it. The film also touches on some of the more delicate issues, such as how to balance the river's usage for agriculture and industry with maintaining its wild and pristine environment. Their journey took place two months after an Exxon pipeline burst, spilling oil into the river, and although the cleanup has gone relatively well, the effects of the oil on the river and the vegetation on the banks can be seen. I understand our need for oil, but to see such a disgusting substance destroy such a beautiful area makes me sad. Visually, this is a great film. My wife referred to it as "nature porn," mainly due to the miles between us and the lands we love. The fishing scenes are great, and some beautiful Yellowstone River cutthroats, rainbows, and brown trout are caught. The fly fishing guide also lands a 20 pound carp on a fly rod which is fun to watch. Where the Yellowstone Goes will appeal to lovers of the West and fishing, as well as those interested in environmental issues. I enjoyed it, but I probably shouldn't have watched it. I want to go home...

More on the film can be found here: http://www.wheretheyellowstonegoes.com/

Today in History

 

In what has been an awful week for the city of Boston, today is a day to celebrate the opening of perhaps its most beloved landmark, at least for sports fans. On this day in 1912, Fenway Park hosted its first game, a 7-6 Red Sox win over the NY Highlanders (renamed the Yankees the following season). The stadium has since become an icon, and saw the "Curse of the Bambino" end in 2004 as the Sox finally won a World Series after an 86 year drought.

A Horrible Week

What a horrible week this has been in the United States. The Boston Marathon bombings and the fertilizer plant explosion in Texas have put us all in a somber mood. Historically, this third week of April has not been kind. The Waco siege in 1993, the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995, and the Columbine massacre in 1999, all occurred on either the 19th or 20th of April. The Virginia Tech shootings took place on the 16th in 2007. As I thought back on these events, I began to feel very appreciative of my teachers in middle school and high school for allowing us to watch coverage as these events unfolded. I distinctly remember sitting in my 8th grade Algebra class watching the coverage of the OKC bombing unfold. I witnessed history, albeit tragic history, as it happened and I am grateful for that. Channel 1, which brought news into the classroom (and gave a start to such stars as Anderson Cooper and Lisa Ling), gives me memories of the Waco situation. I only hope the manhunt for the Boston bombing ends soon and can provide some answers, and my heart goes out to the people of Boston and West, Texas, for what they have all gone through this week.

I love this quote from Stephen Colbert:

"Whoever did this obviously did not know about the people of Boston. Nothing these terrorists do is going to shake them… For Pete's sake, Boston was founded by the Pilgrims, a people so tough, they had to buckle their goddamn hats on."

"Here's what these cowards really don't get. They attacked the Boston Marathon, an event celebrating people who run 26 miles on their day off until their nipples are raw — for FUN. And when those bombs went off, there were runners, who after finishing a marathon, kept running for another two miles to the hospital to donate blood."

"Here's what I know, these maniacs may have tried to make life bad for the people of Boston, but all they can ever do is show just how good those people are."