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Aide-Memoire

Faits Divers

Things that happen

Frequently Beastly Drunk

June 9, 2017 by sergneri Leave a Comment

Well, I’ll be dimmed, who’d have thought that things like this would be happening on the open sea? In my brief 5 years on the main, I swear things like this never happened! SONOMA DEMOCRAT 19 November 1857 The P.M.S.S. Company. Give it to ’em.— The following from the Morning Call, gives a rather deplorable … [Read more…]

Posted in: California History, California Newspaper Archive, Faits Divers, Sea Stories, Thinking about Tagged: abusive, beastly drunk, California, courtezans, deplorable morals, pregnant with profligacy, revolting indecencies, Steamer John L Stephens

Infrastructure under Trump?

June 7, 2017 by sergneri Leave a Comment

In this NYT article about the risks of public and private infrastructure projects, this quote about Blackstone, which announced a $40 billion dollar infrastructure fund: Stephen A. Schwarzman, Blackstone’s chairman and chief executive, is leading a White House business advisory group, which lists infrastructure work as one of its topics for discussion. Conflict of interest … [Read more…]

Posted in: Faits Divers, Politics, Trump Tagged: Blackstone Group, debt, Public-private partnerships, toll roads

The World That Trump and Ailes Built

June 6, 2017 by sergneri Leave a Comment

Jill Lapore hits the nail on the head in her comment in the June 5, 2017 New Yorker “The Strategy of Truth.” Trump and Ailes

Posted in: Faits Divers, Politics, Thinking about, Trump Tagged: Archibald MacLeish, Briton Hadden, Edmond Taylor, Fact Checking, Fox News, Henry Luce, Mein Kampf, Office of War Information, Propaganda, Roger Ailes, Trump

Bob Dylan’s Nobel Lecture

June 6, 2017 by sergneri Leave a Comment

I revere the written word, but I’m bookmarking the audio of Dylan’s Nobel lecture because hearing it adds so much more than reading it ever would due to his incredible voice, the inflections and the music. The print version of the lecture is found here.

Posted in: Faits Divers, Politics, Thinking about Tagged: Bob Dylan, Nobel Prize

Small Faces

May 25, 2017 by sergneri Leave a Comment

A few “heads” I made between 2004 and 2009:

Posted in: Content, Faits Divers Tagged: Connie, DDS, Paint, Plaster, Self-Portrait, Small Faces, Smiley G., Varnish, Weather Man Blue, Weather Man Red

Farmer Cemetery

May 25, 2017 by sergneri Leave a Comment
Posted in: Content, Faits Divers, Thinking about Tagged: Douglas County, Farmer Cemetery, Washington State

A few photos of the Alps

May 25, 2017 by sergneri Leave a Comment

While living in Neuchatel Switzerland, we captured some incredible photos of the Alps from the balcony in our apartment. Here are a few:

Posted in: Content, Faits Divers, Thinking about Tagged: Alps, Eiger, Jungfrou, Monch, Mont Blanc, Neuchatel, Switzerland

Twingo Hood Ornament

May 25, 2017 by sergneri Leave a Comment

In 2006, I bought a Renault Twingo. I was able to change the Renault hood ornament for one I made of plaster and paint.

Posted in: Content, Faits Divers, Thinking about Tagged: 2006, Custom Hood Ornament, Neuchatel, Renault, Switzerland, Twingo

Spitsbergen Seed Vault

May 19, 2017 by sergneri Leave a Comment

Arctic stronghold of world’s seeds flooded after permafrost melts No seeds were lost but the ability of the rock vault to provide failsafe protection against all disasters is now threatened by climate change The Guardian, May 19, 2017

Posted in: Faits Divers, Politics, This Day in History Tagged: Norway, Seed Vault, Spitsbergen

Loss of the Steamship Central America

May 14, 2017 by sergneri 2 Comments

Sonoma Democrat > 29 October 1857 Arrival of the Steamer Panama. Two Weeks Later from the Atlantic States. Terrible Shipwreck and Loss of Lives! The mail steamship Panama, arrived at San Francisco on Thursday last, bringing the news of one of the most heartrending disasters that has ever taken place on our Coast, in the … [Read more…]

Posted in: California History, California Newspaper Archive, Faits Divers, Sea Stories Tagged: Cape Hatteras, Charleston, Panama, Savannah, Ship Wreck
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