• Faux Russian Cinema: ЯED MOOИ

    Strange but funny. I wish I had a Russian accent like that.


    RED MOON from Sirocco Research Labs on Vimeo.

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  • Old Photos: Kansas Republicans

    Hit it!


    These are some of the Kansas delegates to the Republican National Convention in 1948.

    I found the Platform pretty interesting in terms of which party could claim the same items today:

    • Reduction of the public debt
    • Federal aid to states for slum clearance and low-cost housing
    • Extension of Social Security benefits
    • A federal anti-lynching law
    • Federal civil rights legislation
    • Abolition of the poll tax
    • A crackdown on domestic Communism
    • Recognition of the state of Israel
    • International arms control “on basis of reliable disciplines against bad faith”.
    Banker Harlan Herrick, one of the Kansas delegates to Republican national convention. © Time Inc.George Skadding.
    Oilman Walter Fee, one of the Kansas delegates to Republican national convention. © Time Inc.George Skadding.© Time Inc.George Skadding.
    Rancher Ralph Perkins, one of the Kansas delegates to Republican national convention.
    Rancher Ralph Perkins, one of the Kansas delegates to Republican national convention.© Time Inc.George Skadding.
    Steel magnate Harry Darby, one of the Kansas delegates to Republican national convention.
    Steel magnate Harry Darby, one of the Kansas delegates to Republican national convention.© Time Inc.George Skadding.
    Druggist Preston Dunn, one of the Kansas delegates to Republican national convention
    Druggist Preston Dunn, one of the Kansas delegates to Republican national convention © Time Inc.George Skadding.
    Attorney John W. Breyfogle Jr., one of the Kansas delegates to Republican national convention.
    Attorney John W. Breyfogle Jr., one of the Kansas delegates to Republican national convention.© Time Inc.George Skadding.
    Dr. Hugh A. Hope, one of the Kansas delegates to Republican national convention.
    Dr. Hugh A. Hope, one of the Kansas delegates to Republican national convention.© Time Inc.George Skadding.

    Mayor Cleaver?

    Tax examiner Powers Porter, one of the Kansas delegates to Republican national convention.© Time Inc.George Skadding.

    More photos.

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  • We Comin’ Rougher

    Today this country celebrates 20 years of having me around.

    Few years ago I wrote about our one-way trip here and I don’t have much to add to that story.

    Instead, you’ll get this song from another guy from my neck of the woods. I didn’t work in a sweatshop but in my early years here I did my share of pizza delivery and washing dishes.

    httpvh://youtu.be/zKoQgODwveE

    Another 20? I ain’t going anywhere…

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  • Billboards: Two States – Two Realities.

    When I was growing up©, we had those “us and them” propaganda posters like this:

    Two Worlds - Two Plans

    At the top, a Soviet  manager points to a map of windbreaks and hands his worker a sack of acorns to plant under the heading “We are planting life!“. At the bottom, a capitalist directs a general to a map of the military bases under the heading “They are planting death!“.

    Recently I noticed several billboards on the opposite sides of the State Line with the similar “compare and contrast” message.

    On the Kansas side we should be thanking the legislators for our “safer roads & 1000s of new jobs for Kansans”:

    Kansas legislators make construction workers happy; the guy in the middle and his shovel are ready to build even more roads for the grateful Kansans.

    But on the Missouri side the same guy is not smiling, he can’t even lift the shovel because of those fund-delaying evil legislators the gullible Missourians voted into the office. He even tucked his shirt in, that’s how sad he is.

    That’s why there is nothing but the pothole-ridden rough road ahead for the Missourians and the unsuspecting visitors to the state.

    Obviously, it’s not fun to be a construction worker in Missouri, no reason to smile for sure. Maybe just for the photos for billboards on the Kansas side.

    *photographing billboards is not easy and it was raining today, hence the quality.

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  • Remember The 80’s? Michael Jackson

    One day I was researching looking at pictures of Michael Jackson’s 1984 Victory Tour which launched in Kansas City and then I saw this:

    This piece of art was published in a special issue of the Billboard Magazine where everyone from Michael’s accountant to the company which made his tapes took out ads to congratulate Michael Jackson (and slap their own backs in the process)on becoming the King of Pop.

    After the first picture I just couldn’t stop. Sorry…

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