Just put the Tao of Willie on hold at the library, thanks for the heads up!
--- In [email protected], azgrey <no_reply@...> wrote: > > > > > Curtis, I think you would enjoy reading "The Last Call" by David Okrent. > > http://www.amazon.com/Last-Call-Rise-Fall-Prohibition/dp/074327704X/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top > > http://goo.gl/DHvuk > > I read it shortly after it was released last spring. It is the basis of Ken > Burns's film. Those who find Burns's film ponderous and polemic should prolly > avoid it. In many ways, after viewing 2 of 3 episodes, I am finding the film > a kinda Cliff notes version of the book. Unless he chooses to revisit the > pre-Prohibition period in the final segment, some of the most interesting > historical aspects go unmentioned. > > I'm hoping the Johnny Appleseed story shows up in the final segment. Okrent > explores an interesting deeper significance to the long told story in that > the widespread cultivation of apple orchards as the American frontier > expanded westward provided not only food for subsistence livers <pun > unintended>, but also a cheap, plentiful, readily available material to > produce consciousness changing cider. Hard cider. I grew up on land with a > fruit orchard in eastern Nebraska. Thoughts of a summertime fresh peach pie > still brings back euphoric memories of my youth. I remember my uncles in > Missouri producing cider every year all the way into the 1970's when they > kicked the bucket. Hard cider. Very hard cider. Very strong, but tasty, hard > cinder. They had acres and acres of fruit trees. We in Nebraska only tended > maybe 90 trees and a 100 ft grape arbor as my Dad's hobby. Those old Missouri > boys also made cherry wine every year. Not much to look at but great to > drink. They used to age it in used whiskey barrels they purchased from > distilleries in St. Louis. Brown, cloudy, delicious potent cherry wine. High > octane stuff. I digress with this story because these old boys, in their > youth, knew Carry Nation, spoke with her, and personally witnessed some of > her handiwork. > > My paternal grandfather, an Irish immigrant, was in the retail alcohol > business. My father was in the retail alcohol business. I sold the stuff for > over 30 years. My father, born at the dawn of the 20th century, grew up near > the Missouri / Kansas / Nebraska border. My mother was raised on the Kansas / > Nebraska border. Stories of Prohibition from both sides of my family were > very common in my youth. Somebody tossing Carry Nation's name in a story was > not an unusual thing. > > Thanks for the tip, earlier this year, on the Howlin' Wolf biography. I > located it and read it that very week. Just for yucks, have you ever noticed > that the composers of the song used in the "Soprano's" theme "sampled" a > Howlin' Wolf moan? Once you consciously hear it you can never miss it in > future listenings. Any other Blues bios or histories you wanna recommend > would be surely appreciated and eventually read. I am currently sipping from > a couple of modern spiritual tomes. > > "The Tao of Willie: A Guide To The Happiness In Your Heart" > > http://goo.gl/MyrPl > > It contains the gem "I've outlived my pecker." > > "What Would Keith Richards Do?" > > http://goo.gl/Javzk > > This spiritual guide contains the bromide "If I knew what the other original > sin was, I would do it." > > Words to live by. I'd market little rubber wristbands with "WWKRD?", but the > Stones are know as being quite litigious in marketing affairs. > > > --- In [email protected], "curtisdeltablues" <curtisdeltablues@> > wrote: > > > > I am enjoying the documentary. It is a complex story worthy of the time > > spent. For me it seems to be a story of women's empowerment in this > > country. They rose up against a social problem and affected change. > > Unfortunately the solution had unintended consequences and did not solve > > the problem. But that speaks more to the complexity of human nature rather > > than the earnestness of the goal. And I believe some real good did come > > out of women gaining more of a voice which I'll bet lead to more government > > protection for family members. In the 1920s it would be unthinkable to > > have Health and Human services take someone's abused kids away or protect a > > battered spouse. > > > > The issue was real for women at that time. A large number of men were > > squandering the family's money on booze and there was a lot of family abuse > > with no recourse. The solution seemed simple, get rid of booze. These > > women were so brave. They were going up against business in a way > > unthinkable today. Protesting outside of saloons in Winter they would be > > invited in from the cold, doused with beer and sent outside to freeze! But > > they didn't back down. In today's cynical connection between business and > > government, their success would be unthinkable. > > > > There are so many poignant stories in this documentary. Earnest people > > trying to make positive changes. Unfortunately banning a substance that > > people want is just not gunna turn out well. The parallels to today's drug > > war is important. How can a government be so clear about the impossibility > > of banning alcohol which must be fermented and or distilled then believe > > that it can ban a plant that grows like a weed? And do we have to realize > > that we can't always legislate our way out of human problems caused by our > > nature? > > > > I'll stop here because I have only seen the first one. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "authfriend" <jstein@> wrote: > > > > > > --- In [email protected], Tom Pall <thomas.pall@> wrote: > > > <snip> > > > > I turned off Ken Burns' Prohibition. His sthick has been > > > > copied so many times, it's no longer novel and exciting. > > > > Plus, his handling of Prohibition is just so polemic. > > > > Don't bother going into the history. Just slant it your > > > > own way. > > > > > > That's what it sounded like to me just watching the trailer. > > > He apparently thinks Prohibition was a ridiculous idea. Did > > > he relate that in any way to the prohibition of marijuana > > > and other potentially highly useful and largely benign > > > psychedelics, or did he ignore that as you say he ignores > > > the history of the temperance movement? > > > > > >
