History Adventuring

I've had a running joke for many years with my brother who lives in the Bay Area that someday I'll visit him and we can go to San Francisco and have some Rice-a-Roni, the San Francisco treat! Well, that's what the commercials always said, and we heard them quite often back when we were kids. The slogan is still used for Rice-a-Roni, as you can see from the pic at the top of this post, and while it actually is true that it was created by a small pasta company in San Francisco, right after World War II. By the way, in case you're wondering, I do like Rice-a-Roni, and I'm influenced by the taste, not the advertising. If I didn't care for the taste, all of the advertising in the world couldn't get me to eat the stuff. And as an old advertising guy, I started pondering the slogan "the San Francisco treat". And I'm inclined to think that it somehow gives the impression that Rice-a-Roni has always been part of the history of San Francisco. I'm pic

I've never been a criminal myself, but I've always had a fascination for them, going back to when I started reading Batman comics as a kid. And more often than not, the criminals were motivated by money, which they would steal. And as a kid, I wondered if they were just going to steal money, why didn't they just go and steal the stuff that money can buy? I mean, why would they steal enough money to go buy a car, and not just steal the car itself? And in the course of a long life I've pondered this, and I think that I'm beginning to understand the answer. Let's go back to old-time Phoenix and steal some money. The biggest bank in Phoenix, Valley Bank, is on Adams between Central and 1st Avenue. My plan is to walk in there, say "stick 'em up" and have them fill the bags with money while you wait outside in the getaway car. I recommend that you double-park, and keep revving up the engine. When you see me run out, hit the throttle and high-tail it! And

It's 1884, and we're in Phoenix, Arizona, so let's go get a loan from Valley Bank. I hear that they have money to lend, and I'm a fine, upstanding citizen. Well, at least I look it. You may want to wait for me outside, here on Wall Street. How do I look? Thank you! I want to look prosperous - you know, they only will lend you money if you look like you don't need it, like my rich uncle, who owns half of San Francisco. All I own is some worthless land near Los Angeles, called, if I recall, the San Fernando Valley. But I need some capital to buy a farm, or a ranch, here in Phoenix, which seems like the up-and-coming place! I'll be right back! And may I say how fetching you look in that bustle! What? No, you don't need an umbrella, it doesn't rain much here in Phoenix. Oh, for fashion? I see. I have to admit that it's an impressive building. Look at those bricks! Most of the buildings in Phoenix are adobe, so this must have cost a lot to build! Seems li

It's March of 2021, I live in Arizona, and I will be getting my second COVID-19 shot very soon. I've been reading how wonderfully effective the vaccines are, and doing this just goes into my list of what I call "living forever". And as much as I'd like my friends to do all of the same things that I do, like exercise every day, keep their weight down, eat their veggies, do daily stretching, avoid junk food, floss, see their dentist, take their meds, I know that they won't do all of these things, and I'm OK with that. I'm a little saddened, but I respect their decisions. This morning I saw the regular group that meets in the parking lot of the McDonalds where I get my coffee. They actually set up a little folding table there, next to the truck of the leader of the group, and even include little traffic cones so people don't accidentally drive into them. Their group is from the 55+ trailer park (oops, I mean mobile home community) that's right nea

I'm a white guy, who lives in the United States, and it horrifies me to see so much casual racial hatred, just strolling by. And I still see a lot of it today. I saw this photo yesterday on my Pinterest feed, and while I don't know anything about it, I can tell what it is, a couple of members of the Klu Klux Klan just casually strolling down a main street somewhere in the United States. Looks like the 1950s to me. The Klu Klux Klan began during the Reconstruction Era, after the Civil War, in the United States. Laws were changing, especially Federal ones, but many people resisted those laws. And in addition to lynching people, and burning crosses on front lawns, the people of the Klan just generally did whatever they could to make life difficult for people that they didn't like. And that list included not just black people, but a whole range of people whose ethnicity or religion the Klan wanted to suppress. I live in Arizona, and while you don't see people strolling down

I found this photo on the Duke University website, which has a LOT of old images of outdoor advertising. And that's why the photo was originally taken, of the advertising, and it's why it was scanned by the nice people at Duke. Advertising is big business, and so is studying it! But I'm just looking, and today I thought that it would fun to look at a Grant Six. Come on! There are several images similar to this on the Duke site, and I recognized the statue of Columbus, which is still there, and of course you can see the street sign, 58th Street. You're looking north, by the way. I showed it to my number one history adventuring friend (who prefers to remain anonymous), even though I knew the address, and he surprised me by what he found. Apparently this area had a LOT of automobile dealerships at the time. On Broadway! How about that? You can Google more about it, but apparently the car dealerships were there long after it became just about impossible to drive a car in Ma

Unless you're chillin' with your homies, possibly enjoying some delicious hot dogs and bologna, and have a thorough understanding that you're just kidding around, it's not very nice to call someone crazy, or insane, or mad. In fact, most younger people would just be puzzled if you used that term, it's so old-fashioned. But I enjoy history, and reading old books, so occasionally I see the phrase "A slow descent into madness." And of course, madness, or mental health issues, are nothing new. We use much kinder and gentler terms now, but really it's all the same. Some people become disconnected with reality, or the reality that most people perceive, because to them it's the reality of other people that's insane. I'll see if I can explain, and no, I won't name any names, except mine. I prefer to think of myself as eccentric (although I'm not rich), or maybe just slightly "touched". If you're a Western history fan, you know

As someone who has always been interested in history, enjoys genealogy, likes to read old books, and is, ahem, no longer young himself, I'm aware that certain terms that were once acceptable, suddenly turn sour, and people stop using them. If you've ever found a relative of yours in an old census form labeled as an "idiot", you know. And if you don't know how words evolve into something offensive, relax, I'll cut ya some slack. It does take a fair amount of effort to keep up, and I will often see people who, for whatever reason, have chosen to "drop anchor" at a certain point in their life, and just stop learning. They're not reading this blog post, by the way, and you are, so I'll see if I can explain why it's time to stop using the word "redneck". I'm old enough to remember when redneck was a light and funny term. I enjoyed the comedy of Jeff Foxworthy, and especially of Larry the Cable Guy. And if I want to jump on YouTub

My dad always liked to say "There's no fool like an old fool", and as I myself drift into my senior years I ponder how easy it is to draw foolish conclusions about what we've done, and how we managed to live so long, and the worst of it is what's called a "survivor bias". I see it all of the time, and while these old people certainly aren't fools, their logic is very foolish. I'll see if I can explain. Back in the 1960s, I didn't wear a bicycle helmet, and I survived. In fact, I've fallen off of a bicycle many times and not wearing a helmet didn't kill me. My head didn't impact the asphalt, and I was able to ride another day. The survival bias logic is that there's no reason to wear a bicycle helmet. Here's another one: As a kid I never wore seatbelts in the car, and I survived. So, following the logic, seat belts aren't necessary. I'm sure that you can think of a lot more, and if you can't you may just want to

Once I was convinced that it wasn't going to rain today, I put up my American flag. It's March of 2021, and I'm in Arizona, and I know that it sends confusing messages, which as a patriotic American I deeply resent, and I'm determined to take it back, and make it a symbol of justice and liberty for all. I don't know how things are where you live, if you live in the United States, but around here for the last few years this flag has been hijacked by people who pushed very hard to take away democracy itself. You can call them "Trumpers" or "MAGA" people, or whatever, but they're frightening, even to me, and I'm a white guy. So while I was respectfully unfurling the flag while standing on a ladder in front of my house a few minutes ago, I know that some eyes looked away, or looked suspiciously. I have black neighbors, hispanic neighbors, female neighbors, non-Christian neighbors, and for all I know homosexual neighbors. And when they see a g

In spite of the absolute miracle that's already happening with the COVID-19 vaccinations, which nowadays is making me want to go dance in the streets (it's March of 2021), I'm thinking about the people who will never, ever, consent to getting a vaccine. I live in Arizona, and I know that there are a lot of people who, for various reasons, are against vaccines, which we call "Anti-Vaxxers", and it's nothing new. And no, I won't be spending any time trying to argue with them, I'm a pretty persuasive person, but these people tend to have a world view that's so different from mine that they feel very strongly about their stand, and not only resent any view that opposes theirs, they can actually become violent. Best to leave 'em be! So if you're wondering how to co-exist with these people in the future, I strongly suggest not arguing with them. I also recommend that you stay away from gila monsters and rattlesnakes, or anything venomous. Mostly

I joined a Birding group on Facebook yesterday, and today while I was out riding around I decided to see what I could see in my little suburban neighborhood of Peoria, which is just northwest of Phoenix. What I saw mostly, of course, were pigeons, and while I did take some photos of them, I won't be posting them to the group, as many people might see it as either sarcastic, or maybe just pathetic. But the longer I looked at this photo, the more fascinating it became to me. I'll see if I can explain if you will give me some time. It's just human nature to not even notice the common things around us that we go past every day. And I guess it wouldn't even matter how spectacular they were, if they were common, we would ignore them, or if anything, just consider them a nuisance, like pigeons, or parking lots, or traffic. But this morning as I sipped my coffee from McDonalds I watched the pigeons. I suppose that if I did too much of that, some nice people with butterfly nets

You really don't hear the term "melting pot" all that much anymore. I remember hearing it a lot when I was a kid, and I understood that it represented how different people from all over the world would just "melt" together, and historical differences would become just that: historical. Of course the pushback to the idea of a melting pot isn't anything new. From the first time someone said, "Mama, he's (or she's) makin' eyes at me!" about someone from another tribe, the melting pot had begun, along with the pushback. And it's quite an epic struggle, with the elders standing for the purity of their tribe, and the young people being guided by, ahem, more primitive instincts (stop that giggling back there, but yes, that's what I mean!). There is, of course, only one kind of human, the concept of race is a nonsensical one. There are different-looking people, the way that there are different-looking dogs, but as long as a species can

I've lived a fairly long life, most of it in Phoenix, and have known a LOT of dogs, but I've never seen a mad dog IRL (In Real Life). Of course I'm familiar with the expression, which is what dogs with rabies were called. My understanding is that they foamed at the mouth. I just Googled "mad dog" and I got a TV series, and some alcoholic drinks. So it's a term that's still in use, but you have to look a bit to find out that it referred to a dog with rabies. My dogs, by the way, have always gotten their rabies shots regularly. They may get upset with me, or angry about not getting enough treats, but they've never been mad dogs. And of course now I'm thinking about mad dogs in old-time Phoenix, and wondering how long ago it was common to see a mad dog on the street, the way that it's described in books, walking slowly, and foaming at the mouth, while people went looking for the Sheriff. In my lifetime, which has spanned a little over 60 years, do

Part of the attraction of living in a valley like Phoenix is being surrounded by mountains, which are beautiful to look at. Well, they're not really mountains here in Phoenix, just big hills, but they're nice to be able to see. But these mountains have been disappearing for years, even in the brief time I've lived in the valley. I'll see if I can explain. People who have lived here longer than I have can remember being able to see the mountains from just about anywhere. But people need places to live, work, and shop, and that requires buildings. And even low buildings, like a house, can make a mountain view disappear. Camelback Mountain, the most famous landmark in Phoenix, is still visible. The best views are from the freeway (if you can stop texting while you're driving long enough to look up), and of course if you're really close to it, like right on Camelback Road, you can't miss it. But the rest of the mountains have virtually disappeared. If you spend

I've always had a fascination with POV (Point of View). It comes naturally to all of us as kids as we wonder what in the world the grownups are thinking. And while most of the people that I've known in a long life just have kinda shrugged their shoulders and looked away, I have wanted to know in a very deep and meaningful way. In my imagination I came become anyone, and anything. I'm the young King Arthur, and Merlin can turn into anything, so I can fly. I do have limitations, which means that I'll never really understand why my dogs always get so excited when they get their dog food (the same thing every day!), but I try. When I look at people I wonder what it would be like to see the world through their eyes - to be that tall, or that short, that young, that old, that rich, or that poor? By stepping into someone's shoes, in my imagination, I can at least try to understand what their motivation could be for doing something, even if it's something so bizarre to

Walk with me. Today we will be walking along Convent Alley in Phoenix, Arizona, which was between Monroe and Van Buren and 3rd and 5th Street in Phoenix, Arizona. The name of this alley has been in use since St. Mary's Church was built, in 1915. There were residences along there, including where the nuns lived. The photo at the top of this post from 1928, which is from the McCulloch Collection at ASU, shows the view looking west. I've never seen the words "Convent Alley" on any map, but I have seen it printed in ads, like these from 1918: Phoenix had a lot of alleys with residences on them, including Melinda's Alley, Gold's Alley, Wall Street (although those were businesses, mostly banks), and others. The reason for this was that the scale of the streets was so enormous that it just made sense to divide the space up some more. As we walk along Convent Alley in 1928, I can hear singing. I wonder if it's a choir practicing, or just some of the sisters liftin

Time-travel with me to the future. No, I don't know exactly how far, but hopefully within my lifetime, and let's go visit my friends on the coast. We're starting in Glendale, Arizona, where I live, and we'll be taking my driverless car, which I have plugged in in my garage. I would appreciate it if you would help me pack. Yes, I'm bringing a lot of clothes (I've never traveled light) and also some gifts for my friends. It's been a long time since I've seen them. The new technology has been wonderful for me lately. I'm not as young as I used to be, and I really don't trust my vision for driving. The last thing that I would want would be to cause an accident, and just the thought of that has kept me from getting behind the wheel of an old-fashioned car. I've had my driverless car for about a year now, and mostly I use it just to go to doctor's appointments, to get groceries, that sort of thing. Yeah, I took it up to Flagstaff last summer ju

If you're a fan of Phoenix history, you know about Wall Street, which was an alley that ran north and south between Central Avenue (Center then) and Cortes (1st Avenue now) and Washington and Jefferson (they still have the same names). And while the only place I've ever found the name on a map is on a Sanborn (north is tipped over to the left, by the way), apparently it was considered a named alley, and it happened in 1893. I've always thought that it represented a bit of a joke of the people in Phoenix, calling this unpaved alley "Wall Street" as if it were as important as the real one in New York City. But it did have banks on it, and businesses really didn't want to give the impression to their customers that they were doing business in an alley (although they were!), so it was named Wall Street. Hang on a sec and I'll do a Google map and Street View of the area. Here ya go. Long live Wall Street! If you like pictures of old-time Phoenix, please become

Golf has always been a rich man's game, and that's never been me. I've always been a working man, working nine to five, glad to get a regular paycheck, but that's all. But I've always had a special fascination with golf, and when I moved back to Phoenix from Los Angeles (where it was waaaay too expensive for me to get on the links), I decided to find out how I could do it. And make no mistake, even though prices have gone up since then, paying green fees has always been expensive. So I had to get creative. The first thing I did was to get a resident discount card for the municipal courses, but that was only step one. The other step will show you that I've always been crazy: I played a lot in the summer. I walked, carried my bags, and usually only played nine holes each time. I was in my early thirties, and very fit, so it was really not that difficult for me. I carried water in my bag, and used a LOT of sunscreen. I tried to get an early morning tee-time, which

I got a haircut yesterday, and my stylist, who takes a maternal attitude towards me (although she's younger than me) asked me gently if I were going to get the vaccine. I've always gotten my hair cut at the places that mostly specialize in cutting women's hair, and this particular place, in Glendale, Arizona is like that, and the clientele tends to be, ahem, very mature. I'll be 63 this year, but when I visit there, and glance at the walkers parked there, I feel very young. But it's March of 2021, and I'm over 55, so I'm eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. I'm a techy-geeky kinda person, so this morning I decided to do a quick search to see what's available right nearby me. I haven't owned a car in years, but I am comfortable pedaling within a five-mile radius during the day, and there's a Walgreens that's scheduling vaccines right across the street from where I got my haircut yesterday. I found their page, bookmarked it, created an accoun

A crotch rocket is a term that describes a motorcycle that's built for speed. Very high speed, very, very high speed!  I don't know how popular these types of bikes are nowadays, but I used to see them a lot on the freeways of Los Angeles in the 1980s. That is, if I looked fast. These things were absolute rockets! I did a Google search to find the image at the top of this post, but I really don't remember what they looked like, they were usually just a neon-green blur. I just Googled 1980 motorcycles, and set the color to green. If I'm wrong, let me know and I'll change the pic. And yes, of course the LA freeways were very crowded in the 1980s, often with traffic just inching along, and even coming to complete stops, so you may be wondering how these crotch rockets managed to go so fast? I'll tell you, they wove, and split lanes. It was quite impressive to see! These guys were good! And I do mean "were", because this sort of thing tended to be fatal mo

I've met some incredible people in my life, including my boss at Blue Cross of California, in Los Angeles (who is standing next to me there), but what really amazed me were the computer programmers that we went and visited one day in the Hollywood Hills in 1988. And for a long time I didn't want to think about them, but today I do, because I think that I finally understand. Let's go. We were invited to give some feedback on some computer software that was being designed for the up-and-coming "desktop publishing" industry. At the time, there were lots of competitors, unlike today with Adobe InDesign being just about the only one (sorry, Quark!). And it all had to be created from scratch, in code. They worked in a big house in the Hollywood Hills. They could come and go as they pleased, and as I recall there was a pool that they could use anytime. The house really didn't have much furniture, some couches, and mostly work stations where the guys worked. And they