Author Archives: Bert

The Lighthouse Without A Light

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 Sir John Barrow’s Unlit Lighthouse

Lighthouse or Memorial Sir John Barrow

Sir John Barrow Memorial Hoad Hill Ulverston Cumbria, UK

The “lighthouse” is in the town of Ulverston, a bucolic seaside town which hosts various festivals throughout the year. There’s an annual Dickens Festival each November in which many of the citizens dress in Victorian attire. Then there’s “Another Fine Fest” held in June. The title is a takeoff on the admonishing words “Well… that’s another fine mess you’ve gotten us into!” Oliver Hardy says these words in countless films to his comedic partner Stan Laurel. Ulverston’s modern claim to fame is as the birthplace of comedian Stan Laurel, who lived here until he was six-years-old.

Levity aside, viewed from afar, the 100 tower off the northern English coast of Cumbria sure looks like a lighthouse. Continue reading →

Classic Hollywood #88 – Dracula, Bela Lugosi Wants To Be “Good”

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What Bela Lugosi’s Life Was Like In 1936

Bela Lugosi Dracula in street clothes

Bela Lugosi was not always Dracula

With today being Halloween we thought we’d do a story about Bela Lugosi and Dracula. Not many children dress as Dracula on Halloween anymore. You are not allowed to wear the cape and put fangs in your mouth unless you are a real vampire. This is because of the very vocal beyond-the-fringe maniacs who go into an uproar about “cultural appropriation.”  So, Dracula is off limits as a costume as far as certain groups have told us, such as ORVIL (Only Real Vampires In Life) .

For those who don’t realize it, I’m not serious, but sometimes it feels as if this is where mainstream society is headed unless somebody speaks up.

Bela Lugosi (1882-1956) the actor most identified with Dracula, loved and loathed the role at the same time. Dracula made Lugosi famous, but in the process it typecast him as being a horror star. Most people do not realize that prior to Lugosi being cast in Dracula in 1931, he had starred in the Broadway production of the play for three years. Previous to that he was a leading man with strikingly handsome features.

So who was the real Bela Lugosi? Continue reading →

Loyalty, Oaths, Patriotism & The Forgotten 1919 New York City High School, Anti-Bolshevik (& Everything Else Un-American) Pledge Of Allegiance

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Would Having Graduating High School Students Take An Oath Of Allegiance Be Held Unconstitutional Today?

New York City schools in September 1902, "Saluting The Flag" photo: Florence Maynard

New York City school children in a display of patriotism, September 1902, “Saluting The Flag” photo: Florence Maynard

After World War I and the Bolshevik uprising in Russia, declaring your loyalty to America was not taken lightly. In 1919, President of the New York City Board of Education, Anning S. Prall, set a requirement that all graduating New York City High School children recite a pledge of allegiance to the United States before receiving their diplomas. This is quite different than the pledge most Americans know by heart.

Prall’s pledge:

“I will reverence my country’s flag and defend it against enemies at home and abroad.”

“I will respect and obey the President of the United States and the law of the land.”

“I will support, in school and out, American ideals of justice and fair play, including the right of unhampered opportunity under the law for all.”

“I will hold the ideal of rational patriotism above loyalty to any individual, political party, social class or previous national connection.”

“I will actively oppose all revolutionary movements, such as Bolshevism, anarchism, I. W. W.-ism, or any movement antagonistic to the laws of the United States or tending to subvert the Constitution of the United States.”

How long Prall’s allegiance pledge was retained is undocumented. But in 2019, can a student refuse to say a pledge of allegiance in school? Continue reading →

Over The Last 20 Years Ebay Has Lost Its Original Customers

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Why Ebay Lost Its Original Customers

I remember when I was first was told about eBay 23 years ago. Ebay was a great platform to bid and possibly win at auction interesting, older items. Many times rare purchases could be won for a bargain.  Books, ephemera and unusual items. At least that’s how it started for me.

Over the years eBay evolved from a relatively small community user-based auction site to a worldwide commercial behemoth store. And it’s not a very good one. Along the way they lost their original customer base.

Why? Continue reading →

The Dangers of Celebrating & Embracing Diversity – Start Promoting Unity.

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“Diversity & Multi-Culturism Will Destroy America”

No, Its Not A Donald Trump Proclamation

Former Democrat Governor Richard Lamm’s Famous 2003 Speech

Colorado Governor Richard Lamm

Colorado Governor Richard Lamm photo: Denver Post

On October 18, 2003 at a Washington DC luncheon former Governor Richard Lamm made a remarkable speech. The topic was “How To Destroy America.”

We usually don’t cover a speech from almost two decades ago. But Richard Lamm’s speech is important to look upon at this point in history. Continue reading →

Why People Follow The Herd & Special Interest Group Lies Become Truths

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Lies Becoming Truths

You can infer what you want about what is written here. I’m not naming names.

Certain groups and causes now overwhelm the media, and in turn our citizens with their lies. Their lies get repeated over and over. Their special cause, whatever it may be, works hard to get the truth obfuscated.

Lies get accepted into truth.

Henri AmielThe man who most eloquently summed up why this happens, was Swiss writer Henri Frédéric Amiel (1821 – 1881). From 1847 until his death, Amiel recorded his insights about humanity in his diary,  Journal intime. It is a brilliant self-introspective work.

This quote best reflects what we are experiencing today.

“Man defends himself as much as he can against truth, as a child does against a medicine, as the man of the Platonic cave does against the light. He does not willingly follow his path, for he has to be dragged along backward. ‘The natural liking for the false has several causes: the inheritance of prejudices, which produces an unconscious habit, a slavery; the predominance of the imagination over the reason, which affects the understanding; the predominance of the
passions over the conscience, which depraves the heart; the predominance of the will over the intelligence, which vitiates the character. A lively, disinterested, persistent liking for truth is extraordinarily rare. Action and faith enslave thought, both of them in order not to be troubled or inconvenienced by reflection, criticism and doubt.”

In 1869 Continue reading →

45 Communist Goals For America In 1963 – How Many Have Come True?

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The 1963 Congressional Record Lists 45 Goals For Communism To Achieve In America.

Decide For Yourself How Many Have Become Reality.

The Calm Good Old Days of May Day – May 1, 1937 – A man holding an American flag attends a peaceful May Day assembly at Union Square in New York City. credit photo: Acme

Today is May Day.

How May 1 mutated from a day of championing workers rights into a day of promoting socialism, communism, and all perceived injustices does not concern the average person on the street. Yet, it is a fact that there is more division, discord and disgruntlement in America as ever before.

How did we arrive at this point in history?

If you were to say there is a concerted effort to undermine democracy in the United States, you may be called a conspiracy theory nut or a supporter of President Donald Trump or his predecessor, President Barrack Obama. It’s kind of funny how both Democrats and Republicans see the other party as eradicators of freedom. Continue reading →

Lawmakers Hope To Charge Everyone To Enter NYC – The Astonishing Total Congestion Pricing Plan

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With Vehicle Congestion Pricing Imminent, On Horizon Is Total Congestion Pricing

Pricing Wall NYC

Proposed Total Congestion Fee Map – A plan to tax all New Yorkers to enter Manhattan

By Lipra Loof, Special STAFF REPORTER to SNCA | April 1, 2019

New York City Mayor Bill de Blassio and Governor Andrew Cuomo, have come together to support a congestion fee for all vehicles entering Manhattan from the Battery to 60th Street. As controversial as that idea is, the next proposal may be considered drastic and have some citizens scratching their heads.

Total Congestion Pricing – a plan to charge anyone entering any part of Manhattan has arrived. The proposal is being hailed by some as a courageous and innovative way to further reduce Manhattan’s congestion.

This plan would see the city charge a fixed fee to enter Manhattan via bus, train, bicycle and even walking.

Last night at a news conference alongside city and state officials, Mr. de Blassio and Mr. Cuomo unveiled the plan.

The city and state chiefs who rarely see eye to eye, said in unison, “We were not originally on board for the vehicle congestion pricing. But car-hating special interest groups and the MTA with their constant need for money have forced our hand and we had to cave in. After the vehicle congestion pricing plan gets finalized and hopefully passed by the state legislature, we will try and institute this bigger and bolder plan to rid our streets of all congestion.”

The governor and mayor continued, “We can completely eliminate congestion by removing the main cause of congestion-  the people.”

“If people don’t want to pay a fee to be here, then we’ll have no people in the city and we will have solved the congestion issue once and for all,” Mr. de Blassio enthused.

Fifth Avenue – The way the whole city may look after Total Congestion Pricing is instituted.

Deputy Mayor Paul Frehley said “Putting an eight dollar fee on drivers, is okay for starters. Continue reading →

Why Hip Hop, Rap And Pop Crap Has Replaced Rock ‘N’ Roll

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An Analysis of Fifty Seven Years Of Pop Chart History Shows The Decline Of Rock ‘N’ Roll

A Provoking & Insightful Video By David Bennett

Led Zeppelin on stage stage photographer unknown

Led Zeppelin on stage circa 1970. photographer: unknown

Normally we don’t repeat opinions or commentary of other people or websites. But on a rare occasion we’ll stumble upon an argument made elsewhere that has merit and should be shared with a wider audience.

That is the case with David Bennett, a young musician who analytically examined the decline of rock ‘n’ roll over the last 60 years.

According to Bennett rock music disappeared in 2010 and possibly will never return, at least to the pop charts. The short entertaining video of when and why rock disappeared from the mainstream, is worth a few minutes of any rock fan’s time.

Here is Bennett’s theory.

As pointed out before, David Bennett is an extremely gifted musician, so he’s not just another numbskull spouting an opinion on YouTube. Here is a link to his other videos. If you watch any, I believe you will be impressed.

Barring Greta Van Fleet, Royal Blood and some other youthful lads Continue reading →