Open Thread - 29 May 2025 - Learn Something New Every Day
Learn Something New Every Day
So, here's something that I encountered a little while ago, a bit of knowledge that made me go... wow, I didn't know that! I was reading about logging here in the Pacific Northwest and learned the first meaning of the term 'Skid Row'. It's, now, generally a name for a poor area in a town or city, where those people 'on the skids', who are basically poor, druggies, prostitutes, etc, live. Basically it's a slum; a red-light district.
But the term didn't start like that. It seems to have started in the 17 Century as 'Skid Road'. It referred to a log road - a road made by paving it with greased wood slats, also known as a Corduroy road - then. The term gained wide usage in the Pacific Northwest in the 19th Century and meant the road, path or track upon which logs were skidded down the mountains to the mills and storage areas below. In time the mills and storage areas were also spoken of as being on Skid Road and when loggers were fired, they were sent down Skid Road.
An original Skid Road with the loggers using oxen to pull huge trees. Image from the above link on greased slates called Why Do they Call It Skid Row?.
The term was altered over time from Skid Road, to Skid Row. This was done by the 1930s. The term originated, and basically remains, in the USA, although Canada (and Australia and Mexico?) have a named a few poor districts as skid rows.
The first area known as a 'Skid Row' (or 'road') was probably, and still is, in Seattle, WA. It's Yesler Way, Pioneer Square, now. The term spread to other cities and areas, and there are Skid Rows in Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Oakland (CA), San Francisco, and other towns and cities, like Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The Skid Row in Vancouver started as a real logging Skid Road, such as the area in Seattle.
And that's something I learned recently. Late to the learning, but I did learn it finally 
.
Ok, this thread is open! What's up, whatcha doing? Reading? Thinking? Remember, everything is interesting if you dive deep enough, so tell us about where you're diving!
Comments
Happy Thursday!
My mind's kinda empty. I spent the early to mid part of the week nervous because yesterday we took Nikko to the vet to get operated on, to get neutered. Now he's in a cone, and we are trying to give him the drugs they want to keep him calm and sedated but he won't take them easily. I'm having to literally feed him by hand, putting the food with the pills into my hand... We'll see if it improves. As for him being lethargic and weird after the neutering... umm, no, at least not in comparison to other dogs. In comparison to him, yea
.
Hope you are all doing well. What's up?
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
This article from
Zerohedge is interesting, and really does describe the realities of life in many cities fairly well.
https://archive.ph/NHkMU
Food for thought. I might have to read some more of Mr. Snyder's work.
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
Snyder has a reputation
around that site as "Mister Doom". Not necessarily discounting his work, but Doom porn gets old pretty fast.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
Good article...
I've been thinking for years that having a job, and having a life without money troubles, are not the same things. Many jobs do not pay enough, and the expectation that a person working such a job should have 2 or 3 other jobs to make ends meet is ludicrous. I think that's why it's high employment rate, many people have to have 2 jobs to get by.
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Good morning, sima!
I just learned there is an entity called US Court of International Trade. That court just blocked and banned Trump's tariffs.
Futures are soaring.
Maybe merchandise will not double in price or have limited availability after all.
Man, I spent wy too much time admiring the grazing deer this morning, must get my sorry ass to work now!
Thanks for the OT, chica!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Yeah
those Wall St. capitalists are way smarter than Trump. He's messing with a whole lot of money people.
Remember when JFK threatened the Fed?
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
Admiring the deer..
Sounds like a good and relaxing thing to do. Hope work went/goes well!
I wish the court stay on tariffs would continue, but, as you noted below, another court has already set it aside. Dang.
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Thanks for the OT, Sima
Very interesting write up on skid row. Who knew?
Well now we do.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
It's weird but I feel kinda proud..
That the PacNW originated the term and it didn't mean what it does now. Lots of logging went on here. I've found the remains of very huge trees, their mostly disintegrated stumps, in my field when ploughing or digging up new areas for planting. Have you found any of those?
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
I have several
around the property that are still above ground but really rotted out. a couple are 4 ft across.
I keep poking them with the tractor every time I go by, hoping they will loosen up over time.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
In the 50 and early 60's
on my Great-Uncles farm in Battle Ground, WA. he would blow them out with dynamite charges.
In the mid sixties when my Dad remodeled our shack into a normal house first task was a septic tank and drain field the contractor ran into solid lava rock and quit. Uncle came to help. I got to watch the holes being drilled sticks set, caps installed and fuse laid. The men got to stay outside, but the us kids had to crouch behind a barrier in the house before they would light the fuse. A few years later the government started limiting the size and number of firecrackers the public could possess. Those old timers surrounding my youth had a lot of unexpected skills and wild tales.
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
Good morning Sima, nuthin' much going on here, beyond
all the usual An app that provided cloud storage for selected stuff (clippings) ia closing down, so I have to go through and move stuff elsewhere causing me to first re-read a ton of stuff to see if I really still want it. One can waste a momentous amount of time doing this, but one can only do it for a limited time without taking a break for other stuff. Meanwhile I just ate the last oc the cinnamon rolls that I made on the 24th. Yep, sit around all day and eat cinnamon rolls, a most healthy endeavor. I gotta get outside and do stuff pronto .
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Cinnamon Rolls!
Sitting around eating cinnamon rolls is a good endeavour, right? I would do it. I know what you mean about going through old documents on cloud storage and so on. It's very time consuming and sometimes interesting and sometimes fun and sometimes sad. I'm doing something a bit similar. My hubby found some boxes my father had put into the attic of my Dad's studio. THey were labeled with my name. They have my horses (plastic models of horses), doll clothes my grandmother made me, and yearbooks from my highschool. Talk about old! I have been asking my parents for those things for a few years, I think my Dad's dementia made him forget where they were, or even that he had them. I'm very grateful to him for saving them. There are even old concert pinups and posters from the early 1980s in there.
But now, back to the 'real' chores. Time to do some weed eating! Have a great day!
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Well it is not exactly new in fact it is more of a truism.
The following belong together like peanut butter and jelly.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-hamas-ceasefire-response-gaza-trump-...
Peanut Butter and Jelly...
Hah. Yes, they do belong together. And, I wonder how soon this 60 day cease fire will be broken. Wonder when Israel will bomb the next refugee camp, hospital, child care, homeless area... Bleh.
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
I learned yesterday one court
ruled Trump's tariffs were illegal. Today, a federal appellate court reinstated them.
sigh...
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
A bit more on this.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/29/federal-judge-temporarily-reins...
I think DOJ will have two chances to derail this
First the DC Court of Appeals, then the S.Ct. I think the court of Appeals will rule against this lower court decision, on the merits, in which case, the S.Ct., can just reject an appeal. If by some chance, the DC Court of Appeals were to go along with the lower court rejection of the "national emergency" justifying Trump's tariffs, then the S.Ct. could take it up on the merits for the administration, and shut off opposition to trump's tariffs there. Sadly, I think these DC courts will defer to Trump's national security powers as president. I hope I'm wrong.
Thanks for the updates OTC and Humphrey.
語必忠信 行必正直
This is good info to know
I'm thinking the DC courts will go along with Trump as well. I hope not, Hope not...
What is the 'national emergency'? The economy sucks for many. How is making everything we have to buy more expensive gonna help that? Maybe he should put the tariff proceeds into building factories and so on...
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Sigh is right...
n/t
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so