Thursday, January 22, 2026

More Pin-ups ... Out Of The Box

         Huckleberry began his cartoon character around 1958 and, a host of other pin-ups began their days close by. Somehow, these additional folks ended their days in my keep-sake box of the early 1960s. Here they are.

                        YOGI  

                            BOO BOO  

                             DIXIE                                        

                              PIXIE

                                MR. JINKS
        What a group of folks to join my memory box! How about this?


Sunday, January 18, 2026

Occam's Razor ... Need A Shave?

         A useful maxim it is called in A Dictionary Of Epidemiology, edited by John M. Last, p.72. The term receives some extra attention with slightly enlarged letters and, distinctive nomenclature like "scientific parsimony" and, "dictum". The quote is given, as stated by, a "William of Occam", who's name is not even attached to his words. He seems to be identified as a Franciscan philosopher who was from Occam, Surrey (England) [ca. 1278 - 1347 A.D.] and, in 1330 moved to Bavaria, Munich. He is quoted ... 

           "the assumptions introduced to explain a thing must not be multiplied beyond necessity."

        Wow ... a scientific parsimony indeed! We all could use a shave ever now and then.

P.S. The text, edited by Last, is a handbook sponsored by the International Epidemiological Association. Published 1983, by Oxford University Press, Oxford. It is listed under Oxford Medical Publications.

Wednesday, January 14, 2026

My Politics 1960 ... Out Of The Box

         Understanding social dynamics involved much of my 4th grade education. Others' opinions and, their relationships, involved much of this activity. "Jimmy, Johnny and, Jerry" ... the 3 J's ...we called ourselves. We traveled many different walkways, homeward bound, that 4th grade, Hickman Street, adventure. Selfishness, short-run interests, shrewdness and, tactfulness, brought attention to the many barriers of the mind that would separate the pathways ahead. Anyway, outside of our world, governmental processes (Politics) on the national level were generally not on a front burner. 

        However, the Nixon/Kennedy Presidential run was somewhat of an exception to the many barriers of the mind that existed during these days. What a deal it was! Well, here is a scan of my personal politics ...


                                      ... out of my keepsake box it is!

Friday, January 9, 2026

Out Of The Box

        The much faded, now, not so white envelope, containing my keep-sake memories (mostly patches) continues with the following:  

                                                 From my junior life saving days -

                                                  To my senior life saving days -

        Teaching many of my hometown folks how to swim, remains a rewarding experience of my much younger days. Just how many total individuals were involved remains a mystery but, here is a sample of such activity at our community pool in 1969!

        Just me, for almost a decade, each summer along the flow of time. Splish-splash, blow those bubbles and float away.


Sunday, January 4, 2026

My Keep-Sake Box

         Memory facilitation seems to help my recall in these years of being greater than 70 such or so. Having recently rediscovered a memory box of much younger days, the content of these various activities helped fill the valleys of my past travels. How about that! Here is a scan of the inter lid of these carefully placed items it contained.

         "Dutch Masters" it is. Can you believe it? In my younger days, the cigar was a status of success if you could hold one between your fingers while you walked around town. Two for 25 cents it proudly states above. What a deal! Lucky to have a nickel in my own pocket at any street crossing.

        Raising this lid, what was first found first, belonged to an aging, fading and, well-worn envelope. It was filled with all kinds of cloth patches, representing many of the pathways travel along the way. What a deal! Had to spend some time sorting through such a heap of cloth memories all jumbled together. Here's some of the unravelling to this cloth of time!

         Troop of 84' ... a lasting memorial and, the major role it impacted on my growth and development during these years of travel.

       "Be Prepared"! A motto of life it became. Will-power and self-control ... what can one say against all those hormones of adolescent swimming by? Here's the crew of one of those days. [see post of December 2, 2011, titled of course "Adolescence"]

        Old Lord Baden-Powell would be satisfied and happy in his grave. Boy Scouts started in America February 8, 1910. What memories!