What are you reading? Topic

Exactly what I was looking for Len. Thanks. I've wishlisted it on Amazon.
11/17/2009 11:29 AM
I worked in a blast furnace for 3 years at USS from "77-80, dangerous dirty very hard work.
11/17/2009 11:32 AM
What piqued my interest was a passage in Meet You in Hell from some turn of the century muckracker - maybe RH Davis - and I'm not using 'muckraker in a perjorative sense. Created a vivid image of exhausted men working outside a huge cauldron of boiling, molten steel which, every so often would spit out a cud of sizzling hot, impure metal. Hot enough to burn thru a man un-alert enough to jump out of the way.

Betcha that was the hardest job you've ever had, Winny.
11/17/2009 11:40 AM
With everyone in my family (and my wife's family) being steel workers (and having worked in a zinc mill for 2 summers), I can tell you that the work absolutely was dangerous, dirty, loud, and hard.

On the other hand, each of my family believes that the hardest job was the underground coal miners in the same era. Thousands of feet underground, no electric lights, poison gases, mine collapses, cold, cramped, filthy, working with explosives, OSHA a future dream, and oh yeah, if you don't die on the job, you'll probably die of black lung in your 50's.

11/17/2009 12:02 PM
How do your families feel about unions, Len?

I know unions aren't universally loved, never were, but probably less so now than in 1909. They were absolutely essential in improving the working conditions in foundries, mines, mills & slaughter-houses. Just one example - there wouldn't even be an OSHA if not for unions - nor a universal 5-day work week, or child labor laws.
11/17/2009 12:34 PM
My families are pro-union. Agressively so.

My personal belief is probably summed up by the "laws of oligarchy". Any organization, no matter how noble it's initial purpose, evolves over time so that it's true goal is preserving itself.

I believe that up until the mid-1960's, unions were a huge blessing. Without a doubt they were critical to making the workplace safe, and helping make possible the American middle class. Sometime after that, they became stifling influences, more interested in maintaining the status quo (and member jobs, which meant dues, which meant good lifestyles for union bosses) than in changing with the company to better compete in a global marketplace.

That's a personal opinon, based on watching the Pittsburgh steel industry die, and having worked in an unionized zinc mill, and a unionized insurance company.

There's still room for them, but they need to realize that they are in partnership with the company, not adversaries.
11/17/2009 1:53 PM
Quote: Originally Posted By biglenr on 11/17/2009

My personal belief is probably summed up by the "laws of oligarchy". Any organization, no matter how noble it's initial purpose, evolves over time so that it's true goal is preserving itself.

Well said... the statement crisply cuts across a wide spectrum of the world and is, I believe probably true. I think a good example of this is "The March of Dimes" organization.

Certainly there must be somewhere an exception to this rule.

However, does anyone really believe there will ever be an end to this problem, that problem - or any problem when there are people whose jobs (and sometimes power, fame and riches) depend on that problem?
11/17/2009 2:13 PM
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11/17/2009 5:04 PM
Quote: Originally posted by kneeneighbor on 11/16/2009Anyone read The Partner by Grisham? I have it from the library but cant decide if I should start it or find something else. I have also been into the WEB Griffin Cops Series and am looking forward to the next one on the list.

This was Grisham's last really good lawyer fiction book, though The King of Torts was pretty good too. I just finished The Associate and it pretty much sucked.
11/17/2009 5:06 PM
Yeah it did. Opening up a Robert Ludlum tonight.
11/17/2009 11:22 PM
Now onto The Gilded Age: A Reappraisal, edited by H. Wayne Morgan.

Series of essays by a herd of university professors. The Gilded Age in Amerca lasted roughly from 1875 to 1900. I've had this book for years and have never been able to get very far in it.

Books written by scholars are usually more densely packed that otherwise, they're usually not narratives (which tend to be easier to follow).

The Gilded Age is a tough period to get into. It's a deadfall of obscure and mediocre presidents, tariffs, internal improvements, and currency reform.
11/19/2009 8:21 AM
Quote: Originally Posted By sheller on 11/19/2009
Now onto The Gilded Age: A Reappraisal, edited by H. Wayne Morgan.

Series of essays by a herd of university professors. The Gilded Age in Amerca lasted roughly from 1875 to 1900. I've had this book for years and have never been able to get very far in it.

Books written by scholars are usually more densely packed that otherwise, they're usually not narratives (which tend to be easier to follow).

The Gilded Age is a tough period to get into. It's a deadfall of obscure and mediocre presidents, tariffs, internal improvements, and currency reform.

Sounds like a page turner!
11/19/2009 9:28 AM
Hah! Well, I've always been into American history, and try not to totally neglect any era. The Gilded Age, tho... well, I know the tariff & currency issues were important, but I have a hard time grasping the points of contention in the currency debate, and find the debate over tariffs almost impossible to follow.
11/19/2009 10:05 AM
JUST FINISHED--- 1920- THE YEAR OF SIX PRESIDENTS--DAVID PIETRUSZA

6 ONCE+ FUTURE PRESIDENTS, WILSON, HARDING, COOLIDGE, HOOVER, AND BOTH ROOSEVELTS JOCKEYED FER THE WHITE HOUSE

VERY GOOD
11/19/2009 1:50 PM
Quote: Originally Posted By antoncresten on 11/19/2009
1920- THE YEAR OF SIX PRESIDENTS--DAVID PIETRUSZA



And another is added to the wishlist
11/19/2009 4:31 PM
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