BatesLine blogroll headlines

True history of the two million acres opened for settlement in the April 22, 1889, Land Run. No, the land wasn't stolen. American taxpayers paid millions for it, twice.

An essay from 2012. If you want to understand why the people who call the shots don't get much public criticism, you need to know about the people I call the yacht guests. "They staff the non-profits and the quangos, they run small service-oriented businesses that cater to the yacht owners, they're professionals who have the yacht owners as clients, they work as managers for the yacht owners' businesses. They may not be wealthy, but they're comfortable, and they have access to opportunities and perks that are out of financial reach for the folks who aren't on the yacht. Their main job is not to rock the boat, but from time to time, they're called upon to defend the yacht and its owners against perceived threats."

Introducing Tulsa's Complacent City Council

From 2011: "One of the things that seemed to annoy City Hall bureaucrats about the old council was their habit of raising new issues to be discussed, explored, and acted upon. From the bureaucrats' perspective, this meant more work and their own priorities displaced by the councilors' pet issues.... [The new councilors are] content to be spoon-fed information from the mayor, the department heads, and the members and staffers of authorities, boards, and commissions. The Complacent Councilors won't seek out alternative perspectives, and they'll be inclined to dismiss any alternative points of view that are brought to them by citizens, because those citizens aren't 'experts.' They'll vote the 'right' way every time, and the department heads, authority members, and mayoral assistants won't have to answer any questions that make them uncomfortable."

BatesLine has presented over a dozen stories on the history of Tulsa's Greenwood district, focusing on the overlooked history of the African-American city-within-a-city from its rebuilding following the 1921 massacre, the peak years of the '40s and '50s, and its second destruction by government through "urban renewal" and expressway construction. The linked article provides an overview, my 2009 Ignite Tulsa talk, and links to more detailed articles, photos, films, and resources.

From 2015: "Having purged the cultural institutions and used them to brainwash those members of the public not firmly grounded in the truth, the Left is now purging the general public. You can believe the truth, but you have to behave as if the Left's delusions are true.

"Since the Left is finally being honest about the reality that some ethical viewpoint will control society, conservatives should not be shy about working to recapture the culture for the worldview and values that built a peaceful and prosperous civilization, while working to displace from positions of cultural influence the advocates of destructive doctrines that have led to an explosion of relational breakdown, mental illness, and violence."

The Pioneer Woman: Best Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries Recipe

We harvested a lot of sweet potatoes last fall and tried this easy approach to fixing them. Includes a simple but really tasty honey mustard recipe.

The Pioneer Woman: Mulled Apple Cider Recipe

This was really lovely. It includes maple syrup, cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, ground cloves, orange peel, and lemon peel. (This variation adds bourbon to the mix.)

Throngs of himself | Hub | Paul Linebarger / Cordwainer Smith

The fascinating story of psychological warfare expert and academic Paul Linebarger, who wrote science fiction under the pseudonym Cordwainer Smith. His fiction anticipates a perfect future that must be made imperfect in order to reclaim true humanity. I just read and recommend "Scanners Live in Vain," the first short story published as Cordwainer Smith.

In 2013, Geoffrey Reiter at Christ and Pop Culture wrote on the occasion of Cordwainer Smith's centenary.

Statement on the Equal Rights Amendment Ratification Process | National Archives

Congress sent the Equal Rights Amendment to the states in 1972 with a seven-year deadline for ratification. The Department of Justice concluded in 2020 and in 2020 that Congress no longer has a role to play in the constitutional amendment ratification process once a resolution has been sent to the states; even the three-year extension was invalid.

Flying with Vestibular Migraine - Best Tips for Vertigo and Dizziness - The Dizzy Cook

Most stable places to sit on the plane, helps for pressure changes, nausea, and annoying smells, and many other travel tips that might be useful even if you don't suffer from vestibular migraines.

Tin Pan Alley Composer and lyricist Biographies

Biographical sketches of the men and women who built the Great American Songbook. Not merely the Tin Pan Alley songwriters, but earlier writers like Francis Scott Key and Stephen Foster as well.

Manuscripts - Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts

A searchable comprehensive database of New Testament manuscripts, with details of each and links to images.

London Calling : Jimmy Perry : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

A radio sitcom written by Jimmy Perry, co-creator of Dad's Army and Hi-de-Hi, about the early days of the BBC, starring Jimmy Perry, Graham Crowden (Waiting for God), Bill Pertwee (Round the Horne, Dad's Army), Roy Hudd (The Crowned Hudds), and Jeffrey Holland (Hi-de-Hi).

BBC Radio 4 - Letter from America by Alistair Cooke

A collection of nearly 1500 episodes of Alistair Cooke's weekly commentaries for the BBC on life in America. The series ran from 1946 to 2004, "the longest-running speech radio programme hosted by one individual." A two-hour program offers highlights from his 1970s broadcasts, a tumultuous period in American history.

918 BBS List

The prehistory of online communication in Tulsa. Before high-speed internet, before dial-up internet, there were modems and bulletin board services (BBSes), and you'd dial into someone else's computer to exchange files, play games, and chat. The era ran from 1981 to 2004. Black Gold BBS was one of the biggest and longest lasting. Wayne's World was one of the last. Mike Lester's GalaxyStar evolved into an Internet Service Provider. Some great memories embedded in with this list of northeastern Oklahoma BBSes.