Ideas, Opinions, Genealogy, and Book Reviews
I liked both. The Big Short tells is a good story and an important one. Many of the events are familiar to some of us as they were covered in the news a few years ago after the big crash. Now for some details on both movie and book. Continue reading “The Big Short – movie and book”
One of my Christmas presents was City on a Grid: How New York Became New York by Gerard Koeppel. I spend much of the next few days reading and learning about the New York Grid.
One of the first things that strikes a visitor to New York City is the grid pattern of streets in Manhattan. The grid doesn’t include the southern end of Manhattan since the old city was at the southern tip of the island that that just grew organically. The grid doesn’t extend to the far north of the island. But the grid does rule on most of the island. Continue reading “New York Grid”
This is one of those things where I am not sure if Mary McKenzie Hogge McDougall is a relation. I’ve previously written about my McKenzie/MacKenzie search including Colin of Ellsworth and his possible brother Malcolm (my great grandfather).
This one is more of a “Hail Mary”. I stumbled upon an abstract of a death certificate for Mary McDougull at FamilySearch. (A big “thank you” to those volunteer indexers.) The thing that got me interested was that it said she was born in Nova Scotia in 1854 and her parents were Alexander and Anna McKenzie. This could match as a potential sister of Malcolm McKenzie but may just be coincidence.
Once again, Republicans take a stand against sensible gun laws.
Previously this stance against was taken against a proposed sensible gun law which proposed closing the gun show loophole so buyers cannot evade background checks by buying a gun shows or online.
Just last month, the Senate defeated an amendment to a bill which would similarly close this loophole.
This week the President is suggesting an executive order which would do much the same thing. Republicans are again opposed. Perhaps not all but a number of politicians have spoken.
I just finished reading Why Bernie Sanders Matters by Harry Jaffe. I had requested an Advance Reading Copy (ARC) from Netgalley because it sounded interesting so I thought I would give it a try. I’m glad I did. I understand it is out today so the ARC gave me a few days head start.
If you have been following the presidential primaries, you know there are 3 candidates left in the democratic field. Bernie Sanders is one. It is seems like Hillary Clinton will be the nominee, but Bernie Sanders is presenting a serious challenge.
I was thinking about climate change because it is much in the news these days. We have the Paris climate change agreement (21st United Nations Convention on Climate Change (COP21)).
I ran across an interesting site. The Yale Project on Climate Change Communication is tracking changes in American public beliefs about climate change and the role of human activity in climate change. The data are looked at a number of ways. It is well-worth your time to look around the site. Continue reading “Paris climate change agreement”
A few days ago I wrote about our McKenzie/MacKenzie search. Specifically I wrote about Colin McKenzie of Ellsworth, Maine. I was hoping this might bring a few comments from distant relatives.
But it did not, at least not yet. We genealogists are an optimistic bunch.
About 6 weeks ago I wrote about a budget compromise which I hoped showed a new spirit of compromise in Congress and a maybe even a interest in governing.
I wrote too soon. I should have known better.
Congress failed to get the needed legislation to implement the budget deal. They passed the deadline and passed another continuing resolution. So I guess we can call the deal an almost compromise.
I think Colin McKenzie of Ellsworth, Maine is a brother of my great grandfather Malcolm McKenzie. I’m not sure at this point but it does seem likely. It would be great to hear from a descendant or 2 of Colin McKenzie of Ellsworth but I am jumping way ahead in this story.
As far as I know Colin McKenzie of Ellsworth was born in or near Middle River, Victoria county, Nova Scotia. This is on Cape Breton Island. His marriage certificate is even more specific placing his residence and place of birth as Hunter’s Mountain which is between Baddeck and Middle River in Nova Scotia. But then other records say he was born in Scotland. So he was born in old Scotland or New Scotland. I suppose I’ll eventually get it straight. Continue reading “Colin McKenzie of Ellsworth, Maine”
This is the time of year that some like to complain about the War on Christmas. Well, it is nothing new. For a bit of surprising history see When Boston banned Christmas on the FindMyPast website.
Several months ago I wrote about the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act and how there are many co-sponsors but the House and Senate Bills have been stuck in committee for several months with no apparent action.
Will Congress do the right thing for 9/11 responders ?
I checked again and the status is still the same although there are more co-sponsors. In fact in both the House and Senate a majority of members are co-sponsors. In the House, it is about 60%. In the Senate, even higher (a filibuster-proof majority) Why is leadership keeping this bill bottled up in committee?
You can follow the progress (or lack of progress) as congressional leaders act (or not) and latest news on the renew911health.org website.
I get a weekly newsletter from U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA). I don’t often agree with Senator Toomey but I try to keep informed and listen to both sides of the issue. I also occasionally share my opinions with him and I’m sure he is grateful.
In last week’s newsletter he highlighted his stance for expanding gun background checks (see Senator Toomey and a sensible gun law). But he did not mention another gun-related vote on the same day. Funny, Senator Toomey didn’t mention that. Both items were proposed amendments to H.R. 3762 (Restoring Americans’ Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015). Continue reading “Funny, Senator Toomey didn’t mention that”
I don’t often agree with U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.). But this time I do. He renewed his attempt of a few years ago to make our gun laws a bit more sensible.
A few years ago, Senators Toomey and Manchin proposed their sensible gun law after the massacre of school children in Newtown, CT. This was rejected and the sad story is in my post – Sensible gun laws lose
A few days ago, after the San Bernadino mass shooting, the Senate once again rejected the Manchin-Toomey proposal to make background checks universal.
The same day the Senate also rejected a plan to allow the government to delay delay firearms sales to suspected terrorists for up to 72 hours.
Neither universal background checks nor these delays allowing extended background check will stop all gun violence but these sensible gun law changes do make it a bit harder for the bad guys and may save lives.
I don’t think the Senators defeated these commonsense measures to make life easier for the bad guys, but that is what they did.
I guess she was just Mary McKenzie then. She married John Nolan much later but I don’t know when or where. I imagine it was New York City or near there and occurred sometime after 1900 but before her death in 1923.
Why do I think Mary McKenzie became Mary Nolan then? And why am I unsure of where she was born? Continue reading “Mary McKenzie Nolan”
Several months ago I reviewed a book Get What’s Yours that explained in detail how to maximize your Social Security Benefits. This is a good thing to know as we go into retirement. But the government went and changed the rules. Now you need a Social Security update.
At least one strategy laid out in the book, and perhaps a good one for many of us, will no longer be available as of a certain date. You may need to buy the book now if you plan on any Social Security action in the next few months. A revised edition to include the latest rules is in the works.
Check the getwhatsyours.org/ website to get the latest Social Security update from the authors of this book.