#Indiana Michigan Power | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

camojacketfag · 8 months

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Fucking hell, dude. Your blog hit me in the gut like a nine-pound hammer. I’m a Michigan boy, born and bred, but did spend a year living in rural Indiana — and your pictures and posts and reblogs feel like home. For better or worse, they feel like home.

My year in Indiana was wild and reckless and free. That was where I lost my faith, where I lost my virginity, and where I found a part of my soul that I didn’t realize I’d been missing. The Midwest is a wild place, and she raises wild children who will always carry their mother with them, in their hearts and blood and bones, no matter how far we go, or how hard we try to leave her behind.

Thank you for this. Thank you for sharing what these places mean to you, and what you see in them. Thank you for sharing who you are through these places.

The way I’ve had your confession in my inbox for like two weeks man and I just keep ruminating on the right shit to say but I don’t really know what to say because it feels like you tore a fucking page out of my own notebook and said exactly what I’m trying to confess every god damn day. I lost my virginity to some dude named josh when I was 18 who read me his favorite bible verses after all was said and done. I learned to eventually find comfort and joy in inhabiting this part of the world after a tumultuous four years in which I made the fucking choice to finally heal and try and assess who it is I wanted to be. I’ve lost so much man. Friendships, relationships, moments I know I’ll never recover, all because I made the stupid ass decision to seclude myself and try and heal and comprehend why it is I am the way that I am. Most of my anxiety nowadays comes with wondering if I made the right decision in the end. I’m still in my 20s, and I’ve got so much left to learn and experience yet I spend my afternoons piling dirt onto the graves of those I’ve lost along the way. Every year is spent fighting with the remains of my dwindling faith. I’d like to maintain a belief in the mysticism of everyday life. In the idea that things happen to you for a reason and that ever so passionately you’re being guided by a mystical force much wiser and powerful than you could ever imagine, yet I spend the first half of most my years losing my faith, only to then somber and beg for its return in the later half of the year. Recently I’m grateful for the return of my vibrant rage man. I lost it earlier this year due to a relapse in my obsessive and compulsive nature and the desperation for hope that follows after. As of last week, somehow, I ended up in the right place, at the right time, to acknowledge the rage still residing deep within. How it hungers to break and bend and spit and scream and destroy and show everyone I spend mourning over that they’ll someday realize how worthy I was of keeping around. I’ve made my choice man. No return, I say. I know what I suffer from. I know what it is I’ve gone through. I know why it is my brain works the way it does and it took so much unnecessary sacrifice. So fucking be it man. Often, I wonder if others perceive me as selfish for doing this. I wish I could make them understand that I decided to get better, not only for myself, but to be a better being for them as well. Yet, we can’t go back. Growing up here, living here, feeling invisible here, feeling alone here, will only add to the strength you’ve acquired as you’ve gotten older. For now, I’ll sit back, I’ll people watch, I’ll listen to my records, read my books, write my words, rage every chance I’m given, and I’ll find a way to make peace with the idea that it will all work out in the end. I’ve no mountains to run to. No skyscrapers I can dig myself underneath. No late night booming clubs I can drown my sorrows with. Just plains and corn and a hunger to be more. To never settle. And I hope, you feel the same man. Take care of yourself and try and be kind to yourself! Thanks for reaching out. Means a lot.

#revelations

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mylittlesecrethaven · 9 days

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Let's Look At Where We Would Be In Panem

I'm doing all 50 states, so let's fucking go. (I'm not doing exact, so if it's only partially in the wilds, I'm not stating that)

Alabama - 11 (Agriculture) Alaska - None Arizona - 5 (Power) Arkansas - Southern = 11 (Agriculture), Northern = 8 (Textiles) California - 4 (Fishing) Colorado - 2 (Masonry) Connecticut - Wilds Delaware - Wilds Florida - Wilds Georgia - Wilds Hawaii - None Idaho - Southern = 1 (Luxury), Middle = 4 (Fishing), Northern = 7 (Lumber) Illinois - Southern = 8 (Textiles), Northern = 3 (Technology) Indiana - Southern = 12 (Coal), Norhtern = 3 (Technology) Iowa - 3 (Technology) Kansas - 8 (Textiles) Kentucky - 12 (Coal) Louisiana - Wilds Maine - Wilds Maryland - Wilds Massachusetts - Wilds Michigan - Southern = 3 (Technology), Northwestern = 6 (Transportation), Northeastern = 13 (Nuclear) Minnesota - Western = 9 (Grain), Eastern = 3 (Technology) Mississippi - 11 (Agriculture) Missouri - 8 (Textiles) Montana - Southern = 1 (Luxury), Northern = 7 (Lumber) Nebraska - 9 (Grain) Nevada - 4 (Fishing) New Hampshire - Wilds New Jersey - Wilds New Mexico - 2 (Masonry) New York - 13 (Nuclear) North Carolina - Wilds North Dakota - 9 (Grain) Ohio - 12 (Coal) Oklahoma - 11 (Agriculture) Oregon - 4 (Fishing) Pennsylvania - Wilds Rhode Island - Wilds South Carolina - Wilds South Dakota - 9 (Agriculture) Tennessee - 8 (Textiles) Texas - Western = 10 (Livestock), Eastern = 11 (Agriculture) Utah - Southern = 5 (Power), Northern = 1 (Luxury) Vermont - Wilds Virginia - Wilds Washington - 7 (Lumber) West Virginia - 12 (Coal) Wisconsin - Western = 3 (Technology), Eastern = 6 (Transportation) Wyoming - Southern = Capital, Nothern = 1 (Luxury)

This isn't perfectly exact, but I tried my best.

(Btw, I'd be in District 11. Lemme know where y'all would be.)

#panem #hunger games #catching fire #mockingjay

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dontmeantobepoliticalbut · 1 year

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Conservatives are fuming after Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called out Ohio and Indiana for restricting LGBTQ+ and reproductive rights in her 2023 State of the State address.

“Bigotry is bad for business,” Whitmer exclaimed while discussing the need for Michigan to expand reproductive rights and LGBTQ+ anti-discrimination laws in the state.

Whitmer explained that not only is protecting these civil rights the right thing to do, but it’s also good for the economy because states lose talent when their laws are too extreme.

She then issued a direct challenge to her neighbors.

“Together, we are going to change Michigan from a state with century-old bans to forward looking protections. Our message is simple: we will fight for your freedom. And you know what? Let’s go on offense. I’ll go to any state that restricts people’s freedoms and win business and hardworking people from them. I’m looking at you, Ohio and Indiana.”

Michigan is currently experiencing a Democratic trifecta, with Democrats holding a majority in both legislative chambers and the governorship. Democrats also control the office of the Secretary of State and Attorney General. It is reportedly the first time in 40 years that Democrats control all levels of power in the state.

Ohio and Indiana have the exact opposite, with every significant office dominated by Republicans.

The Michigan GOP was not happy with Whitmer’s comments.

Republican House Rep. Andrew Beeler, told Fox2, “I think that it is remarkable that our state plan for economic development is to lure more businesses and people with the prospect of being able to kill unborn children.”

The state GOP, itself, tweeted out angrily, “No. You know who is losing talent? Michigan. Here it is again, Gretch – more people moved OUT of Michigan in 2022 than in.”

But many were quick to criticize the tweet for failing to recognize that last year, Republicans were in control of the legislature.

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popentertainmentconcertreviews · 1 year

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Greta Van Fleet – PNC Arena – Raleigh, NC – March 13, 2023

Better late than never. This Greta Van Fleet concert was a rescheduled date for the Dreams In Gold Tour that was originally supposed to be played last year, but one of the members had gotten sick so they had to postpone. GVF is a modern rock band from Frankenmuth, Michigan consisting of brothers Josh, Jake, and Sam Kiszka, and longtime friend Danny Wagner.

The beginning of this show started out right with openers Robert Finley and Houndmouth. You may know Finley from America’s Got Talent. He warmed the crowd right up with his powerful, blues-filled voice. Next was Houndmouth, a band from New Albany, Indiana. They seemed to be a real crowd favorite as many fans were singing along to their songs. Once Houndmouth’s set was over you could feel the electrifying energy in the air as the audience waited for Greta Van Fleet to finally hit the stage.

A curtain was put up to hide GVF away from the fans before they debuted on stage. As the preshow playlist went on, one song in particular struck a nerve with the audience as they all started to scream when they heard the opening notes of “Reasons for Waiting” by Jethro Tull being played. This is the last song that plays before the band comes on. As the song came to an end the audience started a chant, saying “Greta” over and over again, just wanting them to walk out on stage already. As everyone waited a monologue began to play. It was Josh Kiszka the singer. I could hear most people reciting the words of this monologue as if they've heard it plenty of times before, which I’m sure many of them have.

The monologue came to an end and the opening notes of the first song of the night began to play, which was “Built By Nations,” a song from their latest album The Battle at Garden’s Gate from 2021. The curtain that was up previously to hide the band away finally toppled down and unveiled Greta Van Fleet in all their glory. Fans could not contain their excitement as the song kept playing and they finally got to see what they had been waiting for all night.

After the first few songs it was time for a drum solo, which Danny Wagner happily provided. While he was playing and getting the crowd hyped, the singer went backstage and came back with white roses in hand. He then got on a security guard’s shoulders and handed out a few roses to fans on the barricade and a few rows back. I have never seen any band do something like this before and you could tell how much it meant to each person that got a rose or just shook Josh’s hand after he handed the roses out and went back down the line. This band was very interactive with its audience, and it was so nice and heartwarming to see.

As the night went on the energy in the room never faltered. The setlist consisted of thirteen songs which everyone seemed to know all the words to as you could hear the whole arena singing along. Two of my favorites of the night were “Broken Bells” and “The Weight of Dreams.” They both featured guitar solos by the talented Jake Kiszka, which I just could not get enough of, and neither could the fans. They went crazy for him every time a solo came about.

After the show had come to a close you could see how much this band affected these people. So many were leaving smiling or even crying just simply overwhelmed by the whole experience. All in all I highly recommend seeing Greta Van Fleet live if you ever have the pleasure of doing so. They put on such a fantastic high energy production and it's truly something you have to see at least once in your lifetime.

Courtney Karikka

#Greta Van Fleet #2023 #Concert Reviews #PNC Arena #Raleigh #Courtney Karikka

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fandomgeeknerd · 1 year

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the midwest states aesthetic moodboard as created by me

Wisconsin- I put in hyperpop, candycore and that Wisconsin was what boosted modern music or something along those lines, the Swiss bc of the hat and bc Wisconsin is the Swiss cheese capitol and the state flower in the middle

South Dakota- South Dakota is done! sd is home to 175 species of butterflies and sd has the country's largest music festival and i used a bit of glowwave, crowcore and more green academia

North Dakota- nd grows more sunflowers than anywhere else, it also produces more honey and there's a world record for the most snow angels made, and you guessed it it's in nd

ohio- the nfl was invented in Ohio, Ohio is known as the Duct Tape Capital of the World, and Cleveland, Ohio was the first city to be lighted electrically in the world and I used webcore and glowwave

Minnesota- 3 million cows live in MN; Besides Alaska, Minnesota has more wolves than any other state, and Minnesota has over 3 times more white-tailed deer and the aesthetics I used are lunarpunk and Midwest Gothic

Michigan- Michigan has an estimated 65,000 inland lakes and ponds, Due to the long shoreline, Michigan needed many lighthouses to guide passing ships, so Michigan has the highest number of lighthouses in the country, The state is also home to Kellogg's and the aesthetics i used are forestpunk and frogcore

Illinois- The first Aquarium opened in Chicago, Softball began in Chicago, about ¾ of the area of Illinois consists of farms and the aesthetics i used are dreamcore and cottagecore

Indiana- first i had to sneak in the music man movie in this moodboard, the Jackson 5 Long before Hollywood and the music industry got a hold of them were in the small town of Gary, IN with their stepping and soulful voices, Hammond, Gary, and South Bend, and Vincennes Indiana all had ufo sightings but it was called an "airship" bc this was before ppl came up with ufo and the rare color i used aureolin and i used beige

Nebraska- NE is Nature’s hot spot, Kool Aid was Invented in Nebraska, i used vibrant academia and indie kid

Kansas- I forget that the wizard of oz takes place in Kansas, and don't be fooled Kansas's state flower is the wild sunflower, and two nicknames for the state is the sunflower state and the wheat state and the aesthetics i used are rainbowcore and rollerwave

Missouri- Missouri is known as the Cave State, Missouri has the largest beer producing plant in the country and St. Louis is called the Gateway to the West and the aesthetics i used are plant mom and naturecore

Iowa- Twenty-five Percent of Iowa is Generated by Wind Power, Iowa is the Largest Corn Producer in America, the red delicious red apple originated in Peru, Iowa and the aesthetics I used are mushroomcore and Midwest Emo

#wttt #wttsh #welcome to the table #welcome to the statehouse #wttt north dakota #wttt south dakota #wttt wisconsin #wttt ohio #wttt Minnesota #wttt michigan #wttt illinois #wttt indiana #wttt nebraska #wttt kansas #wttt missouri #wttt iowa #the midwest #wttt the midwest #juli's aesthetic moodboards

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allisoooon · 2 years

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Why your TUA questions might not get answered

Lots of people are asking what the marigolds are, who the creatures were who created the universe/Hotel Oblivion, how the 43 kids came to be or what their genetic makeup is, and a bunch of other stuff like that. So I’ma make as short a post as I can about hard vs. soft worldbuilding.

Hard worldbuilding: Your world has languages fully written, a detailed history, cultures, tons of notes on shit that will never make it into your finished product; basically, you’ve made your world as fully fleshed-out as you possibly can so that if a question comes up as you write, you already know the answer. Example: the works of Tolkien.

Soft worldbuilding: Your world has just enough details to imply the existence of much, much more than is on the page/screen/whatever. The gaps are filled by the reader/viewer’s imagination. Example: Star Wars.

Do we know what the economy of the wood-elves is like? Yes, they are hunter-gatherers who have limited trade with the outside and don’t really do metalwork, PETER JACKSON! Do we know how the fuck Coruscant is habitable when it’s just one big city? No, and we don’t care. We just know that Coruscant exists, people inhabit it, so there must be something in place to keep the entire thing from melting like the Wicked Witch of the West.

When you try to introduce hard worldbuilding elements into a soft worldbuilding system, or worse, hard magic system elements into a soft magic system, you get shit like midichlorians. It’s out of place, answers a question they never needed to answer, and ruins the mystique.

The TUA comics are just about as clear-cut an example of soft worldbuilding as you can get. How does an entire race of talking chimps exist? Why is a goldfish Five’s boss? WTF there are suddenly vampires in this universe?

The show is pretty much the same, albeit in a world that is almost entirely like our own. What city are they in? Well, according to Reginald’s check stubs, they are in The City. Where is The City? A shot of a kugelwave suggests it’s around where Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio meet. Where do the AMABs’ Y chromosomes come from? Who the fuck cares? How did Klaus create a new body for himself just by traveling to another dimension from the Void? By being fucking powerful.

Who created the universe and gave it a reset button? If you knew, instead of making the universe feel larger, it would almost certainly make it feel smaller. The vague implication with Hargreeves and Hotel Oblivion is that there are other planets with their own societies, and some of these aliens are not to be trifled with. Putting shape to those universe-makers limits them to being as powerful and frightening as canon makes them. Leaving them unseen limits them only to our imaginations.

So if your specific worldbuilding questions aren’t answered in the show, it’s not a plot hole--it’s soft worldbuilding. That’s just how it goes. A plot hole isn’t an unanswered question, anyway, it’s an internal consistency error.

#tua meta #the umbrella academy #literally no one asked #some person with multiple english degrees is going to rightfully correct like 85% of what I just wrote #I don't have an English degree I just watch too much Youtube

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musicfren · 3 months

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Protests March 2nd (this Saturday). Mostly USA, some global

Albuquerque, New Mexico

11:00 a.m.

Tiguex Park

Sponsored by: PSL Waukegan

Wellfleet, Massachusetts

10:00 a.m.

Town Hall Lawn

Sponsored by: Cape Codders for Peace and Justice

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aroundfortwayne · 2 years

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Fright Night returns to downtown Fort Wayne Indiana

New Post has been published on https://aroundfortwayne.com/news/2022/09/20/fright-night-returns-to-downtown-fort-wayne-indiana/

Fright Night returns to downtown Fort Wayne Indiana

The 13th annual Fright Night returns to downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana, on Saturday, October 15, 2022.

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railwayhistorical · 1 year

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Yard Power Returns

I figure this was a switcher job returning to the yard after working in town (Kalamazoo, Michigan). This is the Grand Elk Railroad, owned by Watco; the locomotive was built for the Canadian National as a GP40 wide nose in 1975.

The line visible here is the former Michigan Central (controlled by NYC, then part of Penn Central, Conrail, and finally Norfolk Southern). The railroad only runs on the MC just a bit (east/west) to get to the yard on the east side of town—its reserved for Amtrak’s regional services to Chicago. The Grand Elk runs north/south on other former NYC lines—between Grand Rapids to the north, and Elkhart, Indiana, to the south (hence its name).

Not a good shot as I have light from the setting sun streaming into my lens. But was here for another reason: to shoot the rising moon over the tracks (180 degrees from this point of view). In any case, this came around the bed to liven up my wait. In the end it was all I got as clouds totally obscured rising, near-full moon, alas.

One photograph by Richard Koenig; taken June 2nd 2023.

#railroadhistory #railwayhistory #grandelkrailroad #grandelk #michigancentral #conrail #penncentral #kalamazoo #kalamazoomichigan

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arpov-blog-blog · 10 months

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..."This year hasn’t been quite so busy, but as of July 21, 366 laws with voting restrictions had been proposed and 29 had been enacted.

All but one of those 29 new laws1 came in states where Republicans have full control of the lawmaking process: Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana,2 Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming. Five of the laws include provisions that tighten voter-ID requirements, 11 include provisions that interfere with election administration and 13 have at least one provision that targets mail voting.

As of July 21, according to the Voting Rights Lab, 834 bills had been introduced so far this year expanding voting rights, and 64 had been enacted. What’s more, these laws are passing in states of all hues. Democratic-controlled jurisdictions (Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island and Washington) enacted 33 of these new laws containing voting-rights expansions, but Republican-controlled states (Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming) were responsible for 23 of them. The remaining eight became law in states where the two parties share power (Nevada, Pennsylvania and Virginia)."

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wordpimp · 8 months

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Mower, power lines

Gary, Indiana is another town that makes me think about life, how it's always leaving and you never know where it's going to be next. Pretend Michigan (the lake) is so near to Chicago and yet such a forest; streets, meaning, urban blight. What brought flies to a picnic, almost a concrete bench, meadow or field. I think about when Shadrach Meshach and Abednego went into the furnace, their eyes must have watered, good grief. Let today be a Friday, let it not weaken the will. Do you remember that movie abt Santa Clarita, there was gold and stuff. I shopped at that costco, I never saw anything of the shadows that seem to be about now. I never went to Castaic. But Spain and Italy, that's exactly like California

Trona, Lancaster and Palmdale

Do not let people forget about the places they die in

#poetry #prose poem

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somethingusefulfromflorida · 11 months

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I had confidence in the 2024 election because Democrats had a better than expected midterm (they only lost the House by a slim margin, gained a seat in the senate, and held all the improtant secretary of state and attorney general races), but going state by state it's much closer than I'm comfortable with.

Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming are solid red (127/438)

California, Colorado, Connecitcut, Delaware, DC, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington are solid blue (195/438)

Arizona is likely to flip red because Krysten Sinema is unpopular and will split the senate vote as an independent spoiler making the Democrats appear disorganized and distressed, very likely siphoning votes from the presidential candidate (138/438)

Florida is solid red no matter how you slice it. 60-40 if it's DeSantis, 55-45 if it's Trump (168/438)

Georgia could go either way, but I see Republicans flipping it back red because the state legislature will do everything in its power to disenfranchise black voters after they flipped it blue four times, once presidential, thrice senatorial (184/438)

Maine splits its electoral college votes by congressional district. I think three will go blue (198/438) and one red (185/438)

Michigan will probably go blue because Democrats made massive gains in 2022, flipping both houses of the state legislature and maintaining control over the important statewide positions (213/438)

Minnesota is the only state to vote against Ronald Reagan twice, having not gone red since 1972. Republicans made gains in the state legislature, but Democrats were able to flip it back in 2022, so I think the statewide race is solid blue for sure (223/438)

Nebraska, like Maine, splits its votes by district. Even though one district is nominally bluer than the others, I have a feeling all five Nebraska votes will go red (190/438)

Nevada could go either way. Democrats held the senate and secretary of state races but lost the governorship. I'd tentatively call it blue, but we won't know the results until a week or two after election day, so let's instead say it's undecided.

New Hampshire could go either way, but leans blue even though both houses of the legislature and the governorship went red. it's very small, so it's unlikely to play kingmaker one way or the other (227/438)

North Carolina is red. it'll be close, maybe 49-51, but close only counts in horseshoes. it has a blye governor, but the legislature is gerrymandered deep red and the regularly override his vetoes. The NC Supreme Court said its electoral maps were unconstitutional in 2022, but the legislature used them anyways, so not even the highest authority in the state could stop them from fucking over the people. It'll be red with very lower turnout (206/438)

Ohio is deep red, not even a contest. It's the worst of Florida and North Carolina, illegal maps, deep red gerrymander, total clusterfuck shitshow (223/438)

Pennsylvania will probably go blue because Democrats flipped the senate and one house of the legislature in 2022 (246/438)

Texas is red. See Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Ohio (263/438)

Virginia is entirely up in the air. I can't make a prediction one way or the other until we see how the state legislature races go this fall. Democrats have a razor thin majority in the senate, Republicans have a razor thin majority in the house, so this November will decide who has the advantage going into 2024. They have a deep red governor, but two blue senators and a consistently blue presidential track record sine 2008. I don't know.

Wisconsin will probably go blue because Democrats managed to hold onto the secretary of state and attorney general seats in 2022, and flipped the state Supreme Court blue just a few months ago. Republicans have majorities in both houses due to gerrymandering, but statewide the Democrats have the advantage (256/438)

Oh dear. Neither party had 270 votes, and Nevada and Virginia are going to be the kingmakers.

If Dems win both, they win 275-263.

If Republicans win both, they win 282-256.

If Republicans win Virginia but not Nevada, they still win 276-262

If Democrats win Virginia but not Nevada, the electoral college is tied 269-269. It would be up to the House to pick a president in a contingent election, though there's no telling how many faithless electors would flip either way.

This is going to be a real nailbiter. No two presidential elections have ever gone the exact same way. There's no way it'll be a repeat of 2020; one or more state will flip, it's just a matter of which. If Dems can hold Arizona or Georgia, they're golden. That's really what it's gonna come down to, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and Virginia. Democrats could take back the House, but Republicans will almost certainly take back the Senate, which means Game Over no matter who wins the presidency.

If Biden wins, he gets no more judges, zero, zilch, nada.

If Trump or DeSantis win, God have mercy on us all.

#2024 #2024 election #2024 presidential election #election #presidential election #usa #predictions #state by state #god help us all

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toocheapforpostcards · 9 months

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roadtrip to iowa

this was not your grandfathers road trip, very literally in this case. my dad could make it door to door from PA to IA in 21 hours and did so with striking regularity in my youth. our door to door trips took about 80 hours, and that was the point. flying to iowa means we see the omaha airport and then park it in sioux center for the rest of the trip, but i was itching to see more. i arranged to stop in chicago for two nights with my cousin becca on the way there, and booked a stay at a farm house in wisconsin on the way home. we made time for fun stops along the way and had plenty of good meals in cute towns.

we hadn't planned to stop in state college, but we were going right by it and hungry for lunch anyway, so after only 2.5 hours of driving we stopped and walked around our old campus and had a long lunch.

the rest of the day we powered through and stopped to sleep near toledo. we were in chicago by 10am and walked around the ukranian village, got pequod's deep dish pizza, went to wrigleyville and listened to the cubs play on the other side of the gate, and got drinks at a tiki bar.

izzy and the girls jumped right in as soon as we pulled up to their house in chicago that afternoon. we got to steal her away from her mom and take her sightseeing with us the next day.

we spent a lot of time in millenium park, walked down michigan ave, ate shake shake for lunch and went to the field museum.

we had to hit the road again the following day, but we got to stop in ames and see the house my aunt karen and uncle jim have been working on for over a decade, and it is absolutely beautiful. we had a lovely lunch with them before driving the rest of the way to sioux center.

some highlights in sioux center were the pizza ranch (always), siouxnami water park, this giant tree, lots of cousin buddies and first and foremost: GRANDMA.

after a few days we had to say our goodbyes, and we headed back east. we happened to be near britt, iowa as they were holding their annual hobo days festival so of course we had to stop in and see what that was all about.

we were too early for the rides and most of the festivities, but luckily the hobo art gallery and museum were open. it was fascinating.

our next home for a couple nights was in cambridge, wisconsin. we were so happy here looking at the beautiful views, watching their horses, and having amazing star gazing opportunities.

we were also close to madison where julia, our friend and former babysitter goes to school. she met us for lunch and gave us an inside look of her city and campus. it was wonderful to see her as always.

to continue the college campus tours we stopped in south bend, indiana for lunch on the drive back and got some delicious cajun food. mikey had to visit the touchdown jesus at their football stadium, and then we powered through until we almost hit the PA border and stopped for sleep. we were home by noon the next day, exhausted and happy. i'm so glad we put that 3000 miles on my car.

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handeaux · 1 year

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An Eccentric Scottish X-Ray Quack Cooked Up Cincinnati’s Very First Vegetarian Restaurant

There is hardly a restaurant today that does not offer some sort of vegetarian option. Although for many years vegetarians were considered weird cranks at best and suspicious radicals at worst, Cincinnati jumped into vegetarianism fairly early. Cincinnati’s first totally vegetarian restaurant opened in 1906, and thereby hangs a tale.

The proprietor, one Donald D. McDougall, definitely spent his long life listening to the beat of a different drum. McDougall was born in Canada in 1860 and made his way to the Battle Creek, Michigan, sanitarium managed by John Harvey Kellogg – he of Kellogg’s corn flakes fame. Kellogg’s sanitarium operated on principles derived from the teachings of the Seventh Day Adventist church, emphasizing wholesale reform of the diet toward low-fat, low-protein vegetarian foods heavy on whole grains, fiber and nuts. Kellogg also prescribed frequent enemas.

Based on his stay at Battle Creek, McDougall announced, despite a total absence of actual medical training, that he was now a physician. He practiced for a couple of years in Connersville, Indiana, where no one seems to have asked to see his diploma. By 1887, McDougall was in Cincinnati, where he established the city’s first Seventh Day Adventist church while earning his living as a carpenter and sometime masseur.

Despite prior claims that he was a doctor, McDougall actually enrolled in medical school in Cincinnati. In doing so, he matriculated at the most notorious institution of outrageous quackery in the United States – the American Free Church and Health College, known as Hygeia - founded by a deliriously strange conman named John Bunyan Campbell. With not a single day of education in any of the medical sciences, Campbell announced his discovery of “vitapathic” principles that could cure any disease, usually involving electricity and colored lights. Otto Juettner, a bona-fide physician and pioneering historian of Cincinnati medicine, was appalled at Campbell's hokum. In an article in the Lancet medical journal, published in 1896, Juettner wrote:

"[Campbell] is the corporeal realization of vitapathic wisdom and the oracle of health. He is the inventor, perpetuator and perpetrator of a most daring and gigantic bunko game, played under the guise of science, in the name of religion and with the sanction of the great State of Ohio."

After just three months of study at Campbell’s quack factory, McDougall hung out his shingle as a legitimate doctor, specializing in electric baths, massages and, curiously, X-rays. Not only did McDougall practice medicine, he taught it as well. Campbell’s vitapathic college operated as a sort of pyramid scheme, in which alumni got recruited to teach the next incoming class. McDougall was now Professor of Masso-Therapy and Electro-Therapy.

For someone who lectured against the dangers of food and diet, McDougall spent the rest of his medical career promoting X-rays by exposing hundreds of people to radiation without any shielding or protection. In 1896, for an event staged to raise funds for Campbell’s vitapathic hospital, McDougall X-rayed anything and anyone. According to the Cincinnati Commercial Tribune [16 December 1896]:

“Dr. D.D. McDougall . . . demonstrated the power of the rays by allowing every one present to examine the bones of their arms or by placing any small objects inside of a book of several hundred pages.”

McDougall set up his medical office in the Cincinnati Athletic Club where his skills as a masseur were no doubt welcome. His wife, the former Emma Smith, joined him so they could advertise massage therapy for both women and men. In 1906, the McDougalls opened Cincinnati’s first vegetarian restaurant next-door to the athletic Club at 121 Shillito Place in partnership with another Adventist, Scott McPherson of Norwood. McDougall told the Cincinnati Post [1 December 1906]:

“Americans are such great meat-eaters that they are selfish and disagreeable, especially among the rich and they have little thought of raising children. When we become vegetarians, we will have nobler purposes. There will be less of the brute in us and consequently fewer criminal acts.”

McDougall claimed that the word, “vegetarian,” does not derive from vegetables but instead from the Latin “homo vegetus,” which he claimed translates as a strong, robust and thoroughly heathy man. Most Latin dictionaries disagree.

In addition to serving vegetarian meals optimized to provide set amounts of proteins, carbohydrates, fats and calories, the Vegetarian Restaurant also sold pre-packaged foods created in the laboratories of the Battle Creek sanitarium. Among the retail stock were lardless graham and oatmeal crackers, granola, zweibach, porkless baked beans, nut butter, bromose, malted nuts, toasted corn flakes and something called Peptol, billed as “the flesh builder.”

McDougall claimed that 500 former patients of his who had converted to the Battle Creek Sanitarium diet could not find nutritious vegetarian food in Cincinnati. Despite the built-in clientele, it does not appear that the Vegetarian Restaurant and Health Food Store survived much more than a year. McDougall moved his home and his “physio-therapy” practice to Clifton.

It would be more than 20 years until Cincinnati’s second vegetarian restaurant opened. In 1929, Harry Berman recruited Harry Morgan, another Battle Creek graduate, to run the kitchen at a short-lived meatless diner at 6 East Ninth Street.

As for Dr. McDougall, in addition to his pioneering efforts on behalf of vegetarianism and Seventh Day Adventism, he was also among the founders and early officers of the Caledonian Society, an association for Cincinnatians of Scots descent.

Ironically, for someone who operated unshielded X-ray equipment for more than three decades, it was an X-ray that killed Donald McDougall. He fell at his home in 1934 and went to the hospital for an X-ray of his injured shoulder. While being examined, he suffered a fatal heart attack at age 75. He is buried in Connersville, Indiana.

#vegetarianism #d.d.mcdougall #donald d. mcdougall #kellogg

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