Uncategorized

A dream about being in a coal mine prompted some googling. The historical reality isn’t pretty:

UK Mine Disasters — “Between 1880 and 1910, over 1000 fatalities occurred every year in British coal mines.”

Account of 1814 Visit to English Mine

List of Welsh Mining Disasters

U.S. Dept. of Labor Mining Disasters Exhibit

List of U.S. Mining Disasters

List of Major Coal Mine Fires and Explosions in Pennsylvania

Interesting site devoted to the conflict in Coal Creek, Tennessee over use of convicts as slave labor to mine coal. Note the obvious RKBA implications.

Here’s a book about the 1958 Springhill, Nova Scotia disaster. I looked this one up because I remember from childhood a dreary folk song about the same event. The reality seems to have been more interesting than the song.

Happily, things are better now. But note that even in 2002 there were 27 coal mining deaths in the U.S., and an average of 40 deaths annually in 2000 and 2001. Keep these numbers in mind the next time someone asserts that nuclear power generation is dangerous.

While searching the giant’s lair Rex the Komodo dragon encounters a wheel.

Our friend Jeff Lin, who is a fount of stock-trading ideas, has started a blog.

The other ChicagoBoyz seem to have been out doing something fun this Labor Day weekend, leaving me at the helm. Woo hoo. I have littered the place up with a bunch of rock’n’roll stuff, and empty beer bottles, as well as a few things having to do with war and politics, but no graphs or charts. (I should resolve to have more “econ” in my posts. Talk about business models, and use expressions like “risk premium”. So I’d fit in better around here.) Lest you become exhausted scrolling down looking for something worth reading, here’s a handy, time-saving list:

1. Kim Shattuck sings White Rabbit, Lex swoons.
2. Walter Russell Mead (Mr. “Jacksonian”) interview.
3. Election? What election?(There is something screwy about this post. You may have to scroll down.)
4. I still say Hillary is running.
5. Kaplan and War Nerd on the Costs and Techniques of Empire.
6. Lex has a snit about some Catholic bashing.
7. Groovy 1977 Punk Rock Nostalgia.

This scratches the surface of what I would like to write about. Other stuff includes a post about the incredible prescience and timeliness of the writings of James Burnham, or one about the excellent military history books of Bruce Gudmundsson, or one about some recent books on the American military I’ve been reading, or a piece about the Duke of Wellington’s remarkable essay about why Napoleon lost in Russia, or a bunch of stuff about the California recall race. That’s all just off the seat of my pants, and not knowing what is going to happen tomorrow. But life has its demands. Blogging is much like a drug habit, which we fight to keep under control. We do what we can.

Best wishes to all parents and students and teachers who are starting a new school year on September 2, 2003, or soon thereafter.

Go to the White Flag website here and click on “video” for a super-cool version of the great, trippy, rockin’ psychedelic hit “White Rabbit” — with Ronnie from the Muffs playing bass and Kim Shattuck from the Muffs singing. A most excellent, solid, respectful version. Kim has the pipes to pull it off, though Grace Slick’s faux epic style is nothing like her usual approach to a song. Ms. Shattuck looks a little uncomfortable not having a guitar to hide behind, but she has a commanding stage presence, guitar or no guitar. (The thought inevitably occurs that the Muffs could do a shatteringly good version of “Somebody to Love” — and Kim is capable of outdoing Jorma Kaukonen’s blistering guitarwork. I’d sure like to hear that. But, alas, I suppose this is all too much to hope for.)