Another Country Road

Life in Christian County, Kentucky...

Junction with the cornfield!
In Todd County, about 15 miles SE of where we live

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Todd County, Kentucky

Deck the Halls

In July?

At Hobby Lobby, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. I came upon an entire long aisle hung with baubles and doo-dads for the Christmas tree. I might have thought the aisle was dedicated to Christmas year-round, but then I spotted a freestanding display of giant shiny Christmas bulbs right out in the main walkway. I even saw a miniature Christmas tree. No doubt about it -- the winter holidays are upon us.



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Theater in Neo Art Deco Style

Life in Christian County, Kentucky... History and Old Stuff...

I took Isaac and his friend to the Great Escape Theater in Clarksville, TN, yesterday. I didn't go to the movie ("Pirates of the Carribean 2," or whatever it is), but I did enjoy looking at the building.

I can't identify many styles of architecture, but I do recognize art deco, and the Great Escape definitely pays homage to the style. Note the stylized geometric shapes, sharp lines, and bold contrasting colors. Even the the Broadway font on the marquee is Art Deco. Doesn't the building remind you a little of an old-time jukebox?



Inside the theater's lobby, the same font is used throughout. Bold lines accent the walls, and some of the floor is tiled in geometric patterns. The photo's colors look a little dingy, but that's due to the inability of the flash to illuminate the large area.

An example of vintage Art Deco architecture, the Century Hotel on Miami Beach, appears below. Notice how lines and circles are used to decorate the exterior of the building.

Photograph by Walter Smalling, Jr., March 1980. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Historic American Buildings Survey or Historic American Engineering Record, Reproduction Number HABS, FL, 13-MIAM, 16-1

One of the most glorious examples of Art Deco architecture is the Chrysler Building in New York City. The Empire State Building (also in New York City) is another well-known building with strong elements of Art Deco style. Both these buildings have the classic Art Deco "stepped" profile that the Great Escape Theater imitates in a broader and much closer-to-earth style.

The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco is another famous American structure with some Art Deco details.

The Rock County Courthouse in Bassett, Nebraska (my childhood hometown) was also an example of Art Deco style. It is now listed on the National Historic Register.

Related sites:
Art Deco Architecture: History
Miami Design Preservation League
Art Deco Furniture, Antiques, Jewelry, and Interior Designers

Only vaguely related:
While searching for a photo of the Rock County Courthouse, I came across a list of Rock County officials, and realized that I used to know several of them. My, how we have all grown up.

UPDATE: Please see the post Rock County (Nebraska) Courthouse which includes an image from a different angle than the photo in the link above.

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Clarksville, Tennessee

"Ancient" Nintendo

All In The Family...

Isaac is feeling pleased tonight. He has acquired a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and 27 games for it. This is an old, old game system in Isaac's eyes, since it was introduced in October, 1985 to the U.S., four years before he was born. In fact, it was introduced just a month and a half after Keely was born!

No power cord came with the game console, so today we went to three pawn shops looking for one with no luck. Finally, I inquired exactly what the power cord was like, and when I heard that it involved a transformer, I suggested that we go to Radio Shack. We bought a transformer there that is almost right (800 mA, and it's supposed to be 850mA).

When we got home, Isaac (and his friend Jay who is visiting) cleaned up the console with alcohol and Q-tips. Then they plugged everything in and tried it out. The console didn't seem to know it had a game cartridge in it. The red light on the power button was blinking and the boys didn't know what that meant.

Isaac searched a little on the internet for the keywords that described his problem. In a Wikipedia article, he learned that the blinking red light is an infamous problem of the NES. The article suggested cleaning the game cartridges with -- guess what -- isopropyl alcohol and Q-tips. The guys did that, and now they have "Super Mario Brothers" and "Duck Hunt" working. This seems to please them greatly. These are classic games though even I can see that the graphics and animation are -- well, primitive.

I have never allowed myself to get interested in video games because I have enough electronic interests with the computer. Isaac likes games, though, and his interest didn't start with the NES he's tinkering with tonight. Actually, Jay gave Isaac the first game system he ever had, an old Sega Genesis, when Isaac was about 8 years old.

Since then, most of Isaac's systems have been pre-owned, often bought cheap from a friend who got a better system. He's always been a generation or two behind the cutting edge. He saved his money and bought himself the only new game system he has owned (a Nintendo Game Cube). He has bought games and game system parts at garage sales and pawn shops, swapped with friends, and bid on eBay. In some ways, it's been a lesson in making do.

(Full disclosure: he has had several new Game Boys over the years, as Christmas gifts.)

It's hard to know how much I should have fought his passion for gaming. I've always monitored the types of games that he played. I've always insisted that he do his schoolwork. Gaming is not the only form of relaxation he enjoys. Recent research suggests that video games may help kids be smarter. Isaac is definitely a bright boy.

On the other hand, he'll soon be in college, and if he can't put down that game controller long enough to study there, he'll be in trouble. His success will ultimately be up to him -- but is that really anything new?

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

Related factoid:

It's interesting that the average age of the gamer is now somewhere between 30 and 35, depending on what source you want to consult.

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Hair Care Tips from 1913

Another Trip Down Memory Lane... History and Old Stuff... And What I Think About It...

The following hair care tips are quoted from Household Discoveries and Mrs. Curtis's Cook Book, by Sidney Morse, which was published in 1913 by Success Company's Branch Offices.

Care of the Hair

The proper care of the hair under normal conditions is very simple. The objects to be kept in mind are to preserve its natural luster and texture by means of absolute cleanliness, and to massage the scalp sufficiently to remove any scurf or dandruff that may adhere to it, and thereby promote the active circulation of the blood. All this must be done without injury to the scalp or the hair by pulling, scratching, or tearing...


Professional hairdressers do not advocate shampooing the hair oftener than once a month. A thorough brushing once or twice a week is regarded by them as sufficient for cleanliness and as much more beneficial for the hair and scalp...


The general opinion is that it is feasible to brush the hair free from dust each night before retiring. Applications of tonics and restoratives should also be made at this time as they have the best opportunity of doing their work during sleep and especially while the blood is circulating freely as the result of brushing.


The care of the hair must be governed by common sense and general rules must be adapted to individual conditions. Some persons find it necessary to wash the hair as often as twice a month and with others once a month is sufficient. When the hair is oily it should not be brushed as freely or frequently as otherwise. When it is dry and harsh, the application of lanolin or other pomades may be necessary.


An analogy may be found in the grooming of horses. Every good groom knows by experience that plenty of combing and brushing not only produces a fine coat but promotes the health and vitality of the animal. Hence brushes with moderately stiff bristles should be chosen.

For men the so-called military or broad double brushes, one for each hand, are to be preferred.

To Dry-clean the Hair

To thoroughly cleanse the hair it should be brushed successively from partings made in all directions upon the scalp, the utmost care being taken that foreign matter accumulated on the brush is removed and not returned by the next stroke to the hair.


Professional hairdressers when giving the hair a dry cleaning run a comb through the brush each time the latter is drawn through the hair, and afterwards wipe the comb clean on a towel. The object of this process is to remove dirt and dandruff and bring about the additional softness resulting from perfect cleanliness. If this is not done, the natural oil of the hair mixing with foreign substances merely makes the hair sticky.

Sidney Morse, Household Discoveries and Mrs Curtis's Cookbook. (Petersburg, NY: Success Company's Branch Offices, 1913), pp. 584-585.

Later in the same chapter, the authors mention that dandruff is a widespread problem and give half a dozen home remedies. Some of the ingredients in the various treatments include sulfur, carbolic acid, quicklime, and borax.

Somehow it doesn't surprise me that dandruff was a problem!

Related post: Could you survive without shampoo?

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