#joel fry nation here we go again

[derekstilinski]

Joel Fry in Inside No. 9 (2024)

[1americanconservative]

@markeatsmeat

Wow. Joel Salatin, a farmer and regenerative agriculture advocate, has been offered a position within the USDA. He will advise Thomas Massie who’s agreed to be Secretary of Agriculture. Here’s the full message posted to his website today: “The deplorables and garbage people won again.  Can you believe it?  I've been contacted by the Trump transition team to hold some sort of position within the USDA and have accepted one of the six "Advisor to the Secretary" spots.  My favorite congressman, Thomas Massie from Kentucky, has agreed to go in as Secretary of Agriculture. He's been the sponsor of the PRIME ACT, which, if pushed through, would be the biggest shot across the bow of the entrenched industrial meat processing system we've seen in a century.  Let liberty ring.  Wouldn't that be a change of fortune for Big Ag?  If RFK Jr. goes in as Sec. of Health and Human Services, everything will be inverted.  Talk about the coolest turn about.  He'd be the boss of the Faucis and Francis Collins--the whole covid anti-science crowd.  Wouldn't that be a change of fortune for Big Pharma?   And if Elon Musk goes in as a Government Waste Czar, do you think he could possibly find something?    Here's an interesting tidbit.  All the income taxes in the U.S. are $2 trillion a year.  Government spending and borrowing are so out of control that if we eliminated $2 trillion from the budget, it would only set us back to 2020.  Does anyone think returning to government spending in 2020 would destroy things?  Of course not.  So all we have to do is cut federal spending to 2020 levels and we can eliminate income tax.  Period.  Done.  How would that make you feel? Most people don't know enough history to know that the federal government was to be financed entirely from tariffs and excise taxes.  In fact, as a nation we operated just fine for nearly 150 years without an income tax.  The only president who eliminated the national debt was Andrew Jackson, and he did it by eliminating the second bank of the U.S.  Nearly 100 years later we got the third bank, known as the Federal Reserve, plus the income tax.  During that time, tariffs averaged 40-50 percent.  After the income tax, tariffs dropped to an average of about 7 percent, where they remain today.  If we went back to 40 percent, like we had for nearly 150 years, we would bring production home and free our citizens from impoverishing taxes.  Dear folks, this is a watershed moment to take a creative and serious look at the sacred cows in our nation and fry some serious burgers. We don't know history.  We don't know liberty.  We don't know earthworms or aquifers or immune systems.  I'm hoping this election is an opening to discovery.  Perhaps we could even figure out how to put negative occurrences like jails, pollution, and cancer on the nation's balance sheet, as a liability rather than an asset (Gross Domestic Product--more jails?  wonderful, pour more concrete and make more jobs).   Perhaps we'll eliminate federal involvement in education, from kindergarten to college.  Make every teacher accountable to performance.  Eliminate ALL federal intervention in the food system, in farming, in energy.  The Constitution (read it) doesn't allow for any of this and it's time to examine all of it.  Shut down foreign military bases; bring them all home.  Stop ALL foreign aid, from USAID to military aid.  Sell stuff is fine; giving it isn't.  I think whatever taxes we pay should be able to be designated to certain departments.  That way we the people could support or defund departments directly.  The reason we have K street is because all our freedoms are for sale.  Eliminate government manipulation and the lobbyists all go home.  These are simple things.  Let's do it.” https://thelunaticfarmer.com/blog/11/6/2024/celebration?format=amp

[blindbeta]

I have a question! Thank you for existing I deeply appreciate it. I was wondering if it is possible for a blind person to be able to read by learning the shape of raised letters, rather than braille. I ask because I have a situation in which it is reasonable that the blind character would know this, if possible, and the person they are travelling with is completely illiterate.I thought it might be interesting if the seeing character could describe the letters, or find a way to texture them so the blind character could tell them what something says. I have done a great deal of research for this character, but this is the one part I can't find a clear answer for. Thank you very much.

Good question, nonnie.

The short answer is, maybe? It would depend on the time period and location of your characters.

Since you want both characters to read, I’ll assume this culture has a formal writing system in place and values written communication.

A Brief History

In order to address this, allow me to offer a brief history of Braille. Because what you’re describing is exactly what happened in France before Braille was invented. This informative video summarizes it pretty well. Here is the text version of the video. The video mentions the embossed letter or raised type method of reading that was used at the time. It was difficult to read and the letters had to be very large in order to be understood, making it harder to read words and sentences. Reading must have been very slow.

According to this page on the National Braille Press website, reading this way required slowly tracing raised print letters. To write, one had to memorize the shapes and try to create them on paper, although they could not read the results.

Creating books was even more difficult. According to this page, [quote] “teacher Valentin Haüy made books with raised letters by soaking paper in water, pressing it into a form and allowing it to dry. Books made using this method were enormous and heavy, and the process was so time-consuming that l'Institution Royale des Jeunes Aveugles, or the Royal Institution for Blind Youth, had fewer than 100 of them when Louis Braille was a student there.” [End quote]

Braille books are already notorious for taking up several volumes. Large print books are only a little better. Textbooks used in schools take up several shelves to translate one print textbook.

Individual use and traveling with these things must have been impossible for the everyday person, even if you were a student.

Also, in this video by blind YouTuber Molly Burke, at the 9:05 time-stamp she answers the question: why don’t we raise print letters for blind people? She explains that it took too long to read and is not as efficient as Braille.

In the interest of time, I’ll try to keep this brief. The transition from the raised print letters to Braille was not a smooth one.

In 1826, first embossed letters published in English was James Gall’s triangular alphabet. Read about it and other systems here.

Another source says Gall’s writing system was introduced in 1831. The system did not gain much popularity outside of Endinburgh.

According to this page: [quote] “In 1832 The Society of Arts for Scotland held a competition for the best embossed type. There were 15 entries but Edmund Fry’s alphabetical system of roman capitals triumphed. Shortly afterwards John Alston began printing at the Glasgow Asylum for the Blind using a slightly modified version of Fry’s design. “Alston type” proved popular and inspired similar forms across Europe and North America.” [end quote]

None of these really caught on outside of certain areas.

In 1821, Charles Barbier was invited to the Royal National Institute For Blind Youth in Paris to demonstrate his Night Writing invention, which was developed for soldiers to read in the dark. It was too difficult to read and so was not used by soldiers, nor did it end up being used by the blind schools. However, a young Louis Braille was in the audience and was inspired.

In 1825, Braille thought he had figured out a good system of writing.

In 1829, he published the first Braille alphabet.

1834 - Braille is invited to Exposition of Industry in Paris, which extended the popularity of the Braille system.

1846- a school for the blind in Amsterdam starts using Braille’s system.

In 1852, Louis Braille dies.

1854- Royal National Institute For Blind Youth officially adopt Braille as official system after fighting it for years.

Because Braille didn’t take hold as quickly in Britain, the British and Foreign Blind Association, all of whom were blind, voted in 1870. They decided Braille was the best system. Braille quickly fell into use all over the world with the exception of the United States. By 1882, the embossed letter system was over.

In the U.S, from 1868-1918, the New York Point system was used. American Braille (developed by a blind teacher named Joel W. Smith) was also used from 1878 to 1918, when the U.S switched the standardized English Braille.

Would Your Character Know Raised Type?

Remember how I said you might be able to do this depending on the time period and place?

If you have French characters, you can used the raised type method as you described in your ask if the story takes place before, probably, 1825. It would be reasonable for your character to know the raised type method if they had attended a blind school before the Braille method was adopted in 1854. Between roughly 1829 and 1854, the French blind character attending school would know about the Braille system and probably complain about their school not teaching it despite Braille himself teaching there.

Similarly, they could used raised type depending on where the story is set, when the character attended school, and what system was in place at the time. If the story is a fantasy, you could make up a history similar to what I described above, although it would be important to have schools for the blind and have Braille or the equivalent be created by a blind character.

Remember that your blind character needs to learn the raised type method if you want them to use it.

If Braille would be available in real life (such as a more modern setting), I would prefer a blind character use Braille instead. Which is why I tried to offer alternatives that were historically justified.

I don’t feel very comfortable with a blind character having to use a raised type method rather than another system, because Braille literacy is declining nowadays and something about learning a raised type method over Braille (or other system, depending on where you set the story and what they were using at the time) doesn’t sit right with me. Your character doesn’t have to use Braille specifically, but I would rather they use the system that is available to blind people at that time. For example, if your story is set in the United States, it would be fine to use American Braille or the New York Point, depending on the time period.

If your story is modern, blind people can usually read raised print letters on signs, such as for the bathroom. In fact, a lot of people who can’t read Braille get by this way. However, keep in mind that we have screen-readers and audiobooks now. People aren’t reading entire texts or even many words with this method.

As for other countries, I tried my best to research what places, such as Japan, used before Braille. For several reasons, including the European-centric search results that keep coming up over and over again, finding the correct information is proving difficult. In some cases, previous methods may have unfortunately been lost due to colonization. It is important that we acknowledge that.

I feel that it would be easier to leave the research up to you since you know where you want to set your story and your own personal background, historical knowledge, etc.

Keep in mind that not all blind people in the world had access to formal education, depending on the place, time, their social class, etc. If you want your blind character to know how to read, you’ll need to find or create a setting that allows for it.

Generally, I would prefer blind characters use methods designed for blind people, whatever that happens to be in that time or culture. Prioritizing the other characters’ needs and having a blind character learn raised type over Braille when Braille actually exists in the story doesn’t work for me.

Like always, I suggest having more than one blind character in the story to avoid tokenism. Also, since your character is going to teach another character, be sure to show your blind character’s needs and goals as well.

I hope this helps. Feel free to message me or send another ask. I am not a historian and so if anyone wants to correct anything, such as dates, or provide any relevant knowledge, please feel free. I tried my best with this question. I would be grateful for help if anyone has more information!

-BlindBeta

[filosofablogger]

Good Monday morning, friends!  It’s the beginning of yet another week … I don’t know about you, but I’ve come to dread the start of a week, for each one seems to bring with it more bloomin’ chaos than the last.  But, alas, the weeks just keep coming, so the best we can do, I think, is to face them with courage and humour, for if we lose our sense of humour then all the fun goes out of it.  The good news is that they say laughter is contagious – let’s find out …

Are you laughing yet?

I was in the mood for something different this morning, so I made a breakfast pizza!  I hope you like it, but there are also donuts in case your sweet tooth is calling out.  So, grab a bite of something and a cuppa somethin’, and let’s make some fun here, okay?

The rat did it …

It happened in Tinsukia, India.  A State Bank of India ATM machine was not working … actually hadn’t been working for several weeks.  The machine was first reported to be broken on May 20th, but it was not until June 11th that somebody was sent to look into the problem.  I can only imagine the surprise of the repairman when he opened the ATM to find … shredded money!  Lots of shredded money!  ₹1,357,298 Indian rupees, or about $20,000 USD.  Now what the heck?Police were called, and upon further investigation, they discovered a rat carcass.  Apparently the rat got into the machine through a small hole, couldn’t find his way back out, so he entertained himself by shredding the pretty paper.  Sadly, since the repairman took 22 days to go check out the situation, the poor rat ultimately died. The moral of the story is … _______________________________________________ (fill in the blank)

For the lack of good sense …

It looked rather like one of those scary movies where somebody has pins sticking out from their head at all odd angles …Massachusetts State Trooper Joel Daoust was travelling on I-91 in Springfield, when he spotted the contraption. The driver was cited for violating Mass General Law, chapter 85 section 36, “Unsecured/Uncovered Load.”  And Trooper Daoust posted on the department’s Facebook page  “Please remember, when traveling with a load in a vehicle, take a look at it and before taking to the roads, ask yourself, “What could go wrong?”

It’s a french fry … no, it’s a stylus … no it’s a FRYLUS!!!

Last Thursday, 21 June, was National Selfie Day.  Who knew?  Who cared?  Apparently McDonald’s did (I did not).  You know how when you’re eating a greasy Big Mac your hands get all slimy and gooey?  And then, if you remember it’s National Selfie Day and feel compelled to snap a pic … you’re gonna get the touch screen of your phone all greasy!  So, McDonald’s spent lots of money to design this wonderfully unique device … a stylus that looks like a french fry (well, if you’re a bit drunk and have really poor vision)!And … on Thursday customers could get one for free with the purchase of a tasteless Quarter Pounder!  But the fun doesn’t stop there!  They even spent the money to create a very dramatic, 1-minute video that you simply must watch …

“Another frivolous, fry-based innovation from the makers of the Frork (a.k.a. us). Literally the only solution for keeping your phone 100 percent fresh while enjoying our new 100 percent fresh beef Quarter Pounder burgers and taking a 100 percent fresh selfie. And it really works! Most of the time.”

There is even … scoff … an ‘Official Frylus website’.

A condo with a bonus …For those of you who just happen to have an extra $85 million lying around collecting dust, here’s a real deal!  It is a condo – a 15,000-square-foot duplex in the Hell’s Kitchen section of Manhattan (that’s more than 10 times the size of my house!).  The condo is on the 45th floor of the Atelier Condo Building with a gorgeous view of the Hudson River.  Now listen to what it includes …

10 bedrooms

11 bathrooms

12 alt rooms (whatever the heck that is)

Fully equipped kitchen

And apart from all that, your $85 million also gets you …

$2 million construction credit (in case you want to build bookshelves or something)

$1 million yacht with docking fees for five years

Two Rolls Royce Phantoms (1 convertible,1 hardtop)

Lamborghini Aventador Roadster

Dinner for 2 weekly at Daniel Bolud’s Resteraunt Daniel for 1 year

A Hamptons mansion rental for a Summer

Live in butler services for 1 year as well as private chef

But I still haven’t told you the best part!  It includes … wait for it … two $250,000 seats on a Virgin Galactic flight to space!!!  And all this for only $85,000,000!!!

Don’t have $85 million?  Well, if you can put $17 million down, your monthly payments will only be $351,408!  For the next 30 years.  Pre-approval is required, of course.  (I will contact my bank right after I decide whether I can pay $35 for a new pair of tennis shoes!)  Personally, though, it is a little too … white for me.  I like some colour, some warmth in my home.  So, perhaps I’ll look elsewhere.

A child is born …

Most people go to a hospital to have their baby, but there may be some fringe benefits from having one elsewhere.  Around 11:00 a.m. last Monday, a woman gave birth to a son on France’s RER A line, holding up trains for around an hour before mother and son were dispatched to a nearby hospital.The upside?  The baby will receive free unlimited travel until he is age 25!  Hmmmm … if I were of a notion to have a baby (I’M NOT!), I might consider having one at … Pizza Hut?  P.F. Chang’s?  A hotel in Hawaii?

Okay, folks … a glance at the clock tells me that I’ve kept you long enough and you’re going to need to hustle to get to work on time!  I hope you are leaving with a smile, but I left a basket of extras by the door just in case … take a few and spread them around this week, okay?  Keep safe and have a wonderful week, my friends.  Love ‘n hugs from Filosofa!

This one is so much fun … if you don’t have time to listen to the whole thing, at least catch the first few minutes … guaranteed to make you smile!

  Jolly Monday … Already? Again? Good Monday morning, friends!  It’s the beginning of yet another week … I don’t know about you, but I’ve come to dread the start of a week, for each one seems to bring with it more bloomin’ chaos than the last.