Remington portable typewriter, the 'Quiet-Riter'

A Remington portable 'Quiet-Riter'.

Instruction booklets for the Remington Rand touch typing method and the  'Quiet-Riter'.

The E. Remington manufacturing firm was founded in 1816 by Eliphalet Remington in llion,  New York. At first the firm manufactured firearms,  they were famous particularly for making rifle barrels which were known for their high quality and reasonable price. Remington supplied the U.S. Army with rifles for the Mexican-American war (1846-1848), and  went on to produce  breech-loading rifles and sewing machines. In 1886 E.Remington and Sons sold its typewriter company to The Standard Typewriter Company Inc., and included the rights to its name Remington Typewriter Co.
The heavy duty typewriter 'The Quiet - riter' was produced in the fifties and is famous for its miracle tab feature.  Bob Dylan used  a similar Remington for writing his lyrics.

Valentine's Day - 3 pin-ups - French, American, and British, by an Italian

These First world war postcards are by the Italian artist and illustrator Giovanni  Nanni (1888 - 1969).
They represent in an art deco style 3 beauties - USA, Britain, and France. The cards  were sent 'On Active Service'  to Saltcoats, Ayrshire,  then forwarded to Leeds, October 1916.
These postcards are original pin-ups and have  original pin holes still in evidence.

America and their enemy within

Another massacre in America, is it so surprising?  To part an American from his/her right to carry a gun would be near  impossible.
Since the American Revolutionary War Americans have clung to their right to carry guns even though the former imagined or otherwise threats from  wild animals, native Americans, territorial  rights, and necessity to hunt for food etc have long since gone. Generations of Americans continue to embrace and glorify the gun as a living inheritance - a permanent ingredient of the nation's style and culture.
The gun represents a symbol of power and masculinity.  Cowboys in Wild West films, gangster films,  later    The Terminator,  Pulp Fiction, and up to  the present day films depict the gun- toting hero as a celebrity.
America has the least restrictive gun control laws in the developed world except for Switzerland, and this is mainly due to the all powerful gun lobby.
As recently as 2004 attempts to bring in gun control failed. Strong lobbyists included 'Students for Conceal Carry on Campus',  'Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership', 'Second Amendment Sisters', 'Second Amendment Foundation', and most powerful of all  'The National Rifle Association'.
In 2007 spending on lobbying against gun control totalled c$1,959,407 million, against that,  gun control spending  was a mere c$60,000 thousand!
America is its own worst enemy. It refuses to ban guns then  complains when inevitably serious accidents occur.  It  will not face up to the fact that it is a sick society, likes to pick fights with its own,  and has the nerve to proselytise  its schizophrenic and sad culture in the form of violence abroad.

Julian takes on the U S of A

It takes some guts to take on an entire nation single handedly, the most powerful nation in the world!
Julian Assange, an Australian, launched his not -for - profit whistle blowing media organisation Wikileaks in 2006 to bring important information to the public. Wikileaks slogan is, "We open Governments". He has no home, he stays with friends around the world, dyes his hair, always pays by cash, lives in airports, constantly on the alert, he moves in the shadows. He has received several awards notably The International Award for exposing extra judicial assassinations in Kenya. The Americans label him an anti -American agitator of the worst kind, and suggest he endangers the lives of countless individuals. they would wouldn't they? Assange offered the White House and Pentagon an opportunity to redact material to protect innocent lives , but this was rebuffed at every stage, thus Wikileaks has chosen to pursue its own redactions. Governments are afraid. They prefer to live under a stone where they can hide their worst excesses. Comments about Putin, Merkel, Sarkozy, etc, may be embarrassing, but are to be expected, don't we all harbor variations on these thoughts? It's the larger cover ups, the corruption, the cruelty, the criminality that should be exposed, dragging this into the light is what Julian Assange and Wikileaks is all about. "You're a greater man than I am Gunga Din". Rudyard Kipling 1892.

X President Bush thinks torture is ok!

In The Times today George  Bush expresses his opinion on torture, the Iraq war, lack of weapons of mass destruction etc etc.  Is he suffering from a guilty conscience?  Is it possible that he is trying to burnish his image? Too right!  Pity he's not a Roman Catholic, then he could enter that little wooden tardis and say he was sorry for all his sins and be forgiven.  Then he might feel better, and not have to wring his hands in public in the Times newspaper. He will never be forgiven in my eyes.  I fantasize about George Bush and his  henchmen having to suffer a bath full of water boarding, and then say whether they think it is torture or not. I guess he might feel worried about an international case being brought against him for war crimes and/or violation of the laws of armed conflict. Actually I fantasize about getting my hands around his throat.  You bet he was sorry  it transpired there were no weapons of mass destruction. That blew his case for going to war!  The reality is, that he will return to his estate and feel good about himself in a 'Christian' sort of a way. He is convinced it was the 'right thing to do'. Haven't I heard that phrase  before?