Live in the Present.
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Much of the best energy in the world is wasted on living in the past or dreaming of the future. Some people seem to think any time but the present is a good time to live in. But the men who move the world must be part of it. They must touch the life that now is, and feel the thrill of the movement of civilization.
Many people do not live in the present. It does not know them. They are buried in books; they live in archives, and in history, but the great throbbing pulse of the world they do not touch. They are not part of the world; they are never attuned to it.
The young man who would win must plunge into the current of events. He must keep step with the march of progress, or he will soon be in the rear. The current of the times must run through his veins, or there will be paralysis somewhere in his nature.—Success.
Minnetonka Record, March 7, 1902
Salt Sticks.
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They Go Well With a Bit of Cheese and Also With More Beer.
A queer looking old man, carrying a large basket in one hand and a cane in the other hand, can be seen any day plodding along the German section of the East Side, where he has become a well-known figure. He travels from one saloon to another, selling “salt sticks,” which is his means of livelihood. For nearly twenty-five years he has been a conspicuous figure on the East Side, and from the profits derived from selling these “salt sticks” he has been enabled to support a large family. He does a good business because of his genial nature. He always has a kind word for everybody.
This industry of making “salt sticks” is practiced by but a few bakers, who dispose of them to these merchants cheap, and who in turn sell them for 2c a piece, or three for 5c. While the “salt sticks” or salzstange, as the Germans call it, is unknown in the American cafe, it is, and has been for a number of years, quite the thing with the German saloons. There was at one time quite a number of these “salt stick” merchants, but of late they have dwindled down to a few, among them being the old man who was one of the first in the field. The “salt stick” is a long piece of baked dough besprinkled with salt, which, while it makes it very tasty, also makes them very thirsty, thus benefiting the saloon-keeper, whose customers are compelled to satisfy their thirst with more beer. But this does not serve to lessen the popularity of the “salt sticks.” German pinochle players while playing their game and drinking their beer, eat them with a relish. No game of cards is complete without them.
They form a very tasty morsel when eaten with a piece of cheese. For this purpose they are cut in half and the cheese placed between them. They are called “salt stick sandwiches,” and they are a great appetizer for beer.
Minnetonka News, June 22, 1894
Time to check my
Telefutura, (the wacky spanish channel here) never ceases to amuse. Almost pornographic music videos, *really bad* variety shows with dirty old men and grown ups dressed as little kids, weird soap operas and the strange appeal of seeing local commercials in spanish. It reminds me that while I have better spanish than I did in high school (not saying much… spanish is what killed my GPA) I still don’t quite know what’s going on. I can sort of follow along for a while, and then my poddishness or ignorance of the culture kicks in, leaving me to fill in the blanks. (Usually with silly talk of super powers, hostess ding dongs or carniverous chupacabra masquerading as harmless sugargliders…. it’s an easy fallback. All nonhuman and particularly creepy humans get referred to as Chupacabra.) something I haven’t seen in a long time is sabado gigante, home of the “bee guy” that they make fun of sometimes on the simpsons. Maybe I need to find Univision… it’s the other channel on cable that shows that stuff too. Time to switch to the game show network…eee password with Frank Gorshin and Angie Dickinson. How young they look! Silly TV. I have a slight urge to watch Hollywood squares, which I saw is on next. Aw, poop… it’s the new one. I was hoping for Paul Lynde and George Gobel. I think that I’d want to make up a fake bio if I was on… Not sure what… “I’m a dog catcher by day, but fight crime by night!” or something like that.
Elegant. Stylish. Rugged.