The New Blog

Selected content will be moved over there, and this blog will stay in place, but no longer be added to.

Walter

However, the fact remains that there are countless newbees out there who want to join in the fun, don't have the time or skills to make stuff themselves, and either can't afford a costumer or can't afford to wait for a costumer.

I, for example, have a schtick as a phrenologist. However, we could certainly use people like a magnetic healer, a patent medicine huckster, a spiritualist, an elctrotherapist, a specialist in "female complaints" or anything else you can think of that would be historically appropriate, interesting and shed light on popular conceptions and misconceptions about science in the early 20th Century. There would even be room for people who want to present valid science and technology of the day.

With social dancing, this is a rather acute question, as the sources for these dances are generally dance manuals. These dance manuals are often very specific on the proper way to perform the dances in question (except when they're not, and assume that everyone already knows the fundamentals of the dances performed - but that's another issue).

Certainly. to dance the dance exactly as described in the book is more than likely correct for some portion of the dancing population of the time, but what if you dance that dance some other way -- is that wrong? Is that unhistorical? Maybe, but then again, maybe not.

22nd Annual Newport Vintage Dance Week
the Week of August 1, 2010
Newport County, Rhode Island
Sponsored by: The Commonwealth Vintage Dancers

The Newport Vintage Dance Week for 2010 will take place the first week of August. We are still in negotiations with the School, the contract has yet to be signed, but plans are underway for a fabulous week of classes, balls and special events. Keep checking back for further information as it becomes available.

Here are a few of my observations:

An organization with a formal existence and a real relationship with its supporters/clients etc. should create a "page" rather than a "group". The "page" format is more conducive to presenting a coherent message and managing your image. It also has useful analytics on traffic, demographics etc.

A group is fine for informal communities of interest, and has a nice "email all" and "invite all to event" feature, but it doesn't let you assume the identity of the organization. You are always you. Note however, that if what you are about is sharing photographs, you should stay a "group". The "page" format no longer allows "fans" to post pictures more than one at a time.

There is nothing yet about my local park: Los Encinos State Historic Park, and it is entirely possible, at this early stage, that decisions on its fate have not yet been made.

However, if in fact Los Encinos is on the chopping block, I don't think I would advocate a "Don't shut our park, shut someone else's!" approach to fighting it.

If Los Encinos is on the closure list, we will need to try to mobilize the local community to pressure Sacramento to, rather than allocate cash to the park, get out of the way and let the local community fund and support it. This will also require mobilizing a generally apathetic community, but there really isn't any other alternative for this park, or for any other that has been selected for sacrifice to the budget monster.

Walter

On Saturday, August 8th, from Noon to 4 PM, we will have a Victorian Picnic Day at Los Encinos State Historic Park. You are encouraged to wear clothing appropriate to the 1870s or 80s (though earlier and later are welcome too), bring a picnic and enjoy a pleasant afternoon at the park--while at the same time demonstrating your support.

We are hoping for a good turn out, and will be inviting the media to come and get nice pictures of us all dressed up and speaking up for State Parks. There are no specifically planned activities, but those of you who have portable unamplified musical instruments, or other period activities to amuse yourselves and your friends, feel free to bring them (no baseball please, due to windows).

On the following day, on Sunday August 9th, this will be repeated at Will Rogers State Historic Park in Pacific Palisades. This time the theme will be 1920s-30s.

Of course, at this point, we are not entirely sure what our message will be. At this moment, the fate of the parks is still up in the air and the legislators and governor aren't even talking to each other. However, something should be settled in a month, and we will know whether we will be protesting, supporting or celebrating.

For details, read on:

If there is a "Plan B", I haven't heard about it, and searches of various websites and newsfeeds have so far proved fruitless.

It looks like the State Government has utterly failed to live up to its promise to preserve our natural and historical legacy, and I now despair of future attempts to get them to re-promise.

I note however, that those parks which will remain open are those which have an alternative revenue stream. Perhaps it is time for the people who support and love those other parks to see if they have the wherewithal to create an alternative revenue stream for their parks.

The State Parks are amazingly bureaucratic, and move at a glacial pace, and most cooperative associations (the non-profit organizations that provide volunteers and funding) are less than dynamic, but perhaps this moment of crisis might be able to galvanize the volunteers into action and get the bureaucracy to get the hell out of the way.

I think it is the time for each local community to look at its parks, take stock of what is needed to keep them open, and negotiate an alliance between local non-profits, community organizations, the local governments and the State government to move some of these parks from the "No funding-Closed" to the "Self Supporting - Open" column.

I don't know if this is even possible in these hard economic times, and it will almost certainly not be possible for some of the more remote parks, but I'll be damned if I can see an alternative.

This proposal is included in the current budget plan which will, at some time in the next month or so, go before the Legislature and the Governor. (More information)

It sounds like a fine idea, but it is a revenue increase and will therefore require a 2/3rds vote. In the past, the Republicans have threatened anyone in their caucus who votes for any revenue increase with political execution. I am not sanguine that this will change in this case and our State Parks may be sacrificed to the cause of political posturing by both sides. Perhaps our only chance is that a few of those who have already been sentenced to political death for past crimes of collaboration will figure they have nothing left to lose.

I encourage you to call and write your State Representatives, but this won't make a lot of difference if your representatives are Democrats. Politicians only listen to their own constituents, and only if a worse fate than party displeasure awaits those who vote to kill the parks is there any hope.

Find your Representative

And that is where things stand right now.

Walter Nelson

However, while using this tool falls into the "couldn't hurt" category, I am dubious of the effectiveness of any method of pestering an elected representative that is too easy. Such methods are likely to be overused and thus ignored.

What ever your particular issue may be, whether it be parks, education, health care or what ever, I would suggest that you might want to look at a more traditional alternative when it comes to registering your opinion with your elected representative: phone them and write them letters.

When phoning, the specifics of your rant will not carry any weight with the long-suffering staffer on the other end, but you do need to be clear on whether your check mark should go in the "for" or "against" column. Be kind. She isn't the cause of your problems. She's just doing her job. Be prepared to give your name, address and phone number.

When writing, be succinct and make sure your opinion is clearly stated in the first paragraph and be sure the letter has a clear "Subject" title. The staffer may not get past that. Also give your name and address and phone number in the letter header.

You should only pester YOUR elected representatives. Your vote doesn't matter a jot to a politician you aren't in a position to vote for.

Here's the link to find the number and address for your California politician.

I understand that politicians generally assume that every person who takes the trouble to call or write, there must be hundreds of voters with the same opinion, who can't be bothered.

So, what ever your particular opinion might be, let your politicians know what you care about.

Walter Nelson

The first argument against it is, of course, that the State has taken on a sacred trust to preserve these resources for future generations--but that argument, it would appear, can be simply brushed aside by saying "Hard times mean hard choices".

Hard times do mean hard choices, but they shouldn't lead to dumb choices.