History Worth Knowing

 

 

July 27, 2015

This intrepid blogger has a personal policy: politics stay off this page. There is enough elephant-and-donkey chatter clogging up cyberspace to fill a library the size of Texas without adding one more voice to the noise. That said, history is a different matter entirely, and today happens to be the anniversary of something worth knowing about. On July 27, 1804, the 12th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified. If that draws a blank, this blogger is not judging — much. Here is the short version: before the 12th Amendment, every member of the Electoral College cast two votes for president. The candidate with the most votes became president; the runner-up became vice president. As one might imagine, that arrangement produced some spectacularly awkward working relationships. The 12th Amendment fixed it by requiring electors to cast separate votes for president and vice president. Tidy. Sensible. Long overdue.

Now on to the gossip — but first, a small detour into speculative history, because this blogger cannot resist. Imagine, just for a moment, if the old system had still been in place in 1960. Richard Nixon as vice president under John F. Kennedy. This blogger will give Millerites a moment to let that particular what-if settle. The mind boggles. It also raises a question that feels surprisingly relevant: would today's candidates tone down the mud-slinging if they knew they might end up sharing an office suite with their rival? Something to chew on. DT down at the water office reportedly has no pool running on this one — some questions, even she won't touch. Now, on to the actual Miller gossip...

[Gossip section to be added when placed in a book.]

The Founding Fathers were not perfect — history is clear enough on that — but every now and then they got something exactly right. The 12th Amendment is one of those times. This blogger is grateful for the foresight of people who thought carefully about what they were building. May God bless America — and may Millerites remember that knowing your history is never a waste of a good Monday morning. 'Nuff said.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @miller_texas

#12thAmendmentDay #WhatIfHistory #NixonAndKennedyInTheSameOffice #DTWontTouchThisOne #MillerTexasKnowsHistory #GodBlessAmerica

Edison Had a Point

July 20, 2015

This intrepid blogger made a rather costly mistake recently. No names, no details — moving on. In an effort to feel less like a complete nitwit, a little research turned up something genuinely encouraging: some of the greatest inventions in human history were flat-out accidents. The Kellogg brothers invented corn flakes trying to create a food that would decrease certain urges — this blogger will let the reader Google that particular rabbit hole. Coca-Cola began as a headache remedy, which is ironic given that skipping your morning cup is now the leading cause of headaches in the free world. Post-it Notes happened because Spencer Silver was trying to make a stronger adhesive and failed spectacularly. Penicillin, the microwave oven, chocolate chip cookies, the Slinky, and vulcanized rubber — a mistake Goodyear has never tired of — all made the list. As did the little blue pill, which was originally intended to treat heart conditions. Apparently the experiment went a little south. This blogger will leave it right there.

Mrs. Hooley, who is as much an institution in Miller as the Double D and the Dairy Squeeze, always said mistakes teach you valuable lessons. Turns out she knew exactly what she was talking about. Edison put it this way: you learn more from mistakes and failures than from success. This blogger would add — sometimes you also earn more. Now, on to the Miller gossip...

[Gossip section to be added when placed in a book.]

The moral of the story, Millerites, is this: do not be too hard on yourself when things go sideways. The next great accidental invention might be sitting right there in the mess you made. Clean it up, write it down, and call your patent attorney. 'Nuff said.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @miller_texas

#HappyAccidents #MrsHooleyWasRight #CornFlakesWereAMistake #DontGoogleThat #MillerTexasGetsPhilosophical #NitwitsUnite

 

Monday Called. It Wants a Second Chance.

July 13, 2015

Here is a fun fact for a Monday: the concept of the Monday blues is largely a media invention. This intrepid blogger recently counted no fewer than a dozen popular songs built entirely around the idea that life only begins on Friday afternoon. The Bangles told us to walk like an Egyptian on a manic Monday. The Boomtown Rats announced they don't like Mondays — and that song came out in 1979 and has been doing damage ever since. Somewhere between the radio and the alarm clock, a generation or two got thoroughly convinced that five out of seven days are just something to endure. Experts will tell you the root of the Monday blues is career dissatisfaction, and that may be true in some cases. But this blogger suspects the real culprit is a habit of thought that has been reinforced so many times it feels like fact.

Now on to the gossip, and what better day to dish than a Monday...

[Gossip section to be added when placed in a book.]

Here is the fix, and it is simpler than you might think. Find one thing you genuinely love and schedule it for Monday. Not Tuesday. Not Friday. Monday. Put it on the calendar, set a reminder, and when the alarm goes off Sunday night, lead with that thought. This blogger cannot promise it will cure everything, but it is a solid start. Harry S. Truman once observed that it is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit. For this blogger, the sense of having done something worthwhile goes a long way toward keeping the blues at bay — any day of the week. 'Nuff said.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @miller_texas

#MondayBluesCure #TrumanKnewThings #LiveForMoreThanFriday #MillerTexasGetsPhilosophical #TheBoomtownRatsDidTheDamage #ReprogramYourMonday