Amateur Hour: Jack Hitt Talks About an American Tradition

In “Bunch of Amateurs: A Search for the American Character,” Jack Hitt investigates the tradition of American amateurism in various fields, from politics to astronomy to bird watching.

Q. Why might we look back at this time in history as one of the golden ages of amateurism?

 

A. My argument about the cycle of amateurism is that it often cranks back up when the economy goes sour and people drift off to that backyard temple of ingenuity. Hewlett-Packard was formed in David Packard’s garage in 1938 at the height of the Depression. Is it a coincidence that Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak hid out in a Cupertino, Calif., garage during the dog days of Gerald Ford’s “whip inflation now” economy in 1976 and improvised the first desktop computer? The April jobs report for 2012 saw an increase of 119,000 new employees. Only 4,000 of those derived from large firms. Small businesses and startups were responsible for 58,000 of those jobs.

 

 

America's Most Endangered Rivers of 2012 List

America may be filled with beautiful rivers and streams, but some of the country's most notable waterways are also its most endangered. Released Tuesday, the 2012 America’s Most Endangered Rivers list examines the most threatened waterways in the U.S. and the human activities that jeopardize their quality.

American Rivers president Bob Irvin said in a statement that the list, "underscores how important clean water is to our drinking water, health, and economy. If Congress slashes clean water protections, more Americans will get sick and communities and businesses will suffer.

Several rivers on the list -- in Wyoming, Ohio and West Virginia -- are threatened by natural resource extraction, including natural gas development and mountaintop removal coal mining.

The report argues that to protect northeastern Ohio's Grand River from negative impacts of natural gas development, the state must "require the highest standards" for monitoring and testing chemicals and wastewater related to fracking.

Experience the thrill of America's Greatness

To the Editor:

It seems that all we read and hear about are the insurmountable problems we have in America. What we need to do is to find and be a part of something much bigger than we are and the problems we face. I believe that ''bigger'' is staring us right in the face and we cannot see her. She is America!

A few weeks ago my wife Debbie sent me her first picture ever of standing facing the Grand Canyon. The words attached to that message: This brought me to tears. It was at that moment that I realized what had happened to her. She had just experienced the thrill and vastness of something so much larger than all of us. We can only imagine. I wish I was there to share that moment with her. What she really experienced was the wonder and vastness of mother America. I am sure it also took her breath away.

We as a nation need to find that vastness and wonder in her; she is in trouble and needs us and we need her. She is and will always be the ''bigger'' we will always need. This can only come from we the people. She belongs to us and we belong to her. Let the love affair begin! The time has come.

An American Original

The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) Chapter 18 of Dayton, OH recently toured the KitchenAid plant in Greenville, OH. There, we witnessed the production of an American icon – the KitchenAid stand mixer. We saw a state of the art powder painting facility, robotic polishing of the patented bullet shaped gear case, CNC machining of the various components and the hand assembly of over 4,000 mixers per day.

The KitchenAid mixer began humbly enough in 1918 as a residential version of the commercial mixers produced by Hobart Manufacturing Company. These early models were beefy at nearly 65 pounds of cast iron construction! They were rugged and built with the aesthetic appeal of a drill press. The mixer was streamlined in 1936 by industrial designer Egmont Ahrens into the shape that is so familiar in kitchens today. The machines are also considerably lighter with the structural components made of die cast aluminum and zinc instead of using iron. A myriad palette of colors is offered to match any kitchen décor. The Greenville plant is the only plant producing KitchenAid stand mixers for both the domestic and export markets.

Today, KitchenAid is the last brand of residential stand mixer being produced in the United States. They proudly point out that their mixers are built with over 85% domestic content. All of their competitors have chosen to move offshore in pursuit of cheap labor. KitchenAid pursued this path as well with some of their other product lines. After looking at total costs, the decision was made to move production of hand mixers back to Greenville from China last year. Later this year, the production of their food processor line will be moved from China to Greenville. This is exciting news and proof that we can compete successfully in the global market from right here in the Miami Valley.

Ignore Time cover when raising your half-pint



On this Mother’s Day, I’m here to report: We can all ignore the nutty parenting advice of this gorgeous, skinny Valley Girl on Time magazine’s cover who’s posed her almost 4-year-old with his lips on her breast while his wide eyes stare out toward all of America.

And all of America is cringing. No, amend that. America’s women are cringing. Men are feeling something else.

In any case, this image is everywhere now, and millions of already guilt-propelled, insecure new mothers are hearing that nagging little voice: Maybe my babies would turn out better if I do what this breathless blonde does. That is, carry babies in slings 24/7, nurse them until senior prom and let them sleep with daddy and me until they’ve got bedmates of their own. And maybe even after that!

Ms. Jamie Lynne Grumet, 26, from California (of course) says she and her husband are “intimate” while their kids sleep right next to them.

(Ick.)

In fairness, however, I must note that Ms. Grumet does not usually nurse her son when he’s standing up on a chair. She cradles him, she explains on her obnoxious I’m-a-better-mother-than-you-are blog, titled “I am Not the Babysitter.”

Oh, shut up.

Ms. Grumet is a proponent of one of the latest rages in child rearing. That’s “attachment parenting,” the brainchild of pediatrician William Sears. He says breast-feeding till whatever age, “wearing” babies in slings and co-sleeping produce happier, healthier kids.”

Friday on the “Today” show, Ms. Grumet explained this ditzily while preschooler Grumet Jr. squirmed nonstop, thus letting us speculate, ignorantly, on whether he’s as spoiled bratty as he looks. Meanwhile, Dr. Sears said that were we all natives on some Caribbean isle, living in nature with no parenting books, blogs or psychologists, we’d all raise our kids this way.

And that’s swell.

But who lives in nature on crowded Caribbean isles anymore, including Caribbeans?

The big winner here is Time magazine. Millions of men have examined this picture very, very closely. Women who actually wanted to read Ms. Grumet’s annoying story confronted an online pay wall. You either headed out to buy Time or paid a minimum of $4.99 for a trial subscription. I regret to say, I paid.

I am, however, grateful that I became a mother back in the dark ages when there were only a handful of parenting books, your own mother and mother-in-law to undermine your confidence at every turn. That’s why I adored the late, much-maligned Dr. Spock, whose mantra was “trust yourself.”

Here’s my Mother’s Day two cents for all you new mothers, now that there’s a zillion “Oh No! Watch Out!!!” mothering blogs detailing how you’re ruining your child.

Don’t read ’em.

What are America's Pet Owners Thinking?

If you didn't think American civilization was in trouble already, this ought to worry you: Americans are hiring psychics to communicate with their pets.

According to Benjamin Radford of Discovery News, pet psychics claim they can use telepathy to communicate with animals, living and dead -- for about $85 an hour.

I can tell pet owners what their dog is thinking for half that amount: Rover wants you to scratch him on the belly and give him a treat. I'll pop my invoice in the mail.

But this isn't about telepathy so much as it is about our obsession with pets -- a reflection of a country gone nutty and soft, confused by our emotions.

Look: Pets, generally, are a great thing. Social scientists explain that in our fast-paced, transient society, pets help fill the void that was once filled by close friends and extended family.

I love dogs and wish I wasn't away from home so often or I'd get one.

But our obsession with pets is getting out of hand. Despite our sour economy, the pet-service industry continues to grow by $2 billion a year -- to $52 billion this year.

There are gourmet pet foods, heated waterbeds for dogs, doggie personal trainers and doggie weight-loss programs (Biscuit Watchers?).

If Rover's feeling down, a doggie psychologist is waiting to help: "Rover, your low self-esteem can be traced to your neutering."

Now that people will pay thousands of dollars for veterinary care, pet health insurance policies are all the rage.

The truth is that many pets in America are living better than three-fourths of the people on this Earth, and something isn't quite right about that.

But today, we're not only pampering pets with overzealous affection, we're trying to elevate them to the level of humans. We see a dog's paws move while it sleeps and we assume the dog is having a nightmare.

We think today that our dogs have souls that live on after their physical bodies cease to work and exist.

Stamp Out Hunger Across America

Letter carries are hoping that warm weather this weekend helps people warm up to the idea of donating to the local community.

Most people are receiving bright yellow bags in mailboxes this week; those bags can be filled with non-perishable food items to be collected by local letter carriers.

The Annual Stamp Out Hunger Across America Campaign is the largest single day food drive in the U.S.

"If the community could just dig a little deep and grab one or two cans off their shelf and a box of crackers or anything of that sort it goes a long way," says letter carrier Paul Rodriguez.

Letter carriers will pick up yellow bags with donated items Saturday, May 12th.