Diary Of A Central South Dakota Farm Woman - Tuesday, September 27, 1929

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 (1929)

Rain again. I'm not sure whether we will have our luncheon tomorrow or not, but am hoping the ladies can get here. Jean and Will drove out tonight to see how the roads were. Jean has to bring the "picnickers" out tomorrow as none of the others drives and naturally she is not keen about coming if the road is bad. I dressed a couple of fries for tomorrow and got the house in order so am ready for guests if the guests can come.

Dan picked corn in the forenoon and carpentered in the afternoon. He has the side studding ready to raise. He is using considerable old lumber which takes longer to work in, but he has to utilize what was in the old shelter as we can't put too much expense on the building. It is going to make a fine roomy addition to the barn. At least the animals will have good quarters this winter whether they have enough to eat or not.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

It sprinkled off and on until nine o'clock this morning, then decided to clear up partially, so our guests got here without much trouble. I furnished the hot dish for lunch as I wanted to serve fried chicken and the other ladies supplied the balance of the menu -coffee cake that tasted like more, a salad as tempting to look at as it was good to eat and peach ice cream that made one wish for a greater capacity or else that she had eaten less of the substantials. One of our crowd couldn't come, much to our regret. The others made up a game of bridge after lunch while I cleared things up. We don't have prizes - just play for the interest of the game and we always have a good time. These picnic lunches are really a very nice way to do, for the hostess has an easy time of it and it is not very strenuous for anyone.

There was so much food left that I told Nancy she and Dave would have to come to dinner tomorrow to help us dispose of it. We had some of the ice cream for supper then Dan repacked it and I think it will keep over for tomorrow.

Dan, not being invited to the lunch, had his dinner early and spent the afternoon working on the shed. We gave him some of the ice cream, however, when dessert time arrived for the rest of us.

The windmill was delivered this evening -hope we'll have it in working order this time next week.

Diary Of A Central South Dakota Farm Woman - Monday, September 23, 1929

Sorry for jumping around, but I found entries as far back as 1929. I will try and go in order now...

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 (1929)

Quite breezy today too, but cooler than yesterday. After the washing was on the line I cleaned out the brooder house, but didn't get the straw in until after dinner. I find I can carry twice as much straw and do it much more easily if I put it in sacks. Then too, it does not blow as it does when I use the bushel measure for transportation. I think that is quite a "discovery" -wonder if Good Housekeeping magazine would pay me a dollar for that idea. Perhaps, though, that is the way most people carry their straw and I was being stupid not to think of it sooner. I always feel virtuous when I have the coops all clean, mash hoppers full and all shipshape. Tomorrow.. I think we will tackle the attic.

Dan went to town this afternoon for lumber for the shed hauled it out on Will's trailer. That is so much easier than going in the wagon. Life really is simpler in many ways than it used to be. When I recall our homesteading days when most of the town trips were made in the wagon -thirty miles each way- it seems as if things are much easier nowadays. But we are spoiled too, for now even a five mile wagon trip seems very tedious.

Lost My Mind? - I Wish

I know you think I've lost my mind based on my last post - I do too in the light of day - but then again, nobody really expected the last civil war - (women and children were invited to the first battle and brought picnic lunches to watch the North trounce the South) - That was two Fourth Turnings (4T) ago.

What about the last turning? The most recent period of US history to experience a 4T was the Great Depression, culminating in World War II. Did anybody see that coming? You be the judge! Here is a headline from a newspaper dated October 31st, 1929.

This article appeared on the front page of the APPLETON POST- CRESCENT - one week after the stock market crashed! You don't have to be a history buff to know how wrong they were... with the benefit of hindsight it seems like whoever wrote that article had taken too many happy pills.

But guess what they would have said back then if you had told them that the country was headed for 10 years of depression which would end in a world war?

RH

PS: One Year Later: Income Tax Is 148 Million Dollars Less 10/29/1930

Then and Now - The Great Depression, Act II

"Those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it"

Meaning: We didn't learn our lesson yet so that lesson will now be repeated.

"If expansion of the brokers loan account gets to the place where it is dangerous and borders on unwarranted speculation, the American banking fraternity itself would correct the situation." Former Governor Roy A. Young of the federal reserve system, quoted in 1928. He said he could recommend no legislation to that end.

Meaning: What me worry? The banks don't need to be regulated! They will self-regulate and everything will be hunky-dory!

Event: 1929 Stock market crash, the Great Depression, Misery, Poverty and a distinct absence of Hunky Doriness.

Event: Glass-Steagall Act Of 1933 - set up a regulatory firewall between commercial and investment bank activities, both of which were curbed and controlled. See Source

Meaning: By 1933, people were not so happy with the results of banks regulating themselves so they decided to help out - (Hunger tends to make folks grumpy)

... Hunky Doriness ...

Event: Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act 1999 - to the delight of many in the banking industry (not everyone, however, was happy), in November of 1999 Congress repealed the Glass-Steagall Act with the establishment of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, which eliminated the Glass-Steagall Act restrictions against affiliations between commercial and investment banks. Furthermore, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act allows banking institutions to provide a broader range of services, including underwriting and other dealing activities.


Meaning: Representative Jim Leach (R-Iowa) and Senator Phil Gramm (R-Tex.) owe us some money.

I would also like to see money paid back from the following people:

1. Daniel Mudd - Fannie Mae, the biggest U.S. mortgage finance company, said that it paid its chief executive, Daniel Mudd, salary, bonuses and stock valued at $14.25 million in 2006, an increase of 25 percent.
2. Richard F. Syron - 5-Year Compensation Total $29.06 mil - Richard F Syron has been CEO of Freddie Mac ( FRE) for 4 years. Mr. Syron has been with the company for 4 years. The 64 year old executive ranks 34 within Diversified Financials
   
3. Kerry Killinger - Washington Mutual lost $3.3 billion in the second quarter, on top of more than $1 billion of losses in the first quarter, as it scrambled to raise reserves for loan losses. Killinger received no 2007 bonus amid huge losses and a 70% stock price drop. That cut his pay to a mere $4.9 million. His board decided in March to exclude the financial damage from WaMu's subprime lending from the operating profit figure used to calculate his bonus. Directors backed off in April after shareholders forced former finance committee head Mary Pugh to resign.
   
4. TBD
   

If you care that we taxpayers are being asked to foot the bill for this bailout, then join me in getting our money back from the people who stole it. And yes I mean stole it. Since when does one deserve bonus pay for driving a company into the ground? I want that money back - These people had no business taking on a job that they were so obviously not qualified for. I want consequences!!!

RH

PS Consider this a lesson in Home Economics. - My list will continue to grow and if you know of somebody who should be on this list, by all means nominate him/her!