• Behind The Iron Curtain: No To Neutron Bomb

    These cards were distributed to the Soviet citizens so they could be mailed en masse to the United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim. Based on his years on that post the time would’ve been between 1972 and 1981.

    No To The Neutron Bomb
    No To The Neutron Bomb
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  • Potty Training

    This very important latrine training video reminded me of my own groundbreaking and unfairly neglected series of posts covering this subject.

    httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKkryfdtMNQ

    I was following along until he started using water. I imagine people in Europe faced with the prospect of pouring icy water on a certain tender region invented the toilet paper.

    And now, as I promised, some relevant links to my own posts.

    Behind the Iron Curtain #1 and #2:

    Part 1
    Part 2
    Part 3
    Part 4

    And now we dance:

    httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TojTlYNNm9w

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  • South Beach, Florida

    People don’t come to this here blog for good photos, so I have a reputation to uphold. This post contains plenty of mediocre photos of South Beach, photos just like you would take on your own trip with your hundred dollar camera. And that’s my goal: feel free to show these photos to your friends and relatives as your own, and if you are really fancy you can insert yourself in any of those for a complete effect.

    South Beach has the air of authenticity that is hard to find anywhere in the United States. Thanks to the genius idea to preserve the Art Deco district, one could easily imagine how this place looked 40-50 years ago. If you are in town for a day or two, this is the place to be. Stay in an old hotel and spend your time sightseeing; sitting on a beach is overrated.

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  • Behind the Iron Curtain: Moscow 1960’s

    I don’t suppose many of you are browsing Russian blogs, so I thought I’d link some interesting pictures. The source is here and here is a Google translation. I also added some related links in case you are wasting time at work.

    Red Square

    Manezhnaya Square. Hotel “Moscow”

    Central Lenin Museum. State Historical Museum

    The old building of Moscow State University

    Mayakovsky Square and monument to VV Mayakovsky

    Pushkin Square

    Kutuzovsky Prospect

    Building Museum Battle of Borodino panorama

    Swimming Pool “Moscow”. This pool was build instead of planned Palace of Soviets which was supposed to replace the demolished Cathedral of Christ the Saviour,presently restored on the same spot.

    House of Friendship with the Peoples of foreign countries

    V.I.Lenin State Library of the USSR

    Karl Marx Prospect with the monument to Karl Marx

    Sverdlov Square. Bolshoi Theater.

    Gorky Central Park of Culture and Recreation

    Andrei Rublev Museum(formerly Andronikov Monastery)

    Planetarium

    Chkalov Street

    Komsomolskaya Square

    Monument to the worker and a farmer woman. She is holding a sickle and he has a hammer. Hammer and sickle-get it?

    Monument in honor of the Space Development

    Dzerzhinsky Square

    Moscow City’s Palace of Pioneers and schoolchildren

    Student dormitories Patrice Lumumba University.

    South-West Suburbs

    Lomonosov Prospect

    Leninsky Prospect.Public is greeting Cosmonauts returning from space.

    Leninsky Prospect. Department store “Moscow”

    Borodino Battlefield

    Church of the Ascension in Kolomenskoye (XVI century)

    Highway Circling around the city.

    Domodedovo Airport

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  • Old Photos: Independence Missouri

    This weekend’s old photo posts are dedicated to the Midtown Miscreant’s new hometown. This is how it looked back in 1945.

    A welcoming sign to Independence Missouri, attracts tourists by advertising the towns significance with Harry S. Truman.
    A welcoming sign to Independence Missouri, attracts tourists by advertising the towns significance with Harry S. Truman. ©Time Inc.Alfred Eisenstaedt
    Street scene (from photo essay re Harry Truman's Missouri).
    Street scene (from photo essay re Harry Truman's Missouri).©Time Inc.Alfred Eisenstaedt
    Street scene (from photo essay re Harry Truman's Missouri).
    Street scene (from photo essay re Harry Truman's Missouri).©Time Inc.Alfred Eisenstaedt
    Grandview Baptist Church about a mile from the Truman family farm (from photo essay re Harry Trumans Missouri).
    Grandview Baptist Church about a mile from the Truman family farm (from photo essay re Harry Trumans Missouri).©Time Inc.Alfred Eisenstaedt
    Grandview Baptist Church about a mile from the Truman family farm (from photo essay re Harry Truman's Missouri).
    Grandview Baptist Church about a mile from the Truman family farm (from photo essay re Harry Truman's Missouri).©Time Inc.Alfred Eisenstaedt
    Everett Earp and his father Walter have both been local peace officers for fifty years (from photo essay re Harry Truman's Missouri).
    Everett Earp and his father Walter have both been local peace officers for fifty years (Lamar, MO).©Time Inc.Alfred Eisenstaedt
    Grave of blacksmith Samuel Weston who died in1846 is marked by iron ox-cart tail resting on two plowshares from his shop (from photo essay re Harry Truman's Missouri).
    Grave of blacksmith Samuel Weston who died in1846 is marked by iron ox-cart tail resting on two plowshares from his shop (from photo essay re Harry Truman's Missouri).©Time Inc.Alfred Eisenstaedt
    Confederate monument with Stars and Bars dedicated to the memory of the soldiers of the Confederacy, in Woodlawn Cemetery (from photo essay re Harry Truman's Missouri).
    Confederate monument with Stars and Bars dedicated to the memory of the soldiers of the Confederacy, in Woodlawn Cemetery (from photo essay re Harry Truman's Missouri).©Time Inc.Alfred Eisenstaedt

    And lastly,this is what MM would have looked like while blogging in 1945:

    Lawyer Sam Van Poll in his office (Lamar, MO).
    Lawyer Sam Van Poll in his office (Lamar, MO).©Time Inc.Alfred Eisenstaedt

    Harry Truman’s Missouri.

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