No. 209 June 2000
CULTURAL SHOCKS Did you ever find a child in a state of culture shock upon seeing a black and white movie on their color television? My son seemed to be surprised to learn that "once upon a time" there were only black and white movies, and black and white televisions. He and others may experience more culture shock to learn about the 1047 silent black and white movies made between 1894 and 1929. There were German (Ach wei ist's moglich dann), Russian (Potemkin), French (L' Inondation), and American (The Jungle) movies which were silent because the sound track had not been invented. Language was not a problem for the viewer, but the silence was. Having music accompany the film solved this problem. Most of the 1047 films listed in Music for Silent Films 1894-1929, A Guide issued by the Library of Congress, Music Division in 1988 (LC 1.6/4:M97) had musical scores which were to be played while the films were being shown. To standardize each showing, most films had Cue Cards which provided the details as to what (and how those) musical piece(s) were to be played and on what instruments. Some of the music was classical, but composers who specialized in this type of music especially wrote many pieces of music. Organ accompaniment was very common but some films, such as Potemkin, used piano music. The film Martyrs of the Alamo used a piano, drums, harp, and strings. Music for Silent Films identifies the films, the cue cards, and the sheet music. The introductory information and the appendices tell the reader how someone can get copies of the movies, the music, and the cue cards. However, some of the silent films made by Charlie Chaplin and other silent film comedy stars of this era, which also used musical accompaniment, were not included.
ENVIRONMENTAL HOUSEHOLD CLEANUP Spring cleaning is what many people do after coming out of winter hibernation. Winter hibernation sometimes allows "junk" to accumulate; springtime is the time for house cleaning, repairs, and getting the house in order. In some households, as needed, every thing in the house gets put away, given away, or thrown away. With thousands of households doing spring cleaning at one time, the world could get messy. Proper environmental disposal of unwanted household products is one way to avoid solid waste pollution. Household product categories include: home maintenance, lawn and garden care, hobbies and crafts, automotive maintenance, and health and beauty aids. These categories translate into disposal of garden and garage, home improvement/workshop, bathroom, household cleaners, and miscellaneous products. Disposal is by four ways: (1) flushing (with water) down the drain; (2) putting into the trash that goes into a landfill; (3) reuse/recycling by recycle program; (4) saving for a special hazardous-waste pickup. The Disposal Guide to Household Hazardous Waste Preventing Pollution to Protect Our Great Lakes, Lake Watch issued in 1995 by the EPA (EP 1.8:H81/2) identifies about 60 household products and the best (environmentally sound) method of disposing of each.
HOME APPLIANCES: SAFE DISPOSAL SAVES THE OZONE "Over 8 million refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, dehumidifiers, and other refrigerated appliances are discarded each year, releasing an estimated 4 million pounds of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). These releases contribute to one of today’s greatest environmental threats—the destruction of the stratospheric ozone layer." This is the opening paragraph of page 1of Protecting the Ozone Layer: Safe Disposal of Home Appliances Containing Ozone-Depleting Substances dated July 1993 (EP 1.2:OZ7/12). Effective on July 1, 1992, the Clean Air Amendments act of 1990 prohibited individuals from releasing into the atmosphere these refrigerant carbon compounds when servicing, maintaining, repairing, or disposing of air-conditioning or refrigeration equipment. Protecting the Ozone does not provide the details about who to call to dispose of your old refrigerator. This 10 page publication includes an outline of Clean Air Act requirements for disposing of appliances containing refrigerant. There are several case studies highlighting appliance disposal programs in several U. S. cities, and it identifies the ozone-depleting CFC and HCFC refrigerants that are to be replaced. There is also a copy of the EPA form that refrigerant service companies have to fill-out to receive certification that they are qualified to handle the disposal of CFC and HCFC refrigerant appliances and equipment and the recycling of CFC and HCFC.
SOY PRODUCTS AND CELL CIRCUITS: THE NEW AND THE OLD In the April, 2000 issue of this Newsletter, there was news about the scientific benefits of soy food products in "Soy Soothes Cellular Circuits" by Judy McBride, Agricultural Research, v. 48, no. 2, February 2000 page 15. Scientists have shown why the use of soy food products will control cell signals and cell overactivity. A signal control that results in the reduction of chronic heart disease and cardiovascular problems. Though this bit of scientific work may be recent, the consumption of soy food products is an old alternative to meat, poultry, and other animal-based products leading to a healthier life for many people. A "new" development is that the FDA gave food manufacturers permission to put labels on products high in soy protein indicating that soy may lower the risk of heart disease. "Soy Health Claims for Soy Protein, Questions About Other Components" by John Henkel FDA Consumer v. 34 No. 3 May-June 2000, pages 13-20 (HE 20.4010:34/3) tells us all about isoflavones, soy foods, soy's many faces, soy benefits, and the Soy Health Claim. What is "old" is the scientists' knowledge about (human) cell circuits. Scientists studied cell receptors, cell activation, and cell signal transduction as early as the early 1900s. A very brief and simplified history of names and dates is found on the first page of Receptors and Cell Activation, A Summary of the Frontiers in Basic Sciences That Relate to Heart, Lung, and Blood Diseases Symposium: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, An Administrative Report (HE 20.3203:R24/2). Issued in 1987, this 25 page report goes on to present some basic information about cell receptors, cell activation, and what we might call "cell circuits".
GOLDEN AGE OF SILVER Did you know that the era of 1840 to 1940 in American history was the "the Golden Age of Silver"? From 1840 to 1940, the American Silverware Industry and the America's rich upper class were the primary reason the United States led the world in the manufacture, marketing, and consumption of silver objects. Silver was affordable, and many American women who had money and led a Victorian lifestyle, which emphasized formal dining, purchased silver objects. Silver flatware, serving pieces, and table ornaments, were "status symbols" for the very rich who hosted lavish dinners. However, the Great Depression of the 1920s put a damper on the lavish life styles, the Victorian dining rituals, the silver industry, and on the "golden age of silver". World War II marked the end of the importance of silver in American households. The Victorian era was over, women were working, and dining became more simplified and casual. The age of silver was over, replaced by one of stainless steel and plastic. Money was spent on cars and other new "status symbol" products. The word silverware is still a common term but stainless steel is sold as "silverware" if you don't want to buy the very expensive real silverware, and the cheapest form of silverware is plastic." In November 1994 the traveling exhibition, "Silver in America, 1840-1940: A Century of Splendor," opened at the Dallas Museum of Art. This silver exhibition which commemorates America's silver era is discussed in Ellen Marsh's "The Golden Age of Silver" Humanities, v. 15, no.6, November/December 1994 pages 34-37 (NF 3.11:15/6), a very short but informative bit of silverware history.
WOMEN IN THE LABOR FORCE, NOW AND THEN The main theme of the five articles in the December 1999 issue of the Monthly Labor Review (L 2.6:122/12) is the 20th century "Women in the Workforce". The discussion of five basic issues: (1) participation, (2) earnings, (3) marriage, employment, and children, (4) gender and promotions, and (5) competition and discrimination presents observations, trends, analyses, and statistics of women's labor status in the 20th century. Some of the participation rate analysis go back to 1950 and makes a labor force projection for 2025. "The December Review" editorial article (on page 2), summaries the general theme(s) of the five articles and cites a 1888 Bureau of Labor report which is a 19th century version of "Women in the Workforce". This report about the 19th century working woman covers "women who work in great city manufactories upon light manual or mechanical labor and in stores are the ones that we recognize under the popular term 'working women'. This study comprehends three hundred and forty-three distinct industries out of the large number now open to women." During the study, the Bureau of Labor interviewed 17,427 (which is a 6 to 7 per cent of all the) "working" women in 22 large industrial cities. This 625 page report Working Women in Large Cities is within Report of the Secretary of the Interior; being part of the Messages and Documents communicated to the Two Houses of Congress at the beginning of the Second Session of the Fiftieth Congress, Volume VI. 1888 (House Document Ex Doc 1, Part 5). This House Executive Report can be found in the Congressional Serial Set No. 2641
WOMEN IN NONTRADITIONAL JOBS: NONTRADITIONAL STATISTICS OF A NONTRADITIONAL LABOR FORCE A nontraditional occupation is defined by the Women’s Bureau as an occupation in which women comprise 25 percent or less of the total employed. It would be interesting to know when the first woman shoed a horse, joined the plumbers union, or climbed to the top of a telephone pole. Women makeup 1.9 % of the firefighters in the United States and 18.4% of America's funeral directors are women. 21. 4% of the announcers (in broadcasting) are women and how often have you seen women driving city buses? "Nontraditional Occupations for Women in 1999" http://www.dol.gov/dol/wb/public/wb_pubs/nontra99.htm lists about 90 occupations citing the number of both men and women employed ("Employed Both Sexes"), the number of women employed ("Employed Female"), and the percentage for women ("Percent female"). This current data issued by the Women's Bureau on the Internet is good but needs historical data. In Women in Gainful Occupations 1870-1920 (C 3.30:9) issued in 1929 by the Census Bureau, on page 166, Table 115 "Women employed in each Specific Occupation, …1920" shows that there were 31 women blacksmiths in 1910, and 4 in 1920. The Sixteenth Census of the United States: Population, Comparative Occupation Statistics for the United States, 1870-1940 (C 3.940-5:P 81/3) Table 4-"Gainful workers 14 years old and over by occupation and sex, for the United States: 1930,1920, 1910," page 69 shows in 1910, 1920, and 1930, women made up, respectively, (slightly over) 3%, 5%, and 5%, of the total number of the employed undertakers in each of those years. The definition and list of occupations found in the Women's Bureau WebPages are the occupations to look for in old Census publications for historical data. The contemporary 1980s and 1990s data about women and nontraditional occupations will be found in publications such as the April 22, 1981 Bureau of Labor Statistics press release: Women to account for two thirds of American labor force growth to 1995; More than 5 million women now in traditionally male jobs. This 16 page publication, found in American Statistics Index 1981 (microfiche) publication # 6928-23, cites "women in traditionally male jobs", "men in traditionally female jobs," and 1900 data on women workers ("Table XXII. - Male and female breadwinners 16 years of age and over, classified by occupation, for continental United States: 1900") are from Statistics of women at work, based on unpublished information derived from schedules of 12th census, 1900 (1907, C 3.5:W 84)
TREE SHADE: EFFECTIVE ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION BARRIER Ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and especially the Ultraviolet B (UVB) portion which has been linked with some skin cancers and eye diseases. "Also suspected are UVB influences on immune systems and effectiveness of immunizations." The decrease in the effectiveness of the ozone layer and changes in dress and lifestyle have played roles in the increasing instance of skin cancers. Tree canopies both in the tropical, suburban, and urban forests afford a certain amount of protection from the UVB hazards. However, in the urban setting, where "trees obscure the sun but leave much of the sky in view, UV radiation is much more prevalent than is suggested by the appearance of the visible shadow. Recent measurements of leaf optical properties and algorithms describing sky-radiance distributions will provide information for generating computer models of the effect of trees on UV radiation. In short, how safe from UVB is the "village smithy under the spreading chestnut tree"? How safe are you under the shade tree(s) in your backyard. Ultraviolet Radiation, Human Health, and the Urban Forest by Gordon M. Heisler and Richard H. Grant explains how the measurement of leaves, radiation, and how well the leaves can block UV radiation in urban forests. This 37 page Forest Service Report (NE-268) published in February 2000 is available in some depository libraries, as microfiche, with SuDoc No. A 13.88:NE-268. A copy can be requested by email through the (Northeastern) USDA Forest Service http://www.fs.fed.us/ne NE Station Publications web page at http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/home/publications/publistold.html look for General Technical Report NE-268.
July 17, 2000
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