What Were They Thinking?

If you're looking for an engrossing nonfiction book, you can't beat 'Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition' by Daniel Okrent. I've been curious about how the 18th Amendment came into being. Changing the Constitution is a huge undertaking and Prohibition was more than 50 years in the making yet unwound itself in fourteen years when the 18th Amendment was repealed.

My biggest surprise is how my home state of Ohio was the mothership for the 'dry' movement. The first organized protest against alcohol took place in southern Ohio. The Anti-Saloon League was the major lobby organization with its headquarters in Westerville, Ohio, a Columbus suburb. If this ASL was so influential in early 20th century politics, then why had I never heard of it? Three things came about because of the prohibition movement:

1) Women's suffrage

2) The income tax

3) Anti-German sentiment surrounding World War I

Interested? So is Ken Burns who is doing his own PBS documentary on the topic this fall.

2 Stupid 2 Own A House II

Once again we visit our favorite, clueless homeowners, Linda and Hubby. This week the duo has a list of home problems they do not know how to fix:

• The toilet keeps running (and running, and running)


• The roadside mailbox was plowed down during a blizzard and is now held together with bunge cords


• The still mysterious bathtub does not have a water source they can find (see here for the story)

What will our heros do? Can they ever rise to the simple maintenance challenges of home ownership? Hell, no! The good news is that they haven't learned a damn thing. In fact they are calling The Justice League for the super hero that will save them from disrepair: The Amazing Handyman! And they will pay handsomely for his services.

Hail the handyman! Home morons rejoice.