I am, as you know, openly Romanian. I claim to have been from these here parts since time immemorial. My maternal haplogroup H5 dated to this region since the times of the Cucuteni–Trypillia culture. My paternal haplogroup being I-M253 is a bit sketchier. But it is possible that it was also here since times immemorial, as I understand Scandinavian I1 is different. I do not have the R1b of the Johnny come lately Indo-Europeans. So, I am sticking to my story.
My first post on this fair blog was a tale of booze and of my maternal grandparents. I thought it would be fitting that my 100 post would be in a similar vein. This is a tale of transport and my paternal grandparents.
My paternal ancestry comes from the high foothills of the mountains. Since the previously mentioned immemorial times, the tendrils of civilization stretched along rivers. The bigger, the better. In Romania, the main routes of transport were as everywhere, along the large river valleys. My grandparent came from a small tributary of the larger river which had the main, well-traveled road over the mountains. Along the tributary there was a string of villages along a smaller road going to well… nowhere. It stopped when it reached the mountains. It was a fertile and reasonable prosperous area, but off that path which is beaten. And my ancestry goes there a long while.
In interbellum Romania, no paved road went along that small river. It was a sturdy road, dirt but hard packed over the centuries, strengthen on occasion with river stone or gravel. And the mode of transport was of the old way, untouched by modernity, mainly by oxcart or one’s own two feet. Some horse and carriage, but only for the fancy folk, as few in that area were. Safe to say the going was slow for the 30-ish miles to the nearest city.
My grandfather was too young to fight in the Great War. But, as was the habit back then, boys were sent to trades, first just for chores and then, if the boy was considered good enough, as an apprentice. My grandfather ended up an apprentice driver – yes in those days in Romania it took a couple of years of apprenticeship to be a commercial driver – and after a period of working for others, by the 1930s, he managed to save enough to buy a Ford Model T based bus, as was not unusual in the region. And thus, the first bus line in the area appeared. It still took 3-4 hours to make the trip, depending on the breaks – those buses did require some tweaking here and there, but it was quite the improvement to the oxcart or walking.
Off course the trip could have been a bit faster, but old habits die hard. About two thirds way to the big city, there was a fork in the road where a pass through the hills meant there was a road going directly to the main road across the mountains. As was often the case, there was a big well rated pub at the crossroads. Travelers back in the day – going by foot or oxcart – used to stop there for the good food and some – or more than some – refreshments of an alcoholic nature. The habit was kept and the bus had to stop for half an hour or there could be a riot. Overall bus travel did significantly improve the people moving situation, from village to town, by dare I say private initiative.
The second family business was my grandmother kept the village shop. This was, I assume, by means of unfair competition, as my grandpa’s bus supplied my grandma’s store with wares from the city on the cheap. Overall, they were prosperous people and by the 1940s they had one of the largest houses in the village, the first radio and overall the nicer things in life, relatively speaking.
All this ended with communism. Which was, as I stated in a post or two in the past, quite brutal in Romania. Young hipster tankies on social media these days like to scream that only large landowner and exploitative industrialists suffered when the commies came. My grandparents were neither. But they were prosperous. The fact that it was by their own work and investment mattered little. Romania did not have a large, grassroots communist movement. Most people did not want communism, it was imposed by the Soviets. And the main people who joined the movement early were the worst. And a lot had envy of anyone more prosperous, and desire to acquire their goods.
In the end my grandparents did not end up as bad as possible. They lost their house, the little land they had, the bus, all their money, jewelry and most valuables. But they kept their lives and their bodily integrity, and moved in with my great grandmother in an old cob house. Others were not so lucky. Many were killed or sent to torture jail. Some people did not go to jail, but lost their mind when they lost everything they had after a life of work. My grandpa just accepted it. He did not fight or join the resistance in the mountains. That’s why he remained alive and out of the camps, and sane. Unlike many others. My father told me that in the 50s and 60s several police chiefs in the region shot themselves, probably could not live with what they had to do.
The communists were even gracious enough to allow my father – who was a top student of the high school in the county – to go to university. Mostly because both my grandparent only had primary education. Some of my father’s cousins, whose parent was an educated doctor were not allowed. They did not have the proper working-class roots to go to university.
All things considered, life went on and here is Pie, born in the city of Bucharest, but lucky enough to spend a good part of my childhood in the old village, in the old cob house, roaming the hills and woods with a band of boys, in close to absolute freedom, as only a child can find in this world.
“I claim to have been from these here parts since time immemorial”
See, that’s how lean into a running joke.
He has crossed an ocean of time to be here.
Most excellent.
Reminds me of when the Bolsheviks took over and the wife of one of the leaders started wearing the royal diamonds.
Loved the article, your grandparents sound like great people.
If he was too young for WWI then I guess he was too old for WWII.
The worst kinds of people. Same as it ever was. It has always and everywhere been the same.
Envy is one of the main motives of human behavior and the sole one for many people. It is always these people that jump on the leftist bandwagon. They are small minded, petty and potentially the most monstrous, thus the term ‘banality of evil’.
It is no different here. Everything about the left here reeks of it.
And the main people who joined the movement early were the worst. And a lot had envy of anyone more prosperous, and desire to acquire their goods.
Hey, this ditch is full of dead people. Why did you bring me here?
Damn I meant to link my first post and forgot
https://www.glibertarians2017.link/2017/04/10/moonshine-and-communism/
This is great.
+1!
“Young hipster tankies”
Ah yes. That delightful alloy of historical illiteracy, youthful arrogance, well-deserved inferiority complex, ideological fanaticism, and bitter envy.
Aka average redditor.
+ 1 r/japan
Speaking of interbellum bus adventures, Pan Zagloba recommended this one and the DVD is pretty funny.
(although apparently the goofs page points out that the movie bus wasn’t built till 1949…)
Excellent post.
My favorite articles are the philosophical ones save these very interesting stand-outs of Pie’s.
Very good Sir, very good.
Your family survived communism because your father kept his head down. *makes note*
thaks.
If I am honest to myself I would have kept my head down as well
For those of you looking at is completely insane black-pilled libertarians thinking we need to dial it back…
https://x.com/mtaibbi/status/1848756101728137575?s=19
Kamala is using a bunch of British labor party political operatives, particularly in Pennsylvania. Matt taibbi got his hands on their goals…
On top of the list – kill Musk’s Twitter.
You are not worried enough. You are not paranoid enough. You are not doing enough.
This is so much bigger than some democrat puppet versus a loud mouth populist.
It isn’t hyperbole to say this is about the end of the enlightenment.
We see it in Europe, North America, Brazil, Australia….
They have been hard at work for the last quarter century or more and victory is within their grasp.
“British labor party political operatives”
Names?
https://x.com/mtaibbi/status/1848760214821966226?s=19
3 minutes ago there was a tweet from a couple of days ago that mentions 200 operatives from British Labour party. Now I can’t find it.
Probably in article
https://x.com/thackerpd/status/1848755448674934836?s=19
1) EXCLUSIVE DOCUMENTS: Working w/ @mtaibbi we report on @CCDHate documents showing the Labour Party’s political front’s objective is “Kill Musk’s Twitter” thru “Advertising focus” meaning harass his advertisers.
See internal documents provided by a whistleblower.
https://www.racket.news/p/election-exclusive-british-advisors
Though this was funny because while there is some pretty on the face coordination between the UK Labour and Kamala, she hasn’t taken the following advice
All said and done, that is straight up foreign influence on our election. Names are named but I doubt our oh so super secure and most perfect election officials will do a damn thing about it.
Reminder: several nationally elected democrats have openly talked about nationalizing SpaceX, Tesla and Twitter.
I’ll keep an eye out for those commie poofters.
😉
An earlier article:
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2024/10/17/the-british-are-coming-u-k-labour-party-sends-100-staff-to-assist-kamala-harris/
Speaking of tankie envynomics
Now, Harris has called on Congress to pass legislation sponsored by Brown, who chairs the Senate Banking Committee, that would prohibit investors who own 50 or more single-family rental homes from deducting interest or depreciation on those properties. “Community after community feels taken advantage of by Wall Street investors and distant landlords,” her campaign said in its housing plan, and Harris pledged last month to “take on …corporate landlords who are hiking rental prices.”
——-
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) has a similar bill in the House.
“Homes should be owned by people, not institutional investors who are drastically increasing the cost of rent and owning a home,” Khanna said in an email to POLITICO. “We need to address the housing shortage and build more, but giving handouts to Wall Street investors is not the solution.”
And Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra joined the chorus Friday during a Salt Lake City event.
“The role of big investors and especially private equity firms in purchasing so much rental housing — there’s a lot of evidence that this is creating in some ways artificial scarcity and higher rents,” Chopra said.
*note- Vance has spouted similar nonsense about evil corporate landlords
“…prohibit investors who own 50 or more single-family rental homes from deducting interest or depreciation on those properties….”
That is certain to bring the cost of housing down.
I’m not sure how faceless corporations buying houses shrinks the supply, unless they’re tearing them down.
It definitely drove up the buying price in many areas.
“Evil corporate landlords” <— BlackRock, and an apt description. A list of the people running BlackRock looks an awful like a list of the people funding and running the Dem party right now.
I believe their goal is to turn everyone in the country into renters.
Global communism or Global Oligarchy?
You will own nothing, and you will be happy
Notice they aren’t addressing several much larger factors behind the rent is too damn high.
You sound like one of those crazy people who thinks that if you regulate rents then property owners might just opt out of the market….
Aaaah! I’m only at 99!
But I’ve got 22 in the pipeline.
Congrats on a century of posts.
ha I got there first
Did they force him to go?
What did he study?
Did the communists keep the bus line running after they confiscated everything, or was there no need for transport once there was no money?
Did they force him to go? – no. but many wanted and were not allowed despite being top students.
What did he study? – electronic engineering
Did the communists keep the bus line running after they confiscated everything – the original line no, it was off a few years, but they introduced a new one. And at some point paved the road.
Ceausescu wanted industry evenly spread around the country and built a factory in the largest village along the river, though it was not a particularly good place for it. He also built a few commie apartment buildings for factory workers. The people there had most of the downsides and none of the upsides of village living, they did not have a house with a small plot for vegetables and a few fruit trees.
That had to have been a crazy thing to have lived through.
“They lost their house, the little land they had, the bus, all their money, jewelry and most valuables.” Sounds like my inlaws. The my wife’s grandfather (or maybe great-grandfather) was locked in a room and told he’s not leaving until he signs over his property to the state. Her family is still finding land that they owned and reclaiming it from the government.
Another guy I worked with said his grandfather owned a machine shop. The commies took it left his grandfather with the kitchen cabinets and a lathe.
They have a saying that after communism fell in 1989 the commies just turned their coats inside out and became democrats. People seeking power will play whatever game is necessary, and I think people here in the US and EU would do the same.
“…turned their coats inside out and became democrats.”
Yep. Same here. The parties switched places doncha know.
The centers of power are fluid but the faces and names are always the same.
Mitch McConnell just proved that. New book out saying Trump must pay for Jan 6.
Does he want it in coke or turtle food?
They didn’t mean Democrats like the Democratic Party in the US, though it fits more and more. They just meant people saying “Oh we love democracy. We’ve always loved democracy.”
I am aware Jaime, but as you point out they are starting to look an awfully lot alike.
Fondly remembering the Ceaușescu’s execution…
One of the ones that truly got the fate they deserved.
Better than he deserved.
TW- Common Dreams
Predators
“The real estate industry would like you to believe the problem is entirely one based on supply and demand,” and that regulations need to be changed to allow for the construction of more affordable housing, reads the report. But with 16 million vacant homes across the U.S.—28 for every unhoused person—”the reality is that the owners of concentrated wealth… are playing a more pronounced role in residential housing, thereby creating price inflation, distortions, and inefficiencies in the market.”
Signifying the U.S. real estate market’s “emerging status as global tax haven,” the number of vacant units in some communities exceed the number of unhoused people partially because wealthy investors are acquiring property and intentionally leaving it vacant, found IPS and Popular Democracy.
For example, in 2017 there were more than 93,500 vacant units in Los Angeles and an estimated 36,000 unhoused residents, with vacancies treated as “a structural feature of the market thanks to the presence of a small class of wealthy investors who engage in speculative financial behavior.”
They do it just to piss you off.
Really, we should just ban private property.
Those fatcats should be compelled to offer homes to the drug-addicted and/or mentally ill who will totally take good care of them.
And also pay (non tax deductible) to have all the damage fixed. Every time. Sorta like Federal Flood Insurance.
Does a “vacant house” include vacation homes and the like?
I’d bet that way
It includes any property that I dont pay taxes on and never invested a penny in. In other words your property. I am going to tell you what to do with it.
Do you know what happens when the homeless are put in homes?
Most of the time they trash the place and end up returning to the streets, leaving one less livable spot and just as many homeless.
Tax havens are the problem? I wonder how in the world we could fix that?
Bzzt. Category error. 15 yard penalty and loss of down.
Homeless people aren’t homeless because there aren’t places for them to live, you know.
“Bums” was more descriptive.
I am going to give a bit of the benefit of doubt to these reporters. It is hard to tell which ones are true believers, cowards, or just mercenaries. There seems to be quite a bit of dictatorial behavior from the network bigwigs. They bully and threaten to destroy anyone that does not tow the commie lion.
Months ago Jeffery Sachs predicted this. Just sit down with a map and settle it.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/10/as-brics-summit-begins-india-china-announce-deal/
Forget the Abraham Accords, look at how the Biden-Harris admin is working to end conflict among 1/3 of the worlds population.
WTF is India doing in that rogues’ gallery?
Making money, buying oil, not being preached at by woke assholes.
India and Russia have always been fairly friendly. They a founding member and the “I” in BRICS.
Heh.
Sounds more like a cease-fire (“disengagement”) than an actual resolution of the dispute.
The report calls on policymakers to expand social housing—housing developed by the government or a not-for-profit entity to ensure individuals, households, and families are guaranteed housing as a human right, which cannot be sold for profit.
Social housing could be paid for by levying mansion taxes, regulating predatory practices in the real estate market, and taxing billionaires.
A prototype neighborhood
Another prototype.
Maybe the first $35B or so should fund the repairs in NYC that have been ignored for the last 75 years before building anything new.
Why does “social housing” sound like a rebranding of the “public housing projects”?
Unless, of course, “social housing” will consist of properties seized from their current owners.
It’s weird because it sounds like “socialist housing” – not good optics.
Oh, I suspect it’s very good optics for the apparently rather substantial “democratic socialism” faction of the Democrats.
Thank you, Pie.
Thanks Pie. What a terrific glimpse of your family and the village. Really looks like beautiful country.
I liked the Model T link as well. I had no idea Ford had such a foothold in Eastern Europe. Good stuff.
All this ended with communism.
It always does.
I’m re-reading this right now. Speaking of Romania, WWII, mountains, and a village.
I should pick that up; I read all(?) the Repairman Jack books (although I hate how they ended)
Cool!
I’ve only read his Repairman Jack stuff. I’ll check it out!
The movie is worth finding too.
It needs to be seen to be believed.
“studio interference that most notably reduced the film from an unreleased 210-minute cut to a theatrical 96-minute cut”
I would probably have gone with “unreleased and unwatchable”. 3 1/2 hours is too long for any movie. Hire a damn editor, already.
“Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres, quarum unam incolunt Belgae, aliam Aquitani, tertiam qui ipsorum lingua Celtae, nostra Galli appellantur.”
Those violent Belgians!
Violent Belgian national tried to enter cockpit on flight from Newark, feds say
https://www.nj.com/news/2024/10/violent-belgian-national-tried-to-enter-cockpit-on-flight-from-newark-feds-say.html
P Diddy’s White Parties have nothing on a Firster party.
We need to bring back public housing projects like Cabrini-Green and Pruitt-Igoe to warehouse our our residentially challenged population. They worked so well in the past.
I claim to have been from these here parts since time immemorial.
But are you free to gambol?
roaming the hills and woods with a band of boys, in close to absolute freedom, as only a child can find in this world.
🙂
I guess so.
Another prototype.
With the arch in the background; that would be Pruitt-Igoe, I reckon. Gosh, why would they knock it down?
Yep. It took vandalism and neglect less than 25 years to render the buildings uninhabitable.
Incredibly, the same architect designed the World Trade Center. A hideous complex that I’d rather see than what has replaced it.
I always though the WTC complex was an aesthetic blight on downtown. Of course I didn’t want it removed the way that it was.
It was an impeccable example of soul-destroying sixties planning. And with the same bullshit excuse of “slum removal”.
What Sensei says.
Re homeless: We have this. I think it’s a neat project, but I don’t know how they vet people who won’t trash the houses and really just need a hand.
Their first cut, for what it’s worth, seems to be that it is for veterans.
I’ve always thought shipping container housing would be a good solution for those capable of being housed.
Yes, some cities do container homes. I think they’re marvelous.
My brother AirBnB’d a half-container home in someone’s back yard. It was very cute and cozy.
Is there a “must not have children” clause?… that is the main reason that general lower income housing cannot be allowed into the district. I see that tiny houses make that harder, but not impossible.
We have had “tiny home” communities for a while, they were called trailer parks, there seems to be some sort of bias against them. Is 1 room only the way?
I must be an anarchist. I dont want to live anywhere I have to obey or have other people up my ass all of the time.
Ideally I dont want to see other people, their houses or hear traffic. I want to shoot my guns in my yard, garden in my underwear and whatnot.
I want total privacy and do as I please without some shitbird complaining.
If the homeless could do that, they’d do that. I mean, they’re homeless for a reason. Obeying rules in exchange for a roof is the most some people can manage.
I will give an example.
In 2001, I hit bottom emotionally. My mood was fairly stable because I was low-carbing, but it was a really wrecked mood. I couldn’t make decisions. I didn’t know where I was going. I just kind of checked out of life. I got a temp job doing data entry. It was mindless. It was boring. I was in a pool of another 50 people doing the same thing. I remember that job as one of the best ones I have ever had because it allowed me to zone out and get better while taking care of rent and lights. I gradually got better, but at that moment in time, I just really needed to be herded because I didn’t have the energy or bandwidth to think for myself.
You bastard!
*shakes fist at sky*
enough cold days that I take the AC out of the windows and now we get 80 degree weather.
At least it’s a dry heat.
Thank heavens we only have one more day of it.
I’m with you – I pulled all the screens for the winter last week.
Uh, why?
1. Nicer to look through.
2. Growing up at the seashore you won’t get more than about 5 years out of them if you don’t bring them out of the weather. Something about the wind, salt air and UV just wrecks nylon screens.
Primarily #1
If the windows are going to be closed anyway I’d just not have a screen collecting dust, snow, etc. in the way.
It’s only 10 windows & I give them a good washing at the time.
An OT for Ron and some others.
Paul Di’Anno obituary
Lead singer with the heavy metal band Iron Maiden in the 70s
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/oct/22/paul-di-anno-obituary
I love all of this. Thanks for the history and ‘inside’ Dark Side info. My maternal grandfather’s family was solid Polish; he’s the first born in the US. My maternal grandmother’s was Greek+ Czech. Hints(?) of Ukrainian sprinkled it.
(Dad’s side has been in Virginia since the late 1600s. Fun mix, though my Dad’s side was (my life and the past) far shadier, as far as I know… )
Solid. Strongly approve of the humor, science, ‘friendly’ put-down, and natch: of your Romanian tales and history. (Also the ‘sticking to your story,’ as we ain’t cops/lawyers (on the clock?…).
“But they kept their lives and their bodily integrity, and moved in with my great grandmother in an old cob house.” Predictably bittersweet knowing that was a massive blessing, all things considering. Reading further, the bite becomes far more harshly acidic.
Then the ending refreshes. It’s remarkable how quickly humans rebuild. Japan after WWII and by 1985, Marty McFly reveals to Doc Brown “all the best stuff’s made in Japan.”
First Diddy testimony clip.
https://x.com/censoreddottv/status/1848796144706482262
Could have gone with Chappelle doing R Kelley trial…..
“I would say….. is there a video tape?”
I always though the WTC complex was an aesthetic blight on downtown.
It was an eyesore.
This one is just for the married people:
Last night
Wife: (from across the room) I’m not getting calls. What is wrong with my phone.
Me: (having played this game) *dials her phone. No reaction. * “Is it in Do not disturb?”
Wife: No.
Me: Airplane mode? Does anything pop up?
Wife: no and no.
Me: OK, let me take a look at it.
Wife: not now, I’m doing something.
The next day around 3pm
Wife calls: I’m not getting any calls. Can you call me back?
Me: calls back. No answer
Me: texts – didn’t work
Her: calls back. Mad. I hate this phone. I’m not getting any calls. It doesn’t work
Me: when you get home, I’m sure we can figure it out.
Wife: hangs up.
Wife: calls 30 seconds later. Call me back.
Me: OK
Wife answers: it worked! The do not disturb was on.
Me: good job! I’m glad you figured it out. Love you honey…..
“I hate this phone. I’m not getting any calls.”
These words will never pass my mouth.
Women want to discuss problems. Men want to solve them with minimal discussion.
We are just wired differently.
At least I finally achieved inner peace about the whole thing.
It’s not about the nail!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4EDhdAHrOg
OK, that is a 10
It’s not about the nail!
I was just thinking about that one yesterday!
An all-time great.
Although that YT video gives away the joke with the initial image
I do as much problem-solving as I can before I get my husband involved. He always starts with the simplest things and I get mad because YES I DID THAT, but he always says, “I don’t know what you’ve done.”
Anyway, he hasn’t been able to figure out the wacko problems I have (or gotten myself into) after I’ve done all the trouble-shooting I can. Thing is, I don’t know how to explain my problem, so I have to have him come and watch me demonstrate my problem so he can distill how to google it.
But also, yes, we like to vent. We are solving our own problems out loud. I either warn my husband up front that I am venting or he asks me before I get too far in.
I don’t ever have that experience because my wife being even more of a technophobe than I almost never has her cell phone on.
I, on the other hand, do, so I am the one who ends up with these sort of outages!
It’s not about the nail!
That was… outstanding fantastic awesome.
Concur.
I will never understand why fixing the problem isn’t the top priority. But, and it took decades, I learned that it is not.
Sometimes a divorce will solve things. Gotta get rid of the nail!
“Free at last, free..”
CCDH held a private conference w/ a slew of liberal groups organizing against Musk including Biden White House, Congressman Adam Schiff’s office, Biden/Harris State Department officials, Canadian MP Peter Julian & Media Matters for America
https://x.com/thackerpd/status/1848755455725535430?s=19
US government conspiring with foreign politicians against a US company for the purpose of suppressing freedom of speech
You wanted names…. this names US government officials and NGO members
They’re fucking scum but we all knew this was happening, not the specifics but we knew. Seems like a conspiracy to deprive Americans of their constitutional rights using foreign and NGO proxies.
Whatever we think they’re up to, in reality, it’s far worse than we can conceive.
Great post!
Nice early model Dragula.
https://redstate.com/terichristoph/2024/10/22/its-happening-trump-podcast-n2180914
While I think generally positive there is a non-zero chance he fucks it up
Yes, it’s not a slam-dunk.
And a new piece by Animal in the sidebar (subscription only though).
I had two jokes for this.
A: I thought you were a closetted Romanian.
But that clashes strongly with
B: Romanians, like Vegans, are strongly opposed to letting you risk forgetting that fact.
“Overall, they were prosperous people and by the 1940s they had one of the largest houses in the village, the first radio and overall the nicer things in life, relatively speaking.”
They sound like real wreckers and kulaks.