Steven Harper's Blog, page 12
March 4, 2024
Math Is Hard
Okay math peeps! This one's for you.
Darwin and I were looking at the 5-serving pizza again. I cut it into six pieces and Darwin ate two of them, or 1/3 of the pizza. Since Darwin has to keep track of carbs, we checked the label. If 1/5 of the pizza has 28 grams of carbs, how many grams are in 1/3 of it?
We couldn't figure it out in our heads and, just for fun, I decided to run it through Chat GPT. How did it go? Check below.
Meanwhile, the actual answer is to multiply the carbs in 1/5 of the pizza by 5, which is 140. This gives you the carbs in the whole pizza. Divide that by 3, since Darwin ate 1/3 or it, and you get 46.66.
GPT went a different route:
YOU: If 1/5 of a pizza has 28 grams of carbohydrates, how many grams of carbohydrates would be in 1/3 of the pizza?
CHAT GPT: Given:1/5 of the pizza = 28 grams of carbohydrates, We need to find the grams of carbohydrates in 1/3 of the pizza. Let x be the number of grams of carbohydrates in 1/3 of the pizza. We can set up the proportion:(1/5) / (1/3) = 28 / xTo solve for x, we can cross multiply:(1/5) * (3/1) = 28 * (1/3)(3/5) = 28/3Now, let's solve for x:x = (28/3) * (5/3)x = 140/9So, 1/3 of the pizza would have 140/9 grams of carbohydrates. This is approximately 15.56 grams when rounded to two decimal places.
YOU: But how could 1/3 of the pizza have 15.56 grams of carbohydrates if 1/5 of the pizza has 28?
CHAT GPT: You're correct. My apologies for the oversight. Let's correct the calculation.If 1/5 of the pizza has 28 grams of carbohydrates, we need to find how many grams of carbohydrates are in 1/3 of the pizza. Let's set up the proportion:1/5 of the pizza=28 grams of carbohydrates1/3 of the pizza=? grams of carbohydratesUsing a proportion:1/5 : 1/3 = 28 : XCross multiplying:1 x 3 = 5 x X3 = 5xSolving for X:x = 3/5 x 1/5x = 3/5 x 1/5 = 3/25So 1/3 of the pizza would have 3/25 of 28 grams of carbohydrates.Now let's calculate this:x = 3/25 x 28x = 84/25x = 3.36So 1/3 of the pizza would have approximately 3.36 grams of carbohydrates.
comments
Darwin and I were looking at the 5-serving pizza again. I cut it into six pieces and Darwin ate two of them, or 1/3 of the pizza. Since Darwin has to keep track of carbs, we checked the label. If 1/5 of the pizza has 28 grams of carbs, how many grams are in 1/3 of it?
We couldn't figure it out in our heads and, just for fun, I decided to run it through Chat GPT. How did it go? Check below.
Meanwhile, the actual answer is to multiply the carbs in 1/5 of the pizza by 5, which is 140. This gives you the carbs in the whole pizza. Divide that by 3, since Darwin ate 1/3 or it, and you get 46.66.
GPT went a different route:
YOU: If 1/5 of a pizza has 28 grams of carbohydrates, how many grams of carbohydrates would be in 1/3 of the pizza?
CHAT GPT: Given:1/5 of the pizza = 28 grams of carbohydrates, We need to find the grams of carbohydrates in 1/3 of the pizza. Let x be the number of grams of carbohydrates in 1/3 of the pizza. We can set up the proportion:(1/5) / (1/3) = 28 / xTo solve for x, we can cross multiply:(1/5) * (3/1) = 28 * (1/3)(3/5) = 28/3Now, let's solve for x:x = (28/3) * (5/3)x = 140/9So, 1/3 of the pizza would have 140/9 grams of carbohydrates. This is approximately 15.56 grams when rounded to two decimal places.
YOU: But how could 1/3 of the pizza have 15.56 grams of carbohydrates if 1/5 of the pizza has 28?
CHAT GPT: You're correct. My apologies for the oversight. Let's correct the calculation.If 1/5 of the pizza has 28 grams of carbohydrates, we need to find how many grams of carbohydrates are in 1/3 of the pizza. Let's set up the proportion:1/5 of the pizza=28 grams of carbohydrates1/3 of the pizza=? grams of carbohydratesUsing a proportion:1/5 : 1/3 = 28 : XCross multiplying:1 x 3 = 5 x X3 = 5xSolving for X:x = 3/5 x 1/5x = 3/5 x 1/5 = 3/25So 1/3 of the pizza would have 3/25 of 28 grams of carbohydrates.Now let's calculate this:x = 3/25 x 28x = 84/25x = 3.36So 1/3 of the pizza would have approximately 3.36 grams of carbohydrates.
comments
March 3, 2024
Auto Homophobia
A couple days ago, I came across a small business owner who does car detailing, and he works weekends (which is great, since I kind of need my car during the week). I messaged him and got a little more information and then he asked if I did want my car detailed. I said I did, and my husband would, too.
Silence.
It's been four days, and still no further response.
I can only conclude that he doesn't want to take gay money. What a dumbass.
comments
Silence.
It's been four days, and still no further response.
I can only conclude that he doesn't want to take gay money. What a dumbass.
comments
February 28, 2024
Wendy's Double-Talk
Wendy's is going to experiment with having an AI change the prices of their food items from moment to moment, depending on demand, weather, and other circumstances:
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2024/02/wendys-plans-ai-powered-menu-to-change-food-prices-based-on-demand-weather/
"Beginning as early as 2025, we will begin testing a variety of enhanced features on these digital menu boards like dynamic pricing, different offerings in certain parts of the day, AI-enabled menu changes and suggestive selling based on factors such as weather," they said. "Dynamic pricing can allow Wendy's to be competitive and flexible with pricing, motivate customers to visit and provide them with the food they love at a great value. We will test a number of features that we think will provide an enhanced customer and crew experience."
Basically what's going to happen is, prices will go up during high-volume times like lunch rush, and the AI will do its best to persuade you to add a frosty to your order on hot days, or coffee on cold ones. They'll also fire the cashier who takes your order, since an AI will do the job.
Also note the corporate nonsense-speak. Changing your prices hour by hour or even minute by minute does not "enhance" customer experience for the customer, though it enhances it for the company in that it makes them more money.
And "Dynamic pricing ... can motivate customers to visit and provide them with the food they love at a great value." AI pricing won't "motivate" customers to visit Wendy's. ("Hey! Wendy's uses AI to change their prices. Let's eat there today!" said no one ever.) And "dynamic pricing" is deliberate sales speak. "Dynamic pricing" sounds better than "changing prices." Or "price gouging."
They gush about it and make it sound like the customers will somehow benefit from something that's designed solely to make more money for the company. You'll notice that nowhere in the article does it say that Wendy's will adjust prices LOWER than normal during slow times, for example.
This will cause problems for customers, especially regulars who buy certain foods and know the price already. They'll instantly spot the price gouge during busy times and note that it went back down to normal during lull times. And they won't be happy about it.
I'm interested in seeing if the public puts up with this.
comments
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2024/02/wendys-plans-ai-powered-menu-to-change-food-prices-based-on-demand-weather/
"Beginning as early as 2025, we will begin testing a variety of enhanced features on these digital menu boards like dynamic pricing, different offerings in certain parts of the day, AI-enabled menu changes and suggestive selling based on factors such as weather," they said. "Dynamic pricing can allow Wendy's to be competitive and flexible with pricing, motivate customers to visit and provide them with the food they love at a great value. We will test a number of features that we think will provide an enhanced customer and crew experience."
Basically what's going to happen is, prices will go up during high-volume times like lunch rush, and the AI will do its best to persuade you to add a frosty to your order on hot days, or coffee on cold ones. They'll also fire the cashier who takes your order, since an AI will do the job.
Also note the corporate nonsense-speak. Changing your prices hour by hour or even minute by minute does not "enhance" customer experience for the customer, though it enhances it for the company in that it makes them more money.
And "Dynamic pricing ... can motivate customers to visit and provide them with the food they love at a great value." AI pricing won't "motivate" customers to visit Wendy's. ("Hey! Wendy's uses AI to change their prices. Let's eat there today!" said no one ever.) And "dynamic pricing" is deliberate sales speak. "Dynamic pricing" sounds better than "changing prices." Or "price gouging."
They gush about it and make it sound like the customers will somehow benefit from something that's designed solely to make more money for the company. You'll notice that nowhere in the article does it say that Wendy's will adjust prices LOWER than normal during slow times, for example.
This will cause problems for customers, especially regulars who buy certain foods and know the price already. They'll instantly spot the price gouge during busy times and note that it went back down to normal during lull times. And they won't be happy about it.
I'm interested in seeing if the public puts up with this.
comments
February 25, 2024
War
If you're following the war in Ukraine, you need to see this:
https://twitter.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/1761130119173988755
"Hellish conditions on the front line in Ukraine have reportedly led to an upsurge in extrajudicial punishments in the Russian army, with soldiers being hanged from or tied to trees for days, forced to rape each other, or thrown naked into open pits in freezing temperatures. "
The Russian army is eating its own. It's beyond horror.
comments
https://twitter.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/1761130119173988755
"Hellish conditions on the front line in Ukraine have reportedly led to an upsurge in extrajudicial punishments in the Russian army, with soldiers being hanged from or tied to trees for days, forced to rape each other, or thrown naked into open pits in freezing temperatures. "
The Russian army is eating its own. It's beyond horror.
comments
February 21, 2024
Puerto Rico, Baby!
I really wanted to Get Out of Michigan for mid-winter break (when the winter blahs really set in), and I investigated Puerto Rico as a possibility. There are many advantages! Since PR is a US territory, it means American citizens don't need passports, custom stops, foreign cell phone plans, or any of the other annoyances that go with travel to a different country. And it's warm! I found a short-term rental in the party district of San Juan, and off Darwin and I went!
So far we've been loving it. The weather has been in the mid-80s in the day and the low 70s at night. We're on the ocean, and get the lovely ocean breezes. We get to wear shorts and t-shirts and sun hats. In February. Incredible!
One thing that's caught my notice is that the sun sets about about 6:30 PM every day. In Michigan, that means it's winter and COLD outside. But down in PR, it's summery. So we have early darkness but warm weather, and I =love= warm summer nights. It's heaven!
We've explored large chunks of San Juan, including El Morro, the fort Spain built after the Dutch almost took the island away from Spain in 1625. Over the next 100 or so years, the fort was expanded and redone until it became a huge stone edifice with a labyrinth of levels and corridors and lookout posts and cannon platforms. So many cannon platforms. And a deep dry moat that would be instant death to any invading soldier that went into it. Nowadays it's a big tourist attraction and World Heritage Site. The land it sits on juts out into the ocean, and there's a long, long, long road leading up to it that crosses a flat expanse of lawn. This is on purpose--if you wanted to invade the fort by land, you'd be exposing yourself to cannon and gun fire for a good half mile. In the Dutch invasion of 1625, the area was covered in thousands of corpses from the battle. Today, people fly kites on it. I think the modern way is much better.
Darwin and I, as we always do, speculated what life for the average person was like at the fort. We saw drawings of soldiers in many-layered woolen uniforms and boots and hats. They must have been miserable most of the time! The food was awful and you had to pay for it, meaning most soldiers had no money at all. You would think that Spain would want well-fed, well-trained soldiers at this place, since it's the gateway to the Caribbean, but...nope!
We also explored the Old City, dissecting the architecture. We poked our heads into the shamefully-shabby cathedral of San Juan. We checked out many shops and strolled along some remains of the original wall that used to surround the city. Always fun.
Yesterday, we went hiking in the rainforest as part of a tour that also took us to an eye-popping rocky series of pools and waterfalls, one of which has a natural waterslide that, at the end, dumps you several feet into deep, cool water. There's also a high-dive rock (yes, I jumped the 30-odd feet downward), and a good old-fashioned rope that lets you swing out over the pool for a breathtaking plunge into it. All this involves a lot of rock and tree climbing, which I absolutely loved. Acrophobic Darwin was content to watch me from the sidelines.
After that, we squished our way to a kayak tour at sunset. The group of us started on the ocean and paddled into a river lined with mangrove trees. At sunset. It was both eerie and romantic, with the trees creating a low tunnel and the coqui frogs calling and giant fish splashing. We emerged at a bay filled with micro-organisms that flare with bio-luminescence when they're disturbed. Usually this means every kayak is surrounded by a soft blue glow and every dip of the paddle creates a little burst of light, but tonight the little critters weren't having any of it, and they only sparked a little. It was still pretty awesome. The evening kayak ride through the mangroves alone was worth the price.
And we've eaten. Darwin has been uncharacteristically daring and has been trying new foods. Wonderful! At a hole-in-the-wall restaurant by El Morro, we tried Sancocha, a stew of simmered beef that originated at El Morro as a way to make the awful dried meat imported from Spain edible. Now it's a national dish, and it's wonderful. So is Mofongo, a base of plantains and garlic with the consistency of cornbread that you stuff or top with a protein (shrimp, pork, or beef) and a luscious sauce. And arroz masteado ("mason rice"?). And much other deliciousness that is new to both of us.
The kayak tour yesterday was tiring, so today so far we're just hanging out on the balcony, enjoying the warm weather. Who knows what trouble we'll get into later!
comments
So far we've been loving it. The weather has been in the mid-80s in the day and the low 70s at night. We're on the ocean, and get the lovely ocean breezes. We get to wear shorts and t-shirts and sun hats. In February. Incredible!
One thing that's caught my notice is that the sun sets about about 6:30 PM every day. In Michigan, that means it's winter and COLD outside. But down in PR, it's summery. So we have early darkness but warm weather, and I =love= warm summer nights. It's heaven!
We've explored large chunks of San Juan, including El Morro, the fort Spain built after the Dutch almost took the island away from Spain in 1625. Over the next 100 or so years, the fort was expanded and redone until it became a huge stone edifice with a labyrinth of levels and corridors and lookout posts and cannon platforms. So many cannon platforms. And a deep dry moat that would be instant death to any invading soldier that went into it. Nowadays it's a big tourist attraction and World Heritage Site. The land it sits on juts out into the ocean, and there's a long, long, long road leading up to it that crosses a flat expanse of lawn. This is on purpose--if you wanted to invade the fort by land, you'd be exposing yourself to cannon and gun fire for a good half mile. In the Dutch invasion of 1625, the area was covered in thousands of corpses from the battle. Today, people fly kites on it. I think the modern way is much better.
Darwin and I, as we always do, speculated what life for the average person was like at the fort. We saw drawings of soldiers in many-layered woolen uniforms and boots and hats. They must have been miserable most of the time! The food was awful and you had to pay for it, meaning most soldiers had no money at all. You would think that Spain would want well-fed, well-trained soldiers at this place, since it's the gateway to the Caribbean, but...nope!
We also explored the Old City, dissecting the architecture. We poked our heads into the shamefully-shabby cathedral of San Juan. We checked out many shops and strolled along some remains of the original wall that used to surround the city. Always fun.
Yesterday, we went hiking in the rainforest as part of a tour that also took us to an eye-popping rocky series of pools and waterfalls, one of which has a natural waterslide that, at the end, dumps you several feet into deep, cool water. There's also a high-dive rock (yes, I jumped the 30-odd feet downward), and a good old-fashioned rope that lets you swing out over the pool for a breathtaking plunge into it. All this involves a lot of rock and tree climbing, which I absolutely loved. Acrophobic Darwin was content to watch me from the sidelines.
After that, we squished our way to a kayak tour at sunset. The group of us started on the ocean and paddled into a river lined with mangrove trees. At sunset. It was both eerie and romantic, with the trees creating a low tunnel and the coqui frogs calling and giant fish splashing. We emerged at a bay filled with micro-organisms that flare with bio-luminescence when they're disturbed. Usually this means every kayak is surrounded by a soft blue glow and every dip of the paddle creates a little burst of light, but tonight the little critters weren't having any of it, and they only sparked a little. It was still pretty awesome. The evening kayak ride through the mangroves alone was worth the price.
And we've eaten. Darwin has been uncharacteristically daring and has been trying new foods. Wonderful! At a hole-in-the-wall restaurant by El Morro, we tried Sancocha, a stew of simmered beef that originated at El Morro as a way to make the awful dried meat imported from Spain edible. Now it's a national dish, and it's wonderful. So is Mofongo, a base of plantains and garlic with the consistency of cornbread that you stuff or top with a protein (shrimp, pork, or beef) and a luscious sauce. And arroz masteado ("mason rice"?). And much other deliciousness that is new to both of us.
The kayak tour yesterday was tiring, so today so far we're just hanging out on the balcony, enjoying the warm weather. Who knows what trouble we'll get into later!
comments
February 13, 2024
Validated by Margarine
I've been validated by a tub of margarine.
The tub of Country Crock spread I bought was ... awful. It tastes funny and leaves a greasy film in your mouth. And it's almost impossible to spread. It slides off the knife before you can get it to the bread. Was it me? Had my tastes changed? Was there something wrong with my butter knife?
Turns out not. I'm also not alone:
https://consumerist.com/2015/08/25/you-have-ruined-waffles-many-country-crock-customers-up-in-arms-over-spreads-new-recipe/
I tossed the entire tub and bought Blue Bonnet. We're back to normal now, and I've been validated.
comments
The tub of Country Crock spread I bought was ... awful. It tastes funny and leaves a greasy film in your mouth. And it's almost impossible to spread. It slides off the knife before you can get it to the bread. Was it me? Had my tastes changed? Was there something wrong with my butter knife?
Turns out not. I'm also not alone:
https://consumerist.com/2015/08/25/you-have-ruined-waffles-many-country-crock-customers-up-in-arms-over-spreads-new-recipe/
I tossed the entire tub and bought Blue Bonnet. We're back to normal now, and I've been validated.
comments
February 11, 2024
A Fine and Wicked Evening
A few months ago, I bought tickets for Darwin and me to see WICKED at the Detroit Opera House. It turned into A Thing. In a good way.
After some back-and-forth about dinner (before or after the show? where?), we--and by this I mean "I"--settled on the Whitney for supper. The Whitney is a little on the expensive side, but always worth it. It was originally the mansion of David Whitney, the wealthiest man in Michigan and one of the wealthiest men in the country in the late 1800s. The house didn't stay in the Whitney family long, though, and ended up in the hands of various medical societies in Detroit, until it was made into a restaurant in the 1980s.
And you have to dress up to go there.
Curtain was 7:30, so Darwin made reservations for 5:15. We figured this would make arrival tricky--we'd be heading through Detroit during rush hour--so we planned to leave at 4:15. I usually get home from work at 3:30, so I had to zip home in order to have time to shower and dress. We chose our dress clothes, and I decided the unseasonably warm weather didn't require a coat on top of my jacket, but I did grab a white scarf on our way our the door for a jaunty bit of fashionable warmth.
Looking fine, we headed over to the restaurant. Traffic wasn't a problem at all, and we arrived ten minutes early. (!) While the valets whisked our car away, Darwin gave the maître d' his name and added, "I should have used the name Whitney-McClary, since David Whitney was my cousin." (This is true.) The maître d' laughed and said, "Well, then--can I show you to your table early?" This was actually a joke--the restaurant was largely empty at that hour.
The food was wonderful. I started with their lobster bisque--so creamy!-- and moved on to their famous Beef Wellington--so tender!-- while Darwin opted for beef filet. We lingered, partly because we were enjoying the restaurant and each other's company, and partly because we had plenty of time.
We finally left the restaurant about an hour before curtain, which turned out to be perfect timing. The Opera House has its own parking structure, but it does take time to negotiate it when you have several thousand audience members all heading in at the same time! We actually got into the theater half an hour before curtain, which gave us plenty of time to find out seats, just the way we like it.
I've never seen WICKED, but I know the music and story already. Darwin knew nothing about it, and wanted to be surprised, so I only gave him the premise: it's THE WIZARD OF OZ from the point of view of the Wicked Witch of the West.
"Is this going to try to make me like the witch?" he asked. "Because I don't want to!"
And the show began.
It was marvelous fun and we enjoyed it thoroughly. The actors were a delight, and the audience was enthusiastic, which always makes for a grand show.
When it ended, I turned to Darwin. "Do you like the witch now?"
"Dammit, I do," he said.
Getting out of the parking structure didn't take nearly as long as we feared it might. And we got home without incident.
It was a fine evening together!
comments
After some back-and-forth about dinner (before or after the show? where?), we--and by this I mean "I"--settled on the Whitney for supper. The Whitney is a little on the expensive side, but always worth it. It was originally the mansion of David Whitney, the wealthiest man in Michigan and one of the wealthiest men in the country in the late 1800s. The house didn't stay in the Whitney family long, though, and ended up in the hands of various medical societies in Detroit, until it was made into a restaurant in the 1980s.
And you have to dress up to go there.
Curtain was 7:30, so Darwin made reservations for 5:15. We figured this would make arrival tricky--we'd be heading through Detroit during rush hour--so we planned to leave at 4:15. I usually get home from work at 3:30, so I had to zip home in order to have time to shower and dress. We chose our dress clothes, and I decided the unseasonably warm weather didn't require a coat on top of my jacket, but I did grab a white scarf on our way our the door for a jaunty bit of fashionable warmth.
Looking fine, we headed over to the restaurant. Traffic wasn't a problem at all, and we arrived ten minutes early. (!) While the valets whisked our car away, Darwin gave the maître d' his name and added, "I should have used the name Whitney-McClary, since David Whitney was my cousin." (This is true.) The maître d' laughed and said, "Well, then--can I show you to your table early?" This was actually a joke--the restaurant was largely empty at that hour.
The food was wonderful. I started with their lobster bisque--so creamy!-- and moved on to their famous Beef Wellington--so tender!-- while Darwin opted for beef filet. We lingered, partly because we were enjoying the restaurant and each other's company, and partly because we had plenty of time.
We finally left the restaurant about an hour before curtain, which turned out to be perfect timing. The Opera House has its own parking structure, but it does take time to negotiate it when you have several thousand audience members all heading in at the same time! We actually got into the theater half an hour before curtain, which gave us plenty of time to find out seats, just the way we like it.
I've never seen WICKED, but I know the music and story already. Darwin knew nothing about it, and wanted to be surprised, so I only gave him the premise: it's THE WIZARD OF OZ from the point of view of the Wicked Witch of the West.
"Is this going to try to make me like the witch?" he asked. "Because I don't want to!"
And the show began.
It was marvelous fun and we enjoyed it thoroughly. The actors were a delight, and the audience was enthusiastic, which always makes for a grand show.
When it ended, I turned to Darwin. "Do you like the witch now?"
"Dammit, I do," he said.
Getting out of the parking structure didn't take nearly as long as we feared it might. And we got home without incident.
It was a fine evening together!
comments
February 3, 2024
Strange History
I stumbled across this: an interactive, annotated copy of A VEST POCKET GUIDE TO BROTHELS IN 19TH-CENTURY NEW YORK FOR GENTLEMEN ON THE GO:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/documents/a-vest-pocket-guide-to-brothels-in-19th-century-new-york-for-gentlemen-on-the-go
It makes for a fascinating historical read, as well as a the occasional "just how many straight brothels were there in 1800s New York???" comment.
Some highlights from the annotations:
The book states in the introduction that, "we point out the location of these places in order that the reader may know how to avoid them." Cute. "No, officer! I was only in here learning how to avoid being in here!" But apparently there was indeed a running problem with tourists trying to rent a room in what they thought was a hotel, only to get a bit of a surprise.
The census of 1870 listed the occupation of most of the women as "keeping house" or "servant," but a few were listed as working in a "house of prostitution" or "house of assignation."
The houses were officially boarding houses for women. Some of them were technically true boarding houses who let their borders bring men into their rooms, and others were formal brothels with a madam working the parlor and her girls working upstairs.
One of the houses kept a bear in the cellar "but for what reason may be inferred."
One house boasted that it kept a doctor on call.
The book has ads for "Imported Male Safes: A Perfect Shield Against Disease or Conception Made of Both Skin & India Rubber."
The books were sold by a John F. Murray on 57 West Houston Street. There's no record of anyone with that name at that address in New York, and the NY TIMES couldn't find any clues to his real identity, or how he got such an encyclopedic knowledge of the houses.
In 1871, during the trial of a madam who ran a "disorderly house," the judge called on lawmakers to license brothels, "however repugnant to the moral notions of some people such an act of law might be" to make them less of a free-for-all.
The book makes it sound like prostitution in New York was largely genteel, populated by women who were amply rewarded for their work and enjoyed a decently high style of living. The reality, of course, was very, very different. Unwanted pregnancy that ended your "career" and left you without resources to care for your child. STIs in an era before antibiotics. Violence from "customers" that you didn't dare report to the police.
Really, the book encapsulates Victorian attitudes: anything goes as long as it =looks= respectable and you don't talk about the truth.
comments
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/documents/a-vest-pocket-guide-to-brothels-in-19th-century-new-york-for-gentlemen-on-the-go
It makes for a fascinating historical read, as well as a the occasional "just how many straight brothels were there in 1800s New York???" comment.
Some highlights from the annotations:
The book states in the introduction that, "we point out the location of these places in order that the reader may know how to avoid them." Cute. "No, officer! I was only in here learning how to avoid being in here!" But apparently there was indeed a running problem with tourists trying to rent a room in what they thought was a hotel, only to get a bit of a surprise.
The census of 1870 listed the occupation of most of the women as "keeping house" or "servant," but a few were listed as working in a "house of prostitution" or "house of assignation."
The houses were officially boarding houses for women. Some of them were technically true boarding houses who let their borders bring men into their rooms, and others were formal brothels with a madam working the parlor and her girls working upstairs.
One of the houses kept a bear in the cellar "but for what reason may be inferred."
One house boasted that it kept a doctor on call.
The book has ads for "Imported Male Safes: A Perfect Shield Against Disease or Conception Made of Both Skin & India Rubber."
The books were sold by a John F. Murray on 57 West Houston Street. There's no record of anyone with that name at that address in New York, and the NY TIMES couldn't find any clues to his real identity, or how he got such an encyclopedic knowledge of the houses.
In 1871, during the trial of a madam who ran a "disorderly house," the judge called on lawmakers to license brothels, "however repugnant to the moral notions of some people such an act of law might be" to make them less of a free-for-all.
The book makes it sound like prostitution in New York was largely genteel, populated by women who were amply rewarded for their work and enjoyed a decently high style of living. The reality, of course, was very, very different. Unwanted pregnancy that ended your "career" and left you without resources to care for your child. STIs in an era before antibiotics. Violence from "customers" that you didn't dare report to the police.
Really, the book encapsulates Victorian attitudes: anything goes as long as it =looks= respectable and you don't talk about the truth.
comments
stevenpiziks @ 2024-02-03T10:38:00
I stumbled across this: an interactive, annotated copy of A VEST POCKET GUIDE TO BROTHELS IN 19TH-CENTURY NEW YORK FOR GENTLEMEN ON THE GO:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/documents/a-vest-pocket-guide-to-brothels-in-19th-century-new-york-for-gentlemen-on-the-go
It makes for a fascinating historical read, as well as a the occasional "just how many straight brothels were there in 1800s New York???" comment.
Some highlights from the annotations:
The book states in the introduction that, "we point out the location of these places in order that the reader may know how to avoid them." Cute. "No, officer! I was only in here learning how to avoid being in here!" But apparently there was indeed a running problem with tourists trying to rent a room in what they thought was a hotel, only to get a bit of a surprise.
The census of 1870 listed the occupation of most of the women as "keeping house" or "servant," but a few were listed as working in a "house of prostitution" or "house of assignation."
The houses were officially boarding houses for women. Some of them were technically true boarding houses who let their borders bring men into their rooms, and others were formal brothels with a madam working the parlor and her girls working upstairs.
One of the houses kept a bear in the cellar "but for what reason may be inferred."
One house boasted that it kept a doctor on call.
The book has ads for "Imported Male Safes: A Perfect Shield Against Disease or Conception Made of Both Skin & India Rubber."
The books were sold by a John F. Murray on 57 West Houston Street. There's no record of anyone with that name at that address in New York, and the NY TIMES couldn't find any clues to his real identity, or how he got such an encyclopedic knowledge of the houses.
In 1871, during the trial of a madam who ran a "disorderly house," the judge called on lawmakers to license brothels, "however repugnant to the moral notions of some people such an act of law might be" to make them less of a free-for-all.
The book makes it sound like prostitution in New York was largely genteel, populated by women who were amply rewarded for their work and enjoyed a decently high style of living. The reality, of course, was very, very different. Unwanted pregnancy that ended your "career" and left you without resources to care for your child. STIs in an era before antibiotics. Violence from "customers" that you didn't dare report to the police.
Really, the book encapsulates Victorian attitudes: anything goes as long as it =looks= respectable and you don't talk about the truth.
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https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/documents/a-vest-pocket-guide-to-brothels-in-19th-century-new-york-for-gentlemen-on-the-go
It makes for a fascinating historical read, as well as a the occasional "just how many straight brothels were there in 1800s New York???" comment.
Some highlights from the annotations:
The book states in the introduction that, "we point out the location of these places in order that the reader may know how to avoid them." Cute. "No, officer! I was only in here learning how to avoid being in here!" But apparently there was indeed a running problem with tourists trying to rent a room in what they thought was a hotel, only to get a bit of a surprise.
The census of 1870 listed the occupation of most of the women as "keeping house" or "servant," but a few were listed as working in a "house of prostitution" or "house of assignation."
The houses were officially boarding houses for women. Some of them were technically true boarding houses who let their borders bring men into their rooms, and others were formal brothels with a madam working the parlor and her girls working upstairs.
One of the houses kept a bear in the cellar "but for what reason may be inferred."
One house boasted that it kept a doctor on call.
The book has ads for "Imported Male Safes: A Perfect Shield Against Disease or Conception Made of Both Skin & India Rubber."
The books were sold by a John F. Murray on 57 West Houston Street. There's no record of anyone with that name at that address in New York, and the NY TIMES couldn't find any clues to his real identity, or how he got such an encyclopedic knowledge of the houses.
In 1871, during the trial of a madam who ran a "disorderly house," the judge called on lawmakers to license brothels, "however repugnant to the moral notions of some people such an act of law might be" to make them less of a free-for-all.
The book makes it sound like prostitution in New York was largely genteel, populated by women who were amply rewarded for their work and enjoyed a decently high style of living. The reality, of course, was very, very different. Unwanted pregnancy that ended your "career" and left you without resources to care for your child. STIs in an era before antibiotics. Violence from "customers" that you didn't dare report to the police.
Really, the book encapsulates Victorian attitudes: anything goes as long as it =looks= respectable and you don't talk about the truth.
comments
January 23, 2024
What I'm Working On
At the moment, I have two novels out circulating. One is a fantasy set in 12th-century Ukraine. The other is a science fiction novel involving intergalactic conflict and living ships. Ye Agente is marketing both.
In the meantime, I've started work on an MM romance set in Venice, for the simple reason that I just visited Venice and I liked it. The main character is an American expat who lives in Venice, and he's a wishful version of me--I've always been fascinated with the idea of dropping everything over here and moving to a garret apartment in a European city. It's great fun to write!
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In the meantime, I've started work on an MM romance set in Venice, for the simple reason that I just visited Venice and I liked it. The main character is an American expat who lives in Venice, and he's a wishful version of me--I've always been fascinated with the idea of dropping everything over here and moving to a garret apartment in a European city. It's great fun to write!
comments
