Gary Price

We visited friends in Chicago over the weekend.  On Friday, we took Chicago Architecture Center's expertly guided boat tour on the Chicago River.  I took this photo of 311 South Wacker Drive, which competes for attention with its much taller neighbor to the left—the former Sears Tower (now the Willis Tower).

311 South Wacker Drive is a 65-story postmodern skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois, 961 feet tall.  Its "Queen of the City" crown is formed by a 105-feet-tall translucent central cylinder surrounded by four smaller cylinders, illuminated from within by approximately 1,900 color-changing, tubular fluorescent lamps.

When completed in 1990, it was the tallest reinforced concrete building in the world.  Its height was achieved partly by innovations in concrete but also by its bundling of a ring of hexagonal towers, which, like an ancient Etruscan fasces made of bundled wooden rods, gained collective stiffness to withstand the Windy City's winds.

Our Chicago friends were unfamiliar with that ancient, pre-Roman bundling of individual rods.  I composed an explanation, which I will include in my next post.

Gary Price

In Latin,"fascis" means "bundle."  A bound-together bundle of wooden rods—synergistically stronger than the sum of individual rods' strengths—is a "fascio littorio."

Weaponized in the Etruscan culture (from which ancient Rome emerged) by enclosing the handle of a protruding axe, the "fasces" initially symbolized a king's power to punish his subjects.  To that meaning was later added a magistrate's power and jurisdiction.  From ancient Rome to the present, the fasces has symbolized magisterial power, law, and governance.

Adolph Weinman's 1916 design for the back of the U.S. Mercury-head (Winged Liberty) dime combined a fasces, signifying unity and strength, and an olive branch, signifying peace.  Mussolini named Italy's National Fascist Party after the fasces, giving rise to the term fascism.  Not surprisingly, the fasces-containing Mercury-head dime was supplanted at the end of WW2.

Dick Storey

(re:Post 9119))

Hello Fred,

A parallel corps supplies us with two or three similar alarm strategies; very reliable barking & biting units that normally only require only food, water and love that is happily appropriated.

One can do this living on a small farm in the countryside.

If only we had a similarly effective answer for the wildfires and politicians.

Cheryl Corazzi (Essex)

Gary, your informative text on the Chicago skyscrapers was very enlightening. Thanks for the architectural lesson. 

Gary Price

(re: post #9144)

I'm glad that it didn't put you to sleep, Cheryl!  Dick may not remember, but he once nicknamed me "the walking encyclopedia."  Others prefer the initials "TMI" (too much information).

Fred Miller

Curious if if anybody else is having this problem.  I am not able to see any posts by anybody in any section of the site beyond 8-12-26.  

I know members are posting because I am getting the email notifications,  but the posts are not showing up.

I have deleted and reinstalled the site.  I have also opened the site on two other devices, but  still was not able to get anything posted after 8-12-26.  Also wondering if you can see my post here.

Any help is appreciated,

Fred

Bob Richardson

Fred-

I can see your post, but never could find Bill's post about twins. So, something weird is going on!

Fred Miller

Bob,

Thanks for responding.  A question, have you seen any other members posting since 8-12-26?   Based on the email notifications I have received, there should have been about 10 - 12 posts.

And strangely, when you posted this morning, I did not get an email notifying me of the post.  

Something weird is definitely going on.  So far, you are the only one to respond, still waiting to see if anybody else responds.

Fred

Nova Guynes

Has anyone heard of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act.

If you have any listed cancers and lived in New Mexico for one year between 1944 & 1964, you are eligible for $100,000 tax free.

RECA was reauthorized under Trumps One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Pub. L. 119-21, enacted on July 4, 2025.

It sounds like it is worth looking into if you have had any of the listed Cancers.  My brothers had AML Cancer and will be applying for it. 

Civil Division | Radiation Exposure Compensation Act  This is the link for more information.

W Leggett

WHITSANDS PROVING GROUNDS. AND ALBQ NEWMEXICO IS THE ONLY AREA. THAT I KNOW OF  ABOUT. THEIR IS A BOOK OUT ABOUT ALBUQ, I READ ABOUT.

Nova Guynes

From what I read it was changed to anyone living in New Mexico for at least one year between 1945 and 1962.  They do have to have had of the medical conditions listed.  If the person has died their next of kin can apply for the benifits.  

Leukemia

• Any leukemia, except chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) Health Resources and Services Administration
• Must meet onset timing requirements depending on exposure category moenvironment.org

Lymphatic & Blood Cancers

• Multiple myeloma
• Lymphomas (other than Hodgkin’s disease) Health Resources and Services Administration

Primary Cancers of Specific Organs

• Pharynx
• Small intestine
• Brain
• Stomach
• Urinary bladder
• Colon
• Thyroid
• Pancreas
• Breast (male or female)
• Esophagus
• Bile ducts
• Liver (except when cirrhosis or Hepatitis B is present)
• Gall bladder
• Lung
• Ovary
• Kidney (renal cancer)
• Salivary gland (listed in some RECA fact sheets) moenvironment.org

Additional Cancers for Uranium Workers

Uranium mill and mine workers have additional covered conditions:

• Primary lung cancer
• Renal cancer
• Chronic renal disease (including nephritis and kidney tubal tissue injury) Health Resources and Services Administration

Notes on Eligibility

• Cancers must be primary, not metastatic.
• Onset timing requirements apply (e.g., at least 2 years after exposure for many cancers).
• Documentation must be original or certified medical records. Health Resources and Services Administration

This list reflects the cancers recognized by RECA for compensation based on radiation exposure.

John Radzinski

You are correct Nova. I checked this out in July and I was getting excited about the possibilities until I got to the accepted cancers. Mine did not qualify. (Prostate) Oh well haha. Orginally, I didn't know anything about it until my sons wife read it to me. Well, I hope everyone of our classmats are doing okay. Stay safe. JOHN                                                                                                         

Nova Guynes

John, I’m sorry to hear about your cancer, and I wish RECA could have helped you. I heard about it from my brother and wanted to spread the word. He is applying now, and it appears it may help him.

John Radzinski

Thanks Nova and I hope your brother is successful with his application. I guess in the long run, we all as seniors don't hopefully qualify for any new cancers. Take care everyone. JOHN

Gary Price

This rafter of 16 turkeys has chosen our trees for tonight's roost.  We hope none chose the tree that overhangs our driveway.  Each roosting turkey releases abundant droppings during a night.

Randy Richardson (Richardson)

Thanks Gary, good to see them befor Thanksgiving.....

Gary Price

Randy, culinary interest in our city-protected wild turkeys annually increases as Thanksgiving Day approaches!  🦃

This reminds me of my mother-in-law's interest in the ducks that waddled near our first house in Madison, which we bought in 1976 after moving from Palo Alto.  That house was half a block away from one of Madison's lakes.

Randy Richardson (Richardson)

Good move Gary. Its always cool to see some more conservation to our nearly national bird. Buuut, I still want one for Thanksgiving.

Nelson Evans

My brother Gary just sent this to me.
What a shock!

RIP Dick Story..

https://affordable-fcs.com/obituaries/richard-storey

Fred Miller

Sad to hear about Dick.  He will be missed.  Seems to be happening all too often these days...

Cheryl Corazzi (Essex)

You are so right Fred. I was completely unaware of any health issues that Dick had. He was so active on this site. He will definitely be missed. My condolences go out to his family. 

Nova Guynes

I am so sorry to hear that Dick Story has left us for a better place.

I have enjoyed his post over the years and texting back and forth on the things we agreed on and disagreed on.

He was a great guy and will be missed. 

Bob Lewis

I am deeply saddened to hear about Dick. He was a champion in life and will remain a champion in the afterlife. Our prayers are with the family, and blessings to all he touched.

Clark Walter

So sorry to hear of Dick's passing.  He had a tremendous life.

Randy Richardson (Richardson)

Many of us in the service brats group will miss Dick. We all had the growing up experiences of most High schoolers together and he was one of our participants. Bill, Tom, Jerry  and I had a lot of good times then, God Bless.