29: Sliding Into 2025
Plus a public talk! Y2K! Invading Americans! And more...
Brooklyn Eagle, January 2, 1925.
Given the weirdness of 2025 so far, a little stability and confidence would be nice, even if in the end that didn’t work for the world in the late 1920s.
So how are you doing?
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A new year brings with it time to reflect on life and make changes. In my case, this has meant recovering from holiday season illnesses and panics and reassessing certain things. So far, this has involved exploring my online presence. Since 2025 began, I have cancelled several newspaper subscriptions I was using mainly for archival purposes/had extremely good deals on but now don’t feel inclined to support (Washington Post, Times of London). After maintaining it solely as an online archive, I have deleted my Twitter account to avoid supporting anything Elon Musk has his Dr. Strangelovian hands in. My Meta use is next-to-nonexistent, so don’t expect anything if you insist on following my FB or IG accounts.
What I want to focus on this year is pushing away the noise I don’t need to hear in my life, taking in the news cycle when something important happens. Try to fight the good fights in my own way without feeling the need to wear the weight of the world as I often have in the past. Mute the eternal doomsayers who aren’t adding anything constructive to the necessary conversations. Focus on rediscovering the things that bring joy to my life. Reconnect with other humans in real life.
A friend noted a recent piece by Ann Helen Peterson about the shifting state of social media. This passage near the end resonated with me:
“I’ve spent the last year oscillating between anger and disenchantment, hope and disillusionment. I want to break everything but also mend it. At times I want to hibernate, to turn inward, to fortify what’s mine — but also understand how vulnerable that will make me to all the challenges to come. How do we relearn how to talk to one another? To live with each other? To think and act with creativity and intention? How do we lead the lives we actually want to live, marked by care and passion?”
How is the question I want to find an answer to in 2025. And, hopefully, so do you.
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Best wishes to everyone in Altadena and the other areas around Los Angeles affected by the fires. Altadena was my base of operations during my last trip to LA (during which a little thing called COVID made its way to California), and I was hoping to return in the next year or two, having enjoyed it so much. In a future edition, once the situation has settled down, I’ll write about my experiences and feelings about Los Angeles - a place I expected to hate when I first visited 15 years ago and instantly fell in love with.
Public Speaking Department
Goblin, November 1924.
This Tuesday (January 28), I will be giving a talk to the Riverdale Historical Society on three forgotten Toronto newspapers: the Mail/Mail and Empire, the News, and the World. The talk takes place at 7 pm on the third floor of the Ralph Thornton Centre (765 Queen Street East) and costs $5 at the door. Hope to see some of you there!
What’s New?
Two pieces over on Toronto Today. First up, a look at how Toronto handled the hysteria over Y2K and how the city partied hard when the year 2000 finally arrived.
Bird's-eye view looking northeast from approximately the foot of Parkside Drive showing the arrival of the American fleet prior to the capture of York. Painted by Owen Staples circa 1914, Toronto Public Library.
In the wake of some Americans musing about annexing Canada, I take a look at that time American troops landed in Toronto during the War of 1812: the Battle of York.
Curio Collection
A few odds and ends from the 1970s found during recent research sessions and sidetrips through newspaper and magazine archives…
Financial Post Magazine, March 28, 1970.
Having driven by, but never stayed in, many Rodeway Inns, one suspects that the only time a scene like this ever occured at any of their locations was during the shooting of an amateur, extremely low budget 70s soft-core porn movie.
Financial Post Magazine, March 28, 1970.
Meanwhile, rival hotelier Ramada went with a 19th century-styled mascot (“Uncle Ben”) during this era to help build a family-friendly environment.
Impetus, May 1974.
From the mid-1970s incarnation of the Financial Post’s monthly magazine insert, a guide to creating a better business card, which comes in handy as I redesign mine.
Editor and Publisher, January 29, 1977.
One of a series of ads Mobil created in the late 1970s which complained that the problem with the media was that they didn’t agree with Mobil’s worldview. I wonder what Cronkite made of his address being twisted to support Mobil’s whining that they were being treated badly. I’ve got piles of these that were targeted to journalism publications, hoping to sway to somebody’s opinion.
Hire Me
Seeking a writer/researcher/editor for your latest project? I am always taking on new work, and currently have room to take on new ongoing clients. Beyond my historical niche, which often leads in surprising directions, I am interested in working on general projects in the corporate, educational, and non-profit sectors where clear communication and solid facts are required. Feel free to check out my portfolio.
Privately message me at jamiebradburnwriting[AT]gmail[DOT]com if I can assist you.
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And that wraps up this edition. See you next time!