Dec 3 2020 - Organized Crime

 

How did 'organized crime' get its name?  This has a sense of being MBA-talk of the 20th century.  Is it?  This sense of groups of criminals - such as pirates - has been with us a long time.  "Barbarian conquerors, whether Vandals, Goths, the Norse, Turks or Mongols are not normally thought of as organized crime groups, yet they share many features associated with thriving criminal organizations. They were for the most part non-ideological, predominantly ethnically based, used violence and intimidation, and adhered to their own codes of law." So what I think distinguishes this expression is the sense of organization structure and functioning. The website ResearchGate has the answer from Klaus von Lampers in his paper:  Not a Process of Enlightenment: The Conceptual History of Organized Crime in Germany and the United States of America von Lampers says that the content and meaning of the term "organized crime" has undergone various changes since it was first coined in Chicago in 1919 and entered the criminal policy debate in Germany in the 1960s. He relays the historical origins of the expression. "The term organized crime first came into regular use among the members of the Chicago Crime Commission, a civic organization that was created in 1919 by businessmen, bankers and lawyers to promote changes in the criminal justice system in order to better cope with the crime problem. In the pronouncements of the Chicago Crime Commission, organized crime referred not to criminal organizations but in a much broader sense to the orderly fashion in which the so-called criminal class of an estimated 10,000 professional criminals in Chicago allegedly could pursue crime as a business. The discussion centred on the conditions that seemingly allowed criminals to gain a steady income from crime, in particular property crimes, under virtual immunity from the law.  In the eyes of the Crime Commission, the city authorities were to blame for incompetency, inefficiency and corruption, while the public was criticized for its indifference and even open sympathy towards criminals. This characterization of organized crime as an integral part of society apparently reflected the perception of Chicago by the old established Protestant middle class as a city that, after years of rapid growth and cultural change, seemed to be drowning in crime, corruption and moral decay." Here's his summary of the evolution of this term in the U.S. history:  "In essence, over the last 80 years the American perception of organized crime has evolved from an integral facet of big city life to an assortment of global criminal players who challenge even the most powerful countries. In other words, the original systemic view of the relation between organized crime and society has been replaced by a dichotomic view that in recent years has been carried to extremes with the concept of global mafias." And how do we conclude? With an organized crime joke! Barry's job was to write articles for a massive online news site run by the mafia.  He absolutely hated his job, but he had to stay because they would kill his family if he left. He had to write articles about the mafia’s crimes, and because the company had all the lawmakers bribed, they were untouchable even though they openly admitted to their crimes. The editor-in-chief walked over to his desk one day, and leaned on the side of his cubicle. He said, “Barry, we’ve got the senator’s daughter held hostage. Thing is, we can’t do our usual schtick and demand money because we think the feds are onto us. Gimme something good for the headline and we’ll let you off early.” So Barry, knowing exactly what was at stake, wrote the standard ransom article asking for fifty million dollars, but this time he changed the title:  “Senator’s daughter to be released safely only upon reception of $50 million in precious metals’. Barry felt very proud of himself, and sure enough a week later the ransom had been paid and the company was rich. The editor-in-chief came back to his desk. “Great job, Barry! It worked! Why don’t you take the rest of the day off, after you change the title so the feds can’t hold it against us?” Barry agreed, and within five minutes the article title read: “Edit: Thanks for Gold!” I am thinking that Dilbert would appreciate this joke, wouldn't he? Here's something from the garden  after the snow.

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June 10 - Hiving Off

What about the expression hive off? It must come from hive as in a bee hive.  You can see it visually - taking a chunk of a bee hive. The definition gives no reference to a bee hive:  "to transfer or be transferred from a larger group or unit, to transfer profitable activities o or unit." When we think of it, there are many expressions that are directly inspired by bees. Some are still in use while others seem to have become dated. the birds and the bees Lessons about sex, such as are typically taught to children or young adults.  put the bee on (someone) To ask or pressure someone for a loan or donation of money. Primarily heard in US. Jane's good-for-nothing brother always comes around our place every couple of weeks to put the bee on us for a few bucks.The alumni association of my old university puts the bee on me once or twice a year looking for a donation queen bee  A woman who has authority or is in a dominant or favored position over her peers. An allusion to the (typically) lone egg-laying female of a bee colony. Martha fancies herself a queen bee after her promotion, but she's only an assistant supervisor. You'll have to ask the queen bee before you put through any more orders on the company card. be (as) busy as a bee  To be very busy. I'm currently choreographing three plays, so I'm as busy as a bee. Can we meet next week instead? I'm busy as a bee right now. a bee in (one's) bonnet  An obsession, often with something that is strange or  asource of agitation. Ever since the blizzard last year, dad has had a bee in his bonnet about moving to a warmer climate. It seems that Mike still has a bee in his bonnet over thec riticism he got in the staff meeting. the bee's knees  Dated slang. Something or someone highly enjoyable, desirable, or impressive, especially in a fancy or elaborate way. Tom's new Cadillac is really the bee's knees! Boy, that singer last night was the bee's knees, wasn't she? Today's picture is an unusual orchid in the Longwood Garden orchid house.

When the Sun Flows In

Hi everyone,

This is the Meconopsis poppy.  It was named for its poppy-like appearance - mekon - poppy, and opsis - alike.  What an interesting history it has in terms of discovery - this from Wikipedia:

Meconopsis grandis, known as the blue poppy, is the national flower of Bhutan. In the late spring of 1922, a British Himalayan expedition, led by legendary mountaineer George Leigh Mallory, discovered the plant on their failed attempt to reach the summit of the then-unconquered Mount Everest. The flowers were introduced to much excitement at the Royal Horticultural Society's spring show of 1926. However, since they are difficult to grow, the species has become fabled over the decades. 

This reputation remains today.  This is a plant that needs cool and moist summers, so the Jardin de Metis (Redford Gardens) in Quebec has a well-renowned planting.  Here's a link to the site:

http://www.refordgardens.com/english/gardens/gardens-blue-poppy-glade.php

These pot-plants at Longwood were much admired last year.