Live data from Hacker News

The Society in Dedham for Apprehending Horse Thieves

en.wikipedia.org

21–30 of 33 posts

Re: The Society in Dedham for Apprehending Horse Thieves

#21
post #11

I just wanted to note how good the writing is on the first sign-up list when it was just 13 blokes in a local tavern. > The great number of horses stolen from amongst us and in our vicinity is truly alarming, and calls for the attention of every well-disposed Citizen. It is evident that there has been, and probably will continue, a combination of Villains through the northern states to carry into effect this malignan…

Growing up I got a glimpse into the dying days of the English pub, where it really was a living room where people went in the evenings to be social. Normal everyday people quickly became artists with words. Perhaps that is what we lost when tvs made everyone start staying home and what we may never get back now when everyone at home am just states into their own private screen?

The English pub was a critical “third space”, but modern life (especially car centric infrastructure) has made them go away.

Re: The Society in Dedham for Apprehending Horse Thieves

#23
post #17

Not clear how this Wikipedia article survived deletion, given that while the society seems to actually exist the subject is clearly not notable (memberships are sent without request or consent) and the article is plainly not NPOV and misleading, presumably written as a joke or as a proof-of-concept of an attack on Wikipedia.

You can read the discussion yourself: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletio... The result was "no consensus". That in was 2006, before current policies were well-established, and at this point I think it would be a clear keep.

Re: The Society in Dedham for Apprehending Horse Thieves

#25

so glad it still exists. the point is the continuity itself. pity so few men ride horses anymore, but I can see how that happened, barns are feminine coded spaces now and it'd probably be like getting guys to do zumba. however, places need social fabrics and a way to connect. I live rurally and the closest thing here would be the volunteer firemen groups and masonic lodges in the area. it's important to have a way to…

> barns are feminine coded spaces now

That all depends upon the barn*, now doesn't it? Eg, I don't recall there being many female rough stock riders.

> places need social fabrics and a way to connect

Around here we do that with voluntary associations. De Tocqueville mentions them approvingly in Democracy in America (1835), but for some reason this aspect of culture has swapped over the intervening centuries, and I find there are way more here in my corner of the Continent than in the Old Country.

> a constraint where guys need to be capable of anything outside their jobs

What's even the point of living without an avocation beyond your vocation?

* [I'd say over the last several decades I've only had to (mostly teasingly, and each time in a barn chock full of DQs) request that people please not female bond around me 2 or 3 times. And come to think of it, back when I was still single, having a social spot that had the opposite ratio to the one at work was not exactly a bad thing. Has Jilly Cooper ever written any books with a Zumba® setting?]

Re: The Society in Dedham for Apprehending Horse Thieves

#26
post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Growing up I got a glimpse into the dying days of the English pub, where it really was a living room where people went in the evenings to be social. Normal everyday people quickly became artists with words. Perhaps that is what we lost when tvs made everyone start staying home and what we may never get back now when everyone at home am just states into their own private screen?

The English pub was a critical “third space”, but modern life (especially car centric infrastructure) has made them go away.

To be fair, I think the Internet has filled that role. It has many fundamental issues, but in many ways it has been much more effective than the pub at connecting people and offering support.

It’s easy to romanticize those local communities, but as much as they offered some social support, they were also rough and ignorant spaces. They ruthlessly suppressed any behavior or personalities veering a bit outside the norm, and kept everyone down at their level.

Sometimes having a limited choice of friends can be good, but it can also be terrible. They killed innovation, diversity and ambition in people. Not to mention the alcoholism and the pull away from spending quality time with family.

Re: The Society in Dedham for Apprehending Horse Thieves

#27

"There is only one instance of a horse thief being caught by the Society" Hmmm.

That's what the 1987 source says, but the 1906 article says

> In days when vigilante justice was a major component of the Society, "not a few horse thieves were apprehended by the organization of the long name."

Re: The Society in Dedham for Apprehending Horse Thieves

#28

"There is only one instance of a horse thief being caught by the Society" Hmmm.

That's what the 1987 source says, but the 1906 article says > In days when vigilante justice was a major component of the Society, "not a few horse thieves were apprehended by the organization of the long name."

Technically 1 is not a few.

Re: The Society in Dedham for Apprehending Horse Thieves

#29

I'll see your Society in Dedham for Apprehending Horse Thieves and raise you the Society for the Prevention of Calling Sleeping Car Porters "George" (SPCSCPG) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_for_the_Prevention_of_...

Another obscure Archer ("The Limited", Season 3 Ep 6) reference solved.

Re: The Society in Dedham for Apprehending Horse Thieves

#30

so glad it still exists. the point is the continuity itself. pity so few men ride horses anymore, but I can see how that happened, barns are feminine coded spaces now and it'd probably be like getting guys to do zumba. however, places need social fabrics and a way to connect. I live rurally and the closest thing here would be the volunteer firemen groups and masonic lodges in the area. it's important to have a way to…

> barns are feminine coded spaces now That all depends upon the barn*, now doesn't it? Eg, I don't recall there being many female rough stock riders. > places need social fabrics and a way to connect Around here we do that with voluntary associations. De Tocqueville mentions them approvingly in Democracy in America (1835), but for some reason this aspect of culture has swapped over the intervening centuries, and I fi…

always seemed like a bit of a stretch to me to call the spectacle of falling off an animal riding per se. we've got ways to back them now, even if they are a bit european, but I admire the grit. :)

it's leisure and guys don't do a lot of that because it raises questions about how serious they are when they could be using that time to get ahead in their jobs. pleasure itself is effete and often only acceptable in these relationships if it's ambitious social climbing. most of these activities and organizations are going the way of other institutions, so this horse thief catcher one just sounded really nice.

Post reply on HN