An old friend and ally challenges my claims September 16, 2013 In an email titled “Honest Abe” a good friend asks me a fair question. Harry, I know you are citing 50 students in a… Continue Reading
My weekend Questionnaire September 9, 2013 On Friday or Saturday I got a curious request from an unidentified person. It asked me to answer an attached questionairre and return it…. Continue Reading
Six Paragraphs July 13, 2013 My return to the Reader Weekly, Duluth’s largest tabloid, was a little awkward. Although its publisher had kind words for me as he introduced… Continue Reading
Welcome to my new Japanese and Turkish readers June 17, 2013 My traditionally local (Duluth area) readership has been disappointed (or pleased) by my recent dearth of posts over the past couple of months. I… Continue Reading
Mitch McConnell’s sense of history March 6, 2013 In the NY Times story about Rosa Park’s statue being placed into Statuary Hall there was passing mention of what Republican Senator Mitch McConnell… Continue Reading
My favorite movie – Pt 1 (another late night unedited mental ramble) February 19, 2013 I’ve been watching and rewatching some marvelous British Television series lately. Tonight I watched two more hours of “The Hour” on Amazon’s live stream… Continue Reading
The deleterious inspiration of today’s GOP February 14, 2013 I remember reading a review of Farlie’s book, Bite the Hand that Feeds You,” because it was such a great title. In 1980 he… Continue Reading
Nighty night continued February 14, 2013 No sooner had I finished episode six and gotten the message that two more hours of House had done by partner in than my… Continue Reading
GOP = Ghastly Organized Putrescence – Pt 3 January 26, 2013 Lincoln long fantasized about joining the pantheon of America’s founding fathers or perhaps lamented the seeming impossibility of joining it. His law partner, Herndon,… Continue Reading
The private lives of Presidents January 26, 2013 I shrugged off the fatigue that should have put me in bed at 9:30 and prepared to edit the third installment of Putrescence. I… Continue Reading
GOP = Ghastly Organized Putrescence Pt 2 January 25, 2013 I’ve felt compelled to think long and hard about Thomas Jefferson through the years because I know that my Grandfather, George Robb, had so… Continue Reading
The chickens are coming home to roost… January 23, 2013 …and leave a lot of droppings in the GOP’s coup. I find it ironic that the GOP which in the Reagan years once vilified… Continue Reading
Interesting new Lincoln histories just keep popping up. December 18, 2012 His last words are a surprise to me even though the general history is not news. Continue Reading
Mr. Lincoln goes to Hollywood October 29, 2012 Andy Sullivan has a post on one of my frequent plaints – that today’s GOP is really driven by the ghost of the old… Continue Reading
Moderation = Conservatism October 26, 2012 Amen, David Brooks: First, let me describe what moderation is not. It is not just finding the midpoint between two opposing poles and opportunistically… Continue Reading
Copeland and Lincoln – my favorites September 23, 2012 Last evening I had the pleasure of attending a wonderful opening concert for the new season of the Duluth Superior Symphony. We took our… Continue Reading
Lincoln… September 14, 2012 …the Spielberg movie: It would be nice if the Grand Old Party could see this movie (adapted apparently from Goodwin’s book Team of Rivals)… Continue Reading
Could Lincoln get elected in Western Duluth August 24, 2012 my last post prompted my Buddy to tease me a little. Here is our email exchange: On Thu, Aug 23, 2012 at 10:18 AM,… Continue Reading
“working like bees to distill their poison” August 22, 2012 That’s how President George Washington described Thomas Jefferson’s allies when they pushed him to declare War on England. I found the quote in Chapter… Continue Reading
2022 kind of appeals to me August 11, 2012 When will the majority of Americans have no personal memory of these? I hope we’re still studying Lincoln. I’ve been on a week’s at… Continue Reading
