My favorite movie – Pt 2 (another unedited late night mental ramble) February 20, 2013 Author Harold Holzter makes a strong case for the Cooper’s Union speech being the event that made him President. You could read Doris Kearn’s… Continue Reading
A President’s Day Salute February 18, 2013 To say Dina Martina is an acquired taste is a little like saying horseradish is an acquired taste. I first tasted horseradish in Shrimp… 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
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
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
Seneca Falls, Selma, Stonewall January 21, 2013 A great litany. I was 15 during the Selma to Montgomery March. I was 18 when I read about Stonewall in Newsweek. I visited… Continue Reading
Usism January 21, 2013 I was rather surprised to bump into this blog about what is happening at the moment in Mali a huge North African nation that… Continue Reading
PBS – not just for Big Bird January 15, 2013 I’ve had the chance to see two really excellent series recently. Downton is OK but I really loved Call the Midwife. Pulled tears out… Continue Reading
“Kind of Random” Duluth history January 5, 2013 Woke up early. Laid in bed thinking about things from my past: specificially the 1960’s, Junior High, a friend’s sexual indiscretions. After an hour… Continue Reading
Dr. Whoa! The secret life of Prof. James Fezter January 4, 2013 I’m periodically subjected to stories about ex UMD professor Jim Fetzer. Today the DNT told us that Fetzer’s latest research strongly suggests that the… Continue Reading
George to Mitt – Don’t do it November 1, 2012 George Romney wasn’t writing to his son. He was writing to Barry Goldwater objecting to what would become the South’s take over of the… 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
The GOP’s version of American history all ready to go into one of those Texas history books September 21, 2012 From a very long list of quotes in the New Yorker. Here’s the first historical reference in chronological order: 1500s: The American Revolutionary War… Continue Reading
If Mitt had been campaigning for President in 1941… September 12, 2012 …he could have said: “I’ll never apologize to Japan for not selling its navy oil and coal.” To Mitt Romney being President means never… Continue Reading
Hard Truths September 3, 2012 I just read a very short critical essay by Simon Schama on the fabulists and mythologizers at the recent GOP National Convention: Here’s one… 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
The Texas Republicans favorite historian… August 13, 2012 …has his book pulled by its publisher for being full of errors. He still sits on the text book buying Board that generally determines… Continue Reading