Monthly Archives: June 2010
Ignorance Is Disaster: Why It Pays To Know History
“Those ignorant of history are doomed to repeat it.” – variation of a quote by George Santayana Those ignorant of this quote are doomed to hear it repeated also. I’ve heard history professionals praise and condemn this concept. Those who … Continue reading
Filed under General
And I quote… Paine, A. Adams, and Longfellow
A web-log on history has many avenues available to the author and as I explore them I find that sometimes the thoughtful exploration of a quote* from an historical document can give enlightenment to history as a whole. A few … Continue reading
The Paul Bunyans and Me
Sometimes you get the chance to draw near to your family history and often in the most unexpected ways. Yesterday I watched a tree trimming crew dispatch some overgrown pine trees from a neighbor’s yard. As the cutter scaled the … Continue reading
Back to John Adams – Marriage
A few posts back I reviewed a biography of John Adams and so to return to that illustrious personage here is a piece of correspondence from John to his wife Abigail. I think it exemplifies the loving relationship they maintained … Continue reading
Mummies, Pyramids, and Science!
- Egypt and Radiocarbon Dating – I love it when a story like this comes up in the news, “BGU Scientist Sheds Light On Ancient Egypt,” (Judy Siegel-Itzkovich, The Jerusalem Post, Jun. 21, 2010). Using all available resources to answer … Continue reading
Filed under Ancient Near East
Making Your Own Keeps You in Stitches
- Sewing as an Historical Exercise – When you think of a sewing machine do you imagine the hum of an electrical unit or the rhythmic thum-thum-thum of a treadle machine that is powered by foot and coordination? No, I … Continue reading
Filed under Daily Life, General
Old Things
There are two kinds of people in this world – pack rats and scrupulous cleaners. I am related to both. Honestly though, I have been known to show pack rat tendencies. I like to think that I am fulfilling an … Continue reading
Tocqueville’s America
As the theory goes, travel is an education, which can help the individual better understand the wider world. This idea has merit, but I’d like to put a twist on it – the written journey of a past traveler can … Continue reading
Filed under American
Ice Cream, We Scream!
Ice cream is an American pastime ubiquitous to a hot, humid summer. And I do mean pastime – in the Midwest, in particular, ice cream stands and brands abound and elicit very strong opinions. Whether you are a frozen custard … Continue reading
Filed under American, Culinary, Daily Life
Praising John Adams
The U.S. had its fair share of kingmakers and quasi-aristocrats in its early years, but the venerable John Adams seems not to have been among them. That didn’t stop his opponents from labeling the force behind the Declaration of Independence … Continue reading
Filed under American, Book Reviews
