Quote of the day: I learned ... that one can never go back, that one should not ever try to go back—that the essence of life is going forward. Life is really a one way street, isn't it?—Agatha Christie I’ve been saving this one up, but the forthcoming documentary by Ken Burns on The American … Continue reading The Lees of Old Virginia
History
People Don’t Click on Links
Quote of the day: There's an old saying, “Life begins at forty.” That's silly. Life begins every morning you wake up.—George Burns I learned a long time ago that people generally don’t click on links. Years ago I was trying to promote one of my videos, so I asked someone who had tens of thousands … Continue reading People Don’t Click on Links
The History of Richland – Birth of the Borough 1
While searching for something entirely unrelated I came across the history of the first 65 years of Richland’s Neptune Fire Company in an article in the Lebanon Daily News for June 12, 1972. I was going to write about that and then I realized that the birth of the fire company came around the same … Continue reading The History of Richland – Birth of the Borough 1
Strawberries, Lightning, and Zenger
Quote of the day: Political satire became obsolete when Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel peace prize.—Tom Lehrer A useful little gadget that I got a little while ago is this strawberry huller. It removes just the stem from the strawberry, no muss, no fuss. Much easier than messing with a paring knife. Ever wonder … Continue reading Strawberries, Lightning, and Zenger
Drop Dead!
Quote of the day: It's frightful that people who are so ignorant should have so much influence.—George Orwell Gerald Ford was not known as the sharpest knife in the drawer. So it shouldn’t have surprised anyone when on October 29, 1975, he walked into a press conference at the National Press Club and gave a … Continue reading Drop Dead!
J. P. Morgan
Quote of the day: If you don't read the newspaper, you're uninformed. If you read the newspaper, you're mis-informed.—Mark Twain I remember reading this passage from the 1999 J.P. Morgan biography Morgan: American Financier by Jean Strouse: Even Morgan’s personal appearance gave rise to legend. He had a skin disease called rhinophyma that in his … Continue reading J. P. Morgan
Where No Show Has Gone Before
Quote of the day: Always make the audience suffer as much as possible.—Alfred Hitchcock It’s not necessary to turn to science fiction to explore areas that haven’t been explored on television previously, there are segments of American history that, at least as far as I know, have not been put on the screen before. I … Continue reading Where No Show Has Gone Before
Twists and Turns
Quote of the day: There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge.—Bertrand Russell Don’t worry, no spoilers here, for those who aren’t caught up. After all the twists and turns of the final episode of the second season of The Gilded Age, I took a short break so that I could wait until most of … Continue reading Twists and Turns
Medical Science and Religion
Quote of the day: Religion is based...mainly upon fear...fear of the mysterious, fear of defeat, fear of death. Fear is the parent of cruelty, and therefore it is no wonder if cruelty and religion have gone hand in hand. My own view on religion is that of Lucretius. I regard it as a disease born … Continue reading Medical Science and Religion
The Opera Wars
In the late 19th century there was a battle between the old and the new moneyed people and that bubbled over into the opera house. In the Academy of Music, the primary venue for opera in New York City, there were a limited number of boxes available, and the new people weren’t able to even … Continue reading The Opera Wars