Today is Juneteenth, named in honor of the 19th day of June 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger of the United States Army, newly arrived on Galveston Island, issued a declaration that the Emancipation Proclamation would be enforced in Texas. … Continue reading
There was so much written, said, and broadcast about John McCain in the week after his death August 25 that I decided to delay publishing this until today. It's a short interview with his longtime aid and close friend Mark … Continue reading
The fine folks (and puppets) of the Glove and Boots YouTube channel propose that September 21, Bill Murray's birthday, be made a national holiday: Link: https://youtu.be/fAW4snew9aw by … Continue reading
Senator John McCain has died of the same illness that took the life of my youngest brother just short of two years ago. I disagreed with Senator McCain about a lot of things and like all of us he was … Continue reading
Here's yet another excellent segment from HBO's Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, this one about Confederate monuments and their connection to history. As usual he makes interesting points, and he does so very entertainingly. If you don't want to … Continue reading
While overall crime in the United States has continued to fall, violent crime, notably murder, rose in the last two calendar years after a long period of decline. That increase turns out to have been entirely in metropolitan areas, especially … Continue reading
I highly recommend "How Bullwinkle Taught Kids Sophisticated Political Satire," an article by Beth Daniels posted September 7 at Smithsonian.com. It begins, "Mr. Chairman, I am against all foreign aid, especially to places like Hawaii and Alaska," says Senator Fussmussen … Continue reading
This four-part video series is one of the best and most balanced overviews I've seen about firearms in the United States from the standpoint of healthcare. It was created by Indiana pediatrician and medical school professor Dr Aaron Carroll, whose … Continue reading
Those who favor retaining monuments to the Confederacy often say that removing them has the effect of erasing history, and that they honor regional heritage and important figures with virtues as well as faults. Of course, a huge amount of … Continue reading
Near Nashville Tennessee just off I-65 one can see what may be the single most bizarre and unintentionally hilarious statue in the world, supposedly depicting Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Reportedly made of injection-molded fiberglass possibly covered with foil (though … Continue reading