Engaging Life with Courage and Intelligence
A post with a historical reference
There is an interesting correlation between the familial roots of U.S. Presidents and their behavior as presidents. Even in the beginning, the families of the first six presidents had been in colonial America for several generations. It is probably no coincidence that the rule is that American presidents have to be natural-born citizens. Of course,…
In the tradition of truth and history, this video examines the psychological connection between a boy with an out-of-control ego and his impact on the course of history. Abe Lincoln and Mark Twain introduce the video by asking why America suddenly wants to take over the peaceful and cooperative land of Greenland. Direct web address…
Ideologies and beliefs offer certainty. Reality offers consequences. In moments of stability, fixed belief systems can appear wise and efficient. But history shows a recurring pattern: when conditions change suddenly, ideology often fails — and reality takes over. In this Truth Matters episode, we examine three defining crises: 1) The Great Depression (1932), when economic…
When we live in an absurd world…we create absurd videos. This is the web address for the @HistoryIn1865 playlist @HistoryIn1865 Playlist
We all grew up either in a family or knew families in which truth was not their highest priority. When a family member failed a class in school, wrecked the family car, or was involved in a teen pregnancy, the grown-ups in the family swiftly moved into cover-up mode. With the talent unseen since the…
Shakespeare’s Hamlet dramatizes the tragedy associated with madness, paranoia, and deception. Unfortunately, all Americans have become unwilling actors in a similar tragedy. As an aside and to quote Polonius, “Though this be madness, yet there is method in ’t.” From day to day, the current administration spews nonsense, and more dangerously, acts in bizarre and…
Welcome to Veritonia — a totally fictional modern nation where truth is flexible, confidence beats correctness, and memes count as peer-reviewed research. This short cinematic satire explores how facts get “professionally improved,” arguments replace thinking, and news guarantees certainty — not accuracy. But some people still dare to ask the most dangerous question: “Is this…
How do smart people fall for confidence tricks like grandparent, lottery, and romance scams? How do smart people buy into Ponzi schemes and crypto-ATM cons? How do smart people believe totally unfounded theories about vaccinations, ethnic conspiracies, the Denver Airport is the Illuminati’s headquarters, a pizza shop in Washington, DC, is the center of a…
How about a little satirical humor to start the new year? The video takes place in the quiet mountains of Kentucky, where two time travelers from the 19th century are relaxing on the porch of a mountain cabin. The peaceful evening is interrupted when a silver craft lands nearby, and a gray extraterrestrial visitor arrives….
America loves competition — but what happens when one side starts the game with all the money and all the advantages? From 1923 to 1968, the New York Yankees didn’t just win — they dominated Major League Baseball. This episode explores how financial power, unequal markets, and the absence of salary caps helped shape one…