Time travelers Abe Lincoln and Mark Twain are adjusting to 2025. They have finally found the appropriate venue to discuss American cultural and political realities.
Category: History
A post with a historical reference
An Echo of the Lost Cause
American history has been dramatically altered by warfare. This was true in the American Revolution, World War II, and the American Civil War. The outcomes of wars were determined mainly on the battlefield, but the “peace” that follows can be either successful or unsuccessful. The peace that followed our Civil War was not entirely successful….
The Danger of Fear Politics
I have been puzzled by the popularity of political leaders who openly violate American laws and customs. In the past, such behavior would have been an automatic disqualifier. It is similar to the popularity of the outlaws in past eras. Outlaws, such as Jesse James, were celebrated by many, despite their apparent transgressions. It would…
History Rhymes
Abe Lincoln and Mark Twain have another conversation while visiting America in 2025.
Justice on Trial
The following is a continuation of an earlier video on the demise of the KKK in Indiana in the 1920s. This one focuses on the trial but leaves out many details. Essentially, Madge Oberholtzer was a very decent, independent-spirited young woman whose life was cut short by the actions of the Grand Dragon of the…
Truth and Entertainment
It is possible to pursue truth and entertainment simultaneously, but they are usually mutually exclusive. The following video is about three men from the 19th century who time-traveled to a 21st-century coffee shop in an American small town to discuss truth and entertainment. Postscript: I converted Honest Abe into a cartoon character because the current…
For the Love of Baseball
For those clueless about baseball, Shohei Ohtani, a Japanese player, delivered the most outstanding single game in baseball history. On October 17, 2025, he pitched six scoreless innings for the Los Angeles Dodgers and hit three home runs. His fastballs topped 100 miles per hour, and all three of his home run blasts were over…
The Appetite for Violence and Obedience
America’s darker impulses seem to be rising after years of relative calm and stability. Today the drumbeat of aggressors and bullies is louder than the peacemakers. The following is a YouTube video that highlights the slow but apparent drift of America towards a more warlike posture towards not only foreign countries and foreign people, but…
It is all the RAGE!
How has America become so divided? Social media is a key element. Greedy social media executives lust for our clicks and attention, so they calibrate their algorithms to reward anger, resentment, and excitement. Coupled with the power of media algorithms is rage farming. What is rage farming, you ask? Well, it is a lot like…
What are you feeding your neural network?
Neural networks…that sounds pretty geeky! It may sound geeky, but it is at the heart of how the universe works, particularly for all humans. Around 1984, a physics professor at Brooklyn College told me I should study “neural networks.” I was then an associate vice president responsible for academic and administrative computing, and I thought…