Tag: Musings
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Musing: On Pandemics
What’s this musing about: Well the coronavirus is really screwing up everyone’s lives, isn’t it? My sister-in-law (Hi, Terri!) asked me about some of the other pandemics that occurred through history a couple days ago. And by “asked me,” I mean I took it upon myself to tell her about them. As of March 21,…
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Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving, nerds! Wherever you are I hope it is with people you want to be with doing things you love to do. My day will be filled with food, football, reading (of course), and probably just a wee bit of scotch. What? You came here for your history fix? Well, of course, I won’t…
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Random Musing: On Dating
What’s this musing about: Dating used to be a lot less complicated. I got separated recently (sad trombone music). It is a traumatic experience for a lot of reasons. The one I’m currently tackling which is a bit overwhelming is…. dating again. What does this have to do with history? This is a history blog…
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Random Musing: Serial Killers
What’s this musing about: The cult of the serial killer. When I interviewed one of my favorite authors, Mike Dash, he said something really profound. He mentioned he does not like true crime books and shows because they often obsess about the killer at the expense of the victims. The victims usually end up being…
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Random Musing: On Drinking
What’s this musing about: Humans have been getting drunk for a really long time. I’m writing this on a Sunday after a lot of football and maybe more than one Sam Adams Octoberfests (buzzed writing is pretty sweet). As is my wont, I began thinking about a history nugget I had read recently. It mentioned…
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Random Musing: Disaster Books and Guilt
What’s this musing about: Am I messed up in the head for liking disaster books so much? I love disaster books. They are all my cup of tea from blizzards and firestorms to shipwrecks (personal fav) and Arctic survival. There is something about the desperation, the heroism, and the adrenaline rush or reading about real…
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Random Musing: Why are Magazines Still a Thing?
What’s this musing about: Why do people publish magazines anymore? I intended to do a review of Smithsonian Magazine. I would give it the insightful and serious review I do the books I read. While reading my third month of the magazine, it dawned on me. What’s the point here? The first thing I did…
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Random Musing: George Washington and Slavery
What’s this musing about: Washington and slavery. Warning: White guy giving his opinion on something to do with slavery. George Washington was in many ways a great man. He was beloved by the American people before there even was an “American people.” In multiple instances, he could have easily tried to become “king” of the…
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Musing: My Favorite Authors Right Now
Writing for history nerds like myself is a complicated game. While a fiction writer can pour his or her brain out and have a book done in 6 months (not hating, just saying), a history writer needs to have the story and then start their research. Then there is the tightrope of cutting out the…