This is the second of the German farmhouse exhibits we toured. This family supplemented its agricultural income by weaving flax into burlap and linen and the loom still works, although it was not demonstrated while we were there. They also… Continue Reading
This is the first of two farms of German settlers that we toured. Although this family lacked for money, they were prosperous enough to send their son back to the old country to find a wife (apparently, he struck out… Continue Reading
These are the first of my favorite photos from Old World Wisconsin. This batch is from the “Crossroads Village”, which the museum has created from a variety of buildings gathered from around Wisconsin. There are several interesting buildings right there.… Continue Reading
No, I’m still not really over it. Yes, the passage of time helps out with perspective. The world did not actualy change much that day. Our perception of it did, though. We did some things in response to it that… Continue Reading
Neal Stephenson’s Baroque Cycle consists of, I believe, eight books total. Each book is of about novella length – maybe not quite long enough to be a stand-alone novel but much longer than a short story. They are sold in… Continue Reading
Daniel Drezner is all atwitter over this sentence:The Russian stock market’s rise can be traced to positive news on the nationalization of US mortgage agencies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. I have to admit, the irony is apparent to me,… Continue Reading
When does a nation begin to exist? An interesting question, when you think about it. One of relevance seeing as Russia recognized the existence of the independent nations of South Ossetia and Abkhazia yesterday over the vehement objections of the… Continue Reading
I hate being critical of this book. The Wife got it for me at a dollar-book sale. It was exquisitely researched. Its author, Sharon Kay Penman, has managed to attract a very loyal fan base and I admire her skill… Continue Reading
If you don’t remember the Tank Man, watch the video below. If you’re too young to remember the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, then you must watch the video. If you have managed to stumble on this blog from China,… Continue Reading
I never made it through The Gulag Archipelago. After about 400 pages, I said to myself, “I get it. This is one kind of torture and abuse after another; it is just plain never, ever going to end.” But the… Continue Reading