Monthly Archives: July 2026

Update: A sneaky makeover of slavery exhibit


Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past. — George Orwell “No way those Park Service goons would do their dirty work in broad daylight, in front of angry protesters and puzzled tourists. No … Continue reading

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Bastille Day was not like the 4th of July


Swamp Rabbit raised a toast to his TV screen during a news feature about Bastille Day celebrations in France. “The Frenchies are really whooping it up,” he said. “This is their version of the Fourth of July.” “Not exactly,” I … Continue reading

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Don’t like your history? Scrub, rinse, repeat.


At high noon I rushed over to Swamp Rabbit’s shack to read aloud from an essay in the NY Review of Books by the always insightful Fintan O’Toole: National vanity is arguably dependent on the absence of national pride. To … Continue reading

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Oops, I got my mad kings mixed up


It was too hot to exercise, so I nodded out with NPR on the radio. When I woke, the network’s hosts and reporters were reading from a list of grievances: He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for … Continue reading

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Quit whining, it’s only 102 degrees


The sleet sounded like beaded curtains brushed aside by a fleeing intruder. I lingered in bed, tensing up every time the ice pellets danced across my windows. My favorite blanket — the one with the embroidered dinosaur images — was … Continue reading

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