Another day and another tarnished hero appears in my #stampoftheday annals. This time it's John James Audubon, the famed ornithologist, naturalist and painter. Audubon, who died on January 27, 1851, appeared on a 3-cent stamp that was one of the 35 picturing "Famous Americans" issued in 1940. As I've noted in previous posts while many of …
Topic: Contemporary Issues
Discussing the pandemic, 2020 politics, and other recent happenings
I don't know what you would do, but I want to know more when I see a listing that says: "NEWS OF THE WORLD OF STAMPS; In Honor of the U.N.'s Weather Bureau - - Swedish Railways Worldwide Coverage SWEDISH RAILWAYS CASPARY SALES BEE MAN FIRST-DAY SALE STAMP DAY." That was one of three listings that …
Maybe it's something in the water or perhaps it's the famous fog but San Francisco, apparently, has a thing for name changes. One hundred and seventy four years ago today, the Alcalde (or mayor) of a hamlet called Yerba Buena changed its name to San Francisco, which already was what the adjacent bay was called. To …
San Francisco doesn't have a public school named after John C. Fremont, who was court-martialed for mutiny on January 31, 1849. But if it did, it probably would have been on the list of more than 40 schools that the city's board of education wants to rename. However, San Francisco - and many other places—have other …
"We bring you 'Voices from America,'" said announcer William Harlan Hale at the start of a 15-minute shortwave radio broadcast that was transmitted into Germany on February 1, 1942. "Today, and daily from now on, we shall speak to you about America and the war," he continued. "The news may be good for us. The news …
"Two centuries after his death, Chief Justice John Marshall still presides over the Supreme Court," Josh Blackman wrote on the SCOTUSblog last summer. "His larger-than-life statue greets visitors. During investiture ceremonies, new members sit in his chair. And the justices cite him whenever possible." His presence has been especially large for the13 men who have been …
Like many people interested in urban and environmental issues, I have long been interested been interested in Oregon's long history of progressive populism. And like many people who have looked up to Oregon's lead in those areas, I've been puzzled and concerned by the fact that the state also has been - and continues to …
Although I'm 63 and not yet eligible for the COVID vaccine, I've been watching as people I know have started getting the vaccine. The roll-out, of course, hasn't been handled well and even if it were, the demand is much greater than the current supply. So, like many others, I am waiting and hoping, not …
I remember seeing a headline about a break-in at a place called Watergate and wondering what that was about. It was June 1972; I was 15 years old; and I had taken a job selling newspapers room to room in Overlook Hospital in Summit. I was probably looking at the New York Times, which was …