I Found a Brilliant Holiday Read

Okay, acknowledging many of you might be ahead of me on this, which came out in 1999,

I am writing to HIGHLY recommend “Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929-1945.” (Why do academics ALWAYS have colons/subtitles?) By David Kennedy, it’s part of the Oxford History of the U.S. series, and not for nothing did it win the 2000 Pulitzer Prize. I’m working my way through it, and it’s brilliant. It also has important lessons for contemporaries, particularly my former colleagues in the Fourth Estate, who – obviously not students of history, even recent – keep trying to figure out why millions of people support the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania.

If you haven’t read this already Dr. Kennedy notes the distinct differences between people who live in rural and urban areas, the differences between “working” and “business” classes, the long (and I mean “long”) running resentment of middle and working class whites, the effective campaign by business to divide workers by encouraging racism, and the deft manipulation of these deep social and cultural current by politicians.

Later,

Thanks, Mark Thoma, for Posting ” ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas”

http://economistsview.typepad.com/economistsview/2016/12/twas-the-night-before-christmas.html

Later,

Darlene Love Has Become an Essential Part of My Holidays

Later,

If You’ve Never Heard Vermonter Willem Lange Read “Favor Johnson,” You Are Missing a Wonderful Christmas Story

http://digital.vpr.net/post/willem-langes-favor-johnson#stream/0

Later,

Merrie Meet, and Merrie Part, and Merrie Meet Again!

Love and Peace on this year’s Solstice.

Later,

‘Zat You, Santa Claus?

Later,

Sometimes, You Just Want a Dog Picture

Later,

Have a Boss Christmas!

Later,

Christmas Wouldn’t Be Complete w/o the Waitresses . . .

Later,

For Christmas . . . the Eternal Eartha Kitt

Later,