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Going Polar, 19th century style

Last week, many of us in the U.S. were dealing with record low temps as the result of the dreaded Polar Vortex.  The lows in some parts of the country rivaled temps in Antartica.  Crazy. For those of you who are making the best of winter’s [...]
by Clement C. Moore, c. 1870. Image via wikimedia commons.

Is There a Santa Claus? Yes, Virginia.

  In 1897, eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon asked the question that makes all parents of young children squirm: “Is there a Santa Claus?” Her father, in a brilliant example of strategic parental deflection, suggested she [...]
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A View from the Cold

By Piper Bayard Throughout our country’s history, every generation has had to fight for our country’s place in the world. Some battles are open warfare, and others are clandestine. I am part of the Cold War generation, and many of [...]
Canstock Graveyard in the mist

19th Century Halloween: The Tricks

By K.B. Owen It’s tempting to think of the 19th century as a time of staid decorum.  However, the young people of the 19th century were a surprisingly mischievous lot.  If toilet paper had been a common household item in the 19th century [...]
Lydia Barrington Darragh

An Insignificant Quaker Woman and the Course of History

By Intelligence Operative Jay Holmes Three years ago, my writing partner, Piper Bayard, declared October 31st to be Love a Spook Day in appreciation of the quiet contributions of the intelligence community. In real life, versus Hollywood, not [...]
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Want to experience a great tour & treasure hunt?

Where: O Street Museum 2020 O Street N.W. – Dupont Circle. When: Daily 11 am – 4pm — based on availability. Prices: Self-Guided Tour: $8/per. Treasure Hunt Tour: $20/per. Tickets: Advanced on-line reservations required for admission- [...]
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The Four Freedoms — Basis of American Interventionism

By Intelligence Operative Jay Holmes Since World War Two, many people have come to view the US as something of a “world police force,” applying the term as both a compliment and a criticism, depending on the observer’s point of [...]
Orakei Hellfire photo copyright J Wright

The Science of the Inevitable Taupo Apocalypse

Today, Holmes and I welcome FIRELANDS Apocalypse Blogger Challenge Winner MJ Wright. MJ is one of New Zealand’s most published historians and writers and a heckuva nice guy. His latest release, the Bateman Illustrated History of New Zealand [...]
Portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart

Relevant Echoes

By Piper Bayard At present, partisanship in this country is more heated than it has been since the Civil War. We are regularly smacked in the face by evidence that both major political parties put their own special interests above the interests [...]
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The Booty Spy Who Could — Amy Elizabeth Thorpe

By Intelligence Operative Jay Holmes In our last post, Amy Elizabeth Thorpe–The Booty Spy Who Loved, we looked at the early espionage escapades of Booty Spy Amy Elizabeth Thorpe. Renowned for conquering libidos and hearts, she was just [...]