Autumn officially began with the Equinox on September 23, when the hours of darkness and light were almost equal. As we move forward in the northern hemisphere, the days become shorter and the nights, longer. It is a time of gloom and the early stages of Seasonal Affective Disorder. The word Autumn is a French
Articles Categorized History American
No White After Labor Day? Who Says?
I’m old enough to remember a fashion saying that, even at the time, didn’t make much sense. “Never,” it was said, “wear white after Labor Day . . . or straw hats.” I recall there was a difference between summer clothes and fall clothes. Summer clothes were lighter, often sleeveless and generally more comfortable. Winter
The Wealth-Happiness Quandary
Last month, Jacob Davidson published an article about the ten richest people of all time. Relative incomes were extrapolated via various means to account for differences in historic and current currency valuation. The complete list is below. I’m going to focus on three American men who built enormous fortunes before turning to philanthropic endeavors. In American
OZ & THE CROSS OF GOLD
Last week I wrote about The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum in its incarnations as a popular children’s book, the 1939 movie that has become a holiday favorite, and the story’s latest incarnation as the musical Wicked. (Here.) What more is there to say about Dorothy’s adventures in Oz? It turns out
ABRAHAM CLARK’S ‘SACRED HONOR’
Before we bid farewell to the 2015 celebrations of Independence Day, I draw your attention to the Declaration of Independence and and the life of Abraham Clark, a member of the New Jersey delegation to the Second Continental Congress. What might the Declaration’s closing phrase have meant to a man neither wealthy nor prominent outside
MAGNA CARTA – A STILL LIVING DOCUMENT
At the close of last week’s episode in the story of Magna Carta, King John had managed to alienate almost everyone in England, as well as the French and the Pope – an impressive array of enemies. Nevertheless, John remained king. And in medieval England, the king was God’s anointed representative on earth. Many of John’s
MEMORIAL DAY – A TIME TO REMEMBER
Memorial Day is a somber day of remembrance. A time to remember the men and women in our Armed Forces who sacrificed their lives in service to their country. One million two hundred sixty-four thousand Americans have died in our nation’s wars. Roughly six hundred twenty thousand men, almost half the total number of deaths,
HAPA-HAOLE HAWAIIAN MUSIC – A SAMPLING
Hapa-haole technically means half-foreign, or half Hawaiian and half something else. Musically the term refers to a type of music founded on traditional Hawaiian mele with something added. James Revell Carr suggests King Kalākaua sponsored hula ku`i, a new style of hula accompanied by western instruments, including the guitar, banjo, violin, accordion, and ukulele. From
YE THANKSGIVING CELEBRATION
Once upon a time on November 11th, 1620, a ship called the Mayflower dropped anchor at the tip of Cape Cod. The 102 passengers thought they were going to Virginia, but things don’t always turn out as expected. The Pilgrims made the best of a bad situation and built shelters on shore. It was a
How My Mother Learned to Cook
My mother couldn’t cook. She could, however, follow directions to their furthest extreme. When she got married in 1946, she purchased three cookbooks. The books lived on a kitchen shelf and were so well used that two of them are held together with now brittle cellophane tape. I don’t know if the third book was
THE MANY “FACES” OF LABOR DAY
The symbolism of Labor Day has come a long way from its roots as a day to celebrate the contributions of the men and women who built American industry. For most of us, the day marks the end of summer. Ah, summer, the mythical season of endless days of relaxation. Labor Day marks the return
MOKU`AIKAUA CHURCH: Historic Past, Present Crisis & Unknown Future
In 1820 a company of fourteen New England missionaries with three Hawaiian protégés arrived at Kailua-Kona on the Big Island of Hawai`i. Seven men, seven women – all determined to bring Christianity and American know-how to islands most of them probably couldn’t point out on a map. Two men were ministers; one was a doctor.
WINCHESTER HOUSE: THE MANSION A SÉANCE BUILT
Today’s adventure takes us to San Jose, California. Years ago, before Silicon Valley took off, I visited that fair city. Return with me to stroll through the Winchester Mystery House, premier San Jose tourist destination. Climb staircases to nowhere. Look through Tiffany glass windows with a view of absolutely nothing. Learn what you can do
THANKSGIVING & THE FOUR FREEDOMS
Next Thursday Americans will celebrate Thanksgiving. Some will feast with Butterball turkeys; some will go vegan and create turkeys out of tofu. Some folks will skip the turkey and head straight for pie and football. But just for a moment, allow me to take you back to January 6, 1941 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt
“THE TARGET WAS ONE ENEMY CASUALTY AT THE END OF A RIFLE”
In his retirement, my father collected biographies about World War II leaders. He said he wanted to understand what really happened in the war that dominated his adult life. My father was a navy man then, a middle grade officer. I don’t know if he found what he was looking for. I don’t know if
NEW GENERATIONS AT THE MANAGO HOTEL
In 1929, Osame Manago took her children to Japan. Her father said, “seeing [them] was worth more than a house filled with gold.” But the triumphant visit became bittersweet on the day Osame and her family prepared to leave. Osame’s sister observed that at seven months old, Osame’s baby was “so young that she couldn’t tell