as an exploratory journey through that old party question: if you could have a drink with anyone in history, who would it be? History is full of people you’d love to have a drink with. Let’s meet a few.
as an exploratory journey through that old party question: if you could have a drink with anyone in history, who would it be? History is full of people you’d love to have a drink with. Let’s meet a few.
Have a drink with: Daylight Saving Time Spring forward, fall back. Ask about: How do I change the clock in my car, again? You may think you have it bad this week, with Daylight Saving Time going into effect: it’s hard to get going in the dark mornings, who knows which clocks you forgot to…
Have a drink with: The Liberty LoansSome drill, some till, and some produce the dollar bill. Ask them about: buying World War I for Christmas This season not only marks the centennial of the Armistice that brought an end to World War I, but also of the massive public investment campaign that made American involvement…
Have a drink with: The American Voter A high and important duty to perform. Ask: what’s your plan for voting? We’re not alone among the world’s democracies in this fact, but Americans don’t have a great record on voter turnout, particularly when midterm elections are involved. This is not unique to the modern era, either:…
Have a drink with: Fanny Fern Reform yourselves, gentlemen! Ask her about: Menswear styles for fall “Fanny Fern” was the pen name of Sarah Willis Parton, a popular 19th century writer who advocated for women’s independence, kept her pencil sharp and her wit sharper, and insisted on being paid handsomely for her output: she got…
Have a drink with: Presidential Hats Come at me, bro. Ask them about: how buff was Teddy Roosevelt? With the collective American mind very much on upcoming midterm elections, and with a host of new and nontraditional contenders running for office, one phrase pops up perhaps a little more than usual: the announcement that one…
Have a drink with: The Winter Olympics Faster, higher, stronger, colder. Ask about: Being young and full of sin Although technically the Olympic Games have been going on since centuries B.C.E., the modern Games as we now know them began in 1896, with the competition of 241 athletes in traditional track-and-field events, wrestling, gymnastics, shooting…
Have a drink with: Tom Petty Into the great wide open… Ask him about: Not backing down. Tom Petty recently achieved the feat, as far as the press was concerned, of dying twice in a single day. On Monday, October 2, news outlets began reporting in the afternoon that Petty had died following a cardiac…
Have a drink with: Bathing Suit Lizards Stockingless bathers! Ask them about: Beachy fun, pig roasts, union cosplay. If you’re thinking about ways to enjoy your summer, rest assured: the past can help. As it turns out, just like you, people in the early 20th century spent plenty of time thinking about things like bathing…
Have a drink at: The Central Park Zoo Gordon Bennett! Ask about: Does the gift shop sell firearms? Highly partisan news engineered to manipulate media and line the owners’ pockets has become particularly virulent in current politics – and, thanks to the wackadoo likes of Alex Jones, highly visible as well – but it is not…
Have a drink with: The 19th Century Anti-Gun Lobby “We’re all hot at the same time, and we should do somethin’ about it!” Ask them about: Background checks If you watch enough movies – Civil War dramas, Wild West adventures, Five Points gangland brawls, Mel Brooks – you’d be forgiven for thinking that the 19th…
