American Founders
Leaders at the Creation of the Republic
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Key Topics
The Founding Era
Why the American Founding Matters
Leading Founders
Their lives, ideas, public service, and selected writings
Primary Documents
Records of the Founding
Making social conversation doesn’t come naturally to everyone. Few individuals are adept at it because they are so focused on their own insecurities that it distracts them from reaching out.
The keys to social dexterity are: Be friendly. A smile is an excellent icebreaker because it puts others around you at ease. Be kind. Be honest. (Be a good listener and people will think you are a genius.) Show an interest in the people you meet by asking about their interests, but avoid “sensitive” topics, particularly in a business situation.
My “How to Be Popular” booklet contains many other tips on how to approach others, and what to say and not say when trying to make conversation. It can be ordered by sending your name and address, plus a check or money order for $8 (U.S. funds), to: Dear Abby Popularity Booklet, P.O. Box 446, Kings Mills, OH 45034-0446.
Six decades have now passed since some of the most iconic Project Gemini spaceflights. The 60th anniversary of Gemini 4, when Ed White conducted the first US spacewalk, came in June. The next mission, Gemini 5, ended just two weeks ago, in 1965. These missions are now forgotten by most Americans, as most of the people alive during that time are now deceased.
However, during these early years of spaceflight, NASA engineers and astronauts cut their teeth on a variety of spaceflight firsts, flying a series of harrowing missions during which it seems a miracle that no one died.
Because the Gemini missions, as well as NASA's first human spaceflight program Mercury, yielded such amazing stories, I was thrilled to realize that a new book has recently been published—Gemini & Mercury Remastered—that brings them back to life in vivid color.
The book is a collection of 300 photographs from NASA's Mercury and Gemini programs during the 1960s, in which Andy Saunders has meticulously restored the images and then deeply researched their background to more fully tell the stories behind them. The end result is a beautiful and powerful reminder of just how brave America's first pioneers in space were. What follows is a lightly edited conversation with Saunders about how he developed the book and some of his favorite stories from it.
Any society, to be functional, should be literate and educated. That means reading. By the time a young person is 25, they should have read half the great books they will read in their lives. Here are some suggestions. Note that this is far from a complete list; a complete list would require a book unto itself.
Building on the case for the intelligent design of life that he developed in Signature in the Cell and Darwin’s Doubt, Meyer demonstrates how discoveries in cosmology and physics coupled with those in biology help to establish the identity of the designing intelligence behind life and the universe.
Meyer argues that theism — with its affirmation of a transcendent, intelligent and active creator — best explains the evidence we have concerning biological and cosmological origins. Previously Meyer refrained from attempting to answer questions about “who” might have designed life. Now he provides an evidence-based answer to perhaps the ultimate mystery of the universe. In so doing, he reveals a stunning conclusion: the data support not just the existence of an intelligent designer of some kind — but the existence of a personal God.
This is a story about an accidental activist. Bill Browder started out his adult life as the Wall Street maverick whose instincts led him to Russia just after the breakup of the Soviet Union, where he made his fortune.
Along the way he exposed corruption, and when he did, he barely escaped with his life. His Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky wasn’t so lucky: he ended up in jail, where he was tortured to death. That changed Browder forever. He saw the murderous heart of the Putin regime and has spent the last half decade on a campaign to expose it. Because of that, he became Putin’s number one enemy, especially after Browder succeeded in having a law passed in the United States—The Magnitsky Act—that punishes a list of Russians implicated in the lawyer’s murder. Putin famously retaliated with a law that bans Americans from adopting Russian orphans.
A financial caper, a crime thriller, and a political crusade, Red Notice is the story of one man taking on overpowering odds to change the world, and also the story of how, without intending to, he found meaning in his life.
The Internet Archive is now a federal depository library, meaning it can provide free access to bills, laws, regulations, presidential documents, studies, and other documents.
The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), run by the US Government Publishing Office (GPO), was established in 1813 to open up free access to official federal documents. Currently, there are 1,150 FDLs across all 50 states; all of them, except a few, are physical libraries.
The great movies, directors, actors, and writers of the 1930s, ’40s, and ’50s produced what has since been called the Golden Era of Hollywood. Technological advances, especially sound and color, also contributed. Scripts came from great novels and works of history, and from compelling stories serialized in magazines. One of those who contributed mightily to the Golden Era, in particular to the movies of John Ford, was the writer James Warner Bellah. His stories were powerful, poignant, and filled with men of character and courage. He himself was a veteran of not only World War I but also World War II. //
From the late 1940s through the 1960s, Bellah published eight books and three dozen short stories and articles. He also wrote or co-wrote nine screenplays. He will probably be best remembered for his work with the legendary director John Ford. The two first met, not in Hollywood, but in India during World War II. Ford’s famous cavalry trilogy, Fort Apache (1948), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), and Rio Grande (1950), came from the pen of James Warner Bellah. //
Probably the best of these films is The Sea Chase (1954), starring John Wayne and Lana Turner.
THE BOURNE IDENTITY
by
Tony Gilroy
Based on the novel
by
ROBERT LUDLUM
Paris Draft
9/20/00
"Anguish Languish" by Howard L. Chace is a playful and experimental publication written in the mid-20th century. This unique text presents an inventive language game that transforms English phrases into a humorous form called Anguish, where the meanings of words are altered through phonetic substitutions. The book serves as both an entertainment and a linguistic exploration of how words can be manipulated for comedic effect. The content of "Anguish Languish" consists of a collection of whimsical stories and poems that showcase the transformations of familiar sayings and tales into their Anguish counterparts.
As conservatives, we consider ourselves to be the guardians of classics, protecting them from woke mobs. But works like Of Mice and Men were dubbed “classics” as our Western values were already coming to a close. I’m wary of books selected by leftist professors from the ’60s enjoying the same immunity status as veritable classics like Hamlet and Jane Eyre. The difference is that older classics are firmly rooted in our Western values, while many modern works are expressly fatalistic.
In other words, recent wokeism isn’t the only thing we should be looking out for on school reading lists. Literary trash has been the staple of the education system for decades. //
Modern literature shows hardship without hope. Plenty of literature depicts the hard realities of life. The difference is that some portray this in a context of hope, while others don’t. For example, Crime and Punishment portrays Sonya being compelled into prostitution; however, it makes it clear that she can choose a path of redemption. Modern literature, on the other hand, tends to have the message that “life is terrible and that is it.” The characters are not free agents but are acted upon solely for the purpose of affirming the author’s bleak message. They inculcate a victim mentality, not fortitude.
Modern literature focuses solely on negative examples, not heroes. Yes, Anna Karenina depicts adultery, but it also features Kitty and Levin’s loving marriage. In books like Of Mice and Men, there are no heroes worth emulating, just darkness. C.S. Lewis wrote, “Since it is so likely that [children] will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage. Otherwise you are making their destiny not brighter but darker.” We should reevaluate literature that doesn’t show the good along with the bad.
Modern literature is ineffective in instilling morality. We can’t raise moral individuals by only showing them what not to do. First of all, studies show that when presented with educational TV shows, children are likely to imitate the depicted bullying rather than the problem-solving the programs intend to model. What’s far more likely to inspire virtue in young people is positive examples. But the modern authors that schools tend to favor are too cynical to provide heroes to emulate. //
Overly dark content desensitizes viewers rather than making them more empathetic and moral human beings. Well-intentioned media can have unintended adverse effects. Even if viewing violence doesn’t increase aggression in all individuals, studies show that it does consistently desensitize viewers and decrease empathy for victims. This is worth thinking about when deciding which books to expose young minds to.
There’s much better literature out there. Young men used to read riveting works with exemplary heroes like Robinson Crusoe. That has since been replaced with Lord of the Flies. Which one is more likely to teach a young boy about the sort of man he should become?
To be clear, I’m not knocking books just because they’re new; I’m suggesting that they’re a departure from our values and other works merit more attention. For example, The Lord of the Rings and To Kill a Mockingbird were written in the same century as Lord of the Flies, but both depict light and goodness along with evil. While Lord of the Flies only shows the fall of man, Lord of the Rings shows redemption and heroism. It’s interesting to consider that although Tolkien fought in the same World War that turned other writers to the dark and the cynical, he chose to write about goodness and light.
ANGUISH
LANGUISH
by
Howard L. Chace
English words are astonishingly versatile and could readily be made to serve a new and extraordinary purpose, but nobody seems to care about this except SPAL[8] (Society for the Promotion of the Anguish Languish).[1] In keeping with its lofty ideals and its slogan, ANGUISH FOR EVERYBODY, the Society is sponsoring this little text, which has three aims:
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To improve the public’s understanding of the Anguish Languish.
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To improve the academic standing of the Anguish Languish.
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To improve the social and financial standing of the Society.
About Discworld & Terry Pratchett Wiki
This wiki is a Terry Pratchett-oriented wiki environment. We currently have more than 4300 articles. Although it started out centred on Discworld, it now hosts all sorts of information about Terry Pratchett and his works.
THE BOOK FOR AMERICA'S 250th!
FINDING OUR WORDS: Words That Made America is a collection of some of the most inspiring words spoken by American leaders since the nation’s founding.
It is intended for all ages: for advanced readers to enjoy in leisure learning, or aloud in groups with all levels—even beginning readers. It may be used exclusively or in conjunction with other works for the study of language arts, U.S. history, civics, statesmanship, and elocution.
Froge
4 hours ago edited
"The Magicians Nephew" was written after the fact to tie everything together before the grand finally.
Order as written:
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950)
Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia (1951)
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952)
The Silver Chair (1953)
The Horse and His Boy (1954)
The Magician’s Nephew (1955)
The Last Battle (1956)
Order in the Narnia time sequence:
The Magician’s Nephew (1/1900)
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1000-1015/1940)
The Horse and His Boy (1014/1940)
Prince Caspian (2290-2304/1941)
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2306-2310/1942)
The Silver Chair (2356/1942)
The Last Battle (2555/1949)
I also get the feeling the last three books written (Horse, Magician, Last) were written to cash in a bit more on the series popularity, though they are decent books they were out of place with the first four books. Personally I liked the "Voyage of the Dawn Treader", and "The Horse and his Boy."
The Kingdom Series novels are Biblical allegories that are set in a medieval time period. They cover the span of time from Genesis through the book of Revelation. They are full of action and adventure where swords, knights, and battle are all Biblically symbolic. The allegory teaches Godly character, the adventure captures the imagination of all ages, and the action keeps teenagers engrossed from cover to cover…
Regarded by many as the most comprehensive anthology of all time, ‘The Harvard Classics’ was first published in 1909 under the supervision of the Harvard president Charles W. Eliot. An esteemed academic, Eliot had argued that the elements of a liberal education could be gained by spending 15 minutes a day reading from a collection of books that could fit on a five-foot shelf. The publisher P. F. Collier challenged Eliot to make good on this statement and ‘Dr. Eliot’s Five Foot Shelf’ was the result. Eight years later Eliot added a further 20 volumes as a sub-collection titled ‘The Harvard Classics Shelf of Fiction’, offering some of the greatest novels and short stories of world literature. The exhaustive anthology of the ‘The Harvard Classics’ comprises every major literary figure, philosopher, religion, folklore and historical subject up to the twentieth century. This comprehensive eBook presents the complete anthology, with Eliot’s original introductions, numerous illustrations, rare texts and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1).
https://www.delphiclassics.com/shop/the-harvard-classics-parts-edition-2/
Delve into the world of Dickens and his contemporaries by browsing our hand-picked selection of free to download Victorian treasures…
For decades, Dr. Jim Wilder has been delving into biblical scripture, spiritual formation, and brain science. These studies led to the development of a unique model of spiritual and psychological maturation.
This model was defined in the book “The Life Model: Living from the Heart Jesus Gave You” and has been practiced at The Shepherd’s House Counseling Center in Pasadena, California (now Life Model Works) and is currently being taught in churches, marriage seminars and recovery programs around the world.
With a penetrating gaze reaching deep inside his own soul, Hill touches a universal nerve of all humanity: a desperate need for God. //
When Dorothea von Ertmann, a friend and student of Beethoven’s, lost her only young child, Beethoven learned of her inconsolable grief. Instead of offering words of consolation, he sat at the piano and played for her, improvising for an hour before he squeezed her hand and left. It was Beethoven’s highest offering: using his greatest gift to express ideas and emotions of comfort and solace.
Dr. Jason Hill performs a similar service for readers in his moving new book, Letters To God From A Former Atheist. Hill, a philosophy professor at DePaul University, reasoned that if he were to find his way back to God, it also would come through his most developed faculty and his greatest gift, that of writing.
Hill shares this powerful journey of faith through his real-life story written as invocations to God: an autobiography told through the fearless and humble language of unfiltered and impassioned prayers.
“I seek to find You in these letters,” he prays.
These consecrated letters are filled with pathos, intimacy, joy, and a depth that is difficult to attain through other literary forms, helping to account for their unparalleled sublimity. //
Dorothea von Ertmann later recalled that Beethoven’s impromptu recital “said everything to me” and “finally gave me consolation.” I am confident this book will give similar consolation to its readers as only unvarnished prayer can.
Hill prayed to become the person he most wanted to be with a heart for humanity and a hunger for God’s presence in life’s every aspect. To his delight, he was not disappointed, and neither will the reader be.