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POSTED July 6, 12:09 PM
I know, I know, what kind of history examiner does no post on the 4th of July! Well sometimes you have to take a time out and live life (or history) to enjoy it. I did that this weekend. I could have spent time putting together a post about our storied revolution. I could have waxed nostalgic about how our founders drew a line in the sand and said no more to the tyranny of King George. I could have written about how on July 4 1863, the smoke had cleared from the fields of Gettysburg where brave men gave the "last full measure of devotion" turning the tide of a war, which would decide whether or not our form of government would "perish from the earth." Those tales have been told, and will be told again and again. I'm sure I will tell them sometime in future. However, this Fourth of July provided a bit of personal history for me. You see it was the first one for my daughter Mattie, and really, the first one for me as a father. Mattie is almost three now, and our last two 4ths were rained out. This one came close as well. This was the first time she was going to see fireworks. As an adult I've been kind of jaded when it comes to fireworks. After all, how new and exciting can they be for a 34-year old! As we get older the things that excited us as children no longer hold the same joy. Jaded maybe too strong a word, but the feeling that Christmas or your birthday, are just not the same, is palpable. All that changed last Friday night. The joy came not from the fine performance of the BSO or the dazzling fireworks display. Rather it came from the joy they provided my daughter. Seeing the starbursts reflected in her widened eyes, and her fists clenched up to her chest in excitement allowed me to capture a glimpse of the joy I had once felt. The Fourth of July is about remembering our declaration of independence from Great Britain, and that there are brave men and women who put their lives on the line to defend our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Yes it is all about those big things, but it is also about the small things, like the gleam in your child’s eyes at the rocket’s red glare.
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POSTED July 2, 5:46 AM
Stephen Walters and Louis Miserendino’s report Baltimore’s Flawed Renaissance: The Failure of Plan-Control-Subsidize Redevelopment is a gold mine for instructive historical tidbits. If their cogent economic argument against the... Read More
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POSTED June 27, 7:34 AM
Previously, I discussed the historical examples of the perils of government regulations and government planning. See here and here. My point was that the more fingers government puts into the market the larger the impetus for big business... Read More
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POSTED June 26, 12:24 AM
The travails of Sheila Dixon and Ulysses Currie are just the latest in a long line of Maryland political scandals. Here are some of the more recent and memorable scandals. 1973—Then Vice-President Spiro Agnew, pleads nolo contendre... Read More
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POSTED June 22, 7:39 AM
On June 21 1788, the state of New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution of the United States of America, thereby putting it into effect as the law of the land.Although all 13 states would eventually ratify the document, New... Read More
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POSTED June 19, 8:14 AM
How ironic that the Boston Celtics won the NBA Championship nearly 22 years to the day the man they drafted to win several more died. I will never forget June 19, 1986, the day Len Bias died. For me, Bias was and will always... Read More
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POSTED June 16, 11:14 AM
One of Baltimore's true gems is the Maryland Historical Society. The MDHS, founded in 1844, is a "temple of Maryland memories and of Maryland fame." The MDHS complex, located at 210 West Monument St. offers a museum, special... Read More
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POSTED June 12, 7:20 AM
One June 12, 1987, 21 years ago today, Ronald Reagan spoke in front of a large crowd of cheering West Berliners. With the Berlin Wall as a backdrop, Reagan challenged Mikhail Gorbachev to live up to his promise to liberalize... Read More
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POSTED June 11, 3:32 PM
I love our state flag. It truly is the best of all 50 states. I hung one on my porch this past weekend. Strangely, they are not easy to find in the Baltimore area unless you want to brave the parking nightmare at... Read More
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POSTED June 10, 2:58 PM
Today brought the resignation of PSC Chairman Steve Larsen, and extremely high demand for electricity. How ironic that on June 10, 1752 Ben Franklin supposedly flew a kite in a thunderstorm to prove his theory that... Read More
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