The Candy Cane – Encore!

This week, we examine a history myth that gets a lot of “air time” during the holidays: the supposedly religious origins of the candy cane. The story (seen mostly in emails from your nutty uncle) goes something like this: In the early 20th century, a confectioner in Indiana created the candy cane as a symbol…

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The Mozart-Saleri Feud: Did “Amadeus” Tell the Real Story?

The film “Amadeus” was a huge hit in the mid-1980s. It depicted Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri as musical rivals in the Austrian court in the late 18th century, which ultimately ends with Mozart’s early death. But was anything in the film accurate? Did Salieri plot to kill Mozart? Was jealousy over musical genius…

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“It’s a Wonderful Life” 1947 Radio Drama

Listeners have asked me to post the 1947 Lux Radio Drama version of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. Enjoy this great story in a different format! — Buzzkill Bookshelf Michael Willian, The Essential It’s a Wonderful Life – 75th Anniversary Edition: A Scene-by-Scene Guide to the Classic Film To celebrate…

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Dog Poop and Social Order in Recent History

Dr. Tim Newburn explains how modern societies (especially Britain) have organized themselves since the 1970s. He uses the new practice of cleaning up after dogs to bust myths about the orderliness of the “good old days.” The relatively recent phenomenon of “pooper scoopers” explains why some societies have been able to regulate themselves around a…

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The NRA: the Unauthorized History

Today’s show is mainly an interview with award-winning journalist, Frank Smyth, whose book The NRA: the Unauthorized History, is the most recent, in-depth history of the National Rifle Association. The book, and the interview, show how the NRA changed very radically in the 1970s and has continued to spin out on a new trajectory, becoming…

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The Hindenburg News Report

We often talk about the effects that the reporting of dramatic and important events from the past has had on how those events (and the people involved) are treated in history. Often, the initial reports are accurate enough, but those reports are then misunderstood, misinterpreted, or deliberately tweaked by later commentators. That’s how myths creep…

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Lee Offered His Sword to Grant

It’s a great story, Buzzkillers. It affirms the idea of gentlemanly conduct between officers of opposing armies. After his surrender in the parlor of the house of Wilmer McLean in the town of Appomattox Court House (that’s the actual name of the hamlet, by the way, Buzzkillers, “Appomattox Court House”) in April 1865, Confederate General…

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Samuel Tucker – Man Crush Monday!

General Ty Seidule tells us about Major Samuel Tucker, civil rights champion and American hero. Listen to his amazing story and why we should look around us to find the history of the heroes in our own communities. Episode 441. Samuel Tucker Website Link: https://www.alexandriava.gov/historic/blackhistory/default.aspx?id=73256 14 Feb 2022 — Buzzkill Bookshelf

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Red Cloud: Man Crush Monday!

Heather Cox Richardson tells us about Red Cloud, a Native American leader who deserves more fame and glory. Dr. Richardson gives us a sophisticated understanding of why Red Cloud was important and what he means for American history as a whole! Episode 439. Links mentioned in the show: Basic Health International: Please help end cervical…

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“It’s a Wonderful Life” 1947 Radio Drama

Listeners have asked me to post the 1947 Lux Radio Drama version of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. Enjoy this great story in a different format! — Buzzkill Bookshelf Michael Willian, The Essential It’s a Wonderful Life – 75th Anniversary Edition: A Scene-by-Scene Guide to the Classic Film To celebrate…

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