Thomas Edison is celebrated as one of the greatest of modern inventors. For us Buzzkillers, Edison is interesting because the myths are more subtle than most other myths. He didn’t actually invent a lot of the stuff he’s given credit for. Sometimes he invented a better (or more mass-produce-able, or more sale-able) version. Sometimes his…
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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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I’m on a roll, Buzzkillers. Not only do we have a new Chief Operating Officer here at the Institute, but I have had more intense consultations with listeners in the past few weeks than ever before. Last week, Buzzkiller Ben West, messaged me on Facebook asking about the famous quote often attributed to George Orwell:…
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One of the advantages of being in my station in life and having my social status is that I’m able to hire professionals to do a lot of the difficult work for me. The Buzzkill Institute pays very well for this, in my opinion. And so when the new Chief Operating Officer called me into…
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He is often referred to as one of the greatest baseball players of all time, but was Ty Cobb, the Georgia Peach, rotten to the core? Was his professional greatness mirrored by personal repugnance? As is so often the case, Cobb’s soiled reputation was mostly the product of a bad biography and reporters repeating old…
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For the past few years at the very least, Americans have seen a major increase in protests at local school board meetings, as well as delegations to state legislatures, demanding changes in what is taught in schools. People are aggrieved over what they perceive to be the dangers of things like “critical race theory” and…
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You know, Buzzkillers, I have the best friends. One of them recently asked me about the now-famous and heartwarming story of the Bonne Maman jam company sheltering Jews in France during the Holocaust. It has been one of the most viral history stories of the past year, and has now become firmly entrenched in popular…
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Lots of people are credited with coining the great phrase, “well-behaved women rarely make history.” They include Marilyn Monroe, Gloria Steinem, Eleanor Roosevelt, Anne Boleyn, and many more. Given time, any powerful woman with backbone and nerve will get credit for this phrase and sentiment. Even Princess Leila from “Star Wars” saying “well-behaved women rarely…
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The myth that George Washington was not the first President of the United States has been kicking around for nearly 100 years. The fundamental argument is that there were Presidents of the Continental Congress (1774-1789) before there was a President under the US Constitution (1789). This is true. There were fourteen men who served in…
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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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