malgeo

Things are warming up... a bit

2012-02-08T03:21:00.001-05:00

Things are beginning to warm up a bit in Ulaanbaatar, with daytime highs this week in the 0 F to +3 F range. Not time to break out the shorts yet, but I have reduced my upper layers from four to three, and I've started wearing my regular jeans again (instead of the flannel-lined pair). ... R.I.P. Florence Green, the very last World War I veteran. Florence was a member of the British Royal Air Force. She died on Saturday, just two weeks shy of her 111th birthday. ... A blogger has translated one of my articles about the secret operation on Grover Cleveland into Italian. Very cool! ... The Chicago-based band Canasta is touring Mongolia this week as part of the State Department's Arts Envoy Program. She's traveling with them out in the countryside (as the boondocks are called here) and sent along this photo of one of her hotel bathrooms. The shower has a small hot water heater that needs to be plugged in when you shower. But, as you can see, when you plug it in, it creates a wee bit of a hazard!

Baby, It's Cold Outside...

2012-01-25T03:31:00.002-05:00

This is historically the coldest time of the year in Mongolia. In Ulaanbaatar this week, we’re expecting daytime highs around -10 F and overnight lows around -50 F. I spend at least an hour a day outside, walking to and from work. The cold doesn’t really bother me too much, at least not until it gets around -30 F or so. Then you really begin to notice it, especially when it’s windy (which it rarely is; hence the terrible winter pollution in UB).

In fact, it’s surprising how fast one adjusts to the bitter cold. Back in October, I think, Allyson and I walked home from a restaurant one night when it was -9 F. That felt cold. But now -9 F practically feels balmy.

There are certain precautions that must be taken when spending any time outside here. It goes without saying that every part of your body that can be covered must be covered. Gloves won’t do, you need good insulated mittens. Keep moving and you’re OK. Standing in the cold waiting for a taxi is no fun. Flannel-lined jeans or long underwear are mandatory. Layers are your friend. I bought a fancy down jacket from LL Bean before we came here, but mostly I just wear two lighter jackets, one over the other, and that does the job nicely.

There are certain inconveniences that come with the extreme cold. Bundling up to go out (and unbundling when you get home)… Eyeglasses fogging up… Beard covered with ice… Frozen sidewalks, steps, and streets… Eyes watering...

But on the whole, I prefer extreme cold to extreme heat, and the summers here are really quite lovely!

Weekend in Paris

2012-01-17T21:40:00.002-05:00

Allyson and I went to Paris last weekend. It was a whirlwind visit. We left UB at 8 AM on Friday and arrived in Paris at 6 PM on Friday. So we had breakfast in Mongolia and dinner in France! We stayed on the Left Bank and spent Saturday wandering around, browsing in markets, enjoying some oysters for lunch (can't get those in UB!). Saturday night we had another amazing dinner (at a restaurant with a cat!). Sunday afternoon we flew back, arriving home on Monday afternoon. Great trip!

Luck

2011-12-02T20:57:00.001-05:00

I have a long walk home from work every day (2.3 milesaccording to my Fitbit), and that gives me plenty of time to think (sometimestoo much time). Lately I’ve been thinking about luck. Maybe it’s because I reada story about a guy who just won $1 million in the Georgia Lottery – for the second time.

I like to say the luckiest day of my life was the day I wasborn: happy, healthy, and whole, into a large and loving family at a propitioustime and place in history. That’s a lot of advantages right from the get-go.You’d have to work pretty hard to screw that up (and don’t think I haven’ttried).

But that’s not really luck. More like an accident withfortunate consequences.

In my senior year of college, I met with the head of thefolklore department to discuss the (admittedly limited) opportunities in mychosen field. His name was Henry Glassie. He was tall and lean with anunfashionably bushy mustache and a seemingly endless supply of plaid shirts. Helooked exactly like the head of a folklore department should.

(As an aside, Professor Glassie is truly one of America’sgreatest living folklorists. His first book, Pattern in the Material Folk Culture of the Eastern United States, is a seminal work in the field. Inresearching it, he visited every county east of the Mississippi River. Everycounty. Think about that for a minute.)

In his wonderfully untidy office, Professor Glassie warnedme that folklore was not a particularly lucrative pursuit. This did not come asa surprise to me. “The only way I’ll ever get rich is if I win the lottery,” Isaid. “And I never play the lottery so I’ll never be rich.” At this he laughedand said, “What a marvelous syllogism!” I laughed back and pretended I knewwhat the hell a syllogism was.

Life comprises two things: the choices we make andeverything else. And everything else is out of our hands. If you choose to playthe lottery, you might win. If you choose not to, then you won’t win. So evenwinning the lottery begins with a choice. In the end, luck has nothing to dowith it.

Public intoxication

2011-11-27T00:41:00.001-05:00

Walking home from work on Thursday (yes, I had to work on Thanksgiving), I saw a highly inebriated gentleman standing in the middle of the sidewalk. Apparently he had an urgent need to urinate, but was having trouble accessing the necessary organ. Sometimes it's tough to reach, what with all the layers. He was hunched over, fiddling around with his zipper like it was a Gordian Knot (great band, btw). Suddenly he stood upright, as if a thought had just occurred to him (perhaps "Maybe I shouldn't be urinating here"). But this sudden movement started him teetering, and he fell backwards, like a felled tree. He seemed unfazed by this development, and by the time I reached him, stretched across the sidewalk flat on his back, his eyes were closed and he was smiling. I hope he didn't fall asleep. The temperature was about -5 F.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-25T01:52:00.001-05:00

Wow, can’t believe it’s already Thanksgiving. Sorry I haven’tposted much lately. Between the bouts of heavy drinking and the hard work, who’sgot the time? (Just kidding of course; I haven’t been working that hard.) ...

First, I have an update on the mystery of the fate of theOneida, the yacht on which Grover Cleveland’s secret cancer surgery wasperformed. As I blogged about a few weeks ago, somebody sent me a picture theysnapped last summer of a boat that looks an awful lot like the Oneida. It wasexciting to think that the Oneida was still out there, since its ultimate fateis still unknown (to me, at least).

Well, this week I got an e-mail from somebody who thinks theyacht in that picture is actually

the Cangarda (built in 1901) – and I think he’s right:

Drats, I was really hoping I’d found the Oneida.

On the home front, it’s been getting colder and colder inUlaanbaatar, but we’re adjusting. The other morning Allyson was getting readyfor work when she asked me what the weather was like outside. I said, “Not too bad:four above.” (And that’s Farenheit, of course.) A couple weeks ago we went outto dinner and walked home in a temperature of nine below. That was pretty cold.

And the simple act of walking is complicated by the factthat the entire city is pretty much covered with a layer of ice, including thesidewalks. At least the snow makes the open manholes easier to see.

Beijing Trip

2011-11-01T22:19:00.001-04:00

Allyson had a conference in Beijing last week and I tagged along to check out the city. We got a bit of sightseeing in on Friday and Saturday and generally had a good time. I was impressed by the city: clean, modern, totalitarian. But the public displays of expectoration were startlingly numerous (and disgusting). People here in UB spit in public a lot, but nothing like the Chinese, who seem to be conjuring a piece of an internal organ with the preliminary hacking, then expel the result on the sidewalk (or, in one case, the floor of the meat market), not to mention everything else in the general vicinity. Seriously, don't talk to me about "cultural differences" - you'll never be regarded as a modern city as long as people are hocking loogies in public. (And there are packs of wild dogs roaming about - but that's a different rant.)

Anyway, here I am in Tiananmen Square. I was going to write "freedom" on a bed sheet and run around with it, but Allyson talked me out of it.

On Saturday we took a cooking class and learned how to make won tons, dumplings, etc. Here's Allyson carefully making a won ton.

And here we are enjoying the fruits of our labors!

A four-leaf clover...

2011-10-18T08:47:00.004-04:00

One day in 1971 - 40 years ago! - when I was five years old, I found a four-leaf clover in my backyard.

My mom had it laminated (remember those laminating vending machines?).

It's fallen apart a bit, but I still have it - and I still haven't found another four-leaf clover since then.

Horseback riding

2011-10-07T21:17:00.004-04:00

Allyson and I went horseback riding last weekend

at Bogdkhan Uul National Park,

about 20 km outside Ulaanbaatar.

Just my second time on a horse.

We took a two-hour trek with a guide.

Actually traversed some challenging terrain.

It was a blast!

Grover Cleveland's "secret operation" yacht found?

2011-09-30T10:42:00.000-04:00

I received an interesting e-mail recently from Robert DeSimone, who read an article about the secret operation on Grover Cleveland that I wrote for BoatUS (a great magazine, incidentally). In the article (and in my book about the operation), I mentioned that the ultimate fate of the Oneida, the yacht on which the operation took place is unknown:

Around 1914, Elias Benedict [the owner] sold the yacht, which was rechristened the Adelante and converted into a towboat. During World War I the Adelante was commandeered by the U.S. Navy and put into service setting up a network of maritime radio stations along the Maine coast. After the war, it went back into service as a towboat, operating out of New York under the names John Gulley and Salvager. By 1941, the boat, once one of the grandest yachts in the world and the site of a unique episode in American history, had been abandoned. Presumably it was sold for scrap.

Well, Robert e-mailed me a photo of a yacht that looks a lot like the Oneida. Here’s what he wrote:

I was flipping through the magazine and saw the first page of your article. As I looked at the picture I immediately remembered a picture I took while vacationing in Nantucket. When I took the picture of that glorious old ship my imagination started to whirl. I really did think there was something “presidential” about this boat, some great history behind it. I snapped the picture and moved on. I'm no expert on yachts either, but the details are strikingly similar with the exception of the center mast and rear deck structure. Over its lifespan the Oneida would have had many retrofits and upgrades. Who knows, maybe she sat dormant for years and was eventually restored to her original beauty. The setting for your article seems to match the region where I saw the boat. I would guess it's a privately owned yacht. This picture was taken on August 19, 2011 in the Nantucket Harbor. I wish I had snapped a picture of the name on her stern. Maybe it's a bit of history lost and now found?

OK, below is the picture that Robert sent me. Below that are two pictures of the Oneida, one taken around the time of the operation in 1893, another taken in 1914, when the yacht was the towboat known as the Adelante (click on an image to enlarge it):

UPDATE: A friend just emailed this old picture of the Oneida that he found online. It's facing the same direction as the yacht in the photo that Robert sent me, which make comparing the boats a bit easier:

I agree: The boats sure do look similar. Could it be that Grover’s “secret operation” yacht is still out there plying the waters off the East Coast? What do you think? Any suggestions on how I can identify the boat in the photo that Robert sent me? Please let me know.

Harry Truman's Utmärkt Resan

2011-09-26T22:02:00.001-04:00

For some reason, my Truman book has been reviewed in Swedish. Here's the original, and here's the "English" version courtesy of the Google translator. From the latter, here's my favorite bit:

In a postscript to the paperback edition from 2011 of his book (the original was introduced in 2009) says Algeo that he managed to trace the car to a farm near Kansas City, unfortunately in rather poor condition and impossible expensive to restore (in the overgrown garden of a jew lawyer family outside Philadelphia I invited over a Thanksgiving weekend at the mid-sixties there was an equally imaginative and derelict car, a big station wagon with exterior wooden slats that belonged to the radical artist Ben Shahn ( with the posthumous portrait of Day Hammarsköld with the menacing ash ).

Set your phasers to stun(ned)...

2011-09-12T01:00:00.000-04:00

OK, this is cool: In this interview, Walter Koenig (Chekov from Star Trek) says the last book he's read is ... The President Is a Sick Man!

Did we get lost on the way to Tsetseguun.......

2011-09-07T02:45:00.000-04:00

Today we have a guest blogger -- my first! It's Chuck Howell of USAID here in UB. Chuck organized last weekend's hike and wrote about it for the Nomad News, the embassy community's newsletter. With Chuck's kind permission, I'm republishing his article here. And, before you ask, yes there were two Al(l)lysons on the hike: Mine (Allyson) and the "new" Alyson (aka One L).

Did we get lost on the way to Tsetseguun.......
Or was it a clever ruse? Should we have taken the turn to the left instead of the right? You may ask how Tumi, Chuck, and Michelle -- all of whom have hiked Tsetseguun several times could have taken a wrong turn on the busiest and best marked trail in Boghdan National Park? Or was it a planned wrong turn in order to give a real experience of hiking in the forest? Either way, our group, that in included not only the above three but also first time Mongolia hikers, Allyson A, Matthew, Alyson M, and Carrie (friend of Michelle's), experienced a truly great hike and first exposure to the great natural beauty of Mongolia.
Regardless, we found a new way to walk within 20 -25 minutes of the summit without running into other hikers or noise other than our own. Granted, there were more rock outcrops to negotiate and more bogs with hidden holes to avoid, but in general it was a good test for us.
The hike to Tsetseguun on the regular trail takes almost two hours. At the two hour mark on our hike, we were unsure whether we should hike to the left or right to find the trail. So we took a lunch break while Tumi climbed a couple of levels of a nearby rock hill to determine our location. We knew we were close to the summit, but which way to go was the question. Tumi was able to get to the top of the rock hill for a remarkable vista looking north and east. He also saw Tsetseguun and upon his return, we headed in the direction of gradual left. After about 10 minutes we came to the main path. At that point we were about 5 minutes from the plateau and 20 from the summit. Alyson and I hiked another 12 minutes north to a vista point on the plateau while the rest of our intrepid group headed down, or south, on the marked path.
On the way down we were passed by groups and groups of people headed to Tsetseguun -- more people than we had ever seen on the mountain. They were having a great hike up and looking forward to celebrating at the summit.
Tsetseguun is always a great hike whether you make the left turn that is marked or go the path less taken -- just be sure, if you take the path less traveled, you also go with Tumi. The other tip is to depart Ulaanbaatar so you can be at the trail head by 9am at the latest because of the buses and groups that start around 10am.

Is that Cleveland or Taft?

2011-09-04T03:49:00.001-04:00

Here's an interesting Grover Cleveland interview with Larry Reed, the president of the "freedom-centric" Foundation for Economic Education and, probably, America's leading Cleveland disciple. I don't agree with everything he says - I don't believe Cleveland knew how to fix the Panic of 1893, for instance - but my favorite part of the interview comes at 2:50, when the geniuses at FOX put up a picture of Taft instead of Cleveland.

Hiking Trip, September 3, 2011

2011-09-03T04:45:00.004-04:00

Allyson and I joined a few friends for a hike today. It was a perfect day for a hike, but the sun was very intense (hence the headgear). We lost the trail for a while, but had a great day nonetheless. And on the way home we stopped at a ger and picked up some fermented mare's milk. Delicious!

Waiting for Joe (and Pedestrianism)

2011-08-21T03:46:00.007-04:00

Been a busy week here in UB. Joe Biden - VPOTUS, doncha know - is visiting tomorrow, so Allyson has been working nonstop. And I've started my new job as the English-language editor at the website news.mn. Oh, and I sold my next book. It will be about pedestrianism, the great competitive-walking craze of the nineteenth century. Did you know that pedestrianism was once the most popular spectator sport in the English-speaking world? You will after you read Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk Was the World’s Most Popular Pastime. Of course, that won't be until 2013 or so. (Pictured above is Edward Weston, photographed circa 1909. Weston was one of America’s most famous pedestrians. In 1861, he walked from Boston to Washington in ten days. Six years later, Weston collected a $10,000 prize by walking from Portland, Maine to Chicago in 26 days.)

Corporations and People

2011-08-12T06:51:00.002-04:00

"Corporations are people, my friend." -Mitt Romney, 2011

"Corporations, which should be carefully restrained creatures of the law and the servants of the people, are fast becoming the people’s masters." -Grover Cleveland, 1888

Brother can you spare 123 tughrik?

2011-08-09T04:48:00.007-04:00

Mongolian currency has no coins, only bills. This can lead to a deceptively thick wallet. (I bet Mongolian men have a higher rate of back problems because their wallets are so fat.) For example, the photo above depicts 1,065 tughrik on the left, and its equivalent in U.S. currency on the right: 87 cents. (The current exchange rate is 1,229 tughrik = 1 dollar.) Mongolian bills come in eleven denominations: 20,000, 10,000, 5,000, 1,000, 500, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, and 1 (though I've never seen a 1 tughrik note, which is worth about 1/12 of one cent). The hard part is, every note above 100 is the same size and features the same portrait (of Chinggis Khaan, naturally), so they are notoriously difficult to tell apart. Each denomination is a slightly different color, but with especially worn bills it's hard to tell.

Speaking of money, I have found a job! I will be working as an editor for the English version of the Mongolian news website news.mn. It's only part-time, but I will be working mainly with Mongolians, which should help me pick up the language more quickly. And, I don't mean to brag, but my weekly salary will be well into the six figures!

It's "officially" a best seller!

2011-08-07T01:43:00.002-04:00

I guess I am officially a "best-selling author" now: The President Is a Sick Man is No. 10 on this week's Maine Sunday Telegram best-sellers list! Click here to see the list.

PBS NewsHour, July 29, 2011

2011-07-30T22:41:00.003-04:00

Watch the full episode. See more PBS NewsHour.

Here I am discussing The President Is a Sick Man with Ray Suarez on the PBS NewsHour last Friday. And in case you missed it, the website PopMatters.com recently gave the book a very lengthy (and positive) review. Click here to read it. More updates from Ulaanbaatar coming soon!

Ulaanbaatar

2011-07-24T01:22:00.003-04:00

We arrived in Ulaanbaatar late Thursday night. The kitties were on the same flight (they had been shipped separately from Washington). Our apartment is great! We don't have Internet yet, so I can't go into much detail, but it suffices to say that we are well and happy. The photo above was taken yesterday (Saturday, July 23) in front of one of the Buddhist temples in UB...

Longellow Books, Portland, ME, 7 PM Tuesday

2011-07-18T09:47:00.002-04:00

Crazy week. Left DC for Maine last Friday but unexpectedly had to fly back to DC yesterday to do something for the book. Tomorrow (Tuesday, July 19) I will be back in Maine to do a reading at 7 PM at Longellow Books in Portland (click here for details). I hope to see a lot of familiar faces there! Then... early Wednesday morning... we fly out of Portland for Ulan Bator - via Detroit and Seoul. Should be quite the adventure!!

NMHM event last night

2011-07-13T10:41:00.001-04:00

Many, many thanks to the National Museum of Health and Medicine for organizing such a wonderful event in Silver Spring. More than 50 people attended!

National Museum of Health and Medicine

2011-07-12T14:22:00.003-04:00

I'm really looking forward to tonight's event for the National Museum of Health and Medicine in Silver Spring, Maryland (just outside Washington). (Click here for details.) The museum has slides with samples of Grover's tumor!

The movers came yesterday and packed up our stuff. Now we're living out of suitcases until we get to Ulaanbaatar. We leave Washington on Friday for Maine. We leave portland for UB on the 20th - a week from tomorrow. Hard to believe!

Quick update...

2011-07-09T14:45:00.003-04:00

I was interviewed about The President Is a Sick Man on NPR's Morning Edition this week. Click here to listen. Incidentally, I will be anchoring the NPR newscasts overnight tonight (July 9 - 10). Insomniacs tune in!

Me and Mom, July 7, 2011

2011-07-07T23:12:00.002-04:00

Book TV

2011-06-24T10:56:00.001-04:00

My reading last month at the Museum of American Finance in New York will be aired on C-SPAN's Book TV this Sunday, June 26, at 11 AM and 8 PM EDT. Click here for more information.

Seattle, TONIGHT (if it's Tues. June 21)

2011-06-21T13:11:00.002-04:00

Took the train from Chicago to Seattle with an old friend. A most memorable trip (though not always in a good way; we ran about five hours late). It's great/amazing/weird to be back in Seattle, where I lived for five years ('88 - '93). It sure has changed a lot since then, I can tell you that. Anyway, I will be appearing at Third Place Books just outside Seattle tonight at 7 PM. Please come see me, old Seattle friends - we're all going out for beers afterwards. Fore more info about the event, click here.

Washington Post review, Philly event

2011-06-12T14:04:00.004-04:00

The Post gave my book a pretty nice review today. Click here to read it. This Wednesday (June 15) I will be doing an event that I've been really looking forward to: I will be speaking at the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia at 6:30 pm. This is where Grover Cleveland's tumor is on display, and the museum will be open for the event, so you can come here me prattle on about my book and see the tumor! Click here for details.

JFK Stadium, Philadelphia, July 1982

2011-06-10T14:52:00.006-04:00

This is a picture of me and and my sister Joan at a concert at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia on August 21, 1982. The lineup was Robert Hazard, Flock of Seagulls, Blondie, Elvis Costello, and Genesis. Tickets were $15.25. Hard to believe it's been nearly 30 years since this photo was taken, and nearly 20 since JFK was torn down. We went to the concert with Joan's friend Lisa, who recently sent me this picture. Priceless. Thank you, Lisa!

Wheeling, Tuesday, June 7

2011-06-06T17:11:00.002-04:00

My event in Wheeling, WV tomorrow (Tuesday, June 7) will be a fundraiser for West Virginia Tornado Relief. Click here for details.

WORD Bookstore, Brooklyn, June 2, 2011

2011-06-05T15:11:00.003-04:00

Had a great event at WORD last Thursday, where I was interviewed by my friend (and Washington Post art and architecture critic) Philip Kennicott. Next time you're in NYC, check out WORD: it's a wonderful bookstore!

Happy 125th anniversary to Uncle Jumbo and Frankie!

2011-06-02T10:56:00.002-04:00

One hundred twenty-five years ago today - on June 2, 1886 - President Grover Cleveland and Frances Folsom were married. The ceremony took place in the Blue Room of the White House. It was an intimate ceremony: just twenty-eight guests, including all the members of the cabinet and their wives, excepting Attorney General Augustus Garland, who, after the death of his wife several years earlier, had pledged to never again take part in “social festivities,” declining even to attend his own son’s wedding. The forty-nine-year-old groom donned a tuxedo with a white bowtie. The twenty-one-year-old bride wore a gown of heavy corded satin so stiff it could stand up by itself. Grover’s brother William, a Presbyterian minister, presided. In her vows, Frances promised to “love, honor, and . . . keep”--not “obey.” The music was provided by the Marine Band under the direction of John Philip Sousa...

Really looking forward to tonight's event in Brooklyn. Click here for more information.

Brooklyn, Thursday night...

2011-06-01T11:12:00.004-04:00

I'm doing an event Thursday night at WORD, a great bookstore in Brooklyn. It will be a little different than the usual reading; it will be done in an interview format, and my interviewer will be my friend and the Washington Post's culture critic, Phil Kennicott. It should be a lot of fun, and I hope my legions of friends and fans in the NYC area will show up. Click here for more information. Speaking of the Post, a book review that I wrote for them appeared in last Sunday's paper. Click here to read it. Oh, and here's an interview I did for the book on WNED Radio in Buffalo.

Politics and Prose, Washington, DC, May 28, 2011

2011-05-30T19:26:00.002-04:00

Had a wonderful event at Politics and Prose on Saturday night. In my remarks I noted that, for authors, doing a reading there is the equivalent of playing Madison Square Garden. I have another big event coming up Thursday night in Brooklyn. It will be at WORD, a wonderful little bookstore. Click here for more information.

Buffalo, May 26, 2011

2011-05-26T22:49:00.001-04:00

Had a great day in Grover's adopted hometown of Buffalo today. Had a great event this afternoon at the Central Library. Afterwards I walked down to City Hall and paid homage to the statue of Grover (above). This evening I had another great event at Talking Leaves, a fantastic bookstore. Oh, and the Canadian magazine Macleans gave the book a very nice review. Tomorrow I drive back to DC, and Saturday at 6 PM I will be speaking and signing at the famed Politics and Prose Bookstore. Really looking forward to that event. (Click here for details.) Hope to see my many DC-area friends there. And please help spread the word!!!

Audio of my Kansas City presentation

2011-05-23T15:38:00.005-04:00

Quick update...

2011-05-22T12:44:00.002-04:00

I know, I know, I haven't been doing a good job of updating the blog lately. Truth is, I've been running around a lot. The first leg of the book tour ended last week when I dropped off my friend's car in Brooklyn. I'd driven it all the way from Los Angeles: 4,194 miles in 18 days. This week I'm back on the road for events in Buffalo, then, next Saturday, May 28, I'll be doing a reading at Politics & Prose, a famous Washington bookstore. I'm very excited about that one! (For the particulars on my events, please visit the book's website here and click on Book Tour.)

Here's s rundown of recent publicity for the book... Here's an op-ed about Grover that I wrote for the Christian Science Monitor... Here's my appearance on Inside City Hall, a great program on NY1 in New York... And here's a nice plug for my Buffalo appearances in the Buffalo News.

Milwaukee...

2011-05-10T19:19:00.004-04:00

Had a great day in Milwaukee yesterday. In the afternoon I was given a tour of the Milwaukee Press Club by former club president Roger Stafford. Roger had read my Truman book and thought I might appreciate the club. And how! The walls are covered by autographs of famous politicians, entertainers, writers, and athletes from the late 1800s to the present. Click here to see some photos. Afterwards, Roger asked me to add my own autograph to the walls - a great honor. indeed!
Last night I did my spiel at Boswell Books in Milwaukee - an awesome bookstore. About 25 people turned out - not bad for a Monday night in Milwaukee!
Tomorrow I have a busy day in St. Louis: On KTRS (550 AM) at 9 AM, St. Louis Public Radio (90.7 FM) at 11 AM, and a reading at Pudd'nhead Books at 7 PM.

Kansas City, May 3, 2011

2011-05-06T17:38:00.002-04:00

Matthew Algeo - May 3, 2011, a photo by The Kansas City Public Library on Flickr.

A photo from my event at the Kansas City Public Library, May 3, 2011. Attendance was 116.

Indianapolis, Indiana

2011-05-05T15:26:00.004-04:00

I'm in Indianapolis today, appearing at the Indiana Medical History Museum tonight at six. On the way I stopped at the cemetery in Terre Haute, Indiana where Eugene V. Debs is buried. Debs plays a small role in my new book. He was a labor leader, Socialist presidential candidate, and all-around great American. Click here to see more photos from my visit. Tomorrow it's on to Chicago!

Goin' to Kansas City...

2011-05-02T18:26:00.003-04:00

Quick updates: Visited the Eisenhower Library in Abilene, Kansas today. (Click here to see some photos.) ... The Associated Press released a very nice review of the book today. ... For some reason, the Daily Mail, a British paper, ran a piece about the book today too! ... Tomorrow (Tuesday) morning I'll be a guest on Up to Date with Steve Kraske at 11 AM CDT on KCUR-FM (89.3) in Kansas City. And tomorrow night the book tour officially kicks off with an event at the Kansas City Public Library. If you can make it, please come out and see me!

Camp Amache

2011-05-01T21:38:00.005-04:00

Today I drove from La Junta (that's luh-HUN-tuh), Colorado to Salina (that's suh-LY-nuh), Kansas. Along the way I stopped outside the town of Granada, Colorado to visit the site of a Japanese-American internment camp. About 10,000 Japanese-Americans were interred in what was called Camp Aamache during World War II. Only the foundations of the barracks remain, but the old well house is still standing, though, as you can see in this picture, a large tree is now growing through it. Kudos to Granada High School, which has a student club that maintains the grounds. Tomorrow, I'm visting the Eisenhower Library in Abilene, Kansas. I don't think I should tell them I wrote a book about Harry Truman.

Oh, and the Wall Street Journal reviewed my book. Not too gushing, but still not too bad.

On the road...

2011-04-29T22:39:00.003-04:00

The trip's gone quite well so far. Flew into Los Angeles Wednesday afternoon. That night I attended a party at a friend's apartment, where I met the writer Sandra Cisneros. We chatted about writing for about 20 minutes. We're very different kinds of writers. For one thing, she's won one of those MacArthur "genius" grants. But it was an interesting conversation.

Yesterday I drove from L.A. to Flagstaff, Arizona (466 mi., 7 hr., 29 min.). This morning I stopped by the Flagstaff Barnes and Noble, where I saw The President Is a Sick Man in a bookstore for the first time. Then I drove to Santa Fe (392 mi., 6 hr. 34 min.). Winds of 50 mph with occasional dust storms the whole way. My friend's Prius, which I'm driving, is holding up well. (Don't worry, Phil.)

Tonight I'm staying at the home of James McGrath Morris, whose acclaimed biography of Joseph Pulitzer is now available in paperback. Jamie's already written a great blurb for my book, so now I am even more indebted to him!

Tomorrow I'll meander into Kansas. Looking forward to visiting the Eisenhower Library in Abilene (finally). First official event of the book tour is Tuesday night in Kansas City.

Oh, and the book got a nice mention on the Washington Post book blog this week.

Tempus Fugit

2011-04-19T08:26:00.005-04:00

April is flying by. Last weekend's book festival in Philadelphia was fun (if a little wet). This week Allyson is attending a Mongolian language immersion program at Indiana U. (home of one of the country's only Mongolian Studies programs). Next week I embark on the book tour, flying to L.A. to pick up a friend's car, which I'll be driving all the way to NYC. It'll be my third coast-to-coast road trip (Philly-to-Seattle 1988, L.A.-to-DC 2004).

Philly on Saturday

2011-04-14T11:57:00.004-04:00

Just a reminder that I will have a booth at the Philadelphia Book Festival this Saturday, April 16, from 10:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. My booth is No. 6 on 19th Street (right beside the library). I'll be selling copies of all my books, including the new one hot off the presses!

Finding Truman's Chrysler

2011-04-11T09:53:00.001-04:00

The excellent website History News Network is running a brief essay about my "discovery" of Harry Truman's long-lost 1953 Chrysler...

Philly Book Festival, April 16

2011-04-06T18:37:00.005-04:00

Forgot to mention that I will have a booth at the Philadelphia Book Festival on Saturday, April 16, from 10:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. My booth is No. 6 on 19th Street (beside the library). I'll be selling all my books (hopefully my copies of the Grover book will have arrived by then), as well as a few other goodies. So please go to the festival and stop by my booth!

Quick update...

2011-04-06T18:03:00.005-04:00

Been a crazy week. The President Is a Sick Man has been published and should be available soon. I got my copy last Thursday, and I really think it's a great looking book. Meanwhile, the paperback of Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure is now on sale. It includes a new afterword in which I explain how I tracked down Harry's 1953 Chrysler. I anchored the NPR newscasts overnight Saturday and Sunday. Did OK, I think. Then on Monday night I saw Yes in concert at the Warner Theater right here in Washington. Sat in the second row - it was awesome! This weekend we're off to Portland, and three weeks from today I fly to Los Angeles to begin the book tour...

The new book has arrived!

2011-03-30T16:34:00.004-04:00

Well, it's arrived at my publisher, anyway. Here's a pic they sent me. I should be getting a copy in a day or two, and it should be in stores within the next few weeks. Very exciting!

Not so fast, Besse!

2011-03-28T01:56:00.006-04:00

Last week I told you about 114-year-old Besse Cooper of Georgia, who Guinness World Records has named the world's oldest person. Turns out Besse has some competition for the title: The family of Rebecca Lanier of Ohio claims she just turned 119. Problem is, Rebecca has no birth certificate, so Guinness won't recognize her claim. (Rebecca is African American, and her family points out that birth certificates were not always issued for African Americans born in 1892.) Maybe Besse and Rebecca should just duke it out, UFC-style! Anyway, don't worry: I will be following this story very closely and providing regular updates.

Flip-flopping...

2011-03-25T07:46:00.007-04:00

I usually don't post contemporary political stuff, but this is just too hilarious. It's Newt Gingrich pulling a classic flip-flop on Libya. Reminds me of the Grover quote, "What's the use of being elected unless you stand for something?" Or, in Newt's case, unless you stand for everything. Or maybe nothing.

A New World's Oldest Person

2011-03-22T15:40:00.003-04:00

The world has a new oldest person: 114-year-old Besse Cooper of Monroe, Georgia. Congratulations, Besse, and long may you reign! Besse was born in Tennessee on August 26, 1896, during the last year of Grover Cleveland's second term. She is among the last of the "Grover babies," children born during Cleveland's two administrations.

Grover Cleveland Birthplace Event

2011-03-21T00:12:00.005-04:00

Allyson and I had a wonderful time Saturday at the annual Grover Cleveland Birthday Conference. Many thanks to David, Sharon, and everyone else at the Grover Cleveland Birthplace for making it such an outstanding event. If you ever have the opportunity, please do visit the Cleveland birthplace. It's in Caldwell, New Jersey, a very charming town that's an easy drive from New York and Philadelphia. I'm a little biased, of course, but I think it's splendid!

2011-03-15T08:19:00.002-04:00

Annual Grover Cleveland Birthday Conference Presents: A Lecture By Matthew Algeo

The President Is a Sick Man

10 a.m., Saturday March 19^th, 2011

Author and journalist, Matthew Algeo, will speak on the secret surgery of President Cleveland in 1893, the ensuing cover-up, and the news reporter who, after publishing the story, was labeled a liar and a “disgrace to journalism”. Twenty-four long years would pass before one of Cleveland’s doctors finally revealed the truth.

As a journalist, Algeo has reported from three continents. His stories have been featured on public radio programs; All Things Considered, Marketplace, and Morning Edition. Mr. Algeo is the author of Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure, named one of the Best Books of 2009 by the Washington Post, and Last Team Standing, a history of the Eagles and the Steelers. Wife, Allyson, works for the United States government as a Foreign Service officer. The couple currently resides in Washington.

Excerpts from his latest book, The President is a Sick Man:

“. . . some presidents have gone to remarkable lengths to hide their infirmities . . . Edith Wilson, for all intents and purposes, oversaw the executive branch after her husband’s stroke. It has been said that she could be considered the country’s first female president. . . .Even his valet knew Harding was deathly ill, telling a Secret Service agent that “something is going to happen to our boss . . .”

“. . . at the very moment President Cleveland was slumped, unconscious, in a makeshift operating room . . . the nation's attention was fixed on the opposite end of New York State . . .A steeplejack and tightrope walker . . . was attempting to cross a wire strung over Niagara Falls. According to one report . . .”

Date: Saturday, March 19^th

Time: 9:30 Registration, Lecture 10 am, Luncheon to follow

Location: First Presbyterian Church at Caldwell, 326 Bloomfield Ave., Caldwell NJ

Fee: $25 fee for lecture and luncheon.

Free admission to Grover Cleveland Historic Site

Registration: In advance: 973-226-0001 gcmuseum@gmail.com

Or register at the door.

Event Sponsored by: The Grover Cleveland Birthplace Memorial Association

We honor this month...

2011-03-13T09:53:00.006-04:00

Snapped a photo of this sign at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia yesterday. Wow. What a load of ungrammatical gibberish. Besides, what, exactly, is being honored? "This month"? I suspect Amtrak intended to "honor" Black History Month - which ended nearly two weeks ago.

Grover and Harry in Wax

2011-03-05T18:36:00.003-05:00

I got to "meet" Grover Cleveland and Harry Truman today! Allyson and I went to the new Presidents Exhibit at Madame Tussauds here in Washington. Despite a few factual errors (JFK was not the youngest president, TR was), it's an excellent exhibit. Click here to see more pictures from our visit.

Goodbye, Frank Buckles

2011-03-05T17:36:00.007-05:00

I happened to be working on the newscast desk at NPR last Sunday when the news came across the wire that Frank Buckles, America’s last surviving First World War veteran, had passed away at the age of 110. (He died of natural causes incidentally; I remember calling Allyson to tell her that Jimmy Stewart had died, and her reaction was, “How?” As if he might have died in a parachuting accident.)

I never met Frank, but I feel like I’ve come to known him over the years. I really respected him for embracing his role as the Last Man Standing. He understood the importance of his place in history. He was America’s last living link to the Great War. One week ago, I (or you) could have spoken with spoken with someone who had experienced that war firsthand. Now that opportunity is gone forever. The first draft of the history of the First World War is finished.

I’ve been fascinated by the First World War since I was a kid, and saw the veterans marching at the head of all the parades in Perkasie. (I also remember seeing a few Spanish-American War veterans in the parades, as well; weird to think that I remember the veterans of a nineteenth-century war.) When I worked at Minnesota Public Radio in the mid 90s I did a story about First World War vets for Veterans Day on year. I remember meeting a 99-year-old vet from Wisconsin who still bowled in a league twice a week. He’d shaken hands with Teddy Roosevelt. So I shook the hand that shook the hand...

Another vet I met had lived in the same Minneapolis apartment since the 1920s. His apartment was a time machine. The lamps, appliances, and furniture were at least fifty years old. The neighborhood had changed rather dramatically; it was populated almost entirely by Laotians. It was like something from the movie Being There.

As a history buff, I was drawn to these men. It was almost inconceivable that I could interview soldiers who had served in the trenches on the Western Front. I knew that was a rare opportunity, and I’m glad I took it, because now it’s gone.

Thank you, Frank Buckles. Thank you for your service to our country, and for bearing the standard of your colleagues with incalculable grace.

If the last surviving Second World War veteran lives as long as Frank did, he or she will live until 2039. I just hope I make it that long!

UPDATE: Turns out John Boehner and Harry Reid are refusing to allow Frank's body to lie in the Capitol Rotunda.

Poll: Grover better than most other presidents

2011-02-22T14:03:00.004-05:00

The Siena College Research Institute has released a new poll of historians ranking the 43 presidents. The top five are F.D. Roosevelt, T. Roosevelt, Lincoln, Washington, and Jefferson. Truman came in ninth. Andrew Johnson ranked last. (Click here to see the complete list.)

As is usual in these rankings, Grover is in the middle of the pack, ranking twentieth. Here's how the historians ranked him by category (from 1st to 43rd):

1. Background (family, education, experience) 19
2. Party leadership 16
3. Communication ability (speak, write) 17
4. Relationship with Congress 15
5. Court appointments 17
6. Handling of U.S. economy 22
7. Luck 20
8. Ability to compromise 19
9. Willing to take risks 24
10. Executive appointments 18
11. Overall ability 20
12. Imagination 22
13. Domestic accomplishments 17
14. Integrity 19
15. Executive ability 17
16. Foreign policy accomplishments 21
17. Leadership ability 19
18. Intelligence 25
19. Avoid crucial mistakes 14
20. Expert's present overall view 19

Grover in Wax; Maury Povich in Person

2011-02-17T09:13:00.005-05:00

The Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in Washington has a new exhibit featuring all 43 U.S. Presidents - including Grover, of course. (No word on whether he's featured twice to account for his non-consecutive terms.) I'll have to check it out and post some photos when I get a chance...

I'd been planning to attend a taping of the Maury Povich show this week, but came down with a wicked bad cold. Didn't want to be "that guy" with the hacking cough in the audience (or on the train up and back). Disappointing. Maybe I'll try again in the Spring...

Great (mis)use of the word "literally" on the Maury show

2011-02-03T18:09:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday, Frank Buckles

2011-02-01T08:27:00.003-05:00

Frank Buckles, America's last living World War I veteran, turns 110 today. Happy birthday, Frank! And best wishes for many more. When Frank was born, McKinley was president, and Grover Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison were still alive and well.

A Grover Slideshow

2011-01-31T20:56:00.001-05:00

Grover book on Facebook

2011-01-31T18:31:00.001-05:00

Hey, if you're on Facebook, please "Like" my new book. Click here to go to its Facebook page.

Grover Ranked 4th-Best President Ever

2011-01-21T12:23:00.003-05:00

At least by the conservative British politician Daniel Hannan, who puts Grover behind only Reagan, Lincoln, and Jefferson in this article. Grover - who in his second inaugural declared that "while the people should patriotically and cheerfully support their government, its functions do not include the support of the people" - has become something of a darling to conservatives of late.

Keen of Philadelphia

2011-01-20T10:47:00.004-05:00

Went to Philadelphia for the day yesterday. Had a nice lunch with my sister. What always surprises me about Philly is that the subway system still uses tokens. Tokens! Is there another major mass transit system in the country that still uses tokens? Anyway, while I was there, I shot some video and made this short film. It's a very brief biography of William Williams Keen, one of the surgeons who operated on Grover Cleveland in 1893...

Gabrielle Giffords and the Assassination of Frank Steunenberg

2011-01-10T10:20:00.002-05:00

The attempted assassination of Gabrielle Giffords calls to mind another act of political violence that sent the nation reeling more than a century ago. Late one December afternoon in 1905, former Idaho governor Frank Steunenberg opened the gate to his house and was blown to pieces by a crude bomb that had been designed to detonate when the gate was opened.

Steunenberg had earned the bitter enmity of miners by sending in the National Guard to end a miners strike when he was governor, so it was widely assumed that he had been murdered by a radical miners union, much as it has been theorized that Rep. Giffords was targeted by right-wing or Tea Party extremists.

In fact, Gov. Steunenberg was targeted by a deranged loner with murky motives - much as it’s beginning to appear Rep. Giffords was targeted. Steunenberg’s assailant went by the name Harry Orchard, though his given name was Albert Horsley. In exchange for escaping the gallows, Orchard agreed to testify against three union officials who were charged with conspiring to murder Steunenberg. But Orchard’s connection to the union was tenuous at best, and the three officials (defended by Clarence Darrow) were acquitted.

I guess the lesson here is to be careful about jumping to conclusions about the motives behind acts of political violence.

(The story of Frank Steunenberg’s assassination is superbly recounted at this wonderful website.)

Grover on Jeopardy!

2011-01-05T10:51:00.004-05:00

In case you missed it, the answer to last night's Final Jeopardy was ... Grover Cleveland! (Of the late-19th century presidents with facial hair, he was the only Democrat.)

Say it ain't so...

2011-01-05T10:21:00.004-05:00

According to this article in the Washington Examiner, the bar at the Mayflower Hotel is closing. Harry Truman must be spinning in his grave. He liked the Mayflower so much he called it Washington's second-best address. Personally, I think he underrated it a bit. I've had some, uh, smashing times at the Mayflower bar. Accidentally left a green Phillies hat there once. Never got it back. Man, I loved that hat. The bartender, Cambodian-born Sam, is one of the best. As Harry would put it, he makes a damn good drink. Farewell, Mayflower bar. You will not be forgotten. Though most of memories of you are hazy...

America's Last World War I Vet Ailing

2011-01-03T19:04:00.004-05:00

I was sorry to hear that Frank Buckles, America's last living World War I vet, isn't feeling well. According to this article, Frank has "slowed down considerably in just the past two months" and "is awake just a few hours a day." Frank would turn 110 on February 1st. Here's to hoping he celebrates that birthday - and many more!

A Grover Gift

2010-12-29T12:25:00.004-05:00

This is what Allyson got me for Christmas. Pretty cool, eh? It's a genuine Grover Cleveland $20 bill. They were only issued for a short time around 1914. Personally, I think it would be a good idea to bring them back. Andrew Jackson gets on my nerves...

DDT smelled good...

2010-12-19T18:28:00.001-05:00

‎40 years ago this week in my hometown (Perkasie, Pa.) newspaper: "The Bucks County Mosquito Control Department will be phased out ... as of January 1st, 1971." That's because they were spraying DDT. As a small boy, I remember the "mosquito truck" making its rounds in the summer. My sister and I would sit in the front yard and breathe in the fumes as it passed by. Smelled great. Good times...

The President Is a Sick Man cover released...

2010-12-08T10:33:00.003-05:00

The cover of my next book, The President Is a Sick Man, has officially been released! Here it is...

Who's got Manson on speed dial?

2010-12-05T16:22:00.003-05:00

So, Charles Manson recently got caught with a cell phone in his prison cell. For this, 30 days have been added to his life sentence. Coupla things... First of all, how does Charlie even know how to use a cell phone? When he went to prison, people who had worked with Alexander Graham Bell were still alive. (My brother's theory is that the instructions were hidden in the lyrics of the White Album.) Number two, who was Charlie calling? Was he calling collect? Who accepts a collect call from Charles Manson? More seriously, how did he get the phone in the first place? The whole story is so weird on so many different levels...

Shirley he will rest in peace

2010-11-29T11:05:00.003-05:00

Sad to hear that Leslie Nielsen has passed away.I was 14 when Airplane! came out in 1980, and I thought it was the funniest movie ever made. And I still do. Leslie was a comic genius. He didn't even have to say anything. When you saw him, you laughed. We're going to miss you, Leslie.

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-26T21:04:00.002-05:00

Thanks to our friends Phil and Jill for a great Thanksgiving in New York. And it was great to meet their baby Fia - finally, just a week shy of her first birthday!

The Wrong Matt

2010-11-23T20:45:00.002-05:00

Not sure if I've blogged about this before but... Last year I was promoting the Truman book. Had an appearance scheduled on a program on XM/Sirius satellite radio. I went to the studio in New York. Introduced myself to the receptionist. Took a seat in the lobby. A young woman came up to me a few minutes later. "Are you Matt?" "Yes, I am." She led me back to a studio. Everything was very fast paced. The producer was on the phone, the host was screaming at the producer, etc. Not the typical setting for an interview about a book about an obscure event in American history. ...

The host turned to me and said, "We're on in 90 seconds. First thing we're gonna talk about is Afghanistan." This struck me as odd. I wasn't often asked about Afghanistan while promoting a book about an obscure event in American history. I guess it showed on my face.

"You're Matt Taibbi, right?" the host asked me. No, I cofessed, I was not Rolling Stone's national political correspondent. I was hustled out of the studio, passing a breathless Matt Taibbi on my way back to my seat in the lobby.

More pictures of Harry's Chrysler

2010-11-09T21:02:00.001-05:00

Inside Harry's Chrysler

2010-11-09T14:25:00.002-05:00

I Found Harry's 1953 Chrysler!

2010-11-08T16:21:00.006-05:00

Late breaking news... I sat in Harry Truman's 1953 Chrysler today! Yes, the very same one in which he and Bess had their "excellent adventure" in the summer of '53. The owners heard about my book and invited me to come see it. (Well, I sort of invited myself, but they were kind enough to say yes!) The documentation checks out - it's the car! It currently resides in a barn on a Kansas farm. I'm going to write all about it in a new afterword for the paperback version of the book coming out next spring... For now, here's a short video clip....

In Their Own Words (Unless It’s Not)

2010-11-06T14:17:00.002-04:00

As sure as the sun will rise, an ex-president will write his (and, eventually, her) memoir. George W. Bush gets his turn November 9 with the release of “Decision Points.” His publisher promises the book will be “strikingly candid,” but, if history is any guide, readers are likely to be disappointed.

James Buchanan wrote what is widely acknowledged as the first presidential memoir. Published a year after the Civil War ended, “Mr. Buchanan’s Administration on the Eve of the Rebellion” is a tedious defense of his largely indefensible administration. In it, Buchanan continued to insist that Congress had “no power over slavery in the States.”

Succeeding exes have invariably followed Buchanan’s self-serving model.

Ulysses S. Grant famously wrote his memoir while dying of throat cancer. He dictated to a stenographer until the tumor grew so large that it was impossible for him to speak. Then he wrote furiously in longhand, completing the project just days before he died. Grant’s memoir was a commercial and critical success, but it barely mentions his scandal-plagued presidency, focusing instead on his more heroic exploits in the Civil War.

Grover Cleveland, a towering figure of Gilded Age politics, pointedly declined to write a memoir. Known as the Honest President, Cleveland perhaps thought better of undertaking a project certain to be fraught with prevarication. As he explained to a friend, Cleveland preferred his autobiography to be “written on [the] hearts” of his wife and children.

Harry Truman had a penchant for colorful language, and his presidency encompassed some of the most momentous events of the twentieth century. His memoir should have been a page-turner. Instead it was a bore. A small army of ghostwriters rendered Truman’s prose a bland imitation of the pugnacious president Americans had come to know. And Truman knew it. Across one page of an early draft he scribbled, “Good God, what crap!”

Another president who relied on ghostwriters with disappointing results was Ronald Reagan. His autobiography, “An American Hero,” was widely panned as a tepid tome at best. Whenever Reagan was asked about the book, he liked to joke that he hadn’t gotten around to reading it yet.

Alas, it appears the ex-presidential ghostwriter is here to stay. To help him write “Decision Points,” George W. Bush enlisted the help of Christopher Michel, a friend of his daughter Barbara’s from Yale who also worked as his White House speechwriter.

It remains to be seen if Bush’s memoir will be as “strikingly candid” as his publisher claims. But we already know that it will be strikingly lucrative. Memoirs have turned into a gold mine for ex-presidents. Bush reportedly received a $7 million advance from Crown - about $5 million less than Bill Clinton received from Knopf, but still nothing to sneeze at.

Truman's Apartment Building

2010-11-05T08:10:00.002-04:00

Last night I gave a talk to the residents of 4701 Connecticut Avenue in Washington. That's the building where Harry Truman lived when he was senator and vice president (and where he spent his first night as president. It was a very cool event!

Election Day Upsets

2010-11-01T08:25:00.002-04:00

With Election Day almost here (thank goodness!), the Fiscal Times has a short feature on four elections where the polls were wrong. Featured prominently is Harry Truman's 1948 presidential election. Click here to read the article, for which yours truly was interviewed and is quoted therein.

Bethlehem, Pa., November 1935

2010-10-30T09:38:00.005-04:00

Shorpy is an awesome website that features old photographs. Check it out. This is a photograph I just came across. It shows Bethelehem, Pa., in November 1935. My mom was born in Bethlehem in 1926, and it's fun to imagine her running around these very streets as a nine-year-old girl.

Happy Birthday, Statue of Liberty

2010-10-28T13:34:00.003-04:00

Today (Oct. 28, 2010) is the 124th anniversary of the dedication of the Statue of Liberty. And who was the president who presided over the ceremony back in 1886? Grover Cleveland, of course!

Making Football Safer

2010-10-25T11:07:00.002-04:00

Former Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka has proposed an interesting solution to the growing problem of head injuries in football.

“If you want to change the game and get it back to where people aren't striking with the head and using the head as a weapon, take the mask off the helmet,” Ditka recently said. “A lot of pretty boys aren’t going to stick their face in there [without masks].”

Good idea, Coach, but why not eliminate helmets altogether?

It seems counterintuitive, but banning helmets might reduce head injuries. Modern helmets have given football players a false sense of security. Take away their headgear and they would be much less likely to, as Coach Ditka said, use the head as a weapon.

Players are taught to tackle with their heads up, and for a simple reason: It makes it easier for them to keep their eyes on their target. It also has the desirable side effect of preventing head and neck injuries.

But all too often players drop their heads when they tackle, effectively turning themselves into human missiles. The result, frequently, is a concussion--or worse. Just this month, a Rutgers University player was paralyzed after attempting to make a tackle headfirst.

Head injuries have long been a concern in football. At the turn of the last century, dangerous formations such as the infamous “flying wedge” were banned in an effort to make the game safer.

Helmets, however, are a relatively recent innovation. Some National Football League players went bareheaded well into the 1930s. The league didn’t even make helmets mandatory until the 1943 season. And the helmets the players wore back then were made of leather and afforded little protection relative to today’s behemoth headgear. So players still tackled with their heads up.

It wasn’t until the 1950s that a plastic helmet devised by the Riddell Company became popular. This technological “advance” may have done more harm than good. The hard shells began to make players feel invincible. Tacklers turned into missiles.

A helmet ban could be phased in, implemented first in youth leagues, then in high schools, then colleges, and, finally, the pros. It wouldn’t take that long, perhaps fewer than ten years. The generations pass quickly in football. This fall’s college freshmen were born in 1992.

Banning helmets would be a radical change, of course. Football “purists” would surely decry such a move as heretical. But if the NFL is as serious about reducing head injuries as it claims, the league needs to consider radical solutions. Besides, even players without helmets would still make bone-crunching tackles. They would just make them more safely.

HTEA Paperback

2010-10-21T12:56:00.003-04:00

The paperback version of HTEA will be coming out next spring. Pre-order it today at Amazon.com.

My Brother's New Book

2010-10-05T10:53:00.004-04:00

I guess writing runs in the family: My brother Tom has just published his first novel. Congratulations, Tom! Click here to read all about it, or, more importantly, to buy it. (I should also mention that my sister Ann was the first published author in the family!)

Still Paying for Wars

2010-10-04T13:24:00.004-04:00

This article explains how Germany made its final reparations payment for World War I - yesterday. But if you think that's weird, consider this: Three people are still receiving Civil War benefits from the U.S. government. (They are the disabled adult children of veterans.) (Union veterans, of course.) So we still haven't finished paying for that war yet!

Let's Pizza!

2010-10-04T10:13:00.003-04:00

Nice to see Let's Pizza get a mention on this list of weird vending machines. Earlier this year, Allyson and I encountered a Let's Pizza machine at an airport in Sicily, and we were surprisingly pleased with the product!

2010-09-30T16:33:00.001-04:00

By now you’ve probably heard about Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers student whose roommate secretly videotaped him having sex with another man and posted it on the Internet. Clementi subsequently killed himself.

It seems that the most serious charge the roommate will face is invasion of privacy.

Which got me to thinking: Why aren’t there invasion-of-privacy registers, just like there are sexual-offender registries? People convicted of invasion of privacy would forever be barred from being employed in any capacity that would require them to handle personal, private, or sensitive information. They couldn’t work in retail stores, for example, since they wouldn’t be permitted to process credit card transactions.

This seems an appropriate punishment for someone who has egregiously violated another person’s privacy, as appears to be the case in the Rutgers incident.

2010-09-24T07:55:00.003-04:00

Allyson and I went to the Nationals game yesterday (they beat the Astros7-2). The game began at 4:30, which, as far as I'm concerned, is the perfect starting time for a baseball game. We were home in plenty of time to catch the season premiere of The Office. ... Interesting article in the New York Times today. Turns out Bing Crosby recorded the NBC broadcast of Game 7 of the 1960 World Series. The tape was recently discovered. It's the only known recording of the game. What caught my eye, however, is a photo accompanying the article. It shows Bing sitting at a ballgame with Frank McKinney. Harry and Bess Truman crashed at Frank's place on their Excellent Adventure. ... It's autumn in Washington. Today's expected high: 97. Ugh.

2010-09-22T19:58:00.006-04:00

A few days ago I was the “guest speaker” for a class at a small college. I pulled into town a little early and stopped at a diner for lunch. I had a club sandwich, which was delicious. Then I drove to the college, arriving about fifteen minutes before the class was scheduled to begin. Suddenly, my tummy didn’t feel so good. Maybe it was the club sandwich, I don’t know. In any event, I was lucky to find a bathroom just in the nick of time.

I travel frequently, so I always carry a small medicine bottle containing the various medicines I might need in a pinch: a couple Aleve, the daily doses of my prescription drugs, etc. Among these medicines, fortunately, is Imodium AD. I hurriedly fished a couple out of the bottle. They looked a little different than I remembered, but I just gulped them down. This was an emergency.

I was just beginning my talk when I began to feel drowsy and realized what I’d done: I hadn't taken Imodium. I'd taken Unisom, an over-the-counter sleeping pill. I made it through the talk, fortunately, as well as the drive back to the train station. But I slept pretty well on the train ride back home.

2010-09-20T10:07:00.003-04:00

Apparently there's a commercial currently running that says the Dodge Caravan "literally gave birth" to all other minivans. A C-section perhaps?

2010-09-16T13:21:00.005-04:00

I went to the National Zoo this morning and shot a panda.

With a camera, of course.

2010-09-13T18:56:00.001-04:00

Over the weekend we went to a memorial service for an old high school friend of Allyson’s who was killed in a traffic accident a couple months ago. When attending such a service, one inevitably begins to wonder: What will be said about me at my memorial service?

For the record, I do not believe the following things will (or should) be said about me, should I ever die:

He loved/had a joy for life.

He lived on the edge.

He lived life to the fullest.

He was patient.

He loved everybody he met.

He never daydreamed about mercilessly beating anybody who ever butted in front of him in lines.

He accepted with grace the shortcomings in others.

He loved to cook.

He loved the blues. My, how he loved the blues.

He was an optimist.

He always saw the good in people.

Don’t know the difference between its and it’s? Didn’t matter to him!

He despised trashy daytime TV. In fact, he hardly watched TV at all.

He thought Larry the Cable Guy was hilarious. And Jim Belushi was his favorite actor.

2010-08-26T09:28:00.005-04:00

Here in Washington, a lot of sports fans will be following the Coolidge High School football team very closely this fall. That’s because Coolidge will be coached by – gasp! – a woman. Her name is Natalie Randolph, and she will make her head coaching debut tomorrow (Friday, August 27). (Click here to read a Washington Post article about her.)

But Ms. Randolph is not the first woman to coach a high school football team. As I recount in my book Last Team Standing, World War II labor shortages allowed women to make inroads in many previously all-male fields - including the resoundingly virile world of football:

In the fall of 1943, Bell Township High School in rural western Pennsylvania, apparently unable to find a qualified and willing male, hired a 22-year-old gym teacher named Pauline Rugh to coach the football team. Rugh was a recent graduate of Penn State, and she returned to her alma mater for a quick tutorial.”

“It is physically impossible to teach you all about football in three days,” Penn State coach Bob Higgins lectured her, “but we’ll get you started and then depend on you to ask questions as new problems arise.” In newspaper stories Rugh was invariably described as “comely.” Typical was what Red Smith, later a Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist, wrote in the Philadelphia Record: “As far as local records show, Miss Rugh is the first she-coach of a recognized team of males in the history of the sport. What’s more, she is reliably described as a tasty dish, a blonde with a couple of eyes like this, O O, and a throbbing contralto voice.”

Rugh seemed uncomfortable with all the attention. She did her best to avoid the reporters and “picture men” who camped on her doorway. Yet her attempts to shun publicity only stirred more interest in her story. “This,” noted the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Havey Boyle, “probably, is a technique that works in other feminine adventures, too, marriage being one of the more notable.”

Bell Township High School’s wartime experiment, however noble, failed. The team lost all eight games it played and was outscored 219-13 in the process.

Let’s hope Natalie Randolph’s season ends more happily!

UPDATE: When I was writing the book back in 2005-6, I searched high and low for Ms. Rugh but was unable to locate her. I just Googled her name and it turns out she passed away last year. Here's a very nice obituary.

2010-08-18T08:15:00.000-04:00

Thanks to the blog Surrounded by Books for a very nice review of HTEA.

2010-08-13T12:00:00.002-04:00

The book is done! At the moment it is titled The President Is a Sick Man: Wherein the Supposedly Virtuous Grover Cleveland Survives a Secret Surgery at Sea and Vilifies the Courageous Newspaperman Who Dares Expose the Truth. It's due to come out next spring. Over the next several months I'll be working with the publisher on typesetting, cover design, and other production issues. I'll also be working on a website for the book, and looking for promotional opportunities. I'm thinking about setting up a Facebook page for Grover's tumor, too.

2010-07-19T11:25:00.002-04:00

Been crazy busy the past few weeks, settling into our DC apartment, finishing up the book, watching trashy daytime TV. Went up to Lancaster, Pa., yesterday to attend my nephew's wedding. (His dad, my brother Howard, gave a very sweet speech at the ceremony.) The manuscript for my next book (working title: The President Is a Sick Man) is due August 1. I'm headed up to Connecticut tomorrow to do some last minute research. Allyson began her training at the Foreign Service Institute today... At the wedding, my mom, whose memory is, uh, slipping, saw Allyson and asked me, "Who's the lady?" ... Our "unaccompanied air baggage" from Rome has finally cleared customs and is scheduled to be delivered today. I hope everything arrives in one piece. The cats are still adjusting to the new apartment. Mostly they sleep under the bed. ... Never had a DVR before. Wow! It's so great to be able to tape the Maury Povich show...