USA

I will confess. During recent presidential elections, I’ve felt a little fuzzy about how the electoral college works. I must have learned about it in school, but over the years, the details have dripped out of my brain, one by one. So, I did some poking around to see how the president in the United…

What was it like in Erie, Pennsylvania, during the 1918 pandemic (Spanish Flu, H1N1 virus, influenza)? Well, now that we can browse the Erie Daily Times online from the late 1800s to present, we can get a pretty good idea. Accessed through NewsBank and the Erie County Public Library, nearly 40 newspaper articles referencing influenza from late…

I’ve always wanted to walk across the country. Now, I’ve met someone who’s actually done it—in the name of happiness. I will probably never walk across the country, but I did drive it solo once on Route 66—so I have that at least. My big walk, if I had ever done it, would have been merely…

Sometimes I’m disappointed with movie remakes, but that’s not the case with Fahrenheit 451. The theme of the first film, and the novel it was based on, is actually strengthened in the 2018 version. Both versions have just enough similarities and differences to make them both worth watching. I’d recommend reading the novel by Ray Bradbury…

I recently began reading a book that I picked up at a library sale last summer, called Helen and Teacher by Joseph P. Lash. Within the first few pages, I learned about the woman whose education paved the way for Helen Keller’s fame. Here are seven facts about Laura Bridgman: 1. Laura Bridgman (1829-1889) was the first deafblind person to become famous,…