2011 – the quick Sliver

7.26.19 Good Boy

July 23, 2019 Mike Keeler

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So it’s 2019. And our summer politics have been defined by a team of women demanding equal payment for their work, and a serial womanizer in the White House criticizing four Congresswomen for being unpatriotic. It’s amazing – sarcasm! – how far we’ve come in only 99 years… Back in…

12.16.11 Free Knowledge

December 16, 2011 Mike Keeler

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This is the last quick Sliver you’ll receive. You don’t need them anymore. And your kids don’t need to study their math tables. And all the homework you did in high school was a waste of time. And you shouldn’t spend all that tuition money on college. There’s no need…

2011 knowlege Salman Khan video

12.9.11 Christmas Countdown

December 9, 2011 Mike Keeler

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Out of the darkness came a pretty bright idea. Hamburg is one tough town. Since it was established by Charlemagne in 808 as the northern outpost of the Holy Roman Empire, Hamburg has endured one brutal setback after another. It was destroyed by Vikings in 845 and again by Polish…

2011 advent calendar Christmas Hamburg Johan Hinrich Wichern wreath

12.2.11 The Source of the Spice

December 2, 2011 Mike Keeler

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‘Tis the holiday season. Time for a real spicy tale. One day long ago on an island off the coast of India, someone noticed that when they cut down a certain type of tree, it refused to die. It grew little shoots right out of the stump and kept right…

2011 british empire ceylon egypt history india rome spice

11.18.11 Talkin’ Turkey

November 18, 2011 Mike Keeler

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Let us now praise our national bird. You’re probably thinking it’s the Bald Eagle. He’s been on our stuff forever. In 1782, Congress approved a design for a Great Seal which featured an Eagle, holding in his right talons an olive branch representing peace, and in his left talons 13…

2011 Bald Eagle Ben Franklin history Thanksgiving Turkey

11.11.11 Armistice Memorial

November 8, 2011 Mike Keeler

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Here’s how things happen, and how they don’t. On November 11, 1918, “the war to end all wars” ended. Armistice occurred on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. In 1926, Congress passed a resolution declaring November 11 to be a day of observation, and directed…

2011 armistice day frank buckles memorial veterans day World War 1

11.4.11 Hoosier Time

November 4, 2011 Mike Keeler

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As we end Daily Savings Time, we’ve got to ask, “Hey Indiana, what time is it?” This one takes a little explanation, so hold on. In 1916, facing energy shortages during World War 1, Germany decided to set their clocks forward in the spring and back in the fall, to…

2011 Daylight Savings hoosiers Indiana

10.28.11 Masked Guys

October 28, 2011 Mike Keeler

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In America, you have the right to assemble and to speak your mind. You may not, however, disguise yourself. When the Occupy Wall Street protesters recently took over Zuccotti Park in Manhattan, a lot of folks were nervous and suspicious. Local residents complained about the smell and the noise. Bankers…

2011 Guy Fawkes halloween Occupy Wall Street

10.21.11 Message from Trafalgar

October 21, 2011 Mike Keeler

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In communications, a great line can always be improved. Take, for example, the Battle of Trafalgar, fought 206 years ago today. Horatio Nelson had been ordered to find and destroy a combined fleet of Spanish and French ships, to prevent Napoleon from invading England. On October 21, 1805, Nelson encountered…

2011 Battle of Trafalgar Horatio Nelson John Pasco message Napolean

10.14.11 Lion in October

October 14, 2011 Mike Keeler

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Talk about rising out of the rubble! I should know, I’ve seen it, I’ve lived it, I AM it. I remember when this town really meant something. Mr. Henry Ford was busy making his cars, and lots of folks were getting pretty rich. They all needed a nice place to…

2011 Detroit Lion's Ford Field Henry Ford Hudson's warehouse William Clay Ford