Category Archives: Commentary

1776 How Many Colonists Were “Patriots” In The Revolution?

2 Replies

Many Colonists Did Not Want To Break With Great Britain

“Loyalists” Were Merely On The Losing Side Of History Says John Hyde Preston

We all know the saying that history is written by the victors. But, as the United States celebrates America 250 on July 4, we don’t acknowledge an overlooked fact.

There were a great number of colonists that did not want to be free of England. These were the  Loyalists; those remaining faithful subjects of King George III. And the Loyalists were the losers.

Many colonists had grievances with the King of England. But they did not necessarily wish to dissolve ties with Great Britain.  As far as government, a great number of the colonists did not wish to “alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government,” as the Declaration of Independence states.

Most Americans today assume the revolution was inevitable due to British oppression. They assume most colonists were rabid patriots starving for liberty and those loyal to the King were a small minority.

That is not the truth.

John Hyde Preston’s dynamic, yet forgotten history of the Revolutionary War, Revolution 1776, Harcourt, Brace and Company (1933), delves into the topic of the numbers when it comes to “Patriots” during the rebellion. Continue reading →

Thank You For Your Service In World War II

1 Reply

A Thank You Letter My Grandfather Received After Serving In The Army Air Corps During World War II

When my grandfather was returning from World War II to civilian life in November 1945 he managed to accumulate a bunch of ribbons and medals during his years in the service. He was quick to put the war behind him, discarding much, except for a few precious possessions.

My grandfather saved some photographs of his fellow soldiers and all the correspondence exchanged to and from my grandmother.

Recently I was going through his things and I was a bit surprised that he saved what appears to be a form letter of sorts.

General Fay R Upthegrove

The short letter is personally addressed Continue reading →

Turning Immigrant Children Into Good Americans – 1893

1 Reply

Indoctrinating Young Immigrants To Be Patriotic

Independence Day Celebration

A Short Article From The New York Evening World July 3, 1893

Immigrant street scene with patriotic children NYC circa 1916

CHEERED LIKE AMERICANS

Independence Day Exercises at
the Baron de Hirsch School.

Little immigrants Show the Results
of Patriotic Training.

Four hundred and fifty very bright-looking little boys and girls, children of Russian Hebrew Immigrants and pupils of the English day classes of the Baron de Hirsch fund school, this morning commemorated Independence Day at the Hebrew Institute, East Broadway and
Jefferson street.

The exercises were simple, but full of patriotism, and gave ample evidence of the wisdom of that part of the curriculum introduced by Auditor Balch, of the Board of Education, which relates to the inculcation of sentiments of love for “Old Glory” and the country over which it floats. Continue reading →

Marilyn Monroe’s 100th Birthday – What She Would Look Like In 2026

Leave a reply

June 1 Is The 100th Anniversary Of Marilyn Monroe’s Birth

What Would Marilyn Look Like Today?

Marilyn Monroe in New York City sitting by a fountain. c 1955 photo Sam Shaw

The odds that any female movie legend reaches the age of 100 are extremely slim.

Currently Eva Marie Saint (On The Waterfront; North By Northwest) is 101. Lee Grant (In The Heat of the Night; Shampoo) is 100. Olivia de Havilland lived to 104. Gloria Stuart (Titanic, The Invisible Man) was 100 when she died. If movie stars do reach the magic age of 100 they generally stay out of the spotlight and will not allow photographs to be taken of them.

Had Marilyn Monroe not died at age 36 on August 4, 1962, it is unlikely she would have lived to be 100-years-old. Life expectancy actuarial tables bear this out. Marilyn’s documented medical issues, both physical and mental, would be another longevity barrier, Speculating what Marilyn would look like at 100 is preposterous.

But why should that stop Artificial Intelligence programs from creating an image of what Marilyn would look like at age 100?

Marilyn Monroe 2026 AI photo edited

If Marilyn Had Aged

Marilyn Monroe’s mother- Gladys Pearl Monroe Baker Mortensen Eley c 1970s.

Gladys Baker Eley July 6 , 1963 photo: AP

Marilyn’s mother Gladys Monroe Baker lived until 1984, dying at  the age of 81.

These two photographs of Gladys, Continue reading →

They Died. The New York Times Forgot to Mention It –Again

1 Reply

The New York Times Loves To Ignore Rock N’ Roll Deaths

On February 3, 2026 Lamonte McLemore one fifth of the great singing group The Fifth Dimension passed away at the age of 90.

Amazingly, The New York Times did cover McLemore’s death with a well deserved obituary a week after his passing . McLemore, while not a rock star per se, was definitely part of the sixties pop rock identity.

We use the term “amazingly” because Continue reading →

The God Of War Triumphs Over Peace

Leave a reply

Puck Magazine Illustration “Mars Triumphant” – 1904

There are no periodicals like Puck Magazine today.

The weekly political, satirical and humor magazine was in business from 1876-1918. A main feature of the magazine was a chromolithograph centerfold usually relating to events of the day.

Our illustration is from the February 25, 1904 issue and drawn by Udo Keppler (1872-1956). Continue reading →

Bugs Bunny Looks At A “Jim Crow” Newspaper For A Job

Leave a reply

“Hurdy-Gurdy Hare” Has Bugs Bunny Consulting A Newspaper Wanting White Employees

In these politically correct times even the smallest transgressions will be pointed out and removed by “cancel culture”.

Frequently in Warner Bros. cartoons the animators would superimpose whatever they wanted for a headline and visual in real newspapers. They would leave the rest of the page unaltered. Continue reading →

Iron Maiden’s First 5 Albums – Each LP’s Most Underrated Song

2 Replies

5 Underplayed / Underrated Songs From Iron Maiden’s First Five LP’s

Iron Maiden 1981 (l-r) Steve Harris, Clive Burr, Paul Di’Anno, Adrian Smith, Dave Murray photo EMI / Robert Ellis

When this website began in 2011, I proclaimed that lists are stupid especially “best lists”. I believe they still are. “Best of” lists are always subjective.

But that doesn’t stop us Continue reading →

Movie Advertising From The New York Daily News 1974

1 Reply

What’s Playing At The Movies – Ads From The Daily News 1974

That’s Entertainment Alongside Porn

Because I own some old newspapers that report historic events, I was looking at the New York Daily News of August 27, 1974 announcing the death of Charles Lindbergh on the front page. Turning the pages my attention was drawn to the movie advertisements.

The ads are simple, frequently without captivating graphics and  usually lacking even brief summaries of the plot of the movies. Besides giving the theatres and times they were playing at, these ads were supposed to attract potential viewers with the title, the stars or a reviewers blurb.

The disarray of the motion picture industry in the seventies is evident in the variety of films playing at theaters.

Adjacently advertised next to one another are Deep Throat; The Devil In Miss Jones; The Longest Yard and Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia. Two X-rated and two R-rated films.

Deep Throat (1973) was the first “mainstream” pornographic film. It was Continue reading →