[Prologue: The following is merely a rendition of my personal experience on September 11, 2001. It is not particularly poignant or profound; merely observational. There are no stories of extraordinary heroism or the like. It is, however, a bit out of context, since like all historical pieces, it's part of a larger story about being [...]
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This morning, I awakened to things usual and brand-new! The usual thing was that my mother-in-law, aged 90, was up and watching Mother Angelica on EWTN [Eternal Word Television Network; Comcast channel 233 in the Greater Sacramento area]. (My mother-in-law’s family has been Catholic since at least 1722; which I believe is about when Mother [...]
A few years ago, I came across a blog entitled “Diggin’ Up Bones.” It was extremely well done, recording the research odyssey of its author, Nita Ighner. Her journey took her to the Carolinas where she learned some very interesting things about her family history. She did archival research as well oral history–all quite impressive. [...]
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Here are a couple of exciting upcoming events: Saturday, October 15, 2011: Family History Day at the California State Archives in Sacramento. This will be the 13th annual Family History Day at the State Archives located at 1020 O St. in Sacramento. In addition to the Archives staff, there will be a number of local [...]
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The year 1961 was eventful for several reasons. It marked the centennial of the Civil War, the first manned space flights, the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba, and the inauguration of John F. Kennedy, among other events. In August, 1961, my father, then a captain in the United States Army, was sent on temporary [...]
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Part 2 of a three-part series. Part 1 is here. When last we met, we explored the issues associated with the reliability of “eyewitness testimony” in court and applied similar concepts to first-person accounts of historical and genealogical events. We discovered several issues that might make “eyewitness testimony” unreliable. Now we explore the 21st century [...]
Continue reading about The Reliability of Oral Histories–The Forensic Approach to Evaluation
[Music; loud with fast, heavy beat] [Baritone voice with emergency pace and tone]:“Eyewitness News! The [Valley's][Metroplex's][Tri-State Area's][Ark-La-Tex's][Bay Area's][Central Coast's][Middle Tennessee's] Most Reliable Newscast! With the entire Eyewitness News Team! This is Eyewitness News at Six [o'clock]!” That voicer (or words and music to that effect) has been heard on television stations all over America at [...]
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Craig is taking the day off to spend time with his father. This reprise from 2009 will never be stale. At this morning’s Mass in my parish, a petition during the Prayers of the Faithful was “for all fathers and all others who keep us safe and secure.” The second half seemed to constitute a [...]
General Orders No. 11, Grand Army of the Republic Headquarters. I. The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village [...]
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This is a true story about science and public policy that should get the attention of genealogists and historians: A little more than thirty years ago, the World Health Organization declared that smallpox had been effectively eradicated around the globe. Smallpox was an especially nasty disease that in the 20th century alone killed half a [...]
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