Learn something new.
And have fun doing it.
Is the United States a Democracy?
The word "democracy" gets thrown around a lot. Is the United States a democracy? The short answer is "no." Here are the details.
Learn something new.
And have fun doing it.
Constitution Day: How the U.S. Constitution Came to Be
The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787 in the Pennsylvania State House, the same place where the Declaration of Independence was inked. It's also where George Washington received his commission as Commander of the Continental Army.
How to Play a Respectable Game of Billiards: Essential Pool Tips
Pool tips: How to play a respectable game of billiards even if you're a complete rookie. Who says you can't look confident at the next party or bar outing?
A Constitutional Do-Over: To Beer or Not to Beer
Is it constitutional to do a constitutional do-over? The 18th and 21st Amendments, virtue signaling teetotaling, then not so much, seem to imply it's OK.
How Do Politicians Get So Rich? 2: Stock Market Mastery!
As we reviewed in Part 1: Fortuitous Land Investments, politicians are quite skilled at investing their income from (relatively) modest public servant salaries. So skilled, in fact, that many of them become multi-millionaires while in office.
How Do Politicians Get Rich? 1: Fortuitous Land Investments
How do politicians get rich? Clearly there's lots of inside information which is often leveraged. But being in a position to influence policy has its benefits.
What Aliens Learn From Satellite TV
As I write this, the Tau Cetites are enjoying their first decade of watching the Power Rangers. In the interest of learning, Tau Ceti is about 11.9 light years from Earth. While that's "reach out and touch someone" close in terms of cosmic distances, it's not even the closest star we know of with planets.
If Congress Worked Like American Ninja Warrior
American Ninja Warrior is chock-full of enthusiasm and grit—but no politics, complaining, or obnoxious egos? Imagine if Congress worked like that.
When the Boys Took George Washington Out to Party
When the debate was done and the Constitution was being drafted, the fellas took George Washington out to party. They ran up one heck of a bar tab. Here it is.
The Great $5 Bill of Rights Robbery
There were fourteen original copies of the Bill of Rights, one for the federal government and one for each of the 13 original colonies. Only eight states still have their copies: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. One of those only recently reclaimed theirs.
The Second Continental Congress: You Know Things Are Bad When…
You know things are really bad when people thing that forming another Congress will make them better.
The Greatest Constitutional Amendment Ever?
In 1922, Wisconsin representative Victor Berger proposed a constitutional amendment to abolish the United States Senate. You can sense his frustration level from the preamble to his proposed amendment.
