Tag Archives: Nixon

WWW Wednesday & Long and Short Reviews

Posted on May 6, 2026 by smellincoffee

Today’s prompt is “What could you give a speech about without notice”, which makes me laugh because going off on spontaneous history lectures is a specialty of mine. History is my passion, and it’s partially connected to my profession: I … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Politics and Civic Interest | Tagged , , | 18 Comments

Being Nixon

Posted on May 5, 2026 by smellincoffee

Last year I nearly did a deep dive into all things Nixon: exactly a year later,  he beckoned me to follow him, and this time I did.  What is it about Nixon?  One book I’ve read recently, and I can’t … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Politics and Civic Interest, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Teaser Tuesday

Posted on May 5, 2026 by smellincoffee

Teaser Tuesday Shortly after one-thirty, he was informed by his military aide, Brigadier General Robert Schulz, that President Kennedy had been shot. There was still something about General Eisenhower, now seventy-three, that made people turn to him for reassurance. A … Continue reading →

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Ike and Dick

Posted on May 4, 2026 by smellincoffee

I increasingly find Richard Nixon a fascinating personality, and stumbled onto this while looking for Nixon books: I’ve been reading it along with Being Nixon the last week or so. Ike and Dick focuses on the relationship between these two … Continue reading →

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Moviewatch, April 2026

Posted on April 30, 2026 by smellincoffee

Paul Blart: Mall Cop,  2009. This is an….action-comedy somewhere on the level of Home Alone 3.   It’s fairly moronic, with lots of “Kevin James is fat” esque physical comedy. The plot concerns a security guard at a mall (remember … Continue reading →

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Alice, the White Rabbit, and Nixon: Short rounds, audio edition

Posted on June 2, 2025 by smellincoffee

That is not a “Go Ask Alice” reference, though I suppose it could. I’m kicking this week off with an audiobook short round. First up is The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland, read by Scarlett Johansson . I reviewed the … Continue reading →

Posted in Classics and Literary, history, Politics and Civic Interest, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The Lunar Missile Crisis

Posted on February 4, 2024 by smellincoffee

The moon race began in earnest when Yuri Gagarin launched off the pad in April 1961. It ended really quickly when he collided with an alien spaceship and exploded, leading to a full nuclear launch by the Soviets which failed … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, science fiction | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

The First Family Detail

Posted on July 21, 2023 by smellincoffee

Dan Emmett, in chronicling his career as a member of the Secret Service, harrumphed at those associated with serving the executive branch who got gossipy. It was unprofessional and vulgar, said he. Perhaps, but when the executive is himself unprofessional … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Civic Interest, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

First in Line

Posted on July 14, 2023 by smellincoffee

First in Line: Presidents, Vice Presidents, and the Pursuit of Power© 2018 Kate Anderson Brower327 pages The office of vice president was, for most of the 19th century, a near-superfluous one — but in the mid-20th century, the men holding … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Politics and Civic Interest | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments