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HBO miniseries "John Adams" nominated for 23 Emmys
John Adams, HBO's prestige historical drama about one of America's founding fathers, swept up 23 Emmy nominations today, the largest number of any program in any category.
Among the nominations was a lead-actor nomination for Paul Giamatti, who played Adams in the adaptation of David McCullough's Pulitzer-prize winning biography of the second president, who was born in Braintree in an area now part of Quincy.
In addition to recognition in several technical and artistic categories, Laura Linney also garnered an Emmy nomination for lead actress in the role of Abigail Adams. Supporting nods went to three actors portraying Founding Fathers: David Morse as George Washington, Stephen Dillane as Thomas Jefferson, and Tom Wilkinson as Benjamin Franklin. The star-studded, seven-part HBO series is co-executive produced by Tom Hanks.
The three-hour debut of the John Adams miniseries was seen in 2.7 million households nationwide, according to the Nielsen Co., the best series debut HBO has seen since 2004. John Adams, HBO's prestige historical drama about one of America's founding fathers, swept up 23 Emmy nominations today, the... more -
How did archaeologists find half a million artifacts at George Washington's b...
Archaeologists announced on Wednesday that they had unearthed George Washington's boyhood home at a site not far from Fredericksburg, Va. Over the course of a seven-year excavation, the researchers found more than 500,000 artifacts. How can there be half a million artifacts at one site? Archaeologists announced on Wednesday that they had unearthed George Washington's boyhood home at a site not far from Fredericksb... more
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Our Founding Fathers On Liberty and Tyranny
To me this is what the Fourth of July is all about. Remembering the men who sacrificed all they had to take the journey to a more perfect union... a free union. We don't truly have that today, and the main reason why is because we as a people have to really want it. I question now if we really do, and that is sad. These words of wisdom and warning from men who though flawed were brilliant and who knew something themselves about slavery of the mind and soul are words to be reflected on. As John Adams said, "Liberty once lost, is lost forever." We as a people are allowing liberty to slip away as we distract ourselves and lose our focus on these words. How I wish we had men of such courage and brilliance as these to once again point us in the right direction. However, their words can be the inspiration we need to now do that. The question is: will we? To me this is what the Fourth of July is all about. Remembering the men who sacrificed all they had to take the journey to a more perf... more
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The Election of 1800: Adams/Jefferson
Can you imagine what this campaign would have looked like on tv? I thought this was a cute illustration. Though we know that Alexander Hamilton was behind trashing both Adams and Jefferson, his preference was for Adams even though they disagreed about war with France. Personally, if I could vote and lived in that time period, my vote would have been solidly with Jefferson. Sigh if only... someone to vote FOR. Can you imagine what this campaign would have looked like on tv? I thought this was a cute illustration. Though we know that Alexander... more
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The secret history of the American empire
Interview with John Perkins, author of "The Hidden History of the American Empire: Economic Hit Men, Jackals, and the Truth about Global Corruption" Interview with John Perkins, author of "The Hidden History of the American Empire: Economic Hit Men, Jackals, and the Truth about... more
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A People's History of American Empire by Howard Zinn
Empire or Humanity?
What the Classroom Didn't Teach Me about the American Empire
by Howard Zinn
Narrated by Viggo Mortensen
Art by Mike Konopacki
Video editing by Eric Wold Empire or Humanity? What the Classroom Didn't Teach Me about the American Empire by Howard Zinn Narrated by Viggo Mortensen ... more -
Why can't Americans stand up like our Founders did?
Where has that spirit of liberty gone? Where has the sustained fire and passion for Democracy gone? In this clip from HBO's magnificent miniseries John Adams, the president of the Continental Congress reads off King George III 's letter of disdain to the members calling them traitors and vowing to have them hanged for disserting their allegiance to the crown. Yet, did they cower? No, they stood up to the first King George, stared him down, and beat his empire with a passionate group of farmers, doctors and the like. Citizens just like you and me who stood up and gave their lives and all they had because this country and freedom were more important than the fear and apprehension of the future and the feigned stature of a King.
Yet today, we sit and cower waiting for a subservient Congress to do what it will never do in upholding its oath... Impeach the second King George with the same spirit that birthed this nation. We wait for them to stand up and face down the same threats and usurpations that brought these Founding Fathers to Philadelphia and dare to call ourselves free while allowing it to continue. I watch clips like this and weep for what we have become. Fearful, distracted, comfortable enablers who talk about the crimes and misdemeanors of these people but who don't on the whole seem to have the guts to do what is necessary to preserve the Declaration of Independence these men put everything they had on the line to sign.
And now, our elections are nothing more than popularity contests wrapped up in dollar bills. Words, promises, platitudes and jockeying to be the "most powerful" ruler in the world, when what we originally set out to do was to be a free country that was benevolent to all, not a money hungry empire maker. We have become that which that Declaration spoke out against.
So why is it that we Americans for all of our talk really cannot stand up as our Founders did? Are we on the whole truly too distracted to care? Or is that even a viable excuse anymore?Voting alone will not bring it back. One person will not bring it back. One election will not bring it back. Personally, I would love to see a new Continental Congress meet in Philadelphia to put the ineffective one we have on notice that if they don't do their job we have many here who will. Where has that spirit of liberty gone? Where has the sustained fire and passion for Democracy gone? In this clip from HBO's magni... more -
Ghost Tribes
English colonists didnt invent racism in the Americasgold-obsessed Spaniards had a head start of nearly a centurybut their early antipathy to Virginias Indian tribes set the tone for the following centuries.
For the Indians that survived the initial period of contact, the future was bleak. The loss of their lands was bad enough, but they had the bad luck to live in the place that would become Virginia:
Jim Crow. The Confederacy. Eugenics.
Today, Virginia's 4,000 Indians are the direct descendants of Pocahontas and her people. Despite this famous forbear, Virginia's eight surviving tribes are forced to fight for the right to call themselves Indian. They seek recognition from the Federal Government, a process that would officially make them Indian, as well as grant them badly needed education and health care benefits.
Though this lack of recognition is the result of a kafka-esque history, tribal leaders have united for the first time to overcome their shared legacy of racism. Next year is the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, the first permanent English colony in America. Thanks to a truly grassroots effortan alliance of tribes has hired a lobbyist using bake-sale proceedsa bill is currently pending in congress that would offer recognition for six of the tribes. English colonists didnt invent racism in the Americasgold-obsessed Spaniards had a head start of nearly a centurybut their early an... more -
HBO: John Adams
The life of John Adams and the struggle for American independence are the themes of this magnificent depiction that premiered on HBO last night. I was riveted by it. It is the most authentic production I have ever seen of the time period and the men and women who shaped our country. I highly recommend it to everyone and to have their children watch it with them. It is a seven part miniseries, the first two parts being presented last night to be continued next Sunday.
It was so emotional to watch as well. To see Americans who truly put laws above men and who truly appreciated what it meant to fight for freedom brought me to tears thinking of where our country has gone since then. Where are the Jefferson's, Franklin's, and Adams's, of today?
This program also explores the relationship betrween John and Abigail Adams, which to me was the love story of the Revolutionary period, and also showed that women of that time were just as passionate and involved in this fight as the men.
It was surely fortunate for all of us today that these men and women lived at that particular time. Had they not, it is hard to tell where we would be today.The most wonderful part of this is that you see them not as Gods, but as humans with faults. Humans who through this grand experiment were just as scared as we are today.
While I weep for the future of this country today, after watching this I still have some hope that the spirit that lived in them lives in us just a little bit today. However, I shudder to think what these men would say if they came back and saw what Washington DC has become. I do not believe there is one man or woman in our Congress today who has the spirit and courage of conviction they had.
Question: If there were a new Continental Congress held, would you go as a delegate knowing what you would be sacrificing? I would. The life of John Adams and the struggle for American independence are the themes of this magnificent depiction that premiered on HBO l... more -
Save Ellis Island
You might have seen the new cause celebre campaign going on about preservering and restoring Eliis Island. Easy to get cynical when you see Christian Slater or Kathrine McPhee(ver!) staring at you, but it's a quite a profound centrifuge of American history, though which countless American immigrants have come... something that deserves to be saved and celebrated.
Most Americans are mutts (which as we know, make the best dogs.. watch out for inbreds though!) and we often forget when we talk about immigration and asylum that we are truly a nation of immigrants.
What's your mutt story? I'm Czech and Belarusian, from which I get my ability to detect bullshit, drive tanks, and handle vodka, beer and other more complex carbohydrates.
My last name is direct result of the assimilation policies my grandfather's family got on Ellis Island (thank god we didn't get Brillopad!) You might have seen the new cause celebre campaign going on about preservering and restoring Eliis Island. Easy to get cynical when ... more -
One of the Last Titanic Survivors Dies
There is only one Titanic survivor left.
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Hiroshima bomb pilot dies aged 92
Paul Tibbets, the man who led the crew that dropped the atom bomb on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945, died in Columbus, Ohio today. He was 92.
The five-ton "Little Boy" bomb was dropped on the morning of 6 August 1945, killing about 140,000 Japanese, with many of them dying later.
On the 60th anniversary of the bombing, the three surviving crew members of the Enola Gay - named after Tibbet's mother - said they had "no regrets." Paul Tibbets, the man who led the crew that dropped the atom bomb on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945, died in Columbus, Ohio today. He was ... more -
Who was Christopher Columbus, a great new view! I suggest you enter this history r...
"The Mystery of Colombo Revealed" - New evidence shows that Christopher Columbus was a nobleman and a Portuguese spy.
15 years of rigorous and systematic investigation knock down the officially known history.
Colombo was not a Genoese, but a Portuguese spy at the service of King John II.
«(...) this book by Manuel Rosa and Eric Steele (...) proves that, whatever may have been his true name, it is a noble Portuguese lineage that best explains the enigmatic contradictions surrounding the life of Colón.»
«Manuel da Silva Rosa, was born on Madalena do Pico and has lived in the USA since 1973. He is the most illuminated historian of our times in things related to the life of the «discoverer of America» and O Mistério Colombo Revelado is a new book written by this most expert historian in the matter...»
Enter the site, read it, find the forum and enter the discussion! Make pressure for an english version publication! Until there ask the author all your questions, about this 500 years mistery!
I guaranty you'll be amazed!
Thanks... for being curious and for your interess "The Mystery of Colombo Revealed" - New evidence shows that Christopher Columbus was a nobleman and a Portuguese spy. ... more -
fountain of youth
my great grandfather was good friends with Lindbergh...my grandfather told me stories about this when I was a kid....He...and almost everyone else in the family are now deceased,; and all I have is vague recollections .......I have often wondered if my relatives were in on any fountain of youth secrets back in the day...related: if you haven't seen it yet, check out Max and Jason's short film "The Immortalists" my great grandfather was good friends with Lindbergh...my grandfather told me stories about this when I was a kid....He...and almost e... more
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Illustrated Past
Two mean illustraters draw out 100+ feet of US history on canvas.
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american history
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american history
