Links to History: 100 Greatest Moments in American History on YouTube

Sure.. it's a link sent to me from an online university trying to increase their Google rank by getting a lot of relevant incoming traffic.... but they still do a good job of compiling the information.

Watch the 100 Greatest Moments in American History on YouTube

Categorized for your convenience... enjoy.

Veteran's Day

So as not to reinvent the wheel... I'm bringing back a post from last year...

This year, my favorite veteran... my grandfather is no longer with us - and I know he took this day to call many of his friends from the service and the great men he's met throughout his years.

Now Grandpop is in the sky hanging out with all his 'doughboys' celebrating upstairs.

Here's a brief history of veterans day - http://ushistorysite.blogspot.com/2008/11/veterans-day-brief-history.html

Gettysburg: One Man's Visit

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm an excitable reader. By this, I mean that I get excited about reading, and usually try to bite off more than I can chew. But this is never a bad thing.

When it comes to books, I have a problem. I rarely finish them. This is probably due to my excitability around books and the subjects they cover. I'll read 90% and gladly pick up another if the mood suits me. I'll read 4, 5, 6 books at one time. And as a dedicated teacher and father it is hard to find time to sit back and relax with a good book.

This weekend is no different. I'm going to Gettysburg, and I'm excited about a few books.

For my birthday my wife has decided to take me to Gettysburg this weekend. A short drive from our home in Philadelphia, Gettysburg is one of those places that has always eluded me. So I'm excited to finally get the opportunity to go. And we're not just going. We're GOING. We're leaving tonight (Friday) and staying all day Saturday and some of the day Sunday.

In preparation, and for the little downtown I'll have (with bringing our 3 1/2 month old son with us), I've brought with me, two books. One I've already read; The Killer Angels, by Michael Shaara
. It's a favorite of mine, and because of the way it's written, it's a book I've finished. I hope to thumb through this and pull out some good dialogue concerning the battle.

The other book I've brought with me is a collection of speeches and writings of Abraham Lincoln
. This book, from the Library of America collection is a cool looking canvas bound book, which looks great on a book shelf. (a book shelf that doesn't exist in my house)

These books, along with the history of Gettysburg, the nightly ghost tours, the quaint little town of Gettysburg and my incredible wife and son, are sure to make my birthday weekend enjoyable. Oh, and an Eagles win over the Cowboys Sunday night would help too. All of this might make the Phillies loss a little easier to swallow.

Happy Reading!

Go Birds!