That's Life, I Swear

In the ever-evolving landscape of academia and media, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. stands as a beacon of knowledge, creativity, and enlightenment—a true Renaissance man for the modern age. supporting links 1.      Finding Your Roots [website] 2.      CeCe Moore [Wikipedia] 3.      Henry Louis Gates Jr. [Wikipedia] 4.      Rick Kittles [Wikipedia] 5.      Roots [IMDb] 6.      DNA [Wikipedia] 7.      Gene...

The challenges faced by EV owners in the United States regarding charging infrastructure are complex and multifaceted.  supporting links Electric vehicle charging network [Wikipedia] Cost to Charge an EV on a Road Trip [Investopedia] Major sticking point to buying an electric vehicle [NPR/KQED] EV broken? Finding a technician to fix it may take a while [REUTERS] Contact That's Life, I Swear V...

We have seen approximately a 1.0°C increase in global average temperatures since   pre-industrial times. This is damaging the planet’s ecosystems in ways that are harmful to biodiversity; and dangerous to people. supporting links 1.      The Paris Agreement [United Nations Climate Change] 2.      Paris Agreement [Wikipedia] 3.      The Paris Agreement: Is The World’s Climate Action Plan on Track?...

Today we explore the depths of human experience, and confront a subject that touches us all but often remains elusive in our daily discourse: death. supporting links 1.      Palliative care [Wikipedia] 2.      How to Become Less Afraid of Death [Time] 3.      Here’s what people in their 90s really think about death [The Conversation] 4.      Ageing and the mortality alarm [The Guardian] 5.      Fi...

The U.S. never worried much about China’s submarines for decades. They were noisy and easy to track. Meanwhile, the Chinese military struggled to detect America’s ultra quiet submarines. Until now. supporting links 1.      Can China Catch Up with U.S. Nuclear Submarine Tech? [YouTube] 2.      The Race to Build Hypersonic Missiles [YouTube] 3.      China Is Building a "Undersea Great Wall&quot...

Knowing Trump may get re-elected, gives European nations reason to confront the unsettling prospect of a potential Russian invasion within the next decade, and without the aid of the United States. supporting links 1.      NATO [website] 2.      NATO [Wikipedia] 3.      Trump on NATO: Dangerous talk at a dangerous time [BBC] 4.      ‘Enough to make Reagan ill': Trump’s NATO remarks under fire...

Erin Matson's remarkable pursuit to going from a star field hockey player, to wanting to achieve being considered to being the youngest head coach in any Division I sport at the age of 22, is a story of immense audacity, downright determination, and the pursuit of a dream. supporting links 1.      Karen Shelton [University of North Carolina Athletics] 2.      Erin Matson [University of North...

A cranky history teacher at a remote prep school is forced to remain on campus over the holidays with a troubled student who has no place to go. supporting links 1.      The Holdovers [IMDb] 2.      Wethersfield Cove [Website] 3.      National Lampoon (magazine) [Wikipedia] 4.      Paul Giamatti [imdb] 5.      Dominic Sessa [imdb ] 6.      Da'Vine Joy Randolph [imdb ] Contact That's Life...

Buckle up, folks, because the 2024 election is shaping up to be a wild ride. Forget "choose your fighter," this year it's "choose your poison" with Biden and Trump leading the way, but nobody actually wants seconds of either. supporting links 1.      What is the 2024 election all about, anyway? [NPR] 2.      Third Way [website] 3.      Chris Christie [Wikipedia] 4.      A...

There are baseball collectors and then there is Geddy Lee.  He was the singer and bassist for the band, Rush. He’s pulling together about 300 items from his baseball memorabilia collection to set up for auction. His collection is very large. Some of the items are worth well more than $100,000 dollars!  supporting links 1.      Interview with Dan Rather [AXS TV] 2.      Bert Shepard [Society For Am...

Imagine if you will, its noon January 20, 2025, Donald Trump places his hand on a Bible, takes the oath of office and delivers an inaugural address with a simple theme: retribution. supporting links 1.      Project 2025 [Wikipedia] 2.      Agenda47 [Donald Trump website] 3.      The Heritage Foundation [Wikipedia] 4.      Center for Renewing America [Website] 5.      America First Policy Institute...

An Irish postal clerk, played a very key role in helping save General Eisenhower’s, D-Day invasion from potential disaster. supporting links 1.      Maureen Flavin Sweeney [Wikipedia] 2.      Operation Overlord [Wikipedia] 3.      Dwight D. Eisenhower [Wikipedia] Contact That's Life, I Swear Visit my website: https://www.thatslifeiswear.com   Twitter at @RedPhantom   Bluesky at @rickbarron.bs...

The Rolling Stones deliver their most dynamic list of musical work in 40 years with ‘Hackney Diamonds’. At their age, this might be ‘The Last Time’ album. supporting links 1.      The Rolling Stones through the years [Planet Radio] 2.      The 10 best Rolling Stones songs of all time, ranked [Entertainment] 3.      What Charlie Watts meant to the Rolling Stones [Entertainment] 4.      Mick Jagger...

The 1619 Project offers a new perspective that reveals a vision of the American past and present. supporting links 1.      Nikole Hannah-Jones [Wikipedia] 2.      The 1619 Project [Wikipedia] 3.      I Helped Fact-Check the 1619 Project. The Times Ignored Me. [Politico] Contact That's Life, I Swear Visit my website: https://www.thatslifeiswear.com   Twitter at @RedPhantom   Bluesky at @rickba...

How does one work, and love it, into your 80s and beyond? Meet Gladys McGarey, who at103, maintains a full schedule. supporting links 1.      The Well-Lived Life [Gladys McGary, MD; book] 2.      Foundation For Living Medicine [website] 3.      Flexibility for Workers [Future Forum] Contact That's Life, I Swear Visit my website: https://www.thatslifeiswear.com   Twitter at @RedPhantom   Blues...

Margot Fraser played a pivotal role in making Birkenstock sandals popular. What's even more incredible, is that she knew absolutely nothing about shoes.  supporting links 1.      Birkenstock goes toe-to-toe against counterfeiters [CBS Sunday Morning News] 2.      The Man Behind the Luxury Sandals [Spiegel]  3.      Birkenstock [Facebook] 4.      Konrad Birkenstock [Inventor] 5.      Steve Job...

The modern Republican party is morphing towards fascism. We in the United States are witnessing the logical culmination of win-at-any-cost politics and Donald Trump has encouraged it. The 2024 presidential election is turning out to becoming the election ‘that will’ determine our democracy or our demise. supporting links 1.      Today’s Republican Party Follows a Familiar Fascist Model [The Progre...

Genealogy isn't just about names and dates; it's about the people behind them. Listen to how Judy Barron started her dive into researching and building her family history. Supporting links 1.        Resources for Genealogists [National Archives] 2.        Free Genealogy Resources [National Genealogical Society] 3.        Your DNA is Amazing [23andme] 4.        Ancestry [Website] 5.     ...

Weekly jazz concerts in a Harlem apartment that has become a legendary institution in the New York jazz scene, attracting musicians and audiences from all over the world.  supporting links 1.      17 Modern Jazz Musicians Shaping The Future Of Jazz [Udiscovermusic] 2.      Carnegie Hall [Wikipedia] 3.      Marjorie Eliot's Jazz Matinees [NPR Podcast] 4.      Parlor Entertainment Harlem [Faceb...

Remember the fallen. Honor those who serve. Teach the next generation the value of freedom. It's the mission of Wreaths Across America. supporting links 1.      Christmas Wreaths Across America [website] 2.      Wreaths Across America [Wikipedia] 3.      Morrill Worcester [Worcester Wreath Co.] 4.      USS Missouri [USS Missouri Organization] Contact That's Life, I Swear Visit my website...

Jack ReVelle, a US Air Force officer, played a critical role in preventing a catastrophic nuclear disaster during the Cold War. Unfortunately, his efforts to save the day would haunt him for the next 50 years, not to mention it would shorten his life. supporting links 1.      The Man Who Saved the World [NPR] 2.      Dr Jack B ReVelle [Linkedin] 3.      The Night Hydrogen Bombs Fell Over North Car...

Next time you buy Parmesan, watch out for the microchip. Food producers are going to ever greater lengths to protect their billion-dollar markets against knockoffs. supporting links 1.      Stop Fake Food [website] 2.      p-Chip [website] 3.      Battle against China's fake foods drives new tech frontier [The Straits Times] 4.      Food fraud: can we trust the authenticity of our food? [Eit...

You and your pet have shared so much together, but the time will come to say goodbye. For most people this experience is very difficult and emotional. supporting links 1.      Preparing to say Goodbye to your pet [Four Paws] 2.      Euthanasia and how To Say Goodbye [Blue Cross, U.K] 3.      Facts About Euthanasia [Cornell University] 4.      How Long Do Cats Live? [petMD] 5.      24 Common Cat Di...

Seventy-nine years later, the Wiltz Christmas celebration remains a powerful symbol of hope and humanity. The soldiers are gone, but their legacy lives on. The children still vividly recall the joy of that special day. Each year on December 23rd, Wiltz residents gather to remember the GIs whose kindness offered the gift of Christmas, even in trying times. The Wiltz Christmas celebration stands as...

The debate over the Trump Tower clock is likely to continue for some time. However, one thing is clear: the clock is a reminder of the power of the wealthy and the importance of enforcing the rules. supporting links Trump Tower [Wikipedia] Trump Tower Clock [Encircle Photos] The Trump Organization [Website] Trump International Hotel in Washington [TIME] Donald Trump Advised to Sell Trump Tower to...