Twenty Books I Recommend (For 1800-to-1860 Era)

Many Thousands Gone: The First Two Centuries of Slavery in North America by Ira Berlin (1998) – Examines slavery's evolution up to 1860. 

The Problem of Slavery in the Age of Revolution, 1770-1823 by David Brion Davis (1975) – Analyzes ideological shifts affecting antebellum slavery. 

American Slavery, American Freedom: The Ordeal of Colonial Virginia by Edmund S. Morgan (1975) – Roots of slavery extending into the 19th century. 

Empire for Slavery by Randolph B. Campbell (1989) – Slavery's role in Texas and the Southwest economy. 

American Economic Growth and Standards of Living before the Civil War edited by Robert E. Gallman and John Joseph Wallis (1992) – Quantitative analysis of pre-1860 economic expansion. 

The Visible Hand: The Managerial Revolution in American Business by Alfred D. Chandler (1977) – Rise of modern business practices from 1840 onward. 

From the American System to Mass Production, 1800-1932 by David A. Hounshell (1984) – Technological shifts in manufacturing and commerce. 

Technology and American Society by Gary Cross and Rick Szostak (1995) – Broader economic and technological changes. 

The Past and Future of America’s Economy by Robert D. Atkinson (2004) – Long-term view including antebellum commerce. 

Slavery, Capitalism, and Politics in the Antebellum Republic by John Ashworth (1995-2007, two volumes) – Economic ties between slavery and capitalism. 

Farm, Shop, Landing: The Rise of a Market Society in the Hudson Valley, 1780-1860 by Martin Bruegel (2002) – Regional economic transformation. 

The Farmer's Age: Agriculture 1815-1860 by Paul W. Gates (1960) – Comprehensive on agricultural growth. 

To Their Own Soil: Agriculture in the Antebellum North by Jeremy Atack and Fred Bateman (1987) – Northern farming practices. 

The American Farmer in the Eighteenth Century: A Social and Cultural History by Richard L. Bushman (2018) – Extends into early 1800s farming culture. 

Women at Work: The Transformation of Work and Community in Lowell, Massachusetts, 1826–1860 by Thomas Dublin (1979) – Rural-to-urban agricultural labor shifts. 

Agriculture and National Development: Views on the Nineteenth Century edited by Lou Ferleger (1990) – Broader agricultural policy. 

Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville (1835) – Classic on American political systems. 

The Washington Community, 1800-1828 by James Sterling Young (1966) – Early DC political networks. 

The Rise and Fall of the American Whig Party by Michael F. Holt (1999) – Key political party dynamics. 

America's Great Debate by Fergus M. Bordewich (2012) – Compromise of 1850 and DC politics. 

The Impending Crisis: America Before the Civil War, 1848-1861 by David M. Potter (1976) – Political lead-up to war. 

Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men: The Ideology of the Republican Party Before the Civil War by Eric Foner (1970) – Political ideologies. 

Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by James M. McPherson (1988) – Comprehensive political history including 1850s. 

This Trump-Alien-UFO Chatter And Where It Leads Onto

 I have four concerns/issues over the hype that Trump is said to be close in laying out the alien/UFO/UAP story.

First, I'd like to know what treaties got signed in the 1950s by Eisenhower.  I don't think anyone with the knowledge of that situation...really wants to admit things.

Second, I'm curious how far China and Russia have gotten with the situation....as well as the Nazis of the 1930s/1940s.

Third, I'm about 99-percent sure a nuclear 'event' occurred on Mars.  After the 'mess'....I think whoever lived there....left, and that's probably the bulk of the 'guests' on Earth today.  If you ask the guests....this nuke-history is mostly why they are so anti-nuke.

Fourth, fear over the 'guests'?  Unless you come out and say they are cannibals....I don't think anyone will have serious issues.

Are We In A Civil War Era?

About seven years ago....I spent most of a year surveying/reading over the 1800-to-1860 era.  So I'm listing  today....12 similarities between the United States in the period from 1800 to 1860 (leading up to the Civil War) and modern times (around 2026):

1.Extreme Political Polarization.

1800s, the nation divided sharply between Northern and Southern interests, with parties like the Whigs (not yet Republicans) collapsing amid ideological rifts.  

Today....similar hyper-partisanship exists between red and blue states, with Democrats and Republicans seeing each other as existential threats.  Pure and simple demonization.

2.   Sectionalism and Regional Loyalties: 

1800s era saw exaggerated devotion to regional interests over national unity, with the North and South prioritizing their economic and cultural identities. Today, coastal urban areas clash with rural heartlands, fostering "red state" vs. "blue state" identities that undermine federal cohesion, just like the North-South divide. 

3.  Debates Over States' Rights vs. Federal Authority: 

Southern states in the 1800s championed states' rights to resist federal overreach on issues like tariffs and slavery expansion.  Today, states challenge federal mandates on topics like immigration, abortion, and gun laws, with actions like Texas's border policies echoing nullification crises. 

4. Economic Disparities Between Regions: 

1800's North benefited from protective tariffs that burdened the agricultural South, widening wealth gaps.  Today, economic divides pit prosperous tech-driven coasts against declining manufacturing and agricultural interiors, exacerbated by trade wars and globalization debates. 

5.  Cultural and Ideological Clashes: 

1800's cultural differences....includes urban vs. rural lifestyles and religious views, deepened mutual distrust between North and South. Today....disagreements  over education, sex rights, and religion create similar rifts, with urban liberals and rural conservatives seeing each other as culturally alien. 

6.  Rise of Extremist or Single-Issue Political Movements: 

1800's reform of the Republican Party as an anti-slavery force radicalized politics and accelerated division. Today?  Movements like far-right nationalism or progressive activism dominate, sidelining moderates and pushing parties toward extremes on issues like election integrity or social justice. 

7.  Immigration and Nativism Tensions: 

1800s nativism, fueled by immigration waves, contributed to party fractures like the Know-Nothings.  Today?  Debates over border security and migrant influxes mirror this, with anti-immigration sentiments dividing communities and parties along similar lines. 

8. Threats of Secession or Disunion: 1800s southern states threatened and enacted secession in 1860-1861 over perceived threats to their way of life.  Today...modern discussions of "national divorce" or state autonomy, especially in conservative areas, evoke this, with some viewing federal policies as intolerable overreach. 

9.  Contested Elections Sparking Crises: Abraham Lincoln's 1860 election, won without Southern support, triggered secession.  Today?  Recent elections, like 2020 and 2024, have led to disputes and events like January 6, 2021, where outcomes are seen as illegitimate by large segments, fueling ongoing unrest. 

10.  Violence and Social Unrest:  Events like Bleeding Kansas in the 1850s involved guerrilla warfare over territorial issues.  Today?  Protests, riots, and political violence, such as those in 2020 or ongoing clashes over policy.....parallel this, raising fears of escalation into broader conflict. 

11.  Loss of Faith in National Institutions: By 1860, distrust in Congress, the presidency, and the Supreme Court eroded unity.  Today?  In 2026, plummeting confidence in institutions like the federal government, media, and judiciary mirrors this, with accusations of bias and corruption deepening divides. 

12.  Nationalism Overriding Unity: Southern nationalism in the 1850s prioritized regional identity, leading to fragmentation. Today?  Modern American nationalism, often tied to "America First" or identity politics, similarly places factional loyalties above national compromise, risking further divisions.

Yeah, we are at 'war' but have yet to grasp that.

State of the Union Speech, and Democrat's Alternate Speech

 Four thoughts.

Man, 90 minutes long...probably the longest SotU ever.

Second, Gov Spanberger giving the alternate....several goof-up's and they were noticeable.  

Third, the whole thing is likely to be made up into November campaign pieces....supporting Republicans and demonizing Democrats.

Fourth, before Obama/Trump/Biden came along....this was pretty dull stuff.  Past 20 years?  Charged-up.

Five Things I Now Believe

 1.  The 2028 Democratic Primary will not be won by AOC, Governor Newsome or Governor Whitmer.

All three will be deemed too 'dimwitted' to handle the job....even by current standards.

2.  A study will be concluded by 2027....to establish that one-third of all high school graduates (graduating in 2026)....are no more than 6th grade level in abilities. The primary question after that....what do you do with such people?

3.  By 2035....marriage between humans and robots will be approved in the US.

4.  Farts will be determined to be pollution-like by 2030.

5.  After President Trump gives his Aliens-exist speech....more than 3-million Americans deny it and launch into what I'd call aliens-delusionary-syndrome (ADS).

Where This Mexico Cartel 'War' Goes

 First, between DEA, Intel, and CIA folks.....this one particular cartel in the news....has been on the minds of people for 20-odd years....waiting for  this 'war' to start up.

Second, if they take  a couple hundred hostages (Canadians, Americans, Mexicans, and Europeans)....a number of lesser cartels will step up to hero-status....briefly putting down this mess...in the interest of their cartel business.

Third and final....tourism-wise....you can figure the rest of 2026 is screwed-up in Mexico.

NYC: Do You Really Need A ID To Shovel Snow?

 I read through forty commentaries....with all the freaking snow in NYC in the past week or two.....it's reached a point where the mayor needs regular people to 'stand-up' and shovel snow.  

But there is a catch....you need a ID.  

I read through all the BS, and here's the deal....if you want to be a paid emergency snow shoveler with the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) for city-contracted work during major storms...like clearing bus stops, crosswalks, fire hydrants, and step streets, then actual requirements occur....to include specific forms of identification and other documents. 

 This is a temporary, per diem role paying around $19 per hour, activated during significant weather events.

So you could work 12 hours in a day....making $228?  Well...NO....after taxes and Social Security is taken out....you'd likely get around $100 for a 12-hour job.

But here's the odd part to the story....you must be 18 or older....be eligible to work in the United States (no non-citizens)....and be capable of performing heavy physical labor. How you prove the heavy labor thing?  Unknown.

Then you must bring the followings for registration....two small photos (1-1/2 inch square each).....a Social Security card (original)....and two original forms of ID (plus one copy of each), such as a driver's license, passport, state-issued ID, or birth certificate.

If you have no birth certificate (like in the case of 75-percent of Democrats)?  Well...some state ID and the license would do.

Complicated? Yeah.  My advice....move to Florida and avoid snow.

Note....after you get registered and have a snow-shovler-ID.....you can probably use it for voting purposes.

Also note....you don't have to be a NYC resident. If you felt some passion for shoveling snow....you could fly up for a week, get the ID, and shovel some.  Note, your food expenses per day....likely exceed the paycheck.