On December 29, we awakened to a wind chill temperature of -4 degrees accompanied by ice on the roads. Occasions like that provide a really good justification for an extra cup of coffee and maybe a cinnamon roll to ward off the cold. I’m pretty sure I read someplace (I don’t recall the specific reference) that coffee, donuts, and cinnamon rolls are at long last being recognized as especially significant major food groups. They are thought to be of special importance
I’ve somehow lost track of where I read about those connections or the name of the scientist who identified them. Clearly, though, I would think a Nobel Prize should certainly be a consideration.
For sure, the importance of the theory justifies a title of some kind being given to it – maybe ‘The Theory of Relatively Important Stuff.’ Your suggestions are welcomed.
There’s not a lot of writing news to scribble about in this edition. As I mentioned before, my goal when I started all of this was to write about America’s forgotten military leaders and identify those in each of the nation’s conflicts whose contributions have somehow been overlooked. Later, I added “writing a fiction novel” to that list. Those things have now been done. I am probably running out of daylight in terms of writing another full-length novel or history. We’ll see where the path may lead us next. Possibly some short stories will keep me entertained and out of trouble.
Change of subject: As I hope many did, I watched Ken Burns’ six-part documentary “The American Revolution,” on PBS. When it ended, I re-read “Rise to Rebellion,” a 2001 book by Jeff Shaara. (Jeff is the son of Michael Shaara who wrote “The Killer Angels,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about Gettysburg). Jeff Shaara picked up on his father’s work and also wrote a series of books about the American Revolution, several on the Civil War, and others on the Mexican-American War, World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.
“Rise to Rebellion” covers the very early days – the events preceding the conflict, the initial exchange of shots at Lexington and Concord, and the two Continental Congresses. The second congress, which led to the appointment of Washington as military commander and the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, was especially interesting. I particularly enjoyed the discussion regarding the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. The committee consisted of Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston. Jefferson, of course, was the primary author and did all of the original draft. Franklin and Adams contributed in important ways – not in terms of major revisions but with inciteful word changes to an already marvelously written document. The alteration that intrigued me most was the change to Jefferson’s original text that read “We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable.” Franklin changed that to simply read: “We hold these truths to be self-evident.” What comes next, of course, is “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights …” Wonderful words, wonderfully done.
One of the things I found most interesting was the consequential part that John Adams played during the course of the Congress and the decision to declare independence. There was a group of “fire eaters”—Sam Adams, John Hancock, Patrick Henry, and others – whose actions and words more often placed them in the spotlight. It was, however, John Adams’ much quieter eloquence, abetted by his scholarly, legal background, that other members of the Congress drew upon time and time again to defend against opposition views and sustain the movement toward independence. Throughout the time the Congress met, there was a group of representatives who were reluctant to sever the tie with Britain and almost to the very end, continued to seek some accommodation with the King and officials in the British Parliament. Members of the Congress realized that to have real impact, a declaration declaring American independence would have to achieved by unanimous vote. To a degree that I had not appreciated, it was John Adams who helped move them towards that goal. Benjamin Franklin regarded Adams as being the most eloquent of all the notables who were in Philadelphia for that seminal event in American history.
Before closing this first newsletter of 2026, please accept my best wishes to all for a very happy New Year, and my special thanks to readers of the site – your notes, comments, and good tidings during the past year were (and always will be) most sincerely appreciated.
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And now: A TRULY AWFUL PUN followed by one of the BEST THINGS ANYBODY EVER SAID.
For my course in meteorology, I have to write essays on the destructive power of hurricanes and tornadoes. They’re just drafts now.
“Studying literature at Harvard is like learning about women at the Mayo Clinic.”
Roy Blount, Jr.
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Have a great 2026, everyone.
Tom
- during periods of bad weather (too cold, or too hot – it really doesn’t matter);
- even when a person is afflicted with the mere thought of inclement conditions;
- in reversing the trend when events in life seem to be going bad;
- in sustaining the momentum when things are really going well;
- in adding a special touch to the celebration of notable victories (p.s. Go Big Red);
- in overcoming the agony of otherwise unbearable losses. (I mean, how many times have all of us thought “how could they possibly have blown that game?”)
I’ve somehow lost track of where I read about those connections or the name of the scientist who identified them. Clearly, though, I would think a Nobel Prize should certainly be a consideration.
For sure, the importance of the theory justifies a title of some kind being given to it – maybe ‘The Theory of Relatively Important Stuff.’ Your suggestions are welcomed.
There’s not a lot of writing news to scribble about in this edition. As I mentioned before, my goal when I started all of this was to write about America’s forgotten military leaders and identify those in each of the nation’s conflicts whose contributions have somehow been overlooked. Later, I added “writing a fiction novel” to that list. Those things have now been done. I am probably running out of daylight in terms of writing another full-length novel or history. We’ll see where the path may lead us next. Possibly some short stories will keep me entertained and out of trouble.
Change of subject: As I hope many did, I watched Ken Burns’ six-part documentary “The American Revolution,” on PBS. When it ended, I re-read “Rise to Rebellion,” a 2001 book by Jeff Shaara. (Jeff is the son of Michael Shaara who wrote “The Killer Angels,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about Gettysburg). Jeff Shaara picked up on his father’s work and also wrote a series of books about the American Revolution, several on the Civil War, and others on the Mexican-American War, World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.
“Rise to Rebellion” covers the very early days – the events preceding the conflict, the initial exchange of shots at Lexington and Concord, and the two Continental Congresses. The second congress, which led to the appointment of Washington as military commander and the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, was especially interesting. I particularly enjoyed the discussion regarding the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. The committee consisted of Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston. Jefferson, of course, was the primary author and did all of the original draft. Franklin and Adams contributed in important ways – not in terms of major revisions but with inciteful word changes to an already marvelously written document. The alteration that intrigued me most was the change to Jefferson’s original text that read “We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable.” Franklin changed that to simply read: “We hold these truths to be self-evident.” What comes next, of course, is “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights …” Wonderful words, wonderfully done.
One of the things I found most interesting was the consequential part that John Adams played during the course of the Congress and the decision to declare independence. There was a group of “fire eaters”—Sam Adams, John Hancock, Patrick Henry, and others – whose actions and words more often placed them in the spotlight. It was, however, John Adams’ much quieter eloquence, abetted by his scholarly, legal background, that other members of the Congress drew upon time and time again to defend against opposition views and sustain the movement toward independence. Throughout the time the Congress met, there was a group of representatives who were reluctant to sever the tie with Britain and almost to the very end, continued to seek some accommodation with the King and officials in the British Parliament. Members of the Congress realized that to have real impact, a declaration declaring American independence would have to achieved by unanimous vote. To a degree that I had not appreciated, it was John Adams who helped move them towards that goal. Benjamin Franklin regarded Adams as being the most eloquent of all the notables who were in Philadelphia for that seminal event in American history.
Before closing this first newsletter of 2026, please accept my best wishes to all for a very happy New Year, and my special thanks to readers of the site – your notes, comments, and good tidings during the past year were (and always will be) most sincerely appreciated.
/////
And now: A TRULY AWFUL PUN followed by one of the BEST THINGS ANYBODY EVER SAID.
For my course in meteorology, I have to write essays on the destructive power of hurricanes and tornadoes. They’re just drafts now.
“Studying literature at Harvard is like learning about women at the Mayo Clinic.”
Roy Blount, Jr.
/////
Have a great 2026, everyone.
Tom
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