The rest of the images from "The Storm" (1922) - 3 of 7 https://t.co/k7JDFRRCwm The rest of the images from "The Storm" (1922) - 3 of 7 https://t.co/k7JDFRRCwm — Streets of Washington (@StreetsOfDC) Jan 29, 2022
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 29, 2022
The rest of the images from "The Storm" (1922) - 2 of 7 https://t.co/M95aVWVyhG The rest of the images from "The Storm" (1922) - 2 of 7 https://t.co/M95aVWVyhG — Streets of Washington (@StreetsOfDC) Jan 29, 2022
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 29, 2022
The rest of the images from "The Storm" (1922) - 1 of 7 https://t.co/WlGukcTxIt The rest of the images from "The Storm" (1922) - 1 of 7 https://t.co/WlGukcTxIt — Streets of Washington (@StreetsOfDC) Jan 29, 2022
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 29, 2022
More images from "The Storm" (Jan 1922) https://t.co/f9vEVOUObj More images from "The Storm" (Jan 1922) https://t.co/f9vEVOUObj — Streets of Washington (@StreetsOfDC) Jan 29, 2022
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 29, 2022
With a war between Russia and Japan happening across the world, the daughter to the Russian ambassador, Marguerite Cassini, decided to have a party, but not for the reason you might think. #OTD #DCHistory https://t.co/rfvUEksSWq With a war between Russia and Japan happening …
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 29, 2022
White out conditions early during the blizzard of Jan 28 1922 (from "The Storm"). https://t.co/QF4dYIMAPi White out conditions early during the blizzard of Jan 28 1922 (from "The Storm"). https://t.co/QF4dYIMAPi — Streets of Washington (@StreetsOfDC) Jan 29, 2022
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 29, 2022
The story of the storm, as told at the time (from "The Storm") https://t.co/IqV7IW5yMl The story of the storm, as told at the time (from "The Storm") https://t.co/IqV7IW5yMl — Streets of Washington (@StreetsOfDC) Jan 29, 2022
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 29, 2022
This commemorative booklet was published shortly after the great blizzard of January 1922 that led to the Knickerbocker Theater disaster. More photos from inside to come. https://t.co/3l5I2gw7NN This commemorative booklet was published shortly after the great blizzard of Janua…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 29, 2022
Today in History - January 29 https://t.co/P3tgO477hT Kansas entered the Union as a free state on January 29, 1861. Continue reading. Click here to search Today in History for other historic moments.
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 29, 2022
This 1921 map of Honolulu shows electric street car lines - a feature of the city for almost 40 years. Take a closer look: https://t.co/f7p9FAEReP https://t.co/aA9KFZxOlJ This 1921 map of Honolulu shows electric street car lines - a feature of the city for almost 40 years. Tak…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 28, 2022
The Folger Shakespeare Library holds thousands of objects relating to the famous playwright, but the journey to get there was contentious. Selecting D.C. might not have been as simple as the Folgers wanted it to be. #DCHistory https://t.co/eYKz1RTrTb The Folger Shakespeare L…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 28, 2022
The D.C. streetcar system was a hit for Washingtonians, but its financial and labor issues made it a contentious topic for those working directly with it. The fate of the D.C. streetcars coming in Part 2 later today! #DCHistory https://t.co/7UR7VPbspa The D.C. streetcar syst…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 28, 2022
4. View the “Attacks on Democracy Through Black Photojournalism” exhibition at Gallery O on H: (https://t.co/0MgSXhmNya) 5. Learn more about the District’s official music, Go-Go, during the DC Go-Go: Ten Years Backstage book talk with author Chip Py: (https://t.co/fxmmqK2ux2…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 28, 2022
Want to learn more about Black history in DC during Black History Month? Check out this list to help you delve deeper into Black history in the District: 1. Take yourself on this Murals DC walking tour and explore the history of Black Broadway: (https://t.co/YxulZEflqT) Wan…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 28, 2022
This 1983 map created by the CIA depicts the various ethnolinguistic groups within Spain. Have a look: https://t.co/sS4RMUYddV https://t.co/ezXkjZS0IG This 1983 map created by the CIA depicts the various ethnolinguistic groups within Spain. Have a look: …
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 28, 2022
Here are five stories that moved us this week, and the reasons why.
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Jane Mayer | The New Yorker | January 24th, 2022 | 6,800 words
Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement was the big Supreme Court news of the week, but don’t sleep on this disturbing story about Clarence Thomas’s wife’s many, many ties to right-wing groups and figures—including ones directly involved with major SCOTUS cases. Perhaps you read about Ginni Thomas expressing support for the January 6 insurrectionists and the lie that Donald Trump actually won the 2020 election. But did you know she sits on the advisory board of a conservative academic group that filed an amicus brief in the affirmative-action suit that SCOTUS just took up, or that she was a paid consultant at a “security” organization when its leader filed a brief supporting Trump’s Muslim ban? Those examples are just the tip of the iceberg in this damning story, reported by one of the great chroniclers of U.S. political power. Above all, Jane Mayer calls much-needed attention to the fact that SCOTUS is not bound by a code of conduct, the kind of rules that would prevent such egregious conflicts of interest. —SD
The Hudson Review | Priscilla Long | January 24th, 2022 | 4,430 words
Sit down to savor Priscilla Long’s evocative musings on writing. Long’s essay, structured in fragments inspired by the alphabet, is a lovely journey across history, across ancient books and literary texts, and comments on so much: from the emergence of writing to the transformative experience of reading, from the age-old desire to write to the different ways of saying and seeing: “To be inside the cathedral of a language is to be inside a particular view of the world.” My husband made an interesting comment recently about his current online reading habit, in a time when so many distractions shatter our attention. Reading, for him, has become transactional — he reads to get practical information. The remark, which made me a bit sad, came to mind as I got deeper into Long’s piece. This is not that kind of read: it’s a treat, like a glass of my favorite red wine, and a nudge for me to take the time, for once, to read for myself and enjoy the space that writing creates. —CLR
Claire L. Evans | The Verge | January 26th, 2022 | 6,815 words
Depending on when you grew up and how much you cared, you may not know the name of any famous hackers. (Other than one named Neo.) But I defy even dedicated Luddites not to get sucked into Evans’ then-and-now tale of Susan Thunder, the most formidable phone “phreaker” (and prolific groupie) you’ve never heard of. Evans’ 2018 book, Broad Band, chronicled many of the women who laid the groundwork for the internet; now, consumed with the legend of Thunder, she sets off to find out what motivated that legend, and separate myth from truth. What makes it compelling isn’t merely the hunt for a woman who has no interest in being found — it’s what happens when she is found. From the Leather Castle to dumpster dives to DEFCON conferences, Evans weaves a twisting tale of deceit, manipulation, empowerment, and regret. Come for that, but stay for a visual design that unerringly evokes the days when all someone needed was a landline and some social intuition to take the power back from the system that had already robbed them of so much.—PR
David Alm | Runner’s World | August 6th 2020 | 5,737 words
This essay shows us just how powerful sport’s mental lift can be. David Alm describes how running carried Connie Allen through a dark time in her life, giving her the strength to leave an ultra-Orthodox sect of Hasidic Judaism, Satmar. Connie found running on her own; it was not acceptable in the Satmar community, which rejects modern life and maintains the customs and dress of their Hungarian ancestors. Instead, writes Alm, Connie locked herself in her room to first do “jumping jacks, then high knees, then running in place…nearly passing out from the effort.” It was a way for her to carve out a small piece of her own identity, a seed that grew over the years until eventually, she rejected her old world. This piece provides a fascinating insight into Hasidic life and how hard it is to leave. By the time Connie is standing, shivering, on the starting line of her first 5K in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, you feel a real sense of pride. —CW
Sophie Haigney | The Baffler | January 27th, 2022 | 1,851 words
When was the last time you saw an ashtray? I don’t recall, but I do remember the heavy, green glass ashtrays my parents used every day. Growing up, my brother and I had to do the dishes. I refused to wash those ashtrays, my only form of protest against their pack-a-day habit. Ashtrays are among the objects that Sophie Haigney discusses in her review of Extinct: A Compendium of Obsolete Objects at The Baffler. The book’s essays cover objects that, for one reason or another, failed or fell out of fashion. It asks: “What was it that has disappeared and why? And then, what was the significance of this loss?” The loss of some things, such as ashtrays — for some — is nostalgic. There’s less nostalgia for zeppelins, all-plastic houses, and flying boats. What I enjoyed most about Haigney’s review is that it got me thinking about a social change that seemed to happen instantly, but in reality took place over decades. As Haigney responds to Catherine Slessor’s essay: “Ashtrays are no longer status symbols, displayed waist-high in suburban living rooms. Now, there is something illicit about possessing an ashtray, associated as it is with the mild rebellion of smoking cigarettes.” Slessor writes, “The ashtray is not only an adjunct to social pleasure, but a memento mori, a reminder that you are dancing with death.” —KS
Remembering Challenger and Her Crew via NASA https://t.co/SWtDset70x https://t.co/ob4jQuoXAo
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 28, 2022
The 1922 blizzard in D.C. resulted in tragedy at the Knickerbocker Theater. The roof’s collapse raised questions about its construction, but did not end its story as an entertainment venue. How did the Knickerbocker survive? Find out here: #DCHistory https://t.co/OfuyjHxbpa …
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 28, 2022
Circa 1964 sketch of the Connecticut Inn at 4400 Connecticut Avenue NW, now a Days Inn. @foresthillsnews https://t.co/TymChFltP2 Circa 1964 sketch of the Connecticut Inn at 4400 Connecticut Avenue NW, now a Days Inn. @foresthillsnews https://t.co/TymChFltP2 — Streets of Wash…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 28, 2022
Sadly the scene of a fatal shooting yesterday, the former Connecticut Inn at 4400 Connecticut Ave NW in Van Ness was originally a stylish Mid-century Modern motel that opened in 1964, as seen in this vintage brochure. @foresthillsnews https://t.co/ieRoD9iE7V Sadly the scene of…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 28, 2022
There's a lot of uncertainty in this 18th-century French map of the north Pacific - lighter lines represent conjectured coastlines. Go exploring here: https://t.co/FamiJTRI70 https://t.co/ie7B52C6CK There's a lot of uncertainty in this 18th-century French map of the north Pac…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 27, 2022
Author J.D. Salinger and his wife’s journey to D.C. meant meeting with important Indian spiritual figure Swami Premananda. The swami’s work left a mark on the Salingers as well as many throughout D.C. and the country. #DCHistory https://t.co/aSwnkdMtsd Author J.D. Salinger a…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 27, 2022
Before he sold out shows across the world, David Bowie spent a quiet night in Washington D.C. with one of his label’s publicists, but not without his signature look #OTD #DCHistory #MDHistory https://t.co/y826Wjl2s7 Before he sold out shows across the world, David Bowie spen…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 27, 2022
Some of the most delightful stories I’ve read recently are, surprisingly, about going to the toilet. Did you read Sabrina Imbler’s piece for the New York Times about roosting bats who hang out in pit latrines in Tanzania? Or Ryan Hockensmith’s ode to the mobile commode at ESPN? While not entertaining in the same way, Nandita Dinesh’s essay at Guernica, “Thinking About Toilets,” is a beautiful meditation on her life, privilege, grief, collective trauma, and India.
It feels odd to say, but I love bathroom reads: examinations on the potential of poop, from unconventional life-saving treatments called fecal microbiota transplants to the humanure movement — and the cultural shift toward understanding and embracing the relationship to our own bodily waste (versus the very Western attitude of just getting rid of it). My reading list on really good shit seven years ago covers some of this ground, but I wanted to gather a follow-up collection of complementary reads, this time focused on the future of toilets, bathrooms, and — more broadly — innovation across the field of sanitation and waste management.
What we do and what we leave in the bathroom may not be an exciting topic of discussion to some people, who would rather hold their noses and look away. But I encourage you to take the plunge with these five informative and fascinating reads.
Dig deeper into the history of toilets with Chelsea Wald’s piece on ancient loos and sewers at Nature.
For decades, cities across the United States have neglected public restrooms, leaving millions with no place to go when they’re out and about. The disappearance of public toilets became even more apparent in the early days of the pandemic, when basic facilities shut down. As Yuko reports, the U.S. has only 8 toilets per 100,000 people — tied with Botswana. Why is it so hard to find a place to pee? What does the lack of access say about deeper inequities? And what would it take for public toilets to make a comeback, and how would we design these spaces? This is an excellent read on the rise and fall of public restrooms and why a lack of toilets became an American affliction.
That reality was underscored as the pandemic dragged on. Infection fears led cities to padlock the few public restrooms that were available. Stories emerged about Amazon and Uber drivers resorting to peeing in bottles, while unhoused individuals relied on adult diapers or five-gallon buckets filled with kitty litter. Public urination complaints spiked in cities like New York and Washington, D.C., especially when crowds flooded the streets in the summer of 2020 to protest the murder of George Floyd.
The presence or absence of restrooms in public spaces has long been an indication of a particular group’s place in society, says Laura Norén, a postdoctoral associate at New York University and co-editor of Toilet: The Public Restroom and the Politics of Sharing. From women to people of color to those with disabilities, vulnerable communities have struggled to have this most fundamental of needs accommodated. Most recently, transgender individuals have found themselves targeted in bathroom-backlash debates.
Informed by the sewage research of retired environmental scientist Christian Daughton, countries in Europe have embraced wastewater-based epidemiology for decades. Wastewater research — initially focused on analyzing illegal drug residues in sewage, like traces of cocaine, to measure community-wide use — has become a crucial public health measure in countries all over the world during the COVID-19 crisis. But why has the U.S. taken so long to catch on? Weiss takes a close look at Daughton’s influential work, and how this area of epidemiology, which is fast and inexpensive, could help transform public health in the country.
But it wasn’t long before Murray started getting pushback. No one wanted their city to be labeled the cocaine capital of the country. There also was a public perception of “government scientists looking in your toilet to bust you for smoking a joint,” he said. Even though wastewater testing involved pooled samples that couldn’t identify individuals, households, or even neighborhoods, the perception was that it invaded people’s privacy.
By early summer, Daughton’s approach was in use on six continents and in nearly every U.S. state. As researchers all over the world jumped into wastewater testing, they realized that sewage provided a picture of the virus in communities days — sometimes even up to two weeks if clinical test results were delayed — before clinical tests and could give officials a jump start in responding.
I used to live in a solar-powered tiny house on wheels. Of all the changes I made to my day-to-day in that space, pooping in a five-gallon plastic bucket, covering it with cocoa bean shells until it was ready to dump into our humanure bin, and ultimately transforming our waste into nutrient-rich matter for the garden was the most educational and unexpectedly enlightening experience.
Why are we still using clean water to flush away our waste? I love Zeldovich’s story about London-based company Loowatt, which created an off-grid toilet system that uses no water and turns waste into electricity and fertilizer. This waterless woo was piloted in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar — one of many places around the world where traditional flush toilets just aren’t an option. Is this the toilet of the future?
This very manual setup sounds very archaic compared to the slick and convenient arrangements of the Western world. But sanitation experts think that in the era of climate change, when droughts and floods are becoming increasingly common, the West may have something to learn from the little waterless loos piloted in penniless Madagascan neighbourhoods. With the world’s population ever-increasing, places that historically relied on water for sanitation may have to reconsider how they flush.
Giving every teenager a phone is easy, in the sense that cell towers are fairly simple to install. But processing poo is a much stickier problem. To shape shit into something harmless and useful takes a very concentrated effort.
The portable bathroom business in America is at $17 billion and growing, writes Hockensmith, mainly because of the demand for places to pee at large-scale sports events. We featured this story in a recent Top 5 list for good reason: it’s a breezy read on the history of portable bathrooms, an eye-opening look at port-a-potty disposal and maintenance through the eyes of a sanitation crewmember, and a glimpse into the next generation of bathrooms — ones that are hopefully more inclusive and private and, interestingly, look a lot like today’s port-a-potties.
For each port-a-potty, Cansdale must replace two rolls of toilet paper from a latched holder, suck out as much as possible from inside the bowl and clean the seat with water and a scrub brush. He gives a quick hand sanitizer check but has never had to refill one at a Bills game. “The truth is, nobody’s washing their hands,” Cansdale says. “They just want to get in and get out.”
The Modern drivers call it a “half-suck” because the goal is speed and just to get the stalls usable for after the game. They’ll do full sucks and total cleans starting Monday morning.
The half-suck math is daunting: At about 40 toilets per guy, with people streaming in and out of the port-a-potties as they try to do their jobs, the cleaners will have less than three minutes per toilet, all while trying to navigate giant trucks through tiny windows of crowded parking lots. On top of that, the weather report says some wicked Buffalo wind and rain is about to roll in right around kickoff today, with temperatures expected to drop down into the 30s.
About 10 minutes before kickoff, Cansdale opens the truck door, and there’s a light in his eyes. “It’s go time,” he says. “Buckle in, this is going to be a wild, smelly ride.”
Toilet paper giants like Charmin, Cottonelle, and Quilted Northern primarily use freshly cut trees to make their products. In addition to cutting down perfectly fine trees, it takes an awful lot of water and energy — and chemicals! — to convert trees into rolls of toilet paper. Thankfully, startups like Who Gives a Crap and No. 2 have swept through to offer more eco-friendly paper alternatives, from bamboo to sugarcane. But are the companies selling these slickly packaged rolls really that much more ecologically responsible? Or is this all just greenwashing?
Samira Far, who founded No. 2, was looking for a new idea in 2017. She had sold her last company — a chain of eight nail salons called Bellacures that were created to be cleaner and nicer than competing salons. “I guess I have a passion for seeking out areas of improvement in both products and services,” she says.
She landed on toilet paper, seeing it as “a very outdated industry,” and started looking into it. “Initially I looked at it as: The branding is super old, the packaging is super old, there’s a way to do this better so it’s cute for the bathroom,” she says. “But in my research I actually started to see that there’s actually a way to do it so it’s environmentally friendly and doesn’t have as many chemicals inside of the paper as it usually does.”
We’re not limited to maps of Earth here at the Library of Congress! Our collection includes several maps of the moon’s surface, including the one below. Zoom in here: https://t.co/NJcVPRXa8V https://t.co/kPKbW1wYna We’re not limited to maps of Earth here at the Library of Con…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 27, 2022
Remembering Apollo 1 via NASA https://t.co/9ZUIR7hwS7 https://t.co/9lo5mZqicN
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 27, 2022
Protesting the treatment of Jewish athletes at the World University games, Danny Haberman and other schoolchildren were met with DC police during their plan to act. #DCHistory https://t.co/UbAzZlIj1b Protesting the treatment of Jewish athletes at the World University games, …
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 27, 2022
The Allies Inn, on the NW corner of 17th St and New York Ave NW was a popular cafeteria and rooming house for Allied officers during both world wars. Designed by Percival D. Emmert, it was built in 1912 and demolished in 1960 to make way for the headquarters of the @FDICgov …
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 27, 2022
Today in History - January 27 https://t.co/Weow8PjUUT John James Audubon, naturalist and artist famous for his drawings and paintings of North American birds, died at his home in New York City on January 27, 1851. Continue reading. Click here to search Today in History for …
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 27, 2022
Quote of the Day: "Men can starve from a lack of self-realization as much as they can from a lack of bread." - Richard Wright
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 27, 2022
These fascinating remote-sensing images show the US-Mexico border as it looked from the air in 1979: https://t.co/WBvKVxDi47 https://t.co/w9IsZyO7Cq These fascinating remote-sensing images show the US-Mexico border as it looked from the air in 1979: https://t.co/WBvKVxDi47 …
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 26, 2022
Has it really been 30 years since #DC had a Super Bowl Champion? Yes. Yes, it has. Those of us of a certain age remember January 26, 1992 fondly. #OTD Has it really been 30 years since #DC had a Super Bowl Champion? Yes. Yes, it has. Those of us of a certain age remember Janu…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 26, 2022
Check out this map of the US from 1921 which shows the primary modes of transportation at that time. Included are: railroad lines, roads, canals, and a helpful travel distance table to calculate how far you are from your destination! Explore the map here: …
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 26, 2022
During his brief stint as the president of the American Olympic Committee in 1928, Gen. Douglas Macarthur had a very strict ideas when it came to flag etiquette. “The National flag will not be dipped by way of salute or compliment.” https://t.co/2RfmVer61G During his brief s…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 26, 2022
In this poignant and thoughtful essay at Emergence Magazine, Melanie Challenger considers deep questions about precisely how people differ from animals and how our humanity — this idea that our consciousness is superior to that of plants and animals — has allowed us to justify prioritizing our own well being and survival over all living things, to the detriment of the planet. But how has human exceptionalism affected the environment and the life within it? Challenger asks us to apply our vast human mental capacity to putting real thought and action into preserving a true legacy — a healthy, thriving environment for the good of future generations: “How can we escape a cycle in which we look out on nature, fear the realities we see, arm ourselves with a false narrative of our own superiority, and, in so doing, hobble our moral agency?”
In other words, we are protected against the worst of our cruelties, whereas other species can be exploited, killed, and their homes destroyed, because they are mere bodies, but we are beings.
Unsurprisingly, this belief system is toxic to the rest of life on our planet. If it’s only the human essence that truly matters, then it doesn’t matter that we—this special thinking animal—are killing and endangering the evolutionary pathways of hundreds of thousands of other species on our planet. Because if we tell ourselves that only our special human essence has value, then only we truly matter on this Earth. And by this logic, as long as we pursue human needs, we are doing good in the world, regardless of any wider destructive consequences. That is one hell of a bias.
Today our major societies continue to justify our damaging impacts on Earth and other life forms on this basis. When interrogated, however, the idea of human exceptionalism can be extraordinarily difficult to ground in reality. That is because, at its heart, it is a belief rather than a fact. It is a belief about the value and quality of humanity. It is a belief that human uniqueness allows us both to endure and to triumph. It is the idea to which we default when confronted by human activities that seem to run counter to our moral high ground. The most common form this idea takes is the argument that humans have a special kind of intelligence from which full moral worth and duties follow. But other common forms of exceptionalism rely on the soul or personhood or the idea of “dignity.” We rarely allow ourselves to consider how odd these moral convictions are. But when we dig into them, we soon realize we will have to meet with Death to truly understand them.
The Colors of Water via NASA https://t.co/e11Dx5NKcq https://t.co/qEwlYtrXJu
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 26, 2022
Scene on Columbia Road NW near 18th Street, outside the collapsed Knickerbocker Theatre on the morning of Jan 29, 1922. 98 people killed when the roof collapsed onto the crowded theater after two feet of snow had fallen. 100th anniversary coming up. Thx for corrections folks! …
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 26, 2022
Scene on 18th Street NW near Columbia Road, outside the collapsed Knickerbocker Theatre on the morning of Jan 29, 1922. 98 people killed when the roof collapsed onto the crowded theater after two feet of snow had fallen. 100th anniversary coming up. https://t.co/rSAEryiQAd Sce…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 26, 2022
Today in History - January 26 https://t.co/TP7mZNckwg Michigan entered the Union as the twenty-sixth state on January 26, 1837. Continue reading. According to the terms of the capitulation protocol of January 26, 1654, Portugal decreed that Jewish and Dutch settlers had thr…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 26, 2022
Quote of the Day: "Find a job you like and you add five days to every week." - H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 26, 2022
X-59 Wind Tunnel Testing at NASA Glenn via NASA https://t.co/W9oPJlU5pp https://t.co/66hUonnMR4
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 25, 2022
This beautifully detailed map of Paris showcases many of the city’s famous structures and monuments. Get a closer look: https://t.co/2ilJpdWiLP https://t.co/2y1mJOASef This beautifully detailed map of Paris showcases many of the city’s famous structures and monuments. Get a c…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 25, 2022
The Gramercy Inn, at 1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, just southwest of Scott Circle, was built in 1963 in a Mid-Century Modern style, with two large, distinctive scalloped bays on its facade. Architects were Corning, Moore, Elmore & Fisher. The hotel closed in 1987. …
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 25, 2022
Today in History - January 25 https://t.co/0CuQS6iML4 On January 25, 1972, at the Concord Baptist Church of Christ in Brooklyn, New York, Shirley Chisholm announced her candidacy for President of the United States. Continue reading. On January 25, 1890, police cleared a pa…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 25, 2022
It's #MapMonsterMonday! Is that a unicorn?? It sure looks like one on this 1786 Armenian-language map of Africa. Spot it - and other wildlife - here: https://t.co/QPLyUvpUHY https://t.co/TCdTBxqZbh It's #MapMonsterMonday! Is that a unicorn?? It sure looks like one on this 178…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 24, 2022
Investigating the history of our family creates a personal connection to the past. Join us on February 5 for a program with expert Linda Crichlow White, where we will discuss researching, the role of race in genealogy, and the importance of family history: …
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 24, 2022
Studying the ‘Lost Habitable’ World of Venus via NASA https://t.co/cCyHRKopAU https://t.co/dPlvkuKV4S
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 24, 2022
This administrative map of Africa depicts how the continent was divided in 1954. Many of the colonies seen here would go on to gain independence in the decades following World War Two. Take a look: https://t.co/sPbvZPKhAY https://t.co/TeYTqbf0ac This administrative map of Afr…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 24, 2022
Today in History - January 24 https://t.co/dt5ENLGKRp On January 24, 1848, James W. Marshall discovered gold on the property of Johann A. Sutter near Coloma, California. Continue reading. Click here to search Today in History for other historic moments.
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 24, 2022
We love sharing and celebrating our favorite longform stories, but we also love publishing them. Longreads is proud to have assigned and edited many award-winning pieces over the years; we’ve won a Pushcart Prize and have had numerous inclusions and notable mentions in the Best American and Year’s Best Sports series. We’re actively soliciting essays and criticism for the coming year. Submit your best drafts, pitch us your ideas, and help us to showcase more unforgettable writing in 2022. All styles are welcome, and no topic is off-limits; tell us why your story should be told.
Whether you’re an established writer or just starting to put pen to paper, we want to hear from you — we support all experience levels; you’ll work with an editor to sharpen your piece. Take a look at our Submissions page and browse some of our past pieces: we’ve covered a wide range of topics, and are always searching for thoughtful writing and surprising arguments. We seek pieces with fresh perspectives and original angles.
Essays are usually between 2,000 and 6,000 words but can be longer. Rates start at $500 USD for first-time contributors — but that, too, can vary, depending on the reporting and research the piece demands. If your piece is accepted, an editor will work with you on an offer.
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At the beginning of the 20th century, two pianos and two presidents helped turn the White House into a cultural center for music and the arts. #DCHistory https://t.co/OiaSA8kRPl At the beginning of the 20th century, two pianos and two presidents helped turn the White House i…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 23, 2022
Oscar Wilde was a stylish fellow. The dashing outfits he wore on his trip to DC stunned the local newspapers and created a sensation all across the city. #DCHistory https://t.co/SukX7TlZiQ Oscar Wilde was a stylish fellow. The dashing outfits he wore on his trip to DC stunne…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 23, 2022
In April 1968, Petey Greene, America's first "shock jock" and uncle of D.C.'s Black community, may have single-handedly put a stop to a riot that convulsed D.C. after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. #DCHistory https://t.co/5v2OdLVBOO In April 1968, Petey Gree…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 23, 2022
In January 1911, J.P. Morgan made a record setting trip out of D.C. to New York. Why did he want to leave D.C. so quickly? #DCHistory https://t.co/wgzrLdCy7V In January 1911, J.P. Morgan made a record setting trip out of D.C. to New York. Why did he want to leave D.C. so qui…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 23, 2022
Politicians have a history of physical confrontation with one another. But few outmatch one former Tennessee governor's ability to bludgeon a U.S. senator with a cane. #DCHistory https://t.co/Jkm4dZVsCY Politicians have a history of physical confrontation with one another. B…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 23, 2022
This trade card for Hires Root Beer bears the imprint of Ferdinand Huhn (1850-1922), a German immigrant who ran a grocery store at 900 H Street NE in the 1880s and 1890s. https://t.co/N37SgWE8hx This trade card for Hires Root Beer bears the imprint of Ferdinand Huhn (1850-1922…
— Kenneth Samson (@PangurBanC) Jan 23, 2022