The Battle for New Orleans

Some of my favorite memories of my dad have to do with his Ford F150 black truck and the 8 track player in it. As a little girl, I spent hours in it listening to two tapes over and over again--Johnny Cash and Johnny Horton. Not only did both have catchy tunes, they sang about the common man and his struggles AND about historical events. As we complete our study of the War of 1812, I'd like to share Horton's song with you.



Kudos to Evan Bell, who shared this version with me. It's so much more fun than just the song (though my first thought was WHO has this much time on their hands?).

To bring the topic full circle, evaluate to what degree New Orleans' struggles serve as a barometer of American society in general.

The People Have Spoken

President-elect, Barack Obama at Billings West High School

In these days following the election, we are up to our arm-pits in political analysis of every kind. Was it the youth vote that propelled Obama to a victory? Was it McCain's vice-presidential pick? Was it... the list could go on and on.

While some of that is necessary--and certainly interesting--something larger is on my mind. The theme of "change" was central to both campaigns, and to the American public. Without doubt, something hard to put a finger on has certainly changed; the winds are blowing from a new direction. In so many ways, it reminds me of the 1960s. And who better to serve as a spokesman than Bob Dylan?