[The trains were never forgotten, but the extent of their influence only came to light with the arrival of the read more

[The trains were never forgotten, but the extent of their influence only came to light with the arrival of the internet and the subsequent flowering of genealogical research. This obsession with roots will be felt especially keenly by foundlings, who often have no way of exploring their family histories.] I notice that genealogical sites now have warnings on them saying people should be ready for little surprises, ... They're not all going to find themselves descended from King Henry VIII or Richard Cur de Lion or Wellington. This is rather strange because it was pretty taken for granted a few generations ago that families had all kinds of little moments where things had gone not according to the book. It was just one of those things. You tried to accommodate it. There was no social welfare. You just had to sort it out within villages, the families, the parish. Children went to the workhouse, but people knew about it. Nowadays, there's a kind of surprise that these cases were so commonplace.

Russian Communism is the illegitimate child of Karl Marx and Catherine the Great.

Russian Communism is the illegitimate child of Karl Marx and Catherine the Great.

It all revolves around Coach Willy. He's been my coach and my mentor since I was four years old. When read more

It all revolves around Coach Willy. He's been my coach and my mentor since I was four years old. When we're swimming, he doesn't even have to say anything. Just the thought of him being there forces you to try harder.

Johann is so unselfish that he sometimes hurts himself. The reality is that he shoots the ball very well from read more

Johann is so unselfish that he sometimes hurts himself. The reality is that he shoots the ball very well from the outside. So after halftime, I had to tell him, 'shoot the basketball' and he did. I just wanted to remind the rest of the county that this kid is a double-threat. He's not a kid you can just pack down on. He doesn't get stifled and he knows how to pick you apart.

I don't know what's going on. It's just sickness.

I don't know what's going on. It's just sickness.

The cocktail party... is a device either for getting rid of social obligations hurriedly en masse or for making overtures read more

The cocktail party... is a device either for getting rid of social obligations hurriedly en masse or for making overtures toward more serious social relationships, as in the etiquette of whoring.

I went and took it to the label, and they loved it, so we put it on the record.

I went and took it to the label, and they loved it, so we put it on the record.

Most of the jobs created were full-time, the employment rate (percentage of the population 16 years of age and over) read more

Most of the jobs created were full-time, the employment rate (percentage of the population 16 years of age and over) remains near all-time highs at 62.7, while the participation rate found a way to rise by 0.1 percentage point to 67.2, again near an all-time high.

When I read about the way in which library funds are being cut and cut, I can only think that read more

When I read about the way in which library funds are being cut and cut, I can only think that American society has found one more way to destroy itself.