West of The Nostalgia Problem

 December 17, 2025

   When I see old movie posters like this they make me happy.

   Why is that? Well, for one thing they look incredibly cool in a retro kind of way, and two, it reminds me of being young and going to the movies, even though this is much earlier than my experience.

A Dude Cover of Tim McCoy We Didn't Use

"When we think of the past, it's the beautiful things we pick out. We want to believe it was all like that."

—Margaret Atwood

The Problem With Western Nostalgia

   A nostalgia for a lost time is the problem all humans experience. Real history is about understanding change. If things are going to remain the same, something has to change.

   On the other hand, do not abandon the past. It leads to where you want to go. Besides, the past is never done with you.

   You can't trust atoms, They make up everything.

   Please be patient with me, I'm from the 1900s.

"Nothing clears a room faster than the words Chester A. Arther."

—Alexis Coe, presidential historian