How does ‘history’ happen? What causes wars and revolutions? How do influential leaders rise to power? How do great civilizations come to an end? In my last article, we looked at how to create history.  Today, we’ll look a little more at causation.  When someone says that something happened for one specific reason, they are … Read more

I put my shoes on this morning. It’s a true fact. It really happened. It’s in the past. Does that make it history? Well, you won’t find it in any history book. In my last article, I looked at the difference between “real history” and whatever my piano tuner thinks ragtime is. I’d like to go a little farther … Read more

While the tuner was working on my piano (somewhere in between all the TING-TING-TING-crank-crank-crank- TING-TING-TING-crank-crank-crank), he told me all about how he also restores antique pianos. He’s worked on pianos owned by famous composers and pianos from famous locations. Unique pianos. One-of-a-kind pianos. He knows people that collect them. They’re worth thousands and thousands of dollars. And so on and on…. I … Read more