This has been a beautiful thread. My father's family was in Western Pennsylvania from before the Revolution, my mother's was there from a couple of generations back, I was born there, and those hills are home to me still like nowhere else on Earth. Can't say that we had any of the mountain music. Had a fierce dedication to education, though. That was partly from the Scots in us, but it was certainly because an education was the only way not to have to go down in the mines. My children all have that fierceness for learning even to this day, though come to think of it they know nothing of their great-great uncle disabled by pneumoconiosis. Remarkable how these traits can persist. So thanks, Akbar, and thanks to everyone who has posted. I learned a lot and am glad of it.

Posted at May 13, 2008 11:36 PM in response to A look at the historical roots of racism in WV, from a depressed mountaineer

Thanks, Chris, for explaining the titles of those teaching law at the University of Chicago. It's good to know that the Obama campaign has this straight. It's regrettable that the Clinton campaign flunked Research 101.

Posted at March 28, 2008 6:16 PM in response to Barack *is* a Law Professor: Clinton Smears Continue Unfounded

Dear Mrs. Panstreppon,

Haven't seen posts from you for a while & have missed them. Yes, indeed, I'd report these goodies to the FBI & the IRS CID. Doesn't it look like joint FBI-IRS CID task force investigation time here?

Posted at March 6, 2008 11:27 AM in response to Today's Must Read