Like being God
As a treat, I gave myself a year’s subscription to the British Newspaper Archive. I’ve been reading my local rag, starting around 1860.
It’s a little spooky. I know what’s going to happen. There’s angry correspondence between Lincoln and the South Carolina legislature in January of 1861 (the Civil War broke out in April). There’s a speech from Queen Victoria in praise of Albert (he croaked in December, knocking her forever off course).
It reminds me of the Daily Mail, actually. Some of it is genuinely local, but a lot of it is interesting or amusing stories from all around the world. Especially America. And anyplace Britain was being all colonial, which was lots.
A surprising number of people (especially children) caught fire and burned to death in home accidents. A surprising number of soldiers bumped off their commanding officers. People did astonishing things while drunk.
I’m finding it a refreshing break from 2025 news, if only because none of it matters in the slightest now.
p.s. Who died?
June 25, 2025 — 5:57 pm
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