Author Archives: Bob Welbaum

The Other Escape Path From Slavery

Much as been made of the Underground Railroad, the overland network of paths that headed north and was utilized by escaping slaves for decades. But many don’t realize there were other paths to freedom. One of these was the so-called Saltwater Railroad, which ran south into Florida, following the coastal waterway. Recall that Florida was

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From a Child, and a Thief, You Can Learn…

I ran across an interesting bit of philosophy from a source that’s new to me. It’s attributed to the Hasidic rabbi Dov Baer, the Maggid of Mezeritch, as related in The Marginalian of August 24, 2022 — “3 Things to Learn From a Child, 7 From a Thief” (https://www.themarginalian.org/2022/08/24/bob-dylan-interview/). From a child you can learn

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Traffic Deaths by Class and Race

You may have heard that traffic deaths are increasing. That is disturbing because since the early 1970s the trend has been down. That’s when cars became safer with seatbelt laws and crackdowns on drunk driving. Then came airbags and advanced technology to prevent accidents. Unfortunately, the death rate began to rise around 2015 when the

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Why Great Ideas Come in the Shower

If you’ve ever had some of your best ideas while showering, it’s not an accident. There’s actually a scientific reason for it. Basically, any activity that can be done automatically frees your mind to be creative. This can be walking your dog, taking a shower, or anything that doesn’t require much thought. “People always get

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