Todd Elsen

Be like Ike When America was a role model

100% this open.substack.com/pub/hwbrands...

“You always own the option of having no opinion. There is never any need to get worked up or to trouble your soul about things you can't control. These things are not asking to be judged by you. Leave them alone.” Marcus Aurelius,

Charlie Kirk shot at Utah event, suspect in custody Kirk’s status is unknown. A suspect is in custody

First words out of their mouths, “Thoughts and prayers.” www.deseret.com/utah/2025/09...

Todd Elsen (@surlybutterfly) I started this gem last night. What would Mr. Vidal say about our current state of affairs? From what I’ve just read, we(the United States) did it to ourselves.

substack.com/@surlybutter...

The History Museums We Need Right Now With all of the attention on the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC right now, it is important to remember that most people will experience a history museum in their own local community.

The History Museums We Need Right Now 🗃️ open.substack.com/pub/kevinmle...

Kevin M. Levin (@kevinmlevin) The Lincoln Heritage Museum responds to Trump. More of this, please.

Lincoln still taking a stand.
substack.com/@kevinmlevin...

Escalators Into Heaven What Leaving Church Taught Me About Faith, Doubt, and Stoicism

My latest thoughts.
open.substack.com/pub/surlybut...

“I think you should try to slay dragons. I don’t care how big the opponent is. We read about and admire the people who did things that were basically considered to be impossible. That’s what makes the world a better place to live.” Tim Ferriss

“Tiredness is not just tiredness itself, but it is also a microcosm of human experience.”

“The creak of bed springs suffering under the weight of a restless man is as lonely a sound as I know.” Patrick Dewitt

“The world is a tragedy to those who feel, but a comedy to those who think.” Horace Walpole

Godspeed Jim Lovell. www.facebook.com/share/p/16WX...

Teachers Talk Humanities Free event for teachers of the Humanities by Teachers Talk Radio

🎨🎭📜 Humanities is better together.
Join sessions combining Art, RE, Music, Geography & Ecology.
CPD to challenge how we teach.
📘 Teaching Holocaust through multiple lenses
🧠 Metacognition in Humanities

www.eventbrite.com/e/teachers-t...
#TTHumanities #InterdisciplinaryTeaching

“Don't get too deep, it leads to over thinking, and over thinking leads to problems that doesn't even exist in the first place.” Jayson Engay

The Lessons from the Trolley: Why Public Media Matters The lessons of kindness, empathy, and inclusion taught by shows like Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood and Sesame Street are not antithetical to American values—they are the very foundation.

My thoughts on recent events. open.substack.com/pub/surlybut...

Update on Lawsuit to Restore the NEH - AHA American Council of Learned Societies, American Historical Association, and Modern Language Association celebrate Judge Colleen McMahon’s decision for the Authors Guild, putting a stay on the cancella...

@historians.org, @acls1919.bsky.social, and @modernlanguage.bsky.social celebrate Judge McMahon’s decision for @authorsguild.bsky.social, putting a stay on the cancellations of awarded NEH grants. We remain steadfast in our efforts to stop the unlawful dismantling of the NEH. 🗃️

Why the world needs a pop-punk Superman In the latest Superman film, Lois Lane and Clark Kent have a fight about what's more punk: edginess or kindness. The fate of something more than the mosh pit hangs in the balance.

In the latest Superman film, Lois Lane and Clark Kent have a fight about what's more punk: edginess or kindness. The fate of something more than the mosh pit hangs in the balance.

With high schoolers' help, UC Berkeley researchers investigate why so many students are chronically absent - Berkeley News The multi-year project partners with San Francisco students to design and interpret studies exploring chronic absenteeism — and explore how young people can be part of the solution.

With high schoolers’ help, UC Berkeley researchers investigate why so many students are chronically absent news.berkeley.edu/2025/07/07/w...

I don’t understand how she continues to get jobs in higher education. It’s started at my alma mater Fort Hays State, then Fairmount State and now Ferrum. All of her actions are public record. Selecting committees do the work!
www.wdbj7.com/2025/07/14/t...

I have arrived at Snowbird for the Huntsman Horizons Leadership Summit.

“Superman is too woke!”

Literally the first page of the first ever appearance of Superman:

Superman comes out Friday. I’m teaching a mini-course of the Symbolism of DC Superheroes. Let’s restore some hope in the world! #dccomics #superman

Quiz Helper

Use Google Forms to make Quizzes?
My add-on Quiz Helper makes it faster and allows for feedback reports.

Install: workspace.google.com/marketplace/...

Collects NO user data/PII

#GoogleWorkspace #GoogleForms #GoogleEDU #EduSky

Does America Need a Hero? : Throughline Captain America: an all-American superhero. Clad in red, white, and blue, he carries only a shield. And he fights only when he must. When it's right.But what happens when what's right isn't so clear? And how does a comic book hero designed to represent America's values survive in a changing world?

Captain America: an all-American superhero. Clad in red, white, and blue, he carries only a shield. And he fights only when he must. When it's right.
But what happens when what's right isn't so clear? And how does a comic book hero designed to represent America's values survive in a changing world?

“The fundamental civic unit in this nation in ‘neighbor.’”

What a powerful historical insight from @jelaniya.bsky.social on the mystical power of proximity — to transcend political noise, and even sometimes smooth the deep neural grooves of race and caste.

Ronald Reagan: “Anyone, from any corner of the Earth, can come to live in America and become an American…This, I believe, is one of the most important sources of America's greatness.”🇺🇸🇺🇸

Happy Independence Day! Beef brisket at 200, wrapped in paper for 2 hours to hold in the moisture. On another three hours, 250 for an hour. Couple hours in a cooler. Good smoke ring, good flavor but the moisture. An on going process.

Two hours into our Independence Day beef brisket smoke.

Todd Elsen on Substack My thoughts on this 249th Independence Day.

For Independence Day 2025.
substack.com/@surlybutter...

Trump lashes out at Israel and Iran as he accuses both of violating ceasefire - live updates Trump uses an expletive as he says both countries have fought each other for so long they don't know what they're doing.

“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” Sun Tzu

www.bbc.com/news/live/cn...