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Missive #610 Published 8 December 2025

Heat-Moon offers a view of 1848 America via a British doctor’s journal in this introspective adventure narrative. After 34-year-old physician Nathaniel Trennant gives a lecture in London on fantastical beasts, an American sea captain in attendance offers him a berth on the Narwhale for a cross-Atlantic voyage. The philosophically minded doctor accepts, writing in his journal that he has a “slender notion of why I am outward bound, but I am quite lacking awareness of what I am bound for.

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Missive #609 Published 7 December 2025

Continuing The Anti-Federalist Papers

Federal Farmer V
by Federal Farmer

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Missive #608 Published 5 December 2025

116. A Loan from Nasruddin

Nasruddin’s neighbor needed a loan.
“I’m desperate!” he said. “Can you possibly loan me six hundred silver coins? Then just let me have one month to pay the loan back. One month is all I need, I swear!”
“You want me to give you six hundred silver coins, then a month to pay me back,” Nasruddin repeated. “Well, I can do half.”
“Bless you! Three hundred will be a big help.”
“That’s not what I meant,” said Nasruddin. “I don’t have any money at all to loan you, but you can have a month in which to pay me back.”

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Missive #607 Published 2 December 2025

After losing his bid for the United States Presidency as a third party candidate, Theodore Roosevelt decided to take on the most dangerous adventure left on earth. He and his son, Kermit, accepted Candido Mariano da Silva Rondon's invitation to help him plot the course of the River of Doubt. The River of Doubt could just as easily have been named the River of Death. The river's rapids turned out to be much more ferocious than expected, cannibalistic natives dogged the group through most of the journey, and Murphy was their constant companion. The expedition lost men, supplies, and canoes. At one point, Roosevelt contracted a flesh-eating bacteria and became so weak that he urged his son to leave him behind to die. Ultimately Teddy and Kermit emerged from the wilderness triumphantly. Here is their story in Theodore Roosevelt's own words.

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Missive #606 Published 30 November 2025

Continuing The Federalist Papers.

Federalist No.61
The Same Subject Continued: Concerning the Power of
Congress to Regulate the Election of Members
Author: Alexander Hamilton
To the People of the State of New York:

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Missive #605 Published 29 November 2025

Lee Kuan Yew played the pivotal role in Singapore's transition from British Crown Colony to independent developing nation, and on to the economically powerful and diplomatically influential city-state it is today. Throughout this surprising and at times painful journey, he has proved a charismatic and occasionally controversial leader. Lee is a conviction politician whose speeches are unambiguous, characterful and eminently quotable; this collection of almost 600 short quotations provides a compelling summary of his views on a wide range of topics from Singapore's past, present and future. In Lee's own words: "I have been accused of many things in my lfe, but not even my worst enemy has ever accused me of being afraid to speak my mind."

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Missive #604 Published 28 November 2025

115. Who Wants to Get Rich?

Nasruddin stood in the village square and shouted loudly for all to hear, “Who wants to get rich?”
A few people gathered around. “We do!” they yelled.
“And who wants to get rich without doing any work?”
More people began to gather around. “We do!” they yelled.
“Tell me, people,” Nasruddin shouted even more loudly, “who wants the secret to getting rich without having to do any work at all?”
A crowd of people now filled the square. “We do! We all do!” they yelled.
“I do too!” shouted Nasruddin.
Then he added, “Does anybody here actually know the secret?”

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Missive #603 Published 26 November 2025

Howards End is considered by many to be E. M. Forster’s masterpiece. First published in 1910, this beguiling and completely captivating tale explores social conventions, codes of conduct, and relationships in turn-of-the-century Edwardian England. The story revolves around three families…
I'm not sure why this book was on my To Read List but it was a happy accident. The story starts rather slow but becomes more interesting as you read through the book. You also need to keep in mind that it is about British society and the period is early 20th century

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Missive #602 Published 23 November 2025

Continuing The Anti-Federalist Papers

Federal Farmer IV
by Federal Farmer

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Missive #601 Published 22 November 2025

Veteran nature writer Gene Logsdon debuts a brilliantly comic novel set in rural Minnesota in the 1950s. The novel, inspired by the author's ten years studying in vain for the preisthood, follows the sometimes hilarious, sometimes tragic lives of a group of seminarians who realize they no longer believe the theology they are being taught, nor in the celibate life they are supposed to be leading. They resolve their problems in highly unusual ways, some tragicvally, some happily. Along the way readers encounter a rogue's gallery of colorful and eccentric characters. In the mix there is stuff about organic farming, alcohol distillation, cowboy philososphy, baseball and alternative medicine. This is a truly original work, and it is sure to be controversial.

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