I'm stoked because today I got to interview my old friend Mike Sonksen - well known to the world as Mike the PoeT. Mike is a third-generation Angeleno (a rarity in Los Angeles) and is dedicated - through his work as a historian, teacher, writer, and performer - to connecting the many dots that are LA.

Next time you find yourself humming the melody to John Brown's Body in line at the grocery store - make sure to think over what Christian says about Civil War music...it's more than just the backdrop to the shooting.

This is pretty much the straight dope on the Kennedy and Johnson administrations and their approach to those places in the world that did not choose sides in the Cold War.

And not for nothing...I throw Rob a few curve balls...which he handles with unmatched skill!

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From time to time you will read about the small (relatively) battles that took place in the far West during the Civil War. Historians seldom mention these, and when they do - they usually gloss over the events as little more than interesting anecdotes. I challenge Megan Kate Nelson, who is writing a book on the subject, to explain why these little engagements are so important...and she dose. Look out!

We all think we know about the great victories of the movement to secure voting rights in the 1950s and 1960s. What if you found out that there were some unintended consequences of this movement? Would that blow you mind? Because it blew mine! Let's see what my friend Julian Hayter has to say about the subject.

You may have heard people talk about the thousands of black Confederate soldiers who filled the ranks of southern armies during the Civil War. Well...those people are confused. There really no evidence at all that these folks existed - no matter how badly some folks would like them to have been on board with the Rebel cause. I recently had a talk with Kevin Levin - who knows more than most on this subject - especially why this is such a persistent myth.