The Pledge of Alliance is in the news again. Here are some factoids for your consumption: The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 by Baptist minister and educator Francis Bellamy, who made no reference to religion in his version. It was originally worded: "I pledge allegiance to my flag and the republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." It quickly became a part of public school programs. In 1954, Congress added the words "under God," after pressure by the Knights of Columbus and other groups. Another modification was to change "my flag" to "the flag of the United States of America."

Next Wednesday, I'm going to see a Barbie documentary. Today I've learned that soon I'll be able to dress just like her.

Read about the return of Life magazine.

Two new narratives by ex-slaves have been discovered.