• History&Today: I meant to post this earlier from the NY Times: The powers that be at Mount Vernon says it's time for the Father of our Country to get a makeover. The old man just isn't luring the tourists in a (post-?)MTV age. Trying to make history sexy is nothing new, of course (literally so in the case of Thomas Jefferson), but am I the only one having a hard time believing that even sacrosanct George now needs to be hip?

Say goodbye to the stern and remote George Washington, the boring one who wore a powdered wig, had wooden teeth and always told the truth. Embrace instead the action hero of the 18th century, a swashbuckling warrior who survived wild adventures, led brilliant military campaigns, directed spy rings and fell in love with his best friend's wife. ... Stirred to action by what they say is an appalling decline in what visitors know about Washington, they have embarked on a radical course. Their goal is to reposition the father of the country for a new era. Among the tools they plan to use are holograms, computer imagery, surround-sound audio programs and a live-action film made by Steven Spielberg's production company. The film may be shown in a theater equipped with seats that rumble and pipes that shoot battlefield smoke into the audience.
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