No bell-bottom sightings at this time, but I’m starting to see more similarities than differences. Consider: The dollar is weak. Monopoly-money weak. We’re in a lingering, indecisive, expensive, and still-dangerous tail end of a protracted foreign war, in which the… Continue Reading
Last night was a special sort of treat for the Antelope Valley: a lecture given by none other than Ray Bradbury. The Martian Chronicles and Fahrenheit 451 were both big influences on me as a young man, the first for… Continue Reading
Italy’s famous instability in government has been caused, in no small part, by the multiplicity of political parties competing for seats in the Parliament, as well as a Constitution that by design gives parties proportional representation based on their votes.… Continue Reading
After finishing that book about ancient Alexandria, it occurred to me, for the second time, that a story about Hypatia would be both timely and interesting. The facts would need to be tweaked — most importantly, Hypatia herself would need… Continue Reading
Story: Implausible re-telling of the affair of King Henry VIII and Mary Boleyn, followed by slightly more plausible re-telling of the affair, marriage, and eventual divorce-by-execution of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. The story is really one of conflict… Continue Reading
I forgot it was St. Patrick’s Day. I won’t blame it on a largely sleepless night — I wouldn’t have thought much about St. Patrick’s Day anyway. I’m not of Irish descent and going out to a bar and drinking… Continue Reading
Why the double standard, Hillary? Why?
I’m listening to a very interesting set of lectures on CD about the Italian Renaissance. The lecturer is taking a topical approach — one lecture is about the perfidy of Cesare Borgia (and the inevitable apology for his much-maligned sister… Continue Reading
Famous deaths — would modern medical technology have been able to save the victims? A doctor in Montana offers his opinion: Archduke Franz Ferdinand, James Garfield and William McKinley would have made it. Robert Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln would probably… Continue Reading
The Julian calendar had 365 days, with an extra day added to the end of every fourth February. This lighthearted article suggests that Caesar’s idea for the Julian calendar was taken from his sojourn in Egypt. That makes sense, given… Continue Reading