Trying to use my time more efficiently I have recently taken up using audiobooks and have already gotten sucked in.
Lays of Ancient Rome
I finally got around to reading the book a few weeks ago and suffice to say it did not disappoint. The whole project fascinates me as Thomas Babington Macaulay sought to recreat an approximation of the Roman tradition of epic poetry. These traditions existed in most cultures but almost invariably died out as the elites…
Tact vs Honesty
In a recent speech by Donald Trump he claimed that he takes flak for too much honesty, while complaining that Hillary Clinton was too deceptive. Unfortunately things have gotten to a point where bluntness and getting into people's faces has become equated with honesty while manners and thoughtfulness get associated with deception. This has mainly…
Removing the Barnacles
Several weeks ago I graduated from infantry school and at it a Sergeant (actually a Sergeant First Class or SFC) Black mentioned an ancient quote: "Of ever hundred men ten shouldn't even be there, eighty are just targets, nine are doughty fighters and we're lucky to have them for they make the battle, but one is the warrior…
Insanity over an Insane Character
There's a bunch of moronic drivel about the Harley-Joker relationship thanks to the release of Suicide Squad and its beyond ridiculous, especially considering she's possibly the most popular comics character to come out of the 90's (the only rival is Deadpool). Her merchandise usually outsells even many of the characters considered iconic to the genre.…
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Mary Sues (aka Doctor Wish-Fulfilment)
A few months back when the Force Awakens opened I saw a spike in interest about Mary Sues a lot of it in some really poorly constructed arguments defending the character Rey. Ideas like you're a sexist if you don't like this character, you're a misogynist if you haven't seen and loved the movie, you're…
Read More "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Mary Sues (aka Doctor Wish-Fulfilment)"
A few thoughts on the future of Brexit
I find it funny that a major rainstorm may have pushed Brexit over the top, might be god's way of saying he hates Anjem Chourdry 😉 The whole thing will probably be more of a shift than a huge change, since the British Parliament will want to keep most of the more desirable aspects of…
The Internet Matures
I love South Park for its humor and its evolution. Its easily the best of these animated social satires which form a uniquely American art form, but it goes further and serves as an excellent document of the last nineteen years of history. Particularly it covers, and skewers, opinion as they actually occurred and shows…
Historical Accuracy: ignorance vs taking liberties
A certain degree of taking liberties is expected from historical fiction, but it can be a double edged sword.
Read More "Historical Accuracy: ignorance vs taking liberties"
Historian’s Method for Current Events
A couple years ago my class was gathering up shortly after news of a disaster and the teacher put it to us of how we can use our skills as historians to analyze the news. I posited that it helped teach me not to follow the news too closely. Instead of pouring over details as…
