The Orwellian mindset of the Bush Administration lives on. According to Mary Matalin, George Bush “inherited the most tragic attack on our own soil in our nations history.” Ms. Matalin, who was President on September 11, 2001? It wasn’t George Bush’s predecessor. Ms. Matalin, who was given a Presidential Daily Briefing on August 6, 2001Continue reading “On Historical Revisionism and 9-11”
Tag Archives: History
On Today’s Font Discovery
Always in search of new and interesting fonts, this evening I found something amazing. Celtic Eels, a font apparently based on the Book of Kells. It’s a free font, designed by West Wind Fonts. I have absolutely no idea what I’m going to use it for. Except maybe to make my name. Like this: LooksContinue reading “On Today’s Font Discovery”
On Receiving a Calendar
I received in the mail today a package I was not expecting. It was the Colonial Williamsburg 2010 Wall Calendar. I’ve been contributing to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation for a few years now, even though it’s someplace I’ve never been, though I’ve always meant to go. They produce a nice history magazine, and I enjoyContinue reading “On Receiving a Calendar”
On Reading and Writing, but Not Arthmetic
We’ll start with reading. A few weeks ago, on TrekBBS, novelist Greg Cox recommended in a discussion about alternate histories, a series by Harry Harrison and Tolkien scholar Tom Shippey (writing as John Holm) — The Hammer and the Cross. The premise? The Norse religions put up more of a fight against Christianity in theContinue reading “On Reading and Writing, but Not Arthmetic”
On Glenn Beck’s Common Silliness
Recently, out of curiosity (though a friend of mine called it “masochism”), I read one of Glenn Beck’s books — Glenn Beck’s Common Sense. In some respects, I live in a bubble, and I will say that my knowledge of Beck is nil, or very nearly so. I know he’s a Fox News personality ofContinue reading “On Glenn Beck’s Common Silliness”
On The Writer’s Almanac
The Writer’s Almanac. It’s a public radio program distributed by American Public Media that appears on some NPR stations. Garrison Keillor spends about five minutes reading poetry, talking about interesting facts about the day in history, talking about writers who were born and died on the day in question. I like the program. But IContinue reading “On The Writer’s Almanac”
On Health Care Reform and the Debate
Can we invoke Godwin’s Law on the protestors railing against health care reform? We have cases such as these: A woman in Massachusetts compares reform to Nazism and holds up a sign of President Obama with a Hitler-esque mustache, prompting Representative Barney Frank to ask her what world she lives in and compare speaking withContinue reading “On Health Care Reform and the Debate”
On xkcd and the Voynich Manuscript
Today’s xkcd webcomic is about the Voynich Manuscript. No one’s really sure what it is, except that it’s a guidebook of sorts to Europe of the High Middle Ages. It’s written in no known language, using no known alphabet, and it’s illustrated at length. Judging by the illustrations it covers a wealth of scientific knoweledge,Continue reading “On xkcd and the Voynich Manuscript”
On Galileo’s Birthday
Four hundred and forty-five years ago today, Galileo was born. One of the leading scientists of the early modern period, Galileo pioneered the use of the telescope, championed the Copernican heliocentric system, and was considered the father of modern science. I received a few days ago a NASA press release 2009 has been namedContinue reading “On Galileo’s Birthday”
On Today’s Birthdays
Today, two hundred years ago, Charles Darwin was born. The man who formulated the theory of natural selection. Also, two hundred years ago today, across an ocean, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, was born. When I was growing up in the Shenandoah Valley, my schoolbus carried me every day past theContinue reading “On Today’s Birthdays”