Recently I was given a history book on a narrow, though interesting, subject — the literature of Japanese/American warfare written between 1900 and 1940 entitled The Century of the Black Ships. It was written by a Japanese scholar, Naoki Inose, and published in Japan in 1993. Viz, a manga publisher, translated the book into EnglishContinue reading “On The Century of the Black Ships”
Tag Archives: History
On the Second Season of The Tudors
Arriving today from Amazon, the second season of The Tudors. I bought the first season about a year ago on a blind buy. It looked like the kind of thing I’d like, and it turned out to be the kind of thing I do like. Oh, any resemblence between The Tudors and the reign ofContinue reading “On the Second Season of The Tudors”
On the Obsession DVD
I mentioned on Thursday that I had received that day in the mail a DVD — Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West. Obsession is, according to Wikipedia, “a documentary movie about Islamist teachings and goals” that “compares the threat of radical Islamism with that of Nazism before World War II, and draws parallels betweenContinue reading “On the Obsession DVD”
On Community Organizers, Myth, History, and Politics
Over the past month I’ve seen a meme making its way across the interwebs. Not a meme in the questions-passed-from-blog-to-blog sense that “meme” usually means online, but a meme in the more traditional sense, an idea that’s spreading and taking root. The meme? “Jesus was a community organizer. Pontius Pilate was a governor.” This is,Continue reading “On Community Organizers, Myth, History, and Politics”
On Living in the Middle Ages
A meme from Keith — who would I be if I lived in 1400 CE: Your result for The Who Would You Be in 1400 AD Test… The Knight You scored 24% Cardinal, 38% Monk, 44% Lady, and 70% Knight! You are the hero. Brave and bold. You are strong and utterly selfless. You areContinue reading “On Living in the Middle Ages”
On Sarah Palin, Tactics, and the Cynicism of John McCain
Yesterday, presumptive Republican Presidential nominee John McCain made his pick for his vice presidential running mate — Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Who? To be frank, a week ago I hadn’t even heard of Sarah Palin. It’s my fault for not watching The Late, Late Show With Craig Ferguson, I suppose. Here’s a quick biography. AgedContinue reading “On Sarah Palin, Tactics, and the Cynicism of John McCain”
On Presidential and Vice Presidential Picks
As I was taking the laundry down off the line, I made an intriguing realization. This year’s Democratic ticket is the first since 1984 without a presidential or vice presidential candidate that hails from the old Confederacy. 2008 — Obama (Illinois)/Biden (Delaware) 2004 — Kerry (Massachusetts)/Edwards (North Carolina) 2000 — Gore (Tennessee)/Lieberman (Connecticut) 1996 —Continue reading “On Presidential and Vice Presidential Picks”
On Rating the Fictional Presidents
Historians like to create lists. Which presidents were best? Which were worst? So on, and so forth. My brother called. He mentioned that a television station was showing Dave, that wonderful film about a man called upon to impersonate the president when he suffered a stroke, and his transformation from the tool of the imperiousContinue reading “On Rating the Fictional Presidents”
On Runic Writing
On occasion, I’ve deployed my skills in utilizing J.R.R. Tolkien’s Tengwar writing system. And while I have a large collection of different types of Tengwar fonts and know how to use them, the Runic fonts I’ve never used. I have them. I just don’t use them. But then, I am a self-described “font whore.” YouContinue reading “On Runic Writing”
On Winston Churchill, Astronaut
I thought American schoolchildren were muddled in their historical thinking, believing that Abraham Lincoln was at the first Thanksgiving, or that George Washington delivered the Gettysburg Address. (For the record, neither of those are true. Just so we’re clear.) It turns out that factual mistakes of historical knowledge aren’t limited to children on this sideContinue reading “On Winston Churchill, Astronaut”