Confess: One of the hardest things to get smart people to do, whether philosophers or scientists, is to confess the hard limits to our knowl...

Back from the Land of the Dead: I have returned from my short journey to California. Southern California has a particular beauty, which can...

I'm watching a wonderful History Channel show on Robin Hood. Ridley Scott, Russell Crow, and various historians are all in it. I particu...

I'm having a girly-girl fit.  All you guys will groan, I'm sure. Yes, it's only a ceremonial saber, but it's so pretty . ...

Great Riots of US History: Todd Jensen writes to point us to his piece on ten great (or terrible) riots of American history. It's a sh...

For your info: http://www.roman-empire.net/highpoint/hadrian-index.html I just had to know, so I looked up Hadrian, and searched for Fau...

Travels: I'm traveling this week. While DB continues to entertain us with Met photos, I may have less to say than usual.

I may turn this into an almost daily piece from The Met. Any objections? Or should I cool it already? What do you suppose the little hoo...

This amuses me no end: Yup, along with British and French troops, that's a company of US Infantry, marching in Red Square. Part of the 6...

To go with Grim's beautiful poem...

Lady of Flowers: O Lady of Flowers, May is your hour; The world fills with color, deepens in hue, Trees grow with green, vines tower, Bulbs ...

Happy Mother's Day. Don't forget the ladies. "The Inquisition" How serendipitous is question #10?

Making Toast : I wish this book had never been written, because it is the account of an unbearable sorrow , and I wish it had never befallen...

Gotta Love the Marine Corps: Apparently the USMC and the UFC have decided that they'd be good for each other; you've probably seen t...

Lessons: Strange things are being taught in school... Kirk Hanson, executive director of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Cla...

This Is Why: ...I hate nearly all modern music. Hat tip: Chuck Z . It's like musicians forgot how to write music; and in response, the ...

What I think is funny is that the sign says it's a rare example of Italian armor, and that it has pictures etched on it of th...

Variations of Diego Ortiz's Recercada Segunda : Here are three variations on a piece written by sixteenth century Spanish musician, comp...