My long-neglected Substack has at last been coaxed back into life with the first of a commentary series on C.S. Lewis's The Discarded Image: Lewis starts off with a lengthy illustration of a key and oft-neglected fact of the Medieval mind: Medieval man shared many ignorances with the savage, and some of his beliefs may … Continue reading Noble Cobra Magazine Lives: ‘The Discarded Image’
History
Friday Flotsam: In Which I Critique Both Walt Whitman and Muhammed, but Mostly the Former
1. If nothing else, it's a relief to actually have an election that ended 'clean'. No talk of cheating or collusion, no 'too close to call', just a clear outcome arrived at in the space of a single night. Seems to me that used to be the norm, once upon a time. 2. I really … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: In Which I Critique Both Walt Whitman and Muhammed, but Mostly the Former
Friday Flotsam: Miracles, Art, Anime, Etc.
1. The big takeaway from my history classes this week was the story of St. Patrick engaging in a battle of the miracles against the druids of Ireland, including a memorable incident where the chief druid levitated with the aid of devils, whereupon St. Patrick prayed and sent the guy plumetting to his death. In … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Miracles, Art, Anime, Etc.
Friday Flotsam: 5th Century Italy, Manga, and Election Songs
1. Lately I've been learning some about the 5th-7th century in Italy, which is really a criminally under-discussed time period. Most popular histories more or less just jump from "sack of Rome" to "Dark Ages," as if nothing happened in between. But boy, did it ever! Like how we have a rare instance of one … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: 5th Century Italy, Manga, and Election Songs
Civil War Parallels at the Everyman
My first Everyman post in a while is now up. It's a foray into contemporary politics, looking for historical parallels. Specifically, I look at the likelihood of America dissolving into another civil war by comparing it to one of our previous ones: More and more the idea is in the air that the United States … Continue reading Civil War Parallels at the Everyman
Saturday Flotsam: More History and ‘Who Goes There?’
1. I had my first angry parent encounter this week: someone not happy with one of my assignment policies. Sample from the conversation: "I think you're being very unprofessional.""How so?""You have a very poor attitude.""Can you tell me how?""You're too terse." An unpleasant experience, but an inevitable one. In any case, the policy still stands … Continue reading Saturday Flotsam: More History and ‘Who Goes There?’
Saturday Flotsam: Various and Generals and Capybara
1. The correct answer to the question "Am I a racist?" is "I don't care." 2. Listening to podcasts about Napoleon from Apostolic Majesty (an excellent and very thorough history channel, by the way). Napoleon, as I think I've mentioned, strikes me as one of the closest examples we've had in history to a genuine … Continue reading Saturday Flotsam: Various and Generals and Capybara
Friday Flotsam: Rand, Tucker, ‘The Crow’
1. Have a much-needed four-day weekend ahead of me. I'm starting to get more into the routine of teaching full-time, at least so that it's less like I'm building a railroad as the train is rolling over it and more like I'm building it as the train is within sight. 2. In my US History … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Rand, Tucker, ‘The Crow’
Vintage Tribute by the Decade
I found these excellent video tributes to pop culture by the decade. I would say they tend to draw too much from the same sources (e.g. the 1980s one has about ten clips each from Aliens and The Breakfast Club and not one from Nightmare on Elm Street or Return to Oz), but the editing … Continue reading Vintage Tribute by the Decade
Saturday Flotsam: Various and Fourth of July
1. I really wanted this to be a Friday Flotsam again, but again didn't get around to it. 2. It's a mark of how busy I've been that the Fourth of July came and went and it didn't even occur to me to write sarcastic comments about the Revolution. Not that I wouldn't have tried … Continue reading Saturday Flotsam: Various and Fourth of July
Serpent's Den 