On Homer (Part 1): What Makes Homer Special?
After reading Homer extensively over the past six years, in multiple translations and with the addition of a number of commentaries and analyses, I think it is time to begin…
The Question of Consciousness
After studying religion for a while, I have discovered that one useful way of categorizing different varieties of religion is how they answer the question of consciousness. I am not…
A Hypothetical Dialogue
An elderly Italian man hugs a Chinese national in solidarity against racism. He contracted Coronavirus and becomes seriously ill. Examination all but certainly determines that his condition is mortal. In…
On the Coronavirus
It seems fitting to be writing about the coronavirus after having gone to a concert on Monday, perhaps the last to be permitted for a while in my county. The…
A Critique of Nietzschean Nobility
I have to begin this argument with an asterisk. Nietzsche uses the concept of "noble" in different senses, depending upon the work in question. Across all of his works, two…
What is a “Hero?”
"The man's a war-hero." Is he though? We hear men -- and sometimes women -- called "heroes" today. From soldiers to single moms, even the nobody working the nine-to-five grind…
Monty Hall Arrogance
"What you're going through is a phase." "You'll understand when you get older." Since I was a teenager, I have hated the condescension of the elderly. This post is going…
The Anwei vs The Caste
One strength of the concept of the Anwei (the "spirit of the lineage") is that it acknowledges the inheritance of legacy, but it does so without falling into the trap…
On “The Best” Martial Art
Nothing is more harmful to the world than a martial art that is not effective in actual self-defense.Choki Motobu (1870-1944) After thirteen years, I recently got back into my first…
Movie Review: The Phantom of the Opera
I have recently been relatively busy, and have had difficulty making the time to write new posts. To save on time, I decided to elucidate in video-format what I otherwise…