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Be A Horseman, Not A Rider
Philo of Alexandria, in his essay on agriculture (De Agricultura), points out that there is a difference between an ordinary tiller of the ground, and an actual farmer; and that there is also a clear difference between a shepherd and someone who just tends to sheep. In the same way, he tells us, there is…
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How To Buy Prints Of The “Moonlight Baboon” Painting
There’s been a surprising amount of interest from readers about how to acquire high-resolution, artist quality prints of my Moonlight Baboon painting. After doing some research on how best to make it available, I’ve found that the most efficient and cost-effective way to do this is to use Fine Art America. It’s really amazing what…
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Who Were The Fifteen Greatest Commanders In History? (Podcast)
In this podcast we have a bit of fun suggesting who may be the fifteen greatest military commanders in history. It is, of course, a highly subjective exercise, and I need not be told how rash the proposal is. Nevertheless, we persist. I based the selections on a specific criteria, and this method is discussed…
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On Hospitality
In taking the measure of a man’s cultural refinement, we must examine the degree to which he is practiced in the art of hospitality. And when I say art, I mean this in a literal sense. Arts are not inborn; they must be studied and honed with constant use. A culture that teaches its members…
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An Interview With MMA Fighter Carlo “The One” Prater
In this special interview, MMA star Carlo “The One” Prater discusses how he got into martial arts, what it’s like to have a family, and many other subjects. Don’t miss it!
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The Armor Of Virtue
The Hellenistic philosopher Philo of Alexandria made this compelling analogy in his essay, Every Good Man is Free (Quod Omnis Probus Liber Sit V.26):
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Fortaleza After Action Report, And Some G Manifesto Tweet Readings (Podcast)
In this podcast we discuss some impressions of my recent visit to Fortaleza. Then we do a few tweet readings from the G Manifesto.
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Mundaú, Brazil
When a man is exposed to different modes of life, his sense of understanding and sympathy is correspondingly activated. Preconceptions and prejudices begin to recede into the mist, and steps are made, perhaps still hesitatingly, towards a feeling of human commonalities. And things that may once have seemed to be so important in our own…
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Cambuco, Brazil
The town of Cambuco is about 40 kilometers from Fortaleza, and I visited it today. A bus came and picked me up around 8:00 am, and we drove for about two hours. When you arrive at the destination, you immediately are made aware that it is a tourist destination. Vendors are aggressive, and the destination is…
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Fortaleza’s Fish Market And Ecological Park
Today I visited Fortaleza’s fish market and a few other sights. Fish markets have always fascinated me; I remember making a point of seeing Tokyo’s the last time I was there in 2014. In Fortaleza, the selection revolves around different types of local fishes, lobster, octopus, and a few other things. The arrangement is very…
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From Fortaleza To Morro Branco And Canoa Quebrada
I have been in the city of Fortaleza for two days, and wanted to explore some of the surrounding sights. This is my first time in the northern part of Brazil, and I had heard for a long time how beautiful the beaches were here. They did not disappoint.
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Moonlight Baboon Podcast: Courage And Recklessness. And Some Tweet Readings.
In this podcast, we discuss a reader’s email asking about the differences between courage and recklessness. What are the parameters? And how do we know when we have gone too far? We then close with more G Manifesto tweet readings.
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The State Of Common Life
In 1773 Samuel Johnson and his friend James Boswell made a journey through some of the more remote parts of Scotland. Each of them wrote his own account of the journey, and I am currently absorbed in reading Johnson’s impressions in his Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland. As always, he stimulates and fascinates: …
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The Moderation And Control Of Anger
Anger is an insidious thing. It can twine and wind its way around the soul, like ivy over some physical impediment, and slowly throttle our more beneficent instincts. This creeping control does not happen all at once; it happens gradually, imperceptibly, one gradus at a time. When speaking to someone on the phone, I often…
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Jack London Learns To Surf In Hawaii (Podcast)
In 1906 Jack London visited Hawaii as part of his epic journey across the Pacific. There he encountered surfers for the first time, and learned the sport. His observations and impressions were recorded in a chapter of his book The Cruise of the Snark, and remain fascinating to this day. We read passages from this…
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The Wisdom And Generosity Of Yahya Ibn Khalid
Yahya Ibn Khalid (يحيى بن خالد) was an influential figure during the tenure of Abbasid caliph Harun Al-Rashid. We do not know the precise date of his birth, but he was the son of Khalid Ibn Barmak, a member of the powerful Persian family known as the Barmakids. The third Abbasid caliph, Al-Mahdi, tasked Yahya…
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Monstrous And Inconceivable: Jack London Builds His Ship To Sail Around The World
“Monstrous and inconceivable” was how Jack London described the conception and construction of his yacht Snark, the vessel on which he planned to sail around the world. The construction was beset by delays, cost overruns, and incompetence. London fought through the obstacles, even teaching himself celestial navigation while en route to Hawaii. This podcast describes…
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Burst Away From The Shore, And Head For the Open Ocean
The Latin poet Claudian lived from about 370 to 404 A.D. He was born in Egypt but as an adult associated himself with the imperial court at Rome. One of his more famous works is the unfinished epic “The Rape of Proserpina” (De Raptu Proserpinae). The poem contains a short prologue which I have translated…
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The Dolphin Of Hippo
Pliny the Younger described in one of his letters a story noted both for its sadness and its revelatory quality on a characteristic of human nature. The letter was written to the poet Caninius Rufus (IX.33), and in it Pliny recounts extraordinary interactions between a boy and a dolphin. I am not quite sure whether…
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“I Just Left My Job, And Don’t Know What To Do Next” (Podcast)
A reader has just been laid off from his accounting job and is distressed. He is not sure what to do next, and is faced with a few difficult options. We discuss some general thoughts, and what principles to keep in mind.
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Grave Offenses, And Little Thanks
In a letter to Titinius Capito, the Roman official and career lawyer Pliny discusses the idea of writing a book of history. Of particular concern to him was the choice of topic: he was uncertain whether he should treat an ancient or a modern subject. Valid arguments existed for both options. An older subject might…
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Appeal To Athena, But Also Move Your Arms (Podcast)
We discuss two fables from Aesop that illustrate the point that we ourselves must take action, and not expect deities to come to our aid. When all is said and done, we must see ourselves as the architects of our own destinies.
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Louis De Freycinet’s Epic Circumnavigation Of The Globe
Those who perform great deeds are guided by inner lights whose intensity never wanes. Perhaps the most significant French maritime expedition of the nineteenth century was that of naval commander Louis Claude de Saulces de Freycinet (1779—1841). Its chief aim, according to novelist Jules Verne, was “to survey the shape of the land in the southern…
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The Greatest Hope Lies In The Justice Of One’s Cause (Podcast)
“In war the greatest hope lies in the justice of one’s cause.” This is a line from the historian Appian (IV.12.97), who lived from about 95 A.D. to 165 A.D. We discuss what this line means, and how we can apply it to our own lives.
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The Patriarch: The Remarkable Life And Turbulent Times Of Joseph P. Kennedy (Book Review)
David Nasaw’s The Patriarch is a comprehensive account of the life and times of the founder of the Kennedy family dynasty, Joseph P. Kennedy. In many ways he remains the least understood Kennedy; his name has been subject to rumor, surrounded by myth, and maligned in whispers. Even during his life he remained a divisive,…
Original copy of Cicero’s De Officiis (On Duties) published in Holland in 1642. From the collection of Fortress of the Mind.
Quintus Curtius 
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