This was a good week for movies. Here’s the latest word from the front.
Author: Quintus Curtius
Some Practical Ways To Gain Leadership Experience
What are some ways that a person can get real-world leadership experience quickly?
We discuss some options. I also give my thoughts on the four most important leadership traits and principles.
Disaster At Hadrianople
The worst military defeat that Roman forces suffered after the Battle of the Teutoberg Forest in 9 A.D. was the disaster at Hadrianople in 378. Both of these crushing defeats occurred at the hands of Germanic tribes. In the former battle, the emperor Augustus was haunted by the loss of three entire legions in the swampy German forests. He could never really bring himself to accept it.
Towards A Definition Of Art
I was recently talking to James Seehafer, the originator of the art school known as massurrealism. Although I am only an amateur in this subject, I have found myself thinking more and more about what can be called “art,” and what should not. Are we to imagine–as many careless people nowadays do–that anyone can create any random object and call it art? Are there any rules, guidelines, or elements for what may be considered “art”?
Sunday Film Roundup (5/15/2016)
We now consider a few of the most recent films I’ve seen. I should have started doing this a while ago.
The Inscrutable St. Patrick
The first modern, comprehensive biography of St. Patrick was written by the scholar J.B. Bury, who was a professor of history at Cambridge University for many years. As usual in a work by this great author, it is thoroughly sourced and documented, and yet retains a readability and freshness that makes it timeless. He relates this fable that supposedly happened during the foundation of Armagh in A.D. 444.
Francesco Guicciardini And The Realities Of Power
The current political crisis in Brazil sharply divides the opinions of those who are interested in such matters. To some, Dilma is more sinned against than sinning. In this view, she is the victim of a shadowy (possibly US-inspired) desire for “regime change light.” Journalist Pepe Escobar is an insistent exponent of this view.
The Writer Lu Hsun Reflects On Death
Those acquainted with modern Chinese literature tell us that Lu Hsun (1881-1936) is one of its most towering figures. His stories are of the most intimate type: he chronicles his thoughts, feelings, and impressions in a free-flowing manner, unrestrained by convention or rule. He did not subscribe to any political affiliation, preferring to remain beholden to no one. It is this streak of stubborn independence that attracts us to his writings.
Mentorship, Progressive Blindness, And Finding The Good In Things (Podcast)
We deal with two questions in this podcast. A reader asks whether he needs a mentor to find success. In the second part of the podcast, we hear from the writer Jorge Luis Borges on how he triumphed over his blindness by creating a new reality for himself. He tells us how he was able to find the good in the midst of darkness. It’s an inspiring story and a critical lesson.
A Few Recent Movies
I watch a lot of movies. You’d be surprised at the ways that movies can generate new ideas in you, or take you in new directions. I haven’t written any film reviews in a while, so I thought this would be a good time to take a break from some of my more serious posts in recent days. Here are my impressions on a handful of recent films.
Quintus Curtius 
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