In this movie roundup we discuss “1917” (2019), “Earthquake Bird,” (2019), and “Furthest Witness” (2017).
Continue readingMovie Roundup (1/12/2020) (Podcast)
Author: Quintus Curtius
Accountability And Discipline Must Apply Equally To All
Yacub Ibn Al-Laith Al-Saffar (يعقوب بن الليث الصفار) lived from A.D. 840 to 879, and is credited as the founder of the Saffarid dynasty of Sistan. Sistan is the geographic area now known as eastern Iran and southern Afghanistan; its capital was the city of Zaranj. The word saffar in Arabic means “brass founder,” an artisan working in brass; but Yacub was said to be a coppersmith. His biographer Ibn Khallikan credits Yacub with this wise saying:
Continue readingIf You Cannot Be Great, At Least Do No Harm
Aesop tells us a story of a hunter who was once looking for the tracks of a lion. Searching here and there with no success, he paused to ask a local woodcutter if he had seen the footprints of a lion, and, if so, where he thought the lion’s den might be found. The woodcutter responded that there was no need to bother with prints; he would be happy to take the hunter to the lion’s den himself. Instead of being pleased at this news, the hunter began to show signs of extreme nervousness and fear. He then extricated himself from the situation, telling the woodcutter, “Thank you for your offer, but I am really only interested in finding the tracks of the lion, not the lion himself.”
Movie Roundup 1/5/2020 (Podcast)
In this roundup, we discuss four recent movies:
Mike Wallace Is Here (2019)
Destroyer (2018)
At Eternity’s Gate (2019)
Meeting Gorbachev (2018)
Tune in for the discussion! Trailers for each film are shown below.
Never Surrender What Is Most Important
There is a fable in Aesop that involves the behavior of the beaver. In ancient times, beavers were often hunted for the scented oil, known as castorea, that was found in sacs near its genital area. The beaver liked to rub its hind parts against trees and logs, thereby possessively marking them with his scent; and this scent apparently had to humans a pleasant aroma, reputed to be evocative of vanilla. The ancients mistakenly thought that this valued aromatic came from the beaver’s scrotum, rather than from special internal sacs adjacent to the genitalia.
The Instituto Ricardo Brennand, And The Praia Dos Carneiros
The Instituto Ricardo Brennand is a Recife cultural institution containing a museum, library, and armory. Founded in 2002, it is an impressive complex and well worth the visit. I always try to see local museums when I travel, and I was glad that I came here.
The Most Popular Posts At Fortress Of The Mind For 2019
It’s inventory and round-up time of the year again: time to do some record-keeping and list the most viewed posts here at Fortress of the Mind. The list below is a pure ranking. It includes not only essays, but also podcasts. The first post listed (“A G Manifesto Tweet Reading”) was number one, and is followed sequentially to number ten (“What Did A Roman Triumph Actually Look Like?”) Check out the ones you might have missed, or revisit your favorites.
Porto De Galinhas And Maragogi
We recently visited the beach areas of Porto de Galinhas and Maragogi. Porto de Galinhas is a major tourist beach destination, and is located about 60 km. south of Recife, in the state of Pernambuco. Maragogi is a greater distance away; it is located in the state of Alagoas. Both of these places are known for their “natural pools” (piscinas naturais).
Some Views Of Olinda, Brazil
Olinda is located in the greater Recife area in Brazil’s state of Pernambuco. It is considered one of the best-preserved of the old colonial cities. We visited the city today, and the result is the collection of photos below. The city is about a 25 minute drive from downtown Recife.
Recife, Brazil At Night
We took a boat ride in Recife last night. It was really just a short ride from one part of the city to the historic downtown area, which was surprisingly alive, considering that it was Christmas Day. I sampled a lot of the street food, as is my usual habit. One interesting thing I noticed was that whenever the boat passed under a bridge, the passengers clapped in unison. I supposed this was a local custom, perhaps having its origin as a way of warding off bad luck, or giving thanks for continued safety. No one I spoke to seemed to know the origin of the custom.
Quintus Curtius 
You must be logged in to post a comment.