I spent the recent holidays in Belo Horizonte, which is the capital of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. It was a fantastic trip, and I wanted to give readers my impressions of the city.
Vanguard Of The Plutocratic Insurgency: Apple Inc. Plies Its Trade
Previous articles here have described in detail a phenomenon called the “plutocratic insurgency.” The term was coined by Robert J. Bunker and Pamela L. Bunker in a series of articles that have appeared in Small Wars Journal. I have discussed the Bunkers’ conclusions in my own articles here:
The Wisdom Of Ibn Zafar al-Siqilli And Abu Bakr al-Khowarizmi
The writer and scholar Ibn Zafar al-Siqilli lived from 1104 to about 1170. The cognomen al-Siqilli (“the Sicilian”) was given to him because he was born on the island of Sicily. There are a number of important works credited to his name, the most famous of which is a book of ethical and political philosophy called Consolation for the Master Who Suffers From the Hatred of His Servants (the brilliant Arabic title, written in the rhyming prose typical of Arabic literature, is سلوان المطاع في عدوان الأتباع). In English, this work is often referred to simply as the Sulwan al-Mutaa’. The book was composed in 1159, during the time of the second Norman king of Sicily, William the Bad. Sicily (Sakalliya) had been an Arab emirate from A.D. 831 to 1091.
The Top 10 Articles At Fortress Of The Mind For 2017
Below is a list of the top 10 viewed articles at Fortress of the Mind for the year 2017. Now might be a good time to re-read the essays from last year that spoke to you:
A Portuguese Translation Of “On The Forgetting Of Offenses And Insults”
My essay On the Forgetting of Offenses and Insults has graciously and capably been translated into Portuguese by Mr. Daniel Castro, proprietor of the site Nuvem de Giz.
The translation can be found here.
To Comprehend, You Must Have The Desire To Comprehend
If you want to understand someone, you must have the desire to hear that person. You must have the willingness to open up your mind, to open up your heart, and be prepared to receive the communication that he or she is sending out. If this open-mindedness is not there, you will not hear the other person, even if he happens to speak your language. You will close your mind, and no words uttered by the other party will make any difference.
The Symbols Of Power Are Not Substitutes For Real Power
Some are tempted to confuse the symbols of power with the reality of power. They are not the same thing. Power is the one thing that cannot be faked. For a time, perhaps, the bluffer can maintain an illusion of authority; he can go through his empty pantomime, imagining he is fooling everyone; but sooner or later, the truth will shine through. And then he will discover that the only one who has been deceived is himself. Symbolism, bombast, and slight-of-hand are no substitutes for the real thing. Some anecdotes from the historian Ammianus Marcellinus, so often mentioned in these pages, help us to reinforce this point.
The Guardian Spirit And The Idea Of “Genii”
Most of us are familiar with the idea of the “patron saint” in Christianity. The doctrine is even found in some branches of Islam. It is a comforting thing to believe that there is someone out there watching over us, and protecting us in an hour of need. I never used to give this idea much serious thought until recent years. But the idea predates Christianity; it was absorbed into Christianity from beliefs that came before it. The idea of the “guardian spirit” was a commonly-accepted one in the late classical world, as this passage from the historian Ammianus Marcellinus reveals:
Forensic Linguistics: The Footprint Of Language
There is a very good miniseries playing on Netflix right now called Manhunt: Unabomber. It is a drama about the pursuit and capture of Theodore Kaczynski, the so-called “Unabomber” who confounded law enforcement for decades until he was finally captured in 1996. His case had been the longest and costliest in American law enforcement history. The drama closely tracks real events; the producers of the series (which stars Sam Worthington) made a conscious effort to reproduce the facts of the case with fidelity.
Reach Out And Help Someone Else During The Holiday Season
During this holiday season, try to reach out to someone who needs a hand and try to show some kindness. Too often, we all get so wrapped up in our own lives that we forget other people also need help.
Quintus Curtius 
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