Poem by Ben Jonson
False world, good night! since thou hast brought
That hour upon my morn of age;
Henceforth I quit thee from my thought,
My part is ended on thy stage.
Author: Thomas Fleming
The Government We Deserve, Part I (of 4)
It’s that time again: Election USA. As we enter the new election cycle, we can look forward to the customary effusions of democratic rhetoric. The socialists known as Democrats, while deploring the American past, will tell us, in language hallowed by the Clintons and Obamas, that we have moved beyond patriarchy, superstition, and the irrational preference for personal liberty—the prejudices of the poor savages who cling to their guns and religion.
The Crusading Pirates of Pisa
Pisa helped the maritime cities in Southern Italy to resist Saracen attacks. As early as 828 Pisan vessels were raiding North Africa and in 871 they defended Salerno Her ships fought them in Calabria in the 10th century and drove the infidels out of Reggio in Calabria.
O.J. Simpson and The Properties of Blood
The death of Simpson brought it all back for a moment, and I recall how uncomfortable felt when I gave people my “take” on the murders. Now it is your turn.
Pisa: Early History
If the most popular legend of its founding had any validity, Pisa would have been originally a Greek colony, founded by people from Elis in the Peloponnesus, who named it after their own Pisa, the nearest town to the site of the Olympic Games.
An Easter Poem
A slightly revised version. To avoid any misunderstanding, the speaker is the eternal spirit of Simon Magus.
Pisa, I: Prologue
In Pisa every year on the last Saturday in June, two groups of representatives from the different areas of the city meet at either end of the Ponte di Mezzo. The representatives are dressed in Medieval garb and divided into two teams, one for the north side of the river, the other for the south.
A Simple Thought on Good Friday
Those who reject Christ, reject the God who sent him to die for the salvation of mankind.
Tuscan Communes, The Big Picture
The creation of the city-commune in Pisa, Lucca, Siena, and Florence would have enormous ramifications for the future of the Europe. The institution of the commune is a more fundamental revolution than the establishment of the nation-state, and it will outlive the nation-state, in whose birth it played a significant part.
