Learn Italian, Lesson 10
Piacere from Latin placeo, takes the dative case of the person being pleased or liking something, while that which is liked is the subject. So Mi piace Fabrizio = Fabrizio mihi placet.
The Fleming Foundation Cultural Commentary
A Primer for Delusional Voters in Several Easy Lessons, Lesson 1: Capitalism
I don’t know how many of our readers s intend to vote in the next or any election, but if a vote is to be anything more than a shot in the dark at a tree rustling in the breeze, a citizen is morally obliged to spend a little time grappling with political realities
From Olympia to Paris, II
The Greeks’ love of competition and conflict is only the reverse side of their strong attachment to friends (including family) and community. These attachment were also a source of the great joy took in creating and celebrating beauty: They loved singing dancing, recitation of heroic poetry, parades, sacrifices and barbecues. All these pleasures were available at the great games
Will Harris-Biden Send Your Boys and Girls to War with Iran?
More tit-for-tats by Israel against Iran and Iran against Israel lie ahead. But will America be dragged into a war?
Paris Blasphemy and the Weird Democrat Party Calling Republicans Weird
I’m sure you heard about the shocking blasphemy from the opening ceremony at the Olympics in Paris, mocking Leonardo’s “The Last Supper.” I’m not going to show any of it.
From Olympia to Paris, I
This post is extracted from the unpolished script for a subscription podcast series that should begin by the end of 2024.
Wednesday’s Child: On Friendship
We have all written about love, from Plato to Dr. Fleming and back again, but at this fandango to the music of love friendship is the wallflower.
Learn Italian, Lesson 9
Simple conversations, jobs, more present tense (andare), and the days of the week.
Back to the Future II: The Olympics
I haven’t paid much attention to the Olympics for years. It. has been a long time since the Games were a genuine amateur sport. All my life they have been big business that guaranteed endorsements and jobs to the winners. When the allowed professional basketball players in, it was a public declaration that they were giving up the pretense.
Back to the Future
I’ve been in 15th century Florence, to be precise, colloguing with Petrarch, Pico della Mirandola, Savonarola, Cosimo and Lorenzo de’ Medici, Machiavelli, and others. As a traveler in time and space, I was eager to share my thoughts on the American present, which for them is an unimaginably distant future.
