The Greeks

A few months ago we watched The Greeks, a PBS (American public television) series which I bought on DVD because Ross was studying ancient Greek history. From this account, it appears that the Athenians invented not only democracy, but also politics as we know it today. The way PBS tells the tale, Themistocles, an Athenian… Continue reading The Greeks

Where’s the Music?

I’m old enough to remember the late 60s/early 70s and the protests against the Vietnam war. I grew up singing protest songs, both rock and folk. So here we are, protesting again – but where’s the music? Michael Moore reportedly was upset because he couldn’t use The Who’s Won’t Get Fooled Again in “Fahrenheit 9/11,”… Continue reading Where’s the Music?

Italian Hostages in Iraq

The Italian hostages in Iraq don’t seem to be getting much media attention outside of Italy. This evening’s news here is that they have been shown on Al Arabiya television in an apparently-recent video, accompanied by a message from the kidnappers that: “We will show good faith and free them if you sympathize with our… Continue reading Italian Hostages in Iraq