In the winter of 52 BCE, as Caesar pressed his campaign to crush the Gallic coalition, the Roman legions found themselves facing disaster near the town of Alesia—the stronghold of the chieftain Vercingetorix1. Two armies boxed Rome in Inside the city walls: Vercingetorix and his starving defenders Outside the walls: a massive Gallic relief force … Continue reading De Flexibilitate: The Legend of Severus Arellius Gumbus
The Penultimate General of Alabama’s Forgotten Militia
While updating my earlier posts on Honorary Colonelcy in Alabama and on the slow atrophy of the Alabama State Defense Force, I kept circling the same name: MG (AL, Ret.) Ronald G. Noland. At first he appeared only in obituaries and faculty listings. Then an archived copy of the ASDF’s own website from June 19, … Continue reading The Penultimate General of Alabama’s Forgotten Militia
Brave Knights for Cruel Enemies
C. S. Lewis once wrote: “Since it is so likely that (children) will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage. Otherwise you are making their destiny not brighter but darker.” I find myself returning to that line out of a growing unease that we may be making … Continue reading Brave Knights for Cruel Enemies
A Gentleman in a Shifting World
I first met Count Alexander Rostoff through Ewan McGregor’s portrayal in the miniseries—his quiet grace, his sly humor, the way he could make a simple cup of tea feel like an act of rebellion. On my daily commute, I’m revisiting his story in the audiobook, listening as he arranges flowers in the Metropol lobby or … Continue reading A Gentleman in a Shifting World
The Mail Still Runs. The System Does Not.
Every December, the explanation arrives on schedule. Delays are blamed on an “unprecedented” surge in holiday packages, as though Christmas were a rogue variable rather than a fixed feature of the calendar. The language is familiar—seasonal strain, temporary disruption, short-term overload. Reassuring in tone, managerial in posture. The problem is not that these explanations are … Continue reading The Mail Still Runs. The System Does Not.
Boats Against the Current
“There is nothing new under the sun.” These opening words of Ecclesiastes (1:1–11) are not a lament, but a reminder. The crises, uncertainties, and upheavals we experience are echoes of challenges that have come before. Generations rise and fall, societies face turbulence, and yet human life — with its work, care, and attention — endures. … Continue reading Boats Against the Current
The Man in Black Ethos
Johnny Cash once explained why he wore black, and in doing so offered something rarer than fashion advice: a moral posture. The black clothes were not a costume, and they were not a rejection of the world. They were a reminder. A signal that while some move through life comfortably, others are quietly crushed beneath … Continue reading The Man in Black Ethos
