The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt by Toby Wilkinson My rating: 4 of 5 stars In the future, when someone uses the phrase, “monumental effort,” I will think of this book. Mr. Wilkinson has not only attempted, but delivered,…
The Seekers
Back in 2004 I wrote a holiday message about our Christmas tree titled The Seekers. It turned out to be one of the most popular essays of that era. Since then, it’s turned into a bit of a holiday tradition, with old friends asking…
The Seekers – 2009
Back in 2004 I wrote a holiday message about our Christmas tree titled The Seekers. It turned out to be one of the most popular essays of that era. We put up a Christmas tree last week for the first time since then. It…
Outside the Fishbowl – 2009/10/06
When you’re inside the United States, it is nearly impossible to realize how insular it is, especially related to information and perspective. Since we’re going to be here for a while, I’m providing a semi-regular injection of outside perspectives and…
The Lost Purpose
I recently read Dan Brown’s new thriller novel, The Lost Symbol. I promise not to reveal any plot twists or surprise endings. However, I will say that there was only one plot twist that I found truly surprising, and that…
A Milestone. Or Not.
After 9/11, and especially after visiting ground zero, I had some strong personal reactions. I wrote some magazine columns and also wrote quite a bit about the issues and challenges surrounding the event in non-commercial venues. In addition to doing…
The Endorsement from Hell
I was forwarded a copy of "The Endorsement from Hell," a recent editorial by Nicholas Kristoff of the New York Times. My comments on the editorial follow the "Read more" link. Mr. Kristoff’s editorial follows my comments.
The Missing 12 Days of September
On the night of Wednesday, September 2nd, 1752, John Hackney closed his eyes and went to sleep. When he awoke to the dawn, it was Thursday, September 14th, 1752. Click here for the rest of the story: http://www.hackneys.com/docs/12days.pdf .
The Room of Wakes
For 391 years no outsider walked the passageways. For 391 years no outsider touched the walls. For 391 years no outsider saw the interior. Click here for the rest of the story: http://www.hackneys.com/travel/peru/docs/roomofwakes.pdf .
La Tirana
Every year there is a festival at La Tirana, Chile. La Tirana has about 250 full time residents. Over 10,000 people come to La Tirana for the festival. This year, we were two of those people.…