[October 27, 2026] The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa (16 July 1212), near modern Santa Elena in Jaén province in southern Spain, was a major Christian victory over the Almohad Caliphate during the Reconquista. It has been often referred to as the Battle that Broke Muslim Spain. A coalition led by Alfonso VIII of Castile, with Peter… Read More »
[October 26, 2026] Another of Aesop’s fables. This is one of the most ancient fables on record, and predates Aesop by centuries. It is also one of the least known: The Hawk and the Nightingale. And now I will tell a fable for princes who themselves understand. Thus said the hawk to the nightingale with speckled neck, while… Read More »
[October 25, 2026] You have to be strong to be good, because you have to stand your ground when you need to stand your ground. And, you have to be able to say “no” when it’s time to say “no,” and you have to mean it. This all means you have to plan strategically so that when you’re… Read More »
[October 24, 2026] Your clothes are not exactly for you; they’re more for other people. In any social setting, your clothing is a gesture of respect to others. You certainly don’t want to look like someone who would have people run away from, who see you for the first time. The Rule is to dress well. Dress well… Read More »
[October 23, 2026] Aesop’s fable involving a race between two very different contestants remains my personal favorite. The Tortoise and the Hare has lessons for us all; from the youngest to the oldest. “A Hare was one day making fun of a Tortoise for being so slow upon his feet. “Wait a bit,” said the Tortoise; “I’ll run… Read More »
[October 22, 2026] In our modern society, we hear talk that wives should never “submit to” their husbands; and that those who do are acquiescing to a form of “slavery.” The implication would be that wives are inherently subordinate or inferior to their husbands. That’s a modern, feminist exaggeration, and it misreads both biblical text and history alike.… Read More »
[October 21, 2026] Failure is not the enemy. That statement runs against the grain of how most people actually live. They treat a defeat as a catastrophe to be avoided, or as proof that their entire enterprise was mistaken from the start. The practical consequence is that they keep their aims deliberately vague. If the target is never… Read More »
[October 20, 2026] As noted in earlier articles (links here and here), I’m laying out the major elements, strategies, and inner-workings of the Iraq War as we approached the “Surge.” We were undergoing Base Development for a large increase in troop and equipment strength. The idea is that I will later turn this into a manuscript or book.… Read More »
[October 19, 2026] The first time you make your mother cry, something has shifted in you. It is not just that you feel bad. Feeling bad is easy, and most of the time it changes nothing. What has happened is that you have registered, for the first time, that your actions directly affected someone else; the person who… Read More »
[October 18, 2026] Aesop’s fable The Belly and the Members is one not often found in children’s books, but one that is both older and with considerable usefulness. I believe you will like the story and what it ultimately means. In the days when all the parts of the human body were not as now agreeing together, but… Read More »