You might remember a few days ago I wrote extensively about memory techniques including the “Method of Loci” or the “Memory Palace” technique of Simonides. I was quite shocked but pleased to discover last night that in the second season of the BBC’s modernized television adaptation of Sherlock Holmes that they referenced the memory palace (although they call it the “mind” palace). Since it was … Continue reading Sherlock’s Mind Palace
Prior to 2012, it had been a few years since I owned a television. I still rarely watch it but it has one feature that doesn’t really exist when all of your video content comes from the internet – flipping channels. This is a term that came from an older generation of televisions, which perhaps some of you once watched (as did I) when you … Continue reading Flipping Channels
There are plenty of daily tragedies ongoing in Romania, especially the chronic mismanagement of this country’s government and natural resources, as I have documented at length elsewhere. But for me one of the greatest standing tragedies in this country is that the classical philosophy texts of Ancient Greece are not part of the curriculum and only specialized scholars at the university ever get exposed to … Continue reading The Ghost of Simonides
Except for people who are extremely interested in World War 2 history, very few people outside of Russia remember the “Battle for the Caucasus” anymore. Despite this, the city of Novorossiysk (spelled Novorossiisk above and Новороссийск in Russian) was one of just 12 cities awarded “Hero City” status by the Soviet Union. The image above is from the New York Times and you can click … Continue reading October 1, 1942
I realized this week that I have been a terrible mistake. In hindsight, it’s understandable why I made the mistake. After all, when I first came here to Romania 12 years ago, my life was a lot different. I suffered terribly from insomnia. I worked 100+ hours a week and I lived on the border of a neighborhood where there were shootings and murders all … Continue reading It’s Raining Boys
All Things Romania 