The thousand year view

How will your life impact the world in a thousand years? It’s an easy question to dismiss. After all, how can one person possibly shape the course of history? Even if we accept the impact of certain great men, how can we have the hubris to think that we might one day join them? But… Continue reading The thousand year view

The end of politics in America, part 2

How did Trump become the leader of the most powerful nation on Earth? A lot of people are asking that question, while a lot of other people already know (hint: it wasn’t the Russians). But I want to get beyond the circus that is Washington DC, and answer that question by asking another: Can politics solve our nation’s greatest… Continue reading The end of politics in America, part 2

Thoughts on history of the entire world, i guess

There’s this really fantastic video on YouTube that’s been making the rounds, and if you’ve found any of my discussions of history interesting (like this one, which I need to do a followup on), you’ve probably either seen or are going to really love it: Some thoughts/reactions: That’s actually one of the most fascinating explanations… Continue reading Thoughts on history of the entire world, i guess

A fascinating journey of discovery

I had a really fascinating experience last year that has turned into something of a journey of discovery. It’s still ongoing, and I’m sure it will affect my writing in years to come. It started with family history. Long time readers of this blog will know that I’ve been interested in family history for some time.… Continue reading A fascinating journey of discovery

Why I need a gun (and you do too)

If you had lived in Germany before the Nazis came to power and a time traveler had told you how history would play out, what would you have done about it? The nation was reeling from a massive economic depression after a decade of war exhaustion. In this troubled time, a charismatic democratic socialist ran on a platform… Continue reading Why I need a gun (and you do too)

Playing with Tropes: Pragmatic Villainy

So as part of my effort to blog more often, I’ve decided to bring back the trope posts. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, perhaps you remember the Trope Tuesday series that I used to do. Those were mostly just a rehashing of each trope’s tvtropes page, with a bit of commentary at… Continue reading Playing with Tropes: Pragmatic Villainy

The Decline and Fall of Fandom and the Hugo Awards

Lately, I’ve taken a serious interest in family history. A huge amount of records have gone online in the past decade, making it far easier to trace your ancestors. Before that, my father was able to trace the Vasicek line to the Czech lands (places with cool names like Frenštát, Vratimov, Trojanovice, Staříč, etc), but… Continue reading The Decline and Fall of Fandom and the Hugo Awards

Of pioneers and politics

Today is Pioneer Day here in Utah, where we celebrate the achievements and heritage of the Mormon Pioneers. One hundred and sixty-eight years ago today, Brigham Young looked over the Salt Lake Valley (a barely hospitable desert at the time) and declared “this is the place.” I feel a great deal of pride for my… Continue reading Of pioneers and politics