Monthly Archives: December 2016

Local democracy and the State of Jefferson

Posted on December 17, 2016 by smellincoffee

mp3  One of the local-democracy initiatives Bill Kauffman covered in his Bye, Bye, Miss American Empire was the ‘state of Jefferson’, an area of northern California (and bits of southern Oregon) that want to be free of their respective governments. Today, … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Civic Interest | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

The Aeneid for Boys and Girls

Posted on December 13, 2016 by smellincoffee

The Aeneid for Boys and Girls© 1908 Alfred J. Church300 pages What do I know of The Aeneid? It’s the story of a survivor of Troy, who goes on to found the City of Rome after breaking the Queen of Carthage’s … Continue reading →

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The Peace of Wild Things

Posted on December 11, 2016 by smellincoffee

When despair for the world grows in meand I wake in the night at the least soundin fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,I go and lie down where the wood drakerests in his beauty on … Continue reading →

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Bye Bye Miss American Empire

Posted on December 10, 2016 by smellincoffee

Bye Bye Miss American Empire: Neighborhood Patriots, Backcountry Rebels, and Underdog Crusades to Redraw America’s Political Map© 2010 Bill Kauffman You say you want a devolution? \ Far beyond the city across the river, this country is pregnant with happy … Continue reading →

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Sapiens

Posted on December 7, 2016 by smellincoffee

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind443 pages© 2014  Yuval Noah Harari In Sapiens, Yuval Harari presents a natural history of the human race from its flowering across Eurasia to a worried reflection on the prospects of of technohumanism. The book’s … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews, science | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

Danger Heavy Goods

Posted on December 4, 2016 by smellincoffee

Danger Heavy Goods: Driving the Toughest, Most Dangerous Roads in the WorldAlso known as: Juggernaut: Trucking to Saudi Arabia© 1988 Robert Hutchinson288 pages “Makes Smokey and the Bandit Look Like Smokey and the Boy Scouts” When is a lorry not … Continue reading →

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Epic of Gilgamesh

Posted on December 4, 2016 by smellincoffee

The Epic of Gilgamesh© 1997 verse translation by Danny P. Jackson116 pages When I threw in with the Classics Club, I knew the Epic of Gilgamesh had to be  on there. The oldest known recorded story? How could it be missed? … Continue reading →

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The Flame Bearer

Posted on December 3, 2016 by smellincoffee

The Flame Bearer© 2016  Bernard Cornwell304 pages The Scots were my enemies. The West Saxons were my enemies. Bebbanburg’s garrison was my enemy. Ieremias was my enemy. Einar the White was my enemy. So fate had better be my friend. … Continue reading →

Posted in historical fiction, Reviews | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments