Wherein medieval inns are generally nice, except for stinking beds full of Englishmen. Most fantasy role-playing games—and more than a few novels and movies (and even the Canterbury Tales)—seem to start in a medieval-like tavern or inn, where surly barkeeps and lusty serving wenches sling booze and provide rooms to weary travelers (don’t ask about … Read More
Leave a Good-Looking Corpse
Wherein the family of dead Romans minded their own beeswax again and again. Halloween 2020: A time for kids of all ages to put on masks, then put cloth masks over those, and finally refrain from trick-or-treating altogether to avoid people who aren’t wearing masks. It may not be “the most wonderful time of the … Read More
Now Batting, Number III, Thutmose
In which the Egyptian pharaohs swing for the bleachers on every pitch. I am a lifelong baseball fan, primarily of two teams with usually less-than-distinguished records: the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers. As an example of the calibre of play I’m accustomed to watching almost every season, the infamous phrase about hitting below the “Mendoza … Read More
Books for Every Budget (Except Poor)
Wherein the Greeks are happy to sell you books…unless, of course, you simply steal them. Some of my favorite places in life have been bookstores. Growing up in a small town with a small library, I was in the position of needing to buy most of the books I voraciously read. My family and I … Read More
