Tuesday

Rome Me

I was a history major in college. Within my history major, I emphasized classical civilization: Greece, Rome, Byzantium. I loved the stuff, but that was many years ago, and I've forgotten a lot of what I learned. Last weekend, though, I stumbled across an amazing podcast: The History of Rome. I had just read a passage about the brothers Gracchi, which renewed my interest in the late Republic period, so I went ahead and downloaded those episodes and subsequent episodes about Marius (pictured to left) and Sulla. After listening to four podcasts, I can safely say that I'm "blown away." Each podcast is 10-25 minutes long. They're packed with information, but not tediously. For me, they impart the perfect amount of knowledge. The producer/writer/narrator is Mike Duncan. I don't know who he is, but he's doing a splendid job. A true public service. If you want to learn more about Roman Civilization, sprint over to the site and start downloading. * * * * * * * Award Winner. The podcast won the 2010 People's Choice Podcast Award. Link. I have no idea whether the award is remotely prestigious, but it sounds good. If you enjoy podcasts but sometimes get frustrated at finding good ones, you might want to click over there and get some recommendations. I see a handful that look intriguing. * * * * * * * New Book. When I edited Gilbert Magazine, we had a leftist on staff, a swell guy named "Gerry Meyer." The current editor, Sean Dailey, emailed me last weekend and said Meyer's book, The Tudors, is awesome. I haven't ordered it yet, but I pass along the recommendation. * * * * * * * Bullet Review. I took my eldest son and wife to see The Fighter last night. It is very good. I'd give it a "7." It moves a little slow at points, but overall, it's an intense and enjoyable movie. Lots of swearing, but I have little doubt that the actors merely reflect their characters in real life, so I give the director a break. I mean, if you're the f'in movie director, what the f' you gonna f'in do?