Among the singularities of the French monarchy was the tradition of having Scottish bodyguards. Scottish history has not been riddled with pacifism, and the Scots along with the fiery Castilians, were used as mercenaries as early as Charlemagne. An “Auld Alliance” between Scotland and France was sealed in 1295, and in the dark war days … Read more
I couldn’t resist borrowing a meme from Matthew Archbold at Creative Minority Report: Songs that make men cry. Apparently, the UK Sun is reporting that the song most likely to make a grown man cry is… “Everybody Hurts” by REM. Archbold has some, er, choice words upon hearing that revelation: “Men are officially complete wusses.” … Read more
When I became a Catholic in my twenties, my family teased me that I would have to eat fish on Fridays — a food I had avoided since childhood. Their idea of Catholicism came mostly from old memories; by that time, in the early 1980s, Fishful Fridays had long ceased to be a badge of … Read more