protectivearts

Facial Recognition

In Privacy, I highlighted the problem of the surveillance state. The public forum now debates how far that power should reach; whether police, corporations, or federal agencies should control it. The question is framed as one of fairness or accountability. It should be one of existence. The simplest way to see the danger is throughContinue reading “Facial Recognition”

HOPLITES and PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS

I have just finished Victor Hanson’s The Western Way of War (1989). It provides a visceral depiction of what it was like to be a hoplite. It is a very unromantic portrayal that emphasizes the communal aspects of ancient warfare; the necessity of group action where doing your role in the phalanx was far moreContinue reading “HOPLITES and PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS”

Vera Lynn and WW2

Iconic albums: The Wall by Pink Floyd will always be among them. The first time I listened to the album, it had a powerful impact on my middle-school-boy self, who keyed in on Roger Walter’s angst over his father’s death in WW2. The most memorable part of the album for me was hearing Vera LynnContinue reading “Vera Lynn and WW2”