Author: Crowhill Report

I’ve spent a little time listening to 1421: The Year China Discovered America (which I’m not sure what to do with), and I think most of us have known for a long time that the Vikings were in Newfoundland a long time before Columbus. (See Vikings settled in North America in 1021AD, study says.)

Some even say that St. Brendan and a collection of Irish monks went to America in the 6th century.

While those things are very interesting, I don’t think they diminish the significance of Christopher Columbus.

Even if Brendan, the Chinese and the Vikings were all in America before Columbus, nothing of any significance happened afterwards, while lots and lots of significant stuff happened after Columbus. Crops were swapped between Africa, Europe and America. Various sorts of trade were established. There were permanent European settlements.

The Vikings didn’t bring tobacco or coffee to Europe, or horses to America, or any number of other things that happened because of Columbus.

Which all raises the question, what does it mean to “discover” a new land? What if some Pacific Islanders were swept down to Antarctica and died there. Did they “discover” it?

Columbus was not the first non-native to set foot in the Americas, but it was his voyages that put America on the map.

I mostly like Joe Rogan — based on the handful of times I’ve listened to his podcast — but this takedown is pretty funny.

I don’t completely agree with Doug’s approach here, but he points out how amusing it is when people think they’re being logical and rational and show that they really haven’t thought it through very well.

I don’t believe I’ve posted any update on the podcast recently, so here’s a list of recent episodes.

Lessons learned from camping, in which we reflect on the benefits of getting out from time to time.

We take a quick stab at giving some context to The Crusades.

We wonder what we are supposed to get for $3.5 trillion.

Reflecting on a documentary called “No One Saw a Thing,” we discuss vigilantism.

Not that we want anyone to do it, but we try to come up with a game plan for how to destroy America.

In the October 5 for 5 we discuss What’s up with natural Covid immunity, plus four other topics

And finally (for this post), we review a very curious local news story that made it to the national news. The Flashman Incident. How an innocent gesture set off a social media storm

Anyone who’s been paying attention knows this to be true, but it’s nice to see someone express it publicly every once in a while.

See Have we reached the high water mark of woke? American progressives are provoking a furious backlash.

One of the reasons children need parents is that they need someone who loves them to tell them to quit doing annoying things.

It’s a lovely time of year in Maryland, and I’m usually working with my window open. There’s a bus stop just up the hill, and one of the kids has the habit of screaming like a banshee every few minutes.

This particular kid might have behavioral problems or something …. I don’t know the details. But as a general rule, parents need to stop this sort of thing. Kids need parents to file off the rough edges, because the kids at school, or life in general, will eventually do it, but it won’t be as nice. It reminds me of the proverb.

A person often rebuked who becomes obstinate will suddenly be broken beyond remedy.

Or, if you don’t get the subtle clues, you’ll eventually get some not very subtle ones. Like a smack in the head.

Jordan Peterson has a rule: “Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them.”

One reason for this rule is that other people will also dislike them for it, so if parents can nip it in the bud, they’ve saved the kid some trouble down the road.