Return of the Native
Well, I’ve just gotten back from a (mostly) delightful stay in the city of Aquinas and Voltaire (two philosophers who would unfortunately be completely unable to appreciate each other’s merits). Stayed in the twisty cobble-stoned streets of the Latin Quarter, a few blocks from Notre-Dame in one direction and an old Roman arena in the other.
My favourite discovery was the Musée Cluny, home of the 14th-century Golden Rose of Avignon (not to be confused with the Yellow Rose of Texas)and the 15th-century “Dame à la Licorne” tapestry (both displayed above).
The tapestry is one of six: five represent each of the five senses (the lady listens to music, tastes fruit, etc.), while the sixth, “À Mon Seul Désir,” in which she is shown placing a jewel back in a box, is thought to represent our free will’s mastery over our sensory impulses.
Now I’m back in Auburn, preparing to buckle down and finish my book manuscript on Wittgenstein, Austrian Economics, and the Logic of Action. (When it comes out, I really ought to go to Vienna to celebrate!)
I also hope to be blogging more frequently than I have been the last few months. In the meantime, those eager for wisdom should check out Chris Sciabarra’s excellent article Understanding the Global Crisis: Reclaiming Rand’s Radical Legacy, along with the accompanying discussion forum (including the usual brilliant input from yours truly).
There’s good news for Babylon 5 fans: The DVDs for the first two seasons have been so popular that Warner Brothers is pushing up the release date for Season Three, “Point of No Return,” to August 12. This is, by general agreement among B5 fans, the best of the five seasons. You can pre-order it from Amazon.com here. Series creator J. Michael Straczynski has suggested that the B5 spin-off series Crusade may get released on DVD also. Let’s hope so!
I’ve also added to my online B5 database the following eerie scene from Season 3, episode 1: Londo’s Dream. Enjoy!
