Who built the Colosseum? If you're hesitating, don't. It's not a trick question. The Romans built the Colosseum. It was commissioned by Emperor Vespasian around 70 C.E. as part of the reclamation of the land taken for Nero's "Golden House". It was one of several building projects that followed the suppression of the Jewish Revolt…
President Trump accomplished something this week that must elate him. Most days, his name will come up at some point. Now, for the first time since November 9th, every friend or stranger you meet brings him up before saying “Hello”. I’m housesitting in Brooklyn, and a neighbor chatted with me while I watered the garden…
A podcast I listen to recently discussed Arrival, then added a spoiler-ridden section at the end of the episode for listeners who had seen the movie and wanted to hear more. I saw it, rolled it around in my head a few days, and wrote one of the hosts with my ideas about it. It…
The closest I ever came to being gaybashed was at a convenience store in the late 90s. I came out of the store and got into my car, and just as I started it, two teenagers appeared, one at each of my windows. My window was halfway down, and the kid on my side leaned…
A former coworker pointed me to the news today that freshmeat has suddenly ceased operations. I spent the rest of the day flooded with memories and the urge to jot a few of them down before they’re lost. Perhaps they’ll have some nostalgia value if you were part of that scene in those days. I…
