The “physic gardens” of old were the world’s first universities, places where nature could be studied and debated in a natural environment. They were also the places where herbs were grown and used to treat the illnesses of the age. They were later transformed into what we call “botanical gardens” today. Much of the knowledge we have now concerning the fermentation of hops and the medicinal properties of herbs can be traced back to these original places of higher learning. My goal is to cultivate a kind of intellectual oasis where the ills of modern buffoonery can be treated and, hopefully, someday, eradicated like the mental pestilences they are.

After starting to use blogs in my teaching, I decided it would be a good idea to use one regularly myself.  This blog is about interesting stories and people which are probably not found in mainstream sources.  I try to act as a filter or alternative sites that I often peruse, and then offer up the best of what I find for you.  It’s also a record of my own learning curve with respect not only to economics and geo-politics, but to the social sciences, humanities and hard sciences.  Finally, I throw in a smattering of biographical and musical tidbits just to keep things interesting.