Too busy to write lately...

Haven't written lately, been too busy reading and not much interested in writing. I've been reading a series of historical novels about the reign of King Alfred the Great of Wessex, the first king of the West Saxons. The novels are by Bernard Cornwell, and include (in chronological order) The Last Kingdom. The Pale Horseman, The Lords of the North, Sword Song, and The Burning Land. These are stories of the struggle to consolidate a Christian kingdom from previously pagan lands, with pagan invaders (primarily the Danes), during the last half of the ninth century. These stories portray a view of the conflict through the eyes of Alfred's most effective general (in these stories, a pagan who prefers the Norse gods to the Christian “nailed god.” This seems to me a good way to get some perspective, different from officially canonized “history.” It's fiction, based on historical “facts,” myth, and imagination (and a good story)... to me the best way to view history, which is always written by the victors...so they say...

From Google Images

I've also recently read Cornwell's Stonehenge, a story about its building around 2000 BC... also very interesting, and seems to be based on at least some of the more recent archeological discoveries in that area.

Other noteworthy items from 2000 BC, according to Wikipedia include:
2000 BC: Arrival of the ancestors of the Latins in Italy.
2000 BC: Town of Mantua was presumably founded.
2000 BC: Stonehenge is believed to have been completed.
2000 BC: Farmers and herders traveled south from Ethiopia and settle in Kenya.
2000 BC: Horses were tamed and used for transport.
c. 2000 BC: First of the Minoan palaces on Crete.
c. 2000 BC: Site of palace complex Knossos started to become occupied.
c. 2000 BC: Decline of Harappan civilization began.
c. 2000 BC: Bronze Age began in north Ancient China.
c. 2000 BC – Torso, from Harappa, Indus Valley Civilization, was made. It is now kept at National Museum, New Delhi.
c. 2000 BC-1900 BC – Torso of a "priest-king", from Mohenjo-Daro, Indus Valley civilization, was made. It is now kept at National Museum of Pakistan, Karachi.
2000 BCE: possible date when, according to religious scriptures, Abraham founded Judaism.
2040 BC – 1556 BC: Xia Dynasty in China, Olmec civilization (Mesoamerica).
2064 BC – 1986 BC: Twin Dynasty wars in Egypt.
c. 2000 BC: Middle Jōmon period ended in Japan.
c. 2000 BC: Vessel, from Asahi Mound, Toyama Prefecture, was made. Jōmon period. It is now kept at Collection of Tokyo University.
c. 2000 BC: Dogū, from Kurokoma, Yamanashi Prefecture, was made. Jōmon period. It is now kept at Tokyo National Museum.
1991 BC: Egypt: Pharaoh Mentuhotep IV died. End of Eleventh Dynasty. Pharaoh Amenemhat I started to rule. Start of Twelfth Dynasty.

L to R: Brian, Casey, Chris, Andrew, Andy

We've also had more biking guests. It was a festive and entertaining couple of days. This group (Andrew, Andy, Brian, Casey, and Chris) started in California and will finish on the Virginia coast.

With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.--Steven Weinberg

Blessed are the forgetful: for they get the better even of their blunders.--Friedrich Nietzsche