voltaire – VoVatia (original) (raw)

We’re Sunk

The King in Yellow, by Robert Chambers – This Gothic horror story from the 1890s is largely notable for being incorporated into H.P. Lovecraft’s mythology. The title is that of a play that exists within the universe of the book, but … Continue reading →

Posted in African, Authors, Book Reviews, Carribean, Catholicism, Characters, Christianity, Global Warming, Health, Judaism, L. Frank Baum, Magic, Magic Items, Monsters, Music, Mythology, Names, Neil Gaiman, Oz, Oz Authors, Plays, Relationships, Religion, Rick Riordan, Santeria, Science, Sesame Street, Television, Terry Pratchett, Voodoo, Yoruba | Tagged ballad and dagger, candide, carcosa, caroll spinney, catherynne valente, demons, dr. pipt, galanika, good omens, h.p. lovecraft, hastur, horror, liquid of petrifaction, orishas, oscar the grouch, outlaw saints, pirates, rick riordan presents, robert chambers, the king in yellow, the past is red, voltaire, ys |

An Arbitrary Arbiter

I found this article on religious fundamentalism and moral relativism to be quite interesting. It’s a topic I’ve seen mentioned before, particularly when a skeptic points out an objectionable passage in the Bible and gets a reply basically saying, “It … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Judaism, Philosophy, Religion | Tagged bible, jesus, moral absolutism, moral relativism, morality, religious fundamentalism, slavery, st. peter, voltaire |

Serendipity, My Dear Watson

The daily e-mail I get from Wikipedia mentioned about a week ago that the word “serendipity” was first used in a letter Horace Walpole dated 28 January 1754. The word has come to signify unintended good fortune, but where did … Continue reading →

Posted in Etymology, Fairy Tales, History, Iran, Television | Tagged augste dupin, camels, edgar allan poe, horace walpole, inductive reasoning, king baram v of persia, serendipity, sherlock holmes, sir arthur conan doyle, sri lanka, the murders in the rue morgue, the three princes of serendip, voltaire, zadig |

The Man with the Golden Coat

The legend of El Dorado, which is Spanish for “The Gilded One,” began with the Muisca tribe of modern-day Colombia. When Spanish explorers reached South America, they heard the Muisca discuss an ancient coronation ceremony. A king-to-be was covered in … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Mythology | Tagged candide, carl barks, colombia, donald duck, el dorado, gold, lake guatavita, muisca, south america, voltaire, xtc |