Category Archives: Books
Random Thoughts (10)
What a week in South America. Venezuela is moving closer to dictatorship and in Paraguay, protesters set the Parliament building on fire. Too bad I don’t have time to be everywhere myself. Both would be extremely interesting right now. I … Continue reading
Book Review: “Alone in Berlin” by Hans Fallada
When a novel becomes an international bestseller 62 years after its original publication, there has to be something to it. Jeder stirbt für sich allein by Hans Fallada was published in Germany in 1947 and finally got translated into English … Continue reading
My favorite view
Reading The Mask of Dimitrios by Eric Ambler in the Central Park in Chișinău in Moldova. If a city has a quiet park where I can read for a few hours every day, I am happy. Chișinău has even a dozen or … Continue reading
“Scoop” by Evelyn Waugh
If you have already watched all the episodes of The Newsroom and are looking for something equally funny, yet meaningful about journalism, I recommend turning to this 1938 novel. Evelyn Waugh, who had been a journalist himself and had reported … Continue reading
Random Thoughts (8)
I don’t understand why supermarkets, all around the world, by the way, are trying to force me to use a metal instrument when I want to buy some bread. You remember my article about the longest possible train journey and … Continue reading
Pardon me!
When laws change, people who were once convicted as criminals are (sometimes) pardoned. We often find that just and necessary, like in the case of those convicted of homosexual acts when this was still a crime (which isn’t all that … Continue reading
After the Revolution
I am re-posting this article from 2015 because it seems that in Romania, the revolution is indeed never over: – – – This afternoon I had a brief exchange with a friend about the long-term effects of the Romanian revolution, probably … Continue reading
Maritime Law with Cats
When I started this blog, I promised myself that I would never stoop as low as other blogs who use photos of cats to surreptitiously obtain their readers’ affection. But now I have come across a historical source of law … Continue reading
Winston Churchill on New Year’s Resolutions
It’s mid-February. If you are like me, most of your new year’s resolutions have already dissipated, been forgotten or pushed to March or April. The smarter ones among you won’t have made any resolutions in the first place. But if … Continue reading
The Happy Hermit 