Welcome to The OYL, a blog page dedicated to self-education with a special emphasis on trying to understand why things happen and what they mean to us, both individually and as a society. I have been blogging for several years. I got my start at the invitation of a friend and, until now, most of what I have written has been posted on his blog, The Rio Norte Line. I have enjoyed my time on the RNL, and I fully intend to continue my contributions to that blog, but the RNL is mostly a political blog and my interests have been turning more and more in another direction. While I am still interested in politics, my primary focus has always been on philosophy and history and, as I have continued to blog, I have found myself being pulled to cover these subjects and what they can teach us about politics, as well as the rest of our world. As with all good apprentices, there comes a time when the pupil must demonstrate that he has actually mastered what he has been taught. My first attempt was a blog named The Road to Concord, a blog which I still intend to continue. But The RTC has a very specific focus. In order to explore the issues I want to look at, I need a blog with a much broader reach. That’s what The OYL represents: me trying to seize upon my changing interest to show my mentor that I mastered what he has tried to teach me. It’s time to show that I can stand on my own. I hope you’ll give me a chance to convince you that you want to make this blog part of your regular routine. And, if I do, that yo will help me spread the word about The OYL by telling your friends to stop by and give it a read as well.
The Oil for Your Lamp 