May 3, 1469: Niccolo Machiavelli was born

Niccolo Machiavelli was born in Florence on this day in 1469.   

We remember him for "The Prince", or the book that he published in 1532 when he was briefly jailed.  The book was intended as a handbook for politicians and it inspired the term "Machiavellian".   Some say that he is the father of modern political theory.  

I've read the book at several times in my life:

First, I had to read it in school;

Second, during a flight between Dallas and Chicago; and

Third, I saw the paperback on sale a few years ago and read it again one summer afternoon.

It is a good book and easy to read.  

He also wrote several poems and plays. 

Machiavelli died on June 21, 1527, in Florence, Italy.

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

We remember James Brown (1933-2006)

We remember James Brown who was born on this day in 1933.  He left us a huge legacy of songs and albums.

In many ways, James Brown had a great life. He was born in poverty and worked his way to the top. He did make a few mistakes. Frankly, who hasn't?

He was great in concert!

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

We remember Robert Osborne (1932-2017)

We remember the great Robert Osborne, who was born on this day in 1932.    He was the face of TCM, the great movie channel that so many of us love.    He passed away in 2017.

We miss Mr. Osborne whenever we turn on TCM. 

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.