Paul Levinson's Blog: Levinson at Large, page 352

Vikings 1.4: Twist and Testudo

Another strong episode of Vikings tonight - 1.4 - featuring excellent battle scenes, treachery, doubt of the gods, but most of all a good twist involving Rollo, whom we see in the coming attractions being tempted by Haraldson.

The background begins with Lagertha walking in on Knut (Haraldson's agent on this raid, who turns out not only to be the Earl's "friend" but his half-brother) raping a Saxon woman.  Lagertha tells Knut to stop - whether all Viking women were against rape of conquests or this is a special case is unclear.  Knut does stop, but turns his rage on Lagertha, who narrowly escapes being raped herself and kills Knut.

Obviously, Haraldson does not take kindly to this when Ragnar's party returns.   Now, Ragnar could have lied about Knut's death and attributed it to the savage attack of the Saxons which the Vikings repelled - with a brilliant shield-wall defense (better known as the Roman testudo formation) - but I guess Ragnar didn't want to lie like this in front of his men.  So he lies in a different way and says he came upon Knute raping his wife and killed him.   Since there was no one there other than Lagertha to contradict this account, it's a fairly good lie.

But not good enough to satisfy Haraldson, who is already out for blood when it comes to Ragnar.  In a crucial moment in Ragnar's trial, Haraldson calls upon a surprise witness to the event - Rollo - who says he saw what actually happened (surprise witness indeed, because we know that Rollo wasn't there).  Looks like bad news for Ragnar, since we saw Rollo just the night before smiling as Haraldson all but offered Rollo succession to the crown if Rollo would turn on his brother.   But - Rollo's testimony supports Ragnar 100%.   Haraldson's so surprised and unnerved by this that in a later scene he doubts the existence of the gods (though he might have always felt that way, and Rollo's unexpected support of his brother may have just brought out Haraldon's doubt).

And this is a good twist for us, because, let's face it, we don't know Rollo well enough at this point in the series to think with confidence that he would never betray his brother.  To the contrary, we know he covets Lagertha, and when he tells her at the end that he testified to save not Ragnar but Lagertha, it rings true.  Family first - but shield-maiden sister-in-law more than than brother in this story.

The history continues to be accurate and rewarding in Vikings, though the Saxons were known to use the shield-wall defense, too.  But, hey, who's to say that Ragnar's party didn't use it in this case, and prevail so impressively in their battle by the sea.

See also Vikings ... Vikings 1.2: Lindisfarne ... Vikings 1.3: The Priest

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The Following 1.9: All in a Name, or Metaphor in the Service of Murder

You've got to hand it to The Following.  In addition to being one of the slickest, sickest shows about serial killers ever on television - which is to say, quite good, excellent, if you like this sort of theme in your fiction - The Following also gets the highest marks for sheer creativity in the kind of killings that Joe and his following dish out every week.

In episode 1.9 on last night, it's any woman in a given area with the same name as Joe's wife - Claire Matthews - who becomes the victim.  Why?  Joe's way of punishing Ryan, who slept with Claire.   I have to admire that kind of ingenuity in coming up with insane reasons to kill.

And the show continues to plumb the dark machinery of the arch pyscho Joe and his followers.  When one of them, bent on killing a Claire Matthews, is challenged by Ryan's point that she's not the Claire Matthews who is the inspiration of this chapter in Joe's murders, the psycho follower chides and proclaims to Ryan that this Claire Matthews is "a metaphor" for Joe's wife.  So in addition to these brutally bizarre killings, The Following enlists literary theory in its arsenal.   Which is well motivated, seeing as how Joe is a professor of English and a devotee of Poe.   Or, to paraphrase the poet Robert Browning, one's murderous reach must exceed one's grasp, or what's a meta for?

Joe's machinery is, of course, the darkest and most complex of all.  At the root of it is the deep satisfaction he gets from being party, direct or indirect,  to a killing.   But closer to the surface, we see him serving as a sensitive, responsive, helpful mentor to the troubled souls who come to him for guidance.   It's this mix of insanity and compassion that make The Following so compelling.

In addition, we're treated to an every changing variety of psycho followers in every episode.  In this sense, The Following is like Criminal Minds on speed, or compressed, or - again, if you like this sort of crime and horror - a big step forward and much better.

See also The Following Begins ... The Following 1.2: Joe, Poe, and the Plan ... The Following 1.3: Bug in the Sun ... The Following 1.4: Off the Leash ... The Following 1.5:  The Lawyer and the Swap ... The Following 1.7: At Large


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Bones 8.19: The Head in the Toilet

Sorry, couldn't resist.  But the really memorable image from the first part of Bones 8.19 was the victim's head - or what was left it after its incineration - in a toilet, making for one of the best gruesome openers because it was funny as well as gruesome, which is of one the trademarks of Bones.

Meanwhile, the episode itself was delightful, far from being in the toilet, and studded with great lines including Booth "discovering the hatch" (nice reference to Lost), and Booth and Bones referred to as "Mr. and Mrs. Sweets" by the two babes who are shrinks and will be living with Sweets in his new apartment.

Which gets to my favorite part of the story - Sweets moving on to the next stage of his life.  Last time I focused on Sweets, I said I regretted saying that I was glad Sweets and Daisy had split (actually, Sweets left Daisy) because I thought that Daisy was not the best for him.  That is, I regretting saying that Sweets and Daisy were not the right couple, because I was beginning to think I was wrong about that.  And now I'm more certain than ever that they belong together.   And I'm thinking it's just a matter of time - as I said previously, Sweets and Daisy are the new Booth and Bones, needed now on Bones, because the original Booth and Bones are now happy together.   Though, it's going to be hard with Sweets so tempted by his new roommates.  (Yes, he's going to be tempted.  I don't much believe that someone can be just good friends with someone else the first someone finds attractive, and there is no way Sweets won't find his two roommates attractive.  Ok, I'm superficial.)  But the bottom line is I think that Sweets and Daisy will get together in the end.

Back to the other part of the story tonight, it had a good plot, too, with a bunch of survivalists the likely culprits.   Lead cannonballs, animal tranquilizers, and all manner of fine touches abound.   And for some reason, my favorite little touch tonight is Cam and Angela really getting a kick out of Hodgins' test of the cannonball, but not wanting to let him know it.  Ain't that just the kick in the head that's life?



See also Bones 8.1: Walk Like an Egyptian ... Bones 8.2 of Contention ... Bones 8.3: Not Rotting Behind a Desk  ... Bones 8.4: Slashing Tiger and Donald Trump ... Bones 8.5: Applesauce on Election Eve ... Bones 8.6: Election Day ... Bones 8.7: Dollops in the Sky with Diamonds ...Bones 8.8: The Talking Remains ... Bones 8.9: I Am A Camera ... Bones 8.10-11: Double Bones ...Bones 8.12: Face of Enigmatic Evil ... Bones 8.13: Two for the Price of One ... Bones 8.14: Real Life ... Bones 8.15: The Magic Bullet and the Be-Spontaneous Paradox ... Bones 8.16: Bitter-Sweet Sweets and Honest Finn ... Bones 8.17: "Not Time Share, Time Travel" ... Bones 8.18: Couples

And see also Bones 7.1: Almost Home Sweet Home ... Bones 7.2: The New Kid and the Fluke ...Bones 7.3: Lance Bond and Prince Charmington ... Bones 7.4: The Tush on the Xerox ... Bones 7.5: Sexy Vehicle ... Bones 7.6: The Reassembler ... Bones 7.7: Baby! ... Bones 7.8: Parents ...Bones 7.9: Tabitha's Salon ... Bones 7.10: Mobile ... Bones 7.11: Truffles and Max ... Bones 7.12: The Corpse is Hanson ... Bones Season 7 Finale: Suspect Bones

And see also Bones 6.1: The Linchpin ... Bones 6.2: Hannah and her Prospects ... Bones 6.3 at the Jersey Shore, Yo, and Plymouth Rock ... Bones 6.4 Sans Hannah ... Bones 6.5: Shot and Pretty ... Bones 6.6: Accidental Relations ... Bones 6.7:  Newman and "Death by Chocolate" ...Bones 6.8: Melted Bones ... Bones 6.9: Adelbert Ames, Jr. ... Bones 6.10: Reflections ... Bones 6.11: The End and the Beginning of a Mystery ... Bones 6.12 Meets Big Love ... Bones 6.13: The Marrying Kind ... Bones 6.14: Bones' Acting Ability ... Bones 6.15: "Lunch for the Palin Family" ...Bones 6.16: Stuck in an Elevator, Stuck in Times ... Bones 6.17: The 8th Pair of Feet ... Bones 6.18: The Wile E. Chupacabra ... Bones 6.19 Test Runs The Finder ... Bones 6.20: This Very Statement is a Lie ... Bones 6.21: Sensitive Bones ... Bones 6.22: Phoenix Love ... Bones Season 6 Finale: Beautiful

And see also Bones: Hilarity and Crime and Bones is Back For Season 5: What Is Love? and 5.2: Anonymous Donors and Pipes and 5.3: Bones in Amish Country and 5.4: Bones Meets Peyton Place and Desperate Housewives and Ancient Bones 5.5 and Bones 5.6: A Chicken in Every Viewer's Pot and Psychological Bones 5.7 and Bones 5.8: Booth's "Pops" and Bones 5.9 Meets Avatar and Videogamers ... Bad Santa, Heart-Warming Bones 5.10 ... Bones 5.11: Of UFOs, Bloggers, and Triangles ... Bones 5.12: A Famous Skeleton and Angela's Baby ... Love with Teeth on Bones 5.13 ... Faith vs. Science vs. Psychology in Bones 5.14 ... Page 187 in Bones 5.15 ...Bones 100: Two Deep Kisses and One Wild Relationship ... Bones 5.17: The Deadly Stars ...Bones Under Water in 5.18 ... Bones 5.19: Ergo Together ...  Bones 5.20: Ergo Together ... Bones 5.21: The Rarity of Happy Endings ... Bones Season 5 Finale: Eye and Evolution

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The Walking Dead 3.14: Inescapable Parable

The Walking Dead 3.14 brings home a point we already pretty much knew: the Governor is not to be denied.  Before the night is over, he fights off a factory-load of walkers - mostly off camera - and still manages to capture and subdue Andrea, who makes a pretty good run for it.

The one-on-one between the Governor and Andrea raises a question that has yet to be answered: is there any one person who can best the Governor, or at least get away from him?   Andrea's failure, after getting within waving distance of Rick on the prison tower, suggests there aren't many.  Maybe Michonne or Daryl, but they're not that much better - more crafty, lethal - than Andrea, and the Governor's triumph suggests that any one of our heroes would have a tough time against him, one on one.

Which in turn suggests that the only road to success for our people over the Governor comes in the aggregate intelligence and top-notch fighting power of our people versus the Governor.   Woodbury is short of high-level people the Governor can rely upon.  Obviously no longer Andrea, and increasingly no longer Milton, who, at this point in the story, is the most interesting character in Woodbury.  He sees the Governor for what he now is, and will do what he can to obstruct him. But he won't outright oppose him because he still respects the best of what the Governor was trying to do - still believes, in fact, that there's recoverable human life in the walkers/biters.   He's bound to play some pivotal role in the concluding two episodes - though with the Governor now on to him, he could be snuffed out in an instant.

So on whom can the Governor rely on a second-in-command level?  It comes down to Caesar, but he's not crazy, and could change loyalties if something the Governor did pushed one of his buttons.   Tyreese now seems back in support of the Governor, but his decency makes him also unreliable as a steadfast ally.

So the nearly omnipotent Governor has no one fully reliable or anyone near his level of prowess below him.  Whereas Rick has a group of nearly equals in intelligence, fighting commitment, and overall loyalty.  We have a battle of dictatorship or rule by force and guile versus old-fashioned democracy coming up, which makes The Walking Dead a real parable for our history and current time.

See also The Walking Dead 3.3 meets Meadowlands ... The Walking Dead 3.4: Going to the Limit ... The Walking Dead 3.9: Making Crazy Sense ... The Walking Dead 3.10: Reinforcements ... The Walking Dead 3.11: The Patch ... The Walking Dead 3.12: The Lesson of Morgan ... The Walking Dead 3.13: The Deal

And see also The Walking Dead Back on AMC ... The Walking Dead 2.2: The Nature of Vet... The Walking Dead 2.3: Shane and Otis ... The Walking Dead 2.4: What Happened at the Pharmacy ... The Walking Dead 2.6: Secrets Told ... The Walking Dead 2.7: Rick's Way vs. Shane's Way ...  The Walking Dead 2.8: The Farm, the Road, and the Town  ... The Walking Dead 2.9: Worse than Walkers ... The Walking Dead 2.11: Young Calling the Shots ... The Walking Dead 2.12: Walkers Without Bites ... The Walking Dead Season 2 Finale
And see also The Walking Dead 1.1-3:  Gone with the Wind, Zombie Style ... The Walking Dead Ends First Season




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Vikings 1.3: The Priest

Vikings continues to provide a good, vibrant narrative of a time in history - the end of eight century AD - which we can use.   Last week, we see the onset of the Viking age with Ragnar's attack on Lindisfarne in the northeast of England.   Tonight, most of the important action revolves around the priest who speaks the Viking language, whom Ragnar has the good sense to take back home as his prisoner.

Ragnar also has the good sense to choose the priest when the ever-vicious Haraldson shows his "generosity" to Ragnar and his crew by allowing them just one possession each from their English plunder (a generosity he only displays at his clever wife Siggy's suggestion).   Back on the Lothbrok homestead, the kids make fun of the priest's bald spot (and all these years I thought Friar Tuck just happened to be that way - actually, I realized there was something more going on when I saw Brother Cadfael), Ragnar and Lagertha invite the priest to join them in bed (he's tempted by Lagertha but says no), and then he's left in charge when Ragnar takes Lagertha on his next outing to England.

I found that a little surprising - not that the priest would do any harm to the Lothbrok kids, but wouldn't Ragnar and Lagertha be concerned that the priest would provide inadequate i.e. no protection if some villains came calling?   Well, at least this move gives us the benefit of seeing Ragnar and Lagertha together on a raid over the sea, signaling that Ragnar now has sufficient confidence in his Viking success in the west to take his beloved wife along.

Ragnar has told Haraldson that the priests of Lindsfarne were as easy as "children" to subdue.   The Viking party finds the same lame lack of resistance when they encounter and massacre an English sheriff and his men this time around (one guy escapes, maybe the sheriff).   It's surprising, again, to see how quickly Ragnar's group prevailed over the English in equal numbers - but that's the truth of history, and, come to think of it, Robin Hood did much the same with his merry band vis-a-vis the sheriff's forces a few hundred years later.

See also Vikings ... Vikings 1.2: Lindisfarne

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Cruz vs. Feinstein on Gun Control: A Better Answer to Cruz

The exchange between Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) about the constitutionality of gun control has been getting a lot of coverage today.  Cruz asked Feinstein how, given the Federal authority to outlaw certain weapons as provided for in her bill, and the violation of the Second Amendment which he saw that entailing, would she feel about a law that outlawed certain books, and the violation of the First Amendment that such a ban would entail?

Feinstein told Cruz not to lecture her on the Constitution, Cruz said he respected her passion, and there has been a lot of commentary in the media about how well Feinstein stood up to Cruz's questions.  Be that as it may, there was no constitutional answer given to Cruz, so here's one now:

First, here are the texts of the First and Second Amendments:
First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.Second Amendment: A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
Cruz in his exchange with Feinstein pointed out that "the right of the people" is used in both Amendments - true - and that restrictions or control of guns (or arms) under the Second Amendment therefore should be no more allowable than restrictions of books under the First Amendment, because in both cases "the right of the people" would be infringed.   Not true.

Here's why:  the First Amendment associates "the right of people" to "peaceably" assemble and petition the government.  But before that, and before the phrase about "abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press," the First Amendment reserves the phrase, "Congress shall make no law" - a phrase that appears nowhere in the Second Amendment.

Had the Founders wanted the Federal government to make "no law" regarding possession of weapons or arms, they easily could have used that phrase in the Second Amendment.  Instead, they used the far weaker "shall not be infringed," which obviously leaves lots of room for reasonable laws that do not infringe.

And that, obviously, was a very smart distinction, because guns can kill and cause physical harm, but the worst that words can do is anger and aggravate.  The Founders had it right, and Cruz has it wrong.


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Dallas 2.8: The Death of J. R.

Dallas 2.8 put in a powerful show tonight on the death and funeral of J. R. Ewing, which brought a tear or two to even these cynical eyes.  That's no doubt because J. R.'s death as a development in the narrative was mandated by the sudden death of Larry Hagman last November, so the end of J. R. was more than the end of an iconic character.   The real death of Larry Hagman is also no doubt what brought out great performances from Linda Gray as Sue Ellen and Patrick Duffy as Bobby.  They were grieving for their close friend and colleague, whose fine work was crucial in propelling all three to decades of fame.

But the narrative tonight was also well written.  Most effective was the impact of J. R.'s death on Bobby.  When Annie asks him to talk to her, to share his feelings with her, he lashes out about how she never told him anything about her life, in particular, that she had a daughter.   It's clear that what Bobby is really upset about is how J. R. left Bobby out of J. R.'s most inner wheelings and dealings for years.  Patrick Duffy puts in another fine performance here, as does Brenda Strong as Ann.

Sue Ellen, predictably but powerfully, is driven to drink by J. R.'s death.  When she reads J. R.'s letter which asks her for one more chance, there's again a connection to a deeper reality - the producers of Dallas, I hear, were seriously thinking of getting J. R. and Sue Ellen back together, which would have been satisfying in a decades-long way.

Bobby won't be left out of finding out who killed J. R., because J. R. left Bobby a letter to get him started.  Tonight, J. R. leaves John Ross and Christopher out in the cold, as J. R. did so often to Bobby, but it's likely that that won't last too long.

Ray, Lucy, another J. R. wife, and one his mistresses were back tonight too, which added some good nostalgic depth to the episode.   Gary came home last week and was on again tonight.  He'll likely continue on the show, which is good.  I enjoyed Dallas last year, and I'm betting the show would have gotten even better had Larry Hagman and therefore J. R. lived.  But there's no doubt that J. R.'s murder has jumpstarted the revived series to a new, higher level, not least because it retrieves the classic "who shot J. R." motif from the original series.   So the new series will likely be better, at least this year, because of J. R.'s death.  But I'm still feeling bad that it had to take the death of Larry Hagman to do this.   Rest in peace, you created a character who will live on long after you.


See also New Dallas Back for Second Season
And see also The New Dallas: An Outright Pleasure and New Dallas One Season One Evaluation

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The Walking Dead 3.13: The Deal

A sit down between Rick and Blake the Governor tonight in The Walking Dead 3.13.   Now you know it can't and won't be that easy - no way Rick and Blake can reach any kind of deal.  If there was a shred of doubt about the Governor's duplicity, that was gone as soon as we saw the gun that the Governor had for himself under the table, after he made such a big display of putting his own weapon down.  Of course, Rick is too smart to be fooled by that display, and wisely keeps his own firearm within easy reach.

No, what was actually surprising in tonight's episode is how close Rick seems to accepting the deal that the Governor offers.   True, Michonne only completely became one of us last week (or even more recently in Walking Dead time).  But it isn't like Rick not to have completely rejected the Governor's offer to leave in peace for the price of Michonne - who took out the Gov's eye - rather than going back to the prison and asking Hershel to talk him out of it.

Maybe Rick is still not completely recovered from Lori's death.   Or maybe there is a deeper lesson here: when Rick asks Hershel if he would be willing to sacrifice his daughters, if there was any chance that giving up Michonne could save them, Hershel doesn't answer.  He's the moral tower on the show, so, if he doesn't answer, does that mean Rick's not completely wrong to consider giving up Michonne?

I'm hoping there's something else going on.  Rick also says that he expects the Governor will kill everyone even if Michonne is given up - which we the audience know is true.  Is Rick thinking there's some sort of play in which he can pretend to give up Michonne, to get some sort of jump on the Governor?

Meanwhile, it's not as if the Governor is invulnerable.  His seconds in command now both seem more decent than he, not to mention Andrea's continuing underlying affinity for our team.  One thing is sure: The Walking Dead continues to present stories worthy of Greek tragedy and Shakespeare - that is, the human soul in the highest state of siege - in the wrappings of a good old zombie tale.


See also The Walking Dead 3.3 meets Meadowlands ... The Walking Dead 3.4: Going to the Limit ... The Walking Dead 3.9: Making Crazy Sense ... The Walking Dead 3.10: Reinforcements ... The Walking Dead 3.11: The Patch ... The Walking Dead 3.12: The Lesson of Morgan

And see also The Walking Dead Back on AMC ... The Walking Dead 2.2: The Nature of Vet... The Walking Dead 2.3: Shane and Otis ... The Walking Dead 2.4: What Happened at the Pharmacy ... The Walking Dead 2.6: Secrets Told ... The Walking Dead 2.7: Rick's Way vs. Shane's Way ...  The Walking Dead 2.8: The Farm, the Road, and the Town  ... The Walking Dead 2.9: Worse than Walkers ... The Walking Dead 2.11: Young Calling the Shots ... The Walking Dead 2.12: Walkers Without Bites ... The Walking Dead Season 2 Finale
And see also The Walking Dead 1.1-3:  Gone with the Wind, Zombie Style ... The Walking Dead Ends First Season


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Vikings 1.2: Lindisfarne

Lindisfarne is an island off England's northeast coast.  Learned monks lived there for hundreds of years after the Romans left their Christianity in Britain - so learned, that the monks are said to have discovered the properties of antibiotics more than a millennium before Fleming in the 20th century.  Lindisfarne is also known as the beginning the Viking Age - or, rather, the sacking of the island by the Vikings is seen as commencing that age.   It is thus a fitting locale for the tonight's episode 1.2 of Vikings.

Lindifarne represents, from the Viking perspective, the vindication of Ragnar's vision that untold riches resided to the west.  It represents the triumph of Floki's shipbuilding techniques.  Not every Viking who landed there finds fulfillment - Rollo notes with lament the absence of women - and argues briefly with his brother Ragnar about sparing one of the monks who speaks the Vikings' language.  This provides another tile in the mosaic of conflict that is slowly building between the brothers - with Ragnar who had the vision for the voyage, and wants to spare the monk (because Ragnar senses the monk can be of value), the more enlightened.  This conflict will no doubt bear all kinds of dramatic dividends as the story continues.

Ragnar is not quite so enlightened regarding his wife Lagertha, whom he insists must stay at home.  Or maybe that is the intelligent strategy, since a woman such as Lagertha, as beautiful as she is, would not be able to survive a ship full of men (including Rollo), even with Ragnar's protection and her considerable prowess as a shield maiden warrior.  But the point is that, unlike what I thought after last week's episode, it's not the case that Lagertha doesn't want Ragnar to take the voyage - it's rather that she wants to go with him.   And though both courses of action speak to her not wanting to be parted from her husband, Lagertha's wanting to go with him on the sea shows her to be a very different kind of wife and mother than we are accustomed to seeing in history.

The Viking landing on Lindisfarne at the end of the 700s may have signalled the decline of that monastery and the advent of Viking supremacy, but, more important, it also heralded the melding of Viking and Christian culture.   Floki, as ignorant of what could be written in the monastery's books as he is knowledgable in the ways of seafaring, burns the texts of Lindisfarne and with them the monastery.  But Ragnar's interest in the monk who speaks the Viking language signifies the beginning of a profound melding of two cultures, which will serve as a wellspring of who we are today as well as fuel for a fine new series.

See also Vikings

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Chris Matthews Fails in History of Mathematics

Just saw Chris Matthews on MSNBC completely mangle the difference between the Roman numeral system and the Arabic system, which replaced it and we now use.

Matthews explained that the Arabic system makes it much easier to haggle in the marketplace.  "The guy says the item will cost you 9, you say 7, take it for 8."   Very true.  Except - you can do the exact same thing with Roman numerals - "The guy says the item will cost you IX, you say VII, take it for VIII."  This is because, when it comes to basic addition and subtraction, the Roman numeral system was pretty much as good as the Arabic system.

Where the Arabic numeral system excels, is that, enhanced with the brilliant Hindu concept of zero - a number literally representing nothing - you can multiply and divide easily, and work your way up to algebra.

Multiplication and division are likely what Matthews and his writers had in mind when they came up with their example from the history of mathematics to make the true point that the Democrats and Republicans shouldn't find it so hard to work up a budget.   Reduce this by 10%, increase that by 30% - that's what our politicians need to so, and what our Arabic numeral system in comparison to the Roman system makes possible.

Chris - learn a little about the history of mathematics or hire writers who know it.


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