January Musings (1/23/2026)

Riddleblog and Blessed Hope Podcast Updates:

I’ve finished the manuscript for The Blessing Hope Podcast episodes on 2 Corinthians. Lord willing, the concluding episodes (chapters 10-13) will be released on alternate weeks. Romans in the late spring?

My new Riddleblog series on the Epistle of James is now underway

Thinking Out loud:

Kyle Tucker is a very good baseball player—but 240 million for 4 years? That’s 50% more than Aaron Judge makes, who is a much better player
As usual in California, news agencies list all the laws enacted which went into effect on January 1, 2026. The nanny state cannot fix, nor address homelessness, build a bullet train, or deal with wildfires. But they sure know how to pass nonsensical and intrusive laws by the bushel
Speaking of the progressive mob in Sacramento, they cannot understand why the state’s remaining billionaires wish to flee—taking their companies, jobs, and tax revenue with them—instead of paying a wealth tax which will be spent on healthcare for illegals, the bullet train to nowhere, but not on the rebuilding of fire ravaged cities in Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and Altadena (where state red-tape has held up rebuilding for over a year). California was the best state in America until systemically destroyed by progressives politicians and Dem-aligned unions
Without knowing anything about the teachings of Islam, it is virtually self-evident that any religion which detests dogs, bans music, and debates whether to use smooth rocks or Charmin is not something you would want anything to do with. Oh, and don’t accept the “left-hand” of fellowship from strident followers
Watching new elected government officers take the oath of office on the Koran is not merely a religious freedom issue—its a a bad sign and trend
One of the consequences of AI artists and AI generated music—you’ll never be able to see that person live in concert. Nothing better than seeing your favorite band, live and on stage

Currently reading:

Andrew Lambert’s recent book, No More Napoleons: How Britain Managed Europe from Waterloo to World War One is a fascinating volume which history nerds will love—especially those interested in nineteenth century European history. But Lambert’s account of Britain’s success in staying out of a continental European war also has important implications for NATO today. I learned of the book from two of my favorite podcasts on which he was interviewed, The School of War and The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg.

Britain was at war (or nearly so) with France for much of the first half of the nineteenth century. Napoleon threatened to invade Britain, but France had no deep water ports. So Napoleon—and the two Republics which came after him—sought to control the coastal region of what is now Belgium. This is known as the Scheldt Estuary which is directly across the English Channel from the Thames River Estuary and London. As long as the French controlled the Schedlt (with its main port city, Antwerp), and exerted much influence over the new nation of Belgium, English faced the constant threat of cross channel invasion.

As Lambert tells the story, Britain’s policy of “Offshore Balancing” was able to keep France out of the Scheldt (making up most of the Belgian coast today) through skillful diplomacy, a vastly superior navy, the latest technology (i.e., steam powered ships and exploding shell artillery), superior fortifications, accessible harbors located along the British coast (Dover, Portland etc.), and a well-funded effort to know more about the geography and hydrology of the area than the French, the Dutch, or the Belgians. Although France turned Cherbourg into a large naval base—after four decades of construction—Britain was able to neutralize any advantage sought by France and its navy—including a French base (Cherbourg) strategically placed to threaten English trade routes.

After Napoleon’s defeat by Wellington at Waterloo in 1815, Britain engaged in a number of successful naval conflicts with Russia and the Ottomans, among others. But the Brits successfully managed to stave off even the possibility of invasion, engaged in no major land battles on the European continent (until 1914—after a change in strategy), and did so with a small standing army (but a large home-based militia) all while under constant budgetary constraints. One hundred years of thwarting invasion and not engaging in a land war in nineteenth century Europe was no small feat.

If you are interested in this period—especially Napoleon and nineteenth century Europe after his second exile to St. Helena — you will find this book fascinating and informative. It is well written and while not a page turner, Lambert kept my attention and raised issues I had never thought about and which changed my understating of the period. There are also lessons to be learned here about the importance of alliances (as a multiplier effect of aggregated political and military power), and why America should think seriously about the importance of NATO (even with its flaws) and why building a superior navy, air force, and cyber capabilities, second to none, is the best way to prevent war among super-powers.

No More Napoleons: How Britain Managed Europe from Waterloo to World War One is recommend to history nerds.

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