Christmas Archives - Eric F. Frazier

The Temple of Saturn ruins--the epicenter of Saturnalia

Saturnalia Lives On

December 21, 2014August 27, 2019 Eric F. Frazier

As the days grow shorter and colder, something stirs in us humans—a fear that traces straight down to the bone, maybe into our DNA. We associate winter with death for good reason. It brings death for many plants, creatures and…

Happy Christmas and Merry New Year!

December 24, 2013 Eric F. Frazier

My preoccupation with the vagaries of language sent me searching this morning for the reason we say “Merry Christmas.” After all, we use the word happy to convey our best wishes for most other holidays, including the New Year, Easter,…

Quips: My Short Takes

Tracking Baby Jesus

December 5, 2013December 14, 2013 Eric F. Frazier

One of the oddest uses of GPS tracking I found while doing research for the book, GPS Declassified, was the case of a community center in Wellington, Florida, that used it to catch a thief who stole baby Jesus from…

Coins: Words I Made Up

(noggled)

December 5, 2013 Eric F. Frazier

adj: dazed after long cyber shopping sessions, compounded by additives to your holiday beverage Find this content useful? Share it with your friends!

About Eric F. Frazier

I am an independent writer, editor, book reviewer and co-author of GPS Declassified: From Smart Bombs to Smartphones.

Frazeology is my take on matters large and small, in the news or off the radar. My approach is personal, but the goal is not to write about me. Rather, it is to offer subjective observations about experiences and concerns that we all share.

From time to time, I link to and comment on things others have said particularly well--or especially poorly. And sometimes I make up new words. We have more than enough already, but it's fun and I find playing around with language irresistible.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by, and I hope you enjoy reading.

“A useful work about a complex topic.”

— Roger Launius, Quest

“GPS Declassified is a carefully researched, well written, fast-paced, and thoroughly enjoyable book. It offers an excellent mix of science, technology, history and culture. This book is highly recommended.”

— William F. Mellberg, The Space Review

“Expertly weaves the story of GPS development and its ever-expanding use."

— M. W. Carr, Choice

“Written in a clear and lively style GPS Declassified provides readers with GPS development history including personal recollections from leading developers…. As an introduction to GPS, its history, uses, issues and concerns GPS Declassified can’t be beat.”

— Robert Schaefer, New York Journal of Books

“The authors do the impossible, making an intricate technological advance fascinating to read. They offer an informative and well researched account of how GPS proved its worth even before the system was complete.”

—Walter J. Boyne, author of How the Helicopter Changed Modern Warfare and former director of the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution

“A fine and entertaining story of the origins of the Global Positioning System, a consequential space-age technology that has affected the lives of hundreds of millions in war and peace."

—Mike Gruntman, PhD, professor of astronautics, University of Southern California at Los Angeles, and author of Blazing The Trail: The Early History Of Spacecraft And Rocketry

“The authors deftly place the concept and development of GPS within two broader historical contexts: navigation and robotic spaceflight.”

— from the foreword by Rick W. Sturdevant, PhD, Deputy Director of History, Air Force Space Command

Paid writing gigs keep me busy, so I post these personal blogs at irregular times. Subscribe below to receive new posts as soon as I make them.