I'm happy to say I achieved two feats over the last week: (1) I visited New York City for the first time in my life! You're probably asking, "What took you so long, dude?" Well, I'd never been big on traveling until now, not to mention the fact that my wife and I chose to save up for a while in order to have the wherewithal to go on these trips. (Much like our trip to Boston last summer, vacationing in the Big Apple costs a pretty penny.) What's more, it wasn't until just a few years ago that I morphed into the biggest history nerd on the planet. Now I have a valid excuse to explore historic cities big and small, from New York City to Washington D.C. Museums, anyone? (2) Just as my plane was landing in New York, I finished reading Ron Chernow's behemoth 730-page biography Alexander Hamilton , which inspired the hit Broadway musical .  It was fitting that I completed the book when I did, for Alexander Hamilton, immigrant-turned-Founding-Father a...

I'm just about halfway into the 700+ page behemoth  Alexander Hamilton , which served as the inspiration for the hit Broadway musical. The author of the book, Ron Chernow, took the liberty of littering the book with a wide array of big words, many of which have prompted me to pull out my trusty dictionary. One such unfamiliar word that caught my attention was cynosure.  Cynosure stands for an object that serves as a focal point of attention and admiration. Hamilton, the first U.S. secretary of the treasury, captivated women with his good looks and charm. It's no surprise, then, that he built a reputation as something of a flirt, not missing an opportunity to strike up conversations with beautiful ladies at balls and banquets (all this despite being married). Even men found him arresting on account of his intelligence, boldness, and knack for conversation. In modern parlance, many would probably just employ "hunk" or "eye candy." Had you ever ...