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Modesto High School Former Teacher Arrested For Dating His 17 Year Old Student

Modesto High School Former Teacher Arrested For Dating His 17 Year Old Student
I carry been taking sides this bombard considering the news came out. It is positively not right for teachers to date students, let adrift minors. and of gush I am somewhat sure they carry had sex before this girl turned 18. James Hooker is securely not right and stand for what he has ample to his pupil. He gone his wife and three juvenile including his 17 year-old lass who was attending the awfully In California, it is barred to carry a sexual relationship with a finicky. But I don't disclose if I call him a pedophile, for instance I mean 17 year-old boys and girls are normally sexually active in America..and they are mature, and sure I would be honest that I can be attracted to 17 kick old, 18 kick old..if I didn't disclose the age. I am 32 kick old right now but I am not goodbye to be nosy in pursuing what on earth if guys are finicky for instance it's not right, stand..and it's illegal!

Why would I put individually in such a situation? It's one firm to feel attraction to a 17 kick old girl, for instance many of them look senior mature than their age and these girls are wholly sexually active. And many men like younger attractive women. Women do too! lol But I just wouldn't utterly be deprived of my career, my stature and my family-especially if I had juvenile. This is very pleasure-seeking. I cannot see things what these juvenile carry been goodbye target when realizing that their create had just irrepressible his family to be with his former pupil and the media exhibition has been goodbye on ever considering. On top of that, he is an adult, and his "girlfriend" is still in the deal in of nascent rationally and she is not a wholly full-fledged adult so he has senior power than her in many ways. If he indubitable cared for her, he shouldn't carry put her in such situations, everyplace she looked-for to drop out of high edify, having gone astray all her friends subsequently she had to move out of her home everyplace she was business with her blood relation.

This is a auspicious situation, for instance in this girl's eyes, her former teacher appears fascinating, faraway senior quick, smart, astute, "mature", all he does gives her the collateral she has required from her own create who died in the same way as she was 9 kick old. That inevitability carry been a handsome vanishing for her. This former teacher was an senate invent for this girl for instance he was a teacher of one of her classes in high edify and age prudent, James Hooker may perhaps carry been her create. So we can style of understand the original issues, and her blood relation looks somewhat crazy. I understand everyplace she is coming from. She inevitability carry been cross, ill at ease and she would do at all it takes to get her lass back. But she started a media research and started to amount on national TVs. This sort out straightforwardly turned into a media exhibition. If I was the blood relation, I wouldn't carry required to do what she did to get my newborn back. I would be cross and ill at ease. I don't carry a newborn, so I just can't wholly understand the level of anger and vanishing this blood relation has been experiencing, but still by making media appearances and pursuing campaigns, her daughter's stature will booth to be dirty and that's everything I wouldn't carry required my newborn to experience. Noticeably I would carry asked individually if I've ample a better blood relation technique what she looked-for growing up as a single blood relation.

But anyways James Hooker was arrested today on charges of sexually assaulting a conflicting pupil kick ago. is revolve into everything very decaying. I don't disclose about this blood relation even though. I don't disclose about making teacher-student relationship a fault failure. It is securely not right, so teachers who sever the code of doctrine have got to be originate to penal deeds, but I don't disclose if college coach have got to be arrested for having a sexual relationship with 22 kick old senior pupil. That sounds like a bit an excessive. Hypothetically James Hooker, 41, was having a sexual relationship with diverse 17-year-old pupil in 1998! oh my gosh...So this wasn't the first time for him.

This girl's blood relation, Tammie Powers sounds so happy about Jame Hooker's captivity. Tammie assumed she encouraged her lass, Jordan out Hooker's dwelling when his captivity. I am sure that Jordan is totally bewildered to deal in this relationship. This man was arrested for having sex with diverse finicky, his pupil, 14 kick ago. So gift is a pattern all over the place. But I don't disclose if this has indubitable exploited up the couple, but if this was the true love, they will indubitably sentient no matter crazy mom like Tammie Powers do.

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Why did Marcus Aurelius allow Commodus to succeed him?

This is a first draft.  I’ve not supplied detailed references because I’m writing it off the top of my head just to get it out there.  Please correct any errors.  I’ll check it later and add references, etc.  So apologies for any typos or whatever!

One of the most commonly asked questions on my Facebook group for Stoicism is why Marcus Aurelius, one of the good emperors, would have allowed Commodus, who turned out to be a terrible emperor, to succeed him.  Sometimes people are just puzzled by this.  Sometimes they criticize Marcus for failing in his duty either to bring up a better son or appoint a better heir.  Sometimes they’ve seen the Hollywood movie Gladiator (2000), which focuses on the character of Commodus as a bad emperor, and ask questions about its historical accuracy.  It’s a question that interests me because I run a course about the relationship between Marcus Aurelius’ life and his Stoic philosophy called How to Think Like a Roman Emperor, and I’ve just finished writing a book on the same subject.

Marcus and Commodus in Gladiator

Maximus, Commodus, and Marcus Aurelius in GladiatorLet me start by briefly recapping what happens in Gladiator because those images seem to influence a lot of these discussions…  In the first act, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) is depicted as Caesar, the heir to the Roman empire, with his father, the Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), on the northern frontier, during the Second Marcomannic War.  A frail and elderly Marcus tells Commodus that he has changed his mind about appointing him emperor and that one of his generals, Maximus (Russell Crowe), will serve as an interim ruler managing Rome’s transition back to a republic.

MARCUS: Are you ready to do your duty for Rome?
COMMODUS [with a slight smile on his face]: Yes, father.
MARCUS: You will not be Emperor.
COMMODUS [the smile quickly vanishes leaving in its place painful bewilderment]: Which wiser, older man is to take my place?
MARCUS: My powers will pass to Maximus to hold in trust until the Senate is ready to rule once more. Rome is to be a Republic again.

Commodus then strangles his father, makes himself emperor anyway, and tries to have Maximus murdered, setting up the plot for the rest of the film.

There’s also a Netflix docuseries about Commodus called Roman Empire: Reign of Blood (2016), which approaches the subject from a slightly more historical perspective.  Several academics appear as talking heads, discussing Marcus Aurelius and Commodus, and dramatized sections are interspersed depicting the events of his life.  The experts are fairly reliable but the dramatized segments are a little hit and miss in their depiction, inevitably, as they have to make things exciting for the viewer and where there’s some uncertainty or conflict in the ancient sources they sometimes pick the most sensational story to tell.

Marcus Aurelius Chronology

Some Key Facts

This is a slightly complicated story.  However, I find it helps to begin just by stating a few important historical facts, which I believe are partly obscured by the portrayal of events in Gladiator, although even people who have never seen that movie are often mistaken on these points.

  1. At the time Commodus was appointed heir, Marcus was still ruling alongside his adoptive brother and co-emperor, Lucius Verus, who was nine years younger, and much fitter than the notoriously frail and sickly Marcus, so presumably Lucius was expected to be Marcus’ immediate successor.
  2. Marcus and Lucius together appointed Commodus Caesar, official heir to the throne, along with his younger brother, Marcus Annius Verus, on 12th October 166, when Commodus was a child aged five years old.  Presumably at this time the most likely scenario would have been that when Marcus died, Commodus would serve alongside Lucius Verus as his junior co-emperor.
  3. Commodus had already been ruling as Emperor for about three years before Marcus died.  Marcus had his son acclaimed Imperator on 27th November 176 AD and later, in the summer of 177 AD, he was granted the title Augustus, making him co-emperor with Marcus.

So whereas Commodus is portrayed as Caesar in the movie Gladiator, waiting to succeed Marcus, who then refuses to let him take the throne, in reality Commodus had already been emperor for about three years before Marcus died.  Incidentally, although there were rumours that Commodus had Marcus assassinated, which Cassius Dio repeats, he also says that when Marcus was dying he took the precaution of having his son taken under armed guard so that he couldn’t be accused of his murder.

[Marcus Aurelius] passed away on the seventeenth of March, not as a result of the disease from which he still suffered, but by the act of his physicians, as I have been plainly told, who wished to do Commodus a favour.  When now he was at the point of death, he commended his son to the protection of the soldiers (for he did not wish his death to appear to be due to Commodus) […] (Cassius Dio)

Marcus was nearly sixty and apparently dying of the plague, so it hardly seems necessary for Commodus to have gone to the trouble of ordering his physicians to assassinate him, although it’s possible.

Hadrian’s Succession Plan

Emperors in GalleryNow let’s get a little deeper into the complexities…  Imperial succession arrangements were often complicated and mysterious.  To understand Commodus we have to go right back to his great-grandfather, by adoption, the emperor Hadrian.  Hadrian was childless.  Toward the end of his life his behaviour was becoming erratic.  He surprised everyone by choosing a man called Lucius Ceionius Commodus as his successor.  Hadrian granted him the  imperial title Caesar, starting a tradition that the heir to the throne would take that title in advance.  However, the man died suddenly about a year later, forcing Hadrian to come up with another candidate.

He then adopted a man called Aurelius Antoninus and appointed him Caesar on condition that Antoninus would in turn adopt a young boy called Marcus Annius Verus and make him his own successor.  The boy Marcus took Antoninus’ family name and became forever known as Marcus Aurelius.  So there was a plan that stretched decades into the future.  However, these arrangements could easily be overturned by events.  The man Hadrian had originally appointed Caesar had a young son, also called Lucius.  The Senate were terrified of the possibility of civil war caused by rival factions fighting over claims to the throne.  When Hadrian died he was hated by the Senate for spying on and executing his enemies at Rome.  He’d also left them with the problem of what to do about the boy Lucius.

Marcus and Lucius as Co-Emperors

Lucius VerusWhen the Emperor Antoninus died, Marcus Aurelius was acclaimed emperor but he insisted that the Senate recognize Lucius as his co-emperor.  Lucius then took Marcus’ family name and became the Emperor Lucius Verus.  Lucius was also betrothed to Marcus’ young daughter, Lucilla, making him Marcus’ son-in-law as well as his adoptive brother.  (I know, it’s confusing but bear with me…)  This was the first time that Rome had been ruled by two emperors jointly.  It was probably considered necessary to unite the empire and prevent instability caused by the mess Hadrian had left by creating two rival dynasties with a claim on the throne.

The histories make it clear that although on paper they were  (virtually) equals, Marcus was effectively the senior party and Lucius obeyed him like a provincial governor or a lieutenant in the army.   I won’t go too much into Lucius’ character except to say he was quite the opposite of Marcus and whereas Marcus was a workaholic who spent his youth tirelessly studying and gaining experience of Roman law and government, Lucius was very idle and clearly came nowhere near Marcus’ level of competence and experience as a ruler.  The one thing Marcus lacked was any military experience.  As far as we know Lucius didn’t have any either but he was young, handsome, obsessed with sports, and probably quite popular, so it seems to have been envisaged his role would be more involved with the military.  When the two emperors were acclaimed, therefore, it was Lucius who was sent to deliver a speech to the soldiers, and not long after, when the Parthian War broke out, Marcus sent Lucius to Syria to oversee the campaign.

We’ve no direct confirmation of this but it stands to reason that at this point in time it would have been assumed that Lucius would outlive Marcus and effectively become his successor.  Lucius was nine years younger than Marcus and much fitter and healthier than him.  He was also married to Marcus’ daughter, and it was said Marcus treated him more like a son than a brother.  He may also have been a bad emperor but it seems that Marcus felt it was necessary, for some reason, to appoint him.  Presumably because it was feared that a rival dynasty would split the empire, which in turn would leave it vulnerable to invasion, as we’ll see.

Lucius didn’t really distinguish himself during the Parthian War.  He reputedly spent his time partying far away from the action and let his generals do all the work for him.  One in particular, Avidius Cassius, became a rising star, and we’ll be returning to his part in the story later.  However, Lucius returned to Rome and celebrated his victory.  Unfortunately, the Roman legions returning to their garrisons across Europe brought back a disease, probably a strain of smallpox, which became known as the Antonine Plague.  This pestilence ravaged the empire throughout the rest of Marcus’ reign and well into the reign of Commodus.  We’re told bodies were carried out of Rome by the cartload.  It’s been estimated that five million people across the empire may have died as a result of this plague.  The Antonine Plague is an important character in this story because the histories tell us that by taking the lives of so many people it disrupted society in many ways.  Those to whom family fortunes were bequeathed died prematurely.  Experienced senators, military officers, and government officials died prematurely and had to be replaced – there was a high turnover of staff in important positions.  We can see this affected the imperial succession also.

The Marcomannic Wars

Marcus Annius VerusShortly after Lucius returned, a huge coalition army of barbarian tribes from the north, led by King Ballomar of the Marcomanni, invaded the northern provinces, overrunning them.  They crossed the Alps, Rome’s natural defensive barrier, and rampaged through Italy, finally besieging the Roman city of Aquileia.  This time both Marcus and Lucius took command of the military response and left Rome together to drive the barbarian horde out of Italy and liberate the northern province of Pannonia.  War in the north would occupy Marcus for most of the rest of his reign and it would also cost the lives of many Romans, including men in senior positions.  The city of Rome itself was thrown into total panic by the news that a barbarian army had penetrated Italy, because they feared Rome would be sacked.

Ballomar had seized the opportunity when Rome was weak.  Beleaguered troops were still on their way back to their garrisons in the north from the Parthian War far to the east.  The legions had also been devastated by the plague, which thrived in the conditions found in army camps.  It was at this time that Marcus and Lucius agreed to appoint Marcus’ two sons, Commodus and Marcus Annius Verus, as Caesar.  This was undoubtedly done in response to the panic at Rome.   Although his own succession had been planned by Hadrian far in advance, Marcus himself wasn’t appointed Caesar by Antoninus until he was eighteen.  It was clearly assumed that both Marcus and Lucius might die suddenly and that it was better to have a successor in place than leave Rome in chaos.  The death rate among children due to the plague would have been particularly high.  That may be one reason who two boys were appointed Caesar but it’s also likely that Marcus planned for the brothers to rule jointly one day, as he and Lucius had done.

People often comment online that the Roman emperors typically adopted their successors and Marcus should have done likewise.  The precedent for this was set when Julius Caesar adopted Octavian who went on to become Augustus, the first Roman emperor.  However, the Roman emperors who adopted heirs normally did so because they had no suitable natural heirs of their own.  For example, Hadrian adopted Antoninus and Antoninus adopted Marcus because they had no sons available to succeed them.  The Roman people actually believed very strongly in natural succession, just like most barbarian peoples did.  An emperor who had a natural heir, like Marcus, and chose to bypass him to adopt an heir, would risk creating a rival dynasty and dividing the empire.  As rivals to the throne were often murdered, adopting a successor would also mean placing his own son’s life in very serious jeopardy.  (On the other hand, as we’ll see, Marcus possibly did consider adopting an interim successor, Pompeianus, who would perhaps have become emperor if Marcus died while Commodus was still a boy, subsequently appointing Commodus his co-emperor, to rule jointly, when he reached a suitable age.)

The fact that Marcus’ two sons were appointed Caesar did perhaps create a slight anomaly because the most likely scenario would be that Lucius would have outlived Marcus, as we’ve seen.  There would be two Caesars but only one position open, in that case, for a co-emperor.  So presumably it was envisaged that Commodus would serve as junior co-emperor to Lucius Verus and later, after the death of Lucius, Marcus Annius Verus would join his brother and rule alongside him.  Also, Lucius was childless but if he’d had a son surely it would have created another conflict over succession.  (Rome would have potentially been ruled by an emperor who had a natural heir but had already appointed two sons of his deceased brother as his heirs.)  In any case, I would suggest that the Senate urged Marcus and Lucius to appoint these children Caesars before leaving for war because they felt it was necessary for the stability of the empire.

Death of Lucius and Marcus Annius Verus

Shortly after these wars began on the northern front, two deaths shook the empire and upset these plans.  The young Caesar Marcus Annius Verus died during an operation on a tumour.  Marcus lost about seven children altogether, including several sons.  He was getting old now and Commodus, still a child, was his only surviving son.  Shortly after this, the emperor Lucius Verus suddenly dropped dead, possibly another victim of the plague.  There were, as always, rumours that Marcus had him assassinated but most scholars dismiss this as typical court gossip.  Nevertheless, there was a faction on the Senate who opposed Marcus’ ongoing campaign in the north and they possibly propagated these and other rumours against him.

Around this time, Marcus also lost his main Stoic mentor, Junius Rusticus, who was back at Rome serving as urban prefect.  So he must have felt increasingly isolated.  I believe there are signs in The Meditations and in the histories that Marcus was greatly affected by the loss of his children and struggled to cope emotionally by leaning more heavily on his Stoic training.  (Did he perhaps begin writing The Meditations partly as a way of coping with the loss of his tutors and family members?)  I think the whole empire was worried that Commodus wouldn’t survive, during the plague when many children died.  And I think we can see hints that Marcus was affected by this climate and also concerned about the possible loss of his only surviving son, especially now that Lucius was gone.  All eyes were  suddenly on Commodus, though still a child.

The children of Roman nobles were usually raised by nurses who were slaves and possibly their mothers took some part in their care but often they had little contact with their fathers until they became older.  On the other hand, Marcus’ private letters to Fronto reveal him to be an incredibly affectionate man and a loving parent.  He describes his children as his little chicks in a nest.  (These displays of familial affection seem perhaps a little out of character for a Roman of this period.)  Nevertheless, for most of Commodus’ youth Marcus was extremely busy.   With no military experience whatsoever, after the death of Lucius Verus, Marcus was suddenly and unexpectedly left in command of the largest army ever massed on a northern frontier, numbering an estimated 140,000 men, including legions, auxiliary units, naval units on the Danube, etc.  Marcus was mostly stationed at the front line, in Pannonia (modern Austria), several weeks’ travel away from Rome.  It seems his family sometimes visited him but generally we have to assume he was just far to busy fighting a massive campaign and running the empire in a time of great turmoil, far away from Rome, to have had much time to participate in his son’s upbringing.  Nevertheless, we’re told Marcus took great care to provide the best possible tutors for his son, presumably men of good character and wisdom.

Pertinax and Pompeianus

Tiberius Claudius PompeianusThe plague and war took the lives of many men whose positions had to be filled, so it created the opportunity to promote new men.  Marcus caused some controversy by promoting individuals of humble stock, based on merit.  One of them, Pertinax, was the son of a freedman who rose to become one of Marcus’ two right-hand men during the Marcomannic Wars.  Later, he would succeed Commodus and,this son of a former slave would, albeit briefly, become emperor.  The other was Tiberius Claudius Pompeianus, a Syrian of humble origins who had distinguished himself during the Parthian War.  He was close friends with Pertinax and rose to become Marcus’ most senior general on the northern frontier.

Marcus betrothed Pompeianus to his daughter, Lucilla, the widow of Lucius Verus.  She was one of the most powerful women in Rome, being titled Augusta, empress, from her marriage to Lucius, and also a daughter of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius.  By marrying her, Pompeianus was brought into Marcus’ dynasty.  It was rumoured that Marcus asked Pompeianus to become Caesar, presumably as an interim ruler while Commodus matured and gained experience.  However, for some mysterious reason he refused.  Indeed, it’s said Pompeianus was invited to become emperor three times altogether and refused each time.  (Marcus invited him to become Caesar, Pertinax asked him to accede to the throne after Commodus was assassinated and Julianus who succeeded Pertinax asked him to become joint emperor with him.)

Pompeianus was probably almost as powerful as Avidius Cassius, another Syrian general.  However, Cassius was of extremely noble birth and “born to rule” so I would suspect he possibly resented the fact that his rival was a countryman from the lower ranks of society.  We can’t know for sure but I wonder whether Pompeianus refused the invitation to become Marcus’ successor because he was concerned it would incite Cassius to declare civil war.  We’re told Pompeianus later lost his eyesight, which was a common consequence of the plague, due to the pustules spreading onto the eyes.  It may be that in later life he felt he wasn’t physically up to the task of ruling and it’s a sign of the esteem in which he was held, perhaps, that he was twice invited to rule despite being almost blind.  The Aurelian Column which depicts Marcus’ campaign on the northern frontier shows him with Pompeianus by his side.  Incidentally, Russell Crowe’s character the general named Maximus in Gladiator appears to be loosely based on Pompeianus.

The Civil War of Avidius Cassius

Then something else happened that sheds considerable light on the status of Commodus.  Marcus was notoriously sickly.  During the winter of 174/175 AD he seems to have become extremely ill and rumours of his death spread across the empire like wildfire.  This led to Avidius Cassius being acclaimed emperor by the Egyptian legion, far away in the east.  Marcus survived, however, and this led to a civil war.  Cassius was a notoriously strict and brutal military commander.  He’d climbed rapidly to power following the Parthian War and after quelling a huge uprising in Egypt, he was now effectively governor-general over the whole of the eastern empire.   It’s said that after the death of Lucius Verus, six years earlier, he began plotting against Marcus.  By this point he was probably the second most powerful man in the empire next to Marcus himself.  The prefect of Egypt gave him his support as did most of the eastern provinces, and a number of senators.

So we can probably assume that for many years, Marcus was aware that Cassius presented a potential threat and he was cautious about a situation like this arising.  Although Commodus turned out to be a bad emperor, his character at this point was probably unknown to Marcus.  However, Cassius was known to be a brutal man and Marcus and the Senate perhaps feared the possibility that he would claim the throne and become a tyrannical ruler.  Although we often have ambiguous historical information about the motives of these individuals, we can once again see very clearly what actions Marcus took in response to this crisis.

He immediately had Commodus brought from Rome to the military camp in Pannonia.  Commodus happened to be fifteen years old now so Marcus had him take the toga virilis, signifying that he had become an adult Roman citizen.  It seems clear that Marcus wanted to protect Commodus from danger, to build support for him among the northern legions, and to put him in a position to assume power so that there was less uncertainty over the succession.  From this point on, Commodus remained in his father’s company.  So we could argue that Marcus now had time to mentor his son and study his character.  However, it’s far too late now for Marcus to change course.  He couldn’t strip Commodus of the title Caesar, granted to him ten years earlier.  If he wanted to stop Commodus becoming his successor his only real option would be to have him assassinated, which would be against his Stoic Ethics.  Even if he’d stripped Commodus of the title Caesar, he would have created a situation where he remained in the wings as a potential rival to any successor, around whom opposing factions could rally, splitting the empire in another civil war.

Marcus and Commodus as Co-Emperors

Commodus as HerculesMarcus successfully put down the civil war and Cassius was beheaded by his own officers.  As noted above, Commodus was then rapidly promoted to the rank of co-emperor.  Some of the histories suggest that Marcus now began to realize that Commodus was going to be a bad emperor.  However, we’re also told that he wasn’t so much a bad person as a weak or gullible one.  He was easily swayed by hangers-on.

This man [Commodus] was not naturally wicked, but, on the contrary, as guileless as any man that ever lived. His great simplicity, however, together with his cowardice, made him the slave of his companions, and it was through them that he at first, out of ignorance, missed the better life and then was led on into lustful and cruel habits, which soon became second nature.  And this, I think, Marcus clearly perceived beforehand. Commodus was nineteen years old when his father died, leaving him many guardians, among whom were numbered the best men of the senate. But their suggestions and counsels Commodus rejected, and after making a truce with the barbarians he rushed to Rome; for he hated all exertion and craved the comfortable life of the city. (Cassius Dio)

In particular, Marcus asked his son-in-law and most trusted general, Pompeianus, to take responsibility for Commodus after his death and keep him out of trouble.  After Marcus died, with Commodus now as sole emperor, it’s said that he immediately sought to abandon the northern campaign by paying huge bribes to the barbarian kings, so that he could return to Rome.  We’re told Pompeianus was the only one brave enough to confront the new emperor and challenge his behaviour, arguing that he must remain with the army and finish the campaign.

So there was allegedly a sort of tug-of-war between Pompeianus and Commodus’ friends.  After a few weeks, his friends won and Commodus abandoned the legions to return to Rome.  There wasn’t much that Pompeianus could do to stop him.  In one fell swoop, he’d lost all credibility with the army.  An emperor normally requires the support of the legions or the Senate or the people of Rome.  I think Commodus was now forced to become a populist in order to secure his position.  Without the support of the legions or the Senate he turned himself into a sort of celebrity, fighting in the arena, throwing extravagant spectacles for the people and building a mythology around himself.  He even had statues erected portraying himself as the Greek hero (and deity) Hercules, bearing his distinctive club and lion-skin headdress.

Was Marcus to Blame?

I’ll let others decide to what extent Marcus was to “blame” for Commodus.  To me it seems that Marcus and the Senate were struggling to prevent civil war from dividing the empire because they knew that in its weakened state Rome would potentially be overrun by barbarian invaders if rival factions started fighting over the throne.  I think they also planned for joint rule as a safety measure against a bad or tyrannical emperor taking control of Rome but the Marcomannic Wars and the Antonine Plague created turmoil that interfered with these plans.  I also think Marcus tried to surround Commodus with advisors and to put him in the care of Pompeianus as a safety measure but that was negated when Commodus simply fled from the front leaving Pompeianus and others behind, and surrounding himself with individuals at Rome who further corrupted him.  I think he found himself in a situation where he felt it was necessary to become a celebrity rather than a genuine ruler, something Marcus would have warned him against, and that inevitably led him further and further astray.

The Stoics would say that we can’t hold parents responsible for their children.  Even Socrates had wayward sons and students.  You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.  One of the very early philosophers admired by the Stoics was Stilpo, of the Megarian School, a teacher of Zeno of Citium.  He had a notoriously dissolute daughter, apparently.  People used to hold that against him but Stilpo replied, I think with some justification, “Her behaviour can no more brings dishonour upon me than mine can bring honour upon her.”  I think it’s worth contemplating how that saying might relate to Marcus and Commodus.

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4 thoughts on “Why did Marcus Aurelius allow Commodus to succeed him?”

  1. An excellent response to the question regarding the contrast between Commodus and his father.

    A minor point; have you read the new (2017) book ‘The Fate of Rome’ by Kyle Harper. He discusses the Antonine Plague at length and assembles all of the evidence and sources in relation to its outbreak. Based upon the authors research and contemporary accounts it seems that the appearance of the plague predated the return of the legions from Parthia and indeed first made its appearance in Egypt in one of the Red Sea ports and then at Pelusium. From here it would have spread to Alexandria and, due to the grain trade between Egypt and Rome the plague spread quickly from that point. The author suggests that the plague may well have originated in India or in Africa but there is mention of it appearing in Arabia prior to the sack of Seleucia so it had already begun to spread into Roman areas around the Red Sea prior to the return of the legions from the Parthian wars.

    As for the scale and impact of the pandemic the author provides the following:

    “Most efforts to gauge the total mortality of the Antonine Plague have fallen somewhere between 10– 20 percent. The only epidemiological model of the pestilence, based on the assumption that the agent was smallpox, yielded an estimated mortality of 22– 24 percent for the empire as a whole. We might imagine the possibility of very high contact rates and death rates for the core parts of the empire and, simultaneously, very strong buffers in the considerable hinterland and periphery of the imperial territory. The army mortality rate of ~15– 20 percent might have been toward the high end of what was possible in the innermost heart of the empire, closely connected around the sea. Even if the lower end of that range could be transferred to Rome, it would imply that a minimum of 300,000 inhabitants of the capital contracted the disease, half of whom perished. It is easy to imagine how such devastation could account for the resounding horror that echoes in all of our sources. In the end, the zone of complete ignorance, especially the penetration of the disease in the countryside, looms too large for comfort. For what it is worth, a guess around 10 percent, if we truly intend the imperial population as a whole, seems prudent, maybe twice that in the areas most devastated by the pandemic. If the virus did carry off 7 to 8 of the empire’s 75 million souls, it was, in absolute terms, the worst disease event in human history up to that time.”

    In discussing Commodus and Marcus Aurelius you didn’t mention the suggestion contained within the Historia Augusta that Commodus may not actually have been Marcus’ son and was the result of a ‘liaison’ between Faustina and a gladiator. While this is likely scurrilous rumor and the usual result of palace intrigue and gossip, it is interesting to consider that the author of the Historia Augusta was perhaps seeking some way to explain the divergence between father and son by suggesting that Commodus was not Marcus’s son at all – the ultimate argument, if you like, to resolve the issue of how such a virtuous man could father a man of such opposites, that indeed, he had not fathered him at all. I think this is a significant and salient point in attempting to resolve the paradox with which the ancients were presented with – the resolved by effectively attempting to absolve Marcus completely by suggesting that Faustina had been unfaithful and as such he could bear no responsibility for Commodus at all. It is of course another case of ‘blame the woman’ and should be viewed in the light of Roman attitudes towards women. However it is fascinating that seemingly the desire to absolve Marcus was so strong that such an idea was entertained at all.

  2. Very interesting. Possibly the most accurate speculation of events available. Arguments certainly soun plausible Correct me if I’m wrong, the average Roman liked Comidus because he paid them. He had a alienated the Senate and the Military.

What do you think?

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Sunday, October 26, 2008

Donna Votes on CA Props 5, 6, 8 & 9

Propositions 5, 6, 8 & 9!

Proposition 5 is the "nonviolent drug offenses, sentencing, parole and rehabilitation initiative statute" or the Nonviolent Offender Act.

Prop 5 will stop treating drug addicts like criminals and start treating drugs as a health issue.

Prop 5 is supported by Drug Policy Organizations, California Nurses, Alcohol and Drug Education, Homeless Health care Organizations, the League of Women voters, Teachers, the Green Party, the Democratic Party, the NAACP, the National council of La Raza, Progressive Jewish Alliances, Labor, the ACLU, Jeanne Woodford, the former warden of San Quentin, and many others.

Proposition 5 is opposed by hypocrites and those who make a living off of the prison industrial complex like district attorneys, former California governors Pete Wilson and Gray Davis, and actor Martin Sheen.

Let's look at Martin Sheen who may be the biggest hypocrite of all.

Sheen says there must be tough penalties for drug addicts - for all except his own son Charlie, that is.

Most drug users are white but blacks are more frequently arrested or imprisoned. according to the Federal Household Survey, while "72 percent of all drug users are white, blacks constitute over 58 percent of those in state prisons for drug felonies".

Before the law, cases of affluent white offenders are either dismissed or resolved before they are held over for trial. Charlie Sheen, star of 2 1/2 men, son of Martin Sheen, is a repeat drug offender but Charlie Sheen has escaped the tough penalty of prison for his numerous drug arrests because his father, the famous actor Martin Sheen believes while there should be tough penalties for drug addicts, there should be no tough penalties for Charlie. So Martin mortgaged his home to put Charlie into rehab, and begs judges to send Charlie to rehab not jail.

Prop 5 is a good way to address drug addiction because rehab should be for all of us, not just for the Charlie Sheens.

Proposition 6 is the "police and law enforcement funding, criminal penalties and laws, initiative statute". Prop 6 is a racist initiative to put more black and brown youth in prison as adults. Prop 6 also known as the Runner Initiative weakens existing law so more children as young as 14 years old will be tried as adults and sent to state prison when they become 18 years old; targets recipients of public housing subsidies for annual criminal background checks; and denies the right of bail to undocumented immigrants.

Proposition 8 eliminates the right of same-sex couples to marry. It is an amendment to the California constitution. Prop 8 denies some of our citizens "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". Equal rights should be for all of us.

Proposition 9 is the "criminal justice system, victims' rights, parole, initiative constitutional amendment and statute". Prop 9 will expand the legal rights of victims while severely limiting prisoners' rights to due process, representation, and parole consideration. Prop 9 will extend the right to come before a parole board from "one to five years' to fifteen years. And according to the independent legislative analyst, Prop 9 could cost "hundreds of millions of dollars annually".

In 1982, a similar measure known as the "Victims Bill of Rights" became law.

I want to speak to you about Prop 9 from a personal perspective. I too am a victim of violence. My son who I love more than life itself was gunned down in front of my eyes in 1997. He was 31years of age BUT unlike the Nicholas family, I don't want the world to pay for the crime of my son's murderer. Stop Henry Nicholas and his family from punishing us for his sister's death. We did not kill his sister; she was murdered by her own boyfriend, not our loved ones who deserve to be paroled to come home and restart their lives.

Under current law, victims have the right to be notified if their offender is released, to receive advance notice of criminal proceedings, and to participate in parole hearings and sentencing. There's already a state-funded Victims of Crime Resource Center to educate victims about their rights and help them through the process.

My Picks for the November 2008 Election

For President - Ralph Nader

For Vice-President - Matt Gonzalez

For State Senator 25th District - Rod Wright, Democrat

For County Supervisor - 2nd District - Bernard Parks, Los Angeles City Councilman

Prop 4 - Waiting period and parental notification before termination of minor's pregnancy. NO

Prop 5 - Nonviolent Drug Offenses, Sentencing, Parole and Rehabilitation. YES

Prop 6 - Police and law enforcement funding, criminal penalties and laws. NO

Prop 8 - Eliminates right of same-sex couples to marry. NO

Prop 9 - Criminal Justice system, victims rights, parole initiative. NO

Thanks and don't forget to vote on November 4th.

Why Nader Wasn't Allowed in The Debates

Barack Obama and John McCain with the help of the Commission on Presidential Debates refused to let Ralph Nader into the presidential debates. Why?

Because -

The $700 Billion Bailout.

The Republican and the Democrat in the race went along with the bailout packages.

Ralph Nader is against the bailout. Nader says "Washington had Wall Street over the barrel. What Congress should have done is add to Bush's blank check comprehensive regulation to prevent this. Criminally prosecute the culprits on Wall Street. Give more power to the shareholders to control their company and restrain their bosses' excesses. Demand real taxpayer equity with good conditions and finally, make the culprits pay for it".

Tackling the Deficit

Obama and McCain never say where the money is going to come from. Hundreds of billions for the military budget (not including the attacks on Iraq and Afghanistan) eat up the budget for education, healthcare, jobs and homes.

Ralph Nader: What the media doesn't talk about is where the money is coming from - more deficits which apparently don't bother the two major candidates enough to have a corrective program. Are we going to sell bonds to the Chinese and to the Western Europeans, treasury bonds? Are we going to print money?

The deficit is going to staggeringly expand in the next year. So the best way to deal with it is to cut the bloated military budget, cut the corporate subsidies, put the money into public works repairing America, good jobs in every community, and make the speculators on Wall Street pay for their bailout. That's what the Nader-Gonzalez campaign is taking across the country. The two major candidates and their parties have been dialing for a lot of corporate dollars. And more Wall Street money has gone into Obama's campaign than McCain's by far.

We've got to change Washington into a body of government that respects the taxpayer, respects the worker, and doesn't just use the word "middle class". "Middle class" is what Obama always says without talking about the 100 million poor people in this country who are underpaid, overcharged, ripped off, marginalized, and excluded.

They do the dirty work for us, and they're never mentioned in the campaign. It's like the poor is a no-no. And yet poor Americans are shrinking the middle class because a lot of the middle class is going into poverty.

A Call for Justice

Ralph Nader: There's the lack of consumer standards, where we shouldn't provide a mortgage with no down payment or deferred interest. And, you know, most poor people ask themselves - why should I turn down a bargain, even though it may come to haunt us?

The key here is to protect consumers with a whole brace of regulation, to reinstate some of FDR's standards to control banks, investment banks, conflicts of interest, and the enormous ricochet effect against prudent institutions who did it right and prudent investors who did it right from the speculation and what Richard Fisher, the head of the Federal Reserve in Dallas, Texas, called "an orgy of excess and speculative behavior on Wall Street".

In late January 2009 when I'm elected president, I would recraft these bills for recovery by reinstalling comprehensive regulation. It was Clinton's deregulation, with the Republican support in 1999-2000, that opened this huge speculative excess - number one!

Number two - shareholders are stripped of any authority. It's a violation of capitalist principles for people who own their companies to have no control over their bosses. And their bosses go wild with self-enrichment schemes that the mainstream press has written about constantly. That's second!

And then third - this is very, very important - there's got to be justice. People are crying out against this gross unfairness where these bosses on Wall Street tank their own companies, unemploy hundreds of thousands of workers, and jump ship into a golden lifeboat.

And then their companies demand that socialism in Washington - think of the irony - has to bail out corporate capitalism in Wall Street.

The only place left for capitalism in this country is small business because they're free to go bankrupt. They don't get bailed out.

Plans for Afghanistan

The Republican and Democratic nominees opposing me in this race have come out with different plans. Obama and McCain are ready to get us into a massive quagmire. And if Pakistan is destabilized, it's going to make Iraq look like small potatoes, even with the million Iraqis and 4,200 American soldiers who have died in that conflagration.

What is my plan? More soldiers in Afghanistan and the Pakistan border will destabilize Pakistan. The National Intelligence Estimate of Mr. Bush just came out with a statement saying there's never been more violence and chaos in Afghanistan since 9/11.

So we have to look to wise peple, like Ashraf Ghani, who is the finance minister for Karzai, the president, and who is a professor here in this country, a native Afghani, who says you've got to connect with the tribal leaders and give them and their people jobs, public works, security, and that will be the buffer against the people who just want chaos. Let's put it this way. Nobody conquers Afghanistan. The British didn't do it. The Soviet Union didn't do it. We're not going to do it.

Nader's Middle East Proposals

Six months negotiated withdrawal with modest autonomy between Shites, Sunnites and Kurds, under an unified Iraq of all U.S. soldiers and corporate contractors, continued humanitarian aid, and U.N. sponsored elections will extricate the United States from Iraq. That will do it because that would knock the bottom out of the insurgency.

I know this area. My parents came from Lebanon at age 19. We know the language. We know the authority of the religious leaders and the tribal leaders. That authority is still intact.

Any diminution of violence in recent months in Iraq have been due to realignments between these authority figures. And that's what we have to support, not more preferring one sectarian group over another, wheeling and dealing $100 bills, and the intrigue, and the revenge killings.

There's no way to knock the bottom out of the insurgency , which will ebb and rise, according to circumstances, unless you eliminate the occupation of their country and give Iraq back to the Iraqis and their oil back.

And it would help if the U.S. government would support the peace movements in Israel and Palestine, which have worked out a two-state solution , which was somehow prohibited from appearing in Congress. They're off-limits to the two-party campaigns - Obama and McCain.

And it's disgracefully cowardly for these two people who are smart. I know them. They know what it takes to make peace between the Israelis and Palestine people.

A majority of Jewish-Americans, Arab-Americans want a two-state solution. So do the majority of the Israelis and the Palestinians. And, instead, both major candidates support the hard-liners.

You don't make peace by supporting the militaristic repression, occupation and colonization of Palestine.

To hear Nader, please go to

See Donna's comments on California Propositions 5, 6, 8 & 9 and local politicians in Donna's blog - Donna Votes on Props 5, 6, 8, & 9.


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Wednesday, December 31, 2008

My last blog post of the year! When my dad used to tell me, when I was little, that time moved faster the older you got, I didn't believe him. Unfortunately, it's true. I was thinking last night that this spring, it will have been two years since I graduated from UT, and that's just...crazy.

I don't want to get old. :(

66. Just After Sunset, Stephen King. 12-6.
67. Zodiac Unmasked: The Identity of America’s Most Elusive Serial Killer Revealed, Robert Graysmith. 12-7.
68. The Reality Dysfunction Part Two: Expansion, Peter F. Hamilton. 12-17.
69. Ad Infinitum: A Biography of Latin, Nicholas Oster. 12-17.
70. Wolf and Iron, Gordon R. Dickson. 12-29.

39. Run Fatboy Run (2007). 12-7.
40. Good Night, and Good Luck (2005). 12-9.
41. The King of Kong (2007). 12-20.
42. Horror of Dracula (1958). 12-20.
43. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). 12-27.
44. Mamma Mia! (2008). 12-30.

Obviously I did not meet my movies goal, but I found that this meme has been less about me trying to reach some arbitrary number, and more a way for me to keep track of things that are very important to me. I think in the coming year, I will do the third part of this meme, which is to keep track of episodes of scripted TV.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Hope everyone had a very merry Christmas. We ended up not going to see Benjamin Button that day (Laura was too tired), so it was a very lazy, sleepy day, wherein no one got dressed and flitted between the computers and TVs. I was very impressed that Laura and my parents, independently, got me the other two CSI computer games I didn't have. I also laughed when I opened a DVD my parents got me - Some Like It Hot - just before Sarah opened the DVD I got her - Some Like It Hot. Now we can fulfill our dream of watching Some Like It Hot at the same time, but on different TVs.

Friday we did our annual trip to Half Price Books and a Chinese buffet, which is always very welcome, but moreso this year after, like, three weeks of eating ham. Yesterday we saw Mr. Button, and I thought it was a wonderful movie. Normally a movie like that would be too long for me, but I expect it and am prepared for it from Fincher, and honestly, there wasn't much I could think of that could have been cut out.

Since I've been shut up in the house for pretty much the last week - aside from Friday, when it was inexplicably 60 degrees outside, it's been well below freezing, icy, and snowy - I've had a lot of time to try to occupy myself around the house. Therefore, icons!

1. 2. 3.

4. 5. 6.

7. 8. 9.

10. 11. 12.

13. 14. 15.

16. 17. 18.

19. 20. 21.

22. 23. 24.

25. 26.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

I like doing end-of-the-year memes, but not the one Catherine and Alyssa did, since it seems designed to expose me as a gigantic loser. So I thought, I'll go with a tried and true favorite: I'll post the first line of the first post of each month. I opened up my blog in a second tab, and started copying and pasting.

But it didn't work this year! Half the posts were my 100 movies, 50 books thing, which is stupid, and then the others were, like, "Hey guys." So I'll find something else!

We went to my aunt and uncle's last night, and as we walked through the door, it became clear that a great tragedy had occurred. My aunt? Had made ham, barbeque brisket, rolls, and hash brown casserole for dinner. WHICH IS WHAT WE HAVE EVERY CHRISTMAS EVE OURSELVES. My mom had already cooked our brisket earlier that day! No one said anything, but the whole meal, it was like, "Mmm, this is delicious. I'm really excited about eating the EXACT SAME THING in twenty-four hours."

Monday, December 22, 2008

It's the week of Christmas! Today we're not doing much of anything except try to not freeze to death. Tomorrow we're going to my aunt and uncle's for the Family Xmas Get-Together 2008, Now With More Freezing. Last year we had Christmas at our house, and I hate hosting (here, I loved it at my apartment), so it wasn't very enjoyable. We're going out there, so it'll be great. I always get excited when I eat dinner someplace else, because you get tired of your own food, you know?

We always have dinner on Christmas Eve, which leaves Christmas to be lazy. I'm still waiting on a present from Deep Discount to get here; hopefully, it'll make it, since it shipped on December 12. My mom's DVD, however, was totally out of stock and hasn't even come in yet, so she'll get it for her birthday at the end of January.

So, I don't really know what prompted it, other than that I feel like I don't watch that much TV and I wanted to start a new show, and was browsing my library's fairly sizable collection. I realized that I love science fiction, obvs, and that there really haven't been many SF TV shows nominated for Best Drama at the Emmys, and honestly, there's not much of an excuse. So I started Star Trek: The Next Generation. So far, I've watched the first six episodes, and let me tell's pretty much totally awesome. I kind of can't believe it's a syndicated show from the late 80s, because the SFX are actually better than most of what you see on, like, the SciFi Channel original movies now. It's also one of those shows where the casting was very, very serendipitous, and there's a lovely current of chemistry with everyone that sells even weaker scenes. I'm just very much enjoying it right now; it's aged very well, so it does feel like it's brand new to me, in a way.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Started some holiday baking today with Sarah, who stayed home today and yesterday from school because she's been sick for about three months and two doctor's visits. She's on, like, eight different medications, so hopefully she can finally kick this. We did sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and butter pecan turtle bars; basically, what we could make with the ingredients we already have in the pantry. We're missing some of the "specialty" things, like condensed milk and cherries, so maybe later this week. I think this is the latest we've ever done cookies for Christmas; usually we have everything done and in the freezer three weeks clear. Maybe my mom won't freak out this year when everything's not already eaten before Christmas Eve, like in years past.

BFCA nominations came out today. They're one of the better Oscar prognosticators, mostly because I think they try to guess the Oscars as much as possible, so they're more relevant. I continue to be amazed, perplexed, and ANGRY that Clint Eastwood keeps picking up best actor nominations/wins for Gran Torino. Look, I've seen the trailer, and there's no way, NO WAY, that Clint gives one of the five best leading male performances this year. The movie looks like two hours of "Get off my lawn!" IDGI. I am really happy to see Cate Blanchett picking up notice, because I didn't think there was any way she would pick anything up this year after double nominations last year. Either she is absolutely smashing in Benjamin Button - too much so to ignore - or she's going to become a perennial nominee like Meryl Streep.

Look at Brangelina being totally cute!

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

National Board of Review announces Thursday, the critics awards will follow in the weeks to come, and the Oscar season will be underfoot! I thought it might be interesting this year to put out my predictions before we have any precursors, just based on buzz and my gut instincts; it's much easier to predict right before the Academy nominations come out, because you have the critics, Globes, and guilds to look at, and barring a few surprises, the actual Oscar nominations aren't that difficult to guess. I think I'm more interested in seeing how much the race changes from what a lot of people are guessing right now, than I am in trying to actually guess the nominations for reals.

Best Picture
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Director
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Sam Mendes, Revolutionary Road
Gus Van Sant, Milk

Best Actor
Leonardo DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Best Actress
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Kristen Scott Thomas, I've Loved You So Long
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road

Best Supporting Actor
Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
James Franco, Milk
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road

Best Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Christina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Kate Winslet, The Reader

I won't do all the other categories, but I think the techs will be dominated by Benjamin Button and The Dark Knight, and that screenplay and editing will, as per usual, mirror the films in Best Picture and the acting categories. I think Australia is definitely dead in the water and might score a tech or two, maybe sound, cinematography. Slumdog Millionaire will be your uplifting indie film of the year, a la Little Miss Sunshine or Juno, but won't gain anywhere near as much traction since the stars are Indian actors who don't stand a chance in hell of getting nominated.

People on this list I think are the most shaky: Taraji P. Henson, Robert Downey Jr., Melissa Leo, and Leonardo DiCaprio. I don't have much doubt that Kate Winslet will get a double nomination; the only stumbling block is if voters don't buy her as supporting for The Reader, and she cancels herself out. I also wouldn't be surprised to see Anne Hathaway fall off; she had a lot of early buzz, but it's been kind of eaten up by Meryl Streep and Kate Winslet, and it may be the kind of performance that ends up being forgotten later on, especially since Rachel Getting Married might score a supporting nod, but isn't likely to make it in any other categories except Original Screenplay.

It'll be interesting in a few weeks to come back, and see which actors have locked in after at least one inevitably storms through the critics' choices, picking up at least half of all mentions (like Helen Mirren, Amy Ryan, et cetera in years past).

Monday, December 1, 2008

59. The Sandman: The Wake, Neil Gaiman. 11-9.
60. The Sandman: Endless Nights, Neil Gaiman. 11-11.
61. H.M.S. Surprise, Patrick O’Brian. 11-13.
62. The World of Rome: An Introduction to Roman Culture, Peter V. Jones and Keith C. Sidwell. 11-16.
63. Zodiac, Robert Graysmith. 11-19.
64. Anyone You Want Me To Be: A True Story of Sex and Death on the Internet, John Douglas and Stephen Singular. 11-23.
65. The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead, Max Brooks. 11-24.

33. The Crucible (1996). 11-2.
34. Changeling (2008). 11-4.
35. What’s Up, Doc? (1972). 11-7.
36. The Mist (2007). 11-9.
37. The Remains of the Day (1993). 11-23.
38. Howard’s End (1992). 11-28.


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Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Mouthing Off for MassMouth

Last night (September 8th) I co-hosted the second MouthOff for our wonderful organization MassMouth with Andrea Lovett.  Many marvelous tellings were shared, which Andrea and I video-taped using equipment lent to us by the masterfully savvy and multi-talented Norah Dooley.   Check them out here at the Massmouth site!

In addition, I told the following tale,
called "The Dubner Maggid",  as retold by Eric A. Kimmel
in his delightful book  "The Spotted Pony:
This book is one of those gems you
come across in the library while
 looking for something entirely different, which sends you off in a delicious  folkloric tailspin.
Here is my version, as told at Toscanini's in Central Square, after one of their sublime micro-sundaes (hazelnut ice cream and hot fudge, thank you very much).

While researching this story, I learned not only that the Dubner Maggid was a real historical person, but that the places mentioned by Kimmel - Tarnopol and Dubno, most notably - are real as well.  An important reminder that these stories are more than just entertainment (and excellent entertainment at that); they are part of Jewish oral tradition and history, and they need to be remembered and retold.

So often, as a storyteller, my stories teach me.  They teach me to laugh and to cry and to think, but most especially to remember.

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Welcome to Dos Dogs

Creative's Best Friend

Mike Vance, the principal in Dos Dogs, brings almost 30 years of award winning experience in writing, producing, acting, comedy, music, radio and television to your projects, and that's just the boss. Large job or small, the team at Dos Dogs meets your creative needs with insight and professionalism. Dos Dogs makes your business better.


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Thursday, July 8, 2010

Andew Loomis Books

While painting with my instructor a couple of night's ago, she mentioned that good books to read are the Andrew Loomis' instructional books. In particular, she mentioned the one about the Eyes of a Painter. Since the books are out-of-print and hard to come by, people have started providing a download link for the PDF. Here are mine. Pass this link on for those who are interested in becoming artists:

To save the pdf to your computer, right click on the link and choose the option to: Save Link As...

Click to download "Figure Drawing for all it's worth"

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CSoftLab C-Organizer Professional 4.5

CSoftLab C-Organizer Professional 4.5 Manufacture: Other
Category: Business
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C-Organizer Lite is a beautiful and powerful personal information manager. Business ; Other; download CSoftLab C-Organizer Professional 4.5. The program can help you organize and plan your business and personal life. In short, this is a Calendar of Appointments, Tasks manager, Contacts manager and a Notebook combined into one powerful, easy-to-use application.

The program can be launched automatically upon Windows startup and minimized to the system tray (near the system clock). Program's icon displays current date.

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Home » , , , , , , » Watch and Download Bloomington (2010) Movie

Watch and Download Bloomington (2010) Movie

Film Name: Bloomington
Film Genres : Drama

Film Synopsis : Bloomington is a coming-of-age drama about a former child actress attending college in search of independence and who ends up becoming romantically involved with a female professor. Their relationship thrives until an opportunity to return to acting forces her to make life-altering decisions.

Source : VideoWeed
Source : Vidreel

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Utopia Armed Forces Kickstarter Successfully Funded!

Our Heavy Gear Blitz Utopia Armed Forces Plastic Miniatures Kickstarter launched on January 17th, 2018, concluded successfully at 7:02 pm EST Saturday, February 3rd, 2018.

We had a great Captain Reward Level at a pledge of $70 CAD (about $53.85 USD) that included a Utopia Patch and 6 squads (2x Strike, 2x Recce, and 2x Support) with a total of 36 plastic miniatures (Updated 1/31/18). Plus higher reward levels add the new MAR-DK drone (resin model) and the large Gilgamesh Command Tank (resin model); see below for artwork and details. You can checkout the Kickstarter page at the following link!

Two additional Kickstarters to make plastic miniatures for the Peace River and NuCoal core models will follow. Backers that support two or more of the individual Kickstarters will be able to have them shipped together for the basic fixed shipping cost.

Merry Christmas From The Staff at Dream Pod 9

Its the Holiday Season again and time for our Annual Xmas Gift. This year our Sculptor, Phil is showing some love for our Utopia fans with a Chibi N-Kidu Drone as this years Xmas gift. The Xmas 2017 Chibi N-Kidu will be automatically added into all DP9 Online Store Orders from now to the morning of January 3rd, 2018 that are over $100 USD before any shipping and taxes. Limit 1 free Chibi N-Kidu per customer.

Caprice: Daggers of Deception

Fight the power! The CEF and the corps are working hand-in-hand to sell us out. Me and my buddies know the real score, and we're fighting everyone who wants to take away our freedom.
-Unnamed Liberati foot soldier arrested after guerilla action on Caprice. Escaped captivity

The Forces of Utopia

[REPORT] Exploring Terra Nova/Badlands/Region 51230.23: Region classified as 'desert' with 48% lower radiation level than equivalent Utopia regions. Signs of life minor.
[ALERT] Radar detected unrecognized object approaching at 31 KPH. Object identified as possible human on quadruped organic life form. No match in current threat database. Observing.
-Log file from Utopian Drone found destroyed by Sandriders outside the Godswell Valley.

The Colonies

While the CEF's invasion of Terra Nova is a major event in the world of Heavy Gear, several other colony worlds have their parts to play.

Conquered by the CEF, the corporate and freedom fighter forces of Caprice are in a desperate shadow war to regain their independence. Some willingly work alongside the CEF conquerers, while others offer support to Terra Nova's Black Talons.

The forces of Caprice use Mounts: Light, insect-like foru and six legged walkers buitl to handle the harsh mountains and sheer cliffs of their homeworld. The Mounts climbing abilities are useful in the massive city of Gomorrah, where they can maneuver between buidligns in ways normal ground vehicles can only dream of.

Utopia's human civilization had descended into underground arcologies generations before as nuclear weapons were deployed in a planetary war. The CEF combined offers of ecosystem-restoring technology and military backing to allow the dominant faction to end the centureis-long stalemate. Utopians have found their alliance with the CEF to be advantageous, but some Utopian officers wonder if the CEF has alterior motives.

The Utopian military might has been based around highly autonomous Drones hardened to operate in the harsh wastelands while keeping fragile humans safely at home. With the CEF's support, they've increased production of the Armiger suits to allow more nuanced control and transported substantial Utopian military forces to take aprt in the War for Terra Nova. Human soldiers can provide cruciai decision-making eyes on the battlefield and directly command armies of armed drones. Soldiers not in the massive Armigers can also be found in smaller Golem-class power armor. The Utopians have also fielded massive armored vehicles in the past, but the CEF has not authorized the massive undertaking required to transport these behemoths off-world.

The few travelers lucky enough to see Eden from space might think it is a low-technology, agricultural world, but this is not true. While many of the world's inhabitants live peaceful,  lives working in agriculture, the cities of Eden are home to incredible technological wonders. One science experiment gone catastrophically wrong has perhaps doomed this world: a test of a new Gate Drive system that hoped to make travel between worlds faster has caused a gravitational anomaly that threatens to destroy Eden's ecosystem.

Many small noble fiefdoms of Eden field small forces of troops in Golem suits purchased at great expense from Utopia.

Other Colonies

The CEF is known to have sent missions to other human colonies, and some Black Talon missions were sent to these worlds as well before Terra Nova was forced to deal with the second CEF invasion.

Jotteheim is a harsh, cold planet. It's natives, descendants of long-ago colonists, are known to be unfriendly to outsiders. The CEF and Black Talons have both had very limited scucess here.

Botany Bay

This colony world was used as a dumping ground for countless prisoners a former Earth government was unwilling to execute. The prisoners survived, and the CEF has continued to use this world as a dumping ground for their unwanted, including disobedient or rebellious GRELs. Whispers of this colony being used as a proving ground for CEF super soldier projects or a recruitment station for feral colonists seeking a better life are unproven.

New Jerusalem

This world was purchased outright by the Church over a thousand years before, and has become home to the faithful. New Jerusalem has already repelled one CEF invasion fleet, and it is unknown what war machines and abilities they may have prepared to defend themselves.

Black Talon - Return to Cat's Eye

Aftershocks and political fallout from the Interpolar War and the destruction of Peace River have left Terra Nova reeling. With Earth identified as the culprit, Terra Nova's governments have resolved to never to be caught off guard again and the Black Talon program was formed for the purpose of being sent off planet to recon Earth’s former colony worlds. Their first mission is the gate world Caprice, with its orbital fleet yards that were the staging grounds for the first attack on Terra Nova. They have the training and equipment with which to observe and sabotage Earth's Colonial Expeditionary Force (CEF) wherever opportunities arise and gain new allies whenever possible.

But it was not enough. The CEF is hell-bent on recapturing control of the colonies and has the largest fighting force in human history. War is coming, a war beyond anything that we've seen before. The fate of Terra Nova is held by an elite few, and they shall determine the fate of mankind.

Black Talon, Return to Cat’s Eye includes full army lists for Earth's Colonial Expeditionary Force, Caprician Forces and Terra Nova's own Black Talons. Also included within this book:

  • Full backgrounds on all three armies presented in the book.
  • Options for Terra Novan Armies post TN1940.
  • Additional terrain and table effect rules for battlefields across the galaxy.
  • A continued timeline covering from where Locked & Loaded left off to the beginning of the Battle for Terra Nova.
  • An overview of the opening stages of the Battle for Terra Nova.
  • Newly re-organized Datacards for all variants to date, for easier play.
  • Rules and Guidelines for uneven Threat Value games and story-driven engagements.

This black and white book is a 124 page supplement for Heavy Gear Blitz! Locked & Loaded, and requires it for use. Also requires a few six-sided dice and Dream Pod 9 miniatures. For two or more players, ages 8 and up.

DP9-9034Black & White, Softcover
DP9-9034cFull Color, Softcover

Core Content

Article Updated
The Field Manual The Heavy Gear Blitz Field Manual is the updated core rules for Heavy Gear Blitz. 4 years 9 months
Heavy Gear Camo Patterns 5 years 3 months
Heavy Gear Blitz Master Series Paint Set Information about the new paint set. 5 years 8 months
Heavy Gear Paint Set 5 years 3 months


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A day in the glamorous life...

I thought it would be fun to pull back the veil a bit on what goes into one of my days at DP9. It's always a little different but there are some essentials to my job when I am at the workshop.

This week was a little special because the box with the first ten test pops had arrived. Read on for some potential spoilers. There won't be any pictures in this blog post because the workshop is a mess as I turn everything upside down to make space and get ready for packing the kickstarter rewards.

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Wednesday, March 24, 2004

"But you have heard of me...."

I have to admit, I got a big kick out of how Chris Burgwald over at Veritas characterized this-here stump in his blogroll.

Thanks to Mary for the heads-up.

Speaking of whom, make sure to visit the St. Blog's Parish Hall. It's starting to resemble the old-format (parchment-background) Catholic Convert Message Board at its very, very best.

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Saturday partying

Last Saturday we had a lot of partying to do!

In the afternoon we went to a pool party barbeque at my mother in laws house.  We had a great time hanging with family and friends and as it turned out it was a party for Marisa and my birthdays!  It was a belated one for me because I was too busy around my birthday time to have one and I thought this one was just for Marisa so it was a surprise for me.   We ate sausage and fixins and had cake and ice cream.  The kids swam for hours and had a great time.  It was a beautiful day.

After that party was over we headed up to Walburg for another party.  A big group of my girlfriends and I like to get our whole families together now and then.  We all met up at Walburg Beirgarten to hang out and listen to live music and drink beer and party.   There were 8 or 9 whole families that made it this time, it was a great turnout.   This place is a big outside bar and pavilion with stage and dance floor and big areas of picnic tables and stuff.   It was great seeing all my friends I dont see terribly often and we had fun hanging out.   It's so family friendly since all the kids can just run around outside and not bother anyone.  All the big kids had a great time playing with each other.

Loren apparently drank too much, as shortly after we got there she passed out on a picnic table.

Oh and dont worry it wasnt actually Miller Lite!   We were drinking Spaten and some kind of hefeweizen, so it's not like we were abusing her.

Ok honestly, she was pooped from swimming all day and fell asleep and we set her there.  Dont call CPS!

We had a lot of fun saturday at both parties!

Sunday Mike headed out for Boston and San Jose, talk about getting around.  Texas to Boston to California to Texas is quite the haul!!

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Sep. 11th, 2008 03:05 am (UTC)
HAHAHAHA that picture is hilarious! Party on, Loren. :)
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baby food.

How come it's so hard to get babies to eat food yet they'll gladly eat a napkin?

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Sep. 3rd, 2005 02:18 am (UTC)
I'm not sure. If you figure this out could you tell me!??? I have one who puts almost everything in his mouth, will eat dog bones (milkbone treats), but not human food!
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Dr. Amy Stark

Child Psychologist, Author & Speaker

Specializing in:
Teaching Families How to Live Divorced
and Self-Esteem for Girls

Food For Thought

Food For Thought

Transitions and the Family Pet

Whenever possible, its so helpful to send the family pet when a child goes back and forth between parents. Sometimes this is hard because of living arrangements, but the familiarity and comfort the dog provides helps a child make the change into the other parent’s home much easier.

* Disclaimer:
Dr. Stark's Web site is not intended to take the place of a court-ordered advice or the advice of another professional. Although you may use the input found here to your best advantage, we recommend that you do so in conjunction with the work that you are doing with your individual therapist. Remember: this Web site is not therapy; it's knowledge and support.

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Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Bedtime Election Notes

As of 12:27 AM EST, the news outlets have called the House for the Democrats, but the Senate is still up for grabs. I'm amazed at the late resurgence of Jim Web, who has about a 2000 vote lead with 99% of the precincts reporting. If George Allen loses, then what remained of his possibility of a run for the White House is done. All the better, he is an odd character, a son of privilege who doesn't come across as very talented and has an all-too-creepy love for the confederacy. To me, he was the next possible George W. Bush to come along. Without him, the other possibles, McCain, Romney, Frist, at least are articulate.

I'm also excited to see Jon Tester coming out with a solid lead, even though there are still a lot of votes to count. It's cliche now, but the future of the Democratic Party is in guys like him. The next Democratic presidential contender won't come from out there, but maybe in '12 or '16. I'm still hoping for Obama to run in '08. I also think Deval Patrick, the newly elected governor here in Massachusetts, has huge potential to become a national Democratic star. He'll need to prove himself in office first, but he certainly has the prerequisites and it's his for the taking.

CNN Results
NYTimes Results

Other thoughts:

The next two years will be a period of stalemate in terms of laws passed. But don't be surprised if Bush pushes some conservative base pleasing bills that make the Democratic congress reject them. Think a reverse of the Defense of Marriage Act, where Congress passed the law and Clinton felt compelled to sign. I bet Bush pushes, at least as talking points if not as bills, all the issues that will stir up the base, forcing the Democrats to come out against them, so that their statements get used in the next election cycle.

But, the big thing the Democrats will have is the subpoena power. Finally, we can hold some investigations into the utterly corrupt dealings of the Republican-led government. I'm not really sure what will come out, but I bet there are some nasty, embarrassing things coming out of the GOP under oath.

Some are saying that Rumsfeld will go, but I doubt it. Bush doesn't care about congress and he's not running for reelection. The Democrats should and will rake Rumsfeld over the coals, but I would put money on Bush standing by him. Bush doesn't value competence, he values loyalty. Plus, if he were removed, he'd have to go through a confirmation process that would rightly be pretty rough.

What will really be interesting is to see how Bush handles subpoenas. Given the administration's attitudes toward executive power, I wouldn't be surprised to see some legal battles over government power, likely in the form of the administration refusing to obey the subpoena. Likely this will be due to some national security justification.

Late Update:
I sure hope that there isn't another recount fiasco in Virginia like the 2000 election in Florida.

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Lindsay Lohan Is Marilyn Monroe Reincarnate

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Lindsay Lohan

But the events have taken today a torsion for the bizzarro with lannuncio of Lohans that is Marilyn Monroe reincarnates. The "I a near connection with Marilyn Monroe has tact all my life and the reason for this recently has been revealed to me" said today. The "Marilyn it has come to have place in a past night of dream from dirmi that they the its life had to continue for, making all the things that it has meant to make before that its life short." therefore was brutally cut;. Lossessione di s is beginning to worry its friends and the family, a member has revealed. The means commentators have noticed its obsession with all the Monroe things, from its shooting recent knot of the photo that copy one of Marilyns to its purchase of the previous center of ms the Monroes Hollywood.

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5 Tips to Spring Clean Your Relationship

Spring has always been one of my favorite seasons!  It represents hope, growth, possibilities and new beginnings.  Now that I live in South Florida, the seasons are much more subtle, but I’m always mindful of them.  Just as the seasons change, people, partners’ and relationships change. I specialize in working with couples who are experiencing


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Thursday, June 11, 2009

<3 The Onion

1 comment:

Ryan said...

Best line - "Anything can happen once you bring romance in. Think about how awful my last relationship was at the end, remember? The guy I'd call you crying about at 3 a.m. because he wouldn't answer my texts? The guy I met at the birthday party you threw me? I had insanely passionate sex with him for four months and now we don't even talk anymore. God, I would die if something like that happened to us."

Was the dude at the party and she didn't know him? I need answers!


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Monday , 19 February 2018
Home » Team Building » BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER

They met on Boston Common – two men with little in common. One a well-heeled, high-powered attorney, the other a street-schooled, often ignored homeless person.

Rob slept on a sidewalk. Peter had a swank condo in the Back Bay. But every morning they would cross paths here in the park and over the course of several months, actually became good friends, reports CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman.

How did that happen? Such contrasting men, living such disparate lives. You’d think after the weather and box scores they’d run out of things to talk about. And indeed, they did run out.

“So I gave Robert a copy of a book I really loved called ‘Water for Elephants’ and we would talk about that,” Peter said.

Discussing the book became their way of connecting, and a friendship was born.

“And then one day I asked him, ‘What’d you do with the book?’ and he said, ‘I gave it to a fellow over there,” Peter said.

“I knew there were a lot of people who read,” Rob said.

“So it occurred to us that there was an interest out here that could draw people together,” Peter said.

“You’d be surprised by how many people actually read,” Rob said.

About a year ago, Peter and Rob started the Homeless Book Club. The week CBS News visited, the group was dissecting a group of short stories by O’Henry. They meet every Tuesday in a church conference room. Peter buys the books. In the beginning he offered to bring in lunch too, but the members said, “No thanks.” They wanted this to be about more than just another free lunch.

“For me it’s a place to go and escape,” said Donald, a member.

“And to question things,” said Betsey, another member.

“Yeah, I feel more sophisticated,” said Jamie, a member, laughing.

Unlike the others, Jamie, who lives in a roaming house, says he never used to be a reader. His addictions were the priority.

“I picked up the first book and started reading it and I couldn’t put it down,” Jamie said.

Addicted still, only now, to literature.

“If I keep reading, and keeping my mind occupied, I’m less likely to hurt myself in life,” Jamie said.

Testimonials like that are now inspiring other people in other cities, even other countries, to start putting together their own homeless book clubs.

And as for the homeless man who started it all – Rob – turns out, the only reason he couldn’t get subsidized housing was because he had an unresolved moving violation on his record. Fortunately, he knows a good lawyer.

Peter was able to clear up that traffic ticket, which is why tonight Rob is no longer on the streets. He’s housed and working as a church custodian.

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The Company won their first DCUK show of the year in Leicester and are top of the European rankings as a result.

The first part of the European Music Games came to a close on Sunday July 16th as the DCUK show in Leicester saw performance levels continuing to grow and ranking changes taking place.

The Company took their first Premier Class win in DCUK this year with their 2017 production "Tomorrow".  They increased their points by 3.95 from their last outing in Woking on July 2nd.  As a result, The Company sit on the top of the European rankings going in to the summer break.

Kidsgrove Scouts also improved points-wise on the last contest and scored 76.90 with their performance of "Montages and Capulets".

Visiting corps Starriders from Germany finished in third place with 67.90, which leaves them 4th in the overall rankings before the German Open on September 2nd.

Scoring remained close in the middle of the group, with just 0.15 seperating Beeches and Cadence.

The scores in Junior Class also increased, with Concord AllStars taking first place, just 0.60 ahead of Thurrock Marching Brass.

The Soundsport series also continued in Leicester with Stafford Brigades being awarded a silver award, while The Company were awarded gold.

A full breakdown of the scores from Sunday can be found here. The full European rankings as they stand at the summer break can be found here


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Monday, February 28, 2011

The Bachelor: Week IX

We're getting so close to the end, boys and girls!
Next to the hometown dates, final three is probably my favorite episode of the season for one reason: Fantasy Suites. Everyone tries to be coy and pretend like they're not going to go, but in the end everyone accepts. Then ABC makes some fantastically cheesy innuendo of a volcano exploding or waves crashing or an animal crying out in the night. And this episode didn't disappoint! In this crazy world to change it's nice to have something steady you can rely on.

So here we are in South Africa. Once again I am ridiculously jealous. It's like the real life Lion King! Except instead of starting with The Circle of Life it started with Brad ruminating on his relationships with these women while he watches monkeys picking at each other.

Chantal's Fantasy Date
I can NOT believe they're going on safari. That would be so amazing! Brad was so funny and excited, like a little kid on Christmas. The best line of the date was when he mentioned how amazing it was "Exploring the South African bush." ...Insert obligatory joke about Chantal's bush. Insert obligatory joke about inserting things. All in all, Chantal and Brad's date was nice but I guess I don't really see the connection there. I see a friendship, like two good buddies hanging out and joking around, but I don't see any romance there. And I see Chantal trying so hard to make there be a romance that it's almost uncomfortable. While their treehouse is INCREDIBLE, the whole thing felt forced to me.

Emily's Fantasy Date
She looked SO cute! The girl's got great style. More than that, Brad looked so genuinely excited to see her. His surprise for her...I CAN'T EVEN! RIDING AN ELEPHANT! Emily's reaction was so adorable with all her little Southern Belle sayings: "Oh my goodness, oh my dear lord, oh my gracious, Oh mercy." One of the things I like about Emily is that she doesn't let Brad get away with any BS. I was very glad to see her put him on the spot by asking if he is actually ready not only for her, but an instant family. Even more impressive was Brad's answer and the look on his face when he said it. Later, when she really put herself out there and told him that she loves him, he looked so humbled and gracious. He told her he is falling for her as well, but I wonder if he just said that in the moment or if he really meant it. Only time will tell!

Ashley's Fantasy Date
Ashley's description of South Africa: "It's a very large land filled with very exotic animals." No shit. Brad said something I felt was very telling. He said he wants a relationship with Ashley, which means he doesn't feel like he really has one now. If Chantal and Brad's date felt forced, this one was just downright painful. It was obvious that she didn't like Brad asking her all those questions because she is not ready to answer them. It was exhausting hearing her dance in circles around the subjects at hand! The second Brad pointed out that in her vision of her life she never once mentioned Austin, or him, I think they both knew it was over.

I commend Brad for letting Ashley go the way he did. He tried to talk to her about the situation and how he was feeling, but she seemed to really be on the defensive and didn't want to hear it. She claimed to be shocked when he said he was sending her home, but if she was actually listening to what he said she would have understood. They did have a great connection at one point, but they just cannot communicate with each other and I was glad to see her go.

So now we're down to the final two! I won't be writing next week since it's the Women Tell All episode and I don't feel the need to rehash the same things I've already written about. I'll end this by pointing out something I feel is very telling. Chantal keeps telling us how hard she's fallen for Brad, how giddy she feels around him, how he makes her want to be a better person. All these things she says she's feeling for Brad, Brad has openly admitted he feels for Emily. Most telling of all was the fact that he said, "I want Emily for my wife." Never once has ever mentioned feeling like that about Chantal. I'll leave you to think about that and I'll see you in two weeks!

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« Vive la France - no, really! | Main | Don't do it, Donald! »

Wednesday, 05 April 2017

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I like it! A fine start to the day. Those virgins may have wandered over to Wales by the way.

Oh God, well in that case, they can stay there, never stop talking, the Welsh!

It were "gerbil worming" what done it. I wonder if they had a contemporary Al Gore in those days.

The Romans mostly sacrificed Vestal Virgins in time of war, like after the defeat at Cannae. Are things really THAT bad, yet?

AussieD, not those days there was not yet a Mount Olympus.

I assume that by "stubborn Jewry" Big Bill was referring to a "tight necklace" which gives its wearer a stiff neck?

No, Henry, as you know perfectly well, it refers to those stubborn Jews who consistently refuse to accept Christianity even when it's free on offer! Honestly, there's no pleasing some people!

I guess, David, it's why God called Jewelry the stiff-necked people. I guess you didn't get my pun either.

And here I labored mightily to please/entertain y'all. Tough audience!

Regrettably, you missed out what is currently the most topical, and depressing part of John of Gaunt's speech. Allow me to make up for that omission...

"Like to a tenement or pelting farm:
England, bound in with the triumphant sea
Whose rocky shore beats back the envious siege
Of watery Neptune, is now bound in with shame,
With inky blots and rotten parchment bonds:
That England, that was wont to conquer others,
Hath made a shameful conquest of itself.
Ah, would the scandal vanish with my life,
How happy then were my ensuing death!"

Richard, well, we certainly were a sort of "tenement or pelting farm" but happily, following the Brexit vote, we are now on the way back to independence. However, I sincerely hope we do not go in for any more of that "wont to conquer others" stuff, far too expensive and troublesome!

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