Ursus

http://www.npr.org/2011/10/10/135778962/dawn-tripp-on-david-malouf-s-novel-ransom

You could say that about most great men. Including some of the ones we discuss on this forum, such as Augustus. (BtW, you grew up in Pittsburgh? Cool. Ever been to Somerset County?) As far as Steve Jobs, I never owned an Apple product. Outside of the college computer lab back in the 90's, I never used one either.

I just read the recently released paperback version of the book, and I have to say it was great. The chapter on the later imperial army was pretty thin, but I guess given the dearth of information on the subject, it's not the author's fault. But everything else was top notch.

I guess she was too popular to kill off. I mean, it's not like a sword through her pregnant belly would actually kill her, right? T'was but a scratch.

I just read "The Tain," the national epic of Ireland. Wow, it's bad. If an intellectually precocious yet still emotionally immature adolescent had written a medieval tale of sword and sorcery, it would look a lot like this, I think.

In production:

I may get the book on Germanic goddesses. The Viking one looks intriguing, but price would be an issue.

Yeah, maybe that is partially why China's economy is the world's current success story, and why the Western world is bankrupt through reckless consumption. I have always felt the EU or at least the Eurozone should have been confined to Germany, France and the Benelux countries, at least initially. The expansion into fiscally irresponsible countries threatens the entire project. As long as Germany is willing to bail out southern Europe the charade will continue, but I suspect even the Germans will eventually get tired (after all, those within living memory of WWII are rapidly dying off, and post World War II guilt can't be used indefinitely to tame Germany into submission).

I have heard Abebooks.com is a good place to find used out-of-print books. Is Barnes and Nobles still around?

That was interesting. I am not sure if I would call it pleasant, however.

Could anyone else really use a beer right now?

The Germans most likely would have still invaded. So, a hybrid Germanic-Celtic culture.

The upper class Romans were schooled in Greek letters. They were often tutored by educated Greek slaves, and finished their schooling in Greek cities like Athens and Rhodes. Upper class Roman culture from the late Republic through the Empire does bear an influence of Hellenistic culture. A prime example is Virgil, whose Aeneid was a conscious imitation of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. That being said, Roman culture is not synonymous with Greek. Roman literature and philosophy may be influenced by the Greek, but it has its own tone (less abstract, more practical). Roman architecture may be based on Greek, but it has its own stories to tell (the use of arches, concrete). Even some of the religious cults that were imported from the Hellenistic east were to some degree Romanized (the Cults of Isis and Bacchus had to find a Roman niche, for instance). Then the majority of Romans, the Plebians, who were not educated in Greek ways, held to their native culture. Gladiator games and such would be their cultural experiences.

Though the "sweatshop" atmosphere does probably violate several labor laws, in the case of the Amazon warehouse, technically it isn't slavery because people ultimately have a choice whether or not they want to work there. I am displeased to find out Amazon treats its employees so. I'll have to think twice about ordering from there (which puts a damper on the recent Amazon contest among premium members).

Much the same in the US. Most of the poorest states are in the Old South. But seriously,. when I read that the northern 3rd of Italy accounts for 55% of the Italian economy, I suddenly understand calls for federalism, or outright secession. Hail Padania!

I re-watched Krull. AN 80's movie where Star Wars meets Lord of the Rings. But is it better than Lord of the Rings?

As much as I despise Constantine's religious policies, I point out things were becoming dark for Rome long before that. The weaknesses of the Empire were beginning to show themselves around the time of Commodus. And it weren't for Aurelian, the empire as we know it would have ceased to exist in the third century.

I rewatched The Blair Witch. I don't care what anyone says: I liked it. I thought it was original for its day, something different than the tired old formulas from Hollywood. Of course, the sequel sucked.

I just watched 6 hours of gore, sex and slow motion of special effects. Now, after my brain stops having an epileptic fit, I'll have to form an opinion and write a review.

I just watched Troll Hunter

In the last couple of years there have been a number of books on Constantine and the Nicean Council. I have read at least 1 bio of Constantine that took an even handed approach (he did have some political and military acumen, regardless of what I think of his religious policies). http://www.unrv.com/...ntine-great.php The main problem was that it was not, strictly speaking, academic.

They are a booming industry where I live, and I am for them. I am all for Green Energy. But like in your neck of the woods, some of the locals find them unsightly. Or perhaps demonic. There are also some environmentalists opposed to them. Yes, environmentalists. Why? Because a few dozen birds every year get too close to the blades and get chopped up.

Roman-Celtic Wife Swap There is a bunch of other stuff, but the boards don't let me post more than one media link in one post.

I would go to see the gladiatrixes.