Ursus

This is interesting. I knew that some Egyptian temples operated "Houses of Life" for the sick, but being connected to the temples I had always assumed it was more "magic" than pharmacy.

Ave! I missed these threads while you were gone. _Roman Architecture_ looks like an interesting read for a cheap price, as does _Ancient Rome on Five Denarii a Day_.

I'm not surprised the great Imperator enjoyed the book.

Co-workers, suck. I know. Especially the umedicated, super deranged bi-polar women, of which there seem to be no end these days. But get in good with your bosses; if they like you then what your co-workers think of you is irrelevant. I never liked the Cauldron. There are forums on MySpace, Livejournal and Yahoo you may wish to explore.

Ah .... that is understandable.

I've leave that title to one of the founding Three members. I am but their humble servant. As for Artifex Achitecturae, I have been busy lately and must have missed something. Where exactly are these architectural landmarks .... ?

To add to my previous statement, there are no signs of the Catholic Church's ultimate decline, certain infamous scandals notwithstanding. Outside of Western Europe, the birth rates and conversion rates are still significant. The only thing that might change is the weight of Catholicism might shift from Europe to the Third World - Latin America and certain parts of Africa. The mostly Catholic Latin immigrants (whether legal or otherwise) will also have a significant impact on the religious landscape of the United States.

These individualized titles are obviously meant as little more than gentle tokens of affection and respect for outstanding members. Nonetheless we try to use them as sparingly as possible....

You're not too late. I took the day off from work to celebrate. And now I believe I shall have another beer ...

In case anyone failed to notice, the Triumviri have conferred upon the doc the title of Magistra - master, or teacher - as is befitting her accomplishments.

But of course the most honored position would be keeper of the Holy Hand Grenade.

Um ... the sacerdos that sacrificed the chickens. Yeah, that's it.

Most of the American Southwest was annexed from Mexico by treaty. Some of the more militant Hispanic groups actually want to remerge it with Mexico. Not an expert on this field, but I think many Hispanics are actually a mix of Spanish and Natives. Anyway, "white" in America historically meant the fair skinned, light eyed whiteness of Anglo-Saxons. While Italians, Irish, Polish and many Jewish people are more or less "white" they were not accepted as such by the establishment.

Most comparisons between Rome and the USA focus on American government and its geopolitical policies. I'm not going to rehash that as there a plenty of threads on it. What interests me most is culture. Until recently the USA was presided over by a White, Anglo-Saxon English speaking Protestant majority. The language, culture laws and religions of the US are shaped largely by its status as a former British colony. Britain retained little of its Romanatis compared to the Continent after the Western Empire collapsed, internalizing the cultures of the Anglo-Saxon hordes, and thus this was passed on to America. The WASP mentality has taken a hit in recent decades, thanks to the deconstruction of the academic counter-culture, as well as large number of non-WASPS entering the country. Of the latter, the most significant are those from Central and South America, whom we call either Hispanics or Latinos. In contrast to WASP society, they speak a language descended from Latin. Most are Roman Catholic to some degree or another. They may and often do carry different cultural presumptions than Joe WASP. Estimates project that Latinos shall form the majority of the American southwest by 2050 at the latest. They will form a significant presence in the urban areas of the rest of the country. Clearly, every culture is potentially effected by a major demographic change. If a culture cannot assimilate an influx of "invaders" then it shall itself be assimilated. This particular demographic group is nearer and dearer to the Roman legacy than the current dwindling majority. Imagine a US that is officially bilingual with Spanish, where Catholicism is a much larger presence than now, and where Anglo-Saxon views on government and economy no longer predominate. In other words a US that is much more heavily influenced by the Roman legacy than it is now. I find this all intriguing. And honestly amusing. The hand of Rome reaches out from the grave to conquer yet again.

The consumerist in me is happy for you at finding such a good deal. The intellectual in me is rather disturbed that the interest for good classical books at a local college is so low that they can sell it for a song. What the hell do college kids read these days? The Vagina Monologues?

Left to their own devices, over the broad stretch of history, some religions eventually lose their luster to the masses, while new cults spring up and become popular (mainstream Protestantism is fading away in America, while Mormonism and Pentacostal cults are growing rapidly). Other religions don't really die so much as evolve into something almost completely new (modern Hinduism is a different animal than its Vedic ancestor - and Christianity itself is rather different than its Jewish roots). However, things are not always left to their own devices. A lot of Iron Age religions might be around today in some form if Christianity and Islam had not made a point to do away with them. Judaism might bear more resemblance to its ancient form if the Romans had not destroyed the temple. Etc.

What's up, doc?

Congrats!

Thank you. Let the beer drinking commence!

We shall miss you. May you be safe and happy in those months.

From what I've been told by people conversant with this era, that subplot was completely un historical. But, you know, that scene on the boat between the Duke and the Princess was ... uh .... well played.

Well, then ..... you're rich and need someone to write your English papers. I'm not rich and love writing. Seems like a match, no?

Yeah, just be careful what you sleep with up there, DF. If you get sloshed and go to bed with a very willing girl who is also a little tipsy, but she wakes up the next day and decides it's all a mistake - you are considered a rapist. That's what happens when liberals run the college administration.

An interesting look at an often overlooked topic!

She should have gone to my alma mater - Dickinson, or "Drinkinson" as it is sometimes known, where some of the admins and profs have a reputation for joining in on the drunken parties and sleeping with the students.