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docoflove1974

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Everything posted by docoflove1974

  1. I forgot to add information about this part...sorry! The -us/-i declension is direct from Proto-Indo-European--from the 'newly' created o-stems--and were entrenched before the Italic branch split from the Indo-European tree. While names of deities do tend to be old, particularly for 'primary' or 'core' gods, I don't know that it necessarily leads to your guess.
  2. That first Smith entry looks wonderful...I'll have to print that off and read it later. But who know that Wikipedia has a gem or few!? Thanks, MPC!
  3. I did some digging around...didn't get everything that I wanted, but some answers nonetheless. As for Venus: Calvert Watkins in his 1985 Dictionary of Indo-European Roots states that Venus is of the Proto-Indo-European root *wen 'to desire or strive'. Specifically, *wen-es is the etymon; I suspect that the -es either zero-graded in Latin or somehow became associated with genus as Nephele said (although for the record, analogy, which is what this latter option is, is never one that I'm fully comfortable with; it's often a 'default' option when philologists have no other recourse). What makes this more interesting is twofold: 1) the Germanic/Norse goddess Freya has the same root: *wen > o-grade *won > Old Norse vana > Vanadīs > Freya; 2) *wen-es-no > Latin venēnum 'love potion; poison'. Pretty cool! As for Juno: Watkins didn't bother to give an etymology here (drat), but Andrew Sihler's 1995 New Comparative Grammar of Greek and Latin gives us some clue. Most Proto-Indo-European n-stems were indeed neuter, which often either continued being neuter in Latin or, in some cases, became masculine. There were some non-neuter n-stems which became feminine in Latin; for the most part, they were (female) names. Iūnō was one, as was Bellōna. There are other members of this group which are not names; there was a "vigorously productive affix" (I love that phrase) -tiōn-, which was really a combination of the -ōn- stem and a feminine -ti- stem (e.g. ratiō 'reckoning', mentiō 'mention', natiō 'birth; race', actiō 'motion'--this is also a very abundant formation in Celtic. Also there is a "large but close class of verbal abstracts" in -iō: legiō 'legion' ('levy', from legō), regiō 'line, direction' (from regō). Don't know how much this clears things up, but I took a shot!
  4. Only ex-consuls were eligible to be elected dictator, so all dictators were already senators to start with. Also, the dictators I cited span well into the middle Republic, though thankfully the office had a bit of dust on it prior to Sulla. BTW, are you trying to say that Parson Weems LIED about the cherry tree incident?! Noooooooo...he didn't lie...just...um...creatively wrote? This topic is interesting in and of itself, let alone the other aspect that PP just brought up. Outside of the primary sources, any other recommended reading on this aspect of the Republic?
  5. PP, thank you much for the textual aspects...as you and MPC mention, perhaps this is the George Washington/cherry tree incident, where the historical figure also represents a cultural ideal. As usual, MPC, you fill in the missing link (for me, at least). I didn't realize that it wasn't uncommon for 'dictators' of the Republic (early Republic?) to stay in their position only for 6 months. But then what happens to them? You and PP mention immunity...do they get to partake in the senate?
  6. Wooohooo! Don Tomato is back! Omerta was a good solid read...great airplane book. Ironically, as an Italian-American...and as a 'yung'un' (aka my handle has the year in which I was born), I haven't ever seen the GF series. My grandmother always hated the idea--too 'Southern' for her (my family's from the North). My mother just doesn't care for the violence (I guess). But, 1 and 2 are in the queue for NetFlix, so it'll be soon remedied. I did thoroughly enjoy "GoodFellas," though, and some other characterization I think are ok. I don't have HBO, haven't watched "The Sorpranos," and don't care to...something about it doesn't feel right.
  7. LOL I forgot about that one...leave it to Morrisey to come up with a Caligula reference. I'm gonna ponder this one...because I know of more, but can't think of them right now.
  8. I know that this is written about (in Livy and others) but it still seems like a fairy-tale. Once LQCincinnatus returned 'for good' to his farm, was he awarded anything? Given money/land by the state? It's pretty much against human nature to give up power so completely.
  9. That PDF from Michael Covington is excellent...the table on the last page is particularly informative. And Wheelock's is always a great stand-by. Thanks, PNS!
  10. Nah, it's not just you. I got frustrated with radio here in the States--all stations are owned by like 3 companies, and they have the same playlists that they repeat every 1.5 hours. So a few years ago I got a satellite radio (XM), and have really enjoyed listening to the various channels, including some which are more Euro-centered. However, I've noticed that they've started to play the same pop crap that I was trying to avoid. So I'm mostly finding myself listening to the 'Alternative' channel (it's plays the 80s and 90s alternative music that I remember from high school and college) and the Euro-pop channel (it's ok, not great, but at least it's not all Britney).
  11. Oh Lordy...how did I keep him off my list?? I have a ton of mp3s of his work...duh! I love his version of how golf was invented...if you can find it, it's so damn funny, complete with appropriate accent, of course!
  12. And there's more where that came from! Let the festivities begin! Weekend-long festa!
  13. Personally, I'm more the Bill Engvall type myself (that dorkfish bit just kills me, and the one where he and his wife go hunting) There are times that Bill Engval makes me chortle big time. Ron White is a total blast, although his stuff is a bit repetitive. But constant belly laughs come from Larry.
  14. Hail Thethar! *salute* Oops. Hail Gaius! *salute* Come back soon, buddie...
  15. They don't show Eddie Izzard nearly enough on BBC America for me...and since I don't have access to HBO/Showtime, that's the only way that I get to see him in stand up/drag on TV! In no particular order (and I really can't pare down this list any more): Geroge Carlin Eddie Izzard Bill Cosby the Monty Python lads the Blue Collar lads (I'm probably most partial to Larry the Cable Guy) Dennis Leary and Robin Williams (yes, I know they're hacks, but they still get me rolling) Bill Hicks (RIP) Rodney Dangerfield (RIP) Bobby Slayton Lewis Black There were a few that I almost put on here, except for the fact that they started out hugely funny (Dave Attel, Ralphie May), but have dwindled and don't hold my interest as much. Hopefully they come back, though!
  16. Wouldn't we all! Wow...what wonderful aliases! I think that, given that I am a great consumer of all things chocolate, I must opt for Godiva Moorcastle. I won't be so bold as to put 'Lady' in front of that...that's not my style. But in your honor, oh Birthday Goddess, I open up my bodegas just for you, and shall have my servants pass out wine, ale, and nibblies for everyone!! Let's get this party started!
  17. Hehe and yet they're still so cute, and we can't help but love them. Bella's lately been acting positively canine in the morning...as in, if I'm not up by 6:15 (when my alarm first goes off during the week) she starts licking my face...then my arms...then whatever I put in her face to make her stop. I have no clue as to where she picked that one up; I swear she watches TV during the day when no one's home.
  18. Maty's Enemies of Rome has a good, solid chapter devoted to Alaric and the reasons for the Gothic migrations...I do recommend it.
  19. Wow...I smell a party coming on for the weekend birthday bash! Happy birthday, hun!
  20. Oof...mine will go batty for eucalyptus/menthol, loves chives and parsley, and likes mint and thyme. But she wants nothing to do with cilantro or oregano. Oh, and she'll gnaw on any plant in the house, which is why there's only catnip now.
  21. Hmmmmmm...so Bella's trying to snorty eucalyptus (and similar scents) to kill pain? Considering how klutzy she is (she comes by it naturally...and being the Queen of the Klutzes, I taught her well), and all the walls and furniture that she runs into, it might be!
  22. Sort of on catnip and valerian. It's evidently a genetic thing--some cats are predisposed to liking their scent and taste, and some couldn't be bothered. I purposely bought a catnip plant for Bella to snort (she really does...it's hilarious...unlike Clinton, Bella inhales!), because she gets really spazzy and I figured it would calm her down a bit. And it does...when she wigs out, I try to corral her into the bedroom, bring the plant close to her, and let her inhale. If she doesn't go and chomp on the leaves, I'll pick one and she'll go to town on it. But she doesn't care about dried catnip...only live. Then again, this is a cat who loves to chomp on any plant that's alive; when I would work in the garden of my parents' house, she would go after my chives!
  23. This cat is addicted to the smell of menthol/eucalyptus. I have no clue what it is about that smell...it's not like she climbed a bunch of eucalyptus trees when she was younger. But she also loves to smell everything...oh, and lick watermelon Isn't it proposed by someone (the Japanese?) that there is a 'savory' element on the tongue? It's unquantifiable, cannot be characterized, other than being the 'savory' taste?
  24. What is it about olives? Just...what is it about them? I used to hate them until very recently; the brine or cure in which they are placed often either tasted bad to me or really didn't sit well in my stomach. In general, most things that are pickled set my tummy into the duck-and-cover position, unless the balance is so light on the vinegar that it hardly has bite. Sourkraut is a total no-no, and most gardinera mixes (Italian pickled veggies, which are often part of an antipasto spread) never go past my lips. Essentially, only kosher dill pickles and 2 recipes in my possession for pickled beets were the only pickled items which didn't sour my gastromic organ. (Yet my absolute favorite 'dressing' for salad is rice wine or red wine vinegar, and plenty of it, or lemon juice and a hint of olive oil...who knew?) Well, things have changed. The Brilliant One (as my mother calls me, rolling her eyes at the same time) has figured out that if I take olives, wash off the brine or cure, that they are tollerable, and more often than not they're damned tasty. I started with oil-cured Provencal olives...and have now tried it with Kalamata and Nicoise olives. This is amazing! See, I grew up on olive oil (extra virgin, please), and love the taste of it. Hell, there is nothing better than a loaf of crusty bread straight out of the oven, dipped in olive oil/balsamico/cracked pepper...in fact, my heart breaks (hah) when all that's left is olive oil. The taste is devine. And I always knew that it was the brine/cure that was setting me off...just that I didn't put 2 and 2 together to get 10. Now? Oh, there's always chopped olives in my salad...and the funniest part came tonight. Often when I'm chopping stuff, Bella (my cat) gets curious and wants to smell what I'm doing. So, I figured I'd let her smell an olive that I just cracked open and pitted. She couldn't stop smelling it! She didn't want to lick it--thank God, as I'm pretty sure that olives are bad for cats--but it was such a different smell that she didn't know what to do. So, I repeat: what is it about olives!?
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