Gaius Octavius

In the Civil War, we did. Some even formed up their own units. Some could buy their way out of the draft for $300.00

Personally, I wouldn't give the neo-con job artist and hypocrite bill ohryeley the sweat off of my diseased feet. NPR has a bigger and so much more intelligent audience. Have no fear though, if obama is nominated, he will certainly lose to the Screamer, m'hat m'cane. I can just picture obama taking Dixie, Indiana, Idaho, Utah and such as Kansas.

I believe that the Fed's role is to oversee monetary policy, and not to plan the economy. I don't think that anyone 'plans' the U.S. economy in the sense of the USSR's Five Year plans. The Fed, amongst other things, has supervisory authority over national banks; regulates margin requirements; sets deposit and checking reserve requirements, and of course may create fiat money.

By asking that question, are you trying to imply that Kosmo is wrong? After the fall of the West, an Iron Curtain did not separate Europe. This is common knowledge. Western European libraries, particularly those of the Vatican and monasteries, did have the works of such as Plato, Aristotle, Euclid, and Michael Psellus. Let me try an example. I am sure that Croatian libraries have all of the German chemical texts. Yet, they did not advance chemistry the way the Germans did. That does not mean that the Croatians were not aware of these texts. To ask one to 'prove' the above would be pointless. (All, of course, in my opinion.)

For myself, I will go with Col. Dodge. I am sure that he adequately researched his subjects. (Did you know that he walked the battle fields he spoke of?) Because some subject is back engineered, that does not make it wrong. Were there exceptions? Not even water is always H(2)O.

I think that some of us are saying the same thing using different words. I'll try to explain myself from the very top. The political leaders set the overall political goal. The C-in-C, and his staff, set the strategy. The local commanders, and their staffs, the tactics. I think that the reason modern commentators try to equate ranks, is to compare the size, and perhaps the purpose of a unit. A modern regiment is approximately the size of a legion, thus a colonel. Aside from general, colonel, and captain, I don't believe that other officer ranks are compared. Was a decurio a sergeant or a lieutenant? Save for such as Caesar and Patton, (on occasion), generals do not lead from the front lines. Roman 'war councils' often included centurions; captains are not. Modern battles may last for months; ancient ones, usually, for a few hours. If a local unit is/was hard pressed, an adjacent unit, if it is/was able to, could try to ameliorate affairs on its own initiative. Field Marshall Vice-Count Montgomery.

"In the 21st century, most credit is created in what Pimco's Bill Gross has called the Shadow Banking System, consisting of securities dealers, hedge funds and all manner of exotica such as SIVs, structured investment vehicles, which reside off banks' balance sheets. Instead of bank deposits, the Shadow Banking System is funded by the money markets, notably the repurchase-agreement or repo market." From: http://online.barrons.com/article/SB120939...html?mod=djemBF The above site so that we're all working on the same page. Bill left out corporate stock and credit cards. There is about 45 trillion of corporate debt outstanding. About 9 trillion plus of marketable US debt. I don't know how or where the non-marketable debt in the trust funds is counted. Then there is the debt of the Government Sponsored Enterprises. And then there are state and municipal bonds. I wonder if God knows how much of these things are outstanding. All rates will depend on how much of this stuff is trading at one time. So long as the markets for these securities remain in reasonable balance, the Fed can exercise influence over their rates, particularly on the short end. I don't believe that the Fed is a central economic planner.

It's too bad that you two didn't permanently maim the three children of god in many more ways than one. They would have had some fond memories to bear with through life.

Assuming that this thread will be split off, and thus not being , in the ancient world weren't Roman women the most liberated of all?

I am so glad to hear that you will be voting for Paddy Ashdowns(?) Social Democrats. Bride will go awandering in mid-June.

Wanna bet a groat or a stoat that at the end of the year, you will find that, for some Arcane reason, you have signed up for some decades? at&t did that to me with my Bride's cell phone.

Some lucky people could pay a mere 25% for a mortgage. At year end, back in the 80's, the banks would arrange for a 25% last trade for Fed Funds and nail me for that rate on my collateral loan which was at the Prime Rate the rest of the year.

legionnaire! legionnaire! This ain't no French Foreign Legion!

NEWSNIGHT - TUESDAY 29 APRIL 22.30 BST - BBC TWO ============================================================ ------------------------------------------------------------ Missing ballots? ------------------------------------------------------------ Hello, Have you applied for a postal vote for this week's local elections and not received a ballot paper? If so, we'd like to hear from you. You can let us know on the Newsnight blog. Please let us know where you live and whether you've contacted your local council to chase up the ballot. Click below: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/

And he selfishly says: I'd like to get my hands on some 14%, 30 year Treasuries. Missed them back on Volkers watch.

Make sure that you aren't signing up for 10 years, and that the rate isn't for 6 months. Have no fear, they will get you in the end. (Pun intended.)

So, what do you think?

Was there ever an 11th century to a cohort, i.e., the 1st cohort? Help me out here. If there weren't a command structure, how could a legion march anywhere, let alone do battle? Who'd tell the rear guard and flankers where to go?

Notes from: "Hannibal" (The Roman Army), The Early Army of Rome 500-350BC; Theodore Ayrault Dodge. Earliest: Three Tribes each required to produce 1,000 foot and 100 horse. Foot divided into 10 centuries of 100 men. Horse divided into 10 decuries of 10 men. (After first mounted mob and second Dorian Phalanx.) King or leader had a personal guard of 300 mounted men called celeres. They were paid and kept constantly at the ready. Each 1,000 foot were commanded by a tribune (~colonel). Each century by a centurion (~captain). Servius Tullius: 168 centuries of foot divided into 4 legions of 4,200 foot (42 centuries); 2 legions of juniores, aged 17-45. 2 legions of seniores, aged 46-60. A cavalry arm 2,400 strong. There also were centuries of pioneers and musicians. Servian Classes: 1st - 20 jugera or more of farms or 100,00 As'. (1 As originally equaled 1lb of copper or alloy.) 2nd - 3/4 of 1st. 3rd - 1/2 of 1st. 4th - 1/4 of 1st. 5th - 1/8 of 1st 6th - Less than 5th and regarded as supernumeraries and made up of artificers and musicians. Their Arms: 1st - helmet, breastplate or coat of mail, grieves, shield, sword and long lance. 2nd - No grieves. 3rd - Neither grieves nor breastplate. 4th - No metal helmet, grieves or breastplate. 5th - Armed only with darts and bows. Desireable height was 5' to 5'3" (Roman measure?). Higher not considered strong; shorter preferred. Strongly built, big hands, intelligent. Youths of less than 17 (called tirones or recruits) were put through the extremes of training. Best men in front rank. Each levy district furnished equal parts of each century for uniformity. 8 to 12 ranks; 250 to 375 files, covering a front of less than 1/4 mile.

I really do hate to give up on a Brit, so I suggest that you 'Go to Naples!'.

I believe that the truth lies somewhere in between. The fact that Egyptians, Greeks, Jews, Romans, and mis-alleged Byzantines, provided the foundations for Moslem advances is too often disregarded. Persian, Indian and Chinese influences are also disregarded. Christian 'Byzantine' emigrants from Constantinople brought their books, learning, and art to Christian Europe during the 1400's. This was once held to be the kick start for the Renaissance. In the 1200's a school of medicine was established at the University of Bologna, where logic and mathematics were long taught. This is not to denigrate Arabic or Moslem advances and contributions to civilization. The fact that there are Arabic loan words in Spanish has all to do with the Moorish conquest. I believe that the theory that the West owes all to Arabs and Moslems came to bear during the mid-20th century when Europe needed Moslem labor.

Sorry, no help.

If you mean that you want to sell some of your work, this is the way you go about it. Put a price on it. Have one of your pals 'buy' it. Pay him back. Do it over and over. Keep raising your prices. Soon you will catch a turkey and get away with a real sale. Don't forget my share.

P.P., aren't there any other beings in your province who might allow you to experiment with the other thief? I'll ask a few of them in Rochester Hills and South Lyon - if my land line goes there anymore.

My, I am sure faulty understanding of matters military, goes this way: Any unit which may operate independently, has a commander, be he sergeant, colonel, optio, decurio, or tribune. Certainly an alae operated 'away from', or independently from a cohort or legion. Cohorts need not have been with the rest of their legion to engage in battle. Indeed, cohorts need not have been an integral part of any legion. There were independent cohorts. Batavians in England. The Italian allies were organized into cohorts and attached to legions. Insofar as the 'pyramid' is concerned, the various units were supposed to do as the overall commander bid. No one was supposed to run around doing as he pleased. A cohort could be detached from the main battle line to flank the enemy for an example. Unit strengths varied within the legion, the legions, and the times. Once there were maniples; then there were none. When one thinks of the American order of battle, it has changed from time to time. After WWII, the Atomic Division came into vogue. Once there were 3-5 squads to a platoon; 3-5 platoons to a company; 3-5 companies to a battalion, etc. Not all infantry, but logistics, intelligence, and headquarters, and not all of the same strength. A 1st or 2nd lieutenant commanded a platoon. A 1st Lt. or Capt., a company. A Major was/is generally a staff officer, but may command a battalion or a company. It goes this way all the way to the top. Since lieutenants and captains have a penchant for being whacked in battle, a corporal could, in theory, command a division. The Romans may have been more rigid. Gen Eisenhower (if my memory serves) was a Regular Army Major at the time he was commanding allied forces on D-Day. That distinction is for another day. So are regimental combat teams, brigades, reserves and corps. Faustus, where are you? Are you goldbricking again? (Insider joke.)