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Everything posted by Ursus
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Are you English? Blimey! Poppycock and Codswallop! No. I'm a Yank who counts a few Irish as his ancestors. But I'm completely bored by the tale of an invincible man who can hold off an army all by his lonesome self.
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Preface The civilization of ancient Greece is hard to define. It runs a stretch of time from the pre-history of some lost Minoan civilization to the incorporation of the Hellenistic East into the Roman Empire (with the Eastern Roman Empire surviving as a different but related entity until 1453). When most of people think of Ancient Greece, they think of the timeline from the end of the Greek Dark Ages to the rise of Alexander the Great
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http://www.npr.org/2011/09/09/140301823/amazon-agrees-to-collect-state-tax-in-california Cash strapped states going after Amazon for sales tax. Other states like Connecticut are pursuing this, even if Amazon doesn't have any physical presence in their state. I know one of the major draws to me for Amazon was the fact I didn't have to pay any sales tax on books. Once other states catch on and force Amazon to pay taxes, Amazon will be less attractive to consumers.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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I may get the book on Germanic goddesses. The Viking one looks intriguing, but price would be an issue.
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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).
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I have heard Abebooks.com is a good place to find used out-of-print books. Is Barnes and Nobles still around?
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That was interesting. I am not sure if I would call it pleasant, however.
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Could anyone else really use a beer right now?
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A long-studied archaeological site in a mountainous region between Europe and Asia was occupied by early humans as long as 1.85 million years ago, much earlier than the previous estimate of 1.7 million years ago, researchers report in Tuesday's edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Early human Homo erectus is known to have occupied the site at Dmanisi later. Discovering stone tools and materials from a much earlier date raises the possibility that Homo erectus evolved in Eurasia and might have migrated back to Africa, the researchers said
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The Germans most likely would have still invaded. So, a hybrid Germanic-Celtic culture.
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Roman Culture a Rip-Off of Greek Culture(and other Cultures Rome Conqu
Ursus replied to a topic in Romana Humanitas
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).
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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!
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What's the last thing you saw/heard/played etc. ?
Ursus replied to GhostOfClayton's topic in Colosseum
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? -
Polytheism versus Monotheism
Ursus replied to M. Porcius Cato's topic in Templum Romae - Temple of Rome
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. -
What's the last thing you saw/heard/played etc. ?
Ursus replied to GhostOfClayton's topic in Colosseum
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.
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Some great stuff here .... gods and historical figures. http://www.theplatelady.com/mythology.htm
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What's the last thing you saw/heard/played etc. ?
Ursus replied to GhostOfClayton's topic in Colosseum
I just watched Troll Hunter