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DDickey

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Everything posted by DDickey

  1. DDickey

    The Art Of Offending

    It's not just "the average American" who often fails to grasp satire. Regardless of where you live, think of one person you know whom you would describe as being "of average intelligence." Then realize that 50% of everyone else is dumber than that. -- Nephele I completely disagree. Americans are a lot smarter than most people assume. People do get satire; the issue with the New Yorker cover was that it was designed to provoke and infuriate. Every issue regarding the magazine cover strikes me as ridiculous and overblown--it is, after all, a magazine cover; and a funny one at that--but to suggest that people 'don't get it' is too condescending, I think. Remember, Fox executives thought Borat was too sophisticated for average Americans, and so they only released it in 800 theaters. It went on to own the weekend, and make over 150 million dollars. The furor over the New Yorker cover is strictly political, nothing more, nothing less. To say that people aren't sophisticated enough is off-target, I think. After all, it's the liberals and the democrats who are pissed off over the cover, and they constantly ridicule the right and conservatives, whom they portray as Nascar-loving troglodytes. Now that the tables have been turned, and fingers are pointed back at them, their natural inclination is to blow up and to not take kindly to something of this nature
  2. DDickey

    America Votes 2008

    Obama didn't sell out. He's finally showing his true colors. Despite popular opinion, and the thread of his official narrator, he is an old-fashioned politician playing old-fashioned politics. He's running as the Anti-Bush, anti-Republican, and that is it. His official narrative sells the idea that he's different and unique, but he's not. Every thing he has done so far is by-the-book. This obsessive cult of personality surrounding him worries me. No one should be given serious consideration for the highest elected office in this country based soley on popularity. Who is the man? What does he believe? What does he stand for? Do you know? Does anyone know? Does he know? I have a question I ask Obama followers, and it's one that hasn't elicited a response: Can you say one positive thing and Barack Obama, as a politician, that in no way, shape, or form references George Bush or the Republicans? Ask someone that. They'll struggle to give you a response.
  3. DDickey

    New Book on Belisarius soon out!

    Thanks for the enquiry! I've asked the publishers about this, but am still awaiting a reply. When it comes, i'll let you know. In the meantime, I found this: Belisarius US?. Is that what you were looking for? Cheers! Cool. Thanks a lot. I'm definitely interested in it.
  4. DDickey

    Tacitus

    What program does one need to listen to this? Log onto the link given in Aesclepiades' third post on this thread. Then click on 'Listen Live'. Once the next window comes up, scroll down the list of programmes and click on 'In Our Time'. That should do it - If you have not already got it, you may need 'quicktime for windows' to run this. Thank you! But while I was at work, I found it on iTunes and downloaded it there.
  5. DDickey

    Tacitus

    What program does one need to listen to this?
  6. DDickey

    New Book on Belisarius soon out!

    Is this coming to America? I couldn't find it on Amazon's US page.
  7. DDickey

    Was Jesus Caesar?

    But it doesn
  8. DDickey

    Justinian

    I'm interested in reading about Justinian and I was wondering if anyone could help me in naming our primary sources on him. Thanks.
  9. DDickey

    Cicilian pirates = terrorism?

    Well, to an extent, I suppose, that's true. But Plutarch says many men saw piracy as a legitimate enterprise through which they could fulfill their ambitions. As for comparisons to modern groups, I would hesitate in drawing such lines between the present and the past.
  10. DDickey

    Nero

    My interest in Rome is largely in the Republican era, but I have long been interested in Nero. However, it seems to me that he is largely misrepresented. Granted, his reign was colorful and sometimes appalling, but what interests me is how well he seemed to govern the Empire for the most part. Equally interesting is his disdain for violent death--its seems the only time he killed was when he feared for himself in someway. It just seems to me that he was a much more complex person than is given credit.
  11. DDickey

    What's the last book you read?

    I'm finishing Nero by Michael Grant and The Roman Art of War Under the Republic by F.E. Adcock. When I finish those I plan on attacking Gaius Marius: A Political Biography by Richard J. Evans, a book I've long wanted to read; I just got my hands of it for fairly cheap and I'm eager to read it.
  12. DDickey

    Articles of Impeachment read today in US Congress

    Sorry to veer off course, here, but that is a myth.
  13. DDickey

    Free Books

    They're all gone.
  14. DDickey

    What's the last book you read?

    Have fun with that. His logic is ... interesting. I don't think it's a strong criticism of Dawkins.
  15. There are a couple books I'd like to buy, but I'm short on cash, so I was wondering if anyone's interested in buying Caesar Against Rome: The Great Roman Civil War by Ramon L. Jimenez. It retails for $86.95, but I'm willing to sell it for $50.00. It's never been read and the dust jacket only is slightly dinged up on the bottom. PM me if anyone is interested.
  16. DDickey

    Osprey Military History

    Is anyone familiar with the various books on the Roman Army produced by Osprey Publishing? I'm interested in a few, but they're costly. One book, running 48 pages, retails for 17.95. Are they worth it?
  17. DDickey

    What's the last book you read?

    I recently read The Coming of the Third Reich by Richard J. Evans. It was a truly fantastic and fascinating account, and I seriously need to find the time to read book two. And I just finished Julius Caesar by Philip Freemen, a book I felt was extremely unsatisfying.
  18. DDickey

    Backgrounds of Early Christianity

    Great book. I've read it twice now. It's a big monster of a book, and I keep it beside my computer for easy access. I do think it's a good introduction to the ancient world--from everything from Alexander the Great to Polytheism--but I've avoided deep considerations of the conclusions Ferguson drew. I'm actually surprised to see it reviewed here--it's one of those books I thought sufficiently obscure. Great pick! I'm eager to see what you review next.
  19. DDickey

    Lost writings

    That's a good one. I hadn't thought of it. Kudos.
  20. DDickey

    Was Jesus Caesar?

    All of the gaps were filled in largely with Old Testament prophecy. The four gospels, which were written between 30 and 60 years after Jesus' death, go out of their way to squeeze old Testament myths into Jesus' story. A good example is Jesus' birth in Bethelem. Mighty contrivances were made in order to present him as having been born there, contrivances that aren't factually accurate or make little sense--like the absurd notion in "Luke" that Augustus had ordered an empire-wide census, and, as part of that census, everyone in the empire had to return to the land of their ancestors in order to participate in the census; so, according to "Luke," Joseph and Mary returned to Bethelem, which was where Joseph's ancenstors were from, ancenstors from a thousand years previous.
  21. DDickey

    Roman Education

    Can anyone point me to a scholarly book or article about education during the Republic, especially during the period 170-140 BC? Thanks.
  22. DDickey

    Apparently we

    . I'm assuming this guy is a fundamentalist Christian trying to prove that the world is only 6,000 years old. Still, it's worth a watch because it's both infuriating and hilarious. It's particularly worth watching about 5 minutes in, when he talks about Julius Caesar. . Infuriating, I tell you.
  23. DDickey

    Online study of History

    Yeah, I've looked into myself and it's legitimate. I'm seriously considering doing it. My only concern is their history class is broad; I would like to focus on ancient history.
  24. I agree. Some of the most interesting early Christian theological ideas can be found in the so-called apocryphal literature
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