caesar novus

Typing posture is hard on my back, so I'll try more practice here using dictation software. It can be painful bending to put on or off shoes and socks. My health insurance actually gave me plastic gadgets for the latter that work pretty well. The next step is shoes, and I just gave a try to Skechers Arcade Hands Free Slip-Ins. I was skeptical they would stay on, but they turned out great. There are little pillows to lock you in, which makes them extra comfy as well. The laces are elastic and stay tied. For bad episodes, the over the counter pills aren't great. They all have concerning side effects that limit use to 6 pills per day. For prescriptions I give a shout out for cheap and non-addictive baclofen for spasm relief only. Must carefully thread the needle around it's crazy potential side effects; insurance companies hate it. I never warmed to the weed options, and here is a light hearted video on the dark side of high THC consumption. Just think of effect on babies in the womb, or anyone with brain still forming til age 25:

Buckethead "Soothsayer"

I thought I would ramble in this old blog to get used to new dictation software. I ordered a dash cam (Losfom WD11 2K Body Camera) which is actually a police camera. These work great as affordable dash cams, and this one unexpectedly has a dash cam mode where it will turn itself on and off based on car power outlet, so no buttons ever have to be pushed. No recharging or managing full storage, police bodycams are all about simple human factors. The charging base keeps it still where dash meets windshield, and it gives voice reassurances about what mode it is in. I'm gonna try a tiny tie clip camera for the less critical rear. Anyway, I wanted to rig my phone to give notice when Amazon made the delivery. They do this now by dumping a dozen or so packages in our common lobby without ringing, or knocking; just the email notice. Furthermore, they deliver at weird hours like early Sunday or holiday mornings. I set up a loud chime notification for one email account that consolidates my time sensitive notices like deliveries. When it chimed right at delivery, I expected to meet a group in the lobby in a hurry to avoid package theft. But nobody was there; am I the only person to set up such an alert? P.S. the phone email app is sometimes tardy or fails to chime. Is it in irregular wi-fi contact while asleep at home? Seems instantaneous while charging.

I guess I would expand that to say that Herculaneum is an experience of interior embellishments vs Pompeii's grand public spaces. Herc-only visitors may want to add https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Poppaea a couple train stops away to see grand external architecture and mammoth paintings. The excavated part of Herc seems mostly a uniform residential maze from outside. The inside treasures seem gloomy maybe due to preserved roofs. Interior walls with narrow doors mean if three other folks are there, you are often waiting to get to next room. Villas in Pompeii can be vast enough for 50 people to mill inside architectural layout. Since my couple visits they maybe improved the Herc experience, with Pompeii perhaps backsliding. But I would hate to be like a rushed tourist I know who skipped the Louvre in favor of doing a minor museum in Paris "well". Just skip the herd mobbing over rated Lisa and target your priority items

Wow, this is a fascinating writeup and subject that will take me some time to absorb. Relevant to today's globalist debate too.

The gold standard for population density is the now demolished https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kowloon_Walled_City Once under a typhoon warning leaving the streets deserted, I thought it clever to walk there while others stayed inside audibly clicking their "go" gamepieces. The walk was surreal without the usual river of people, but as I approached sinister rainclouds started to spit and I turned around. Half way to my hotel, I felt less like a brave smartypants as the horizontal torrent of cold rain soaked me to the bone.

AI has reached 148 on the IQ scale, and is now making more accurate predictions than people in many domains. Imagine predictions going backwards in time to supplant missing info or de-bias Roman texts? Here is good podcast on it where I attempt to drop you at minute 16.5: In the meantime I wish they would hone predictive power on meteorology which often has persistent patterns of errors.

Thanks, I was aware of Navona with it's underground as well as others, but Wiki claims "most track-athletes competed at the purpose-designed Stadium of Domitian, though long-distance foot races were still held at the Circus" and "The Stadium was used almost entirely for athletic contests." My root concern is that the Roman's reputation maybe should be based on uplifting circus activities rather than depravity at the amphitheater. The latter went unused for decades at a time and had less seating capacity. Cir. Max. was in use about every other day for festivals or horse practice etc. On the other hand, both that and Dom. stad. apparently used their arcades as brothels off hours. And the Romans were awfully quick to downsize Circus Varianus.

In the occluded background of that picture is an apt ruins with 4 remaining stories, Insula dell’Ara Coeli. https://en.italy4.me/lazio/rome/insula-dell-ara-coeli.html 380 occupants! Above is an excellent concise descriptive article with nice pictures that I can't lift

See these, but I haven't found the video claim of max size. Some maps show C. V. as having a divider of similar length, but C. M. has a longer start/merge extension. The extension is only traveled once, then laps around the divider. Look at Circus Maxentius for well preserved structure. So far my clear memory of Maximus being secondary in seating or something isn't looking likely.

Every time I hear about Circus Maximus, I remember Darius Arya walking thru remains of a bigger one (in some measure) SE of Rome's central train station. Little remains and it was reduced in size long ago. It took me tremendous effort to even retrieve the name of it which is Circus Varianus, but I may post from time to time here about more findings. It is an area with some little museums like for infantry and musical instruments. The archeology has been tidied up with traces of an amphitheater, etc. Wiki sez:

In umpteen visits to Pompeii, I found it mostly deserted from about 3-8pm. In the spring they close relative to sunset which near the longest day of the year is really late. They used to store a carryon bag for free so you could work it in conveniently with train journey between Naples and Sorrento (onward to musts Capri/Positano/Paestum). There are other stops on that train to various ancient villas which may be included on Pompeii tix. I dislike the love of Herculeum; some folks are attracted only for what it is not, in terms of peak crowds, or they consider it inconvenient rather than a treat to navigate Pompeii's magnificent sprawl. Herc's wood preservation is unique and amazing, but it otherwise seems provincial and bland to me. I arrived dehydrated one day and thot I might die until I sneaked into the employee area for vending machine apricot juice. Pompeii has lots of food, drink, and seating available. P.S. Woops, I didn't know Herc was walking distance to Villa of the Papyri... is the site even open? I think not.

I partly agree, so researched the ai tool reputations. It sounds like perplexity.ai delves deepest with the fewest "hallucinations". Below is a quite persuasive summary by it's crippled free version. I was able to voice-speak to it and examine it's annotations:

Video says Iran switched from long record of pro to anti Judaism. I note that occurred when the domestic Persian royal family was toppled by outsider Arab family dictatorship a half century ago. Video also lambasts the Romans as hostile but like for the Christians, Romans granted some unique privileges as noted below by grok. Maybe the book explains such nuances better.

I thot we all assumed that caveat; it's like quoting wikipedia must be for the issues raised rather than it's biased answers. This forum is so empty of discussion that I just threw up ai blabber to fan embers of nearly dead fire. Also supposedly ai took a leap forward in the last week or two and it seemed interesting to check altho the new grok magic seems behind a paywall. Again I am pretty weak on Rome propaganda knowledge other than Trajan's column but I have had intriguing glimpses of not only German but North Korean propaganda approaches. N. Korean posters are wildly amusing, including what they say. Grok3 comparison follows from here: ------------------------------->>> Propaganda in ancient Rome and North Korea serves similar purposes—control, legitimacy, and loyalty—but differs in methods, scale, and context due to their respective eras and technologies. Below is a comparison across key dimensions: 1. Purpose and Goals Ancient Rome: Propaganda reinforced the authority of emperors, the Senate, or military leaders, often portraying them as divinely sanctioned or heroic. It aimed to unify a vast, diverse empire, legitimize power transitions (e.g., Augustus as "first citizen"), and promote Roman values like virtus (valor) and pietas (duty). Examples include Augustus’ Res Gestae, a self-aggrandizing record of his deeds, inscribed on temples. North Korea: Propaganda centers on glorifying the Kim dynasty, fostering a cult of personality, and maintaining total state control. It emphasizes the Kims as infallible, quasi-divine leaders, while promoting Juche (self-reliance) ideology to unify the population against external threats (e.g., the U.S.). It’s a tool for regime survival in a tightly controlled, isolated state. Similarity: Both use propaganda to deify leaders and suppress dissent. Difference: Rome’s propaganda often targeted elites and a diverse empire, while North Korea’s is pervasive, targeting all citizens in a totalitarian system. 2. Methods and Media Ancient Rome: Monuments and Architecture: Triumphal arches, statues, and temples (e.g., the Arch of Titus) celebrated victories and divine favor. Literature and Coinage: Poets like Virgil (Aeneid) linked Rome’s destiny to divine will. Coins bore emperors’ images and slogans, spreading messages across the empire. Public Spectacles: Gladiatorial games and triumphs showcased power and distracted the masses. Oratory and Inscriptions: Speeches and public inscriptions (e.g., on the Pantheon) reinforced imperial narratives. North Korea: Mass Media: State-controlled TV, radio, and newspapers (e.g., Rodong Sinmun) broadcast Kim family achievements and anti-imperialist rhetoric. Visual Propaganda: Posters, murals, and statues of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il dominate public spaces. The Arirang Mass Games combine spectacle with ideological messaging. Education and Indoctrination: Schools teach loyalty to the Kims from childhood, with mandatory study of Juche and fabricated histories (e.g., Kim Il-sung’s guerrilla exploits). Digital Control: Limited internet access and state-run platforms like Kwangmyong ensure narrative control. Similarity: Both leverage public displays (monuments, spectacles) to project power. Difference: Rome relied on physical and oral media due to technological limits; North Korea uses modern media for total narrative control, with no room for competing voices. 3. Themes and Messaging Ancient Rome: Divine Legitimacy: Emperors were portrayed as chosen by gods (e.g., Augustus as son of the divine Julius Caesar). Military Triumph: Propaganda glorified conquests (e.g., Trajan’s Column depicting Dacian Wars). Pax Romana: The empire was presented as a bringer of peace and civilization. Moral Superiority: Roman values were exalted over "barbarian" cultures. North Korea: Cult of Personality: The Kims are depicted as god-like saviors, with myths like Kim Jong-il’s birth on Mount Paektu accompanied by supernatural signs. Anti-Imperialism: The U.S. and its allies are demonized as existential threats. Self-Reliance: Juche emphasizes national independence, masking economic failures. Victimhood and Unity: Propaganda portrays North Korea as a besieged nation requiring absolute loyalty to survive. Similarity: Both emphasize leader worship and external threats to unify populations. Difference: Rome’s propaganda was less centralized, allowing some regional variation; North Korea’s is monolithic, with no tolerance for deviation. 4. Audience and Reach Ancient Rome: Propaganda targeted a stratified society—elites, soldiers, and the urban poor (plebs). Rural and frontier populations had less exposure due to limited literacy and communication. Messages were tailored to urban centers like Rome or provincial capitals. North Korea: Propaganda is universal, saturating every aspect of life. All citizens, from children to workers, are bombarded through schools, workplaces, and media. Dissent is impossible due to surveillance and punishment. Similarity: Both focus on urban centers and key groups (soldiers in Rome, workers in North Korea). Difference: North Korea’s propaganda is inescapable due to modern surveillance and media; Rome’s was less pervasive, limited by technology and literacy. 5. Effectiveness and Control Ancient Rome: Propaganda was effective in legitimizing rulers like Augustus, but its impact varied across the empire. Rebellions (e.g., Boudicca’s revolt) and competing narratives from rivals (e.g., during the Year of the Four Emperors) show limits to control. Literacy and communication barriers restricted its reach. North Korea: Propaganda is highly effective due to total control over information. Dissent is rare, as citizens face imprisonment or execution for questioning the regime. However, smuggled foreign media (e.g., South Korean dramas) occasionally undermines the narrative. Similarity: Both successfully shaped public perception to sustain power. Difference: North Korea’s total control creates a more airtight propaganda system than Rome’s, which allowed some pluralism. 6. Cultural and Historical Context Ancient Rome: Propaganda operated in a polytheistic, multi-ethnic empire with competing power centers (Senate, military, provinces). It was less about ideological purity and more about practical governance and loyalty to specific rulers. North Korea: Propaganda functions in a secular, totalitarian state with a single ideology (Juche). Isolation and modern surveillance allow unprecedented control, but economic hardship and external information leaks challenge its grip. Similarity: Both adapted propaganda to their cultural and political needs. Difference: Rome’s propaganda was pragmatic, supporting a sprawling empire; North Korea’s is existential, sustaining a fragile regime. Conclusion Ancient Rome and North Korea both used propaganda to deify leaders, unify populations, and justify rule, but their methods reflect their technological and political contexts. Rome’s propaganda was decentralized, relying on physical symbols and elite support, while North Korea’s is all-encompassing, leveraging modern media and surveillance for total control. North Korea’s system is more invasive and uniform, while Rome’s allowed some flexibility due to its diverse empire and limited technology. If you’d like a deeper dive into specific examples (e.g., analyzing a Roman coin or North Korean poster), let me know!

I ran a similar query past grok.com which is the other new generation ai release (from x vs google). It gave very similar results, with just the order flipped a bit! That seems to indicate they both found pre-existing summaries and stopped at a shallow depth rather than deeper primary stuff. I had heard that with this latest ai generation you had to refine/engineer the queries less, but apparently still do. Chatgpt seems to condescend as if talking to a 15 year old simpleton. Grok talks like to a 20 something peer. Just doing a conventional search brings up much for Mussolini following the Roman prop. Not much for Goebbels, maybe due to his counterintuitive proclivity. Oddly both characters were far left before becoming far right, maybe using similar practices: P.S. I found I can only access older grok3 rather than 4.

That was chatgpt offering followup. I wasn't too pleased with both followups I tried; maybe you can paste in the request with better luck. Actually I was trying to dig up info on how Goebbels' approach was different from Rome and maybe more effective. Goebbels had a PhD and was a wildly eccentric and cunning character once you scratch under the surface, but chatgpt5 stuck with familiar general narratives.

I had a chat(gpt5) with colleagues who compared and contrasted Rome with messages of a century ago; result: "Fascists — especially Mussolini, but also the Nazis to some extent — consciously borrowed from ancient Roman propaganda, both in style and symbolism, but updated it for the 20th century’s mass media. Here are the main techniques they took: 1. Leader Cult & Godlike Imagery Roman origin: Emperors were shown as semi-divine figures blessed by the gods (Augustus with the laurel wreath, divine parentage claims, halo-like radiance in art). Portraits, statues, and inscriptions elevated them above ordinary citizens. Fascist adaptation: Mussolini styled himself as the Duce, often photographed from low angles to appear towering, like Roman statues. Nazi Germany used similar heroic imagery for Hitler — calm, visionary poses recalling imperial busts. Both adopted the idea that the leader was the embodiment of the state (l’État, c’est moi updated for the 20th century). 2. Monumental Architecture & Public Spectacle Roman origin: Triumphal arches, victory columns, grand forums, massive amphitheaters — physical proof of power and permanence. Triumph processions celebrating military victories. Fascist adaptation: Fascist Italy revived Roman-style architecture: the EUR district in Rome, the Via dell’Impero lined with imperial statues. Nazi Germany planned (and partially built) enormous classical-style structures (Speer’s plans for Berlin as Germania). Military parades and stadium rallies echoed Roman triumphs, with controlled choreography to create awe. 3. Symbols & Slogans Roman origin: The fasces (bundle of rods with an axe) as a symbol of magisterial authority and unity through discipline. SPQR (Senatus Populusque Romanus) branding on monuments, coins, and banners. Fascist adaptation: Mussolini directly adopted the fasces as the emblem of Fascism. Stylized eagles and laurel wreaths appeared in both Italian and Nazi iconography. Uniforms and standards (flags with emblems) deliberately echoed Roman military insignia. 4. Myth-Making & Historical Destiny Roman origin: Rome presented itself as the eternal city destined to rule, with a civilizing mission (imperium sine fine — empire without end). Myths (Romulus & Remus, Aeneas) reinforced divine destiny. Fascist adaptation: Mussolini claimed a “Second Roman Empire,” casting Italy’s expansion in North Africa and the Balkans as a continuation of Roman greatness. Nazi ideology similarly framed the Reich as heir to past “glorious empires” (Rome and the Holy Roman Empire), though filtered through Germanic myth. 5. Visual Control of the Enemy Roman origin: Depicting enemies as barbaric, chaotic, and effeminate in art, contrasting them with Rome’s order and virtue. Monument reliefs (like Trajan’s Column) showing disciplined legions vs. disorganized foes. Fascist adaptation: Nazi films, posters, and newsreels used similar “us vs. chaos” contrasts — disciplined German soldiers against degenerate or chaotic enemies. Fascist Italy used posters showing colonial troops as “savages” in need of Roman-style civilization. 6. Integration of Propaganda into Daily Life Roman origin: Coins carried the emperor’s face into every transaction. Inscriptions on aqueducts, baths, and roads reminded citizens who provided these public works. Fascist adaptation: Stamps, currency, schoolbooks, and civic buildings bore the leader’s face or motto. Everyday objects (radios in Germany, posters in Italy) were constant carriers of the regime’s message — like “modern coins.” If you want, I can break down exactly how Mussolini consciously modeled his speeches and rallies on Julius Caesar and Augustus — the parallels are almost one-to-one in some cases."

Pardon me if this Aeneas inscription decoder tool has already been posted, but: https://deepmind.google/discover/blog/aeneas-transforms-how-historians-connect-the-past/

Even the men could be embellished up top. Mark Antony:

Very impressive, and especially without the omnipresent hallmarks of AI generation. It's probably worthy of posting in "Romana Humanitas" or similar section. Beforehand I had wondered what the purpose was of the Alter of Peace. One thing that works as favorable Roman propaganda to me maybe wasn't intentional. I love the prideful memorial sculptures commissioned by freedman (status identifiable from their names) along roads leaving cities or towns. It tells me about their opportunity to thrive in a tough-love system. It reminds me of the the US treasury making plans to change the portraits on future US money about a decade earlier. They announced eliminating "stuffy" founding fathers of high ideals and replace them with new-age victimology figures. There was backlash even from the left in the case of Alexander Hamilton who surprisingly had just become wildly popular in a Broadway play as rising above oppression like Roman slaves. So I guess he will stay on $ symbolizing both right and left ideals, but anyone still using paper money in years forward may also be seeing paraplegic eskimo portraits or whatever.

How can I resist posting this obscure but great find: "The Right To Love You" by The Mighty Hannibal

'Super cool Jazz score by Michel Magne in the vein of Dave Brubeck’s Take Five ... Taken from the 1960’s Action/Comedy film “Le Monocle Rit Jaune” ' AMUSING TRAILER

3 men given up to 11 years in prison for 9 minute theft of biggest trove of Celtic gold found in the 20th century; coins apparently melted down, implicated in 20 other robberies: https://www.newsmax.com/world/globaltalk/germany-manching-museum-celtic-gold/2025/07/29/id/1220477/ P.S. I speculate this priceless destruction may be due to coins staying in little (12k pop) town where discovered instead of major city museum with world class security and ease of visiting like nearby Munich or even Stockholm coin museum which has elaborate setup to view all with magnifiers etc. Dislike this stay-local movement for world heritage items.

I've recently seen some amazing transcripts (on X) of folks asking history questions to AI machines. I mean in a skilled probe that avoids regurgitating unsupported claims. Like examining billionaires who ultimately were based on crime. I hear the next version of chatgpt will integrate multimedia to handle images, video, text all together as needed vs the elaborate way you have to tailor "query engineering" now. A nitpick is the video here seems to be the AI generated (chatgpt?) dialog mode which appears so phony, limited, and contrived to me. They can and should flip a switch and have it come out as a straightforward narration or exposition instead. Grok will next come out with auto multiple AI agents in parallel that actually could give interesting dialogs to debate variations of answers.