Good morning, happy Friday, and thanks for the shoutout! I had a good chuckle over C-Rex and Lorraine, and very much enjoyed the excerpt. Reading about the logistical challenges of such a huge, rare, and protocol-driven event thrilled my little detail-oriented heart. I’m excited to read the book.
Your comments about slavery in Pompeii particularly resonated with me, as I just finished Garrett Ryan’s Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants, a book about the details of everyday life in ancient Greece and Rome. There was a chapter on slavery, including how some few lucky slaves earned enough to buy their freedom and become rich--which in turn reminded me of the manufactured scandal in Florida last year over the true statement that slaves learned skills that helped them post-slavery. And I too have thought about the fact that mechanization helped end slavery, a horribly grisly existence that lasted for the majority of human history.
Hercules and Persephone are lovely! I have a little black rescue kitty named Koko (for Koko Taylor, and if you’ve never heard her iconic blues standard “Wang Dang Doodle,” it’s worth searching for). She holds her own against the Belgian malinois and the overly curious six-month-old Doberman. The 11-year-old Siamese, whom we refer to as “the stately old gentleman,” puts the puppy in his place daily. Every day in this house is a wang dang doodle. :-)
I am so pleased that I guessed right about you and the book, and Koko sounds a darling.
I haven't read Ryan's book but it sounds interesting. I am reading Mary Beard's latest on the people who made the Roman empire actually run. Fascinating stuff.
If you know about St Bathilde who enacted the first anti-slavery law in France (she was a former slave) and the fact within basically a generation, the Merovingian empire had fallen and feudalism (a sort of slavery -- being owned by the land) had become the de facto status quo, you can see why mechanization was needed. Equally if you have ever had to haul water long distances by hand. The first actual human names we know (not titles) are of 2 slaves. So because the condition was so pervasive, the real thing is the movement to abolish slavery and to put fair employment laws in (so that people can't be exploited in that fashion). Although some people have always managed to overcome slavery, it is truly a grisly experience. When asked if she would ,like her most beloved granddaughter to become a slave and then rise to be a queen (really an empress) like she had done or to die, St Bathilde said -- give me the child that I may break her neck rather than she suffer one breath of being enslaved. This was approx 670, I think that sentiment still is true.
What’s the name of the Mary Beard book? I had not heard of St. Bathilde but will look her up.
Most people in the modern Western world today have no clue how physically easy their lives are compared with the people of antiquity--or even prior to the 20th century. I think about it a lot, and it keeps me grateful.
I would not be alive if not for modern medicine. And as my Aga was for a number of years, solid fuel, I understand the wonder luxury of it being oil now.
The Emperor of Rome. Do look St Bathilde up -- she is interesting. She supposedly was born in Norfolk England before being sold as a slave. There are some interesting women from that time period, including the two who caused the Salic law to be developed.
Good luck with government trying to control the thoughts of citizens. That reads a bit like a horror sci-fi movie.
Just want to report that my 5 yr old pup-now acts like a pup again vs a dog who basically went blind in a matter of months and was fearful. Her cataract surgery went well and we are now almost 3 wks past surgery. Finding a specialist to do the surgery was the same as trying to find a human doctor these days-all booked out for months.The one we found is an 8 hour drive away but that was the only option-however the specialist was excellent and we are happy with the results.
Oh that is such brilliant news! Really made my day. It is incredible what modern medicine can do.
If that bit reads like a horror sci fi, you should read about what the Irish Gov are trying to do with their hate speech bill -- hate remains undefined.
In reading about the immigrant influx that is draining services in Ireland-and the whole world-the elites seem to put the lives of its local citizens at the back of the line, lessening the quality of life for those everyday people. Those in power do not have to live with the results of the massive flow of immigrants draining the coffers, raising taxes of ordinary people but do not hesitate to inflict it upon the avg citizen. I also find it frightening that the large majorities invading countries are young unvetted males. It is the same here in the US. I hope that I am wrong about the writing on the wall.
The problem with mass migration is a Western problem as people see the Western world as a place where people are born and can live free. And the governments do not know what to do about it. There is also this myth of the worker who goes for a few years, lives and works in terrible conditions, saves money and returns to their original homeland. Mass migration does impact on ordinary citizens -- services and indeed the suppression of wages and circumventing employment law. And can a state which has a social welfare net have open borders? I don't think any country has come up with a great solution. Burying the collective head in the sand doesn't work as Ireland is starting to find. Because the need for social housing for so many years was static, Ireland does not have the infrastructure and the workforce is not necessarily geared towards the tech boom that Ireland has enjoyed in recent years. I don't know the answer, but I do know I am capable of feeling terrible pity for the poor wretches whose lives have been turned upside down and understanding that the system needs desperate reform.
If you are referring to the immigrants when saying you are capable of feeling terrible pity for the poor wretches-so are most of us. That being said I am a realist and feel that enough is enough and if we do not close our borders we have immensely diminished our original citizenry way beyond what is fair. I always liked the example of who will you let on your life boat. So many that it sinks?
I agree. Most people are. In Damascus Station (for example) McCloskey details the horrible experiences of the Syrians under Assad. I can completely understand and have total sympathy with their plight, but the problem is not going to be solved by importing everyone to the UK, particularly without any respect for social cohesion. I don't pretend to know what the answer is but the wholesale exportation of people to the West isn't it. And you have the whole problem of the brain drain -- for example in Ghana, people train as nurses and doctors but can earn far more in the West which then deprives Ghana of the medical expertise necessary to look after Ghanaians. There are no easy answers.
Was it not Victor Orban of Hungary -or perhaps it is Poland that said-no immigrants- but let’s help them in their own countries so they do not inundate ours?
And in reading your link I see that people opposed to expanding hate speech crimes are ALWAYS referred to far right groups. They use that here in the US to discredit almost everything that is disagreed upon-just by saying -FAR RIGHT. Biden uses that a lot.
You are correct about the polarization. I don’t know why Biden continues to insult half this country by focusing on “far right maga”,when he could just talk about what he will implement to make life better.
I wonder if I blab too much sometimes. So I'll be brief, and thank You for all the articles. They were great, especially the one on Ms. Birbalsingh.
Good luck on the writing! Hercules and Persephone are beautifully black. TY for posting the pics. I'm sure they'd say same, if they could. And TY, as always, for Your article.
No you don't 'blab too much' I always enjoy your thoughts.
Hercules and Perseph are characters. They were rescues and have fallen on their paws.
I am busy being quietly amused about the swing to the Tories in Hackney (should have been thoroughly Labour) after the Labour Party conducted a witch hunt against their candidate for wrong thoughts on biology. 47% is massive.
Yes it was v unexpected, particularly considering the polling in general. Local conditions do play a factor in elections. National polls can only show trends.
As the slave to our cats, I appreciate that you put them at the top of the pecking order. Mine say hello to yours and wish them many treats in the future. They are quite beautiful.
Cats rule, dogs drool -- a line from the remake of Home Bound and very true in this household. Paddy is now v aware of the pecking order. He and Hercules sometimes play chase games but Perseph won't. When he was little, he'd try and then you could see from his expression 'oh stuff, wrong cat.' They are well supplied with Dreamies and tuna.
Good morning, happy Friday, and thanks for the shoutout! I had a good chuckle over C-Rex and Lorraine, and very much enjoyed the excerpt. Reading about the logistical challenges of such a huge, rare, and protocol-driven event thrilled my little detail-oriented heart. I’m excited to read the book.
Your comments about slavery in Pompeii particularly resonated with me, as I just finished Garrett Ryan’s Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants, a book about the details of everyday life in ancient Greece and Rome. There was a chapter on slavery, including how some few lucky slaves earned enough to buy their freedom and become rich--which in turn reminded me of the manufactured scandal in Florida last year over the true statement that slaves learned skills that helped them post-slavery. And I too have thought about the fact that mechanization helped end slavery, a horribly grisly existence that lasted for the majority of human history.
Hercules and Persephone are lovely! I have a little black rescue kitty named Koko (for Koko Taylor, and if you’ve never heard her iconic blues standard “Wang Dang Doodle,” it’s worth searching for). She holds her own against the Belgian malinois and the overly curious six-month-old Doberman. The 11-year-old Siamese, whom we refer to as “the stately old gentleman,” puts the puppy in his place daily. Every day in this house is a wang dang doodle. :-)
I am so pleased that I guessed right about you and the book, and Koko sounds a darling.
I haven't read Ryan's book but it sounds interesting. I am reading Mary Beard's latest on the people who made the Roman empire actually run. Fascinating stuff.
If you know about St Bathilde who enacted the first anti-slavery law in France (she was a former slave) and the fact within basically a generation, the Merovingian empire had fallen and feudalism (a sort of slavery -- being owned by the land) had become the de facto status quo, you can see why mechanization was needed. Equally if you have ever had to haul water long distances by hand. The first actual human names we know (not titles) are of 2 slaves. So because the condition was so pervasive, the real thing is the movement to abolish slavery and to put fair employment laws in (so that people can't be exploited in that fashion). Although some people have always managed to overcome slavery, it is truly a grisly experience. When asked if she would ,like her most beloved granddaughter to become a slave and then rise to be a queen (really an empress) like she had done or to die, St Bathilde said -- give me the child that I may break her neck rather than she suffer one breath of being enslaved. This was approx 670, I think that sentiment still is true.
What’s the name of the Mary Beard book? I had not heard of St. Bathilde but will look her up.
Most people in the modern Western world today have no clue how physically easy their lives are compared with the people of antiquity--or even prior to the 20th century. I think about it a lot, and it keeps me grateful.
I would not be alive if not for modern medicine. And as my Aga was for a number of years, solid fuel, I understand the wonder luxury of it being oil now.
The Emperor of Rome. Do look St Bathilde up -- she is interesting. She supposedly was born in Norfolk England before being sold as a slave. There are some interesting women from that time period, including the two who caused the Salic law to be developed.
I will look that up! Because it sounds WAY more fun than doing work. :-)
And an update to the Labour story -- the by-election in Hackney was held last night -- massive swing to the Conservatives 47% https://twitter.com/BritainElects/status/1748142763747483750
It may be a v local result but it does point to the fact that Labour can't afford to lose women.
Good luck with government trying to control the thoughts of citizens. That reads a bit like a horror sci-fi movie.
Just want to report that my 5 yr old pup-now acts like a pup again vs a dog who basically went blind in a matter of months and was fearful. Her cataract surgery went well and we are now almost 3 wks past surgery. Finding a specialist to do the surgery was the same as trying to find a human doctor these days-all booked out for months.The one we found is an 8 hour drive away but that was the only option-however the specialist was excellent and we are happy with the results.
Oh that is such brilliant news! Really made my day. It is incredible what modern medicine can do.
If that bit reads like a horror sci fi, you should read about what the Irish Gov are trying to do with their hate speech bill -- hate remains undefined.
Did you link to the Irish hate speech bill?
In reading about the immigrant influx that is draining services in Ireland-and the whole world-the elites seem to put the lives of its local citizens at the back of the line, lessening the quality of life for those everyday people. Those in power do not have to live with the results of the massive flow of immigrants draining the coffers, raising taxes of ordinary people but do not hesitate to inflict it upon the avg citizen. I also find it frightening that the large majorities invading countries are young unvetted males. It is the same here in the US. I hope that I am wrong about the writing on the wall.
I haven't done. This from last July explains some of the concerns: https://www.rte.ie/news/primetime/2023/0705/1392965-five-things-to-understand-about-the-new-hate-speech-bill/
The problem with mass migration is a Western problem as people see the Western world as a place where people are born and can live free. And the governments do not know what to do about it. There is also this myth of the worker who goes for a few years, lives and works in terrible conditions, saves money and returns to their original homeland. Mass migration does impact on ordinary citizens -- services and indeed the suppression of wages and circumventing employment law. And can a state which has a social welfare net have open borders? I don't think any country has come up with a great solution. Burying the collective head in the sand doesn't work as Ireland is starting to find. Because the need for social housing for so many years was static, Ireland does not have the infrastructure and the workforce is not necessarily geared towards the tech boom that Ireland has enjoyed in recent years. I don't know the answer, but I do know I am capable of feeling terrible pity for the poor wretches whose lives have been turned upside down and understanding that the system needs desperate reform.
If you are referring to the immigrants when saying you are capable of feeling terrible pity for the poor wretches-so are most of us. That being said I am a realist and feel that enough is enough and if we do not close our borders we have immensely diminished our original citizenry way beyond what is fair. I always liked the example of who will you let on your life boat. So many that it sinks?
I agree. Most people are. In Damascus Station (for example) McCloskey details the horrible experiences of the Syrians under Assad. I can completely understand and have total sympathy with their plight, but the problem is not going to be solved by importing everyone to the UK, particularly without any respect for social cohesion. I don't pretend to know what the answer is but the wholesale exportation of people to the West isn't it. And you have the whole problem of the brain drain -- for example in Ghana, people train as nurses and doctors but can earn far more in the West which then deprives Ghana of the medical expertise necessary to look after Ghanaians. There are no easy answers.
Was it not Victor Orban of Hungary -or perhaps it is Poland that said-no immigrants- but let’s help them in their own countries so they do not inundate ours?
And in reading your link I see that people opposed to expanding hate speech crimes are ALWAYS referred to far right groups. They use that here in the US to discredit almost everything that is disagreed upon-just by saying -FAR RIGHT. Biden uses that a lot.
The answer I use (sometimes) is to say that everything looks to the right if you are to the left of Lenin.
But it is used to discredit people and what it actually does is to polarize people.
You are correct about the polarization. I don’t know why Biden continues to insult half this country by focusing on “far right maga”,when he could just talk about what he will implement to make life better.
And like magic there is a good op ed in the Telegraph about the subject basically mass migration isn't the answer. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/01/18/put-a-stop-to-mass-migration-while-we-still-can/ or https://archive.is/JnMPc
And this is also good about Katharine Birbalsingh's approach of promoting integration and social cohesion (and why it works): https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/01/18/trial-katharine-birbalsingh-battle-for-future-britain/ or https://archive.is/8c4dB
Hello Northumberland!
I wonder if I blab too much sometimes. So I'll be brief, and thank You for all the articles. They were great, especially the one on Ms. Birbalsingh.
Good luck on the writing! Hercules and Persephone are beautifully black. TY for posting the pics. I'm sure they'd say same, if they could. And TY, as always, for Your article.
No you don't 'blab too much' I always enjoy your thoughts.
Hercules and Perseph are characters. They were rescues and have fallen on their paws.
I am busy being quietly amused about the swing to the Tories in Hackney (should have been thoroughly Labour) after the Labour Party conducted a witch hunt against their candidate for wrong thoughts on biology. 47% is massive.
Yes, that was a big win.
Yes it was v unexpected, particularly considering the polling in general. Local conditions do play a factor in elections. National polls can only show trends.
As the slave to our cats, I appreciate that you put them at the top of the pecking order. Mine say hello to yours and wish them many treats in the future. They are quite beautiful.
Cats rule, dogs drool -- a line from the remake of Home Bound and very true in this household. Paddy is now v aware of the pecking order. He and Hercules sometimes play chase games but Perseph won't. When he was little, he'd try and then you could see from his expression 'oh stuff, wrong cat.' They are well supplied with Dreamies and tuna.