Monthly Archives: November 2007

LUPERCALIA.

LUPERCALIA. Shakespeare’s JULIUS CAESAR begins with the celebration of Lupercalia, which was held near the Lupercal cave. This wikipedia article gives the historical facts which Shakespeare followed. In the festival, naked Luperci (“brothers of the wolf—-“lupus” is Latin for wolf) … Continue reading

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THE BLACK STONE.

THE BLACK STONE. There is a shrine referred to as the Black Stone (the “Lapis Niger” in Latin) in the Roman Forum which contains the oldest known Latin inscription. It is written “boustrophedon”— the lines alternating left to right and … Continue reading

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A SKEPTIC ABOUT THE LUPERCAL.

A SKEPTIC ABOUT THE LUPERCAL. Mary Beard says here that she is not sure about whether the new find is the Lupercal. She is waiting for information about the entrance to the cave. She thinks that the entrance had to … Continue reading

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THE LUPERCAL.

THE LUPERCAL. Archeologists have released photographs of the Lupercal. The photographs are of a cave that the Romans thought was the place where Romulus and Remus were nursed by the wolf. The site is underneath the Palatine Hill, which is … Continue reading

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THANKSGIVING POEM.

THANKSGIVING POEM. GOD’S GRANDEUR (Gerard Manley Hopkins) The world is charged with the grandeur of God. It will flame out, like shining from shook foil; It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil Crushed. Why do men then … Continue reading

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THANKSGIVING 2007.

THANKSGIVING 2007. I would like to repeat my Thanksgiving thoughts from last year: In his novel, WAR AND REMEMBRANCE, Herman Wouk has a fictional enemy German historian describing the Battle of Midway say, “The United States of America has been … Continue reading

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UPDATE – PROUST WAS A NEUROSCIENTIST HAS BEEN PUBLISHED.

UPDATE – PROUST WAS A NEUROSCIENTIST HAS BEEN PUBLISHED. This is a good time to update some of the posts from the last year. Jonathan Lehrer’s book PROUST WAS A NEUROSCIENTIST has been published, as he announced on his blog. … Continue reading

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ANNIVERSARY POST.

ANNIVERSARY POST. I began this blog a year ago with this post about how the static that affects radio reception arises from remnants of the Big Bang, a notion that I find very moving. In the course of the year … Continue reading

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THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. It was a year ago tomorrow that I began this blog. I want to thank Lee Bryant and Annalisa Schaefer for giving me the blog. I also want to thank all of you who have stopped by to … Continue reading

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“YOU’RE ONLY LOOKING FOR ONE” –ARRANGED MARRIAGES (COMMENT).

“YOU’RE ONLY LOOKING FOR ONE” –ARRANGED MARRIAGES (COMMENT). I found the discussion between Kiki and Nick about my post on arranged marriage very interesting. I’m pleased that the blog was a forum for that kind of discussion. For my part, … Continue reading

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