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The Guild 3-15-2005 Beware the Ides of March

Posted on 03/14/2005 9:08:52 PM PST by Hillary's Lovely Legs

Forget Friday the 13th. Ignore ladders, black cats, broken mirrors and spilt salt. Think instead of today, March 15, and beware.

As superstitions go, being wary of the ides of March is certainly more unusual. Yet the day does have a certain resonance.

In the complicated world of the Roman calender, there were 45 public festivals (not bad compared to the UK's eight bank holidays), as well as the ides of each month, days which were sacred to Jupiter.

In March, May, July and October, the ides fell on the 15th.

The Julian calendar, established by Julius Caesar, gave us the basis of our system of 365 days a year and 366 in a leap year. But for the most part, the Roman festivals of his time have had their day.

The ides of March, however, is one day that continues to appeal, marked because that was the date that Julius Caesar was assassinated in the senate, in 44BC.

Its modern-day memory is thanks, like so many things, to Shakespeare's way with words.

In act one, scene two of Julius Caesar, Caesar asks a soothsayer what the future holds.

Caesar: Who is it in the press that calls on me? I hear a tongue, shriller than all the music Cry "Caesar!" Speak. Caesar is turn'd to hear. Soothsayer: Beware the ides of March.

Although today the reference will not be understood by everybody, David Ewing Duncan, author of The Calendar, wrote that it was not always so.

A Roman saying "four ides" (meaning four days before the ides) would be just as clear to other Romans as someone saying March 11.

And furthermore, the system lasted 2,000 years, well into the Renaissance, he wrote. This meant Shakespeare could include the line, and expect his audience to know what he meant.

Test of time

However, just four hundred years later, the ides seems set only to survive as a literary and historical reference - in spite of it being the date by which debts (including Caesar's) were usually settled.

Professor Eileen Barker, of the London School of Economics, said it was a shame but the ides probably only had significance for schoolchildren reading Julius Caesar.

"I was thinking about this when I saw what date it was, and I thought no wonder I'm feeling awful," she said.

One significant historical event that fell on the ides of March is, perhaps, worth noting. It was on this day in 1876 that Test cricket was born.

Reason for anyone to beware? Perhaps for the English.

It was against Australia.


TOPICS: The Guild
KEYWORDS: beware; ettubrute; idesofmarch; march15
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To: mountaineer
As W might say, have fun with the "wimmin" today.

We at FR in general and the Guild in particular have known for a long time that Susan Estrogen was nuts but now others are catching on... Estrich's vicious attack

..it was Ms. Estrich's vicious attack on Los Angeles Times Opinion Editor Michael Kinsley that was so shocking. Ms. Estrich used Mr. Kinsley's suffering from Parkinson's disease as easy fodder for her attacks on the newspaper. She insisted that his failure to publish women like herself is evidence that "your illness may have affected your brain, your judgment, and your ability to do this job." Ms. Estrich warned Mr. Kinsley that he is "digging a grave for [him] self."

21 posted on 03/15/2005 8:02:53 AM PST by daisyscarlett
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To: 2Jedismom
Happy Birthday...nice to see you again...hope you and your Jedis are all doing well....


22 posted on 03/15/2005 8:06:05 AM PST by daisyscarlett
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To: BigWaveBetty
Ashton gave a non-denial denial to the Press about his impending fatherhood via a woman old enough, biologically, to be his mum...What one must remember here is that he has a new movie coming out and I am sure the publicity over this won't hurt.

Kutcher denies Moore's pregnancy rumours (sorta)

When asked point-blank by the Sun if it was true he was going to be a proud poppa, Kutcher appeared genuinely surprised. "What? Why am I the last person to find out? If I am ... that I'm going to be a daddy? No one tells me anything!'' he laughed. "I need to make a phone call. I'm the last person to find out.''

So this is news to you?

"Your telling me is the first time. I mean, if she's pregnant, she's certainly not showing yet,'' said Kutcher, stammering a bit before another reporter jumped in with an unrelated question.

I will leave it to others to decide if "she is showing yet"...

Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore arrive for the premiere of 'Guess Who' at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Calif., on Sunday, March 13, 2005. (Fashion Wire Daily/Amy Graves)

23 posted on 03/15/2005 8:28:32 AM PST by daisyscarlett
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To: daisyscarlett

Looks like Demi has gained a bit of weight... 2 months worth of poundage?


24 posted on 03/15/2005 8:31:02 AM PST by gopwinsin04
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To: daisyscarlett
Big coat, roomy black blouse..


25 posted on 03/15/2005 8:34:13 AM PST by gopwinsin04
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To: gopwinsin04; All
Hi, all, back from lovely Newark, OH. We had a real nice lunch. I hope to have a photo posted sometime this evening.

Yikes, could Demi Moore be any more of a skank?

26 posted on 03/15/2005 2:00:35 PM PST by mountaineer
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To: All
I'm computer illiterate but, thankfully, Billie posted my OH/WV get together photo on the Finest thread, post #91.
27 posted on 03/15/2005 5:42:15 PM PST by mountaineer
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To: daisyscarlett
Moore has fired back at published reports she's eight weeks pregnant.

In a statement, her publicist says, "Although having another child is something Demi would like to do, unfortunately she can't at this time say she is pregnant."

Just too much pasta under that blouse I guess.

28 posted on 03/15/2005 6:27:00 PM PST by BigWaveBetty (~~Secretary of Keepin' It Real)
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To: gopwinsin04
Big coat, roomy black blouse..

And lots of bling to draw the eye upwards.

29 posted on 03/15/2005 6:28:22 PM PST by BigWaveBetty (~~Secretary of Keepin' It Real)
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To: mountaineer

Y'all look great!


30 posted on 03/15/2005 6:37:28 PM PST by BigWaveBetty (~~Secretary of Keepin' It Real)
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To: mountaineer

Nice picture...you remind me of someone but I can't think who...does anyone ever tell you that you "look like someone"..lol...


31 posted on 03/15/2005 7:44:37 PM PST by daisyscarlett
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To: daisyscarlett; mountaineer
I'm thinking Dorothy Hamill..


32 posted on 03/16/2005 2:56:36 AM PST by BigWaveBetty (~~Secretary of Keepin' It Real)
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To: BigWaveBetty

Hmmm, don't know about that (and I'm a klutz on skates)! They're a nice bunch of ladies, though, and we had a good time.


33 posted on 03/16/2005 4:37:35 AM PST by mountaineer
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To: mountaineer
We'll wait for daisyscarlett's opinion but if we were to wash half that make up off Dot's face and if you were smiling that big smile of yours that's so pretty, I'd say you two could at the very least be cousins.

Heck, Mr. B thinks I look like Michele Pfeiffer! LOL!! Come to think of it, that was before he got his prescription glasses. Hmmm, I think we'll just let that dog lie. :-)

Now, my eldest sis was a dead ringer for Elizabeth Montgomery in their younger years. Sis got all the looks in the family.

On a different subject, Soc Security... This has got my blood boiling. I actually read the "prepared especially for me" SS statement I received in the mail last week. Lo and behold I find out I don't have enough "credits" to collect SS benefits, Medicare or Disability. A person needs 40 of these mysterious credits to collect benefits. In shame I admit I've never heard of such a thing. I'm ready to spit nails and call some congress people.

Mr. Miniter found out other interesting hidden mysteries of SS when he read his statement too. Read all about it here!

John Fund also wrote a very good piece yesterday about what FDR really said about private Social Security accounts.

Start telling everyone you know who doesn't work full time to check into their SS statement, it's a real eye opener.

******************************

Do you hear squealing? Must be the sound of hundreds of democrat heads ready to explode... GWB to tap Paul Wolfowitz as head of the World Bank this morning. :-)

34 posted on 03/16/2005 6:34:21 AM PST by BigWaveBetty (~~Secretary of Keepin' It Real)
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To: mountaineer; Timeout; Hillary's Lovely Legs; daisyscarlett; Endeavor; Iowa Granny; All
Sorry mountaineer, I gave you the wrong link to the Miniter story. Right link!

I sent in a response this morning (told you my blood was boiling) and dagnabit, they printed it! Never submit a letter written in anger.

Now the whole world knows I'm a dunce. sheesh!

35 posted on 03/16/2005 11:13:23 AM PST by BigWaveBetty (~~Secretary of Keepin' It Real)
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To: Hillary's Lovely Legs
Wooo hooooo! We finally won on ANWR!!

In this undated photo provided by the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a female polar bear lays with her cubs in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. A sharply divided Senate on Wednesday, March 16, 2005 voted to open the ecologically rich Alaska wildlife refuge to oil drilling, delivering a major energy policy win for President Bush (news - web sites). (AP Photo/Arctic National Wildlife Refuge)

Major win indeed! Whew, the gas bills for that dang V-8 are killing me, hoping this eases prices a bit, and very soon.

36 posted on 03/16/2005 12:21:12 PM PST by BigWaveBetty (~~Secretary of Keepin' It Real)
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To: BigWaveBetty
I bet Hillary is seething. Condi's getting at least as big a reception in India as the Beaste did:

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Eight days, six countries, and a rock star welcome. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is making her first visit to Asia since moving into her offices at the State Department. And so far, the trip is the stuff of front-page photos and video headlines here.

After nearly 16-and-a-half hours of flying time, Rice stepped off the Boeing 757 after sunset on Tuesday to a platform filled with still and video photographers in New Delhi, the American ambassador to India waiting on the tarmac to show her to her car, and various local dignitaries eager to shake her hand.

When asked by a visiting reporter why all the fuss, given that it was already after dinner and dark to boot, a local embassy staffer said, “Well, it’s the only picture the Indian media will get of Rice today!” rest of story

37 posted on 03/16/2005 12:24:57 PM PST by mountaineer
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To: BigWaveBetty

I liked your letter. Very enthusiastic!


38 posted on 03/16/2005 12:29:42 PM PST by mountaineer
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To: mountaineer
I was looking at all the Condi pictures (and there's a boatload), she's great, the pics are great, flowers all over the place and lots of smiles. It's gotta be killing the beaste! Did you catch her act on cspan at the MoveOn rally today? Hoohhoooo! Byrd was the featured speaker and let me just try for kindness and say, bless his heart! All the dems were there, even that too busy to give awards in person Kennedy. All except Kerry!

President Bush's presser this morning was like buttah. I'm just going to come right out and say it,,, I love that man!

Condi, er uh, Ms. Secretary of State, pretty in pink...

I'll post more later, gotta run.

39 posted on 03/16/2005 12:48:03 PM PST by BigWaveBetty (~~Secretary of Keepin' It Real)
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To: All
Assorted tidbits:

Guests at last weekend's Gridiron dinner in D.C. are still chuckling over President Bush's line about how he planned to oust North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il. "Through six-party talks, we convince him to hold a presidential election," dead-panned Dubya, "and then we send [Democratic campaign adviser] Bob Shrum over to help him." Shrum has at least eight major presidential defeats to his credit. But maybe W. hadn't heard that Shrum's current clients include Bush buddy PM Tony Blair...

.... (Rosie O'Donnell) is still her own largest target. "My son said, 'It's so embarrassing having you talk all the time on TV about being gay and you picking me up at school in painter's pants.' I told him, 'Yeah, yeah, keep it for your book.'" Rush & Molloy

40 posted on 03/16/2005 3:42:53 PM PST by mountaineer
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