27 Comments
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Peter Johnson's avatar

Love your posts. Although I have my doctorate in contemporary American Literature, I had nine years of Latin and five of Greek and I did my Masters in that field. I love the way your essays are not only intelligent and learned, but, more important, entertaining and often comic. I think the classics would be studied more if specialists in the field had your welcoming sensibility.

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cosi’s odyssey's avatar

Thank you so much Peter for such a kind comment 💛 I do really try to highlight the liveliness and humour of the classics, I'm not sure what anyone gains, whether an academic or not, by maintaining the idea that it's this sacrosanct thing that has to be discussed in hushed, reverent tones.

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Jim Sanders's avatar

You think classics would be studied more if made more entertaining? Yes. I had a philosophy professor talk to me about possibly majoring in philosophy as he thought I’d be a natural. I replied no. When he asked why, I replied because I liked philosophy. He nodded and said he understood.

More entertaining? At least less boring.

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Peter Johnson's avatar

Your response to that professor made me laugh out loud. I'm considered a black humorist, and I've always had to deal with the old comedy-is-not-serious thing, when we all know that good comedy, at least satire, is very serious. If you don't believe me, read Swift or one of my recent posts: https://johnsonp.substack.com/p/a-public-service-address-from-a-senior

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Jim Sanders's avatar

Since you are a humorist, I’m glad I could provide you a little humor. The anecdote I described actually happened. I wound up majoring in Chemistry instead and watching the back of professor’s heads scribbling on whiteboards. Yuk.

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Peter Johnson's avatar

Jim: My first teaching gig was at Northeastern U. in Boston where each class would be 100% nurses, or engineers, and so on. Not surprisingly in my intro to lit. classes the best students were the engineers, not the English majors. Go figure!

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Jim Sanders's avatar

Strange. Your experience with engineers was different than mine, when I was in graduate school.

I was totally into the uncertainty created by Chaos Theory and Complexity. The engineers I met would treat me like Dracula trying to suck their blood of calculations that provided specific results. Even today when in a conversation with an engineer about something like Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Field Theory, these engineers have all-and I mean ALL—have been satisfied with the very high prediction rates of the theory ant curious about the metaphysical implications of the theory or theories..

I’m never satisfied, which for me is like a blessing. I do not use the word blessing in any religious sense.

Now I’m curious as to why your experience was so different than mine. Is it because you didn’t question their equations and calculations? Hmmmm. Just curious.

PS. I did read Swift a long time ago and recognized some—probably not all—of its satire. I also clicked onto your link. I’ll need to reread it to absorb more of its satire. I’m a little slow.

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Peter Johnson's avatar

The answer may be simple. After taking class after class dealing with mathematical formulas or whatever engineers study, they were happy to talk about literature. Also, my classes are part literature, part standup comedy, but I also get everyone talking. They did have a great work ethic, though, and were always humble and ready to improve their writing, where sometimes my English majors didn't like being challenged, and some often felt they knew more than me and had nothing to learn. In general, though, I loved all of my students. I always felt it was my job to meet them at where they were.

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Mark Hayes's avatar

We're living through a "Fiddling while Rome Burns" moment here in the US right now. Over the weekend we had "Golfing with the Saudi Bros while the World's Economy Implodes"...

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Jo's avatar

Creating the ai generated doll (that seems to be going around) of yourself???

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cosi’s odyssey's avatar

Omg I am HATING this !!!!!!!!

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BonjourMonAmi's avatar

Presidents playing golf. All presidents in living memory have been guilty of this.

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Damon Kovelsky's avatar

Golfing is the modern equilivent...or. as it will come to be kbow, hitting ones balls across grass

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Dr Jess Venner's avatar

Ooh I loved this. And to add to the facts - the rumour that he caused the fire comes from the convenient truth that he built a whacking great palace (200 acres, no less) in the space of the 'conveniently' burned down area of Rome, mainly on the Oppian Hill. Seems suss to me.

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cosi’s odyssey's avatar

um absolutely suss also pls can we co-write a newsletter bc your BRAIN !!!!

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Dr Jess Venner's avatar

Now THAT is an excellent idea! Let’s do it. 🙌🏼

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Jim Sanders's avatar

I agree. Certainly a great motive for a crime. History always seems to create different and oposing opinions. However, reason and data helps increase probability. Nero nuts and wanted a new palace. Certainly seems reasonable.

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Glenn Ebo Perry's avatar

Liar with a Lyre. Like Orpheus.

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Glenn Ebo Perry's avatar

We should not place Nero by himself

In the Claudian arena;

Lesser in her fame, but one messed-up dame,

Was his mother, Agrippina.

It is hard to know, so intense the glow

From that Domus Oro fire.

Who should get the blame for that ancient flame?

It’s a liar with a liar.

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Glenn Ebo Perry's avatar

Lyre!

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Glenn Ebo Perry's avatar

LYRE! Curse you, Spellcheck!

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cosi’s odyssey's avatar

OBSESSED with a liar with a lyre!!!!!!!!

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Bobby Zech's avatar

Me. Busking on a street corner in today’s USA…

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Jerome Schweich's avatar

Nero fiddled; Trump diddled, and played golf. Both - arsonists!

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Iconoclast's avatar

"Actually, slightly worse than doing fuck all, the phrase really describes when leaders focus on distractions (or distracting the people) when there are far more urgent matters that need to be dealt with."

Actually even worse than focusing on distractions when there are more urgent matters. It's the intentional pursuit of those distractions to demonstrate that you don't give a fuck because you are Caesar.

https://media1.tenor.com/m/d4sFY78vum4AAAAd/flotus-flotus-jacket.gif

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Billie's avatar

I had never heard saying this before but I absolutely love it! Time to add this phrase (and historical context) into my arsenal…

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cosi’s odyssey's avatar

I’m so glad bill :’) 🫶🫶

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