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@QuintusCurtius
QuintusCurtius
Author, translator. On Duties (https://t.co/F86MJrer3p), Tusculan Disputations https://t.co/UhptT4Z3Ia, Sallust (https://t.co/odCKxIYhey), Digest (https://t.co/tQ9KGtjKRB), & others.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
Moral conflicts are going to come up all the time in your life. Every day!
And you have to prepare yourself by thinking about what to do when expediency clashes with what is right. Cicero gives an example.
From my trans. of "On Duties" (III.12) (https://amzn.to/3NjFUxU)
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
Did it ever occur to you, Powell, that it could be one of the terrorists jerking your chain?
I don't think so, sir! In fact I think he's a cop.
How do you know?
Things he said. Like being able to spot a fake ID.
Oh, for Christ's sake, he could be a bartender for all you know!
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
Get a 40-lb. pack and go for a 4 mile speed hump. You need to be conditioning your body for this sort of thing. Readiness. The balloon is likely to go up soon.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
"You think you can come in here with your hot shot clothes, your flashy manners, and buy me?
No! That is not the way I raised Gina to be. I work for my money...here, take your money. It stinks."
Always loved this woman, this scene. Old school Latin woman, with character.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
My friend is crunching hard in Crete. Here are some photos of the victuals. https://t.co/rEAgvBTlwy
QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
My friend is crunching hard in Crete. Here are some photos of the victuals.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
The 1907 ultra high relief at the Smithsonian. TR strongly believed a great nation deserved a great coinage.
And like was determined to make it happen.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
From the Herakleion Museum in Crete.
Look at this. This is real coinage. Ultra-high relief, thick, and compelling designs. This was what inspired Theodore Roosevelt to hire Augustus St. Gaudens to redesign our coins. TR thought we needed more heroic designs.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
Friend is visiting the Heraklion Arcaeological Museum in Crete, Greece.
Here are some photos..
(@s_total_s2) https://t.co/xVaPdyk5LW
QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
Friend is visiting the Heraklion Arcaeological Museum in Crete, Greece.
Here are some photos..
(@s_total_s2)
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
"So who's your parole officer?"
"Seymour Scagnetti."
"How is he?"
"He's a fucking asshole."
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
The Portuguese man-of-war (which has to be the coolest name in the animal kingdom) is actually not a jellyfish. It is a "siphonophore."
A jellyfish is one animal, but a siphonophore is a colony of small animals.
Most guys do not really appreciate this.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
Cornish used to be a member of the Celtic language family. It became extinct, I think, a couple centuries ago. Remember that, the next time you crunch on a Cornish hen. As I am doing right now.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
An 80s cult classic: "The Wraith," (1986).
Hard to go wrong with Charlie Sheen and a soundtrack with Billy Idol, Motley Crue, and Ozzy.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
Just started this, and am enjoying it. Provides a lot of insight on a complex and turbulent history. Recommended.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
"Xi Jinping's China And The Rise Of The 'Global West'"
(Good article by G. Rachman for the "Financial Times")
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
"The Great Santini" (1979) is a classic Robert Duvall vehicle. The kind of movie that would not be made today.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
Treating your opponents with malicious severity, instead of focusing on reconciliation, "has led to the ruin of many great nations," says Sallust.
From the new trans. of his "War of Jugurtha" (XLII).
(https://amzn.to/3eSlDD6).
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
What are some reasons why we take on burdens of sorrow?
First, preconceived ideas that something is "evil." Second, we think making a display of sadness will somehow "appease" things.
From the new trans. of "Tusculan Disputations" (III.29)
(https://amzn.to/3Dk4nPl).
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
I love rocks. All kinds of rocks and rock formations.
The history of the world is written in rocks.
Most guys never reflect on things like this.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
I met this guy on the trails today. I do not know the species of snake.
But he was friendly. We discussed water elevations and weather patterns.
I am basically cool with this guy.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
Hiking in Johnson County, Kansas today. Helps to recharge the batteries. https://twitter.com/QuintusCurtius/status/1584269712372150272/video/1
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
Just finished "Wrath of Man" (2021). A great and dark movie. Completely underappreciated. See it.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
Neglected movie recommendation: "City of Industry" (1997).
Old school noir crime drama. Gritty. Very good.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
"Trautman, I don't make the rules. He was just supposed to take pictures. Pictures, goddamn it. You understand that?"
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
Cicero says: We have the time allotted to us, and no more. Banish these thoughts about someone "dying before their time." It is better to have what we have, than nothing at all.
From the new trans. of "Tusculan Disputations," (I.39)
(https://amzn.to/3SpSzQM)
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
The Battle of Lepanto, in heroic paintings. A short thread. Look closely at these paintings, and try to imagine what the scene was like. https://t.co/nUjpEYG4bU
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@QuintusCurtius
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
The Battle of Lepanto, in heroic paintings. A short thread. Look closely at these paintings, and try to imagine what the scene was like.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
Four men from Alfa Company's 4th Platoon. Photo taken in July 1969 in Tay Ninh Province, after a firefight near Cambodia.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
The Doge of Venice, "old and nearly blind," leading men into battle in 1204. (Described by Geoffrey de Villehardouin).
Compare this to the "leaders" we have now.
https://qcurtius.com/2017/11/11/great-deeds-of-valor-from-the-fourth-crusade/
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
Cornelius Nepos describes Atticus's trait of following through on his promises, believing his own credibility was invested in them.
From the trans. of "Lives of the Great Commanders."
(https://amzn.to/3MNIgoH)
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
Never forget the fallen. Their spirits are everywhere, swirling around us.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
A relevant passage from I.XV of "On Moral Ends," (https://amzn.to/3swhY1a)
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
1. Interesting detail about "The Witch." In the final scene, when Thomasin and Satan converse, director Robt. Eggers outfitted the actor playing Satan with an elaborate English Cavalier costume. He chose not to show it in the final cut, keeping Satan tantalizingly off camera.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
James Gillray's 1805 image "The Plum Pudding In Danger" is considered one of the most famous political cartoons. It shows Napoleon and William Pitt carving up the globe between themselves.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
Saw movie "Control" (2017). Biographical drama on the life of Joy Division vocalist Ian Curtis. An honest and serious movie, but disappointing as a fully formed portrait. Feels depressing and lacking in focus.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
A good argument can be made that Chuck Barris invented reality TV with "The Gong Show."
Another forgotten innovator.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
Some acts just vanish into the woodwork.
Remember Harvey Danger?
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
Photos of Sir Richard Burton. His friends liked to call him "Ruffian Dick."
My favorite Burton story is when he was attacked by Somali tribesmen in Puntland. He lost several teeth to a spear that penetrated his face.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
1. When I was a kid, my parents knew I loved animals and plants, and so they took me to the Museum of Natural History at Harvard Univ.
Must have been late 70s or early 80s. They have an incredible collection of "glass flowers."
Designed by Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka... https://t.co/lPpzlhMa2g
QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
: 2. ...no one has been able to reproduce them. Botanically correct in every detail, these things need to be seen to be believed. The Blaschkas were German glass artisans, and apparently developed secret techniques that no one has figured out.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
1. When I was a kid, my parents knew I loved animals and plants, and so they took me to the Museum of Natural History at Harvard Univ.
Must have been late 70s or early 80s. They have an incredible collection of "glass flowers."
Designed by Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka...
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
I've read about, but never tried, Kashmiri tea. They say it has a unique flavor.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
Quint's speech to town hall is actionable political wisdom.
"I don't want no mates, no passengers. There are too many captains on this island. Just me alone."
"You want play it cheap, be on welfare the whole winter. Decide to ante up, put your businesses on a paying basis."
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
When you've worked a job for a long time in a place,
You develop (hopefully) credibility.
Your word counts for something.
So when you scratch your fingernails on a chalkboard at the city council meeting, people listen.
You will not find this career advice on Gumroad.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
Example. I just pulled my copy of "Critique of Pure Reason" from my shelves. Try to read this page out loud. Then try to comprehend it.
It is a philosopher's obligation to be comprehensible. Not to hide behind barricades of impenetrable text.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
"Enter The Void" (2009).
Gaspar Noé's bizarre yet exhilarating movie. Like nothing you've ever seen. I saw it when it came out and it was a head trip like no other.
A drug dealer is shot by police in Tokyo. The man's disembodied spirit then ranges over the city...
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
Two more Correa illustrations. I mean, look at this. It looks like a nightmare.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
"War of the Words" was originally published serially in Pearson's Magazine in England in April- Dec. 1897.
Warwick Goble did the Pearson's illustrations. They are also incredible. Less surreal than Corrêa's work, they have a brutal, uncompromising directness.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
The illustrations commissioned for the 1906 edition of H.G. Wells's "War of the Worlds" were brilliantly executed by Brazilian artist Henrique Alvim Corrêa. He never got the accolades he deserved.
They have a nighmarish, sepulchral quality that has never been equaled.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
The OED entry for the word, "turkey."
Answers a reader's question just now, as to why the bird is called "turkey."
Look at citation after the definition, from 1552-1601.
"They were first brought from Numidia into Turky, and thence to Europe, whereupon they were called Turkies."
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
Even when you're alone, cook good things for yourself to keep the morale up.
And keep crunchin.'
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
Today's restrictive Covid climate is starting to look a lot like Prohibition.
Then--as now--the only people who supported it were goody-two-shoes soy wimps, fraidy-cat temperance Karens, and rat-fink J. Edgar Hoover types.
And everyone knew it was BS, too. Like now.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
Nothing ever goes according to plan in the real world when you are dealing with dynamic situations.
This is why YOU need to take action fast, to adjust and correct.
Hope is NOT a strategy.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
Seems that this word, haboob (هَبوب), has a slightly different, more general meaning in Arabic than in Persian. (I do not know Persian). The Al-Mawrid dictionary gives its sense as just a generalized "blowing of the wind." Same for Hans Wehr's dictionary.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
One of the big reasons for the failure of the US hostage rescue attempt in Iran in 1980 (Operation Eagle Claw) was the underestimation of the "haboob." These clouds of suspended dust particulates proved to be a fearsomely effective, natural "early warning system."
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
Pierre de Fermat was a practicing lawyer in 17th century France.
But one of his hobbies was mathematics, and he made significant contributions to number theory, optics, and analytic geometry.
One does not need official "credentials" in a field, to make contributions to it.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
1. Two Christian Bale movies you may have overlooked:
First one: "Harsh Times" (2005). An Army veteran returning from MidEast has a difficult time adjusting to civilian life, and gets pulled deeper and deeper into darkness. Veterans should see this. Others will not get it. https://t.co/YpKbKdXepH
QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
: 2. "The Machinist" (2004). Bale completes a now-legendary screen transformation into an emaciated neurotic, haunted by a demon he has suppressed for years. A masterpiece of psychological insight.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
1. Two Christian Bale movies you may have overlooked:
First one: "Harsh Times" (2005). An Army veteran returning from MidEast has a difficult time adjusting to civilian life, and gets pulled deeper and deeper into darkness. Veterans should see this. Others will not get it.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
Friend @Ardeamus just sent me this. Recording of the oldest song in the world. A very old Hurrian paean. And it sounds not much different from music in Mideast today.
Listen:
https://youtu.be/w8tfBLvlN98
Things in this world are much older than we can conceive.
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
One of many sharp criticisms of the Stoics, from my translation of Cicero's "On Moral Ends" (IV.53)
https://amzn.to/365n1el
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QuintusCurtius
@QuintusCurtius
Another one of those "forgotten gem" movies.
"Barfly" (1987) made good use of Mickey Rourke to channel the Bukowski worldview.
It may not be pretty, but it took chances. And that counts for a lot.
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