Random Thoughts Sechs: Eeeeehhhh...

[Commodore]

The temporary dictatorships of the Romans would later provide precedent for dismantling the entire Republic entirely, though. Power corrupts.

But it wasn't used to dismantle the Republic until already corrupt people used it for that purpose. Power attracts the corrupt.

 

[Takhisis]

^Power being attractive to the corrupt is not incompatible with power being a corrupting influence.

 

[Commodore]

^Power being attractive to the corrupt is not incompatible with power being a corrupting influence.

True. I'm merely stating that I just don't think power on its own is a corrupting influence.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

"the blade itself incites to deeds of violence." Homer

Power works much the same way. Those who have it are unfailingly incited to see what they can get with it.

 

[Arakhor]

The only time the English managed to get one of their priests to become Pope he managed to stay in power long enough to give the King of England a mandate to conquer Ireland in order to legalise the situation.

That's of dubious authenticity. Adrian IV crowned Frederick Barbarossa and helped to perpetuate the Great Schism, but it's not entirely obvious that the Papal bull circulated at this time involved Ireland.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

The first time I heard about Papal bulls, I thought they were literal bulls. I was a bit disappointed.

 

[Mouthwash]

Surely there's a lesson to be learned somewhere, but I don't want to make an overlong post for you to dismiss it with ‘you do your thing’.

I'm probably the last poster on here who is likely to give that sort of response?

 

[Kyriakos]

"the blade itself incites to deeds of violence." Homer

Power works much the same way. Those who have it are unfailingly incited to see what they can get with it.

The quote is nice, yet the translation isn't entirely accurate. The original uses the verb εφέλκεται, which means "tempts", not incites. Homer (in the Odyssey) refers to iron (which stands for any weapons) tempting man by merely existing near him.

αὐτὸς γὰρ ἐφέλκεται ἄνδρα σίδηρος

A possible translation would be: Iron by itself tempts man (to use it/be violent)

 

[Timsup2nothin]

The quote is nice, yet the translation isn't entirely accurate. The original uses the verb εφέλκεται, which means "tempts", not incites. Homer (in the Odyssey) refers to iron (which stands for any weapons) tempting man by merely existing near him.



A possible translation would be: Iron by itself tempts man (to use it/be violent)

"Tempting by merely existing near him"...the flavor of that is carried very well by incites, I think, while maintaining the tempo of Homer's work better. At any rate, it is a profound truism that the modern gun rights advocates should definitely consider.

 

[Synobun]

Stickers are way too much commitment.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

I find it interesting that my local radio station often plays deeper album cuts in the middle of the night.

 

[EgonSpengler]

The sky has turned this sickly yellow color. Not the normal sunset. I've heard the sky can turn green when a tornado is imminent. Are there any Midwesterners here who can verify that? I do live right next to a rail line, so the sound might not make an impression on me. A tornado could totally sneak up on me.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

I googled that out of curiosity and found this. That might be something to read.

 

[Ajidica]

The sky has turned this sickly yellow color. Not the normal sunset. I've heard the sky can turn green when a tornado is imminent. Are there any Midwesterners here who can verify that? I do live right next to a rail line, so the sound might not make an impression on me. A tornado could totally sneak up on me.

My understanding is that is largely an urban legend. The sky 'turning green' is simply indicative of a large summer thunderstorm in the area. I've seen a 'green sky' many times in Minnesota and never once seen a tornado*. Sometimes we don't even get hit by the storm as it slides right past us.

*Though I do live close to a urban area.

 

[Kyriakos]

Hm, in two days from now I will be in Athens :/
Who knows for how long. At least a month, though.

 

[Synobun]

Scouting for the Byzantine advance party?

 

[Kyriakos]

Scouting for the Byzantine advance party?

I think that this time I will be staying in the center, where roughly 30 other ethnic groups live in large numbers. Not so much byzantine as east india company.

I am getting tired of moving all the time, though. I have to just rent some place and be done with it - and certainly not in Athens.

 

[Lexicus]

The sky has turned this sickly yellow color. Not the normal sunset. I've heard the sky can turn green when a tornado is imminent. Are there any Midwesterners here who can verify that? I do live right next to a rail line, so the sound might not make an impression on me. A tornado could totally sneak up on me.

My understanding is that is largely an urban legend. The sky 'turning green' is simply indicative of a large summer thunderstorm in the area. I've seen a 'green sky' many times in Minnesota and never once seen a tornado*. Sometimes we don't even get hit by the storm as it slides right past us.

*Though I do live close to a urban area.

Green light does appear to be associated with more powerful thunderstorms (thicker thunderclouds) but there appears to be no direct connection to hail or tornadoes.

I've lived on the East Coast all my life and I see green skies quite often when there are decently strong thunderstorms around.

There is unfortunately no simple way to tell whether a tornado is coming. Tornadoes are not correlated with any sky color, and the noise they make is not a reliable indicator either. You just need to pay attention to the weather forecast, and be aware if potentially tornadic storms are in the area. There are only a narrow subset of thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

There is unfortunately no simple way to tell whether a tornado is coming.

Unless you see a funnel cloud start to form. But not all of them turn into tornadoes.

I saw a small one several years ago. I didn't know what it was at the time or I might've been worried.

 

[Lexicus]

Unless you see a funnel cloud start to form. But not all of them turn into tornadoes.

I saw a small one several years ago. I didn't know what it was at the time or I might've been worried.

Not all of them turn into tornadoes, but more importantly if you're close enough to see the funnel form it is likely too late to do anything about it anyway. Rain often hides the funnel until it is very close.

EDIT: additionally not all tornadoes actually involve funnel clouds that touch the ground. A tornado can happen with a funnel that doesn't reach the ground or with no funnel cloud at all.