Your Vote counts ?

Whenever someone talks about voting I remember:

In the entire 600 year history of the Roman Republic there is not one instance where a candidate that was favored by the Plebes class (and disfavored by the Patrician class) defeated a candidate that was favored by the Patrician class.  Not once.

Roman citizens were divided into two classes: The Patricians and The Plebes.  The Patricians were the wealthy ruling class.   All Roman citizens got to vote on Senate candidates, but the voting order was rigidly proscribed by class.  The Patricians class voted first.  Even though the voting was secret ballot and the rules were strictly observed, there was never a case where a candidate favored by the Plebes class defeated a candidate favored by the Patrician class.

Curious fact.



copyright (c) 2018
William Schaeffer

Football protests and the Roman gladiatorial games

Historical note: In the entire history of the Roman gladiatorial games there is known to be only one competition that was recorded for posterity. The gladiators were considered to be culture heroes and had many fans and followers, BUT their feats were not considered important enough to document in any significant way. The gladiatorial games were considered to be a good way to keep the population amused, entertained, and off of the sidewalks of Rome during the day -- BUT they were not important enough to remember or document.. Professional sports fills the same function in contemporary American society.


copyright (C) 2018
William Schaeffer

Color-deaf

Definition

Color deaf--  1. an inability to distinguish the subtle variations in hue, shade and value that trained painters and artists have an aptitude for.   2.  Lack of visual awareness of the emotional feelings of different colors and tints and shades.


copyright (c) 2018
William Schaeffer

bar ZEE

copyright (c)

Wm Schaeffer

going in circles

copyright (c) 2018

William Schaeffer

72. Tao Te Ching

72.

When they loose their sense of awe,
people turn to religion.
When they no longer trust themselves,
they begin to depend on authority.

Therefore the Master steps back
so that people won't be confused.
He teaches without teaching,
so that people will have nothing to learn.


Lao Tzu
Tao te Ching
translated by Stephen Mitchell
Harper Perennial

College dorm room decorations

Response to a facebook post about college dorm rooms:


"50% of the incoming freshman at University of Illinois school of Engineering for every semester of the 1970's did not graduate and did not receive a degree. This was a planned "educational strategy" of the school of Engineering. 50% of the incoming freshmen students were intentionally flunked out by a system of grading on the curve. They even told us this fact in Freshman orientation, but none of us were really paying attention. They encourage you to decorate with fluffy, happy colors so you don't notice the "executions" going on all around you all the time. "

 copyright (c) 2018 
William Schaeffer