Island Blues and Roman History

I've had the island blues, and for one of the few times, have nothing to say. What I do have to say I'm trying to save for my Wednesday column. Sometimes it is hard to expatiate on island affairs, and to focus on our lousy government, the normal domain of columns, is just too depressing to do regularly.

I'm one of those people who need to get off this rock every six months, and at month four I get real itchy about getting away. I'm there right now. Other than diving Lau Lau today, I haven't done much all long weekend. I did attend Brad Ruszala's 40th Birthday party, and he rigged the game and cost me a phone in the contest. I was in the final three at Hard Rock and my competitors had the answer before I heard Brad's question. My competitors were hot Asian chicks, so I stood no chance. EJ won. So let me say right here: Brad Ruszala sucks. He may have a hot girlfriend and has worked his charms on every hot chick on island, but he sucks, too.

I can't stay hostile against Sand, though. He and I got the band back together for one night at Porky's on Friday. I was once a budding bass player, but could never live up to my hopes and Brad and I had a band, but it did not last beyond a day. Friday was day two. Brad sang Johnnie Be Good, and I did my best on bass. The only time I touch the fabled instrument is when the folks in bars drag me up. Jerry calls me up at Round Two on occasion. I could never quite live up to my own lofty ambitions as a four string axe man, so those days are over.

In this bored and tired funk of late I've been watching the HBO series Rome, which I've always figured I'd like, I'm a Roman history buff, and it has been great. When I was in the states I got a bunch of DVD series of renowned shows I've never seen. Some I'm taking to, some I haven't and others I need more time. I'm not seeing the reputed brilliance of "The Wire" just yet, but I'm only halfway through or less season one. I've not given up yet, but I don't get the fuss so far.

I've caught almost all four years of Entourage over the last couple months. Love the show. I read a quote that says, "Washington is Hollywood for ugly people," and it certainly fits. Hollywood, like Washington, gives the people what they most demand: mind numbing pablum. The folks who make the most sense are marginalized. This is a great show that captures how people are sometimes over rewarded in Hollywood.

I'm about halfway through season one of Rome. Love it. Casesar was a fascinating character. Shakespeare plays a big part in his renown, but his military prowess was obvious. To the right is a picture of where his body was cremated in the Roman Forum. Dead bodies never came there for fear of disease, but Caesar's was. If you look closely, you can see that 2,000 years later, some people are putting flowers at Caesar's grave site.

One thing that is interesting that people might not get. The Romans had been crucifying people for years. Jesus was not the first or anything. One Crucifixion artifact was actually found. The nails went through the heel bone and the wrist, which is not what those Renaissance pictures suggest. There is a picture of the bone to the left.

"The remains were found accidentally in an ossuary with the crucified man’s name on it, 'Yehohanan, the son of Hagakol'. The ossuary contained a heel with a nail driven through its side, indicating that the heels may have been nailed to the sides of the tree (one on the left side, one on the right side, and not with both feet together in front). The nail had olive wood on it indicating that he was crucified on a cross made of olivewood or on an olive tree. Since olive trees are not very tall, this would suggest that the condemned was crucified at eye level. Additionally, the piece of olive wood was located between the heel and the head of the nail, presumably to keep the condemned from freeing his foot by sliding it over the nail. His legs were found broken. (This is consistent with accounts of the execution of two thieves in the Gospel of St. John 19:31.) It is thought that since in Roman times iron was expensive, the nails were removed from the dead body to cut the costs, which would help to explain why only one has been found, as the back of the nail was bent in such a way that it couldn't be removed."

Also, there is also one piece of archaeological evidence for Pontius Pilate. This limestone block discovered in 1961 with Pilate's tribute in Latin to Emperor Tiberius, who was emperor at the time of the crucifixtion The words [...]TIVS PILATV[...] can be seen on the second line. This piece was discovered in 1961 in the Roman theatre at Caesarea Maritima, the capital of the province of Iudaea, bearing a damaged dedication by Pilate of a Tiberieum.[5] This dedication states that he was [...]ECTVS IUDA[...] (usually read as praefectus iudaeae), that is, prefect/governor of Iudaea. The early governors of Iudaea were of prefect rank, the later were of procurator rank, beginning with Cuspius Fadus in 44. The inscription is currently housed in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, where its Inventory number is AE 1963 no. 104. Dated to 26–37, it was discovered in Caesarea (Israel) by a group led by Antonio Frova.