This morning the six new peach trees got planted this morning, I even did some shoveling with a baby in one hand, which is new for me. The rest of my Spring trees should be arriving today. Currently I’m short on hose, over the last year I lost a couple that had developed holes over the years and a couple weeks ago when we had snow I went to most one hose and it easily ripped in half. Yesterday I was charging the buggie at the location Grizzy moved it to and it looks like the batteries still have life. Next weeks script still needs a lot of work.
Wreck of the week: oil changes. I understand why engines need their oil changed and I don’t think electric motors are without problems. Both electric motors and engines are topics we should cover some time. Engine is short for ingenious machine. And electricity is produced by spinning magnets wrapped with copper in circles, wild world. But enough of that! it’s such a hassle for me to get my car in. The place I went to had a “sorry we’re closed” sign in the window and a “open” neon light turned off, so I thought they were closed. My queen convinced me to call them and my first thought was to ask, “are you open?” Which I think would be confusing as why would someone pick up the phone if they’re close?
Meditations 14
It starts off loving three things, family, truth, justice.
“Love of family” I’ve said before all we do is for the children and Shakespeare seems to agree with his countless sonnets about kids.
“Love of truth” we act this out in a couple different ways. God being the way, truth. Also philosophy, literally meaning love of wisdom in Greek and Latin.
“Love of justice” It would be important for the emperor to be just, but how do we define justice? Well it’s a good thing justice comes after truth, if we have truth or pursue truth, we will be closer to knowing justice.
“Understand Thrasea, Helvidius, Cato, Dio, Brutus”
*Publius Clodius Thrasea Paetus was a wealthy and well-respected member of the Stoic Opposition. Stoic opposition is the stoic philosophers opposing status quo. He criticized Nero’s tyrannical behavior and the collusion of the senate. He was executed by Nero in 66 AD. Nero is also significant in the Bible, he killed many Cristians often in brutal ways. There is an argument that the mark of the beast, 666 refers to the Roman Emperor Nero. Previously a viewer got annoyed at me reading the Bible. Even if you remove the religious aspect of the Bible, it is an important historical text. People in the past were being persecuted by a mad ruler and they created a code to speak out against him. The story is documented in the Bible.
*That was Thrasea, now Helvidius Priscus was Thrasea’s son-in-law and another member of the Stoic Opposition. He was executed by the tyrannical emperor Vespasian.
*Cato of Utica was a famous Stoic who opposed Julius Caesar.
He tried unsuccessfully to prevent Caesar from turning the Roman Republic into a dictatorship.
*Dio! may refer to Dio Chrysostom, a Stoic-influenced rhetorician and philosopher. Rhetoric is basically language arts. He was exiled by Emperor Domitian for allegedly conspiring against his rule. Which is why people needed codes to speak out against.
*Marcus Aurelius’ nephew, Brutus, was influenced by Stoicism and Platonism, the philosopher Plato. He was one of the assassins of Julius Caesar. As Shakespeare wrote in his play Julius Caesar,
Zimmy zam boomafoo! Shakespeare remember him?!
He said, “et tu Brutus?” Latin, but is the same spelling in modern French to say “and you Brutus?”
Brutus on the beat so it’s not nice! Why would a Roman Emperor want to understand people who opposed previous Roman Emperors? Friends close, enemies closer.
*Next, valuable ideas, “a balanced constitution, a commonwealth based on equality and freedom of speech, and a monarchy which values above all the liberty of the subject” Does any of that sound familiar, the American founding fathers certainly studied ancient rome. E pluribus unum, latin for out of many, one, it is written on the great seal of the United States.
*Continuing, “a constant and vigorous respect for philosophy; beneficence, unstinting generosity, optimism” We covered philosophy with truth. Beneficence is doing good, goes with generosity: kindness. Optimism would be seeing and believing in the good of the future.
“Confidence in the affection of his friends, frankness with those who met with his censure, and open likes and dislikes, so that his friends did not need to guess at his wishes.” I once told a therapist my wife is supportive, but she’s supposed to be and she reminded me that not all wives are. Don’t discount the good, people don’t have to be nice to you, so if they are have confidence in their affection. Frankness with those meeting his censure, censure is a formal disapproval we covered before with Shakespeare how being frank means being free, express yourself honestly with disagreement, don’t beat around the bush. Then people don’t have to guess what you feel, you said what you meant.
Chris' Morning Pages 