Kodiak's Blog

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Saturday, December 03, 2005

Anyone want to break this record?

A better photo can be seen here. This is only about 30 miles from where I use to live in the U.P. "Superior 51st State!" For those of having a "huh?" moment, the slogan recalls a mid-1970’s discussion of Up North Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula merging into the 51st state of Superior, a region with common interests and attitudes. The prevailing theory among secessionists was that combining two similar geographic areas that were routinely ignored by their own state houses might be an improvement. The Superior state motto would have been something along the lines of "Ta heck wit ya."

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Bad Parenting

Monday, November 28, 2005

Roman guard

A Roman guard of strictly disciplined fighting men was stationed to guard the tomb. This guard affixed on the tomb the Roman seal, which was meant to "prevent any attempt at vandalizing the sepulcher. Anyone trying to move the stone from the tomb's entrance would have broken the seal and thus incurred the wrath of Roman law.
A Roman guard was stationed at the tomb and sealed, making it a capital crime to even disturb the seal.  From our anthropologic studies, we know that a Roman guard would consist of no less than 4 and potentially 20 or 30 men.  Not only would it be difficult for all of the highly disciplined centurions to agree to commit a capital crime on the behalf of a disdained minority (who two days earlier were barbarically tormenting and robbing Jesus), they would face execution for desertion charges running at almost a 50% conviction rate as documented in extra biblical Roman record
 
The Roman guards fled. They left their place of responsibility. How can their attrition he explained, when Roman military discipline was so exceptional? Justin, in Digest #49, mentions all the offenses that required the death penalty. The fear of their superiors' wrath and the possibility of death meant that they paid close attention to the minutest details of their jobs. One way a guard was put to death was by being stripped of his clothes and then burned alive in a fire started with his garments. If it was not apparent which soldier had failed in his duty, then lots were drawn to see which one wand be punished with death for the guard unit's failure. Certainly the entire unit would not have fallen asleep with that kind of threat over their heads. Dr. George Currie, a student of Roman military discipline, wrote that fear of punishment "produced flawless attention to duty, especially in the night watches
 
 

BEWARE OF PHISHING SCHEMES THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

Carolers and reindeer won't be the only things out in force the next
few weeks. You can bet that the criminal element will do everything
possible to loot your wallet.

Your credit card company will not send you an e-mail asking for your
password. Your bank won't either, nor will your stock brokerage. Please
don't fall for these tricks. No legitimate organization will send you
anything that requests confidential information.

Delete spam. If you get anything that looks like it might be legitimate,
check first. Don't give criminals your money or your identity.