A bakery with a milling operation that attests to the miserable conditions of enslaved people and livestock has been unearthed in a home in Insula X of Pompeii’s Regio IX neighborhood. This is the same home where high-quality Fourth Style frescoes and electoral inscriptions were found earlier this year‚ evidence that at the time of the eruption‚ the home with luxurious features also had a very active production area dedicated to bread-making. The milling and bakery area is located on the west side of the home. The house was built in different phases‚ and the damage to the walls indicate the production complex dates to the period after the 62 A.D. earthquake. It is composed of four rooms with distinct functions: the bread-making kitchen‚ the griding area with attached latrine directly connected to the city sewers‚ a stable for the animals and a room for storage of grain bags. The cooking space was in the northern part of the bakery‚ distinctly separate from the grinding and animal care area to the south. The milling space has a floor covered with paving stones arranged around the five mills. The conical bases of the mills had a hopper mounted on top of it into which enslaved workers poured grain while other slaves and blindfolded donkeys would turn the grinding stone. The room’s tiny windows did not face the outdoors‚ so cannot have let in much in the way of light. The production area that has been uncovered is devoid of doors and communication with the outside world; the only exit leads into the atrium of the house‚ not even the stable has direct access to the street‚ as is often the case. “It is‚ in other words‚ a space in which we have to imagine the presence of people of servile status whose freedom of movement the owner felt the need to restrict‚” notes Director Gabriel Zuchtriegel…. “It is the most shocking side of ancient slavery‚ the one devoid of both trusting relationships and promises of manumission‚ where we were reduced to brute violence‚ an impression that is entirely confirmed by the securing of the few windows with iron bars.” The cylindrical masonry structures took up a great deal of room in the restricted space in the room‚ mills crammed into a very restricted space‚ making it impossible for two donkeys attached to different mills to pass each other. Instead‚ they had to synchronize their steps to walk into each other’s gaps. To guide the steps of the animals‚ semi-circular cutouts were made in the pavers. This had the added advantage of helping the animals not to slip on the smooth volcanic basalt slabs. “Iconographic and literary sources‚ particularly the reliefs from the tomb of Eurysaces in Rome‚ suggest that a millstone was usually moved by a couple consisting of a donkey and a slave. The latter‚ in addition to pushing the grindstone‚ had the task of inciting the animal and monitoring the grinding process‚ adding grain‚ and collecting the flour.” The wear on the various indentations can be attributed to the endless cycles‚ always the same‚ carried out according to the pattern laid out in the pavement. More than just a groove it reminds us of the gears of a clockwork mechanism‚ designed to synchronize the movement around the four tightly packed millstones found in this area.

When Garrison Keillor takes the stage‚ he does not stride‚ march‚ or trot. At 81‚ he tends to shamble and meander‚ but his tottering manner does not seem to be the product of age as much as attitude:…

“And Israel beheld Joseph’s sons‚ and said‚ Who are these? And Joseph said unto his father‚ They are my sons‚ whom God hath given me in this place. And he said‚ Bring them‚ I pray thee‚ unto me‚ and I will bless them. Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age‚ so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them‚ and embraced them. And Israel said unto Joseph‚ I had not thought to see thy face: and‚ lo‚ God hath shewed me also thy seed. And Joseph brought them out from … The post The Editors’ Quote of the Day: appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

To be prepared for a crisis‚ every Prepper must establish goals and make both long-term and short-term plans. In this column‚ the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening‚ ranch improvements‚ bug-out bag fine-tuning‚ and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles‚ but written incrementally and in detail‚ throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those –or excerpts thereof — in the Odds ‘n … The post Editors’ Prepping Progress appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

One often overlooked item for a bugout bag is a Sillcock Key. This handy little wrench will allow you to access tap water from commercial establishments that have “limited access” water spigots.  It is commonly called a Sillcock Key‚ Sillcock Wrench‚ or Sillcock Handle. You often see “security” spigot taps on the exterior walls of restaurants‚ stores‚ school buildings‚ shopping malls‚ and warehouses. There are several different styles.  Some of them are “frost free”‚ and some are not. There are at least four different anti-tamper key patterns in common use in the United States‚ Mexico‚ and Canada. Hence the need … The post For Your Bugout Bag: The Humble Sillcock Key appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

On December 9‚ 1793‚ Noah Webster established New York’s first daily newspaper‚ the “American Minerva“. — On December 9‚ 1315‚ the Swiss Woudsteden renewed the Eternal Covenant. (The Oath Society) — On December 9‚ 1688 King James II‘s wife and son fled England for France‚ to help preserve the Stuart family. — December 9th‚ 1914 was the birthday of Maximo Guillermo “Max” Manus. He was one of the few Norwegians who had the testicular fortitude to put his life on the line‚ fighting the Nazi occupiers. (There surely would have been more active resistance fighters‚ but fearing widespread reprisal executions … The post Preparedness Notes for Saturday — December 9‚ 2023 appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

No parent should be made responsible for crimes committed by their child. Otherwise my father would have ended up in prison the day that I threw a bottle at the town’s mayor from my pram. Seeing as I did it‚ it came to nothing. If my father had done it‚ it would have been an assault on authority. So no parent should be responsible for what their child does‚ unless they are in on it and are part of the plot by acts or omission. This “omission” includes receiving payments‚ gifts‚ or even advising the petty criminal to make more profit from his illegal activity. Is this what Joe Biden has done? I don’t know. But what I know for sure is that he knows. So‚ at the very least‚ Joe Biden has lied a lot‚ he has lied about this‚ and he has lied the whole time. If you have a mischievous child and you are some anonymous middle-class citizen‚ without influence or even adequate knowledge to understand the mess your child is in‚ all you can do probably is shrug your shoulders and pray to St. Monica. If you have a son getting into trouble and you are the president‚ have been vice president for eight years and senator for more than 30‚ and you are one of your country’s best-known and most influential politicians in recent decades‚ then the normal thing would be to use all the mechanisms‚ influences‚ and friends you have at hand to at least try to find out what kind of business your son is involved in. (READ MORE: Hunter Biden Indicted in California) If Joe Biden didn’t know exactly what his son was up to‚ then he was wrong to run before he figured it out. It doesn’t take a veteran FBI agent to figure out that Hunter doesn’t spend his free time going to church and donating to charities. If Joe Biden knew what his son was up to‚ even if he thought that being president would make it easier to help him out of his problems unscathed‚ his fall will be so hard (it is only a matter of time) that it’s quite possible that the only thing that might save him is paradoxically his advanced age. It does not take a Hunter Biden scandal to come to the conclusion that the Biden administration is an embarrassment for the United States‚ a waste of time‚ and a leap into the void by a nation driven to suicide by a Democratic Party in which‚ as in the West as a whole‚ the more radical Left has gradually taken power. The post-modern Left is either far left or it is nothing at all. They tend toward totalitarianism‚ and Trump’s excuse of an unabashed mandate has given them an excuse to get rid of any and all moderation. They are used to a submissive Right. When conservatives behave with pride in their beliefs‚ the Left becomes radicalized because it becomes clear that they are worse at everything: ineffective in economic management‚ incapable of uniting a nation‚ poisonous with their ideological policy‚ ridiculous in energy and environmental policy‚ and unstable and weak in foreign policy. The only way to stay in power then is to set the streets on fire with violence and sectarianism. That is the groove that the Democratic Party is stuck in. That is what the Biden administration is doing‚ even though‚ now that they are in power‚ they will often put on a mask of moderation. When their power becomes endangered‚ they will return to the streets‚ to BLM‚ and to justifying those who murder or set fire to shops. But add to all this the embarrassing Biden corruption scandal‚ the amount of lies that have been told before and after the election‚ and this judicial ticking time bomb‚ and the only question on my mind is: what is he waiting for to go home? It’s time to rest‚ Joe. While you’re sitting in your rocking chair‚ knitting and looking out the window‚ you’ll have time to prepare a better defense. Translated by Joel Dalmau.  READ MORE: Five Quick Things: The Chorus Builds‚ the Foundation Shakes Dumping the Term ‘Bidenomics’ Isn’t Enough for Joe The post The Biden Case: Who Is the Thief and Who Is the Liar? appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

George Kennan and Henry Kissinger had much in common. They served their country as diplomats and policy formulators — Kennan as a foreign service officer and director of the State Department’s policy planning staff; Kissinger as national security adviser and secretary of state. Both served in diplomatic/national security posts when the United States was at war — Kennan in World War II and Korea; Kissinger during the Vietnam War. Both wrote great works of history — Kennan’s The Decline of Bismarck’s European Order‚ The Fateful Alliance‚ The Decision to Intervene‚ and Russia Leaves the War; Kissinger’s A World Restored and Diplomacy. Both were members of the influential Council on Foreign Relations and contributed important essays to the Council’s premier journal‚ Foreign Affairs. Both wrote magnificent memoirs (Kennan in two volumes‚ Kissinger in three). Both were consulted by presidents and policymakers of both major U.S. political parties. Both contributed to America’s foreign policy debate long after they officially retired from government service (Kennan died at age 101‚ Kissinger at age 100). And both were foreign policy realists who thought about the world in Bismarckian realpolitik fashion. Kissinger was a great admirer of Kennan. In the first volume of his memoirs‚ Kissinger applauded Kennan for coming “as close to authoring the diplomatic doctrine of his era as any diplomat in our history‚” referring to the containment doctrine that Kennan advocated in his famous “X” article in Foreign Affairs in July 1947 and that helped shape U.S. foreign policy throughout the Cold War. Kissinger wrote that Kennan’s thought “suffused American foreign policy on both sides of the intellectual and ideological dividing lines for nearly half a century.” Kennan‚ Kissinger opined‚ was both a “brilliant analyst” and a “singularly gifted prose stylist.” “No other foreign service officer‚” Kissinger noted‚ “ever shaped American foreign policy so decisively or did so much to define the broader public debate over America’s world role.” But what did Kennan think of Kissinger? Kennan’s best biographer‚ John Lewis Gaddis‚ wrote that Kennan once remarked that Kissinger “understands my views better than anyone at State ever has.” David Mayers in his study of Kennan noted that both Kennan and Kissinger prized “international stability far more than reforming the world in America’s image.” Lee Congdon notes that Kennan considered that detente with the Soviet Union showed Kissinger’s “measure of imagination‚ boldness of approach‚ and sophistication of understanding.” The best source for Kennan’s views on Kissinger‚ however‚ are The Kennan Diaries. Kissinger is mentioned on 12 pages of the diaries‚ beginning in 1966‚ when Kennan writes briefly about having lunch with Kissinger‚ “who is now fully recovered from the militaristic preoccupations of earlier years.” Kennan may have been referring to Kissinger’s book Nuclear Weapons and Foreign Policy‚ which argued the feasibility of “limited nuclear war” and advocated a conventional weapons build-up in the face of the Soviet challenge. Kennan noted that Kissinger believed that the U.S. policy toward Germany was “alienating everyone else in Europe and recreating the France-Russian alliance.” The Franco-Russian alliance of the late 19th to early 20th century was the subject of Kennan’s book The Fateful Alliance‚ an alliance that he believed help bring about the First World War — a war that Kennan considered the “seminal catastrophe” of the 20th century.  When Kissinger became national security adviser and later secretary of state‚ Kennan occasionally traveled to Washington at Kissinger’s request for lunches and consultations. Kennan would send Kissinger copies of remarks or speeches he planned to make and in one instance sought Kissinger’s advice on where to publish such remarks. At some of these lunches‚ Kennan and Kissinger discussed both contemporary events and history‚ including their mutual admiration for Bismarck.  In late May 1990‚ Kennan was invited to a state dinner at the White House for then-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. He noted in the diaries that “Henry Kissinger greeted me with real warmth‚ which moved me.” The last entry mentioning Kissinger is dated March 24‚ 1994‚ in which Kennan notes that he received a copy of Kissinger’s new book‚ Diplomacy. Kennan noted that Kissinger’s office called and wanted to arrange a lunch meeting. Kissinger’s Diplomacy resembled in tone and philosophy Kennan’s 1951 book American Diplomacy.    Kennan and Kissinger were both members of the American foreign policy establishment‚ which is reviled by some on the ideological right and others on the ideological left. Kennan‚ like Kissinger‚ deplored the anti-war movement in the streets of America in the 1960s‚ even as he argued for withdrawal from Vietnam. Unlike many of Kissinger’s colleagues in academia‚ Kennan never condemned Kissinger for attempting to end the war in Vietnam with honor. Kennan saw the wisdom of the Nixon–Kissinger policy of detente with the Soviet Union — a policy Kennan had been advocating since the 1950s. Kennan‚ like Kissinger‚ understood that there were no permanent solutions in the foreign policy arena. He also understood‚ with Kissinger‚ that the United States‚ to paraphrase Lord Palmerston‚ has no permanent friends and no permanent enemies‚ only permanent interests.  Unlike Kennan‚ Kissinger never became alienated from American society; nor did he‚ like Kennan did‚ allow the fear of nuclear war to cloud his geopolitical judgment. Kennan‚ as the great historian Richard Pipes noted‚ developed a “distaste for democracy” and “came to believe that democracies were incapable of conducting a long-range foreign policy.” Kennan’s fear of nuclear war in the 1980s nearly turned him into a Soviet apologist. That never happened to Kissinger‚ who rightly viewed nuclear weapons in the context of the larger geopolitical struggle with the Soviets. Kennan was the more introspective of the two‚ while Kissinger was more at ease in the public spotlight. In the end‚ our country was fortunate to have two such scholar-statesmen to counsel our leaders in times of great peril. READ MORE: Henry Kissinger: Eight Decades of Service to American National Security Russia’s Top Officials React to Henry Kissinger’s Death Henry Kissinger‚ RIP The post Kennan and Kissinger appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

How would you answer this question: What is the measure of a man? Martin Luther King Jr. weighed in with this perspective: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience‚ but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” To make the discussion more interesting and the question more personal‚ allow me to introduce my hero‚ my dad. Although he passed away over 20 years ago and the daily pain of his absence has faded‚ occasions of profound sadness arise when I think about how much I miss him. Oddly enough‚ he recently came to mind when I was pondering a recent moral-judgment tirade of some woke folk. I suppose juxtaposing fond memories of my dad with irrational social justice behavior warrants explanation. Measuring my Hero From 1947 to 1981‚ my dad ran a restaurant in a rural Central Florida setting located near a Black community on the outskirts of town. One of our neighbors was Mr. Alexander‚ a true southern gentleman and a farmer. As a neighborly gesture‚ my dad helped feed Mr. Alexander’s swine by collecting our restaurant scraps in a barrel that Mr. Alexander serviced every week. Dad also owned a 28-acre tract of land behind the restaurant that was a failed orange grove experiment. Dad grew up around farming and was familiar with the hardships and risks of that career choice. So‚ in addition to helping feed the hogs‚ Dad also allowed Mr. Alexander to freely use the land to farm watermelons. I still have fond memories of Mr. Alexander plowing that field with a mule in the blazing Florida sun. Dad grew up in the South during hard times. It was an era that left a deep impression on his soul and an environment that shaped his thinking. And while he was supportive of Mr. Alexander’s desire to profit from watermelon farming to provide for his family‚ my dad would not have supported my courting Mr. Alexander’s daughter. My dad did not believe in racial superiority; rather‚ he believed in racial separatism when it came to certain matters such as love and marriage. I sometimes wonder how Dad would react to my ongoing‚ long-term mixed-race relationship today. My guess is he would just give me that old bear hug I sorely miss!  Since we now have more context‚ let’s return to that recent woke outburst I mentioned in the outset. As I was processing the details of that temper tantrum‚ the thought crossed my mind that if Dad were alive today and the opportunity arose‚ he would likely be a prime target of such tirades. Without a doubt‚ the woke among us would not hesitate to slap a “racist‚ privileged‚ white male” label on him. I am not suggesting that my dad’s generosity toward Mr. Alexander was somehow noble or virtuous and elevated his morality above reproach. Instead‚ I share this story to provide context when it comes to measuring a man. I just happen to believe the task requires much more than the convenience of dismissing most of what a person has stood for and accomplished by reducing their life to labels generated from the factory of misguided zealotry. It is unfortunate that the true measure of a man can be so easily discarded at the whim of an obsessive‚ postmodern social justice movement.  Measuring Privilege  This discussion about my dad would not be complete without navigating the dicey waters of white privilege. So‚ let’s brave those waters! Our man of privilege was born prematurely in 1921 following a six-month pregnancy. He was born at home by a midwife and weighed a mere one pound. The local physician said he would not live‚ so my grandmother did not even name him; the midwife did. He was so tiny they placed him in a doll bed and fed him milk with an eyedropper.  As a consequence of his premature birth‚ Dad had severe curvature of the spine‚ cerebral palsy‚ and was 80 percent deaf. When he was 8 years old‚ the stock market crashed‚ and the Great Depression began. His parents were poor‚ and school was challenging. There were no special classes for disabled people. He eventually graduated high school at 21 years of age by reading lips during the day and books by kerosene lamps at night. I know my dad lived most of his adult life in pain; I could see it in his face. His departure from this world was as difficult as his arrival. He suffered a severe heart attack and battled heart disease‚ which rendered him mostly bed-ridden for the remaining decade of his life. But‚ against all odds‚ he lived 82 years on the planet. He lived a life of difficulty and made his way through sheer hard work and determination. He was like a reflection of my grandmother‚ a woman who never stopped moving and insisted there was always work that needed to be done. My dad was of a different time‚ a generation that possessed a different perspective on social issues. I am sure he would find it difficult relating to woke students of this generation screaming about injustice while sitting in Ivy College classrooms‚ given his recollection of the barefoot and physically demanding two-mile treks during which he willed his twisted body forward to a one-room schoolhouse. My dad is not my hero because I feel sorry for him‚ nor do I wish him any sympathy. He is my hero because he never complained. There was no lack of pride in America‚ no grievances‚ and no special requests. He never contended that he was entitled to anything other than the right to life‚ liberty‚ and the pursuit of happiness. ***** Dr. King’s answer to our lead question is memorable‚ especially since it conjures up thoughts of judging character in the face of challenging situations. Life is a collection of moments that can easily be overshadowed by a singular action or viewpoint that may be out of step with modern cancel culture. Given the binary choice of either the man who had a positive impact on the social and economic well-being of the Alexander family or an alternate version who was supportive of my dating Mr. Alexander’s daughter‚ I prefer the version I got and am confident Mr. Alexander did as well. Moreover‚ in the end‚ I do not care about how other people measured my dad while he was alive or would measure him today. To me‚ he always stood 10 feet tall and always will. READ MORE: ‘Woke’ Defined Bigotry in Motion: The Frenzied Woke Attacks on Jason Aldean The post Wokeness Distorts the True Measure of a Man appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

There’s a perennial debate that arises at the end of every year when December and the beginning of Advent roll around. It’s one that leaves all of the people who have started humming carols under their breath feeling a little guilty. When is too early to start playing Joy to the World‚ and is streaming The Manhattan Transfer’s The Christmas Album on Dec. 1 a bit premature? (READ MORE: National Cathedral Slammed for Charging Fees for Christmas Liturgies) The difficult answer to the latter question is yes. Most of Advent is too early to start listening to Christmas carols. Getting the Christmas feels is all well and good — but not when you’re still weeks out from the actual event. Before you sign off on listening to music altogether (or rebelliously close this article and press play on your Spotify Christmas playlist)‚ you should know that there’s a whole forgotten genre of music intended just for these days of preparation. So‚ here are just a few suggestions to help you bide the time until Dec. 25. O Come‚ O Come Emmanuel It would be impossible to write a comprehensive list of Advent carols unless it began with the classic O Come‚ O Come Emmanuel. It is one of the few carols that has retained its popularity even in our modern secular world. Perhaps the reason is that its melody is so hauntingly beautiful. Or maybe it’s because so many of us grew up singing it before dinner while lighting the Advent wreath — one of the few universally practiced family liturgies left. (READ MORE from Aubrey Gulick: You’re Decorating for Christmas Wrong) O Come‚ O Come Emmanuel is one of those hymns that grows out of ancient ecclesiastical liturgies. It’s an English rendition of a Latin hymn based on the O Antiphons‚ a series of hymns tacked on to the end of the Catholic Church’s evening prayer during the final days leading up to Christmas. Somehow‚ during the centuries that it evolved into the hymn we know‚ the antiphons were mixed out of order — Veni Veni Emmanuel is the seventh O Antiphon‚ not the first. The hymn wasn’t translated into English until the 1850s‚ when John McNeele published his Mediæval Hymns and Sequences‚ translating the well-known Latin hymn as “draw nigh‚ draw nigh‚ Emmanuel” (not quite as catchy) just in time for Thomas Helmore to set the Latin text to the tune we are all familiar with‚ as the original O Antiphons were far more ornate. Since then‚ the hymn has been adopted both in its original Latin and its more popular English form as the Advent carol and has almost as many renditions as there are modern musicians. Comfort‚ Comfort Ye My People Unlike its more popular Advent cousin‚ Comfort‚ Comfort Ye My People might be mistaken as a Christmas song. Yet it consists of Isaiah’s heartfelt prayer for a Messiah. (READ MORE: Silence and the Impossibility of Martyrdom) The hymn was originally set in German by Johann Olearius in the 17th century‚ but it didn’t find its way into the English hymn tradition for another 200 years — despite George Handel’s setting of a similar text in his popular oratorio‚ Messiah. Olearius was not necessarily a lyricist. He was raised in a family of Lutheran theologians and was better known for his commentary on the bible and his translation of Thomas á Kempis’s The Imitation of Christ. But‚ in an age when Lutheran theologians were setting biblical texts and traditional chants into German for their congregations‚ Comfort‚ Comfort Ye My People stuck and was eventually translated into English — which is how most of us know it. Savior of the Nations‚ Come If J.S. Bach had a favorite Advent carol‚ it was likely this one‚ which he knew as Nun Komm Der Heiden Heiland. He composed a plethora of organ chorales and choral works to this tune for the Advent season. His frequent settings of this tune makes a lot of sense considering that Martin Luther is frequently credited with adapting the text from St. Ambrose’s Veni Redemptor Omnium‚ a chant hymn sometimes sung during either Christmas or Advent. Savior of the Nations‚ Come walks the line between being a Christmas and an Advent carol. It speaks of the birth of Christ in the past tense‚ but nonetheless invokes the coming of Christ in a manner that echoes the adventus sentiment of the season. Savior of the nations‚ come; virgin’s Son‚ make here Thy home! Marvel now‚ O heav’n and earth‚ that the Lord chose such a birth. The first verse captures the dichotomy of a Savior who has come‚ and is also preparing to come — something that many harmonizations of the hymn also pick up on by using alternating minor and major chords to capture the grand mystery of this season. Adam Lay Ybounden As indicated by its title‚ Adam Lay Ybounden is an old English Advent carol — old enough that we don’t know who wrote the lyrics — and it is frequently set to a melody composed by Boris Ord‚ a British organist from Cambridge. The hymn retells the story of the fall of man from Genesis 3‚ but despite its tragic subject‚ it ends hopefully: Blessed be the time That apple taken was! Therefore we may singen Deo Gratias! The hymn was rediscovered and printed by Thomas Wright in the mid 1830s‚ and he speculated that it had likely been used in the mystery plays that parishes had held during the Middle Ages in an effort to educate children on tenets of the faith — a theory that makes sense considering that many of the mystery plays were retellings of salvation history. O Radiant Dawn O Radiant Dawn is not a congregational hymn‚ but James MacMillan’s glorious arrangement of it has nevertheless made its way to choir lofts and concert stages around the world. Like O Come‚ O Come Emmanuel‚ the text comes from the O Antiphons and compares the Christ-child‚ the lumen mundi‚ to the sun rising over the earth and dispelling the “shadow of darkness.” The text concludes with an aptly selected passage from Isaiah: The people who walked in darkness have seen the great light upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone. Amen. This Advent carol captures the sentiment of longing that defines this season of preparation. After singing songs like these for four weeks‚ indulging ourselves with carols like Joy to the World feels that much sweeter on Christmas day. The post Ready to Celebrate Christmas? Listen to These Advent Carols First. appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.