Not familiar with it. I'm a massive fan of history, but I like the 8th-14th century (specifically, 12th-14th France). MMM...now I'm hungry for Freedom Fries.

I would, however, love it if Elagabalus had not been written out precipitously my those considering themselves more moral

I did like Graves' Claudius - good work there on a 'catch the reader' basis.

"(I'm one of those All-but-dissertation MA people) "

Pick a subject, find an open question, answer it. Just get it done!

Haven't seen it. I have generally not made much time in the last four decades for visuals beyond the occasional old chestnut or 'beyond the pale' sort of work, so I don't see many films. I wish I had time for more fiction, but there's so much good science being written about. If I had to list my top three recent (relatively) great fictional reading experiences, they'd be:

Kristin Lavransdatter (Sigrid Undset)

The Book of Ruth (Jane Hamilton)

White Bird in A Blizzard (Laura Ican'tevenbegintospellherlastnameitsPolish)

Mostly I've spent the last decade writing accreditation documentation for clinical academic programs (thankfully done with thatnow. Imagine the Sahara...on a really DRY day.

And Glenn will probably be angry with us for cluttering his thread in this way.

Well at least our literary discussion brings down the level of vitriol...that' worth something!

Well, history - on it's smallest scale - is about "connections".

How lucky we are to have technological tools to transcend (excuse all that alliteration) distance and time.

(And yes, GC! is a most blessed personage.

...Time to change Mom and put her to bed and set the movement alarms...

Let's all argue again tomorrow!

...crime really does pay! This was fascinitating reading. Now I have disinfect my mind.

...but I think popping for the Shafer is over the top considering the economy. Families are spending less than the cost of that each month on food and trying to make it stretch.

fine black ass in a dashiki for the next 8 years in the White House, and gets her hair up in a big old natural! And takes a stroll every godDAMNED saturday morning down the capitol mall (while reading Harvard Law Review).

And I think the fabric here:

http://afrofabric.com/voile-lace/5yards-yellow-black-voile-lace.html

will be perfect for the Oval Office and a re-do of the Lincoln Bedroom.

It's about time.

...Marla Gibbs get a cabinet position. Any cabinet position. But I'm leaning towards Health and Human Services for her...

Well, I dunno. When I'M elected LOTFW, I expect a lot of commentary on my ass!

Maybe what's being missed here...is that we are really celebrating the passage of a stereotype (uberprogressively) past a type to just...'that'.

(I have to confess, I was at a massive [late] Guy Fawkes celebration Saturday night, and we talked about Michelle's ass -- and there were black women present -- and they were saying exactly the same thing; along with some great political insight into the roles of black women in American politics and culture. And yeah, it included a lot of great Oregon Pinot Noir).

And we burned skinny-assed palin effigies..

You're missing what the writer is feeling here:

,i>"Free at last. I never thought that I -- a black girl who came of age in the utterly anticlimactic aftermath of the civil rights movement -- would say the phrase with any real sincerity in my lifetime.",i.

And quit gettin' all mean on Joan.

Again, you're missing it.

It's not about the ASS.

It's about black women, strong black women, (arguably almost always behind the success of many black men and not a few white men) finally getting their own, on a big scale. Michelle wasn't the first black female to win an oscar in the white house, or the first black female to cure a disease in the white house. She is the first black female from the South Side bringing her own incredible ass UP on her own merits alongside a strong black man to become the first black First Lady with a GodDAMN impressive resume and YES, all the black BACK that comes with her. And seemingly, busy as she was, a helluva mom.

This is an article about JOY.

This is ALSO about...hey, you know what? She doesn't have to be Naomi Campbell to be strong, successful, and THERE NOW, 'cause not everybody fits into a size 0 dress.

I think the kids will be fine. As the children of brilliant parents, well cared for, they should have no problem processing this when the finally have to study the history of their parentage.

And I will go on record as saying that I think that the obsessions with Jackie's figure, clothing and actions while a political figure were incredibly damaging to feminism as a movement while she herself was not.

That's OK. I just bought a two-year subscription.

I don't know fromPhilly...

She appears into her photos to be quite the happy gal. Which was evident in her article as well.

How exactly do you think Joan has let her down? By allowing her a forum for her feminism? Her blackness? Her JOY?

How exactly is she let down when she is allowed to celebrate her gender, her feminism and her body-type?

Just sayin' ... seemed a bit misogynistic to me.

THANK YOU.

Next time I roast a pig in a hole in the ground, I'm dedicating it to you! (and that should be just around x-mas time)

...to be eaten by weasels.

...I shall have to speed up my work on an anti-vitriol potion. Of course, first I shall have to wash those volumetric pipettes...

...on a new pharmaceutical which I intend to brand as Rectaloxacin, a 24"x12" suppository which would force the rectum of the recipient to grow quickly to cover their entire body surface, thus creating one very large asshole. This would be a medication specifically for Joe...

...Howard to my X-mas Cotillion.

...drivel.