There's this guy. I've known him for about ten years. I'm one of the few people that would say they like him. He is--bar none--the most sour individual I've ever known. Totally Oscar the Grouch. Don't let a little sunshine ruin your rainy day. Always look on the crappy side of life. He cornered me tonight on the PATH train. Usually, I focus in on his dry sense of humor and the vulerability he takes such pains to mask, and it's fine. He just drove me batshit tonight.

Ah well. I earned a crown in heaven.

In other news, I found a book on Amazon.com. It's called 'Slavery and Society at Rome,' written by Keith Bradley. From the author's preface:

This book is concerned with what it was like to be a slave in the classical Roman world, and with the impact of the institution of slavery on Roman society at large. it shows how and in what sense Rome was a slave society through much of its history, considers how the Romans procured their slaves, discusses the work roles slaves fulfilled and the material conditions under which they spent their lives, investigates how slaves responded to and resisted slavery and argues that, paradoxically, slavery as an institution became more and more oppressive over time under the influence of philosphical and religious teaching. The book stresses the harsh realities of life in slavery and the way in which slavery was an integral part of Roman civilisation.

Didn't know I was a history buff, didja?

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