Update

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 Once upon a time , someone asked me if I would be happy working a job that was not at the university. Since my position at the university closed in 2020, I found myself doing exactly that— working in jobs not at the university. It has been a very difficult transition.  Recently, things shifted quickly and in unexpected ways. The short version is that I am leaving the hotel which I am currently working, having taken a position at another.  The longer version of the story is that I stopped by to see my good friend and former GM at his new hotel. While I was visiting with him, one of the owners came out and introduced himself and we got to talking. After a few minutes, he said he wanted me to meet his brother. Our conversation turned into a job interview and 48 hours later I accepted a new position as front desk, manager and assistant operations manager. After some negotiating, we reached an agreement and I start my new position on April 9. It’s a much nicer hotel and these...

Trivial, but interesting (to me)

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I’m curious to see the new Gladiator movie coming out. The trailer looks amazing—but there’s this huge question about the rhinoceros in the “games.” Just this morning, reading some epigrams of Martial (38-104 AD), I came across this paragraph in his description of what we know as The Colosseum. Martial writes, “Shown along thy Arena's floor, O Caesar, a rhinoceros afforded thee an unpromised fray. what dreadful rage fired he with lowered head! How great was the bull to which a bull was as a dummy!” (Epigram ix, “On The Spectacles”)

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