-Caveat Lector- -----Original Message----- From: Ric Carter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: SkeptiChat list <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >-----Original Message----- >From: Che Monro <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Ave Pluto, > >Thanks for your tablet dated III December, sorry it's taken me so long to >get back to you - what with all these orgies, chariot races, games and >slave revolts going on, it's difficult for a man to keep his attention from >roman'... > >By Jupiter tho, this millennia changeover thingy is causing quite a stink, >isn't it? In Judea they're predicting bloody revolts, new stars in the >heavens, the appearance of a messiah - all the usual religious hysteria - >makes you glad to be a pagan, don't it? > >Personally I think you've underestimated the numerical complexity of it all >tho, Pluto old boy. 'Course maths never was your strong suit, was it - I >remember when we were at the gymnasium together with old Fatty... Ah, but I >mustn't digress... > >What worries me is that our Roman number system has no way of writing >nothing! How are we even going to represent the gods cursed thing? We can't >even use X - that means ten! Think about it, how will the barbarians >respond to an imperial proclamation like this? > >In the year nothing, word came down from Lord Caesar Augustus that all the >world should be taxed... > >It's laughable! > >Mark my words, we've got ourselves into a bind on this one - it'll all end >in tears. Personally I think we should move the seat of empire to >Alexandria. The Egyptians have been measuring time for over VI thousand >years, and they don't show any signs of stopping anytime soon? But do they >listen to me? Oh no! Typical! > >Well, I must go now. I just bought a new Persian slave girl, and the little >thing is unbelievably saucy. You wouldn't imagine some of the tricks these >barbarians... Ah, but I digress again. > >NIL ILLEGITIMATI CARBORUNDORUM, Dear boy, > >Cas > > > >At 11:06 AM 15/1/99 -0700, ANNETTE LYNN SPENCE wrote: >> >>> SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE >>> >>>While browsing through material in the recesses of the Roman >>>Section of the British Museum, a researcher recently came across >>>a tattered bit of parchment. After some effort he translated it >>>and found it was a letter from a man called Plutonius with the >>>title of "magister factorium," or keeper of the calendar, to one >>>Cassius. It was dated, strangely enough, 2 BC, December 3 -- >>>about 2,000 years ago. The text of the message follows: >>> >>>Dear Cassius: Are you still working on the Y zero K problem? The >>>change from BC to AD is giving us a lot of headaches and we >>>haven't much time left. I don't know how people will cope with >>>working the wrong way around. Having been working happily >>>downward forever, now we have to start thinking upward. You >>>would think that someone would have thought of it earlier and not >>>left it to us to sort it all out at the last minute. >>> >>>I spoke to Caesar the other evening. He was livid that Julius >>>hadn't done something about it when he was sorting out the >>>calendar. He said he could see why Brutus had turned nasty. We >>>called in the consulting astrologers, but they simply said that >>>continuing downwards using minus BC won't work. As usual, the >>>consultants charged a fortune for doing nothing useful. >>> >>>As for myself, I just can't see the sand in an hourglass flowing >>>upward. We have heard that there are three wise men in the East >>>who have been working on the problem, but unfortunately they >>>won't arrive until it's all over. Some say the world will cease >>>to exist at the moment of transition. >>> >>>We're continuing to work on the Y zero K problem and I'll send >>>you a parchment if anything develops. Best regards, Plutonius >>> >>> * * * * * > > > >*** SkeptiChat: Ver. 0.98.09.27 *** depending on your needs, >email "subscribe skeptichat" or "unsubscribe skeptichat" or >"info skeptichat" or "help" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. 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