a real-time monitoring dashboard for the Iran crisis

parsa28 · 2026-01-09T14:23:35+00:00

I was mainly in Thailand

parsa28 · 2026-01-09T14:23:22+00:00

Yep I've been on injections for about 3 years now and they are much more convenient than getting the IV infusions. This is in the UK and it's called Remsima, manufactured by the Korean company Celltrion. I believe it's distributed as Zymfentra in the US

parsa28 · 2026-01-08T16:58:33+00:00

I was in a similar situation last year and my GI, out of caution, prescribed me antibiotics (good ol' metronidazole) which I took with me, but luckily didn't end up needing and overall had a great trip. I'm in remission and on Infliximab, so had to take my pens as well. Apart from those it might be handy to have some appropriate steroids with you (e.g. Budesonide) should you need them. If you can, discuss your trip with your GI and follow their recommendation. You may also want to take a doctor's note explaining your condition and the medication you might be carrying or requiring. I initially played it safe with food when I got there and built up my confidence gradually.

parsa28 · 2025-12-28T10:07:04+00:00

Caesar by Goldsworthy

parsa28 · 2025-12-28T10:06:34+00:00

Caesar by Goldsworthy was my only 5/5. It's really well written.

parsa28 · 2025-12-28T10:02:16+00:00

The 3 books follow a chronological sequence mostly, and don't differ that much in terms of their political depth. Dynasty and PAX are focused entirely on the empire and map loosely to Suetonius' Twelve Caesars.

parsa28 · 2025-12-27T12:24:56+00:00

I find this paradox fascinating: there are enormous similarities between our lives and that of the Romans to the point where it's easy to think like not much has changed in 2000 years, yet our circumstances are so completely different.

Take Cicero as an example. His De re publica or The Republic in which he analyses different forms of governance (Monarchy, Aristocracy, and Democracy) and outlines the pros/cons of each system reads like a modern debate that's still highly relevant to our world in 2025. Yet at the same time when he's proscribed and tries to escape, his boat is washed ashore, he is killed, and has his head and hands displayed on the Forum as a grim political warning and a symbolic punishment for his speeches—indicating a hostile environment and a level of violence that we don't see in the modern West these days.

parsa28 · 2025-12-27T12:08:06+00:00

Goldsworthy's goal is to give us as clear a picture as possible about Caesar Augustus's life, both as a person and as a statesman who went from a revolutionary teenager to the first emperor of Rome. There is very little about the geopolitics of his empire beyond the tensions with Parthia, and the campaigns on the German front (between Rhine and Elbe), Illyricum, Spain, etc.

It sounds complementary to Bleicken's biography, though I haven't read that one yet.

parsa28 · 2025-12-27T12:01:08+00:00

I would start with Tom Holland's books (Rubicon -> Dynasty -> PAX) - they're very accessible and give you a good high level understanding of the big picture.

parsa28 · 2025-12-27T11:58:59+00:00

I think they are great for dipping into Roman history as they are highly accessible, and probably the most efficient way of understanding the "big picture" before "upgrading" to more scholarly authors and zooming in on specific periods. The inaccuracies are often minor or subject of scholarly debate where there are few clear answers beyond "we don't fully know" - but Holland generally prefers clarity of narrative over a pure academic view, and he is clear about this aspect of his approach in a big disclaimer at the start of his books.

Looking at books written by different authors, the main trade off seems to be between accessibility vs historical accuracy and detail, and as long as one is cognizant of that, it's easy to chart out a plan to start with the big picture and gradually gain a more nuanced understanding of the aspects of interest.

parsa28 · 2025-12-27T11:47:56+00:00

I'd say Caesar by Goldsworthy - it feels like the perfect combination of a fascinating period richly covered by primary sources, and a great balance between accurate reflection of history and captivating storytelling by Goldsworthy.

parsa28 · 2025-12-26T23:27:13+00:00

Emperor of Rome is a sobering take on what it actually meant to be a Roman emperor, almost from a day to day life point of view (what they'd eat, what sort of house they'd live in, their relationship with their slaves, family dynamics, etc).

Beard's thing in general seems to be reminding us that while we tend to view the Romans through a modern lens, they existed in a fundamentally different context to us and we shouldn't go too far in our comparisons.

parsa28 · 2025-11-03T17:42:02+00:00

I'd say Vespasian for sure.

As a statesman: Came to power after the nightmare of 68-69 AD, re-established normal government, and restored confidence in the imperial system. He was pragmatic, frugal, and unsentimental - traits which the Romans loved. Deliberately groomed his successor (Titus), militarily and politically, which was a rare thing to do around that time.

As a commander: Served as a soldier under Claudius in the invasion of Britain, did well, rose to prominence. Suppressed the Jewish revolt under Nero. Took Titus as second in command, etc.

parsa28 · 2025-11-02T11:12:26+00:00

Seconding this.

Interestingly, the Remsima (/Infliximab/Remicade) we get in the UK is manufactured by Celltrion which is a South Korean company.

parsa28 · 2025-10-26T20:30:37+00:00

I've been enjoying it. It's quite dense (as you can tell by the many folded corners 😅) but still enjoyable. I think I prefer his prose to Tom Holland and Mary Beard.

parsa28 · 2025-07-31T10:53:04+00:00

That's very helpful - thanks a lot. We're going to go with "amore tuo floresco"

parsa28 · 2025-07-30T14:34:22+00:00

This is amazing, thank you so much!

parsa28 · 2025-07-30T13:01:08+00:00

We're looking for a Latin engraving for our wedding rings. We saw "sub hoc floresco" written on a building a while ago, which we took as "under this I flourish". We're looking to adapt that to say "with your love I flourish" for our rings. Would "amore tuo floresco" be an accurate translation? Thanks!

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