For Antonietta!

Never let it be said that I am a sore loser.

But... we'll be back!!!!!!!!!!!!

Roman gladiators' house collapses

This was picked up by special correspondent Sophia

Posted Sun Nov 7, 2010 1:23pm AEDT

The 2,000-year-old House of the Gladiators in the ruins of ancient Pompeii has collapsed, sparking fresh debate on whether the Italian government is doing enough to safeguard a world treasure.

The stone house, on the main street of the famous archaeological site and measuring about 80 square metres, collapsed just after dawn while Pompeii was closed to visitors, officials said.

Custodians discovered the collapse when they opened the UNESCO World Heritage site for the day.

The building was damaged by bombs during World War II and was restored in the late 1940s. Officials speculated that the collapse may have been caused by heavy rains.

The structure was believed to be where gladiators gathered and trained and used as a club house before going to battle in a nearby amphitheatre in the city that was destroyed by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

Known officially by its Latin name "Schola Armaturarum Juventus Pompeiani," the structure was not open to visitors but was visible from the outside as tourists walked along one of the ancient city's main streets.

Its walls were decorated with frescoes of military themes.

Measures were being taken to thwart further collapse, officials said.

Decay, garbage and looting

Art historians and residents have complained for years that the archaeological sites at Pompeii, among the world's most important, were in a state of decay and needed better maintenance.

Two years ago the Italian government declared a state of emergency for Pompeii. It lasted for about a year and allowed for extra funds and special measures but critics have said the special intervention was badly managed.

Opposition politicians were quick to criticise the government of prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, particularly culture minister Sandro Bondi, for the site's degradation.

Archaeologists and art historians have long complained about the poor upkeep of Pompeii, dogged by lack of investment, mismanagement, litter and looting.

Bogus tour guides, illegal parking attendants and stray dogs also plague visitors.

Some 2.5 million tourists visit Pompeii each year, making it one of Italy's most popular attractions, and many have expressed shock at the site's decay.

Two-thirds of the 66-hectare town, home to some 13,000 people in the Roman era, have been uncovered since serious excavations began some 260 years ago.

The remaining third is still buried and many modern buildings have been constructed over it.

Wallabies won again!!!! Another good week!!!

Humorabteilung

Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg loved a good joke but discovered during the First World War that these were not commonly found in East Prussia, where he had made his military career, and that worldwide appreciation of German humour was at a very low ebb in the 1920s.



When he became President of the Weimar Republic in 1925 one of his first actions was to issue a decree establishing a government department called the Humorabteilung under the command of a powerful official, the Staatswitzmeister, responsible for organising training courses for aspiring comedians and taking measures to raise the general standard of German jokes.

This had moderate success in the following years until 1934, when Hindenburg died and Adolf Hitler came to power. None of the Nazi leaders had any sense of humour at all (Julius Streicher published a comic newspaper for some years but the cartoons were whimsical rather than funny). The Humorabteilung was closed down, the post of Staatswitzmeister was abolished, the Third Reich was declared to be a Lachenfrei state and jokes of any kind were forbidden.

After the Second World War glumness prevailed throughout Germany and very little laughter was heard for some years. Then, in 1949, Konrad Adenauer became Chancellor of the Federal Republic of West Germany at the age of 79. He had been a popular stand-up comedian in Berlin nightclubs in the 1920s ("History is the sum total of things that could have been avoided” was one of his quips, but it sounded better in German and anyway it was the way he told it). Under his leadership a Lustspielhaus was set up in all major cities and the bierkellers echoed with Teutonic chortling once more.

Today, of course, Germany has regained its place among the top joke-making nations of Europe, and every German institution or company has its Lachenbüro with a qualified Witzleiter in charge, turning out a stream of comedy which in quality and scope has not been seen since the days of the Hohenzollerns. Here, for example, is a contribution by the Bayerische Werke to the jollity:

We'll see you on Sunday Antonietta!

We had a good HEX Day today!

2011 HEX went to the Museum of Sydney, the Mint & the Police and Justice Museum for some inspiration!

The people at the Police and Justice let us go into the Loft - where they keep all their "secret" stuff!! lol Well, the stuff that they are working on and haven't released to the public yet.

At the MOS we looked at the Plague (Yuk!!!) in Sydney. Again good fun, except for the rats.

The only thing that I wasn't happy about was Jennifer Lawless telling everyone that she wanted them to write like Elton and not like Jenkins!!! Mmmmmmmmmm

Yes I know, I know.... why didn't we do anything kool like that?? Sorry people in 2010, but the museums are now getting their act together and offering some good stuff. Last year's program wasn't up to this!

It is now official! Worst HEX Question Ever!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am up to six HEX teachers including Mr Reis & myself, and we all think that the historical communication question was the WORST question ever!