a Jake story...

this story happened today, and is typical Jake.

The setting: a little after school Bible club that started today.  

Eleanor, the teacher,  was sharing the story about Jesus' birth and she mentioned Caesar (you know, Caesar Augustus issued a decree for a census for "taxing" purposes).  Jake pipes up with "Caesar was kidnapped by pirates, it's true!"  and we all have this stunned look on our faces and Eleanor says "is that so?  where did you learn that?"  and Jake says "I read it in a book!"

 

So later at home, I ask Jake to show me the book.  He digs out a Pirate book (I believe we bought it with the gift card from the grandparents, or it's a book they sent for Christmas).  And sure enough, there's a story about how Julius Caesar (the wrong caesar, but one nonetheless) was kidnapped by Cicilian pirates.  I just couldn't believe it could be true, so I googled "Julius Caesar pirate" and sure enough, came up with several articles of the incident.  By the way, what a nut job Julius Caesar was!  But it's a very interesting story.  Read this:  http://www.livius.org/caa-can/caesar/caesar_t01.htm  and also go to here: http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/caesar.html  scroll down to 75 BCE and read the last sentence there.  LOL!  Crazy man!  Who needs fiction when this sort of thing happens in real life?!

 

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Okay, I hate to tag this onto my cute child story, but speaking of crazy...  things are so crazy here in Hawaii.  You know how when something huge happens there are copycats?  That's happening here.  I heard this made the national news, last week a little toddler was tossed over an overpass onto a highway.  Just stunningly shocking.  Horrible.  Well, a few days later, someone jumped off an overpass.  She survived.  Tonight it happened again.  Another jumper.  It's just horrible.

 

The day before (or was it two days?) the toddler incident, in the very town I live in, a man beat to death a woman (his ex) with a shotgun.  In the street with lots of witnesses.  Horrible.  The lady was starting to pull her life together and was growing away from this horrible man and I guess this threw him over the edge.  Huge guy with lots of priors.  Scary.  (Most of the witnesses were elderly, so you can't judge them.)  He ran her down with his car, pulled her out of her car and began to beat her.  A 69 year old neighbor tried to intervene and he got bashed in the head with the shotgun (concussion and contusions).  The shotgun was loaded.  Obviously he was blind with rage or else he would have just pulled the trigger.  scary.  Anyway, like I said, she had pulled her life together and just two weeks prior had been going to church and was saved.  Wow.

 

Makes you think, huh?  I know what I'm thinking...

 

Anyway, this is not everyday Hawaii.  It's just what's been happening lately.  I don't want to give the wrong impression.  Yes, domestic violence is bad here, I'm not denying that.

 

I better shut up now.  :-)