Strange Brew by John Deering for January 02, 2024

It’s the last day at the office for Romulus Augustulus.

This reminds me of a friend who told me about the best job he ever had. There were 2 trays on his desk, an IN and an OUT. When he showed up to work, the IN tray was full. He would read the material from the IN tray, initial it, and put it in the OUT tray … he was done before lunch. After lunch, he said he came back and, if the OUT tray was untouched, he would move the contents back to the IN tray and slowly go through them again, placing them neatly into the OUT tray. (Did I mention that this was a federal government job?)

Deering just explained the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. Summarized a huge history book in one page.

Brilliant!

Sic transit the Transportation Secretary.

And thus went the Roman Empire.

Highness? The praetorian’s would like a word with you in private.

His autumn to-do list.

Business as usual, hold the banana peel.

… of the West.

Tidbit I find interesting: the literal translation of Der Untergang Des Abendlandes is not Decline of the West, but The Going-under of the Lands of Evening. Which I find more evocative.