SciShow lists '10 Things You Didn't Know About Pompeii' for the Ides of March

Beware the Ides of March! I'm continuing the theme of death and destruction in the Roman world with a sequel to last year's NOVA warns of 'The Next Pompeii' for the Ides of March, SciShow's list of 10 Things You Didn't Know About Pompeii.

You've heard of Pompeii and the volcano that wiped it out, but how much do you REALLY know about this incredibly famous place? Turns out there are a lot of mysteries that researchers are still studying, from the timing and causes of the deaths, to the geology of Mt. Vesuvius, and even stretching back to the origins of archaeology. So let's dig down through the ashes and get to the bottom of the coolest things you didn't know about Pompeii!

Hosted by: Hank Green (he/him)

Time to list what I learned from this video. First, I knew about Herculaneum being another city destroyed by Vesuvius, but this is the first I recall hearing of Oplontis and Stabiae. Second, while I knew that Vesuvius was a stratovolcano or composite cone, I didn't know the name of the previous volcano on the site, Mount Somma. Third, I didn't know about the centuries of eruptions, landslides, and earthquakes before 79 C.E., but I'm not surprised. I am a geologist, after all, and those are par for the course at a convergent plate boundary like the one that extends along the Italian Peninsula. Fourth, I didn't know that the eruption's time of year was not definitively known. Fifth, I think I'd heard that the excavations of Pompeii were the beginnings of modern archeology, but I needed to have that knowledge reinforced. I definitely didn't know the details! That written, it didn't occur to me that those were casts of the remains in the ash, not the remains themselves, which is the sixth subject I didn't already know. Seventh, the DNA studies are new, so I definitely hadn't heard of their results before, especially that one of the victims was suffering from tuberculosis. That shouldn't be surprising; tuberculosis is a very old disease. All these mean I learned a lot of new things today, making it a great day, despite its dire associations.

I close with a recreation of the eruption to the song for today, Siouxsie and the Banshees - Cities in Dust - Pompeii.


I didn't know I wanted this, but now I that I've seen it, it's perfect, other than using the August date, which is no longer supported by the physical evidence. Knowledge marches on.

Stay tuned for a break in the string of holidays as I present the Sunday entertainment feature. Awards show results, anyone?

Marching music for the Puerto Rico primaries

I have a change of plans for today's Sunday entertainment feature. Instead of the the next installment of marching music for primaries and caucuses being on April 23, 2024 for the Pennsylvania Presidential Primary, as I announced in Troopers, drum corps for the Wyoming Democratic Primary, I'm making today this year's version of Marching music for the Puerto Rico Primary. According to Ballotpedia, the Republican primary is today while the Democratic primary is next Sunday, April 28. That's also National Superhero Day. I already have something planned for next Sunday, so Puerto Rico's marching bands it is today.

I begin with Music Amenities video of Centenaria Banda Colegial, University of Puerto Rico - 2020 Pasadena Rose Parade.

The University of Puerto Rico - Centenaria Banda Colegial performs in the 131st Annual Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade held on Wednesday, January 1, 2020.

I'm repeating what I wrote four years ago about Music213's video — great performance, but camera handling issues. Luis was not alone in having those.

Now for the band I featured first four years ago, Banda Escolar de Guayanilla (BEG) - 2019 Pasadena Rose Parade, again from Music Amenities, who had a different perspective on the performance than Luis of Music213.

From Guayanilla, Puerto Rico

The Banda Escolar de Guayanilla performing at the 130th Annual Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade on Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Neither band has returned to the Rose Parade since 2020, but Banda SUM de Guayanilla performed in Italy last year. El Tropi Duo TV recorded those performances, the most popular of which was Banda SUM de Guayanilla, se roban el show en competencia de bandas en ITALIA. Translation: "SUM band from Guayanilla steal the show in band competition in ITALY."

Muy orgullosos de estos jóvenes representando nuestra Isla en Italia.
Banda SUM De Guayanilla. Segunda Unidad Macaná, Gloria M. Borrero Olivera, excelente participación.

Para aquellos que no pudieron disfrutarlo, aquí este manjar musical.
PUERTO RICO dice presente en ITALIA.

Translation: "Very proud of these young people representing our Island in Italy.
Guayanilla SUM Band. Second Macaná Unit, Gloria M. Borrero Olivera, excellent participation.

For those who couldn't enjoy it, here is this musical delicacy.
PUERTO RICO says present in ITALY."

El Tropi Duo TV has three other videos of this trip, but I'm being a good environmentalist and conserving them for the future. May the U.S. still have meaningful elections in 2028 and may I still be around to participate in them.

I conclude with the band in the preview image, Banda Escolar Yauco - Encendido Navidad 12-8-2023 by JEFR. Translation: "Yauco School Band - Christmas Lighting 12-8-2023."


That was fun to watch, even if I understood only half the narration. It's still an entertaining Christmas show, no matter the language.

That's a wrap for today's installment. I still plan on returning with marching music for the Pennsylvania primary after Earth Day and Talk Like Shakespeare Day. Tuesday will be busy!

Previous marching music for 2024 primaries and caucuses posts.

• Colts, Hawkeyes, Cyclones, and Rose Parade bands, marching music for the 2024 Iowa Caucuses
• The Spartans for a drum corps New Hampshire Primary
• Marching music for the 2024 South Carolina Primary — Carolina Crown, South Carolina, Clemson, and South Carolina State
• Marching music for the 2024 Nevada Primary from University of Nevada, Reno, and UNLV
• Marching music for the Michigan Primary — Legends, U of M, MSU, Rockford, and DeWitt
• Part one of marching music for Super Tuesday on Marching Music Day
• Marching music for Super Tuesday, part two
• Marching music for primaries in Georgia, Mississippi, and Washington plus Democrats Abroad
• Marching music for the Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, and Ohio Presidential Primaries on the Vernal Equinox
• Marching music for the Louisiana and Missouri primaries
• Marching music for Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin primaries
• Marching music for the Alaska, Hawaii, and North Dakota Democratic primaries
• Troopers, drum corps for the Wyoming Democratic Primary

NOVA warns of 'The Next Pompeii' for the Ides of March

Beware the Ides of March! After three years of Roman-themed drum corps shows, I'm returning to the theme of death and destruction in the Roman world and other dire warnings with The Next Pompeii from NOVA on PBS.

In the shadow of Vesuvius and Pompeii, a lesser-known volcano puts the city of Naples at risk. (Aired February 20, 2019)
...
In the shadow of Italy’s Vesuvius, a lesser-known volcano rumbles: Campi Flegrei. An eruption could endanger the millions of residents of the city of Naples. Scientists gain new insights into what happened in nearby Pompeii, and dig into the unique geology of Campi Flegrei. How will they know if the ever-shifting ground is reaching a breaking point? And can an innovative eruption warning system prevent Naples becoming the next Pompeii?

This episode contains several stories I tell my students, although I learned new things about nearly every one of them to update my lessons. The first one I describe to my geology students is the principle volcanologist Giuseppe Mastrolorenzo states, that processes that happened in the past are likely to repeat in the future, so understanding the past is essential for preparation. This is a key takeaway from uniformitarianism, the concept that everything we see in nature is the result of everyday processes occurring over sufficient time, which is boiled down to "the present is the key to the past." It also means that the past is the key to the future.*

The second story I show is of the Macellum of Pozzuoli, the Roman marketplace with the three columns containing holes from boring clams showing that they had been submerged and then lifted out of the sea. These appear in the frontispiece of Principles of Geology by Charles Lyell, the first geology textbook, as examples of processes acting over sufficient time lowering and then raising the ground the pillars stood on. I had never seen photographs of them, but I recognized them instantly from the illustration.

Both of the above appear in the second lecture of my geology course. The rest appear three lectures later, when I discuss volcanoes, beginning with my describing calderas. I use Mount St. Helens, Crater Lake, and Yellowstone as examples, but Campi Flegrei works just as well for explaining the mechanism of caldera formation. I also describe pyroclastic flows and Plinian eruptions, employing Mount Pinatubo and Mount Pelée as examples. In fact, I recognized some of the clips of vehicles fleeing pyroclastic flows as videos of Mount Pinatubo eruption in 1992. I also recognized the cause of the earliest deaths in Pompeii from Mount Pinatubo, as the roofs collapsed at U.S. military bases nearby from the weight of the ash. At least there, the Navy and Air Force had evacuated everyone.

Finally, using seismic waves to map the interior of the planet is a topic I include in my lecture about earthquakes. Using the sound of crashing waves to do so is something I may have encountered before, but it didn't stick. I'm sure it stuck this time, meaning I learned something new. It's always a good day when I learn something new, especially when I can share it with my students. Speaking of which, I will recommend this video to them. I hope they, along with my readers, find it as fascinating as I did.

I close with Garbage's cover of Siouxie and the Banshees song about the eruption of Vesuvius and destruction of Pompeii I embedded in Two songs about Pompeii and a volcano drink for the Ides of March six years ago, Cities in Dust.

The official video for Garbage's cover of “Cities in Dust” by Siouxsie and the Banshees, off their ‘Witness To Your Love’ EP.

One of the comments reads "Garbage covering Siouxsie and the Banshees is essentially a life-long dream come true." I agree. As soon as I heard this, I penciled it in for today's post.

Stay tuned for a non-holiday entry tomorrow, followed by St. Patrick's Day on Sunday, the Vernal Equinox on Tuesday, Happy International Day of Nowruz and the 13th birthday of Crazy Eddie's Motie News on Thursday, World Water Day on Friday, and Purim followed by Holi on Saturday and Monday. Busy, busy, busy!

*This reminds me of "Who controls the past, controls the future: who controls the present, controls the past" from 1984. Now I wonder if George Orwell had taken a science course that mentioned uniformitarianism and that later inspired him. File that under things that make me go "hmm."

'Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy' defends its Emmy for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special

I'm resuming my Emmy Awards nominations coverage by looking at Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy, which won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special last year. It's defending its category against two returning nominees and two newcomers.

Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special (Area)
The Light We Carry: Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey (Netflix)
My Next Guest with David Letterman and Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Netflix)
Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy (CNN)
Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (Hulu)
United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell (CNN)

Three of these nominees examine politics and government, two of my angles when examining awards shows, The Light We Carry: Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey, My Next Guest with David Letterman and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell. The other two, Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy and Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi, are food and travel shows that might touch on politics and government by accident. While I'm rooting for United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell, Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy is the two-time returning winner, the only nominee with multiple nominations (four, including Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program, Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program, and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction Program (Single or Multi-Camera) in addition to the nomination for the series itself), and the one that the experts at Gold Derby think will win. That's followed by My Next Guest with David Letterman and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell, currently tied for second place, and The Light We Carry: Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey and Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi tied f for fourth. Based on those criteria, I'm predicting that Tucci and his producers will walk away with the Emmy statuette whenever the Television Academy holds the Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremonies. Those are currently scheduled for September 9–10, 2023, but may be postponed because of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes. I hope that doesn't happen, but wouldn't be surprised if it did.

In any event, here is the trailer for season 3 of Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy from SBS Australia.

Academy Award nominee Stanley Tucci travels across Italy to discover the secrets and delights of the country's regional cuisines.

Looks like well-made fun, so I'm not surprised it's the returning winner and current favorite.

Follow over the jump for the rest of Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy's nominations and its competitors in those categories.

Marching bands from around the world in the 2023 Rose Parade for New Year's Day

Happy New Year! For 2023, I'm presenting this year's version of My favorite bands in the 2022 Rose Parade for New Year's Day, courtesy of Luis at Music213. Today's theme is "marching bands from around the world," so I'm embedding videos of the international units at Bandfest starting with Buhos Marching Band - 2023 Pasadena Bandfest.

From Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico The Buhos Marching Band performing their musical selections at the 42nd Annual Pasadena Tournament of Roses Bandfest on Friday, December 30, 2022.

The announcer mentioned that he enjoyed the Mexican bands at the Rose Parade because they are so colorful. They are that. Notice that the plumes are the colors of the Mexican flag and the band uses them to form a Mexican flag on the field for the finale. I'll return to that theme at the end of the entry. In the meantime, follow over the jump for the rest of the international units.

Colbert and Meyers lampoon 'Italygate' and debunk Trump's backwards pants

It's been almost a full month since I featured Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers here, so I can't resist them lampooning yet another conspiracy theory. I begin with Colbert's monologue from last night, Exactly What You Thought, But So Much Worse Than You Imagined.*

In this edition of Stephen's unfortunately ongoing segment, he looks at damning findings of law enforcement failures leading up to the Jan 6th Capitol riot, and an insane election fraud theory known as "Italygate."

After rushing through another report about the January 6 insurrection, Stephen moved on to "Italygate." That's at least as nutty as searching for bamboo fibers as part of the Arizona audit, but less racist.

Seth Meyers concentrated on that story in The GOP's Insane Election Conspiracy Theories Now Include "Italygate": A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at Donald Trump reportedly believing he'll be "reinstated" in the White House as some of his allies and supporters openly call for a coup.

Before I move on to the main conspiracy theories, I have to remark about Seth mentioning Rudy Guiliani's video about UFOs. On the one hand, I feel the same about addressing the official interest in UFOs as I do about "Fauci's emails and...the Wuhan lab-leak hypothesis, two narratives that I want to give as little attention to as possible." On the other, I have described this blog as having a "science fiction slant" on its Facebook page, so writing about the topic is on brand. I have two opportunities to do so, as there are two World UFO Days coming up, June 24 and July 2. Maybe by then I'll feel up to it.

As for "Italygate," Seth found it even more ridiculous than Stephen did. He also thought the idea that Trump wore his pants backwards was silly and quoted Snopes debunking it. Progressives have their own conspiracy theories, although they are a lot less convoluted and dangerous than the ones being promoted on the right, like the Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen.

I'm closing the circle today by returning to Colbert, whose Monday night monologue was The Zipper Was In Front - Fact-Checking No. 45's Pants Scandal, in which he also quoted Snopes debunking the idea.

After the internet delighted in the possibility that America's previous president was copying a look from the legendary rap duo Kriss Kross, people may be disappointed to hear that fact checkers have proven the president was not wearing his pants backwards at a speech in North Carolina last weekend.

While going back to the studio is more good news about the pandemic, I can tell Stephen is getting punchy from cabin fever after fifteen months of recording his show from home, but I think that made his monologues even more hilarious. Still, I will miss hearing his wife and crew laughing in the background when he returns to the studio next week. Stephen might also miss being able to do his show from home while wearing shirtsleeves and slippers.

Stephen's line about Trump "spends so much time yanking stuff out of his keister he just likes to have the zipper back there to make it easy" reminds me of one of my favorite insults of BS artists: If so-and-so ever had an intestinal blockage, he'd run out of material. After ten plus years of blogging, I finally got to use it here. Thanks, Stephen, for giving me the opening.

Stephen closed with space news. I really will have to cover both Jeff Bezos going into space and UFOs. Stay tuned for posts about those, eventually.

*I couldn't resist this shiny object. Writing about coral reefs for Coral Triangle Day and a late World Reef Awareness Day, which I wrote I might do yesterday, will just have to wait.

Italian military providing inspiration during coronavirus lockdown for The Ides of March

Beware The Ides of March!  To mark today, I was going to combine my usual theme of dread in the Med(iterranean) with my traditional Sunday entertainment feature by showing Italians singing to cheer themselves during their country's lockdown, but Paul W. at You Might Notice A Tread beat me to it.  No need for me to do that now when I can just refer my readers to his blog.

Instead, I will show something else inspiring, the Italian military putting on displays to bolster the morale of Italy's citizens.  I begin with VOA News showing Italian Paratrooper Supports Italy's COVID-19 Fight With Skydive.

An Italian army paratrooper dropped into Rome trailing a giant Italian flag, Friday, March 13, to express solidarity with the country as it is in lockdown due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Next, Mark 1333 uploaded a clip from BBC News showing Coronavirus (Covid-19) Italian air force display for Italy's people.

The Italian air force put on this display for Italy's people in unity and solidarity, as the country is in lock down.

I'd prefer to embed an official clip from BBC News, but there doesn't seem to be one.  Darn.  I hope this clip survives.  Even more important, I hope Italy gets out of lockdown soon and that the rest of the world, including the U.S., takes the example of Italy as a cautionary tale.