Beware, Idus Martiae

Bad things are supposed to happen today, Julias Caesar was assasinated on this day in 44 BC, after a seer warned him of great peril. He was stabbed to death by a group of Roman Senators to put an end to his alledged monarchial ambitions.

The event was immortalized in the 1798 painting by Vincenzo Cammuccini,

and of course, William Shakespeare. Ever since Caesar's death, the 15th of March has been associated with impending doom.

Doom can take many forms, it can be as in Caesar's case, death. It can also mean that something will be taken away from you (other than your life). Earlier in the week, there was a forecast that indicated that something that have been given to me would be taken away on this day. The guys and gals that get paid for being frequently wrong suggested that we would have 1 to 3 inches of snow today, and if that were true, the opening of the golf season that was provided on Tuesday, would be dearly departed for at least another week.

Well, as I write this, the prognosticators were thankfully wrong again, no snow will fall today so the Ides of March will not bring the dread of no golf. Maybe I should take care though, for Caesar said just before his death as he greeted the seer with a jest and said: "The Ides of March has come," and the seer said to him softly: "Yes, the Ides of March has come, but it has not passed."