The Ides of March: culture on the Iron Range

The Death of Caesar, by Jean-Léon Gérôme

Friday is the Ides of March, the famous day in which Roman Emperor Julius Caesar took a little walk down to the forum in 44 B.C. and was stabbed 23 times by 60 prominent conspirators. The term comes from a warning he received on the street, “Beware the Ides of March.” “Ha-Ha,” said Jules. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

What a joy that, 2,056 years later, we of the Mesabi Ferrum Regio could enjoy this press release:

Beware The … Ides of March. Because this years it’s gonna Rock! with The Dweebs, with special guest Captain May I, featuring former members of JUNK FM, HAIRBALL, 12RODS, SLOW CHILDREN.

Hibbing VFW Hibbing National Guard Armory Doors open at 6 p.m. must be 21 years of age to attend General Admission: $15.00-$20.00 at the door VIP: $35.00-$40.00 (includes concert cup and free beer all night) NO ATM ON-SITE. CASH ONLY EVENT! Ticket outlet locations: Ouch Ink, Sidelines Sports Bar, Central Liquor, Luckys Bar, Saginaw Union Station, Keewatin Kare.

These groups are popular mainstays at the Hibbing VFW, which is why I first thought the concert was there. Last weekend the Hibbing Daily Tribune ran a story entitled “Hibbing VFW: No longer grandpa’s country club.” Of course, if you were a super fan of 1980s music you probably graduated around 1986. You probably spent some time in the back of vans, which means there’s a chance you had a baby before 1990 and have a child now in their mid-20s — quite possibly having children themselves.

So that means it’s not grandpa’s country club, it’s your country club (adjacent to the town’s rolling acres of freeway) and you are a grandpa. Or grandma. Because times are changing and they let women in, too. The important thing is that you continue to age gracefully which, don’t worry, you totally, like, are doing that.

If this isn’t your speed you might want to check out a photo contest exhibit at the Northwoods Friends of the Arts in Cook, Minnesota.

Ninety-five photos were entered and are up on the walls of the gallery in Cook, behind the Dreamweaver’s Day Spa. Visitors have been voting for their favorite picture for the Viewers’ Choice Award.

A gala event is being held by the Northwoods Friends of the Arts Friday night to name the winners. This is a project backed by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund and some of the photos look pretty cool (you can see them in the background of this submitted photo of kids doing art projects).

But if you prefer to celebrate the Ides of March in the traditional way, ie: in a tense political setting where an actual stabbing risk is somewhat elevated, your scene is probably going to be Friday’s public forum entitled “The Impact of Nonferrous Mining in the Lake Superior Basin” from 12:30-5 p.m. at Mesabi Range Community and Technical College in Virginia, Minnesota.

I’ve already received mass e-mails from supporters and opponents of nonferrous mining imploring me to show up in support and/or opposition of the various projects because “the other side” is bringing in people to support and/or oppose the cause. I’m sure an enlightened conversation will ensue, one that resolves the matter once and for all.

For Latin translation, go below the jump:

Sit amet idus Martii, quo die imperator lulius Cesar accepit ille paulo iter in forum ad BC XLIV et confossus est XXIII tempora LX prominent coniuratorum esse. Ille in via a termino monet: “Cave Idus Martias. ‘ “Vah-Ha,” dixit Jules. “Quid peius accidere potuit?”

Quid Gaudium, quod, 2.056 post annis, nos de Mesabi Iron Range frui possem hoc press release:

Cave ab … Idus Martii. Quia hoc annis suus ‘agnus dei Savior! cum Dweebs, propriusque hospes Captain Jube ego, featuring pristinam membra Junk FM, HAIRBALL, 12RODS, PRESSO LIBERI.

Hibbing VFW Ianua revelata VI pm oportet esse XXI annorum intendere Generalis Admission: $ 15.00-$ 20.00 ad ostium VIP: $ 35.00-$ 40.00 (includit concert calicis et liberum cervisia tota nocte) NO ATM SED-ARIA. ARCARIUS TANTUM EVENTUS! Tessera morto situationes: heus Atramentario, Sidelines Sports Talea, Central Liquor, Luckys Talea, Saginaw Unione statio Keewatin Kare.

Last weekend in Hibbing Daily Tribune cucurrit fabulam inscribitur “Hibbing VFW: non iam Grandpa patriae clava.” Nimirum, si vos erant a eximius fan of 1980s musica vos forsit deductim circa MCMLXXXVI. Vos forsit tempus aliquod in tergum vans, quod interpretatur illic ‘a casu vos had a infantem ante MCMXC et habent puerum nunc in eorum medium-20s – admodum possibly filios habentem se ipsos.

Ita ut media suus ‘non Grandpa patriae clava, suus’ patria tua clava (adpositum oppido scriptor volvens acras freeway) et tu es Grandpa. Aut avia. Tempora mutantur et feminae, quia in ipsa. Adhuc aetate refert quod ornate nolite vos totaliter similia facere.

Si hoc non est tuus celeritate vos vires volo sisto sicco a photo certamen exhibent ad Northwoods Amicitia Artium, in Cook, Minnesota.

Nonaginta quinque photos intraverunt sunt, et sursum in muros iuncta porticui Cook, post Dreamweaver ‘Dies Spa. Salutor fuisse censentium pro eorum ventus picture pro spectatores ‘Choice Award.

A Gala eventus tenetur per Northwoods Amicitia Artium, nocte Veneris nominare arcu. Hoc est project subnixum per Minnesota Artium et culturale Heritage fiscus, et quidam de photos respice pulchellus frigus.

Quod si malis ad celebrandam Idus Martias more maiorum, ie: in tensum politica occasum ubi actualis fodientem Periculum est aliquanto elevatur, vestra scene probabiliter esse futurum Friday est scriptor forum et inscribitur “Impact de Nonferrous Mining in Lake Superior Rasin “ex 12:30-5 pm ad Mesabi jugum Conventu et Technical College in Virginiâ, Minnesota.

Iam pridem missae e-mails a me et aduersus uiros metalla ostendit de subsidio nonferrous / vel varius magna contentio est «hinc» plebis in auxilium profert / vel obstent causae. Futurum certe sermo illuminatus, qui semel res resolvit.

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