BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH!

"Beware the ides of March."

This line from "Julius Caesar" remains one of the best-known and oft-repeated quotes from all of Shakespeare's plays. It warns Caesar of impending doom. The quote has recently been popping up on more than a few Web sites and in a number of articles discussing current political concerns.

The sites that follow deal with both the old and the new.

Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival. Visit this site to meet the players and learn of their upcoming productions. Next up is "A Streetcar Named Desire," March 30-April 23, followed by a return to the Bard with "Richard III" beginning in May. My only question is why they decided to close the previous run of "Julius Caesar" last Sunday - just three days before the "Ides." I'm guessing a show tonight, correctly advertised, could have been a sellout.

E-Notes.com. If you're interested in reading the play and seeing how it all turns out (or at least how Shakespeare reported it), this site will let you call up the passage and even jump to the entire text if you're interested.

Wikipedia. Not only will you find a good description of the common use of the phrase "Ides of March" from Wikipedia, the free Internet encyclopedia, you'll also find an excellent recounting of the assassination of Caesar with plenty of links to define and explain any terminology that might be confusing. Then, after the official listing, is what I consider to be one of the best features of the Wikipedia pages. Scroll down to see other references to the phrase, including Thornton Wilder's novel, the song by Iron Butterfly, etc.

Astrology. This one from the About collection goes a bit into the history and mystery of the soothsayer's warning. There are also several related articles referenced and linked at the bottom of the page.

Beware President Bush!. This article warns another leader, specifically ours, to beware the Ides of March. Read what Mathew Maavak, (currently a visiting fellow at Jakarta's Centre for Strategic and International Studies) has to say to President Bush about the ancient prophecy and today's political climate.

Antiwar.com. There's no question which side of the political fence Justin Raimondo sits on, in this article from Antiwar.com. If you're still firmly behind President Bush, these comments are inflammatory. But like the soothsayer, there's proven accuracy in this 2003 piece.

CounterPunch. Another current warning comes from William S. Lind, from the "CounterPunch" political newsletter.

Vanity Fair. In this one, James Wolcott, contributing editor for "Vanity Fair," quotes from the article above and adds his own warning about new concerns about our continuing fight in the Mideast.

Monetary Future of America. "Is the Federal Reserve Preparing for Iran? Beware the Ides of March." Written by Robert McHugh, this piece paints a frightening picture of the monetary future of America. His research is solid and even if you don't agree with his politics, it will be tough to refute his facts.

BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH EVERYONE! It could get rough out there today.

Thanks for reading.