Enthusiasts of sea tales and true crime stories will find much to ponder in the horrific account of the ordeal of Terry Jo Duperrault aboard the Bluebelle. The story is a relatively recent one, and has been told before. But since many readers may be unfamiliar with the episode, I believe it is worth recounting here again. In the annals of maritime crime, few incidents can equal it in sheer depravity and cold-blooded calculation.
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It often happens that we are forced to accept what we wish to avoid. Avarice, for example, defeats itself; and the miser who in futility clings to every penny finds himself compelled to part with greater sums than he might otherwise have spent. The health fanatic who obsesses about every morsel of food that goes into his mouth, or cup that is pressed to his lips, finds himself harassed by ailments and bodily infirmity, while the moderate enjoyer of pleasure scarcely has a need to visit the physician. The athlete fixated on avoiding injury brings it down upon himself.
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In this podcast, we discuss some questions about the role of “Adrastia” or “Nemesis,” the ancient goddess of retribution. We also talk about the redemptive power of struggle as the theme of the compelling 2011 film The Grey, which starred Liam Neeson.
We have observed that one of the themes of ancient literature is the concept of Fate or Fortune. We find it first expressed in the plays and heroic poems of the Greeks; the idea then seeped into the writing of history and biography. Closely associated with this concept is the idea of divine retribution for offending the gods. Those who showed contempt for divine or human law would be humbled by the harsh blows of Fate: no man could expect to thumb his nose at the laws of the universe and get away with it.
Quintus Curtius 
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