Ship lift on the Yenisei River, Siberia

And they say everything is bigger in Texas!

(From the Big Picture; click for a good look.)

James Gelvin on Islamist politics and the Arab uprisings

A podcast by the author of the excellent textbook I use for Islamic Civilization.

Carnival in the USA

Josh Marshall, editor of the political site Talking Points Memo, can be a thoughtful kind of a guy. Here is what he has to say about Black Friday:

As I mentioned below we have our round-up below of all the craziest Black Friday behavior today. As I see this today and as it seems to have evolved over the last decade or so I’m starting to wonder whether Black Friday isn’t evolving into some modern day version of one of those old inversion festivals from the Middle Ages.

Back in the European Middle Ages and in many other societies around the world, there’s a tradition of social inversion festivals (see one example here). Basically it’s one day where everyone or many people have permission to act out and engage in all sorts of transgressive behavior, whether it’s sexual transgression or hierarchy transgression or anything else. The local fool gets put up on the throne, people in power get mocked, gender norms are parodied or turned upside down. Sort of every one get it out of their system for one day before going back to the old relatively-ordered society of the other 364 days a year.

These rituals seem very challenging to the status quo. Civil and church authorities eventually rooted them out in Europe in the 16th and 17th century. So they certainly thought so. But many sociologists would say they actually had the effect of entrenching hierarchy. Something similar to the imitation being the sincerest form of flattery.

There are obvious class dynamics to people lining up for deals and the ability to save money. But that’s not mainly what I’m thinking about. And if you see people lining up for their new Apple devices you know this isn’t just a Walmart phenomenon. I was out with my son on Thanksgiving morning and saw the barricades already set up around the local Best Buy and the first half dozen people sitting with their places in line and cracking jokes and eating sandwiches. My first thought was, Really? And then, I guess it’s kind of fun?

Now, I know you’re saying — and you’re right to be saying — don’t overthink this, Josh. When there’s only 5 half priced 60 inch flat screens left and there’s 12 people left in line, people just be crazy. And yeah, it’s mainly that.

But in recent years there seems to be at least a little bit more than that going on, maybe just a bit. Just like national consumerism freak flag fly day or maybe if you’ve got a little more aggression than most of us to get out of your system maybe this is your chance. Of course, the retailers also have a real stake and clearly try to maximize the frenzy and even a little craziness — at least up to the point of punches flying or someone pulling a gun.

The Grateful Dead Archive

Thanks to a fascinating article in the New Yorker, I am now aware of  the vast archive of Grateful Dead concert recordings at  archive.org.  Well over 2000 concerts exist, and a huge number are there, free for  the taking.

I am astonished to think of the sheer physical energy required to produce that much music. A magnificent obsession? And the determination of fans to preserve all that music – the mind boggles.

I've always had a lot of respect for the Grateful Dead, even though I don't qualify as anything but the most casual fan. Listening to some of these concerts however I understand both their limitations and their genius. The music can seem a bit monotonous but then there are these amazing moments where you sit up straight and say, "what was THAT?" or "that's IT!"

Image: The front cover of "Live Dead," an early commercial release.

Further to the Hostess Twinkie story: Brach's candy

From Driftglass:  All this has happened before.

Serena Kataoka, "'Post-Darwin' Thinking: from Evolution to History," Friday, November 23

From Derek Neal:
 

This week's History Seminar Series features Ms Serena Kataoka, who will address us on the subject of "'Post-Darwin' Thinking: from Evolution to History." Ms Kataoka teaches in Nipissing's Department of Political Science, and is also a doctoral candidate in Political Science at the University of Victoria.

According to Ms Kataoka, the influential ideas of Jane Jacobs on urban planning attempt to follow Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, modifying Darwinian ideas of "mutation" and "natural selection" into a theory of "urban evolution." However, Ms Kataoka observes that Jacobs' thinking is heavily determined by pre-Darwinian notions of "progress." This presentation draws on Ms Kataoka's fieldwork in the Bridgeview neighbourhood of Vancouver, and will gesture toward ideas of change that question Darwin's rational explanations of why one thing survives over another, focusing instead on the contingency of history.

The talk is at 2:30 pm in room A226, it is free of charge, liquid (though non-alcoholic) refreshments will be provided, and everyone is welcome.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Hoping to see you at the talk,

Derek Neal

Exciting news about Ramon Llull's Book of the Order of Chivalry

Have you been  waiting for 700 years for this classic work on chivalry to be available in a modern English translation?

You know you have!

Boydell is publishing it and Noel Fallows is the translator, and the book should be out sometime next year. Rumor has it that it will be very reasonably priced.

Some of you may be under the impression that you have read this book in English. You are right. The Book of the Order of Chivalry  was one of the very first books ever printed in English. William Caxton was both the printer and the translator. So it is out there. However, Caxton translated not from the original Catalan, but from A French version. Also, the English he translated into was late 15th century English. I don't know that technically counts as Middle English or Modern English but it's very difficult for most readers.

So your wait is over almost!

Image: this has no caption, but my guess is that it shows Llull teaching and preaching, which he did a lot of.

The real story behind the Petraeus scandal

Or one of them.

Thanks to Making Light for the link.

Jefferson the Anglo-Saxonist

Jeff contemplates Jefferson at Williamsburg:

Poring over a 15th-century legal tract, Jefferson encountered a modern preface arguing that a student should learn “Saxon” to understand the essence of English law. Already intrigued by languages, the young man was hooked; Stanley R. Hauer points out (in “Thomas Jefferson and the Anglo-Saxon Language”) that the future third president of the United States collected Old English textbooks, painstakingly copied footnotes in Anglo-Saxon script into a 1778 legal treatise, and made sure that the University of Virginia was the first American institution to offer Anglo-Saxon language courses when it opened in 1825. According to Hauer, Jefferson’s grasp of Anglo-Saxon was weak—often he couldn’t distinguish it from Middle English—but if you’ve studied Old English, or even if you’ve read Beowulf in a college class, its presence was partly Jefferson’s doing.

Jefferson’s obsession with Old English resonated far beyond the English department. During his five years in Wythe’s study, he imaginatively plunged into what historians have dubbed the “Saxon myth,” the common belief among Whigs of his era that the best English institutions—parliament, trial by jury, common law—were the unbroken legacy of freedom-loving Germanic tribes who’d crept into Britain as early as the fifth century. (This idea was itself the legacy of 16th- and 17th-century reformers who’d tried to prove that both the Church of England and Parliament were continuations of ancient, primitive democracy.)

In letters and treatises, Jefferson trumpeted his belief that America had directly inherited liberty from the Anglo-Saxons. His strongest statement on the matter was surely his (unsuccessful) push to decorate the Great Seal of the United States with the figures of Horsa and Hengist, “the Saxon chiefs from whom we claim the honor of being descended, and whose political principles and form of government we have assumed.”

I suppose we are the political heirs of the Anglo-Saxons, since Jefferson believed it to be so when he helped establish our republic.

Read the rest here.

Image: yes, that's H&H!

Post-election thought: not a partisan message

Byron York talks to dedicated, long-time Romney supporters right after the concession speech:

A few hours earlier, across the street at the Convention Center, the campaign’s supporters and volunteers fully expected Romney to be the nation’s next president.  Indeed, what was striking after Fox News called the race for Obama, at about 11:15 p.m., was how stunned so many of Romney’s supporters were.  Many said they were influenced by the prominent conservatives who predicted a big Romney win, and they fully expected Tuesday night to be a victory celebration.

“I am shocked, I am blown away,” said Joe Sweeney, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  “I thought I had a pretty good pulse on this stuff.  I thought there was a trend that was going on underground.”

“We were so convinced that the people of this country had more common sense than that,” said Nan Strauch, of Hilton Head, South Carolina.  “It was just a very big surprise.  We felt so confident.”

“It makes me wonder who my fellow citizens are,” said Marianne Doherty of Boston.  “I’ve got to be honest, I feel like I’ve lost touch with what the identity of America is right now.  I really do.”

Posted as an example of how cultural change happens -- often, when you aren't looking. Or looking intently somewhere else.

Pre-election thought: On civilization

One of the best things  I've said on this blog:

The dfference between barbarism and civilization.

Empire -- Lest we forget

Thanks to Nick Russon, this piece from the Telegraph:

Every schoolboy used to know that at the height of the empire, almost a quarter of the atlas was coloured pink, showing the extent of British rule. But that oft recited fact dramatically understates the remarkable global reach achieved by this country.

A new study has found that at various times the British have invaded almost 90 per cent of the countries around the globe.The analysis of the histories of the almost 200 countries in the world found only 22 which have never experienced an invasion by the British.Among this select group of nations are far-off destinations such as Guatemala, Tajikistan and the Marshall Islands, as well some slightly closer to home, such as Luxembourg.

The analysis is contained in a new book, All the Countries We’ve Ever Invaded: And the Few We Never Got Round To. Stuart Laycock, the author, has worked his way around the globe, through each country alphabetically, researching its history to establish whether, at any point, they have experienced an incursion by Britain.

Is this our fate?

I was taking part last night in a Wine Gala to raise money for the arts in North Bay. It's a regular event – and quite a bash.  These things usually have a theme, and this year's was "medieval and Renaissance."  A lot of people, both volunteers and patrons, were dressed up in costume. In fact my role was to stand around in armor, looking as impressive as possible.

What makes this occasion worthy of comment on this blog is that IT (not information technology, but "it" in appropriate all caps) seemed to be everywhere. And what was it?

Game of Thrones.

It was the music in the air – the soundtrack for the series came over the sound system. It was in smart remarks by performing comedians about "Game of Thrones wear." It was… EVERYWHERE!

Okay, I am a little paranoid and given to making wide generalizations prematurely, but be warned, medievalists, we may be stuck for the rest of our careers with the imagery of Game of Thrones. The sarcastic border guard may just be a premonition.

Be aware… Game of Thrones is coming. Has come. May refuse to go anyway again.