Check It Out

All. Social Functions. All

I checked the catalog at both libraries and the book is available to be checked out. 

Let this sink in a minute

Via Instapundit at Business Insider a "Beautiful Visualization Of Nobel Prizes By Country Since 1901.

It is beautiful, isn't it?

Suggestions for further reading:

Visual Explanations: Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative. Edward R. Tufte. Graphic Press, Cheshire, Connecticut. 1997.

Sign, Image, Symbol. Gyorgy Kepes, ed. George Braziller, New York. 1966.

The Great Books Foundation Set One Volume Four: Aristotle, The Federalist Papers, Adam Smith. Great a Books Foundation, Chicago. 1966.

Foundations of Liberty: Independent Study Materials. Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University.

Our Wonder World: A Library of Knowledge in Ten Volumes Volume Two Invention and Industry. Howard Benjamin Grose, ed. Geo. L. Shuman & Co., Chicago and Boston. 1914.

Being a Boy. Charles Dudley Warner. Hard Press at Amazon. Offprint originally copyright date 1877.

A Day Late But Still Worth Remembering

May 26, 1907 - June 11, 1979

John Wayne... was the movies' most powerful and popular embodiment of masculinity. He personified all of the qualities that were once considered admirable and good about the male sex: He was six-foot-four and broad as a horse, with a craggy face and heavy-lidded mastiff eyes, strong and generally silent but with an authoritative, resonating voice that Life magazine once described as sounding "like someone sandpapering the strings of a bass fiddle." Beyond his majestic physical presence, John Wayne created an image of heroism in this movies that stood for generations of Americans... as America's brightest beacon of moral purpose, gallantry, and honor.

[From Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, Jane & Michael Stern, Harper Perennial, New York, 1992.]

Everyone knows 'John Wayne' wasn't his real name-- but did you know how he came to be 'John Wayne?' The director John Ford-- with whom he made many many epic films-- suggested he choose the name of "someone in American history he really liked, so he chose Mad Anthony Wayne, the American Revolutionary War general." 'Tony Wayne' was too Italian sounding (!) and so 'John' it was.

Your favorite John Wayne movie? 

Remember

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
     That mark our places; and in the sky
     The larks, still bravely singing fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
     Loved and were loved, and now we lie
          In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
     The torch; be your to hold it high.
     If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
          In Flanders fields.

--John McCrae

We have broken faith. 

I have a question.

I did a smidgen of scholarly research on the author of this poem.

A. E. Housman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A. E. Housman
Born	Alfred Edward Housman 26 March 1859 Bromsgrove, Worcestershire
Died	30 April 1936 (aged 77) Cambridge
Pen name	A. E. Housman
Occupation	Classicist, Poet
Nationality	British
Alma mater	St John's College, Oxford
Genres	Lyric poetry

Alfred Edward Housman (/ˈhaʊsmən/; 26 March 1859 – 30 April 1936), usually known as A. E. Housman, was an English classical scholar and poet, best known to the general public for his cycle of poems A Shropshire Lad. Lyrical and almost epigrammatic in form, the poems wistfully evoke the dooms and disappointments of youth in the English countryside. Their beauty, simplicity and distinctive imagery appealed strongly to late Victorian and Edwardian taste, and to many early 20th-century English composers (beginning with Arthur Somervell) both before and after the First World War. Through their song-settings, the poems became closely associated with that era, and with Shropshire itself.
Housman was one of the foremost classicists of his age and has been ranked as one of the greatest scholars who ever lived.[1][2] He established his reputation publishing as a private scholar and, on the strength and quality of his work, was appointed Professor of Latin at University College London and then at Cambridge. His editions of Juvenal, Manilius and Lucan are still considered authoritative.

[My emphasis.]

"One of the greatest scholars who ever lived." 

Good Lord! I'm sure you-- Dear Scholared Readers of Literature-- have heard of him but I hadn't until today.  

Q: Why is this?

That question assumes the premise-- that Houseman was one of the greatest scholars who ever lived. (I'm no philosopher, but I think that's called "begging the question.") And that he was a good poet. 

So I swiveled my chair around to pick up Miss M's copy of The New Oxford Book of English Verse 1250-1918 (Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed., Oxford University Press, New York, 1955, 1939, first published 1900) and I see that A.E. Houseman has a grand total of three (3) poems (pp. 1052-53) included.

So I'm not buying it. 

If he was one of the greatest scholars who ever lived who just happened to write poetry, he'd have gotten more than what amounts to a page in this 1100+ page anthology in 9-pt font. 

I did like the poem, though. I thought it appropriate for Decoration Day. 

A Poem for Decoration Day

Here Dead Lie We 

Here dead lie we because we did not choose 

To live and shame the land from which we sprung. 

Life, to be sure, is nothing much to lose      

But young men think it is, and we were young.

A.E. Houseman  

Found in Other Men's Flowers: An Anthology of Poetry, A.P. Wavell, ed. G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1945.

For My Republican Friends & Family

And for my Democratic and Libertarian and Tea Party and Low-Fo Friends, too. (I want to be inclusive.)

I am scouring my library for what I think are interesting things-- quotes, etc.-- to convey as we approach Memorial Day, which used to be called Decoration Day.

I've already posted a few!

Today I wore an old T-shirt of Mr. Big Food's to work in the garden. Wouldn't you know, our County Supervisor showed up in prompt response to Mr. Big Food's call. It's a black T-shirt with red & white lettering. It says. 

WWRD

"What would Reagan do?"

OMG! He's going to think I'm a Republican!

What could be worse? He's going to think we all all Republicans! 

Any how. That reminded me of a crappy old book I have. 

History teaches that wars begin when governments believe the price of aggression is cheap.

--Address to the Nation, U.S.Allies, and the Soviet Union,

The White House, January 6, 1984

 See. This is so corny you just have to believe it.

On page 284...

The Quotable Ronald Reagan. Peter Hannaford, compliler and ed.; Regnery Publishing, Inc., Washington, D.C.; 1998.

Coming up on Decoration Day. 

Y'all know it started in Columbus, Mississippi-- right?

"The bugle echoes shrill and sweet... "

"It is sweet and honorable"

From Trees and Other Poems, Joyce Kilmer, George H. Doran Company, New York, 1914.

Speaking of books...

I've got some strange books. 

But this one takes the cake.

Steve does literature. 

My guess is that he was doing what U. Grant and B. Russell, and WEBDubois did: Bankroll posterity. 

Royalties.

It is America, afterall. 

WARNING! I'm in a Bad Mood.

I'm sort of sad about the Courthouse vote. 

I tried to occupy myself today as I thought through the implications. Traffic is going to be a nightmare as they build a new courthouse.

Mr. Big Food's Dad sent me a few little ditties that cheered me up.

Missy had a Big Day! So did Rocky!!

"Ruff."

Restore Or Replace?

January 17, 2013

Things move pretty fast here in rural north central Mississippi. Just 446 days after the Courthouse burned, the citizens of my little county are voting-- in a non-binding referendum-- on whether to restore or to replace the crappy old Courthouse.

We've been debating this-- and by "we" I mean the county supervisors and other officials, the mayor of the little village which is the county seat (who just happens to be an architect specializing in old building restoration), Mr. & Mrs. County citizen, and folks who haven't lived here in a coon's age but just happen to have been born here-- for over a year. These discussions (along with my Books Bygone column) have kept the weekly county newspaper in business! Some fellow even wrote poems about the Courthouse that appeared in the newspaper. And a coalition of citizens had machine-made signs made up supporting restoration!

We also are being sued by the company that insured the courthouse. And almost lost our opportunity at a half-million dollar grant for restoration. 

Diddle daddle.

The Supes (as we call our supervisors) finally decided to put the question to the People. 

Today Mr. Big Food and I voted. O'course, we couldn't vote where we usually do because our polling place burned down. I was #56 to vote in our precinct. 

This is such a BIG DEAL the mainstream media out of Tupelo even sent a reporter to cover the event!

I might be on television!!!

And Speaking of Political Correctness...

Lots of grumbling out there this morning about Firefox. I like Firefox. But I like the First Amendment more.

Anywhooo...

A modern classic, wouldn't you say?

(James Finn Garner. Macmillan Publishing Company,  New York. 1994.)

When they were first written, the stories on which the following tales are based certainly served their purpose-- to entrench the patriarchy, to estrange people from their own natural impulses, to demonize "evil" and "reward" and "objective" "good." However much we might like to, we cannot blame the Brothers Grimm for their insensitivity to womyn's issues, minority cultures, and the environment. Likewise, in the self-righteous Copenhagen of Hans Christian Andersen, the inalienable rights of mermaid were hardly given a second thought.

Today, we have the opportunity-- and the obligation-- to rethink these "classic" stories so they reflect more enlightened times. To that effort I submit this humble book. 

We've taken to reading a story after supper just before we all go our separate ways for the evening.  

A Crappy Old Book about a Crappy Old Magazine

Field & Stream Treasury: Memorable Articles and Stories From the Pages of America's Number One Sportsman's Magazine (1955)

I'm cleaning my desktop. It tends to accumulate a lot of crappy old books that either need to be returned to their homes or find homes somewhere besides my desk.

I'd forgotten all about this one which I picked up last Friday at the Book Mart in downtown Starkvegas. You remember the Book Mart-- 

I was puzzled by the arbitrary pricing, but I gathered up my two little crappy old books-- leaving Madame Currie: A Biography by Eve Curie (1939; on sale for $29) and The Ultimate T-Shirt Book: Creating Your Own Unique Designs (1998; $14.95) on the shelf and headed downstairs to the cash register. 
"That will be $7.49, ma'am," the well-mannered young man informed me.
My articulate response was, "Huh?"
"The prices on these old used books don't mean anything. We discount them."
I asked what system-- what percentage-- was taken off because a 2/3 discount seemed rather odd, I was told there was none. He just looks at the book and how old it is and how yellow the pages are and decides on a price. This is a change since I'd last been in the bookstore.
"Hang on a minute," I said as I ran back upstairs. 
I'm all for free-wheeling capitalism, but this pricing system strikes me as a bit arbitrary.

Typically I file books about sports under the Sports section in the Bunkhouse. But this one is such a gem I think I'll try to keep it handy.

I should do a post on politically incorrect advertising. I've got more than enough material.

And now, to find places for Toynbee's Mankind and Mother Earth: A Narrative History of the World (1976; published posthumously) and Bennett's The De-Valuing of America: The Fight for Our Culture and Our Children (1992).

A Little Refresher

Unbelievable: Common Core Problem Asks Kids to Choose Two Amendments to Remove From Bill of Rights

A mother in Arkansas has expressed concern over her daughter’s recent Common Core school assignment that asked her to remove and replace two of the first ten amendments of the Constitution. The team assignment stated that the Bill of Rights is “outdated and may not remain in its current form any longer.” Here is a copy of the assignment:

[snip]

The mother who spoke up said she was particularly troubled by the fact that her daughter’s Sixth Grade History class had received no prior training in civics or how to amend the Constitution, which may lead those children to incorrectly believe that it can be changed by a “special committee” as suggested by the assignment.

“After she brought it home and explained her assignment to me, it made me question exactly what she was being taught. Where I can see a class using critical thinking skills to modernize the words, as to help them better understand the Amendments, giving an assignment to remove two then add two with little explanation as to why is upsetting,” she said.

Which reminds me, I came in next to last with my b-ball bracket. The way Mr. Big Food scores, it's possible to know who doesn't have a chance of winning by this round. The fact that I was nostalgic for the good crappy old days-- I had UNC vs. Duke-- didn't bode well for me in the current climate. 

DG

Without your knowledge, I have just placed you, my dear loyal readers, into one of two categories: 1) DG? WTF does DG stand for? OR 2) Oh, I see! A post about Dollar General! How exciting!!

You may find yourself in the former category if you've had no exposure to the "largest small-box discount retailer" in the nation.

offering a remarkable variety of everyday items.

11,000 stores in 40 states

Oh oh. What will Daughter C do??

Or you may be in the former category because you are... well... "storist"-- one who has a preconceived notion of what a Dollar General store is and that's just not good enough for you. (Perhaps you can afford to overpay for paper towels. 99% of us cannot.)

The Dollar General store in a small town is the great equalizer. One is just as likely to be in line behind a bedraggled family doing its weekly grocery shopping as one is to be in line behind the bespectacled county attorney buying a pack of legal pads. Christine-- the check out lady whose niece runs the gas station/plate lunch restaurant just down the road from us-- knows all of our names.

Speaking of equalizers-- did you seen this the other day?

Gunman invades Dollar General, meets concealed carry permit holder.

This happened in Orrsville, Alabama. We looked Orrsville up on the map. Who walks into a DG in Orrsville, Alabama and doesn't see this coming? Some people just aren't cut out for a life of crime.

[Insert Multiple Offensive Swear Words]

Dear Army Pfc. Tariqka Sheffey:

Let me tell you a little something. You have royally ticked me off. Big time.

I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have stood, removed my cap, put my hand over my heart, turned to face the flag of the United States of America, and closed my eyes to try to keep a tear from rolling down my cheek. I love this country-- not out of some blind zombie patriotism but because I understand that there has never been a country in the history of the multiverse that is as exceptional as mine. Never.

My eyes don't well up because of some stupid nationalism or alliegiance to Dear Leader-- whomever he/she may be. I cry because the land of the free and home of the brave is fading away right in front of me. And it hurts. 

And you, you bitch, you hide in your car so you don't have to salute the flag. ARE YOUR F-ING KIDDING ME? 

You volunteered. You took an oath. But I guess stupid shit like that only matters to rubes like me.

You go to hell, Tariqka Sheffey. 

Marica

P.S. to Mr. Low-Man. I don't want to hear jack from you. Not one word.

See the USA!

We crossed this bridge, turned right off the main road, went under the bridge,

saw this (someone "lives" there-- there was music playing), looked ahead

and saw this.

I commented, "This is a flood waiting to happen." Mr. Big Food agreed. 

No kidding!

By the way-- Arkansas is even less densely populated than Mississippi. Arkansas is ranked #34 (56 people per square mile); Mississippi #32 (63/sq.mi.). Now you know.

Still much more to come-- I dare say the most interesting part of yesterday's travels are still waiting to be shared. But I have an entire day to spend getting to know Jonesboro and so I'm off!

How old does a book have to be

before it gets my "crappy old book" designation?

Apparently not as old as once I thought.

Those who read along on an even semi-regular basis know I love crappy old books. I have a lot of crappy old books. I get most of them from junk stores and usually shell out one United States Dollar for each. I've got over 1200 volumes. Sure. Included are a complete set of Zane Grey and a bunch of crappy old cookbooks and several sets of encyclopedias. I have preserved a fair amount of Western Culture for a buck a book.

As you know, I am a BIG fan of the philosophical underpinnings of the Declaration of Independence, and of the Constitution of the United States of America.  I get that when one calls oneself a Libertarian with a BIG L one has to be able to argue for the big L. So my library is my resource. And yes, I have books in my library that are antithetical to my view. I do not like WEBDuBoise but I have some of his books. And I think Russel is a blowheart but I have one of his zillion autobiographies AND his history of philosophy. It does take all kinds. These are outweighed in kind and number by the books I have trumpeting the "American experiment", all written before Wilson. 

So it was a little out of character for me to have spent a buck on Bennett's The Death of Outrage: Bill Clinton and the Assault on American Ideals (1998). 1998 is too new, It's not crappy old.

But I bought it. And then I read it.

In the introduction I wrote that if the arguments made in defense of Bill Clinton become the coin of the public realm, we will have committed an unthinking act of moral and intellectual disarmament. Here is one specific example of what is now becoming a thoroughly mainstream, perfectly respectable point of view: in order to cover up an adulterous relationship between the president and a young White House Intern, acts of perjury and obstruction of justice should be considered inconsequential. That this matter is even a subject of a serious national debate is revealing and alarming. It is the New York Times which offered this eloquent reminder of what was once a common, elementary grade civics lesson:

"Law is the keystone of American society and political culture. If it does not apply to small matters concerning this president, the day will come when the public will be asked to believe that it should be ignored in large matters concerning some other president. Neither Mr. Clinton's political convenience nor Mr. Starr's clumsiness must tempt us into paying so high a price. The rule of law, whether applied to matters trivial or grand, is the central magic of the American governmental experience. To abandon it today will lead to peril tomorrow."

WTF do I care?

WTF do you care?

I do care. Call me a corny old country mouse. I care. I'm not seeing how that end-round suit is going to go very far. But SOMEONE has to do SOMETHING.

And to bring this back down to the real world... the boys were crow hunting. I asked them to pickup their shotgun shells.

"... with shows, games, sports, guns, bells..." What? GUNS??

I'm working on a little project-- yes, I know, I should be ironing-- and I ran across this from John Adams to his wife, Abigail: 

I am apt to believe that this day will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bonfires and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward.

Brings to mind the phrase, "and by right ought to be..." doesn't it?

[from Mary E. Hazeltine. Judith K. Sollenberger, ed. Anniversaries and Holidays: A Calendar of Days and How to Observe Them Second Edition, Completely Revised. American Library Association, Chicago. 1965.]

 

Books Bygone: The Life of Anna Mary Robertson

 

Courtesy Wikipaintings.org

I have a new essay out in our little weekly newspaper. It's online at the paper's site but behind a paywall-- you may want to subscribe so you so you can keep up with what's happening. (Extra! Extra! There was an arrest made in the school flag theft!)

The essay is also available here, along with all of the others.

Daughter C did a dramatic reading last evening for our Cincinnati Friends.* She says this one is her favorite!

*below