High culture! Hot pursuit!

Who says Nashville lacks in cultural institutions?

Note the sheep.

Because nothing speaks to the mystery of the incarnation like plastic livestock with lazy eyes.

usual politics.

if you know me and didn't just randomly stumble on this blog, you know i dislike the clintons. In fact, when i lived in jersey and the closest cracker barrel was in Clinton, NJ, even that gave me shivers at times.

As clichéed as the phrase "politics as usual" is getting, a little item in today's press caught my attention. A high-enough but not-too-high campaign official in the clinton camp made remarks about how Obama's drug use in high school may prove to be a major liability. Now, my memory tends to last longer than news cycles. A few weeks ago, I recall a piece where rumor leaked that hillary's folks were digging for skeletons in Obama's closets and were saving things to reveal. Obama and his campaign immediately denounced this, and said they would respond firmly and immediately to attacks. The response from the clintonistas was along the lines of "this just proves he's inexperienced - an experienced politician wouldn't take this kind of thing seriously."

And at an opportune moment as races are tightening, something like this gets floated high enough to gage reactions but still low enough to step away from. Hmm.

Hasn't this been the "usual" in tried-and-true democratic campaigns for years now? Except the big artillery is saved until about three days before an election. Just before the california recall, it comes up that the would-be-Governator said stupid things about the nazis when he was young. A few days before the 2000 elections it comes out that W had a drinking problem.

I remember in 2000 when that stunt was pulled, my sister responded by saying it made her feel more comfortable with W, that he was more human than algore. Not hard, mind you. But the folks running clinton strategy should be thanked. This week's stunt helps highlight that yes, Obama is human, and he's repeatedly discussed his drug use. He's spoken to high schoolers about it and offered himself as a role model, who got into trouble but realized it was a mistake.

So thank you. And may your polling continue to scare you.

Ice.

Ice is wretched. It is loud when there's an ice storm overnight. I can't tell where there is or is not traction. I have to go down my rickety wooden stairs outside in order to go buy rock salt. Yech.

On the plus side, it is good practice at ashi-sabaki and tai-sabaki. Foot control and body control. Sensei would be proud.

Cold

But at least pretty.

Who needs content when you have confusing textual apparatus?

So it is with today's paper. Or rather today's presentation of a paper not yet written. Decent text critical work on the kacmarcik codex, though the critical text of the Greek anaphora I'm working on led to some problems- the editor was so focused on the earliest witnesses he discounted many of the medieval ones, so things I thought were unique to my ms were not. Alas.

The real problem is my advisor and I think I'm working on completely different anaphorae.

type-o

huh. Apparently there are people with more bizarre attachments to typewriters than myself.



This is from an exhibit by Jeremey Mayer, from a private collection in Truckee. All those parts are in a typewriter, folks. Who knew they could be so creepy.

Friday funtime!

I mean really, who wouldn't want to spend THE WHOLE DAY since 7AM having this much fun! Can you believe I steped away for FOUR WHOLE HOURS to SLEEP instead of ROCKING OUT in GREEK!

(more) seriously, this has been much of my last few days, and those of you following me on twitter (or I guess the one of you) know, the collating of texts and trying to make sense of them, as well as trying to put together some sort of critical text, has been mind numbing.

But it seems my efforts are being well received, I met with my advisor this afternoon and we worked through a lot of this, he thinks it looks like a good study of the MS. I'm working with and he thinks my paper should be a solid state of the question essay, using the textual work I'm doing to locate the manuscript in the Coptic tradition and to raise reasons it should be further studied (i.e., my potential dissertation).

Ok. So now I finally get to read today's girl genius. Had to stop all this frivolity and do something serious now.

clickers

An interesting pedagogy workshop this afternoon: "Clickers in the Classroom", on using what's basically a remote-control so students can answer questions and the results can be tabulated and graphically presented via computer. In the old days, we raised our hands.

Actually an interesting idea. It make sense especially in the large science lectures (upwards of 300-400 here), but a prof from my department spoke about how he uses them in his social ethics courses. My concern is that it takes away accountability from discussion, but he pointed out that it makes them accountable insofar as students have to answer - they can't hedge, challenge the question, etc. Since his classes are about economics and violence, this is useful - he asks tough things that students might not own up to answering more publicly - like "how many pairs of shoes do you own?" So I can see the potential for this to be a useful tool.

Transvaluing regensberg

A curious invitation today:

The Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture, concerned by the deep cultural divides that characterize so much of our world, has found inspiration in Pope Benedict's Regensburg Address, and has decided to devote its eighth annual Fall conference to the theme: The Dialogue of Cultures. In interdisciplinary fashion, this conference will take up a variety of questions related to both the difficulties and opportunities involved in addressing cultural conflict.

Since when was the regensberg debacle an inspiration? I admit that it was not as bad as the media firestorm made it seem, and Benny the Rat is a very sharp theologian, however much I disagree with him. But the substance of that address was to claim a priviliged place for graeco-Roman culture as the appropriate context and carrier of Christianity. Which is silly. And reactionary. Both because the earliest cultural bearers of Christianity were Syrian and Egyptian, not Greek, and because it is impossible today to claim the incarnation means god has chosen Greek culture over any other.

But more curious is the 'inspiration' Claimed for the address. Is this anything other than ND ultramontinism grasping for straws? Trying to focus on a papal cult of personality which B16 tries to avoid?

Thank you google

Today's release of google maps for mobile phones includes a rather smart bit of code- when it transmits map data it pays attention to which cell it is received from. This means that it can automatically focus the map within a kilometer or so of where the user is. Not exactly a GPS replacement, but still handy.
Of course it does pose another question. Why do I like that google knows the closest cell tower to me, when I avoid at all costs any data about myself going through redmond? Is it just because google suppiets open source enough that I trust there is no proximity tracking or localized ad tracking in this app? Because a company in sunny cali can't be as bad as one in the rainy northwest? Or because google's motto do so long was 'don't be Evil' ?


--
Δεομεθα: ποιησον ημας ζωντας ανθρωπους --Anaphora in euchologio Serapionis, s. IV.

ver 2.0

So yes, in the program and process of self-reappraisal and reassessment, massive technological changes have occurred.

1) after many years of adamant refusal, outright hostility, and sheer stubbornness, I have a cell phone. a shiny blue-ish blackberry pearl.

This is a fun though somewhat dangerous implement. Whereas previously, all my phone calls went to my computer, now all my electronic doings go through my phone. The former was good for me, but when someone calls me and I e-mail them back, it doesn't help them. In fact, it only seems to really help me keep myself harder to reach. While this has been an essential component my my own personal mystique, it puts a damper on the social life. Now, I'm perhaps too in communicado.

2) as a consequence thereof, my web presence has blossomed. In face, the "phone" has been a better internet tool than anything. First, the glories of open source have allowed me to integrate my google accounts (including this blog), my desktop (or laptop, as you like), my thunderbird e-mail client, and my blackberry. So whereas on my handheld, once I stopped using windows the calendar was a stand-alone, now my calendar is synchronized with my phone, my computer, and my gmail / google calendar.

3) the social aspects, particularly the being-more-in-touch thing, has been fabulous. Not terribly telephonic, I suppose, but the phone has my gmail, my nd account, blog access, twitter, gtalk for im's, plus a custom facebook app.

4) yes, I'm on facebook now. And it seems that this is actually where all the socializing at ND occurs, even on the graduate level. Kind of odd, but putting me in touch with lots of people in lots of ways. Even finding very old and lost friends.

5) and twitter, which proves I'm cool. I may be late to the whole phone thing, but still (sort of, almost) bleeding edge with the microblogging bit. Not only do I get updated on the doings of the small set of uber hip techsters like the mean one and Barak Obama, Eamon Duffy seems to have a microblog. I assume it is that Duffy, since there is nothing posted there.

I don't care

If your store is all blue, or if you're in south bend where all must be ND blue and gold. This is wrong.

And it's still ordinary time.

and I know its sideways. Still figuring it out. Besides, it's better this way.


--

Δεομεθα: ποιησον ημας ζωντας ανθρωπους --Anaphora in euchologio Serapionis, s. IV.

Slapstick

Like rocky horror, isn't as funny alone. Having just finished the Criterion Collection release of WC Fields ' The Bank Dick' - a classic slapstick film with one of the greatest and most often copied chase scenes, it's just mediocre alone.

Alas, for an era before laugh tracks, when you needed an audience to laugh with.

--
Δεομεθα: ποιησον ημας ζωντας ανθρωπους --Anaphora in euchologio Serapionis, s. IV.

Movie madness

While netflix continues to be good for discovering new things, there is always my mom. The notion of searching or browsing is still foreign, so she just types in titles.

So she enjoyed Rome, then followed this with I, Claudius. Ok. But, rounding off the Julian emperors she went on to Caligula. Apparently it was in a BBC catalog. That doesn't mean it was a work of "Masterpiece Theater" quality, dear mother.

Not her finest moment, then again it was hardly Peter O'Toole's finest either.



--

Δεομεθα: ποιησον ημας ζωντας ανθρωπους --Anaphora in euchologio Serapionis, s. IV.

Lake effect

A few inches after thanksgiving dinner... Peaceful and quiet, as all should be.

eucharestein

meaning, of course, to give thanks.

And a good thanksgiving. Praying and reflecting on how very much I have to be thankful for, followed by a fun dinner with old and new friends at the Catholic Worker. Both Sheila and Cinnamon invited me over, and there were about 20 people, all very friendly, lots and lots of food- no less than 4 turkeys! The typical "functional anarchy" of the Worker movement was evident throughout, with nobody seeming to be in charge, but everything getting done.

Though, largely because of my two heaping platefulls of everything, I have not had my annual pecan pie. When I finally found where the desserts were hiding (next to the television and fireplace, of course), I was too full to contemplate another bite.

But a fun time, and I'm glad I did finally make it over there for a dinner - a wonderful presence in the neighborhood and good people all around.

The best laid plans

...occasionally do work out. My final presentation for Mod.Ltg, "people" in the 20th cent. liturgical movement. This is, of course, a huge category - including such luminaries as Virgil Michaels, practically any other Benedictine, in fact, pretty much everybody active in the first part of the century.

So I went with Aimee Semple McPherson, early radio evangelist and founder of the International Foursquare Gospel Church. Why? Partly because I'm intrigued by the ecclesiological impact of early radio, partly because the was the first person on the list, and most of all she was a riot, as the image from one of her famous "illustrated sermons" shows. But, on top of all of that, I figured that if I did any of the big names, any of the catholics, and especally any Benedictines, Nathan would know them, if not personally, then at least know everything about their work.

But then again, this is Nathan, who knows everything. So it should have been no surprise when he and I were chatting and he saw the books I got out for show-and-tell and he said, "I'm sure you already saw this, but did you use the series of articles I wrote on her years ago?"

Oops.

But it went well, it was a very fun presentation on a very fun figure. Also the kind of "liturgical" things that we just don't talk about here - pentecostalism, the Salvation Army, and the very birth of the Emerging Church movement - Sister Aimee really built the first "mega-church", the Angelus Temple near Sunset and Glendale in LA. And everyone had a lot of fun with the talk, though I managed to go over by about 15 minutes. All in all, I may have spoken longer than I even prepared... perhaps this is indeed the point.

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UPDATED, even. A week later. Though I swear it was done on 3 hours of sleep and about the same amount of prep time, people are still talking about this seminar as if I set the standard by which seminars should be judged. I've received testimonials - which I think is appropriate - stating that my seminar inspired people to see modern liturgy in a new and exciting way. How odd.