Activity from BWA
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Reality TV for Writers
Lito Does Leaf Art
You can watch him at work here You can read an interview here. And you can see more examples of his work here and here.
Newton's First Law Redux
You will recall it as "“Every body perseveres in its state of rest, or of uniform motion in a right line, unless it is compelled to change that state by forces impress’d thereon.” Or words to that effect.
Newton, however, wrote in Latin, and his first translator either took a liberty with or had his own views of a critical word.
Bored in the pandemic, she made art by bruising bananas.
How can I get Audacity recording levels up?
The second picture in the below site shows the problem and assures me that I am not alone. Unfortunately, neither of his workarounds work.
https://www.homebrewaudio.com/154/is-your-audacity-recording-too-quiet/
In AD 79, Italy's mount Vesuvius erupted, covering...
AD 79: Year of Vesuvius In AD 79, Italy's mount Vesuvius erupted, covering Pompeii and Herculaneum in hot ash and lava. This was not, however, the only important event of that year. One emperor died, another succeeded, farmers farmed, politicians plotted, lawyers advocated, businessmen cut deals, life went on. In this podcast, we will follow the seasons of a typical year at the height of Rome's power from the perspectives of people high and low.
How to recover a gmail email whose label was unchecked?
A gmail email was routed to Promotion. I did not want it in Promotion. I went to labels and unchecked Promotion, imagining that it would go directly to my in box. Instead it went into oblivion. Question becomes, how to get it back.
Louisiana Boys: Raised on Politics
Name that tune!
I'm wondering what the piano piece played at the four minute mark of DeGaulle (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-8x7_mUSVk) (The video is hardly inappropriate despite the warning. It's just an bio pic of the General in the early days of the second war.)
Play Misty For Me
Microphone suited for deep voice, spoken word only.
Suggestions for microphone suitable for a deep voice that may end up in zoom interviews, podcasts, or audiobooks. With thanks to all.
Piano’s Darkest Secret
One man's search for a suitable keyboard. Not all hands are alike, which is a problem for most pianists. Fortunately, Mr. Steinbuhler and the non-profit DS Standard Foundation want to help.
What characters from novels stay with you?
Riffing off of last week's question (which novels do you reread), which fictional characters do you find stick with you long after the reading, and why do you think they do?
What novels do you re-read and why?
What novels do you re-read and, more to the point, why?
Seeking agent for illustrator, children's book arena
Established graphic designer interested in potential side hustle of illustrating children's books. Who are some good agents to submit portfolio? Preferably US, but also UK (because why not?)
Ma La Notte, No!
Back in the 80's singer songwriter impresario jazzman Renzo Arbore ran a variety show on Italian televsion called Quelli della notte, launching pad for Roberto Benigni among others, the theme song of which was Ma La Notte, No!, (lyrics here), the basic sense of it being that the slings and arrows might trouble you during the day time, But At Night - Not! Well. Corona changes everything, and twenty Neapolitans with time on their hands and a song in their hearts have updated the piece to In Quarantina Sto! (Italian subtitles for those unfamiliar with Neapolitan dialect). Music starts at fifty second mark.
What Portuguese woman beat back which 7 Castillians with a breadpaddle?
Long shot here. I'm reading a 16th century history of Portugal in which the author refers to an anecdote concerning a Portuguese woman who beat back even Castilians with a bread paddle.
Sound familiar? If there are other references to this story, something with some kind of context (who the woman, who the Castilians, what the problem), I'd be glad to hear of them.
Pysankas, or, Ukainian Easter Eggs
They have a history. And, with the right tools and patience, they can be made at home. (TLDR version)
Happy Easter.
Banks of the Tiber
The embankment walls of Rome’s Tiber river get covered in grime, as city walls will do. In 2005, American artist Kristin Jones removed some of that grime to reveal some She Wolves. In 2016 she and William Kentridge were back with Tevereterno, featuring Triumphs and Laments, 500 meters of Roman history writ large. Youtube has four short videos on the project. Vimeo has a particularly fine rolling shot of the final work. (I particularly like the homage to La Dolce Vita at the 2:19 mark.)
Italy’s Tiber river has served as the realm of...
Launch day for Tiber: Eternal River of Rome Italy’s Tiber river has served as the realm of proto-mythic creatures and gods, a battleground for armies and navies, a livelihood for stevedores and fishermen, the subject matter of poets and painters, and the final resting place for criminals and martyrs. Tiber: Eternal River of Rome, is a collection of a hundred essays examining these many facets. Entries range from a single paragraph to several pages, drawn from over three thousand years and more of the river's history. The stories range from familiar to obscure, violent to gentle, inspiring, diverting, weird, unlikely, and at times downright comedic.
What can you tell me about the Lapp/Sami shaman Per Utsi?
I came across a brief mention of the man and his name and promises of amazing things he did, but no details or time periods, though possibly 20th century. Plenty of Per Utsis in the world, but this one doesn't seem to leap out on google. Not to me, at least. Anyone?
Two-thirds-sandwiches?
I'm reading a letter from Berlin 1932 to America in which the writer refers to a post rehearsal meal: "Strenuous music, then conversation with two-thirds-sandwiches and beer".
Two-thirds-sandwiches? The letter is in English, the author American, the phrase so off kilter that I have to wonder if it was a thing either in Germany or America in 1932.
Brill’s Language & Linguistics Blog
Stumbled on the cited site when looking for Brill's Dictionary of Ancient Greek, which is the English translation of Franco Montanari’s Vocabolario della Lingua Greca. The good professor has interesting things to say on his chosen subject. If you’re more an audio/visual person, there is a 24 minute interview with the fellow. (Getting back to the blog - it does not update frequently, but the archive is worth your time if words are your sort of thing.)
Fore Edge Painting
Dueling Jingle Bells
Who is Brode, what is he?
My grandfather had a habit in correspondence using last names only. Thus, in 1931, he was in Berlin, attending a gathering of the International Women's League for Peace, where spoke: "The Ohioan (we should guess Czech) Brode [who] propounded the program of his own city society – a league emphasizing the word “progress” - and tried to get a Berlin branch started." And so forth. Who he, what his proposed program? (A half dozen other mystery guests after the jump, if Brode is unfamiliar, and if the upcoming Christmas Challenge questions are too easy for you)
The Weekend Starboy Tour - how long do individual concerts last?
The Weekend Starboy Tour - how long do individual concerts last? Typically. Understanding that each show is different, but, you know - in general.
We're anticipating Boston here, so the follow up is, how difficult to get public transport from TD Arena to South Station for a 9:30 PM train on a weekday night. Frankly, I'm not optimistic but, you know - knowledge is power.
What is the deal with Googlebooks and No Ebooks Available?
So I need one of set of books on google books dating from 1743 and what luck! Volume one it turns up. what I really need, however, is a later volume in the series, and it turns up as well, but unavailable for preview for unexplained reasons. It also lists a new copyright date of 2011 by Bibliobazaar.
Anyone interested in some of the more odd and...
A Proposed Alliance of the Knights of Malta and the United States of America Anyone interested in some of the more odd and curious aspects of the American Revolution, its life and times, should enjoy the wealth of material at Journal of the American Revolution. Title link my latest, but there is something there for everyone.
While I'm here, my Great Siege of Malta is now available for pre-order in paperback, release date June 6. Very reasonably priced and just as good as the hardcover (which is available now). Perfect for graduation/fathers' day/beach reads. Do the author a solid! I have a child looking at colleges.
College strategy
Situation- high school junior of middling to good grades with college ambitions and an eye on costs. One option is a year or two of community college and then transfer to a name brand college (think BU or NYU or such like). In real life, what are the chances, what are the possibilities, what are the best strategies to make this happen? And equally if not more important, what are the pitfalls and gotchas? (How good an idea is this?)
credit where credit is due, photography edition
I've found a photograph dated 1954 that would work nicely for a book I'm writing. On the back is the photographer's name and a notice asking for credit to be given to (the now defunct) United Press Association. It does not specifically claim copyright for UPA, and I have not been able yet to discover when or if the photographer died.
YANML, but any thoughts or advice on its copyright status and if there still is ownership, who has it, would be welcome.
Get Back
Back in the Sixties, English MP Eddie O'Hara taught Latin. To make the language relevant, he put Beatles songs into Latin.
Former pupil and current Latin teacher Keith Massey sings one or two in an older language. And not just Beatles
KEDI - a.k.a. Nine Lives - Cats in Istanbul
“Dogs think people are God, but cats don’t. Cats know that people act as middlemen to God’s will. They’re not ungrateful. They just know better.” Film maker Ceyda Torun and cinematographer Charlie Wupperman have finished their documentary about Istanbul's cats. Coming soon to a city near you. (The movie, not the cats.)
A. Einstein mystery
Grandfather the mathematician took sabbaticals in Berlin in 1927 and 1934. There he became an acquaintance of Einstein. Years later he mentioned talking science to the fellow one afternoon, and I quote: "about a publication of the previous year - on the 'Fünf-bein' as I recall. 'Das ist alles Mist.'"
Google fails me on what what the Fünf-bein might refer to, much less why it is all crap.
Any thoughts appreciated.
Greg Lake dead at 69
General write ups abound.
The Financial Times does a nice write up of I Believe in Father Christmas (audio version here.)
Original version here
With Ian Anderson here .
Gracie For President
Tumultuous times, 1940. FDR of the Democratic Party vs Willkie of the Republican party.
And then there was Gracie of the Surprise Party.
What Latin Sounded Like and How We Know
NativLang, brainchild of linguist Joshua Rudder, has a series of videos dealing with various aspects of language, orthography, and so forth. For example:
What Latin Sounded Like and How We Know.
Kanji Story - How Japan Overloaded Chinese Characters... The Tribe That Cursed Too Much
...
How Korea crafted a better alphabet...
India's awesome hybrid alphabet thing...
Semitic's vowel-smuggling consonants...
The Hardest Language To Spell
Boots, Stiefel, Stivali, Bottes
We started watching Orphan Black last night and were suitably impressed by Eileen's German take on Nancy Sinatra's classic These Boots were Made For Walking. This led to a discussion of how such a clipped song would be hard to do in Italian.
Stradivarius also made guitars
Five of them still exist, albeit chiefly as artifacts and inspiration for luthiers.
In 2011, luthiers Daniel Sinier & Françoise de Ridder got the job of restoring one of them, a process they describe in some detail. End result, the Sabionari can go back on stage.
Here's Rolf Lislevand (and others) making it work.
Where can I find antique prints in Paris?
Off to Paris (France, not Texas) in a bit. I'm in the market for nineteenth century architectural prints. Any suggestions welcome. (Cheaper is better, of course, but will consider - not cheaper.)
Shrewsbury clock: A portmanteau
A mental coffee break, so to speak. I quite like Rimbshot and Dogs and Cats, among others. Oh, and Reasons, because he is describing our cat.
Majmuna's Tombstone
"Oh he who looks upon this tomb! I am already consumed inside it, and dust has settled on my eyes. On my couch in my abode there is nothing but tears, and what is to happen at my resurrection when I shall appear before my Creator?"
Franch language television suitable for binge watching?
Just finished binge watching all of Young Montalbano and Detective Montalbano. Great stuff. What I would like to find is something equally binge worthy, but in French. Genre not important, just engaging characters and/or stories. DVD by preference.
"Tintin mashups. Because the world needs them."
Had Herge had a slightly different turn of mind.
Prayer Nuts
Sixteenth century European Catholics with sufficiently heavy purses could upgrade their rosary beads with Prayer Nuts, virtuoso boxwood carvings of astonishing detail. You can get lost in these things, and probably the more so back in the day when, some believe, they were infused with scent, mixing the visual with the olfactory. They've been known to hit the market, latterly in the low six figures.
Fully articulated masterpieces
If the Venus de Milo had arms, if David had his groove on, if the Thinker took some action - Figma's Table Museum series addresses in plastic the possibilities.
Official release day for my history of same....
The Great Siege of Malta, 1565 Official release day for my history of same. Christmas is coming, the book could be suitable for the non-fiction readers on your list. Pre-release readers have described it as a fast read, "well-researched, convincingly argued and engagingly written."
Panoply - Animating the Ancient World
What the Greek vasemakers would have done if they had had the technology
Cartographer wanted
I need two or three basic maps for a book. Nothing fancy, just basic black and white, gray for water. I’m no cartographer. Any leads, suggestions, warnings, experiences would be welcome.
Roman Statue called La Rustique in the 16th century?
I'm reading the travel writings of Nicolas de Nicolay and...
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