Today:
You know the drill: this is the thread for all your history-related outpourings that are not necessarily questions. Minor questions that you feel don't need or merit their own threads are welcome too. Discovered a great new book, documentary, article or blog? Has your Ph.D. application been successful? Have you made an archaeological discovery in your back yard? Did you find an anecdote about the Doge of Venice telling a joke to Michel Foucault? Tell us all about it.
As usual, moderation in this thread will be relatively non-existent -- jokes, anecdotes and light-hearted banter are welcome.
DOCTOR Sunagainstgold, I presume?
I am officially Not. That. Kind of. Doctor!
I did a podcast this week with none other than Bill Nye the Science Guy. We talked about nuclear weapons (shocker). I thought it went very well, and he was a very nice guy. It will air in May or something like that.
I've been writing short pieces for Folklore Thursday, a popular but serious venue for work on folklore. Here is my first effort. I'll provide a link for my second, 'Nazis, Trolls, and the Grateful Dead: Turmoil among Sweden's Folklorists' when it is posted in April. I am currently working on a piece tentatively titled, 'Horse or Dragon? May Day’s ‘Obby ‘Oss of Padstow, Cornwall'.
Irving Finkel, the Santa Claus of cuneiform, really summarizes how I think a lot of us view journalists and documentary-makers. The whole lecture is worth watching though; he's always entertaining.
Panelists, what would you do if you had a time machine, and were using it in the pursuit of your research?
I've been having hit or miss luck with Audible but recently discovered Jennifer Paxton's lecture on England from 5th to 15th century and it's amazing. About halfway through the lecture and it's incredibly informative and her narration is engaging. For anyone interested in this period of English history I highly recommend.
What do you think of the podcast Throughline? I listened to a few episodes. They're fairly engaging to a layman like myself, but I worry that they may be over simplifying things (and a layman like myself wouldn't know whether this is true).
Any opinions? Here's their page in iTunes.
What are the best threads on historical social constructs?
What's the hot take on Jared Diamond's "Guns, Germs, and Steel"? Someone gifted it to me, but I have yet to read it because I've heard some peoplw say it's not very credible.
What areas does the term "the Orient" describe? Everything east of Europe or? My kneejerk reaction is to think of China, but I know it was also includes the Middle East and South Asia. Is North Africa included? I'm wondering from now and from a British colonial perspective.
What is Orientalism? What is Orientalism in regards to India/South Asia?
