The View From Kalamazoo

I think clowns are evil. I’ve always been afraid of them (well, was…now I’m just horrified at the sight), traumatized by them – they were active participants in my nightmares. I am, therefore, somehow not surprised that instead of a Stephen King sort of scary, this story describes a different sort of scary. As a parent would you really be comfortable with Spanky the Clown? What might have been his second choice of name – Diddler the Clown? I loved the circus – I hated the clowns. Clarabell’s creepy horn, that freakish car that vomited leering painted faces, maybe the only one I can stand is Emmett Kelly (but only because my grandfather was particularly fond of him…he loved clowns. I forgave him that long ago…)

Truth in advertising

Have they nothing more important to do? After this they’ll want to change city names that harken back to the days of the Spanish missions to something less offensive to non-Catholics: Los Angeles … Santa Ana, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, San Bruno, San Carlos, Santa Clara, San Clemente, Santa Cruz, Santa Clarita, San Diego, San Dimas, San Francisco, San Fernando, San Gabriel, San Joaquin, San Juan Bautista, San Jacinto, San Juan Capistrano, San Jose, San Anselmo, San Leandro, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Monica, San Marcos, Santa Maria, San Marino, Santa Paula, San Pablo, San Rafael, San Ramon, Santa Rosa….Ah, I lurve the smell of litigation in the morning!

So with my happy back issues in mind I decided to sign up for more personal training with Olga since I want to focus on my abs and trunk more, in general, but I don’t know which machines to go with, what machines targets what – and more importantly what machines or exercises will send me crying to my neurosurgeon (who is also, apparently, a member of the same gym…but I digress) for good drugs and (more) frightening surgery. Hans House of Pain is back, my friends.

Mach schnell! Mach schnell!

So this has been two weeks now and she’s kicking my ass working me hard. More bizarre shit with weighted medicine balls – happy, happy, joy, joy. Everyone, apparently, is noticing my Ahhhnold-ette physique except moi. I’m getting into more of my pre-Colin wardrobe, and that’s a Good Thing.

I’m taking a break from the bellydance class for the next 6-week session, tho. I need to finish my paper* (!!!) before I step up to give it next week (!!!) and I want to take some annual leave and get the heck out of dodge for a few days. Will likely head to St. L. to visit a friend and then south to locales in the glorious Ozarks to enjoy the starry canopy without the interference of city lights, good coffee with real cream, and a labyrinth mowed into a large field for lovely 45-minute walking meditation. Without children. Anywhere. Near. Mine or anyone else’s. Oh yeah, baby…

[*why the heck to I have to be first?! first paper, first session, non-concurrent sessions!!! no pressure, noooooo pressure…]

Online Weblog Leads To Firing

On one hand, venting in a weblog openly about clearly identified co-workers and supervisors – a weblog that any luddite using the URL in a university account sig file can find – is patently stupid. Yes, everyone vents about work once in a while – I would dare say it’s a healthy thing to get out of one’s system lest the frustration slowly corrode the office environment. I vent about co-workers on those days I’ve had it up to here – to other co-workers, quietly, in their offices or cubicles. They nod understandingly, I refill my coffee cup and life is much, much better – and I do the same for them, too. Shake it off, put game face back on, back in play.

On the other hand I can’t be the only person out there wondering about Harvard UniversityÂ’s policy regarding privacy and free speech.

Things that make me go hmmm…

Last book ordered at Congress has arrived:
Stephens, Walter. Demon Lovers

Naaasty storms through Michigan lately. Last night’s extravaganza involved me styaing an extra night at my parents’ place to avoid driving headlong into tornado warning areas with the kids. Up excessively early, had to wake, dress, and feed them both much earlier than they’re used to (and showed it) and trek across the state.

What fun. Emma only 45 minutes late to school, tho, and that’s not bad considering morning rush traffic in the Detroit area…

I need a nap.

Dorothy’s House just flew by my office window.

Spent last two days being abused at the gym by Olga. Signed up for some personal training time to mix things up a bit (and since I have the Egore-esque lower spine I wanted a professional to tell me what exercises and machines wouldn’t cause me harm). Down 3 lbs from Congress week.

My order of Butler, Elizabeth M. Ritual Magic and Noegel, Scott, Joel Walker and Brannon Wheeler, ers. Prayer, Magic, and the Stars in the Ancient and Late Antique World just came in from Penn State Press.

The lunch I ordered in 45 minutes ago is still not here. No shish tawouk and fattoush for me, damnit.

OOh big lightning! Shutting down computer now…

ROME (Reuters) – When in Rome, do as the Romans do… or at least did.

Tourists have long been drawn to the Colosseum and ruins of magnificent Roman temples in the heart of the Italian capital, but starting this week they can immerse themselves in ancient history and even pick up beginners’ Latin.

The regional government along with two historical societies is offering free Latin classes to tourists in a bid to lure even more of the sword-and-sandals loving crowd to Rome.

“Given all the excitement over the Roman Empire lately, we thought it was crazy not to do something here in the heart of it all,” said Alessandro Pediconi, one of the organizers.

They say interest for everything ancient skyrocketed after the success of Hollywood blockbuster “Gladiator” and is expected to just keep growing with films like “Troy,” starring Brad Pitt which opened in the United States earlier this month.

The first courses are being offered for English and French speaking tourists using a comic book starring “Caesar” and featuring cursory history and language lessons.

But the fun won’t stop with Latin.

For those itching to really live the Roman experience, organizers plan to team up this summer with the Scuola Gladiatori Roma, or gladiator school, to offer a package with Latin classes and a crash course in gladiator fighting.

After donning tunics and helmets, tourists would be treated to a typical Roman feast.

“Tourists are always looking for something ‘typical’ of a region — well for ancient Rome it doesn’t get much more typical than gladiator fighting and Latin,” said Pediconi.

Still, he said the ancient post-supper vomiting ritual would be dropped.

Today I stopped in at Walgreens because I was out of my Claritin-D generic and I have A) exceptionally cranky sinuses, and B) seasonal allergies. I take the stupid pills year-round, but this time of year brings me the most exquisite suffering so running out is A Major Issue.

I pick up two 15-tab boxes (one for me, one for Brian since he often takes them, too). [and I didn’t want to share MINE. MINE all MINE] and a $.99 Fiskars garden cultivator (which, I am sure you are relieved to know, has nothing to do with my sinuses). At the counter the second box wouldn’t scan. The clerk (gently) tried to dissuade me from that second box: “Do you really need two boxes?” “Well, we’ll have to do two transactions. It’ll take a little more time [looking at line forming behind me] – it that OK?”)

It’s early, I am dressed for the gym (in public!). I hadn’t one drop of coffee yet, and the guy behind me in line was sighing at me, pointedly, so I took the time to tensely graciously point out that I needed a box to keep at my workplace, and my husband needed a box to keep at his workplace, and therefore two boxes seemed the logical end. I had to run two transactions on my checkcard to get the damn things, and it’s a good thing I don’t pay a debit card per-transaction fee or someone would have been treated to a long Ciceronian oration projected with some force and volume..

It appears anyone with seasonal allergies or a cold will be, indirectly, accused of running a meth lab through the severe limiting of their ability to buy symptom-treating over-the-counter medication by Walgreens (and a number of other stores, but Walgreens is particularly fascist about it).

Amazing. Unbe-fucking-lievable. Next thing I know I’ll be hauled off for questioning due to my habit of buying the super-sized bottled of Tums. I’m sure someone can make something out of them…

[crossposted to my lj for maximum outrage effect]

An hour or so north from Kalamazoo is Grand Rapids. There is an exhibit about to open there that should be pretty cool, IMO – Gratia Dei. They are arranging for scholars to give presentations as well as the popular culture and child-focused museum bits, and from all of the materials I’ve seen they are working very hard at doing a very good job with the time period.

Such a good job trying to accurately portray every part of medieval life, in fact, they are pulling some of the exhibit in response to concerns about public response in the face of CNN and MSNBC headlines.

I’ve been through the torture implement room at Medieval Times, which certainly seems to be more graphic than this small display had appeared to be, and I agree – this stuff is powerful. I’ve done a lot of reading in regards to the stuff I’ve done on Inquisition trial techniques, and the witch hunts…and even knowing as much as I do (maybe because I know as much as I do) I can tell you it’s sobering.

I see the concerns of many who were interviewed for that news story – however I find that my reaction to the information on the exhibit and current headlines leads me to not be inclined to sweep this important, and yes striking, part of our history under the rug – in fact I think it may be more important than ever to face realistically that which many would like to simply forget. This practice occurred, this mindset was prevalent, and it set into motion that which we have built upon like it or not, and recognition of the need for perfunctory apologies can’t alter that which was. I would really respected a more courageous decision..but they’re running a business, and I understand that.

I have to wonder how looking at ourselves in the greater context of what shaped us (administratively/judicially, socially, religiously) is inappropriate. The political climate or newest headline does not (and should not) change that which is, and I think letting these dictate what historical information is not considered important (or warm and fuzzy) is a bad practice. Yes, graphic images don’t necessarily meet educational needs, especially when the audience may be largely made up of children. I won’t argue that gore = good. I’m a parent, too.

Yes, people are more sensitive to the topic right now. Good. Then they will take this seriously – not as some side-show display, not as some “boring” or “totally inapplicable to today” museum piece to wander past and yawn, and certainly not as something laugh at as they poke their buddy in the ribs and they tell some Beavis-and-Butthead style off-color joke. But, apparently, we’ll need to wait until people aren’t sensitive to the topic to present this piece of our history, a history shared by the Western (the U.S.’s present allies as well as detractors) and non-Western world. I hope that’s a long wait – I never want to see a society totally insensitive to it.

[FWIW I think an exhibit called By the grace of God should, you’d think, have all aspects of the medieval church and religious institutions, and that interaction with the typical medieval individual portrayed in the exhibit – which certainly could involve the possibility of accusation and questioning depending on the time and place.]

“If, when he has been decently tortured, he will not confess the truth, let other kinds of torture be laid before him, and let him be told that he must go through all of these. If, even so, he will not [confess], then a second or third day may be fixed to terrify him, or even in truth as a continuation of his torture (which permitted) but not a repetition; for tortures may not be repeated unless fresh evidence comes in against him; then indeed they may be repeated. But there is no prohibition against the continuation” (Source: Nicolas Eymerich, Directorium Inquisitorum, 1376).

More breastfeeding in the news

Graphic adaptation of Everyman

Cuneiform goes digital found at Mirabilis.ca

Shakespeare on duvet Does this count as news of the weird? I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m not so thrilled with the story of star-crossed lovers covering me and mine – seems bad luck, somehow.