The View From Kalamazoo

Even the Vicodin isn’t getting near handling the pain, tho. A good 6-inch, stapled gash across my abdomen – you know, everything makes abs move – laughing (hurts), sneezing (hurts), coughing (hurts), and any little movement (hurts). I won’t even try to describe the screaming evil of trying to blow my nose. Ouch.

I’m behind reading everything and everyone, of course. And I have a bunch of-interest-to-medievalists links to throw on that left side column, but they’ll take a while, too. I’m going back to the couch. Erg.

University launches satanism course for priests : Worried about the lure of the devil, a Vatican-linked university launched its latest course yesterday: a class on satanism, black magic and exorcism.
Man, I just don’t want so see the homework for that one…

On Romulus and Remus [found at mirabilis.ca]

Carly Fiorina, recently-ejected CEO of HP (the 11th largest corporation in the US and manufacturer of the majority of the Medieval Institute printers, FWIW) did a B.A. in medieval history and philosophy as an undergrad at Stanford. She had been pulled away from Lucent Technologies by HP in 1999.

Even ousted is lucrative – her severance package is 21.1 mil.

(I’ll take a mere tenth of that severance, myself, if anyone’s offering)

Taking the final ok’d blue line over for UPS to whisk away to the printer…whee!

Leprosy’s decline caused by rise of TB

Proofs (2nd time through) should be in tomorrow. Same-day turnaround, and I can only hope we can still take delivery by the end of next week…

Not that I’ll be around to see it. Slice and dice still scheduled for Tuesday.

Finland Receives First Ph.D. in Trolls:
Finland has received what appears to be the first doctoral dissertation on traditional forest trolls.

Master of Philosophy Camilla Asplund Ingemark, 30, has researched the subject for six years. She will defend her doctoral dissertation, which is classified as a work on folklore, at the Ã…bo Akademi University in Turku on Friday.

The study describes the world of trolls according to the beliefs in the folklore of Swedish-speaking Finns.

Both Christian and pagan stories described the relationship between man and supernatural forces. Folklore and Christian tales and sermons influenced each other.

“I chose trolls as the subject of my research because I suspected that troll tales could reveal something about the relation between folk beliefs and Christianity. I am interested in that relationship.”

Na na na na

Na na na na

Hey hey hey

GOODBYE!

Dropped it off for UPS myself, late yesterady afternoon. Already looking forward to that peculiar headache I get looking through blueline proofs. Oy.

An announcement in my email:

ARS OBSCURA Bookbinding & Restoration, Inc. is most pleased to announce a new activity, ARS OBSCURA Press.

With this announcement is the release of our first title, the obscure but outstanding –

The Place of Magic in the Intellectual History of Europe
by Lynn Thorndike,
edited by Joel Radcliffe.

Originally published in 1905, this work, after a manner, is an outline for Lynn Thorndikes later monumental magnum opus, the eight volume set of the History of Magic and Experimental Science.

I offer this work largely on the value of Lynn Thorndikes gargantuan stature amongst scholars of Magick and original thinking. Ive contributed the new typesetting and a fine leather binding of a limited ARS OBSCURA Press edition.

This work is first and foremost a historical primer. From the Classical to the Medieval eras, the history of Magick is explored through the works and the personages of these periods. Primary source material is laid clear that comprises the primary signposts of this lineage. These being the likes of Pliny and his Natural History, to Pythagoras, Aristotle, Cato, Boswell, Galen, Seneca and Ciceros Dream of Scipio, to name a few. Mr. Thorndike provides a thorough groundwork. The eclipse of Magick by science and yet the ageless persistence of Magickal inclinations brings the gravity to the issues of the scientific questions of Magicks evolutions. In keeping with the scholar tradition there are copious Latin and Greek footnotes throughout.

Limited edition of 250 hand-numbered copies bound at the studios of ARS OBSCURA Bookbinding, Inc. and guaranteed to outlive its owner. A full leather binding in burgundy kidskin. Leather headbands and black silk ribbon. Sewn marble ndpapers, also burgundy. This book is hand-sewn on 2 sawn-in cords. Gold gilded title and author on the spine with gilded lines parallel to the 5 raised bands.

ISBN: 0-9623780-9-7. 12 pp.,107 pgs., 5 ½ x 8 ½ inches. Type has been set in Garamond and Athenian.

Price: $105.00.
Shipping is priority USPS with Delivery Confirmation Number. Please add $6.00.
A lined (with matching marble paper) slipcase is available, but is an extra $40.00.

Please use my PayPal account, that is, the first “Add to Cart” button on our order form page.

<http://www.arsobscurabookbinding.com
[email protected]

I not only laughed out loud, I snarfed my coffee.

So disturbing, yet so…educational. The 60-second shiv…perfect for those pointless administrative meetings…*ducks*

‘High status’ Viking site found

Potholers discover ancient Roman mosaic

Ancient Astronomer’s Work Found on Roman Statue

Found: the studio where Leonardo met Mona Lisa

*sigh* something I stumbled across at mirabilis.ca:
Babylon wrecked by war: US-led forces leave a trail of destruction and contamination in architectural site of world importance

FYI : all interested parties

The 40th Congress Program is now online (directly) at

http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/40congress

enjoy. I’m going to bed.