All posts by acilius

Mahmood Mamdani on Iraq and Darfur

The following paragraphs began an article by Columbia University’s Mahmood Mamdani comparing Western attitudes to Iraq and Darfur.  The article originally appeared in the LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS in March and was reprinted in THE AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE last month. 

The Politics of Naming: Genocide, Civil War, Insurgency

Mahmood Mamdani

The similarities between Iraq and Darfur are remarkable. The estimate of the number of civilians killed over the past three years is roughly similar. The killers are mostly paramilitaries, closely linked to the official military, which is said to be their main source of arms. The victims too are by and large identified as members of groups, rather than targeted as individuals. But the violence in the two places is named differently. In Iraq, it is said to be a cycle of insurgency and counter-insurgency; in Darfur, it is called genocide. Why the difference? Who does the naming? Who is being named? What difference does it make? (more…)

by acilius on September 4, 2007  •  Permalink
Posted in Iraq, Ogaden & Darfur, Politics
Tagged

Posted by acilius on September 4, 2007

https://losthunderlads.com/2007/09/04/mahmood-mamdani-on-iraq-and-darfur/

Which is Mukalla?

A Google Images search for “Mukalla, Yemen” produced one of these pictures.  Can you guess which one?

coastal-scene.jpg

Stylish Neckwear

If you guessed “The stylish piece of neckwear,” you are wrong!

by acilius on August 31, 2007  •  Permalink
Posted in Bow Tie of the Week, Weird Pictures

Posted by acilius on August 31, 2007

https://losthunderlads.com/2007/08/31/which-is-mukalla/

Long live the blog!

Lefalcon, how are things in Mukalla?  It sounds like quite a change from Aden. 

Monday night I attended a meeting of Ball State’s Orthodox Christian Fellowship.  As you recall, I’d attended once last year and had been meaning to go back.  Someone I hadn’t seen there before asked me if I was an Orthodox Christian.  No, I said, I’m a Quaker.  This was a bit of an exaggeration; I haven’t joined the Friends Church yet, but am planning to do so.  This drew a puzzled look.  “I’m very comfortable with Quakerism and can’t imagine being anything but a Quaker, and that’s precisely why I want to learn more about Orthodoxy.  I want to make sure that I’m not just looking for an excuse for being the sort of person I already am.”  “Well, Quakerism and Orthodoxy are certainly opposite ends of the sprectrum.”  I agreed.  For example, the Orthodox always tend towards the most elaborate possible liturgical forms, while Quaker liturgy consists of sitting still.  

At any rate, the theme of that meeting was  the New Year.  Because 1 September is New Year’s day in the liturgical calendar of the Orthodox Church.  In that spirit, I declare my New Year’s resolution to be posting more stuff on this blog.

by acilius on August 31, 2007  •  Permalink
Posted in Narratives, Responses
Tagged

Posted by acilius on August 31, 2007

https://losthunderlads.com/2007/08/31/long-live-the-blog/

An email I sent to P, in which I critiqued your least-favorite blogger

P-funk has been sending me emails lately with his views on society and class in Brazil, a topic whereupon my ignorance is almost total.  So I keep trying to change the subject.  Something he said yesterday reminded me of a recent posting on Steve Sailer’s blog, so I took the opportunity to introduce him to that site and my reservations about it.  With P’s permission, I copy the message below.   (more…)

by acilius on August 15, 2007  •  Permalink
Posted in Politics, Responses
Tagged ,

Posted by acilius on August 15, 2007

https://losthunderlads.com/2007/08/15/an-email-i-sent-to-p-in-which-i-critiqued-your-least-favorite-blogger/

The Imp of the Perverse

Keith Knight on an odd psychological phenomenon.

http://www.buzzle.com/showImage.asp?image=20240

by acilius on August 14, 2007  •  Permalink
Posted in Comics, Quick Links
Tagged

Posted by acilius on August 14, 2007

https://losthunderlads.com/2007/08/14/the-imp-of-the-perverse/

beer commercial

Have you ever wondered what it would have been like if Salvador Dali and Luis Bunuel had collaborated on a beer commercial?  Neither have I.  But somebody has- look at this Stella Artois spot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s-aXtrrdpU&mode=related&search=

by acilius on August 14, 2007  •  Permalink
Posted in Quick Links
Tagged

Posted by acilius on August 14, 2007

https://losthunderlads.com/2007/08/14/beer-commercial/

Slow Start

hindenburg.jpg

So the blog is off to a slow start.  I haven’t had much time lately for the sort of wide-ranging reading that would support a lot of postings, and I know you guys have a lot going on as well.  But I think that email would be at a lull right now as well, for the same reason.  So I still believe that going to a blog format was the right move, and that future developments will vindicate this judgement.  I call for a surge of comments, posts, and new links. 

Here’s a link to linguist Larry Trask’s very engaging article, “Where do Mama/Papa words come from?”  I may have included a link in an email a while back, but it’s a really fun read and very convincing.  If you’re at all interested in what historical linguists do, you’ll enjoy it.  The file is pdf, but worth it.  http://www.sussex.ac.uk/linguistics/documents/where_do_mama2.pdf

And another youtube clip from The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain.  I love them. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeWH1wP9tM8

Speaking of youtube, here’s a Viewmaster commercial from 1971 featuring Henry Fonda and Jodie Foster.  Also a kid who may or may not have been on The Brady Bunch. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5QGd-0X3bg

The Word Origins class I teach includes the Greek word phobos, meaning fear, the uncontrollable urge to run away.  Of course that gives us lots of English words ending in the six letters phobia, words that refer to irrational, unmanageable fears.  People get interested in lists of paronyms like that, so the website below has lots of fans.

http://www.phobialist.com/

by acilius on July 18, 2007  •  Permalink
Posted in AboutTheBlog, The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain
Tagged , ,

Posted by acilius on July 18, 2007

https://losthunderlads.com/2007/07/18/slow-start/

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