"...[T]he whole Reichstag and an astounding array of Generals had been summoned to hear his speech. Appropriately this glittering event took place in the Kroll Opera House. Hitler's speech was a long one and he used it to claim personal credit for the victories of 1940. 'I advised the German forces of the possibility of such a development and gave them the necessary detailed orders,' said the ex-Corporal to one of the most dazzling arrays of military brains ever gathered under one roof....
"When the applause of that multitude of Generals, politicians, and foreign dignitaries died away, Hitler began to distribute the honours. He created no less than twenty-seven new Generals. Mostly they were men who had commanded armies or panzer groups to win for him the great victories in Poland, Norway, and the west. But artfully Hitler arranged that yes-men such as Alfred Jodl and Wilhelm Keitel who had told Hitler, 'my Führer, you are the greatest military commander of history' got double promotions and seniority. While Gustav von Wietersheim — whose motorized infantry corps had consolidated the panzer thrust by which Guderian skewered France — was passed over because he had argued with the Führer in 1938....
"So many new promotions were announced that there was not time for the Generals to receive Hitler's personal congratulations. As each name was called, a General stood up and gave the Nazi salute....
"By the time that Hitler had finished creating Generals, and no less than a dozen Field Marshals, there could have been few men in the opera house who did not understand that this was a cunning piece of megalomania that, while thoroughly debasing the coinage of high rank, defined Hitler as the man who owned the mint.
"It was an unprecedented step. The Kaiser made only five Field Marshals in the whole of the First World War. Even General Erich Ludendorff had failed to find a baton in his knapsack. Now Hitler made twelve after less than a year of war, and the fighting had covered only a few weeks. But the new Generalfeldmarschalle were delighted. In Germany such exalted rank, from which the holder could neither be retired nor demoted (or even promoted), brought the provision of an office, a secretary, a staff officer, motor vehicles and horses, and full pay and privileges. And all this for life or until defeat. A Field Marshal ranked above Reich Chancellor in the protocol lists but not above Führer, which was a new post invented by Hitler for himself."
--Len Deighton, Fighter: The True Story of the Battle of Britain, 1977
Showing posts with label history. Show all posts
Showing posts with label history. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
Monday, June 06, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Happy Anzac Day
"I remember watching a TV news story some years back about the Anzac Day ceremony at Gallipoli.
"The reporter was interviewing a young Australian wrapped in a flag, and asked her why she had come to Gallipoli.
"'I came to pay my respects,' she said. 'They died so that we could be free.'
"I was utterly depressed by her answer. Gallipoli, of course, had nothing to do with dying for anyone's freedom, and that is the tragedy of the story.
"For that young woman to have travelled all that way, braved the freezing wait for dawn, and still not really have a clue about what happened there and why it was about so much more than pro patria mori, it seemed to me to be another tragedy."
--Ben Knight, "Breaking through our Gallipoli 'myth'", ABC News, 2008 November 2
"As the cries of the wounded continued and the hot sun rose, the Anzacs were moved to pity. They had never seen such bravery before. A truce was arranged and Anzacs and Turks together helped to bury the dead."
--A.K. Macdougall, Australia in History: Gallipoli and the Middle East, 1915-18, 2004
"We mounted over a plateau and down through gullies filled with thyme, where there lay about 4000 Turkish dead. It was indescribable. One was grateful for the rain and the grey sky.... I talked to the Turks, one of whom pointed to the graves. 'That's politics,' he said."
--Aubrey Herbert, Captain in the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, 1915 May
"The reporter was interviewing a young Australian wrapped in a flag, and asked her why she had come to Gallipoli.
"'I came to pay my respects,' she said. 'They died so that we could be free.'
"I was utterly depressed by her answer. Gallipoli, of course, had nothing to do with dying for anyone's freedom, and that is the tragedy of the story.
"For that young woman to have travelled all that way, braved the freezing wait for dawn, and still not really have a clue about what happened there and why it was about so much more than pro patria mori, it seemed to me to be another tragedy."
--Ben Knight, "Breaking through our Gallipoli 'myth'", ABC News, 2008 November 2
Gallipoli battlefield cemetery
statue of an Ottoman soldier carrying a wounded ANZAC soldier
"As the cries of the wounded continued and the hot sun rose, the Anzacs were moved to pity. They had never seen such bravery before. A truce was arranged and Anzacs and Turks together helped to bury the dead."
--A.K. Macdougall, Australia in History: Gallipoli and the Middle East, 1915-18, 2004
"We mounted over a plateau and down through gullies filled with thyme, where there lay about 4000 Turkish dead. It was indescribable. One was grateful for the rain and the grey sky.... I talked to the Turks, one of whom pointed to the graves. 'That's politics,' he said."
--Aubrey Herbert, Captain in the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, 1915 May
Thursday, April 21, 2011
The Ancient Athenian Sophists (for an irreproachable legacy, be a philosopher, not a lawyer)
"From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"In the second half of the 5th century BC, particularly at Athens, 'sophist' came to denote a class of mostly itinerant intellectuals who taught courses in various subjects, speculated about the nature of language and culture, and employed rhetoric to achieve their purposes, generally to persuade or convince others.... A few sophists claimed that they could find the answers to all questions. Most of these sophists are known today primarily through the writings of their opponents (specifically Plato and Aristotle), which makes it difficult to assemble an unbiased view of their practices and beliefs....
"Owing largely to the influence of Plato and Aristotle, philosophy came to be regarded as distinct from sophistry, the latter being regarded as specious and rhetorical, a practical discipline. Thus, by the time of the Roman Empire, a sophist was simply a teacher of rhetoric and a popular public speaker....
"The Sophists certainly were not directly responsible for Athenian democracy, but their cultural and psychological contributions played an important role in its growth. They contributed to the new democracy in part by espousing expertise in public deliberation, since this was the foundation of decision-making, which allowed and perhaps required a tolerance of the beliefs of others....
"In addition, Sophists had great impact on the early development of law, as the sophists were the first lawyers in the world. Their status as lawyers was a result of their extremely developed argumentation skills."
"In the second half of the 5th century BC, particularly at Athens, 'sophist' came to denote a class of mostly itinerant intellectuals who taught courses in various subjects, speculated about the nature of language and culture, and employed rhetoric to achieve their purposes, generally to persuade or convince others.... A few sophists claimed that they could find the answers to all questions. Most of these sophists are known today primarily through the writings of their opponents (specifically Plato and Aristotle), which makes it difficult to assemble an unbiased view of their practices and beliefs....
"Owing largely to the influence of Plato and Aristotle, philosophy came to be regarded as distinct from sophistry, the latter being regarded as specious and rhetorical, a practical discipline. Thus, by the time of the Roman Empire, a sophist was simply a teacher of rhetoric and a popular public speaker....
"The Sophists certainly were not directly responsible for Athenian democracy, but their cultural and psychological contributions played an important role in its growth. They contributed to the new democracy in part by espousing expertise in public deliberation, since this was the foundation of decision-making, which allowed and perhaps required a tolerance of the beliefs of others....
"In addition, Sophists had great impact on the early development of law, as the sophists were the first lawyers in the world. Their status as lawyers was a result of their extremely developed argumentation skills."
Sunday, April 10, 2011
North Dakota is New Norway
Like Norway, North Dakota has a strong energy industry, a strong overall economy, abundant natural resources, stalwart fiscal management, increasing tourism, and cold weather. A full 30% of North Dakotans claim Norwegian heritage.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_American#Norwegian_Americans_by_state
Nodak is currently implementing its second ten-year economic development plan. The strategy, concisely presented in a single document, advocates aggressive policies.
http://www.commerce.nd.gov/resources/
North Dakota Economic Development Strategic Plan 2010-2020
"This plan is intended to be a catalyst for state and local economic development efforts by providing common direction, strategic areas of emphasis, and priorities for investing state and local dollars.
"This strategy is grounded on North Dakota’s assets:
• Educated, hardworking people
• Abundant natural resources
• Strong academic, transportation, and technology infrastructure
"Strategies for Continued Growth:
• Maintain a positive business climate that supports private sector investment
• Continue investing in university-based research and development
• Embrace entrepreneurship and foster a culture of entrepreneurship
• Promote export trade by linking North Dakota businesses with foreign buyers and markets
"North Dakota, 2009:
• Population estimates show out-migration has reversed and the state is growing.
• North Dakota leads the nation in growth of gross domestic product.
• North Dakota has the lowest unemployment rate in the nation.
"North Dakota emerged as an economic leader during the recent global recession by making fiscally sound investments that leveraged our state’s natural strengths.
"The economic assessment contained in the 2002 North Dakota Economic Development Foundation Strategic plan painted a much different picture about North Dakota compared to today. North Dakota has improved considerably in almost all measurements of economic activity.
"Working with the North Dakota Trade Office and with industry groups, the state can take advantage of a lower U.S. dollar and continue building on recent export growth in commodities, processed foods, machinery, and computer and electronic products.
"Growth Challenges
"North Dakota faces a number of challenges for future economic development, some are new but many of them are familiar.
"Geography/Image
Distance from markets, lack of a major metropolitan area, and a negative image are familiar challenges for North Dakota. New technology and the internet have decreased some of the geographic barriers. And the recent attention North Dakota has received as a result of its strong economy provides a different national storyline about North Dakota that highlights some of the state’s most attractive qualities and provides a sharp contrast to the traditional national story about the state’s remoteness and cold weather.
"Other Issues
North Dakota’s strong economic growth is creating new challenges such as housing shortages, childcare needs, stress on infrastructure and water resources, and the recruitment and retention of workforce.
"Value-Added Agriculture
"North Dakota ranks as the largest United States producer of 16 different commodities, including spring and durum wheat, sunflowers and barley, among other crops. The state currently has an obvious competitive advantage in agricultural production.
"North Dakota Opportunities
• Biotech manufacturing: Among high-tech manufacturing industries, North Dakota has the greatest competitive advantage in biotechnology manufacturing.
• Agricultural biotech: This is a niche within biotechnology. Also referred to as bioengineering, this technology promises to drastically alter the way farmers produce foods. North Dakota’s natural resources in production agriculture provide an obvious competitive edge for ag-biotech.
• Specialty foods for niche markets: Specialty production presents North Dakota with an opportunity to generate growth from higher impact sectors such as agricultural biotech and 'natural' foods. In addition, food production has traditionally been a strong point in North Dakota’s economic, cultural, and political foundations. To the extent that North Dakota has an international reputation, food has been a significant asset. Building on that identification will facilitate greater global recognition for the state.
"Energy
"North Dakota is poised to be a model for America in the development of diverse energy resources. North Dakota has massive wind energy potential, and is the top producer of 16 different agricultural commodities that provide materials to support biofuels and biomass industries. North Dakota is home to the nation’s only National Center for Hydrogen Technology.
"North Dakota is nationally recognized as having the greatest potential of any state in its capacity to produce energy through wind power. Full realization of our wind power will require further development of the power transmission grid.
"Tourism
"North Dakota’s tourism growth has outpaced the nation, 37.6 percent since 2001 compared to the nation’s growth of 31 percent according to the U.S. Travel Association.
"Tourism ranks third among industries contributing to North Dakota’s economy with $4.1 billion spent in 2008. The growth of tourism is felt statewide.
"The legendary branding, creative strategies, and comprehensive media plans are showing a strong return on investment with $123 returned for every $1 invested in advertising. Advertising North Dakota as a tourism destination also has a positive impact on the image of North Dakota.
"North Dakota Opportunities
• Aggressive marketing: North Dakota continues to be challenged by our lack of image, climate, geographic location, and lack of nationally recognized landmarks which precipitates the need for aggressive marketing.
• Canadian travel continues to be strong. Although affected by exchange rates and border security, a targeted year-round campaign is needed to increase the 1.5 million trips to North Dakota by Canadians.
• Rural and agri-tourism is an area visitors are looking to experience in North Dakota. Efforts to expand these opportunities will help these sectors grow.
• Green travel: As the demand for environmentally friendly travel options grows, North Dakota needs to be prepared to offer green options. Nature-based opportunities do exist and need to be tied to these efforts.
"Strategies
• Continue to measure aggressive media relations campaigns that enhance North Dakota’s image and increase awareness of North Dakota as a great place to live, work, play, visit, and be in business.
"Existing Initiatives
• Fully integrated marketing and communication program to attract visitors from targeted countries including Canada, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Germany, and Australia."
Innovate ND
"A unique entrepreneurial community that connects coaches, business leaders, investors, and mentors to budding entrepreneurs to create economic growth in North Dakota."
http://www.commerce.nd.gov/innovate/innovatend/
http://www.experience.nd.gov/work/north-dakota-rankings/
"How does North Dakota compete with the national business climate?
"Nationally, North Dakota ranks:
#1 for production of 16 agricultural commodities, more than any other state (2008 National Agricultural Statistics Service)
#1 for Safest State (2007 Morgan Quitno Press)
#1 for Cost of Doing Business (2007 CNBC)
#2 for High School Students That Graduate With A Diploma (2007 Education Week, Quality Count)
#3 for Postsecondary Participation (2007 Education Week, Quality Count)
#3 for State Economic Competitiveness (2008 Beacon Hill Institute)
#7 for Best States to Look for Jobs (2008 US Census Bureau; Bureau of Labor Statistics)
#10 for Most Livable State by (2008 Morgan Quitno)"
http://www.business.nd.gov/uploads/resources/203/webquick-factsbrochure08.pdf
"Microsoft Business Solutions
1,333+ employees and division HQ in Fargo
North Dakota-grown Great Plains Software acquired for $1.1 billion in April 2001
"ING
750+ employees at Customer Service Operations center in Minot
"Amazon.com
300+ employees at Internet Distribution Center in Grand Forks
"Goodrich Corporation
Building aerospace cargo systems and replacement military structures in Jamestown
"Great River Energy
Capitalizing on reducing the carbon footprint in North Dakota
Leader in the energy industry
"Steffes
Leading manufacturer of electric thermal storage equipment
"LM Glasfiber
Manufacturing fiberglass blades for wind turbines in Grand Forks
• "State exports nearly 70% of electricity produced
• "Person-to-person access to public officials
• "Only state-owned bank in the nation that offers business expansion loans
• "Taxes: #3 in nation for lowest cost of doing business
"Foreign trade zone
• Two Canada-Mexico Trade Corridors
• Fourth largest port of entry for Canadian goods by truck and rail
• 24-hour ports of entry along the North Dakota-Canadian border
• Four international airports - Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks, and Minot
"Education
• #2 public high school graduation rate
• #3 in SAT scores
• #3 college continuation rate for high school graduates
• #3 college participation rate for 19 year olds
• Nineteen college and university campuses, including two major research universities
"Workforce
Unisys Shared Service Center - Bismarck (325 employees - accounts payable):
• Annual turnover rate 11%, compared to industry standard of 35-40%
• Absenteeism rate 1%
"Quality of Life
• #1 safest state in the nation for 10 out of last 11 years (Morgan Quinto Press)"
From the entry on North Dakota (Nord-Dakota) in the Norwegian Wikipedia:
http://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nord-Dakota
"På 1800-tallet ble Nord-Dakota regnet som en del av den ville vesten."
English translation: "In the 1800's, North Dakota was counted as part of the Wild West."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_American#Norwegian_Americans_by_state
* * * * *
Nodak is currently implementing its second ten-year economic development plan. The strategy, concisely presented in a single document, advocates aggressive policies.
http://www.commerce.nd.gov/resources/
North Dakota Economic Development Strategic Plan 2010-2020
"This plan is intended to be a catalyst for state and local economic development efforts by providing common direction, strategic areas of emphasis, and priorities for investing state and local dollars.
"This strategy is grounded on North Dakota’s assets:
• Educated, hardworking people
• Abundant natural resources
• Strong academic, transportation, and technology infrastructure
"Strategies for Continued Growth:
• Maintain a positive business climate that supports private sector investment
• Continue investing in university-based research and development
• Embrace entrepreneurship and foster a culture of entrepreneurship
• Promote export trade by linking North Dakota businesses with foreign buyers and markets
"North Dakota, 2009:
• Population estimates show out-migration has reversed and the state is growing.
• North Dakota leads the nation in growth of gross domestic product.
• North Dakota has the lowest unemployment rate in the nation.
"North Dakota emerged as an economic leader during the recent global recession by making fiscally sound investments that leveraged our state’s natural strengths.
"The economic assessment contained in the 2002 North Dakota Economic Development Foundation Strategic plan painted a much different picture about North Dakota compared to today. North Dakota has improved considerably in almost all measurements of economic activity.
"Working with the North Dakota Trade Office and with industry groups, the state can take advantage of a lower U.S. dollar and continue building on recent export growth in commodities, processed foods, machinery, and computer and electronic products.
"Growth Challenges
"North Dakota faces a number of challenges for future economic development, some are new but many of them are familiar.
"Geography/Image
Distance from markets, lack of a major metropolitan area, and a negative image are familiar challenges for North Dakota. New technology and the internet have decreased some of the geographic barriers. And the recent attention North Dakota has received as a result of its strong economy provides a different national storyline about North Dakota that highlights some of the state’s most attractive qualities and provides a sharp contrast to the traditional national story about the state’s remoteness and cold weather.
"Other Issues
North Dakota’s strong economic growth is creating new challenges such as housing shortages, childcare needs, stress on infrastructure and water resources, and the recruitment and retention of workforce.
"Value-Added Agriculture
"North Dakota ranks as the largest United States producer of 16 different commodities, including spring and durum wheat, sunflowers and barley, among other crops. The state currently has an obvious competitive advantage in agricultural production.
"North Dakota Opportunities
• Biotech manufacturing: Among high-tech manufacturing industries, North Dakota has the greatest competitive advantage in biotechnology manufacturing.
• Agricultural biotech: This is a niche within biotechnology. Also referred to as bioengineering, this technology promises to drastically alter the way farmers produce foods. North Dakota’s natural resources in production agriculture provide an obvious competitive edge for ag-biotech.
• Specialty foods for niche markets: Specialty production presents North Dakota with an opportunity to generate growth from higher impact sectors such as agricultural biotech and 'natural' foods. In addition, food production has traditionally been a strong point in North Dakota’s economic, cultural, and political foundations. To the extent that North Dakota has an international reputation, food has been a significant asset. Building on that identification will facilitate greater global recognition for the state.
"Energy
"North Dakota is poised to be a model for America in the development of diverse energy resources. North Dakota has massive wind energy potential, and is the top producer of 16 different agricultural commodities that provide materials to support biofuels and biomass industries. North Dakota is home to the nation’s only National Center for Hydrogen Technology.
"North Dakota is nationally recognized as having the greatest potential of any state in its capacity to produce energy through wind power. Full realization of our wind power will require further development of the power transmission grid.
"Tourism
"North Dakota’s tourism growth has outpaced the nation, 37.6 percent since 2001 compared to the nation’s growth of 31 percent according to the U.S. Travel Association.
"Tourism ranks third among industries contributing to North Dakota’s economy with $4.1 billion spent in 2008. The growth of tourism is felt statewide.
"The legendary branding, creative strategies, and comprehensive media plans are showing a strong return on investment with $123 returned for every $1 invested in advertising. Advertising North Dakota as a tourism destination also has a positive impact on the image of North Dakota.
"North Dakota Opportunities
• Aggressive marketing: North Dakota continues to be challenged by our lack of image, climate, geographic location, and lack of nationally recognized landmarks which precipitates the need for aggressive marketing.
• Canadian travel continues to be strong. Although affected by exchange rates and border security, a targeted year-round campaign is needed to increase the 1.5 million trips to North Dakota by Canadians.
• Rural and agri-tourism is an area visitors are looking to experience in North Dakota. Efforts to expand these opportunities will help these sectors grow.
• Green travel: As the demand for environmentally friendly travel options grows, North Dakota needs to be prepared to offer green options. Nature-based opportunities do exist and need to be tied to these efforts.
"Strategies
• Continue to measure aggressive media relations campaigns that enhance North Dakota’s image and increase awareness of North Dakota as a great place to live, work, play, visit, and be in business.
"Existing Initiatives
• Fully integrated marketing and communication program to attract visitors from targeted countries including Canada, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Germany, and Australia."
* * * * *
Innovate ND
"A unique entrepreneurial community that connects coaches, business leaders, investors, and mentors to budding entrepreneurs to create economic growth in North Dakota."
http://www.commerce.nd.gov/innovate/innovatend/
* * * * *
http://www.experience.nd.gov/work/north-dakota-rankings/
"How does North Dakota compete with the national business climate?
"Nationally, North Dakota ranks:
#1 for production of 16 agricultural commodities, more than any other state (2008 National Agricultural Statistics Service)
#1 for Safest State (2007 Morgan Quitno Press)
#1 for Cost of Doing Business (2007 CNBC)
#2 for High School Students That Graduate With A Diploma (2007 Education Week, Quality Count)
#3 for Postsecondary Participation (2007 Education Week, Quality Count)
#3 for State Economic Competitiveness (2008 Beacon Hill Institute)
#7 for Best States to Look for Jobs (2008 US Census Bureau; Bureau of Labor Statistics)
#10 for Most Livable State by (2008 Morgan Quitno)"
* * * * *
http://www.business.nd.gov/uploads/resources/203/webquick-factsbrochure08.pdf
"Microsoft Business Solutions
1,333+ employees and division HQ in Fargo
North Dakota-grown Great Plains Software acquired for $1.1 billion in April 2001
"ING
750+ employees at Customer Service Operations center in Minot
"Amazon.com
300+ employees at Internet Distribution Center in Grand Forks
"Goodrich Corporation
Building aerospace cargo systems and replacement military structures in Jamestown
"Great River Energy
Capitalizing on reducing the carbon footprint in North Dakota
Leader in the energy industry
"Steffes
Leading manufacturer of electric thermal storage equipment
"LM Glasfiber
Manufacturing fiberglass blades for wind turbines in Grand Forks
• "State exports nearly 70% of electricity produced
• "Person-to-person access to public officials
• "Only state-owned bank in the nation that offers business expansion loans
• "Taxes: #3 in nation for lowest cost of doing business
"Foreign trade zone
• Two Canada-Mexico Trade Corridors
• Fourth largest port of entry for Canadian goods by truck and rail
• 24-hour ports of entry along the North Dakota-Canadian border
• Four international airports - Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks, and Minot
"Education
• #2 public high school graduation rate
• #3 in SAT scores
• #3 college continuation rate for high school graduates
• #3 college participation rate for 19 year olds
• Nineteen college and university campuses, including two major research universities
"Workforce
Unisys Shared Service Center - Bismarck (325 employees - accounts payable):
• Annual turnover rate 11%, compared to industry standard of 35-40%
• Absenteeism rate 1%
"Quality of Life
• #1 safest state in the nation for 10 out of last 11 years (Morgan Quinto Press)"
* * * * *
From the entry on North Dakota (Nord-Dakota) in the Norwegian Wikipedia:
http://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nord-Dakota
"På 1800-tallet ble Nord-Dakota regnet som en del av den ville vesten."
English translation: "In the 1800's, North Dakota was counted as part of the Wild West."
* * * * *
previous posts on North Dakota
previous posts on Norway
Monday, February 28, 2011
The Sedlec Ossuary
"From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"The Sedlec Ossuary is a small Roman Catholic chapel located in Sedlec, a suburb of Kutná Hora in the Czech Republic. The ossuary is estimated to contain the skeletons of between 40,000 and 70,000 people.
"Henry, the abbot of the Cistercian monastery in Sedlec, was sent to Palestine by King Otakar II of Bohemia in 1278. When he returned, he brought with him a small amount of earth that he had removed from Golgotha and sprinkled it over the abbey cemetery. The word of this pious act soon spread and the cemetery in Sedlec became a desirable burial site throughout Central Europe. During the Black Death in the mid 14th century, and after the Hussite Wars in the early 15th century, many thousands of people were buried there and the cemetery had to be greatly enlarged.
"In 1870, František Rint, a woodcarver, was employed by the Schwarzenberg family to put the bone heaps into order. The macabre result of his effort speaks for itself. Four enormous bell-shaped mounds occupy the corners of the chapel. An enormous chandelier of bones, which contains at least one of every bone in the human body, hangs from the center of the nave with garlands of skulls draping the vault. Other works include piers and monstrances flanking the altar, a large Schwarzenberg coat-of-arms, and the signature of Rint, also executed in bone, on the wall near the entrance."
Thursday, November 04, 2010
ARMISTICE DAY WAR POETRY READING
Australian soldiers in Ypres, Belgium, 1917
photo by Frank Hurley
At 11:00 on the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, “The War to End All Wars” came to an end.
Designated Armistice Day, it is still commemorated as such in France and Belgium, as Remembrance Day in the UK and Commonwealth countries, as Volkstrauertag in Germany, and as Veterans Day in the United States.
In World War I, on the Western Front, a years-long stalemate between the German, French, and British armies would see millions of men die pointlessly in the living horror of trench warfare.
Out of this colossal tragedy arose poetry that is among the most beautiful, disturbing, and compelling poetry ever written.
“These men are worth your tears.”
--Wilfred Owen
Classic World War I Poetry
read by Radigan Neuhalfen
2010 November 10, Wednesday
20:00 (8:00 PM)
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Halloween Reading - H.P. Lovecraft - Mongolia
“I have an odd craving to whisper about those few frightful hours in that ill-rumored and evilly-shadowed seaport of death and blasphemous abnormality. The mere telling helps me to restore confidence in my own faculties; to reassure myself that I was not the first to succumb to a contagious nightmare hallucination. It helps me, too, in making up my mind regarding a certain terrible step which lies ahead of me...”
--H.P. Lovecraft, “The Shadow over Innsmouth”
Unnatural sex acts, a dangerous secret cult, and one very long night...
H.P. Lovecraft's
“The Shadow over Innsmouth”
read by Radigan Neuhalfen
Cafe Amsterdam
Wednesday, 2010 October 27
8:00 PM
In the shunned New England seaport town of Innsmouth, something is very much not right, as one unfortunate traveller discovers on one unforgettable night.
Written and published in 1936 during the worldwide Great Depression, this popular and provocative classic of cosmic horror treats themes of economic collapse and desperation, miscegenation, racism, fear of the foreign, and humanity's wilful though perhaps necessary misinterpretation of the nature of the universe and our own role within it.
The subject of ever-increasing academic and mainstream attention, H.P. Lovecraft (1890-1937) stands as the most influential American horror writer since Edgar Allan Poe.
Radigan Neuhalfen is the author of the novel The Steppe and the blog The Crush of All Things.
Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar
Saturday, October 02, 2010
Influenza Pandemic, World War I, mass death is individual loss multiplied many times over, cosmic horror
"Elizabeth had fallen victim to the greatest cosmic prank of all time, the flu that had swept across the world in the spring and summer of 1918, as if the bloody abattoir in the trenches hadn't been evidence enough of humanity's divine disfavor. That's what Elizabeth had called it in the last letter he'd ever had from her: God's judgment on a world gone mad. Garner had given up on God by then: he'd packed away the Bible Elizabeth had pressed upon him after a week in the field hospital, knowing that its paltry lies could bring him no comfort in the face of such horror, and it hadn't. Not then, and not later, when he'd come home to face Elizabeth's mute and barren grave."
--Dale Bailey and Nathan Ballingrud, "The Crevasse," Lovecraft Unbound, 2009
--Dale Bailey and Nathan Ballingrud, "The Crevasse," Lovecraft Unbound, 2009
Sunday, August 08, 2010
Grande y Felicisima Armada
Defeat of the Spanish Armada
1740-1812 French/English
"From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"An attempt to press home the English advantage failed the following year, when a comparable English fleet sailed for Portugal and the Azores in 1589. The Norris-Drake Expedition or English Armada limped home after failing to co-ordinate its strategy effectively with the Portuguese.
"High seas buccaneering and the supply of troops to Philip II's enemies in the Netherlands and France continued, but brought few tangible rewards for England. The Anglo-Spanish War dragged on to a stalemate that left Spanish power in Europe and the Americas dominant."
Sunday, July 04, 2010
mourn
“I am not included within the pale of this glorious anniversary! Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us. The blessings in which you this day rejoice are not enjoyed in common. The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity, and independence bequeathed by your fathers is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought life and healing to you has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn.”
--Frederick Douglass, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” speech, New York, Rochester, 1852 July 5
--Frederick Douglass, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” speech, New York, Rochester, 1852 July 5
no instance
“There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.”
--Sun Tzu, The Art of War, 6th Century BCE
--Sun Tzu, The Art of War, 6th Century BCE
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Gödel and the Grundlagenkrise der Mathematik (and Knowledgelessness)
“From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
“Since the time of Pythagoras, mathematicians have wondered about the nature of mathematical truth, the ontology of mathematical entities and the reasons for the validity of proof and, more generally, mathematical knowledge. From the Enlightenment until the middle of the 19th century, the prevailing scientific ideology saw mathematics as the only way of reaching a truth that is final, absolute and totally independent of the human mind's capacity to understand it. The basic notions of mathematics were thought to reflect essential properties of the cosmos and the theorems to be the truths of a higher reality.... Yet, in the 19th century this traditional belief was undermined in the minds of some people and eventually led to a serious foundational crisis in mathematics. The first of the discoveries which caused the loss of faith, dating from the time of the Renaissance, was that of the imaginary numbers (i.e. those involving the square root of minus one)....
“The foundational crisis of mathematics (in German: Grundlagenkrise der Mathematik) was the early 20th century's term for the search for proper foundations of mathematics.
“After several schools of the philosophy of mathematics ran into difficulties one after the other in the 20th century, the assumption that mathematics had any foundation that could be stated within mathematics itself began to be heavily challenged.
“One attempt after another to provide unassailable foundations for mathematics was found to suffer from various paradoxes (such as Russell's paradox) and to be inconsistent: an undesirable situation in which every mathematical statement that can be formulated in a proposed system (such as 2 + 2 = 5) can also be proved in the system.
“Various schools of thought on the right approach to the foundations of mathematics were fiercely opposing each other. The leading school was that of the formalist approach, of which David Hilbert was the foremost proponent, culminating in what is known as Hilbert's program, which thought to ground mathematics on a small basis of a logical system proved sound by metamathematical finitistic means. The main opponent was the intuitionist school, led by L. E. J. Brouwer, which resolutely discarded formalism as a meaningless game with symbols. The fight was acrimonious. In 1920 Hilbert succeeded in having Brouwer, whom he considered a threat to mathematics, removed from the editorial board of Mathematische Annalen, the leading mathematical journal of the time.
“Gödel's incompleteness theorems, proved in 1931, showed that essential aspects of Hilbert's program could not be attained. In Gödel's first result he showed how to construct, for any sufficiently powerful and consistent recursively axiomatizable system -- such as necessary to axiomatize the elementary theory of arithmetic on the (infinite) set of natural numbers -- a statement that can be shown to be true, but that does not follow from the rules of the system. It thus became clear that the notion of mathematical truth can not be reduced to a purely formal system as envisaged in Hilbert's program. In a next result Gödel showed that such a system was not powerful enough for proving its own consistency, let alone that a simpler system could do the job. This dealt a final blow to the heart of Hilbert's program, the hope that consistency could be established by finitistic means... Meanwhile, the intuitionistic school had not attracted many adherents among working mathematicians, due to difficulties of constructive mathematics.
“In a sense, the crisis has not been resolved, but faded away: most mathematicians either do not work from axiomatic systems, or if they do, do not doubt the consistency of ZFC (the Zermelo–Fraenkel set theory with the axiom of choice), generally their preferred axiomatic system....
“It may or may not be the case that there is a fundamental limit to what humans can understand about numbers (i.e., there may be true number-theoretical principles which cannot be perceived as being true by any human), but Gödel's theorem does not tell us which of these is the case, and we have no way of knowing.”
“Since the time of Pythagoras, mathematicians have wondered about the nature of mathematical truth, the ontology of mathematical entities and the reasons for the validity of proof and, more generally, mathematical knowledge. From the Enlightenment until the middle of the 19th century, the prevailing scientific ideology saw mathematics as the only way of reaching a truth that is final, absolute and totally independent of the human mind's capacity to understand it. The basic notions of mathematics were thought to reflect essential properties of the cosmos and the theorems to be the truths of a higher reality.... Yet, in the 19th century this traditional belief was undermined in the minds of some people and eventually led to a serious foundational crisis in mathematics. The first of the discoveries which caused the loss of faith, dating from the time of the Renaissance, was that of the imaginary numbers (i.e. those involving the square root of minus one)....
“The foundational crisis of mathematics (in German: Grundlagenkrise der Mathematik) was the early 20th century's term for the search for proper foundations of mathematics.
“After several schools of the philosophy of mathematics ran into difficulties one after the other in the 20th century, the assumption that mathematics had any foundation that could be stated within mathematics itself began to be heavily challenged.
“One attempt after another to provide unassailable foundations for mathematics was found to suffer from various paradoxes (such as Russell's paradox) and to be inconsistent: an undesirable situation in which every mathematical statement that can be formulated in a proposed system (such as 2 + 2 = 5) can also be proved in the system.
“Various schools of thought on the right approach to the foundations of mathematics were fiercely opposing each other. The leading school was that of the formalist approach, of which David Hilbert was the foremost proponent, culminating in what is known as Hilbert's program, which thought to ground mathematics on a small basis of a logical system proved sound by metamathematical finitistic means. The main opponent was the intuitionist school, led by L. E. J. Brouwer, which resolutely discarded formalism as a meaningless game with symbols. The fight was acrimonious. In 1920 Hilbert succeeded in having Brouwer, whom he considered a threat to mathematics, removed from the editorial board of Mathematische Annalen, the leading mathematical journal of the time.
“Gödel's incompleteness theorems, proved in 1931, showed that essential aspects of Hilbert's program could not be attained. In Gödel's first result he showed how to construct, for any sufficiently powerful and consistent recursively axiomatizable system -- such as necessary to axiomatize the elementary theory of arithmetic on the (infinite) set of natural numbers -- a statement that can be shown to be true, but that does not follow from the rules of the system. It thus became clear that the notion of mathematical truth can not be reduced to a purely formal system as envisaged in Hilbert's program. In a next result Gödel showed that such a system was not powerful enough for proving its own consistency, let alone that a simpler system could do the job. This dealt a final blow to the heart of Hilbert's program, the hope that consistency could be established by finitistic means... Meanwhile, the intuitionistic school had not attracted many adherents among working mathematicians, due to difficulties of constructive mathematics.
“In a sense, the crisis has not been resolved, but faded away: most mathematicians either do not work from axiomatic systems, or if they do, do not doubt the consistency of ZFC (the Zermelo–Fraenkel set theory with the axiom of choice), generally their preferred axiomatic system....
“It may or may not be the case that there is a fundamental limit to what humans can understand about numbers (i.e., there may be true number-theoretical principles which cannot be perceived as being true by any human), but Gödel's theorem does not tell us which of these is the case, and we have no way of knowing.”
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Queens of Mongolia
"Jack Weatherford will give a talk entitled 'Queens of Mongolia' this coming Wednesday the 16th of June at 8pm.
"His presentation will focus on the daughters of Genghis Khan, their history and achievements and their place in Mongolia’s society. This is the story of his second book: The Secret History of the Mongol Queens: How the Daughters of Genghis Khan Rescued His Empire.
"Jack Weatherford is a professor of anthropology at Macalester College in Minnesota. He is a specialist in tribal peoples and the author of Indian Givers, Native Roots, Savages and Civilization, The History of Money, and Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World.
"Come early as this talk is expected to be exceedingly popular. See you all then!
"--Café Amsterdam"
"His presentation will focus on the daughters of Genghis Khan, their history and achievements and their place in Mongolia’s society. This is the story of his second book: The Secret History of the Mongol Queens: How the Daughters of Genghis Khan Rescued His Empire.
"Jack Weatherford is a professor of anthropology at Macalester College in Minnesota. He is a specialist in tribal peoples and the author of Indian Givers, Native Roots, Savages and Civilization, The History of Money, and Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World.
"Come early as this talk is expected to be exceedingly popular. See you all then!
"--Café Amsterdam"
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
all my life the cost of living has been rising
"An hour of light will cost you about a quarter of a second of labour -- a little more if you include the cost of the bulb.
"According to economist William Nordhaus, to get the same amount of light with a conventional filament lamp in 1950 and the then average wage, you’d have needed to work for eight seconds. Using a kerosene lamp in the 1880s, you’d have needed to work for 15 minutes; a tallow candle in the 1800s, more than six hours. From a quarter of a day to a quarter of a second is an 86,400-fold improvement. That’s how much better off you are than your ancestor two centuries ago -- in lighting, at least....
"Yet all my life the cost of living has been rising. Why? It’s partly because prices are quoted in money, rather than in hours worked, and partly that the basket of goods used to measure inflation is slow to include new inventions, which are the items that are the fastest to fall in price....
"The computing power of one of today’s pocket calculators would have cost you a lifetime’s wages in 1970, yet I don’t recall ever calculating that it would be sensible to wait until 2009 before buying one....
"Moreover, in satisfying your needs more cheaply, you have more money to spend, so you chase up the cost of your wants. So the money that you’ve saved on candles now gets spent on homoeopathic pet medicines."
--Matt Ridley, Wired UK, 2009 April 21
"According to economist William Nordhaus, to get the same amount of light with a conventional filament lamp in 1950 and the then average wage, you’d have needed to work for eight seconds. Using a kerosene lamp in the 1880s, you’d have needed to work for 15 minutes; a tallow candle in the 1800s, more than six hours. From a quarter of a day to a quarter of a second is an 86,400-fold improvement. That’s how much better off you are than your ancestor two centuries ago -- in lighting, at least....
"Yet all my life the cost of living has been rising. Why? It’s partly because prices are quoted in money, rather than in hours worked, and partly that the basket of goods used to measure inflation is slow to include new inventions, which are the items that are the fastest to fall in price....
"The computing power of one of today’s pocket calculators would have cost you a lifetime’s wages in 1970, yet I don’t recall ever calculating that it would be sensible to wait until 2009 before buying one....
"Moreover, in satisfying your needs more cheaply, you have more money to spend, so you chase up the cost of your wants. So the money that you’ve saved on candles now gets spent on homoeopathic pet medicines."
--Matt Ridley, Wired UK, 2009 April 21
Friday, May 14, 2010
Yes, per logical consistency, and in denial of self-righteous fiction
"The conditions of combat place human beings under unbearable and extraordinary circumstances of stress that can and have provoked decent and good men to perform terrible acts. Is it just for those judging these acts to place standards on combat behavior that they cannot say with any confidence that they could meet themselves, if placed under the same conditions?
"The United States walked right into this one when it launched the first international war crimes trial at Nuremberg after World War II. Nobody doubted that what the Nazis had done to Jews and others during the war was monstrous, but subjecting it to official and legal condemnation under the category of 'war crimes' was, and remains, problematical. The tribunal at Nuremberg would not accept 'following orders' as a defense, but neither does the US military permit soldiers to pass their own moral judgements on which orders they will obey.
"Ultimately, the importance of officially condemning the atrocities of the Holocaust was determined to be more important than consistency. What the Nazis did could not stand unpunished, even though, in truth, there were bound to be actions by American soldiers in future wars that could be called war crimes under the Nuremberg definition. There were such actions during W.W. II: should the crew of the Enola Gay have refused to drop the atom bomb?"
--Ethics Scoreboard, "The Housewife and the Marine," 2004 November 22
"The United States walked right into this one when it launched the first international war crimes trial at Nuremberg after World War II. Nobody doubted that what the Nazis had done to Jews and others during the war was monstrous, but subjecting it to official and legal condemnation under the category of 'war crimes' was, and remains, problematical. The tribunal at Nuremberg would not accept 'following orders' as a defense, but neither does the US military permit soldiers to pass their own moral judgements on which orders they will obey.
"Ultimately, the importance of officially condemning the atrocities of the Holocaust was determined to be more important than consistency. What the Nazis did could not stand unpunished, even though, in truth, there were bound to be actions by American soldiers in future wars that could be called war crimes under the Nuremberg definition. There were such actions during W.W. II: should the crew of the Enola Gay have refused to drop the atom bomb?"
--Ethics Scoreboard, "The Housewife and the Marine," 2004 November 22
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Happy Australia and New Zealand Army Corps Day
1999 June
“Dr Martin Crotty, a New Zealander who lectures Australian students, tells a story of one student who 'thumped the table after I'd given a seminar and complained at having a New Zealander come and tell us about Anzac.'
“'He was genuinely shocked when I told him what the N and the Z stood for.'
“The historian said Australians had a very 'parochial' view of WW1 and were even less aware of France and Britain's involvement than they were of New Zealand's.
“'The push should be not to just understand New Zealand but to see the Gallipoli campaign and the war in general in more internationalist terms,' he said.”
--http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/2355369/Aussies-forget-the-NZ-in-Anzac
Friday, April 23, 2010
World War I and H.P. Lovecraft
"At the beginning of the twentieth century, belief in the rational suffered a massive blow on the charnel fields of the First World War. Here were the rational, modern, capitalist powers, expressing their supposedly rational interests with an eruption of mechanized human butchery unprecedented in history. The scale of the psychic and cultural trauma of the First World War is vast—perhaps even 'undescribable.' The war smashed apart the complacencies of 'rationality' and uncovered the irrationality at the heart of the modern world with a savagery that eclipsed any fantasist's nightmares. How, then, could the genre known as fantasy present anything that could compare with such horror? Certainly, its stock of werewolves and effete vampires were utterly inadequate to the task....
"Traditionally, genre horror is concerned with the irruption of dreadful forces into a comforting status quo—one which the protagonists frantically scrabble to preserve. By contrast, Lovecraft's horror is not one of intrusion but of realization. The world has always been implacably bleak; the horror lies in our acknowledging that fact."
--China Mieville, introduction to At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft, 2005
"Traditionally, genre horror is concerned with the irruption of dreadful forces into a comforting status quo—one which the protagonists frantically scrabble to preserve. By contrast, Lovecraft's horror is not one of intrusion but of realization. The world has always been implacably bleak; the horror lies in our acknowledging that fact."
--China Mieville, introduction to At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft, 2005
Sunday, April 04, 2010
Happy Easter (Banned in the UK)
The poem that resulted in successful prosecution for "blasphemy" against the publishers in the U.K. (an episode in the history of censorship):
"The Love that Dares to Speak its Name"
James Kirkup
1918-2009 English
As they took him from the cross
I, the centurion, took him in my arms--
the tough lean body
of a man no longer young,
beardless, breathless,
but well hung.
He was still warm.
While they prepared the tomb
I kept guard over him.
His mother and the Magdalen
had gone to fetch clean linen
to shroud his nakedness.
I was alone with him.
For the last time
I kissed his mouth. My tongue
found his, bitter with death.
I licked his wound--
the blood was harsh.
For the last time
I laid my lips around the tip
of that great cock, the instrument
of our salvation, our eternal joy.
The shaft, still throbbed, anointed
with death's final ejaculation.
I knew he'd had it off with other men--
with Herod's guards, with Pontius Pilate,
with John the Baptist, with Paul of Tarsus,
with foxy Judas, a great kisser, with
the rest of the Twelve, together and apart.
He loved all men, body, soul and spirit -- even me.
So now I took off my uniform, and, naked,
lay together with him in his desolation,
caressing every shadow of his cooling flesh,
hugging him and trying to warm him back to life.
Slowly the fire in his thighs went out,
while I grew hotter with unearthly love.
It was the only way I knew to speak our love's proud name,
to tell him of my long devotion, my desire, my dread--
something we had never talked about. My spear, wet with blood,
his dear, broken body all open wounds,
and in each wound his side, his back,
his mouth -- I came and came and came
as if each coming was my last.
And then the miracle possessed us.
I felt him enter into me, and fiercely spend
his spirit's final seed within my hole, my soul,
pulse upon pulse, unto the ends of the earth--
he crucified me with him into kingdom come.
--This is the passionate and blissful crucifixion
same-sex lovers suffer, patiently and gladly.
They inflict these loving injuries of joy and grace
one upon the other, till they die of lust and pain
within the horny paradise of one another's limbs,
with one voice cry to heaven in a last divine release.
Then lie long together, peacefully entwined, with hope
of resurrection, as we did, on that green hill far away.
But before we rose again, they came and took him from me.
They knew not what we had done, but felt
no shame or anger. Rather they were gald for us,
and blessed us, as would he, who loved all men.
And after three long, lonely days, like years,
in which I roamed the gardens of my grief
seeking for him, my one friend who had gone from me,
he rose from sleep, at dawn, and showed himself to me before
all others. And took me to him with
the love that now forever dares to speak its name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitehouse_v_Lemon
"The Love that Dares to Speak its Name"
James Kirkup
1918-2009 English
As they took him from the cross
I, the centurion, took him in my arms--
the tough lean body
of a man no longer young,
beardless, breathless,
but well hung.
He was still warm.
While they prepared the tomb
I kept guard over him.
His mother and the Magdalen
had gone to fetch clean linen
to shroud his nakedness.
I was alone with him.
For the last time
I kissed his mouth. My tongue
found his, bitter with death.
I licked his wound--
the blood was harsh.
For the last time
I laid my lips around the tip
of that great cock, the instrument
of our salvation, our eternal joy.
The shaft, still throbbed, anointed
with death's final ejaculation.
I knew he'd had it off with other men--
with Herod's guards, with Pontius Pilate,
with John the Baptist, with Paul of Tarsus,
with foxy Judas, a great kisser, with
the rest of the Twelve, together and apart.
He loved all men, body, soul and spirit -- even me.
So now I took off my uniform, and, naked,
lay together with him in his desolation,
caressing every shadow of his cooling flesh,
hugging him and trying to warm him back to life.
Slowly the fire in his thighs went out,
while I grew hotter with unearthly love.
It was the only way I knew to speak our love's proud name,
to tell him of my long devotion, my desire, my dread--
something we had never talked about. My spear, wet with blood,
his dear, broken body all open wounds,
and in each wound his side, his back,
his mouth -- I came and came and came
as if each coming was my last.
And then the miracle possessed us.
I felt him enter into me, and fiercely spend
his spirit's final seed within my hole, my soul,
pulse upon pulse, unto the ends of the earth--
he crucified me with him into kingdom come.
--This is the passionate and blissful crucifixion
same-sex lovers suffer, patiently and gladly.
They inflict these loving injuries of joy and grace
one upon the other, till they die of lust and pain
within the horny paradise of one another's limbs,
with one voice cry to heaven in a last divine release.
Then lie long together, peacefully entwined, with hope
of resurrection, as we did, on that green hill far away.
But before we rose again, they came and took him from me.
They knew not what we had done, but felt
no shame or anger. Rather they were gald for us,
and blessed us, as would he, who loved all men.
And after three long, lonely days, like years,
in which I roamed the gardens of my grief
seeking for him, my one friend who had gone from me,
he rose from sleep, at dawn, and showed himself to me before
all others. And took me to him with
the love that now forever dares to speak its name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitehouse_v_Lemon
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