A succession of cries and shouts

November 27, 2024

Re: Dawn, Reestablishing Space and Time, I’m noticing how dawn is mentioned again at line 50, and a succession of “shouts” that intervene between the two mentions.

Dawn produces light; Zeus sends down Strife; Strife positions herself where you can hear a cry (γεγωνέω) from one end of the fleet to the other — and shouts (αὔω); Agamemnon shouts (βοάω) and commands the soldiers; the soldiers themselves (after a long discussion of Agamemnon’s armor) shout (ἄσβεστος δὲ βοὴ) “before the dawn”; finally Zeus produces a “din of battle” (κυδοιμός) and sends a morning dew of blood (???) down.

The general impression I get is of a scene growing more clamorous as it grows brighter…. What, though, to make of that involved description of Agamemon’s armor?

November 25, 2024

This is thought provoking on “the galloping hypocrisy of the educated class” — Noah Smith: “Non-college Americans were failed by progressivism, because they followed what college-educated progressives *said* rather than what they *did*. Thus, they are turning to a rightist movement that rejects what progressives *say*.”

November 23, 2024

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Firm through weakness, brave through timidity

November 22, 2024

Passions are often engendered by their opposites. Greed sometimes produces prodigality, and prodigality greed; one is firm through weakness often, and audacious by timidity.

La Rochefoucauld [11]

Les passions en engendrent souvent qui leur sont contraires. L’avarice produit quelquefois la prodigalité, et la prodigalité l’avarice ; on est souvent ferme par faiblesse, et audacieux par timidité.

November 21, 2024

Iliad 10.246-7. τούτου γ᾽ ἑσπομένοιο καὶ ἐκ πυρὸς αἰθομένοιο
ἄμφω νοστήσαιμεν, ἐπεὶ περίοιδε νοῆσαι.

November 19, 2024

ngrams: typing,typer,typist,typed … Would guess this shows that at the same time as typing, as an activity, flourished, it declined as a profession.

November 18, 2024

“… for I wept up to a great age, never having really evolved in the fields of affection or passion, in spite of my experiences.” Beckett, Malone Dies.

November 17, 2024

Bienheureuse la cloche au gosier vigoureux…

November 16, 2024

Seems that it would take a thousand years for the Mediterranean Sea to evaporate were the Straight of Gibraltar blocked.

Perfect Night

November 15, 2024

Internet: there is a glut of people of precisely your type. Well known early 20th century author: technological progress has killed the spiritual man. Car: drive it with its underinflated tire slowly down to the gas station on Macarthur. Gas station: there’s no room in the lot, bring it back after five — so I drive it creepingly back. Myself: drive it slowly back after five, park it, and run home and keep running past my home, it’s such a lovely, perfect night.

November 15, 2024

ngrams: kakistocracy (1922 — 2022)

November 14, 2024

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November 14, 2024

Eritrea, Liberating Dekemhare then to Asmera 1991

BOSTOCK V. CLAYTON COUNTY, GA

November 12, 2024

I read Bostock v. Clayton County after someone recommended it as an example of a well-written Gorsuch opinion. It concerns whether or not sexual orientation is protected against discrimination by Title 7 of The Civil Rights Act of 1964.

At first blush, I would have said that Title 7 does not cover sexual orientation — that the clear meaning of “sex” was biologically male or female — and the law is intended to prevent discrimination against women.

Yet you have to concede Gorsuch’s point: that if you fire a man for having sex with men but not a woman for having sex with men, then that termination of employment is based on the employee’s sex.

I feel like the intent of the Civil Rights Act is that you ought not fire someone based on the type of person they are, but must consider them as individuals, and that the Gorsuch opinion is consistent with that.

Alito’s dissent, which I skimmed,  struck me as emotional and testy. I noticed that both Alito and Gorsuch referred to the dictionary a fair amount and was reminded this court has somewhat of a reputation for hair-splitting. 

November 11, 2024

τέλος μύθων Maybe: “the whole story”? οὐ τέλος ἵκεο μύθων = “you haven’t told the whole story”?

November 11, 2024

Thermostatic (political sense): “Reacting to change by attempting to move in the opposite direction.”

November 7, 2024

Melisma: A passage of several notes sung to one syllable of text.

Les bonheurs futurs

November 6, 2024

Les bonheurs futurs, comme les rivages des tropiques, projettent sur l’immensité qui les précède leurs mollesses natales, une brise parfumée, et l’on s’assoupit dans cet enivrement sans même s’inquiéter de l’horizon que l’on n’aperçoit pas….(*) Bovary 2.3.132

November 5, 2024

Like this tweet: In a sense, the true “battleground state” is the human soul itself.

November 5, 2024

τὸν μέσον δάκτυλον ἐκτείνας — this totally dispenses with the old yarn about the archers at Agincourt.