the old english word ‘ealuscop’
means ‘ale-poet’;
one who recites poetry
while drinking beer.
—
credits: painting by irishman, sean o’daniels, word origin from british medieval history
Nov1
Tag Archives: history
Oct29
roots.
summers in the late 60s
mc5
grateful dead
play free concerts in the park bandshell
late summer 2017
grandsons free play in the same park bandshell
“dig into the roots of culture, and it will grow.
it’s like a grass that is growing, and it cannot stop,
and music is like the fertilizer for that.”
-burning spear
—
west park, ann arbor, mi, usa
(2 more days and 2 more parks to go)
—
band image credits: ann arbor news archives
Sep26
big chill.
i actually have dated someone who fit this same description.
—
credits: central press, getty images, mental floss
Sep25
stamp.
when i went into the post office to mail something and buy stamps
i was approached in line
by a postal worker who tried to help out and save me time
by offering me stamps
“i have some pretty flowers or american flags available.”
i must appear to be a feminine and/or patriotic gardener
it was a nice gesture but i chose to wait a minute and select my own
when i made it to counter and the postal worker opened her book
she offered me hearts and flowers
(is it my lavender body lotion?)
i asked to look through the book and chose the two above –
jimi hendrix and jfk
she looked at me, nodded, saying
“interesting combo.”
interesting does not even begin to describe them.
—
“genius is essentially creative;
it bears the stamp of the individual who possesses it.”
-madame de stael
Sep23
falling.
fall is only ‘fall’ to americans, even though the term was coined in britain.
what do you call the picking of ripe sweet potatoes, apples, squash and pumpkins?
harvest.
that was the word used until the 1300s to describe the next few months of weather.
because “harvest” also meant the gathering of ripe crops, when the word “autumn” showed up in english writing, its popularity soared.
some time after, poets coined the phrase “the fall of leaves” — shortened to “fall” in the 1600s.
the word “autumn” still remained popular throughout england’s period of colonizing the world.
the lack of consistent communication between the english and the people in the american colonies led to differences in the language.
by the mid-1800s, the word “fall” had firmly rooted itself in america.
—
and apparently something was again lost in translation
when communicating with mother nature
as yesterday was the official first day of
fall/harvest/autumn
and our temps in michigan were in the 90s.
(photo: fuller park, ann arbor, mi, usa)
—
credit: cnn news
Jul24
here we go.
50 years ago this week
we were in the midst of a detroit riot
we have come such a long way
still have a way to go
but here we go.
—
“since its founding, detroit has been a place of perpetual flames. numerous times the city has suffered riots and each time the city has burned to the ground. the city’s flag acknowledges as much.
speramus meliora; resurget cineribus:
we hope for better things;
it shall rise from the ashes.”
― charlie leduff
detroit free press – 1967
Jul2
john k. king.
john wanders through the stacks. by far, the most interesting bookstore i’ve ever spent time in
john k. king used & rare books
is a bookstore out of its time
located in detroit on 4 floors
of what used to be the advance glove company building
filled with over 1 million volumes
completely uncomputerized collections
organized into more than 900 categories
by a team of energetic and helpful staff members
each floor has a manager who is responsible
for knowledge and maintenance of the categories held there
upon entering you are handed a map and directory
you are free to wander you way through the floors
until closing time.
john began collecting and selling books as a teenager
selling them out of the trunk of his car
and he continues to this day
on my recent visit to the store
staff members said he was in his car
headed to cincinnati to acquire a new collection
every time they sell a few books, he takes on more
he’s now purchased the old otis elevator building
behind the store to use as
an annex for his art and rare book collections
this is a store and experience not to be missed.
“i thought i’d go to a bookstore and see what moved me.”
-erik larson
—
credits: john r. king books
Jun12
peony.
one of my favorite places to hike can be found right in the center of ann arbor, a place where i always return, the nichols arboretum. it’s a lovely, quiet, sweeping park where there is natural beauty to be found in any season. one of the most stunning displays is the blooming of the peony garden. unlike any i have ever seen.
the nichols arboretum peony garden is the largest public collection of historic (pre-1950) herbaceous peony cultivars in north america. the university and botanical gardens are currently in the process of rebuilding this historic garden to be an internationally significant, scientifically-documented and culturally interpreted living reference collection.
the garden, open since 1927, boasts more than 270 historic varieties of peony, cultivated in the 19th and early 20th centuries. nearly 800 plants are arranged in 27 beds at the arboretum’s peony garden, drawing flower lovers from across the region when they bloom each spring.
- note – early morning and evening are when the peony fragrances are best.
—
“flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful;
they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.”
-luther burbank
—
a project of
Apr30
high spirits and devilment.
Feb23
copper, clay, and complaint.
Among the artifacts at the British Museum in London is this ancient Babylonian customer service complaint that was inscribed on a clay tablet sometime around 1750 B.C. The complaint is regarding problems with two shipments of copper ore, as the museum notes in their description:
Clay tablet; letter from Nanni to Ea-nasir complaining that the wrong grade of copper ore has been delivered after a gulf voyage and about misdirection and delay of a further delivery; slightly damaged.
A full translation from the book Letters from Mesopotamia by Assyriologist A. Leo Oppenheim has provided a view into the customer’s complaint. Turns out Nanni was pretty angry:
Tell Ea-nasir: Nanni sends the following message:
When you came, you said to me as follows : “I will give Gimil-Sin (when he comes) fine quality copper ingots.” You left then but you did not do what you promised me. You put ingots which were not good before my messenger (Sit-Sin) and said: “If you want to take them, take them; if you do not want to take them, go away!”
What do you take me for, that you treat somebody like me with such contempt? I have sent as messengers gentlemen like ourselves to collect the bag with my money (deposited with you) but you have treated me with contempt by sending them back to me empty-handed several times, and that through enemy territory. Is there anyone among the merchants who trade with Telmun who has treated me in this way? You alone treat my messenger with contempt! On account of that one (trifling) mina of silver which I owe(?) you, you feel free to speak in such a way, while I have given to the palace on your behalf 1,080 pounds of copper, and umi-abum has likewise given 1,080 pounds of copper, apart from what we both have had written on a sealed tablet to be kept in the temple of Samas.
How have you treated me for that copper? You have withheld my money bag from me in enemy territory; it is now up to you to restore (my money) to me in full.
Take cognizance that (from now on) I will not accept here any copper from you that is not of fine quality. I shall (from now on) select and take the ingots individually in my own yard, and I shall exercise against you my right of rejection because you have treated me with contempt.
—
“if you make the customer a promise, make sure you deliver it.”
-merv griffin
—
credits: british museum, laughing squid, e. lynch, reddit
I didn't have my glasses on.... 