Odds and Ends Archive
January 24, 2012
Philosophy In Brazil: An Experiment In Democracy
While we in the US are cutting back on the humanities including philosophy at all levels, philosophy is a requited subject in Brazil’s high schools. The official rationale for the 2008 law is that philosophy “is necessary for the exercise...Read all of "Philosophy In Brazil: An Experiment In Democracy"
Posted by Duane Smith at 10:37 AM
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January 22, 2012
Two Thoughts On The Commedia
I mentioned the other day that Shirley and I were rereading Dante’s Divine Comedy while we listened to a lecture series on it. The relationship between reader and literature is extremely complex. Except by committing what I think is a...Read all of "Two Thoughts On The Commedia"
Posted by Duane Smith at 10:29 AM
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January 20, 2012
Holy (Unsupported?) Snakes
I’ve been struggling to figure out if Greek ἱερά ever meant snake omen or even just some kind of snake. The exact focus of my concern is a passage in Xenophon’s Cyropaeodia that reads, Παρὰ γὰρ ἱερὰ καὶ οἰωνοὺς μήτε...Read all of "Holy (Unsupported?) Snakes"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:03 PM
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January 19, 2012
A Slackers Apology Online
Morris Raphael Cohen’s near century old A Slacker's Apology still teaches. It begins, Dear Friend: Your letter gently but unmistakably intimates that I am a slacker, a slacker in peace as well as in war; that when the World war...Read all of "A Slackers Apology Online"
Posted by Duane Smith at 4:08 PM
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January 14, 2012
A Small Step In The Right Direction
The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that JSTOR plans to make 70 journals from their far larger collection available to unaffiliated individuals on a very limited basis. Here’s how it will work, All users have to do is to sign...Read all of "A Small Step In The Right Direction"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:39 PM
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January 7, 2012
Visit Yasemin's Kitchen
My friend Yasemin Ari has a relatively new blog. At Yasemin's Kitchen: Mediterranean Recipes with a Turkish Flair Yasemian stirs up a wonderful mixture of Turkish food and lore. When I first met Yasemin, she was a key member of...Read all of "Visit Yasemin's Kitchen"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:31 PM
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January 6, 2012
Quotation Of The Day
“[I]n a sane world, a public intellectual (even a low-level one like a newspaper writer) would be as ashamed to admit to innumeracy as to illiteracy.” - Chad Orzel at Uncertain Principles...Read all of "Quotation Of The Day"
Posted by Duane Smith at 11:15 AM
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December 24, 2011
Have A Joyous, Merry, Happy One
To all who will celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday, I wish you a joyous Christmas! To those who like me and most of my family celebrate Christmas as a secular holiday, Merry Christmas! Next only to Thanksgiving and my...Read all of "Have A Joyous, Merry, Happy One"
Posted by Duane Smith at 6:30 PM
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December 14, 2011
A Matter Of Procedure
Several weeks ago I emailed a request to a very prominent scholar. Without going into the details, I asked if he would arrange for me to see some information to which I believed he had access. I received a reply...Read all of "A Matter Of Procedure"
Posted by Duane Smith at 10:07 AM
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December 11, 2011
There Must Be A Word For Them
I’m looking for a single word or even a two word phrase that suggests the author(s) (including anyone involved in an oral creation process), compiler(s), editor(s), excerpters, readers, and referencers of a literary work or collection of literary works. For...Read all of "There Must Be A Word For Them"
Posted by Duane Smith at 6:52 PM
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December 2, 2011
Medicare And A New Breast Cancer Treatment
A couple of years ago Shirley had a lump removed from her breast. The normal procedure following such surgery would be 25 to 30 X-ray sessions over a period of five to six weeks. But she participated in a study...Read all of "Medicare And A New Breast Cancer Treatment"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:45 PM
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November 24, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is one of the greatest American holidays – it centers on family and food – no gifts, no specifically religious ceremonial requirements or trappings, no ancient myths to celebrate. All our Thanksgiving myths are relatively recent and, as long...Read all of "Happy Thanksgiving"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:07 AM
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November 10, 2011
You Might Be Getting Ripped Off
Be sure to check the price of your Medicare supplemental insurance plan. If you have Part B Medicare supplemental medical insurance or know someone who does, you might want to check the cost. Shirley has had a Plan F Part...Read all of "You Might Be Getting Ripped Off"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:06 PM
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November 5, 2011
A Very Domesticated Cat
The other day I posted a picture of Plastic Bag, our neighborhood feral cat. I worry that this upset our all too domesticated cat Socrates. So here is his picture....Read all of "A Very Domesticated Cat"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:11 PM
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November 2, 2011
Another Reason To Avoid ATMs
Note to self: Be sure to carry a stick for taunting snakes. Via Boing Boing...Read all of "Another Reason To Avoid ATMs"
Posted by Duane Smith at 12:15 PM
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November 1, 2011
Trick Or Treat
This guy was the only creature who begged at our door last night. He was dressed as a cat. We gave him a half of cup of cat food. That must have worked because as far as we can tell...Posted by Duane Smith at 2:50 PM
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October 22, 2011
Slow Blogging Ahead
I’m trying to get a paper ready to submit for publication and there is a significant timeliness element associated with the topic. I’ve dropped just about everything else to pull the paper together and blogging may also suffer for a...Read all of "Slow Blogging Ahead"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:01 PM
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October 18, 2011
Quotation Of The Day
Total and sudden transformations of language seldom happen; conquests and migrations are now very rare: but there are other causes of change, which, though slow in their operation, and invisible in their progress, are as much superiour to human resistance,...Read all of "Quotation Of The Day"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:34 PM
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October 3, 2011
Quotations Of The Day
“(J)ust because we presently lack the tools to resolve a problem, we shouldn’t attempt to bridge the gap with slogans.” – Mark Wilson, Wandering Significance, 658. I think this is true even in those cases were our strong opinion suggests...Read all of "Quotations Of The Day"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:39 PM
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October 2, 2011
The Big Piano And The Little Piano
Well, the college concert season is here at last! Last night Shirley and I attended what is becoming an annual performance by Genevieve Lee at Pomona College. It is also becoming customary for her to perform at the concert grand...Read all of "The Big Piano And The Little Piano"
Posted by Duane Smith at 11:34 AM
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September 25, 2011
Banned Books Week
According to the American Booksellers Association, the American Library Association and about a dozen other trade and educational associations this is Banned Books Week. Who am I to say otherwise? So let’s all read a banned book. Heck, most of...Read all of "Banned Books Week"
Posted by Duane Smith at 12:19 PM
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September 22, 2011
Cognitive Bias in Sports?
Can you imagine such a thing? University of Chicago finance professor Tobias Moskowitz and Sport Illustrated writer Jon Wertheim can and have written a book in support of this radical idea. Samuel McNerney of Scientific American thinks we should read...Read all of "Cognitive Bias in Sports?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:29 PM
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September 20, 2011
Quotation Of The Day
“Any conclusion one likes follow by strict logic from premises that shield mild contradictions.” - Mark Wilson, Wandering Significance, 169...Read all of "Quotation Of The Day"
Posted by Duane Smith at 4:08 PM
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September 19, 2011
My Problem Of The Day
The following are too false statements. James Buchanan, Jr. was the 14th President of the United States. James Buchanan. Jr. gave the Gettysburg Address. In what sense can either of these statements be about James Buchanan, Jr.? Is it possible...Read all of "My Problem Of The Day"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:25 PM
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September 12, 2011
Phrasal Stress Or Modal Ambiguity
Mark Liberman has an abnormally interesting post at Language Log. He shows us these two signs. The first sign unpacks as, “If you happen to have a dog with you, you must carry that dog when riding this escalator....Read all of "Phrasal Stress Or Modal Ambiguity"
Posted by Duane Smith at 11:09 AM
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September 11, 2011
Nearing The End (I hope)
One way I know that I am nearing the end of the process of getting a paper published is that I begin to lose interest in whether or not it gets published. Yesterday I sent off a revised version of...Read all of "Nearing The End (I hope)"
Posted by Duane Smith at 6:47 PM
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September 10, 2011
On Mercurial Words
When reflecting on what ancient languages a serious student of the Hebrew Bible needs to know I quoted a sentence from Mark Wilson’s masterful Wandering Significance: An Essay on Conceptual Behavior. Here’s another quotation from Wilson, 567, on the nature...Read all of "On Mercurial Words"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:03 PM
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September 7, 2011
Homer Multitext
Yesterday, Chuck Jones told us of The Homer Multitext. The Homer Multitext seeks to present the textual transmission of the Homeric Iliad and Odyssey in a historical framework. Such a framework is needed to account for the full reality of...Posted by Duane Smith at 2:11 PM
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August 30, 2011
Publication and Profit
Just about everyone who reads what I post (both of you) also reads and may occasionally write papers for publication in “learned” journals. Some do it because it’s required for the advancement in their professional careers, others like me do...Read all of "Publication and Profit"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:17 AM
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August 29, 2011
I Just Solved The Most Pressing Question In Philosophy
I’m in the final push to address reviewer comments on a recent paper, so abnormally interesting blogging, if there ever is such a thing, will be a little slow for a while. I can no longer edit and chew gum...Read all of "I Just Solved The Most Pressing Question In Philosophy"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:16 PM
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Titles Only From Here On
August 27, 2011
A Question Of Priorities Accompanied By A Rant
August 25, 2011
Philosopher Gets $1.5 Grant
August 21, 2011
“The End Of The Ship”
August 20, 2011
A Problem
August 17, 2011
On Translation
August 15, 2011
You Can See Russia From Alaska
August 6, 2011
Things To Do And People To See
July 22, 2011
Goodbye Minitel
July 19, 2011
West On P
July 17, 2011
Parkinson’s Law Inaction In Action
July 12, 2011
I’m Waiting And Worrying
June 24, 2011
You Know You’re Getting Old When . . .
June 22, 2011
Syntactic Dependencies In Herodotus Book I
June 14, 2011
Abnormal Clouds
June 3, 2011
Computers, Computers
June 2, 2011
Quotation(s) of Yesterday
May 28, 2011
Babies are Bayesians?
May 20, 2011
Wondering The Tracks Exhibits
May 14, 2011
On Theologians Economists
May 7, 2011
Happy Birthday David Hume
May 5, 2011
Solid Liberal
May 1, 2011
Strange Demographics
April 28, 2011
And Now For Something Completely Different
April 10, 2011
A Whole New Way To Waste My Time (And Yours)
April 5, 2011
Dealing With Error In Someone Else’s Work
April 4, 2011
The Viola As Fine Wine
March 31, 2011
A Minor Rant
March 18, 2011
Relative Abstraction and Instrumental Music
February 24, 2011
Liddell-Scott-Jones Greek-English Lexicon Online
February 18, 2011
Friday’s Question
February 14, 2011
On The Fear Of Accidental Plagiarism
February 6, 2011
Music With Computer
February 5, 2011
Something To Remember
February 4, 2011
All Divination Is For The Birds
January 27, 2011
Another Academic Pissing Contest
January 12, 2011
Thinking Within The Box
December 27, 2010
Why I Don’t Trust Experts
December 26, 2010
Unfortunately, A Quotation For The Ages
December 23, 2010
Please Stand To The Side
December 5, 2010
Death More Lively Than Vierne’s Messe Solennelle
November 28, 2010
On Understanding And Liking
November 25, 2010
I Give Thanks
November 20, 2010
Socrates On Break
November 14, 2010
Applause! Applause!
November 11, 2010
Diagramming Philosophy
November 6, 2010
The Internet And The Common Thief
November 2, 2010
On Using Digital Tools In Research
October 16, 2010
Who Is This Guy?
October 10, 2010
Oh Orchestra
October 9, 2010
How I Spent My Saturday Afternoon
October 8, 2010
Greek, Nietzsche, And The Subtly Of God
October 5, 2010
John Burrow On History
October 3, 2010
Five Centuries of Genevieve Lee
October 2, 2010
Affirming The Consequent
September 28, 2010
Bagdad West
September 27, 2010
“UC Bjoerling,” You Say
September 25, 2010
Jesus On Toast
September 10, 2010
Picture Your Favorite Philosopher
September 5, 2010
Sunday Rant On Proving A Negative Positive
September 4, 2010
Problems, Problems
August 31, 2010
Power From The Cross
August 22, 2010
On Secondary Literature
August 21, 2010
מלך ארטוש
August 20, 2010
Blogging Is A Little Light These Days
August 13, 2010
Do Bloggers Need Something Like This?
August 3, 2010
Go Eagles
July 25, 2010
Ancient Metaphysics Anyone?
July 24, 2010
Rant Of The Day
July 10, 2010
Quotation Of The Day
July 9, 2010
Welcome Roger Ebert Followers
July 4, 2010
Happy Fourth of July
July 2, 2010
Friday Night Gripe
June 28, 2010
A Lexicon Of Scholarly Usage
June 10, 2010
The Dodgers’ Woo Master
June 5, 2010
Happy Anniversary To Us