Umberto Eco on lists and list-making, from an interesting Spiegel interview
Rhaphanidosis
Rhaphanidosis is the act of inserting the root of a plant of the raphanus genus (commonly known as horseradish) into the anus. It is reported to have been a punishment for adultery in ancient Athens of the 5th and 4th centuries BC. There is some doubt as to whether the punishment was ever enforced or whether the references to it in comic plays (such as the debate between Right and Wrong in The Clouds of Aristophanes,) should be understood as signifying public humiliation in general.
In order to be allowed to apply rhaphanidosis to an adulteror, one must catch the man in the act of adultery with one’s own wife, in one’s own house. Rhaphanidosis was not the only penalty available; sodomy by mulletfish was common as well, or the man could simply be killed on the spot. Following this, the adulterous wife would have to be divorced.
Later classical references to the punishment include Catullus 15 where percurrent raphanique mugilesque (both radishes and mullets will run you through) is threatened against those who cast lascivious eyes on the poet’s boyfriend.
(Source: Wikipedia)
A map of surname distribution across the United States
Here’s the color key for the national origins of those surnames.
It’s unsurprising that so much of the country is some shade of blue. What is interesting, however, is that we have so many Smiths, Williams, and Jones in this country partly because of slavery. Many freedmen ended up with their former masters’ last names, which is why approximately 1 in 5 “Smiths” are African American.
(Source: blogs.ngm.com)
In the future? Hell, I have a hard time figuring out a screenname now—I have a weird dislike of having non-letter characters and numbers in my screenname.
"I sometimes wondered what the use of any of the arts was. The best thing I could come up with was what I call the canary in the coal mine theory of the arts. This theory says that artists are useful to society because they are so sensitive. They are super-sensitive. They keel over like canaries in poison coal mines long before more robust types realize that there is any danger whatsoever."
— Kurt Vonnegut, “Physicist, Purge Thyself” in the Chicago Tribune Magazine (22 June 1969)
(Source: adsertoris, via nezua)
Unpopular opinions about food: Thanksgiving edition
Because food is the only thing worth fighting about:
- Turkey is bland and terrible. No wonder people bury it under stuffing and cranberry sauce.
- Sweet potatoes are gross. Give me (real) yams any day. Plus, a deranged person must have come up with the idea of putting marshmallows on sweet potatoes.
- Pumpkin innards look and taste like vomit. Why would you make a pie out of vomit?
- Stuffing/dressing/whatever you guys call it, is weird and overrated.
I’d rather eat almost any other ‘ethnic’ cuisine on Thanksgiving than traditional American fare. But then, I didn’t grow up in an ‘American’ household, so I have no nostalgia tied up with cranberries and turkey. I’ve often wondered if there are any non-hyphenated Americans who share my feelings about Thanksgiving food.
"[I]rony tyrannizes us. The reason why our pervasive cultural irony is at once so powerful and so unsatisfying is that an ironist is impossible to pin down. All U.S. irony is based on an implicit “I don’t really mean what I’m saying.” So what does irony as a cultural norm mean to say? That it’s impossible to mean what you say? That maybe it’s too bad it’s impossible, but wake up and smell the coffee already? Most likely, I think, today’s irony ends up saying: “How totally banal of you to ask what I really mean."
— David Foster Wallace, E Unibus Pluram: Television and U.S. Fiction
Around here I hear all too often the utterly disingenuous words “heritage, not hate” as a means to defend the waving of the Confederate flag, which is a symbol of treason spurred on by the desire to systematically subjugate a race. If that’s what you call Southern heritage, you must not think the South has much else to offer, then. So I drafted up a little something which I think is a nice, succinct rebuttal to their bullshit.
And on a side note, if someone wants to claim that the Civil War was fought over states’ rights, nod your head, then say, “Yup, it was indeed about the states’ rights to have slavery.” There is no way for them to respond without sounding like a complete idiot at best, and a virulent racist at worst. And just for good measure, remind them their side was the aggressor at Fort Sumter.
This is perfect and exactly what this blog is about. Many thanks to the OP for directing to me this post.
A friend of mine (who is also POC) once said to me, ”you, of all people should know that war was about States’ Rights!” I was like, “forreal? It’s not like they were going to war over the right to print their own money or some shit!”
(Source: righteousblasphemy)
Rude gestures from around the world
My favorite one is the horns gesture to indicate that you’re a cuckold.
(Source: The Atlantic)
