tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11394821422861794832024-02-06T23:09:06.076-05:00Dispatches from the Historical FrontOne historian's take on current events, politics, life, and the ways in which the past shapes our lives (with occasional missives on fly fishing and college sports). My opinions are mine alone, and may not be shared by anyone else.RDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16548921608188291230noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139482142286179483.post-88156353811640821982009-11-13T08:39:00.006-05:002009-11-13T08:45:11.990-05:00A great book and a good friend<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMPabUgNSeaSQ6j9nJnkFxvURkNdwfZzSAA_qH8gALdPgfiuaA5ZjHb-3SFXdOFpL36IE3jNC3BSMSq5uTh5wn79Md3nwndWMc_qpWJZEOScZ5aR9UiHylmgL7PaK70U-KUq0gzAfqobg/s1600-h/Carry.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMPabUgNSeaSQ6j9nJnkFxvURkNdwfZzSAA_qH8gALdPgfiuaA5ZjHb-3SFXdOFpL36IE3jNC3BSMSq5uTh5wn79Md3nwndWMc_qpWJZEOScZ5aR9UiHylmgL7PaK70U-KUq0gzAfqobg/s200/Carry.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403583565822069714" /></a><br />I just found out that my friend Susan Youngblood Ashmore at Oxford College of Emory Univeristy won the Southern Historical Association's Francis B. Simkins Award - recognizing the best first book by an author in the field of southern history over a two-year period - and the Southern Association of Women Historians' Willie Lee Rose Prize. Not a bad take for one conference. Her book is <em><a href="http://www.ugapress.uga.edu/index.php/books/carry_it_on/">Carry It On:<br />The War on Poverty and the Civil Rights Movement in Alabama, 1964–1972</a></em> (University of Georgia Press, 2008). It's worth your time.RDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16548921608188291230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139482142286179483.post-85666956869350902652009-11-03T17:57:00.001-05:002009-11-03T17:58:37.004-05:00A Great Post for WritersFrom Insidehighered.com, <a href="http://www.insidehighered.com/advice/dissertation/single6">a great post on tackling those writing project</a>s.RDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16548921608188291230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139482142286179483.post-64924887421790294862009-11-03T17:16:00.001-05:002009-11-03T17:17:23.911-05:00For the Vegemite Fans Out There<a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/108073/vegemite-contest-draws-protests?mod=family-home">Apparently Kraft Foods in Australia is in search of a new name</a>.RDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16548921608188291230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139482142286179483.post-809526505067317222009-10-30T19:35:00.005-04:002009-10-30T19:45:19.920-04:00Another book...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWRoSPjYbOkvp2QT9U-Dx__WusOs5JP5WgZ3Nwc1QRH01PnI_zXOw4vrEPxONGm5Z70MHo4U1JP2BHBzOVMUyTnjZuaDq4-LnwN7qKCmlD1dPncBVbzG_PLg6AtI3O4tFxS9NmdMms4NM/s1600-h/blevins.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWRoSPjYbOkvp2QT9U-Dx__WusOs5JP5WgZ3Nwc1QRH01PnI_zXOw4vrEPxONGm5Z70MHo4U1JP2BHBzOVMUyTnjZuaDq4-LnwN7qKCmlD1dPncBVbzG_PLg6AtI3O4tFxS9NmdMms4NM/s200/blevins.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398541815530106050" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">
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<br /></span><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CHP_Owner%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="font-size:100%;">Why is it that all my friends seem to be cranking out the books, while I sit here watching <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Auburn</st1:place></st1:city> trying to ascend to mediocrity? This time it's brother Brooks Blevins with his latest, <a href="http://www.uapress.com/titles/fa09/blevins.html">Arkansas/Arkansaw </a><a href="http://www.uapress.com/titles/fa09/blevins.html"><em>How Bear Hunters, Hillbillies, and Good Ol’ Boys Defined a State</em></a><em>. </em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">It's the study of the image of a state as perceived by its people and outsiders, and if it runs true to the ole Blevins form, it will be a great book and a fun read. His article on selling fireworks in the South, which ran in <a href="http://www.southerncultures.org/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Southern Cultures</span></a> a few years back, is one of my favorite essays about the modern South...and a real knee-slapper, something we academics rarely pull off. Now off to write something myself. I've been suitably shamed.</span></em></span>
<br />RDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16548921608188291230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139482142286179483.post-11903831963214774422009-10-20T19:32:00.002-04:002009-10-20T19:33:01.737-04:00"Serves Me Right to Suffer"I'm in marathon advising sessions this week, and John Lee Hooker sings for me...<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2BtUQbblCWo&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2BtUQbblCWo&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>RDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16548921608188291230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139482142286179483.post-45311280623770499992009-10-19T17:44:00.002-04:002009-10-19T17:47:03.138-04:00Fly Fishing and VetsA great story about <a href="http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/ap_wounded_fly_fishing_101809/">a group helping veterans</a> injured in Iraq and Afghanistan find healing through what <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Izaac</span> Walton called the "contemplative man's recreation." Pretty cool.RDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16548921608188291230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139482142286179483.post-64986479590935031822009-10-17T08:38:00.006-04:002009-10-17T08:58:52.710-04:00Best Southern Nonfiction...I have an affection for rankings and polls. Maybe it's my love of college football, although Auburn's recent drop from the polls might change my feelings. There's just something about a list of "bests," be they restaurants, pick-up trucks, football teams, all-time NFL strong safeties, or whatever that I find fascinating and down-right fun. The beauty of these kinds of lists is you don't have to agree. In fact, it's better if you don't. A list that clearly got it wrong gives you ample reason to turn to the person next to you in the dentist's waiting room and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">exclaim</span>, "Can you believe they picked that?!" <a href="http://oxfordamerican.org/"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Oxford American</span></a>, a magazine I've always enjoyed despite its frequent financial travails, offered <a href="http://www.oxfordamerican.org/articles/2009/aug/31/best-southern-nonfiction-all-time/">this list of the best in southern non-fiction in their August issue</a> and I just noticed it. The top four are top-notch: James <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Agee</span>, Richard Wright, W.J. Cash, and Eudora <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Welty</span>. I would have placed Harriet Jacobs' <span style="font-style: italic;">Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl</span> a bit higher on the list, and my affection for Willie Morris would lead me to do the same with <span style="font-style: italic;">North Toward Home</span>. If nothing else, this list -- including those receiving just a few votes -- provides a heck of a reading list for anyone interested in the South and its people.RDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16548921608188291230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139482142286179483.post-23121477359960013762009-10-15T16:00:00.002-04:002009-10-15T16:01:32.877-04:00Marching in Step<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNI9wRznFwUdyiYifVJ-CMvTJnQ3oHvqiCJRPq1SPRijz8V22-9yDZqSYoR8aJc72OPrw8w8BhrHcqMgHoT471oN8hrvBJ0EYHM1-GCKqzklUOrRAlLIvO6Ce1VTNouPlLwl1KjtyKkjs/s1600-h/9780820326511.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNI9wRznFwUdyiYifVJ-CMvTJnQ3oHvqiCJRPq1SPRijz8V22-9yDZqSYoR8aJc72OPrw8w8BhrHcqMgHoT471oN8hrvBJ0EYHM1-GCKqzklUOrRAlLIvO6Ce1VTNouPlLwl1KjtyKkjs/s200/9780820326511.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392919274362842962" border="0" /></a><br />One of my good friends has just published a book those of you who study, read, and ruminate about the South and American culture should find rewarding. It's Alexander Macaulay's <a href="http://www.ugapress.uga.edu/index.php/ugapressbook/marching_in_step/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Marching in Step: </span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="booktitle">Masculinity, Citizenship, and The Citadel in Post-World War II America</span> </a>(University of Georgia Press, 2009). It's about the South, but it's also about much more. Macaulay examines the concept of American masculinity during the Cold War as seen through the prism of an institution whose self-described mission was to build "whole men." Read it. Buy it. They make excellent gifts. The holidays are almost upon us.RDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16548921608188291230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139482142286179483.post-34105027966216594982009-10-14T16:15:00.001-04:002009-10-14T16:16:47.431-04:00Dexter Filkins on the "Long War" in Afghanistan<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/magazine/18Afghanistan-t.html?_r=2&hp">A great piece by Dexter Filkins in the <span style="font-style: italic;">New York Times Magazine</span></a>. Definitely worth a read.RDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16548921608188291230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139482142286179483.post-83939755102237814722009-10-14T11:02:00.001-04:002009-10-14T11:06:44.545-04:00Odetta - The Midnight SpecialThe late, great Odetta.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8jGSiaDj_fw&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8jGSiaDj_fw&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>RDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16548921608188291230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139482142286179483.post-25946352502911557392009-10-14T10:17:00.004-04:002009-10-14T10:19:45.196-04:00Steep Canyon RangersThey've got roots in western North Carolina and are currently touring with Steve Martin. Good stuff.<br /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DFbFmZpTSiA&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DFbFmZpTSiA&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>RDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16548921608188291230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139482142286179483.post-89256503850637431822009-10-14T07:45:00.004-04:002009-10-14T07:57:11.484-04:00A New History for IraqHistory is always political, and nowhere is that fact more apparent than in school textbooks. Our own school systems and the textbook advisory boards that select the books our children use(called different things in different states) have experienced this reality over interpretations of the Civil War, Reconstruction, the Civil Rights movement, and even the religious leanings of the founding fathers. After the Civil War, groups such as <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">the</span> United Daughters of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">the</span> Confederacy monitored <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">textbooks</span> for their <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">coverage</span> of "the late <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">unpleasantness</span>" and would even dispatch members to monitor teachers when they <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">taught</span> the history of the war. Iraq has a new history for secondary school students, a clear break from the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">curriculum</span> used by Saddam <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Hussein</span> to keep himself in power. The <em>Washington Post</em> <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/14/AR2006041401591.html?nav=rss_print/asection">report indicates some interesting inclusions and exclusions</a>. NPR <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113763918">provides some interviews with students</a> on how they view this new history of Iraq. Things left out: The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and the US invasion and occupation. Things included: <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Sh'ia</span> religious history.RDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16548921608188291230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139482142286179483.post-70768822702417970772009-10-11T13:28:00.008-04:002009-10-11T15:22:59.781-04:00Shine on, Rev. Gary...I have to get this album...<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-c-v7kITGJU&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-c-v7kITGJU&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>RDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16548921608188291230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139482142286179483.post-22369934737340513722009-10-10T10:42:00.003-04:002009-10-10T10:56:00.634-04:00Something for Braves Fans to Celebrate<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoN713x7YG4JhC-3YxLYSxAEtGHFAn-jaa3Z77ioyQEdi-tFPXw9Rr5HoLnqLDJnJqVQcVLGTjrsRiYR5PIBwV2MtJsFT96dOcYTSfdmEv5dAHcwyU6QxOA0gGTadFPSuccu1xtiSLUA/s1600-h/lew_burdette_autograph.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 143px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoN713x7YG4JhC-3YxLYSxAEtGHFAn-jaa3Z77ioyQEdi-tFPXw9Rr5HoLnqLDJnJqVQcVLGTjrsRiYR5PIBwV2MtJsFT96dOcYTSfdmEv5dAHcwyU6QxOA0gGTadFPSuccu1xtiSLUA/s200/lew_burdette_autograph.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390984873169548882" /></a><br />Today is the 52nd anniversary of the Braves' (Milwaukee, that is) victory over the Yankees in Game Seven of the 1957 World Series. Lew Burdette notched the victory over Don Larsen, as the Brave won 9-7 after quelling a late Yankee rally. Hank Aaron had an RBI single and Del Crandall homered. Alas, I'm not watching the Braves this October, but it's something to celebrate.RDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16548921608188291230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139482142286179483.post-47492872996661661502009-10-10T10:18:00.002-04:002009-10-10T10:23:08.622-04:00Doc Watson, "What Friend We Have In Jesus"The great Doc Watson. I still like the acapella version from Doc and Merle's "Down South" album.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Kso8fNyAQCA&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Kso8fNyAQCA&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>RDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16548921608188291230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139482142286179483.post-62508409633813132272009-10-10T10:05:00.003-04:002009-10-10T10:14:19.362-04:00"Ain't Nobody Here Can Walk It For You..."Mississippi John Hurt, "You Got to Walk That Lonesome Valley." For some reason I've been on a John Hurt kick this week. <br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/v-GN-BP_Qlk&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/v-GN-BP_Qlk&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>RDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16548921608188291230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139482142286179483.post-68726768093239123912009-10-09T10:07:00.005-04:002009-10-10T11:11:22.910-04:00Afghanistan and the Theories of Counterinsurgency<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR2_tCamsEWFo_YCTCBK6QmPTofdJ2xWxo5aOUXVl6Hule-w0SoQKU-JeJxc-GPrT7xncxe2eDxMlyGbklo4lZLYbbNR4gpZmX1qernU1QpT6RfIfcUqq_uA9kdS3mRnIhdbb6KXzIq1A/s1600-h/156px-Lawrence_d'arabia.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 149px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR2_tCamsEWFo_YCTCBK6QmPTofdJ2xWxo5aOUXVl6Hule-w0SoQKU-JeJxc-GPrT7xncxe2eDxMlyGbklo4lZLYbbNR4gpZmX1qernU1QpT6RfIfcUqq_uA9kdS3mRnIhdbb6KXzIq1A/s200/156px-Lawrence_d'arabia.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390989110689170274" border="0" /></a><br /><div>For various reasons (and many of you know the specifics), I have been interested in the application of what can only be termed the scholarship of counterinsurgency in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The classic works like T.E. Lawrence's <span style="font-style: italic;">The Arab Revolt</span> and more modern books like John Nagl's <span style="font-style: italic;">Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife</span> get close attention from those charged with turning the military tide in tough circumstances. These applications of history and theory to actual combat are sometimes successful and sometimes not, but I find the process very interesting. This week I read about how scholarship is being used to train leaders in counterinsurgency in Afghanistan. <a href="http://www.tnr.com/article/world/course-correction?page=0,0">This article</a> by Ganesh Sitaraman in the <em>New York Times</em> profiles the Counterinsurgency Training Center - Afghanistan. Take a read.<br /></div>RDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16548921608188291230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139482142286179483.post-88667493543373988962009-10-09T08:09:00.006-04:002009-10-09T08:24:45.007-04:00Happy 300th, John Lawson<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZi82gWjvG4gtzgG8ZVCxDwNyaqxvyMcJn_uhNbKAafszt5_W4Bqy1Tg2XYWRVhkg5esuwqUHRtf7NFgqmc6P3immGZN3Bux95uWfRBImsiSB6LPmwFGCZTMKx3sq22v5aiKCzlv3h7I/s1600-h/Lawson.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390572728096819666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZi82gWjvG4gtzgG8ZVCxDwNyaqxvyMcJn_uhNbKAafszt5_W4Bqy1Tg2XYWRVhkg5esuwqUHRtf7NFgqmc6P3immGZN3Bux95uWfRBImsiSB6LPmwFGCZTMKx3sq22v5aiKCzlv3h7I/s200/Lawson.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Starting today, the North Carolina Museum of History <a href="http://ncmuseumofhistory.org/collateral/LawsonBrochure.pdf">is hosting a two-day <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">symposium</span></a> celebrating the 300<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span></span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">anniversary</span> of the publication of John Lawson's <em>A New Voyage to Carolina</em>. They are unveiling an exhibit as well, in case you can't make the talks today or tomorrow. It will run through February. They <a href="http://ncmuseumofhistory.org/collateral/Podcasts/Lawson.mp3">also have a podcast</a> on Lawson and his book by Jeanne Marie <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Warzeski</span></span>, the curator of colonial and antebellum history. Lawson was a English naturalist and his book offers one of the best early descriptions of North Carolina's native peoples and landscape. Pretty cool. <a href="http://docsouth.unc.edu/nc/lawson/menu.html">You can check out the narrative</a> at the "Documenting the American South" site, hosted by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.</div>RDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16548921608188291230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139482142286179483.post-10169692528907995772009-10-07T19:28:00.005-04:002009-10-07T19:35:44.924-04:00Puttin' the Hog on the Log<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1akeSAm4wPITO8t1b_IwmS8Yn1vmQvhcKa-JCqjrBfUw01Q9TQxaTBaAkrbbyA2y4IDhWIo6aFuLb5ZtYe7uCPW1kDx6-QFCn4drRxANYGYGYc3X1OGN65SFOcsX5zvLwjUmopo2a6F0/s1600-h/reed_holy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 148px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1akeSAm4wPITO8t1b_IwmS8Yn1vmQvhcKa-JCqjrBfUw01Q9TQxaTBaAkrbbyA2y4IDhWIo6aFuLb5ZtYe7uCPW1kDx6-QFCn4drRxANYGYGYc3X1OGN65SFOcsX5zvLwjUmopo2a6F0/s200/reed_holy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390004846983038258" border="0" /></a><br />I have just re-read <a href="http://uncpress.unc.edu/browse/book_detail?title_id=1541"><span style="font-style: italic;">Holy Smoke: The Big Book of North Carolina Barbecue</span></a> by John Shelton Reed and Dale Volberg Reed (UNC Press, 2008), and I have to say it is better than I remembered. It might be that I'm craving a big plate from Lexington Barbecue or Stamey's, but this is a book that is entertaining, educational, and fun. If you are looking for a barbecue fix, or for something to read while you eat a big tray of chopped pork and red slaw (why you would be reading, I have no idea), this one's worth your time. Mama Dip's banana pudding recipe is worth the price of admission all by itself.RDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16548921608188291230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139482142286179483.post-66564828867073640062009-10-07T19:17:00.002-04:002009-10-07T19:19:35.881-04:00Everybody makes mistakes...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmncp0wFtyS2CPo1I1QEalSZEvuWHqg5uGRrdIi7BNQdiGx8rDECKveBQsKN6MaO3H_gPvHEpkdwE2WTzxY07c29lTptbrY1x5y5jCPOk1w3zMCamXXI7OPgKSt1sq-kF5JLqq9DNVRFY/s1600-h/capt.photo_1254920593273-1-0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 131px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmncp0wFtyS2CPo1I1QEalSZEvuWHqg5uGRrdIi7BNQdiGx8rDECKveBQsKN6MaO3H_gPvHEpkdwE2WTzxY07c29lTptbrY1x5y5jCPOk1w3zMCamXXI7OPgKSt1sq-kF5JLqq9DNVRFY/s200/capt.photo_1254920593273-1-0.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390001665747961698" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091007/wl_africa_afp/somaliapiracyshippingfrance_20091007151820">Somali pirates attacked a warship by mistake near the Gulf of Aden</a>. But it was a French ship...RDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16548921608188291230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139482142286179483.post-67135431574572049722009-09-24T18:33:00.004-04:002009-10-04T18:53:25.296-04:00Whither Memphis...Check out <a href="http://www.southernspaces.org/contents/2009/rushing/1a.htm">this essay</a> by Wanda Rushing brought to you by the good folks over at <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.southernspaces.org">Southern Spaces.</a> It's a piece drawn from her recent book from UNC Press, and examines economic development and persistent inequality. Worth a read...RDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16548921608188291230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139482142286179483.post-35630532580181043242009-09-23T19:03:00.002-04:002009-09-23T19:04:42.009-04:00And, while we're at it...Somebody tell me why Ole Miss is ranked number 4 in the nation??? We're through the looking glass...RDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16548921608188291230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139482142286179483.post-14360331298879699252009-09-23T17:48:00.014-04:002009-09-23T19:11:47.674-04:00Wooooo!!! Back at it!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZarkPlFTaur9RBXt8v7hwql3aGrHCUscnhxyYphma1w9lluNaXCCG13Qq3PqLAS8xCdxpaa7BqdSjhQeYXsJ9r0RmD2r_ARzy9T6n2JdRThzhlGvIz7yBsERq361bPFeF3YXBfAnlhk/s1600-h/090918_ric_flair_lottery_420x632.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZarkPlFTaur9RBXt8v7hwql3aGrHCUscnhxyYphma1w9lluNaXCCG13Qq3PqLAS8xCdxpaa7BqdSjhQeYXsJ9r0RmD2r_ARzy9T6n2JdRThzhlGvIz7yBsERq361bPFeF3YXBfAnlhk/s200/090918_ric_flair_lottery_420x632.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384784620712483266" border="0" /></a><br />Well, I won't make excuses to both of you who are reading this. I have no real excuse for the long hiatus. Laziness is not an excuse. But, if anything would bring me back to the blog, the Nature Boy would! That's right, with a powerful blow to the solar plexus that is the North Carolina State Educational Lottery (with apologies to the late, great Gordon <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Solie</span>), <a href="http://wake.mync.com/site/Wake/news/story/42016/ric-flair-featured-on-lottery-ticket/">Ric Flair emerged this week as the pitchman for a </a><a href="http://wake.mync.com/site/Wake/news/story/42016/ric-flair-featured-on-lottery-ticket/">new scratch-off ticket</a>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Wooooooo</span>! Makes me want to cash out what retirement I have left and run to the nearest Hot Spot with a quarter in my hand. Next up, Harley Race??? Tommy "Wildfire" Rich?? Inquiring minds want to know.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvdX1pnbx9LSjrghghwC1y0Uxmn6OMVZ_h4Kh6VTailvdkian83MeQCLLm89fSGhDFsg1KRpP6Hnnq33SWzMOFzkIiHmLp0FDGW6bPhn0bYe8RFoJbRKibFn5Q-Vh9vE5eYCPr8mfGA0s/s1600-h/Yorkshire_Warrior_Beer_Bottle_03.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 68px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvdX1pnbx9LSjrghghwC1y0Uxmn6OMVZ_h4Kh6VTailvdkian83MeQCLLm89fSGhDFsg1KRpP6Hnnq33SWzMOFzkIiHmLp0FDGW6bPhn0bYe8RFoJbRKibFn5Q-Vh9vE5eYCPr8mfGA0s/s200/Yorkshire_Warrior_Beer_Bottle_03.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384788469235562722" border="0" /></a><br />And, today I ran across an initiative that combines two <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">of</span> my great interests: taking care of soldiers and beer.<br />In April 2008, the <a href="http://www.croptonbrewery.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Cropton</span> Brewery and New Inn</a> (that's in the village of Cropton) began selling a beer called "Yorkshire Warrior" to benefit the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">soldiers</span> of the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Yorkshire</span> Regiment of the British Army ("Fortes fortuna adiuvat" or for the math majors, "Fortune Favors the Brave"). Brits are top notch soldiers and I speak from experience. Honoring the Green <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Howards</span>, the Prince of Wales' Own, and the Duke of Wellington's Regiment (get me to to explain <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">amalgamation</span> and the loss of British Army traditions sometime), these publicans in North Yorkshire are doing a great thing.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidh_yI-GgmXAtUV8UeHD0kp9G4R00coMzO9rt7UQWS03KRdVk8BZlNnBac6s4VsRjGsT08S9_SKYOOHGZpw7Xhxmli8IEHVt5ATN_XIR-2MwkYnOIyYol1cJtCizR3EtAjW1WouC1QSBw/s1600-h/Yorkshire_Regiment_Cap_Badge_289px.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 181px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidh_yI-GgmXAtUV8UeHD0kp9G4R00coMzO9rt7UQWS03KRdVk8BZlNnBac6s4VsRjGsT08S9_SKYOOHGZpw7Xhxmli8IEHVt5ATN_XIR-2MwkYnOIyYol1cJtCizR3EtAjW1WouC1QSBw/s200/Yorkshire_Regiment_Cap_Badge_289px.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384794916003023874" border="0" /></a> All proceeds from sales go to, in the words of the landlords, "the Yorkshire Regiment Benevolent Fund to help those who give so much and ask for so little." Good for them! I'm ordering a case and will let you know.<br /><br />I'm back!! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Woooo</span>!RDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16548921608188291230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139482142286179483.post-2198244006619188342009-05-28T12:44:00.002-04:002009-05-28T12:47:34.460-04:00More on the Future of LSU PressFrom <a href="http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/05/08/qt#198460"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">InsideHigherEd</span>.com</a>: The American Historical Association and the Modern Language Association are aiding in the fight to save <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">LSU</span> Press from the chopping block. It is a real treasure among academic publishers and offers a wide and deep list in southern history, southern literature, Civil War history, and other fields. Such a loss could never really be replaced.RDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16548921608188291230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139482142286179483.post-6351862779059369452009-05-28T08:00:00.004-04:002009-05-28T08:07:50.442-04:00NCAA Infractions at Memphis????Apparently, <a href="http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news;_ylt=AoN1IEJMglnf_sqseeMJD1w5nYcB?slug=dw-calipari052809&prov=yhoo&type=lgns">the boys from Indianapolis have leveled serious charges of academic fraud </a>at the University of Memphis men's basketball program. The Tigers were once headed by Coach John <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Calipari</span>, but the good coach is now the Lord and Savior at the University of Kentucky. Strange, but no one seems shocked by this. I wonder if this will be another case of the sins of the departed coach being visited upon his last institution, while he grazes happily and unscathed in greener pastures (to the tune of $31 million)?RDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16548921608188291230noreply@blogger.com0