Classical Bookworm

One Long Trek is Over and Another One Begins

For the first time in two months, I didn't have to take any dogs (or cats) for a walk this morning. My tanned and travel-weary landpeople returned last night and the menagerie has moved back upstairs. As much as I adore these creatures, I have to say that I am completely ecstatic! It may not seem like much, but in my condition, not having to walk, feed, and care for my hairy housemates will free up a tremendous amount of energy.

So what am I going to do with all that energy? Set out on another gruelling trek, of course! Today I am starting War and Peace. I don't really expect it to be gruelling, since I found Anna Karenina to be a very enjoyable page-turner, but it is long; there's no denying that. I hope to finish it before the snow flies in the Valdai Hills. Wish me luck!

UPDATE: How do you say "serendipity" in Russian? I was at the thrift store today and came home with these two great tomes: Between Heaven and Hell: The Story of a Thousand Years of Artistic Life in Russia and A People's Tragedy: A History of the Russian Revolution. The latter is a whopping 900-page hardcover, and they cost a mere three bucks each. Obviously the book gods want me to know all about Russia!

Why I Haven't Been Reading Much Lately

Attentive readers may have noticed that I haven't posted much about my own reading for quite some time. There is a reason for this. Actually there are five adorable reasons:

For the last eight weeks these creatures have been my roommates and my responsibility. While their owners are gallavanting across southern Africa, I gallavant through the forest two or three times a day with my new posse. They are a constant source of delight and amusement, but having M.E. (chronic fatigue syndrome) makes walking them a serious challenge. In fact it pretty much flattens me. Once they have been fed and walked and petted and disciplined there isn't much left in the tank for anything else, especially anything requiring sustained attention. However I am glad to report that I will be released from my doggy (and kitty) limbo in a little over a week and should be posting something more substantive soon thereafter. In the mean time, I highly recommend clicking over to an impressive new classic book blog, What Do I Know? The title is a misnomer because J.D. obviously knows a lot, and expresses it very well. Do have a look!

Six Word Memoir Meme

Bikkuri posted an interesting meme which originated with this NPR article. The meme is simple: write your biography in six words, with the option of posting an image to go with it. You can post one or as many as you like.

There is a biographical question that people here always ask almost as soon as they meet me, though they never ask it directly. What they say is, "Where are you from?" What they mean is:

What is my race? Mostly Mexican.

The IMAP, UIDL, POP Email Blues

It all started with an innocent comment from a well-meaning friend. "All my Gmail gets downloaded into Thunderbird." Whaaaa? Email can do that? A few days later I sauntered over to Gmail and found out that yes indeed, not only can I download Gmail into my desktop email client (Outlook 2003, in my case), but it will synchronize emails and folders (or labels) in both directions! Why didn't anyone tell me?!

So I spent the weekend migrating all my email from Yahoo to Outlook, and it was as much of a misery as I expected it to be, mainly because I started out with some bad instructions. (Yet another reason not to believe everything you read on the internet.) As a result, I ended up learning more about email than I ever wanted to know.

First there is POP, Post Office Protocol, which the basic way to download email. Since Yahoo doesn't allow free POP access, I had to download a lovely little program called YPOPs to set up a proxy POP server to download from Yahoo into Outlook. (Still with me?) It worked like a charm once I figured out what settings to use (which took most of the weekend). It took a few hours to download my 4000 or so emails, but they all (eventually) arrived safely, and with their original dates and times, which was nice.

Chess

When and how and why was chess invented? The very oldest chess myths point toward its actual origins. One story portrays two successive Indian kings, Hashran and Balhait. The first asked his sage to invent a game symbolizing man's dependence on destiny and fate; he invented nard, the dice-based predecessor to backgammon. The subsequent monarch needed a game which would embrace his belief in free will and intelligence. "At this time chess was invented," reads an ancient text, "which the King preferred to nard, because in this game skill always succeeds against ignorance...."

This quote from The Immortal Game: A History of Chess by David Shenk expresses exactly why I have taken up chess. Back in June I was inspired by Wil to try backgammon again. I had played it as a child and it seemed like it would be a fun pastime. Eventually, though, as I got backgammon strategy pretty well figured out, I got tired of being at the mercy of the dice. A few bad rolls and it would be game over through no fault of my own.

I suppose it's my Western Enlightenment mindset that rebels against the notion of being controlled by fate. Though as a scientist and biologist I realize that randomness, probability, and systems determine much of our existence, I'd still rather believe that I have a say in the matter. It's either chess or chaos, and I pick chess.

Reading Reminders for 2008

Alas, 2007 was not a banner year for reading. I fell off every bandwagon and read a measly 25 books, several of which were lightweight. Mea culpa. Next year will be different. (Really! (I mean it!!)) Here's what I'd like to accomplish in 2008:

• Since there are only 24 hours in the day, spend fewer of them online. Needs must.
• Get back on the Latin bandwagon. One chapter a week. Etiamsi me necat*.
• Finish The Trivium before the ghost of Sister Miriam whacks me on the hands with her ruler.
• Get back on the Don Quixote burro. Two chapters a week, minimum.
• Read War & Peace. Because it's there.
• Study Gilgamesh and The Egyptian Book of the Dead in depth.
• If I manage that, do some Torah/Tanakh study. (Suggestions?)
• Read A History of Reading and/or The Golden Thread.
• Read Discovering Girard and What About Hitler?
• Read some more Shakespeare.

That should keep me out of trouble for a while. Come on 2008!

UPDATE: I almost forgot. 2008 is the UN International Year of Planet Earth, so I plan to do some reading in geoscience. Anyone care to join me?

* If it kills me.

Let's Party!!

It's my third blogiversary today, so I'm throwing a party! You're all invited, of course, so come on in and make yourselves comfortable. How about a little music to get things started?

*Blush*

Check it out:

Thank you to the kind person who nominated Classical Bookworm for a 2007 Weblog Award. I'm flattered. Fortunately, I'll be saved the trouble of writing an acceptance speech by the illustrious competition in the literature category. One of these blogs is not like the others, and I think it's mine! Still, if any of you nice people would like to vote for me, click here before November 8. Vote soon. Vote often.

Sibling Rivalry

I just found out that my litter-mate is going to the JASNA AGM in Vancouver this weekend. No fair! Just because she's the eldest doesn't mean I shouldn't get to go too! Well, Ok, I can't go because I'm a sickie, but that's beside the point. The point is I'm jealous! The main topic of discussion will be Emma, the character I most resemble. I really should be there. Did I mention that there will be a Regency-style ball as well? Here's hoping my dear sister will send me some photos to post...

Novel Punishment

It seems I come from a long line of literacy advocates. Here is a bit I read about my great-great-grandfather, who commanded of the 62nd U.S. Colored Infantry (also called U.S. Colored Troops) at the end of the American Civil War.

Armies run on rules and regulations and any infraction of discipline at Brazos Santiago was punished by time in the guardhouse. For men in the 62nd USCT there was a more novel punishment. Any soldier caught playing cards was required to take a book and, while "standing in some prominent position in the camp," forced to "learn a considerable lesson in reading and spelling"—twin causes the regiment's White officers had been advocating since the 62nd's creation.

—Jeffrey William Hunt, The Last Battle of the Civil War: Palmetto Ranch

Apparently General Grandpa (as I call him) did quite a bit of work with the Lincoln Institute (now Lincoln University) of Missouri after the war. The school was established by the 62nd and 65th USCT for the benefit of freed slaves, and both (white) officers and the troops contributed financially to its establishment. There is a news story about it at the Hannibal Courier-Post and Lincoln University has a short blurb about it as well.

Way to go, Grandpa.