I’m increasingly convinced Findagrave is moving toward a naked power grab of our data. I learned this week that they have no scruples about taking away “added by” credit and giving it to someone else. Dates don’t actually matter. The point of altering the facts seems to be rewarding the people who add masses of…
Crackers
I think probably the first time I heard the term Cracker was in Gone With the Wind. Maybe it’s a Southern word. I don’t think I’ve ever heard it used by a Westerner, at least not un-self-consciously. Many people I’ve asked have no idea what it means even though most have heard it. I read…
George Washington
When I was growing up my bedside lamp was a antique copper cast of George Washington praying before the Battle of Valley Forge. My grandfather and great grandfather were George Washington Place, Jr. and George Washington Place, Sr. A family tradition, now disproved, says my ancestor was Brig. Gen. Solomon Place (War of 1812), who was (they say) made a…
Society for Creative Anachronism
Ken Mondschein at Medievalists.net is saying good things about the SCA. No objections here, but it has me wondering how many medievalists have belonged to the Society of Creative Anachronism at some point. I did. Kind of. Maybe it would be more accurate to say I stopped by from time to time. I don’t think…
A Better Diaspora
What does it mean — a better diaspora? I started thinking about this a couple of weeks ago when a friend who is Latina mentioned how often people are surprised when they find out she doesn’t speak Spanish. At the time I just laughed. I don’t speak Swedish or any of my other ancestral languages,…