Monday, August 31, 2020
Sunday, August 30, 2020
The Names of the Hare
'The Names of the Hare’ is a poem written in the late thirteenth century, originally in Middle English, that is attributed to a Shropshire family on the Welsh borders. The poem is said to be a ritual to be recited by a hunter on his first encounter with a hare, and the seventy seven different names given to the hare in the poem were supposed, on recital, to deliver it to the hunter’s power.
The Names of the Hare
Translation from the Middle English by Seamus Heaney
The man the hare has met
will never be the better of it
except he lay down on the land
what he carries in his hand—
be it staff or be it bow—
and bless him with his elbow
and come out with this litany
with devotion and sincerity
to speak the praises of the hare.
Then the man will better fare.
‘The hare, call him scotart,
big-fellow, bouchart,
the O’Hare, the jumper,
the rascal, the racer.
Beat-the-pad, white-face,
funk-the-ditch, shit-ass.
The wimount, the messer,
the skidaddler, the nibbler,
the ill-met, the slabber.
The quick-scut, the dew-flirt,
the grass-biter, the goibert,
the home-late, the do-the-dirt.
The starer, the wood-cat,
the purblind, the furze cat,
the skulker, the bleary-eyed,
the wall-eyed, the glance-aside
and also the hedge-springer.
The stubble-stag, the long lugs,
the stook-deer, the frisky legs,
the wild one, the skipper,
the hug-the-ground, the lurker,
the race-the-wind, the skiver,
the shag-the-hare, the hedge-squatter,
the dew-hammer, the dew-hoppper,
the sit-tight, the grass-bounder,
the jig-foot, the earth-sitter,
the light-foot, the fern-sitter,
the kail-stag, the herb-cropper.
The creep-along, the sitter-still,
the pintail, the ring-the-hill,
the sudden start,
the shake-the-heart,
the belly-white,
the lambs-in-flight.
The gobshite, the gum-sucker,
the scare-the-man, the faith-breaker,
the snuff-the-ground, the baldy skull,
(his chief name is scoundrel.)
The stag sprouting a suede horn,
the creature living in the corn,
the creature bearing all men’s scorn,
the creature no one dares to name.’
When you have got all this said
then the hare’s strength has been laid.
Then you might go faring forth—
east and west and south and north,
wherever you incline to go—
but only if you’re skilful too.
And now, Sir Hare, good-day to you.
God guide you to a how-d’ye-do
with me: come to me dead
in either onion broth or bread.
Saturday, August 29, 2020
Friday, August 28, 2020
The Aesthetics of Linked- Verse Poetry in Yasunari Kawabata’s 'The Lake'
New Voices in Japanese Studies is an open-access, peer-reviewed interdisciplinary journal showcasing research by emerging scholars in the humanities and social sciences.
Thursday, August 27, 2020
Wednesday, August 26, 2020
"The Pearl-Sewn Shirt" 蒋兴哥重会珍珠衫
In the early Ming dynasty, there was once a respectable merchant named Jiang Xingge who married a respectable wife named Wang Sanqiao. The match was such a happy one that Xingge put off traveling for his business for over two years, but alas, finally he did have to go south to trade. Despite the many precautions he took to preserve his wife's chastity, she is undone when a wealthy merchant named Chen Dalang catches sight of her. Unable to make her acquaintance directly because she stays indoors, cloistered by her servants, Chen obtains the services of an earthy old lady merchant, Granny Xue, who slyly befriends Sanqiao, arouses her to sexual fervor, and throws Chen into her bedroom stark naked, where they both make love the entire night. Sanqiao grows to love Chen, and Chen's feelings for Sanqiao are true even though he is married as well.
The following spring, Chen travels for business as well, so on their parting Sanqiao gives him a pearl-sewn shirt, which is an heirloom of the Jiang clan. Later, in the south, he meets Jiang Xingge, to whom he confesses his love affair, not knowing that all the while he is speaking to Sanqiao's husband. When Chen shows Xingge the pearl shirt, Xingge knows. Soon after Xingge returns home and sends his wife back to her parents along with a writ of divorce. Investigating the matter further, he also orders thugs to smash up Granny Xue's house, forcing her out of the county.
But the story does not end in simple divorce. Pivoting to follow Chen's estranged wife, Pingshi, we observe as Chen leaves her again after a fight over the pearl shirt, which she hides from him out of jealousy. On his journey he becomes ill, so Pingshi travels out to care for him, but she finds him already dead, and his body stranded in a different province. Following the advice of others, she decides to marry to be able to afford her husband's burial and provide for her own welfare. The man arranged is none other than Jiang Xingge. The two are well-matched, and when Xingge sees the pearl shirt that Pingshi has kept, he believes that fate has intervened to make the marriage happen.
But this is still not the end of the story! In a surprise fourth act, we follow Xingge again on his business travels to discover how, in a heated argument in a market, he accidentally caused the death of an old man, and has charges pressed against him. The judge presiding over his case is none other than -- Sanqiao's new husband! Sanqiao pleas for her new husband to save Xingge's life, and he does; when he hears the rest of the story, he himself is moved to tears by it, and seeing that the two are still obviously in love, he allows Sanqiao to leave him and be Xingge's second wife, or concubine. Of course, a second wife might find conflict with the first wife, but Sanqiao and Pingshi manage to get along well, and so Xingge's family is made whole again.
Tuesday, August 25, 2020
Monday, August 24, 2020
Literature from Taiwan Series
http://www.cambriapress.com/cambriaseries.cfm?template=92
“Taiwan is an island of resilience. Centuries of hardship have compelled our society to cope, adapt, and survive trying circumstances. We have found ways to persevere through difficult times together as a nation …” —President Tsai Ing-wen
There is much to laud—and learn—about Taiwan. With its tumultuous history comes a rich, vibrant culture. As Professor Nikky Lin notes in her introduction in A Taiwanese Literature Reader, "There was thus a struggle for the Taiwanese people, driven by the changes and challenges brought about in the transition from a traditional to a modern society, one that was caught between the pull of colonization and modernization. Literature serves as a reflection of an era. We observe the contradictions inherent in the difficulties faced at the time through the lens of Taiwanese literature. Whether these challenges are conflicts rooted in law, culture, class, national identity or otherwise, each is inextricably captured by the pen of its Taiwanese authors."
Cambria Press is very proud to partner with the National Museum of Taiwan Literature and National Taiwan Normal University in launching the Literature from Taiwan Series, which takes us to Taiwan across different periods and offers us rich insights into Taiwan.
Sunday, August 23, 2020
Saturday, August 22, 2020
Friday, August 21, 2020
Thursday, August 20, 2020
Benford's law tester
https://www.dcode.fr/benford-law
Benford's law states that in the majority of natural collections of numbers (ie. lists of numbers derived from reality and not created artificially), the first significant digit is usually small. This law applies very well to numbers representing orders of magnitude: prices, populations, lengths, etc.
Wednesday, August 19, 2020
Tuesday, August 18, 2020
An Array of Ringing Global Free Modes Discovered in Tropical Surface Pressure Data
https://journals.ametsoc.org/jas/article/77/7/2519/347483/An-Array-of-Ringing-Global-Free-Modes-Discovered
Abstract
We used newly available ERA5 hourly global data to examine the variations of atmospheric circulation on global scales and high frequencies. The space–time spectrum of surface pressure displays a typical red background spectrum but also a striking number of isolated peaks. Some peaks represent astronomically forced tides, but we show that most peaks are manifestations of the ringing of randomly excited global-scale resonant modes, reminiscent of the tones in a spectrum of a vibrating musical instrument. A few such modes have been tentatively identified in earlier observational investigations, but we demonstrate the existence of a large array of normal mode oscillations with periods as short as 2 h. This is a powerful and uniquely detailed confirmation of the predictions of the theory of global oscillations that has its roots in the work of Laplace two centuries ago. The delineation of the properties of the modes provides valuable diagnostic information about the atmospheric circulation. Notably the amplitudes and widths of the normal mode spectral peaks contain information on the forcing mechanisms and energy dissipation for the modes, and the simulation of these properties for each of the many modes we have identified can serve as tests for global climate and weather prediction models.
Monday, August 17, 2020
Sunday, August 16, 2020
Saturday, August 15, 2020
Chinese restaurant calculation made easy
https://imagethief.com/2005/12/17/chinese-restaurant-calculation-made-easy/
For simplicity, let’s assume that we want a system that sticks to the Chinese rule of one dish per head. So if you have five people, you want an aggregate score of five. But we also want a system that weights dishes correctly based on their gustatory impact. For instance, there is no way that your pai huang gua or bowl of white rice has the same impact as an oil-and-chili drenched mapo doufu. Now I don’t have time to sit here and individually weight every Beijing and provincial standard that you can order in this town, for Chrissake. But I can roughly categorize dishes in a way that, I hope, makes sense. So here is my proposed weighting system for types of Chinese dishes:
Underweighted dishes:
White rice: .25 in aggregate (assuming everyone orders a bowl – if less than half the party orders white rice, ignore)
Dumplings (shuijiao): .25 per liang of five or .5 for an order of 10 to 12
Dumplings (guotie): .5 per liang of five or 1 for an order of 10 to 12
Cold dishes (pickles, cold meats, appetizers, hua sheng, etc.): .5
Plain breads (no meat): .5
Desserts: .5 (this is counterintuitive as Chinese desserts are unparalleled calorie bombs, but I’ve always subscribed to the “separate tank” theory of dessert consumption
Cooked green vegetables: .75 (that’s stir-fried or steamed green vegetables; di san xian,yuxiang qiezi, or anything in sauce counts as a full dish)
Standard weighted dishes:
Soups and noodles: 1 (soup is a trap; don’t assume that it’s lighter than other dishes)
Breads with meat (roubing, etc.): 1
Standards: 1 (most meats, poultry and fish; vegetables in sauce or gan bian style; and any cooked or sauced tofu; the vast majority of dishes)
Overweighted dishes:
Shuizhu yu or niu rou: 1.5 (I’m inclined to double weight it, but I’ll be generous)
Beijing roast duck: 2 per duck and, yes, a half-duck is 1 point (the duck is greasy and there are pancakes, plum sauce, etc.)
“Set piece” dishes: 2 (roast suckling pig, roast mutton leg, anything that serves as a centerpiece dish or that would be served at a wedding)
Hot pot: .75 per person (so if you have four people, it counts as a total of 3 points)
Intimidation dishes: 2 (bizarre organ meats; exotic animals; anything you are served by people trying to get a rise out of the laowai or that you serve to your “just arrived in China” friends to give them a taste of “the real thing”
So if you and five of your friends (six people total) are going out for dinner, you have an available score of six. Everyone has white rice, leaving you 4.5 available dishes. Two cold dishes leave you 3.5 remaining slots. Order two green vegetables and two standards, and it’s perfection. Or one standard, a duck and one more cold dish. Or, if this is a duck feast, six people qualifies for two ducks, a standard and two cold dishes. See how easy this is? For the sake of argument, I’ll even allow rounding.
Global modifiers:
Global modifiers affect the overall score of a meal. Positive modifiers are added to your available score to allow the addition of extra dishes, negative modifiers subtract from the total allowed dishes. For example, if you have four people, and, thus, a total available score of four, a global modifier of +2 allows you order dishes totaling a score of 6. Conversely, a global modifier of -2 would allow you to order only two dishes. Some global modifiers apply to specific numbers of people, and so must be modified for party size. Simple, isn’t it?
Auspicious occasion (wedding, deal closure): +2 for every five people
All just arrived in China: +2 (gotta experiment)
All female party: -1 for each four people
All teenage girls: -3 for each four people
Lunch: -1
Rugby team: x2 available score
In Guangdong: -2
In Sichuan or Hunan: +1
Any restaurant with a floor show: -2
Any restaurant with a government tourism or China Famous Brand plaque: -2
Any restaurant at a provincial 办事区: +1
Beer and other liquors: no impact
There. Drop that all into Microsoft Excel or a handy, slide-rule style device and you’re good to go. I’ve tested it not at all and I have very little confidence that it will hold up under rigorous examination. But, in the end, it’s as good as anything else you’ve got to work with. Suggestions for other weightings or modifications can be submitted via the usual methods. The Nobel committee can contact me care of this website.
For simplicity, let’s assume that we want a system that sticks to the Chinese rule of one dish per head. So if you have five people, you want an aggregate score of five. But we also want a system that weights dishes correctly based on their gustatory impact. For instance, there is no way that your pai huang gua or bowl of white rice has the same impact as an oil-and-chili drenched mapo doufu. Now I don’t have time to sit here and individually weight every Beijing and provincial standard that you can order in this town, for Chrissake. But I can roughly categorize dishes in a way that, I hope, makes sense. So here is my proposed weighting system for types of Chinese dishes:
Underweighted dishes:
White rice: .25 in aggregate (assuming everyone orders a bowl – if less than half the party orders white rice, ignore)
Dumplings (shuijiao): .25 per liang of five or .5 for an order of 10 to 12
Dumplings (guotie): .5 per liang of five or 1 for an order of 10 to 12
Cold dishes (pickles, cold meats, appetizers, hua sheng, etc.): .5
Plain breads (no meat): .5
Desserts: .5 (this is counterintuitive as Chinese desserts are unparalleled calorie bombs, but I’ve always subscribed to the “separate tank” theory of dessert consumption
Cooked green vegetables: .75 (that’s stir-fried or steamed green vegetables; di san xian,yuxiang qiezi, or anything in sauce counts as a full dish)
Standard weighted dishes:
Soups and noodles: 1 (soup is a trap; don’t assume that it’s lighter than other dishes)
Breads with meat (roubing, etc.): 1
Standards: 1 (most meats, poultry and fish; vegetables in sauce or gan bian style; and any cooked or sauced tofu; the vast majority of dishes)
Overweighted dishes:
Shuizhu yu or niu rou: 1.5 (I’m inclined to double weight it, but I’ll be generous)
Beijing roast duck: 2 per duck and, yes, a half-duck is 1 point (the duck is greasy and there are pancakes, plum sauce, etc.)
“Set piece” dishes: 2 (roast suckling pig, roast mutton leg, anything that serves as a centerpiece dish or that would be served at a wedding)
Hot pot: .75 per person (so if you have four people, it counts as a total of 3 points)
Intimidation dishes: 2 (bizarre organ meats; exotic animals; anything you are served by people trying to get a rise out of the laowai or that you serve to your “just arrived in China” friends to give them a taste of “the real thing”
So if you and five of your friends (six people total) are going out for dinner, you have an available score of six. Everyone has white rice, leaving you 4.5 available dishes. Two cold dishes leave you 3.5 remaining slots. Order two green vegetables and two standards, and it’s perfection. Or one standard, a duck and one more cold dish. Or, if this is a duck feast, six people qualifies for two ducks, a standard and two cold dishes. See how easy this is? For the sake of argument, I’ll even allow rounding.
Global modifiers:
Global modifiers affect the overall score of a meal. Positive modifiers are added to your available score to allow the addition of extra dishes, negative modifiers subtract from the total allowed dishes. For example, if you have four people, and, thus, a total available score of four, a global modifier of +2 allows you order dishes totaling a score of 6. Conversely, a global modifier of -2 would allow you to order only two dishes. Some global modifiers apply to specific numbers of people, and so must be modified for party size. Simple, isn’t it?
Auspicious occasion (wedding, deal closure): +2 for every five people
All just arrived in China: +2 (gotta experiment)
All female party: -1 for each four people
All teenage girls: -3 for each four people
Lunch: -1
Rugby team: x2 available score
In Guangdong: -2
In Sichuan or Hunan: +1
Any restaurant with a floor show: -2
Any restaurant with a government tourism or China Famous Brand plaque: -2
Any restaurant at a provincial 办事区: +1
Beer and other liquors: no impact
There. Drop that all into Microsoft Excel or a handy, slide-rule style device and you’re good to go. I’ve tested it not at all and I have very little confidence that it will hold up under rigorous examination. But, in the end, it’s as good as anything else you’ve got to work with. Suggestions for other weightings or modifications can be submitted via the usual methods. The Nobel committee can contact me care of this website.
Friday, August 14, 2020
Internet Sacred Texts Archive
https://www.sacred-texts.com/
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Thursday, August 13, 2020
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
Tuesday, August 11, 2020
Monday, August 10, 2020
Sunday, August 9, 2020
Harlem BY LANGSTON HUGHES
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore—
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over—
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
Saturday, August 8, 2020
Friday, August 7, 2020
Thursday, August 6, 2020
Cosmic Call
In 1999, two Canadian astrophysicists, Stéphane Dumas and Yvan Dutil, composed and sent a message into space. The message was composed of twenty-three pages of bitmapped data, and was sent from the RT-70 radio telescope in Yevpatoria, Ukraine, as part of a set of messages called Cosmic Call.
