Early Modern Notes

(Cultural literacy prerequisites: Irn-Bru, The Snowman)

First tornadoes, now shootouts… what’s going on in Ceredigion these days?

Happy Critmas…

End of an era.

1. Scott has posted The History Carnival’s Annual Happy Holidays Party. ‘Tis the season to be very funny indeed.

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2. Carnivalesque has been posted by scribblingwoman. Lots of early modern goodness.

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Looking ahead: the next History Carnival will be at Investigations of a Dog on 15 January (submission form), and the next Carnivalesque will be an ancient/medieval edition at Memorabilia Antonina on or about 25 January (submission form).

Hicc.

But watch that boy go!

(Saturday update: Thank f*ck I have SEK to cheer me up today. Otherwise I might have to start on the gin.)

(Sunday OBO update: “OH GOD DAMN THESE RELENTLESS SIRENS OF HOPE”.)

LOL. Like smilies: Perfectly OK in moderation; overuse should be punishable by death.

Asian History Carnival posted at Westminster Wisdom!

Now, I happen to think that for our final carnival outings of 2006, I got a pretty cool double whammy. So you folks had better step up to the plate and send along your best links…

First up, we have Eric Scott Kaufman (as long as he stops being a wuss), hosting History Carnival at Acephalous, on 15 December. Email: acephalous[AT]gmail.com or use this submission form.

Second in line, the one and only Miriam Jones of scribblingwoman is hosting an early modern edition of Carnivalesque on 17 December (a few hours left for last-minute nominations!). You can email jones[at]unbsj.ca or use this other submission form.

I’ve just added to EMR (amongst lots of other great stuff) an 18th-century joke book (put online by Kevin Shay, a writer).

Seems to be a lot of black humour about death:

When Rablais the greatest Drole in France, lay on his Death-Bed, he could not help jesting at the very last Moment, for having received the extreme Unction, a Friend coming to see him, said, he hoped he was prepared for the next World; Yes, yes, reply’d Rablais, I am ready for my Journey now, they have just greased my Boots.

No shortage of bad puns:

It being proved in a Trial at Guildhall, that a Man’s Name was really Inch, who pretended that it was Linch, I see, said the Judge, the old Proverb is verified in this Man, who being allowed an Inch took an L.

And one for all the writers:

One saying that Mr. Dennis was an excellent Critick, was answered, that indeed his Writings were much to be valued; for that by his Criticism he taught Men how to write well, and by his Poetry, shew’d ’em what it was to write ill; so that the World was sure to edify by him.

There’s nothing like some bad (or not so bad) jokes to cheer up a dreary Sunday afternoon, now is there?

(If you modernists and youngsters didn’t get the second one, read this.)

I have a lot of great resources sitting in the EMR drafts folder, which I hope to catch up on in the next few weeks. You can easily keep up with new additions by checking out the News page here, or by subscribing to EMR’s RSS feed. I might even get round to checking for dead links…

One of my favourite blogs for the last few months has been separated by a common language. I don’t know what it is about mutual incomprehension between Yank and Brit, but it generates infinite amusement (on this side of the Atlantic, at least). So I was, as you can imagine, much entertained to discover the surprisingly prolific UK/US Translations thread in the Dr Who Forums at the rather lovely, though very American, Television Without Pity.

[I want to point out that a) baked beans on toast are yummy and b) Marmite is DISGUSTING. (You can get Marmite-flavoured baked beans. I think this is some sort of sacrilege. When the revolution comes…)]

DIY Mugshots - looks good fun… (H-T)

… Can it? But it doesn’t half lift the spirits.

Oh yeah, now all we have to do is take 20 wickets. Pffft.

Tuesday update: oh, for fuck’s sake.

Wednesday evening update: Still. Really. Pissed. Off.