More importantly, while it was a tragic loss of life, the economic effects of the Black Death had overall positive effects for the surviving wage-laborers of medieval Europe. With a smaller population, there was more land, and more food, to go around. More importantly, landowners still needed the grain on which their wealth was based harvested. With less of a labor supply, wage-laborers were able to demand higher prices than ever before. Before the Black Death, a skilled laborer in England could earn three pence per day. Afterwards, he could earn four—adding up to about three pounds a year more total income, accounting for holidays and idle times. The result was a sort of “golden age” for wage laborers, more prosperity, and more class mobility. Additionally, some historians argue it caused the rise of modern capitalism as the nobility, caught in a pincers between falling grain prices and rising labor costs and seeking a stable income, rented out their properties, allowing the social rise of prosperous non-nobles who invested in agricultural land and proto-industrial infrastructure such as mills.
The coronavirus will have the opposite effect in our late-capitalist economy. With stock prices plummeting, corporations will be under pressure to maintain shareholder value. The easiest way to do this is to reduce payroll. Moreover, with investors withdrawing their credit from the marketplace, companies will stop expanding their operations, further reducing the demand for labor. The “nonessential” workers told to stay home in case of “quarantine in place” also tend to be the most vulnerable; moreover, they are the least likely to have the resources to stockpile necessities. With an uncertain economic future, consumer spending, the driving engine of our economy, will fall, continuing the spiral into recession. For instance, home values will plummet, reducing investment in that major economic sector and affecting whole industries. The net result of the “market correction” will be a fall in wages, economic uncertainty, and the widening of the divide between the rich and the rest of us.
23 March 2020
One interesting difference between COVID-19 and the Black Death
Informed opinion from a history professor at Boston University:
22 March 2020
Delilah didn't cut Samson's hair
I misremembered my Bible history - and so have many artists and film directors. The actual cutter of the hair was an unnamed Philistine man (‘And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.’) (Judges 16:19).
Image of Hedy Lamarr and Victor Mature via.
What if coronavirus cripples the government ?
It could happen. It has already infected its first senator (Rand Paul). Newsweek explains what contingency arrangements are possible:
Even as President Trump says he tested negative for coronavirus, the COVID-19 pandemic raises the fear that huge swaths of the executive branch or even Congress and the Supreme Court could also be disabled, forcing the implementation of "continuity of government" plans that include evacuating Washington and "devolving" leadership to second-tier officials in remote and quarantined locations.More at the link.
But Coronavirus is also new territory, where the military itself is vulnerable and the disaster scenarios being contemplated -- including the possibility of widespread domestic violence as a result of food shortages -- are forcing planners to look at what are called "extraordinary circumstances".
Above-Top Secret contingency plans already exist for what the military is supposed to do if all the Constitutional successors are incapacitated. Standby orders were issued more than three weeks ago to ready these plans, not just to protect Washington but also to prepare for the possibility of some form of martial law.
According to new documents and interviews with military experts, the various plans – codenamed Octagon, Freejack and Zodiac – are the underground laws to ensure government continuity. They are so secret that under these extraordinary plans, "devolution" could circumvent the normal Constitutional provisions for government succession, and military commanders could be placed in control around America...
When might the military's "emergency authority" be needed? Traditionally, it's thought of after a nuclear device goes off in an American city. But now, planners are looking at military response to urban violence as people seek protection and fight over food. And, according to one senior officer, in the contingency of the complete evacuation of Washington.
Under Defense department regulations, military commanders are authorized to take action on their own – in extraordinary circumstances – where "duly constituted local authorities are unable to control the situation." The conditions include "large-scale, unexpected civil disturbances" involving "significant loss of life or wanton destruction of property." The Joint Chiefs of Staff codified these rules in October 2018, reminding commanders that they could decide, on their own authority, to "engage temporarily" in military control in circumstances "where prior authorization by the President is impossible" or where local authorities "are unable to control the situation." A new Trump-era Pentagon directive calls it "extreme situations." In all cases, even where a military commander declares martial law, the directives say that civil rule has to be restored as soon as possible.
"In scenarios where one city or one region is devastated, that's a pretty straightforward process," the military planner told me. "But with coronavirus, where the effect is nationwide, we're in territory we've never been in before."
The history of country music, as told by Ken Burns and Peter Coyote
I've been binge-watching this seven-part series recently. The programs ran on PBS last year, but are available as a download or as DVDs from libraries. I think it's well worth the time to watch, even if you don't think you like country music, just for learning the history of the genre.
Do you know which author used these pen names ?
As recorded by John Ptak:
I used fifteen minutes of my life to collect some of the most outrageous/anti-subtle subtle, non sequitur, and just plain odd pseudonyms used by the great [redacted - answer at the link] in his long and wide writing career... There are many others.
The partial list: Agb, Anita M. Bobe, Conmore Aple Brun, Bnashi Basouk, Oogum Bem, Hamin Benjarrison, Joel Ffrad Bink, A. Brute, Salder Bupp, Choggins, Clementina, Clericus, Purzil Crofe, Ambat Delaso, Arion Spurl Doke, Etcetera, Almira Faircheek, Booley Fito, Aramis Loto Frope, Bissel Gip, Boot Gish, Dod Grile, Hestiba, Jamrach Holobom, Gat Huckle, Ignotus, Infallible, An Insulted Giant, Jebel Jocordy, Little Johnny, Opoline Jones, A Mandarin of the Order of the Golden Teapot, Atla Mipo, Jupiter Muke, N.P. Nopput, Naramy Oof, Orm, Pludge, Phela Orm, Pylades Nupkins, Phrytz, Bogul S. Purvy, Jobo Rem, Doddington Pry, Samboles, Dr. John Satan, Dudley Spink, Statanella, J. Milton Sloluck, Theophilus Smallbeer, Venable Strigg, Sukker Uffro, Barlow Vode, and many others. Oh: and John Smith.
We are now living in an Edward Hopper painting
An interesting observation (credit). And with many restaurants closed, someone edited Edward Hopper's Nighthawks painting like this -
Language in "Gulliver's Travels"
"These fields were intermingled with woods of half a stang..." In land measure, a pole, rod, or perch (equal to 5.5 yards).Interesting side note. I've had the book shown in the photo ever since I was a child. It was issued as part of the Grosset and Dunlap "Illustrated Junior Library" in 1947 - high-quality printings with very readable fonts and generously illustrated. When I completed this final read I though perhaps it might carry a premium for resale on eBay. Not so. Some are offered at high prices, but they sell cheaply, including one lot of 24 different books that sold for $31+ 19 ship. It's amazing to me how little interest the public shows in quality hardback books.
"My son Johnny... was at the Grammar School, and a towardly child." Promising, propitious. Seems to be a word whose negative (untoward) has survived better than the positive version.
"Our provisions held out well, our ship was stanch, and our crew all in good health." "I tried my canoe in a large pond... stopping all the chinks with tallow, till I found it stanch..." Strong and tight, from old French (equivalent to staunch). A word that has survived better as a verb than as an adjective.
"[the farmer] called his hinds about him and asked them..." A servant, especially an agricultural laborer (from Old English).
"... the Queen had ordered a little equipage of all things necessary for me while I was in her service..." Equipment or supplies (or a carriage); in context a set of household articles like dinnerware. From the French.
"The under surface [of the Flying Island]... is one even regular plate of adamant..." A legendary rock or mineral of surpassing hardness (used to describe diamond, or sometimes magnetic lodestones). Middle English, from Latin, from Greek "invincible." Yet another word that has survived as an adjective but not as a noun.
"There were three nags, and two mares... These seemed but ordinary cattle..." Typically domesticated bovines, but also used for other livestock such as pigs, sheep, and horses. You learn something every day. From Anglo-Norman "personal property" cf "chattel."
Jonathan Swift explains why wars happen
"As to the first, you are to understand,
that for about seventy moons past there have been two struggling parties
in this empire, under the names of Tramecksan and Slamecksan,
from the high and low heels of their shoes, by which they distinguish
themselves. It is alleged, indeed, that the high heels are most
agreeable to our ancient constitution; but, however this be, his majesty
has determined to make use only of low heels in the administration of
the government, and all offices in the gift of the crown, as you cannot
but observe; and particularly that his majesty’s imperial heels
are lower at least by a drurr than any of his court (drurr
is a measure about the fourteenth part of an inch). The animosities
between these two parties run so high, that they will neither eat, nor
drink, nor talk with each other. We compute the Tramecksan,
or high heels, to exceed us in number; but the power is wholly on our
side. We apprehend his imperial highness, the heir to the crown,
to have some tendency towards the high heels; at least we can plainly
discover that one of his heels is higher than the other, which gives
him a hobble in his gait.
Now, in the midst of these intestine disquiets, we are threatened with an invasion from the island of Blefuscu, which is the other great empire of the universe, almost as large and powerful as this of his majesty. For as to what we have heard you affirm, that there are other kingdoms and states in the world inhabited by human creatures as large as yourself, our philosophers are in much doubt, and would rather conjecture that you dropped from the moon, or one of the stars; because it is certain, that a hundred mortals of your bulk would in a short time destroy all the fruits and cattle of his majesty’s dominions: besides, our histories of six thousand moons make no mention of any other regions than the two great empires of Lilliput and Blefuscu. Which two mighty powers have, as I was going to tell you, been engaged in a most obstinate war for six-and-thirty moons past.
It began upon the following occasion. It is allowed on all hands, that the primitive way of breaking eggs, before we eat them, was upon the larger end; but his present majesty’s grandfather, while he was a boy, going to eat an egg, and breaking it according to the ancient practice, happened to cut one of his fingers. Whereupon the emperor his father published an edict, commanding all his subjects, upon great penalties, to break the smaller end of their eggs. The people so highly resented this law, that our histories tell us, there have been six rebellions raised on that account; wherein one emperor lost his life, and another his crown. These civil commotions were constantly fomented by the monarchs of Blefuscu; and when they were quelled, the exiles always fled for refuge to that empire. It is computed that eleven thousand persons have at several times suffered death, rather than submit to break their eggs at the smaller end. Many hundred large volumes have been published upon this controversy: but the books of the Big-endians have been long forbidden, and the whole party rendered incapable by law of holding employments. During the course of these troubles, the emperors of Blefusca did frequently expostulate by their ambassadors, accusing us of making a schism in religion, by offending against a fundamental doctrine of our great prophet Lustrog, in the fifty-fourth chapter of the Blundecral (which is their Alcoran). This, however, is thought to be a mere strain upon the text; for the words are these: ‘that all true believers break their eggs at the convenient end.’ And which is the convenient end, seems, in my humble opinion to be left to every man’s conscience, or at least in the power of the chief magistrate to determine.
Now, the Big-endian exiles have found so much credit in the emperor of Blefuscu’s court, and so much private assistance and encouragement from their party here at home, that a bloody war has been carried on between the two empires for six-and-thirty moons, with various success; during which time we have lost forty capital ships, and a much a greater number of smaller vessels, together with thirty thousand of our best seamen and soldiers; and the damage received by the enemy is reckoned to be somewhat greater than ours... "
Now, in the midst of these intestine disquiets, we are threatened with an invasion from the island of Blefuscu, which is the other great empire of the universe, almost as large and powerful as this of his majesty. For as to what we have heard you affirm, that there are other kingdoms and states in the world inhabited by human creatures as large as yourself, our philosophers are in much doubt, and would rather conjecture that you dropped from the moon, or one of the stars; because it is certain, that a hundred mortals of your bulk would in a short time destroy all the fruits and cattle of his majesty’s dominions: besides, our histories of six thousand moons make no mention of any other regions than the two great empires of Lilliput and Blefuscu. Which two mighty powers have, as I was going to tell you, been engaged in a most obstinate war for six-and-thirty moons past.
It began upon the following occasion. It is allowed on all hands, that the primitive way of breaking eggs, before we eat them, was upon the larger end; but his present majesty’s grandfather, while he was a boy, going to eat an egg, and breaking it according to the ancient practice, happened to cut one of his fingers. Whereupon the emperor his father published an edict, commanding all his subjects, upon great penalties, to break the smaller end of their eggs. The people so highly resented this law, that our histories tell us, there have been six rebellions raised on that account; wherein one emperor lost his life, and another his crown. These civil commotions were constantly fomented by the monarchs of Blefuscu; and when they were quelled, the exiles always fled for refuge to that empire. It is computed that eleven thousand persons have at several times suffered death, rather than submit to break their eggs at the smaller end. Many hundred large volumes have been published upon this controversy: but the books of the Big-endians have been long forbidden, and the whole party rendered incapable by law of holding employments. During the course of these troubles, the emperors of Blefusca did frequently expostulate by their ambassadors, accusing us of making a schism in religion, by offending against a fundamental doctrine of our great prophet Lustrog, in the fifty-fourth chapter of the Blundecral (which is their Alcoran). This, however, is thought to be a mere strain upon the text; for the words are these: ‘that all true believers break their eggs at the convenient end.’ And which is the convenient end, seems, in my humble opinion to be left to every man’s conscience, or at least in the power of the chief magistrate to determine.
Now, the Big-endian exiles have found so much credit in the emperor of Blefuscu’s court, and so much private assistance and encouragement from their party here at home, that a bloody war has been carried on between the two empires for six-and-thirty moons, with various success; during which time we have lost forty capital ships, and a much a greater number of smaller vessels, together with thirty thousand of our best seamen and soldiers; and the damage received by the enemy is reckoned to be somewhat greater than ours... "
- from Gulliver's Travels, Part I, "A Voyage to Lilliput" (1726)
21 March 2020
Humphry Davy and nitrous oxide
Excerpts from a longread at Public Domain Review:
On Boxing Day of 1799 the twenty-year-old chemist Humphry Davy – later to become Sir Humphry, inventor of the miners’ lamp, President of the Royal Society and domineering genius of British science - stripped to the waist, placed a thermometer under his armpit and stepped into a sealed box specially designed by the engineer James Watt for the inhalation of gases, into which he requested the physician Dr. Robert Kinglake to release twenty quarts of nitrous oxide every five minutes for as long as he could retain consciousness...... and after knowing about Humphry Davy for about 50 years, it wasn't until writing this post this morning that I realized how his first name is spelled. You learn something every day. (here's a relevant ngram graph)
Now the gas took Davy to a dimension he had not previously visited. Objects became dazzling in their intensity, sounds were amplified into a cacophony that echoed through infinite space, the thrillings in his limbs seemed to effervesce and overflow; and then, suddenly, he ‘lost all connection with external things’, and entered a self-enveloping realm of the senses. Words, images and ideas jumbled together ‘in such a manner, as to produce perceptions totally novel’: he was no longer in the laboratory, but ‘in a world of newly connected and modified ideas’, where he could theorise without limits and make new discoveries at will...
In the early summer of 1799 the nitrous oxide trials began in earnest. In the evenings, after the Pneumatic Institution had closed, the nitrate of ammoniac reaction would begin to bubble in its upstairs drawing room as Davy and Beddoes’ circle - doctors and patients, chemists, playwrights, surgeons and poets - experimented on themselves and each other. Davy was master of ceremonies and also, by his own account, inhaling the gas himself three or four times a day. The laboratory became a philosophical theatre in which the boundaries between experimenter and subject, spectator and performer were blurred to fascinating effect, and the experiment took on a life of its own...
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