Linkfest 2022-08-12: Mother Tongue
Antigone Journal: What Did Ancient Languages Sound Like?
The process of reconstructing the sounds of ancient languages is absolutely fascinating to me.
Works in Progress: The Maintenance Race
As a Son of Martha, I appreciate this telling of a round the world sailboat race in 1968 in terms of the differing maintenance styles of the men who sailed.
The different maintenance styles of the three sailors led directly to their different outcomes.
Knox-Johnston’s style was: “Whatever comes, deal with it.” And he did.
Crowhurst’s was: “Hope for the best.” It killed him.
Moitessier’s was: “Prepare for the worst.” It freed him.
I suspect that a reason we don't seem to make any big scientific discoveries anymore is that science is too pure. Too pure you say? How can this be possible?
I have used the doll hospital service of the American Girl doll manufacturer as well, and I can confirm.
Castalia House: The Great Myth of the Golden Age of Science Fiction
Daddy Warpig lays out a capsule history of english scifi far better than the one I’ve criticized John C. Wright for.
DMR Books: The Flame Even the Gods May Not Destroy
This cover and the essay by Tim Powers were so compelling I immediately bought a copy of the Ship of Ishtar.
Todd’s Mischief Blog: The Real Reason Why Are Trucks Getting Bigger
The rest of the story is something the folks at Freakanomics might enjoy because it is a classic tale of unintended consequences. In brief, Obama-era fuel regulations incentivized automakers to build bigger trucks.
The Long View: Democracy and Populism
This is the money quote, John Reilly paraphrasing John Lukacs:
If you believe the author, the president of the United States is one of the two monarchs remaining in the world; the other is the pope. The presidency differs from the papacy in that its operation is becoming increasingly medieval. The president no longer administers a government, but is surrounded by an immense crowd of courtiers, whose interest is not so much government but the president's repute.
Don't say you weren't warned.
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