Friday Quick Hits and Varia

It was in the 30s when I walked into school this morning, but the deep blue of the morning sky kept me warm on my walk. Fall is coming to North Dakotaland, blog traffic has picked up, and my academic year routine has commenced. For the first time since the start of the semester, I actually got some work done this week in a systematic way.

So, to celebrate the end of a productive (if not entirely pleasant) week, some quick hits and varia:

• There is a remarkable gaggle of activity going on for Late Antiquity lovers this fall. First, there is Manchester’s Between Heaven and Earth: Law, Ideology, and the Social Order in Late Antiquity conference this week. Next, the new Oxford Handbook of Late Antiquity has come out with over 1000 pages of Late Antiquity goodness (interestingly its release date is listed as October 11 on Amazon, but the book is on Google Books). Finally, I just noticed the California Consortium for the Study of Late Antiquity with an impressive line up of scholars.

• The most important webpage in my weekly web surfing.

• I had one of those “holy shit, I’m old moment” when I asked one of my classes who gave Jay-Z his start in the rap game. The answers ranged from Dr. Dre to Tu-Pac. Not a good showing. Anywoo, I think they should read this nice little article on him.

• Who owns antiquity?

• I might have to make an individual post on this, but I want to make sure people know that Ghosts of North Dakota guys have started a Kickstarter for a book. It’s a pretty impressive ask ($12,175), but they’re off to a great start. 

• Michael Lewis on Obama.

• A bunch of Rothaus Varia. First, you need to check out his Isaacism’s page. Next, he fires off a link to a great article in New York Magazine on the NYC Housing Authority. Finally, he gives us some technical details on his kite rig that he uses to produce brilliant oblique aerial photographs. 

• If you still need more of the NYC, then take the A Train.

• Orhan Pamuk on the Bosphorus Drying Up.

• More MOOCing over at Stanford.

• A short overview of a recent workshop by the Institution for the Study of the Ancient World at NYU on Linked Ancient World Data Institute (LAWDI).

• What I’m reading: Chris Hedges and Joe Sacco, Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt. Nation Books 2012. (A book that might be unbloggable).

• What I’m listening to: David Byrne and St. Vincent, Love this Giant.