Friday Varia and Quick Hits

Today’s Varia and Quick Hits is coming from Fargo, North Dakota where I’m enjoying a slight change of venue after a stimulating evening at the Plains Art Museum. I’m going to tarry here in Fargo for a few hours this morning with the hope that a change of venue will stimulate some of my flagging creativity.

Before moving onto our weekend reading, a couple of advertisements for myself. First, Visions of Substance: 3D Imaging in Mediterranean Archaeology is now available at the low, low price of $17.95. There’s almost no reason not to buy it now (unless you already have it for free). Yesterday, Richard Rothaus and I released our second podcast in our ongoing adventures in podcasting. 

• The prodding of an ancient coin collector who compared the AIA to ISIS yielded this response. The internets can be a cruel place, but considering the amount of revenue that ISIS is generating from that guy’s hobby, I think his critic was probably meant ironically.

• Even the Neolithics loved hugs. (Sensitive Neolithic thugs, y’all need hugs.)

• The Monument Men of the modern Syrian conflict.

• An Ottoman shipwreck off the coast of eastern Cyprus.

• Late Roman wine seeds.

• Congratulations to the Oriental Institute for 10 years of Open Access publishing.

• I met Karen Kopacz last night at the Plains Art Museum. Her project seemed pretty cool. Here’s a link to her blog.

• It’s nice to know that RVs will survive a climate apocalypse.

• Stunning photographs of a flipped iceberg!

• Expensive vase donated to UND. If I found something like that, I’d auction it off and donate the proceeds to the St. Louis AIA society.

• When I feel down, I look to Werner Herzog for inspirational insights.

• One of my favorite little brands, Schiit Audio, has been documenting the story of company on a head-fi thread. Here’s what they say about dealing with Amazon. (By the way, people who click on this link might be interested to know that they’re selling some “b stock” and “close-outs” on their site (scroll down to the bottom of the product list). This company never has sales, so if you’re looking to get into the reasonably priced world of high end audio, this may be the way to do it.)

• What typewriters did to type.

• Two Medieval monks plan a dinner party.

• What I’m reading: Bjørnar Olsen; Þóra Pétursdóttir, Ruin Memories: Materialities, Aesthetics and the Archaeology of the Recent Past. Routledge 2014.

• What I’m listening to: Chick Corea, Trilogy; Viet Cong, Viet Cong.

Do my paws seem too long to you?

Allow me to help you with that blanket.