Additionally Noted Things

Phillip Howard,"Ara Kallipygos Eimi ...," Times Online, 8 April, reports on discussions of the Greek pre-occupation with the size of body parts at the recent Classical Association meeting at the University of Newcastle on Tyne. I gotta assume that the same scholarly interests led to the search for"Caleb McDaniel's man boobs." I don't know. It may be that time of year. Even Tim Burke is writing about oral sex. Anyway, thanks to Alun Salt at Archaeoastronomy for the tip.

Three women's literature memes are making the rounds this week: Miriam Burstein responds to a"women writers meme"; Sharon Howard picks up on a"pre-1800 women writers" meme that has many contributors; and Nathanael Robinson launches a"French-African Women Writers Meme."

Edward T. O'Donnell,"The Dreadful End of Little Germany," Der Spiegel, 7 April. The General Slocum fire of 1904 was America's greatest maritime/peacetime disaster and New York City's greatest disaster before 9/11. It largely contributed to the dispersion of New York's"kleindeutchland." O'Donnell writes thoughtfully about how and why memory of it was so largely lost within the next 15 years. Thanks to Dale Light of Light Seeking Light for the tip.

John Lott, the author of More Guns, Less Crime: Analyzing Crime and Gun Control Laws and clone of sockpuppet Mary Rosh, has apparently left the American Enterprise Institute, moved to Virginia, and filed a law suit against Steven Levitt, the co-author of Freakonomics. Lott makes several claims of defamation against Levitt and seeks unspecified compensation and suspension of the sale of Freakonomics until the defaming statements are" corrected". Thanks to Tim Lambert at Deltoid for the tip. See also: Kevin Drum at Political Animal.

Passover begins this evening at sundown. For a Happy Passover to all of Cliopatria's Jewish friends (and everyone else is welcome), here's:"Who Let the Jews Out?" (scroll down)"JibJab's Matso" video and"Matzo Man." Thanks to David Bernstein at The Volokh Conspiracy for the pointers.

Finally, congratulations to:
The Elfin Ethicist who has accepted a generous offer from and will begin his graduate study at Syracuse University next year!
Professor Joel Mokyr of Northwestern University, who has won the Dr. A. H. Heineken Prize for History 2006 for his research into the origins of the modern industrial economy. The prize is given by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and goes this year, for the first time, to a scholar working outside of Europe.