We’ve known for some time that the fall of the Byzantine Empire—precipitated by the Ottomans’ taking of Constantinople—in May of the year 1453 was an event chronically adjacent to the dawn of the age of exploration with Christopher Columbus’ voyages in 1492 and Vasco da Gama’s five years later (preceding both and inspiring the success of his fellow countryman subsequently was Bartlolomew Diaz). We, however, failed to recognise the collapse of the Eastern Roman Empire and the blockade of overland routes to Asia directly, like the series of Crusades to recapture the Holy Land of Middle Ages and safeguard caravans of pilgrims, was aimed to re-establish trade-routes severed by Muslim occupation.
Sunday 9 July 2017
around the horn
resting rich face
A rather wide-spread study has revealed that our default, neutral facial posture can reflect a lot about our socio-economic well-being.
So far results are only slightly better than random but as discerning glances become more sophisticated (and ethnographers do think that there is some subtly in expression that human intuit) this will become another factor for algorithms to exploit as a gauge for credit-worthiness or even if it’s worth the return on investment for you to be in this or that particular store or be allowed to take a holiday as planned as an under-contributor. What do you think? If we are to trust technology to help us improve our lot and be willing to work collaboratively with it, the process should be a transparent one—even if we’re growing too dumb to have it explained in terms we can understand. If our expressions do carry artefacts of our past and class upbringing, those shouldn’t be leveraged against us.
Saturday 8 July 2017
inveigle
Bdelygmia (thanks to TYWKIWDBI for enhancing our vocabulary) is the name for a rhetorical term that’s an appeal to the emotions that signifies more or less what one would expect from such a retching sounding word: a litany of abuse, a heap of insults.
From the Greek for filthiness, it’s a series of carefully crafted epithets (sloppy constructions generally fail to sustain a feeling of enmity with the audience and can often backfire, portraying the name-caller as cruel or juvenile) meant to engender hatred for the maligned target and channel the threat of physical violence. An example of a harsh but not provoking invective comes from lyricist and populariser of the limerick Edward Lear in ranting about a noisy neighbour to a confidant in 1859, “A vile, beastly, rottenheaded, foolbegotten, brazenthroated, pernicious, piggish, screaming, tearing, roaring, perplexing, splitmecrackle, crashmecriggle, insane ass of a woman is practising howling below-stairs with a brute of a singingmaster so horribly that my head is nearly off.” It’s a standard device employed in factional politics and the weapon of choice for bullies of all venues, though most contemporary instances of bdelygmia are not so persuasive. No matter what sort sophistry and abominations are deployed, it is not rhetoric if it does not attempt to reach out to an audience to change minds and win support. Effectively only re-enforcing convictions already held is mere artlessly dangerous pandering and can move anyone to violence so disposed.
contrived durability oder tinker, tailor
catagories: ๐ช๐บ, ๐ก, environment