Comments for Smatters http://www.smat.us Matters of the Smith-Atwood Family Fri, 27 May 2011 22:21:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Comment on Pagan Origins of Mayday by from beltane to bin laden, via marx: the evolution of mayday « killing denouement http://www.smat.us/archives/11#comment-3 from beltane to bin laden, via marx: the evolution of mayday « killing denouement Fri, 27 May 2011 22:21:25 +0000 http://x2.smat.us/?p=11#comment-3 [...] This site provides some clues on the transition. Mayday used to involve wandering into the woods to cut down a growing tree for the maypole, and indulging in all sorts of sexual licentiousness along the way. The Puritans didn’t take kindly to this, and banned it in a 1644 act of Parliament. Charles II reinstated it in 1660, with its more subversive elements downplayed. Finally, the 19th century Victorians laid down their moral spin—emphasising its innocence and turning it into the sort of kitschy Merry Olde England fest that I was subject too. Also lost were its political elements, among them, the temporary setting aside of social hierarchy. The taking of the tree, in particular, similarly highlights medieval rights to wood usage and to the commons. [...] [...] This site provides some clues on the transition. Mayday used to involve wandering into the woods to cut down a growing tree for the maypole, and indulging in all sorts of sexual licentiousness along the way. The Puritans didn’t take kindly to this, and banned it in a 1644 act of Parliament. Charles II reinstated it in 1660, with its more subversive elements downplayed. Finally, the 19th century Victorians laid down their moral spin—emphasising its innocence and turning it into the sort of kitschy Merry Olde England fest that I was subject too. Also lost were its political elements, among them, the temporary setting aside of social hierarchy. The taking of the tree, in particular, similarly highlights medieval rights to wood usage and to the commons. [...]

]]> Comment on Pagan Origins of Mayday by Happy Beltane! « keltiscribe http://www.smat.us/archives/11#comment-2 Happy Beltane! « keltiscribe Sun, 01 May 2011 04:32:33 +0000 http://x2.smat.us/?p=11#comment-2 [...] of all night sexual revelries prior to the rising of the Sun on Beltane were recorded even in late Christian accounts. Matches were made between couples, marriages and partnering before the separation of families, the [...] [...] of all night sexual revelries prior to the rising of the Sun on Beltane were recorded even in late Christian accounts. Matches were made between couples, marriages and partnering before the separation of families, the [...]

]]> Comment on San Francisco Pics by GreenWeaver http://www.smat.us/archives/207#comment-9 GreenWeaver Sun, 23 Nov 2008 20:09:50 +0000 http://www.smat.us/?p=207#comment-9 Hey! Sounds so fun, I'm jealous. Hey! Sounds so fun, I’m jealous.

]]> Comment on Bumper Stickers by GreenWeaver http://www.smat.us/archives/180#comment-8 GreenWeaver Thu, 23 Oct 2008 22:59:06 +0000 http://www.smat.us/?p=180#comment-8 Good boy :) Did you catch the daily show? http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=189119&title=mccain-says-the-s-word Good boy :) Did you catch the daily show? http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=189119&title=mccain-says-the-s-word

]]> Comment on Wasilla and VP candidate Palin by Dr. Rick Smith http://www.smat.us/archives/85#comment-7 Dr. Rick Smith Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:38:05 +0000 http://www.smat.us/?p=85#comment-7 A later posting about Wasilla on this blog: http://www.smat.us/archives/125 A later posting about Wasilla on this blog: http://www.smat.us/archives/125

]]> Comment on Wasilla and VP candidate Palin by GreenWeaver http://www.smat.us/archives/85#comment-6 GreenWeaver Tue, 09 Sep 2008 01:10:39 +0000 http://www.smat.us/?p=85#comment-6 http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=184086&title=sarah-palin-gender-card http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=184086&title=sarah-palin-gender-card

]]> Comment on Greetings, Larry! by Rick http://www.smat.us/archives/42#comment-5 Rick Wed, 06 Aug 2008 02:04:57 +0000 http://www.smat.us/archives/42#comment-5 I finally read Larry's post in detail, and I have a nit to disagree with. Larry calls the Enola Gay the most historically important aircraft, or something like that. Personally, I'd rather sit (actually, lie down) in Oriville Wright's spot on the 1903 flyer, or perhaps the command module of the Apollo 11, if given the choice of any 'seat' in a historical aircraft. But I have to say I've always been envious of Larry's opportunity to hang out at the old Silver Hill facility. I'm glad I got to play a part in having it happen. I finally read Larry’s post in detail, and I have a nit to disagree with. Larry calls the Enola Gay the most historically important aircraft, or something like that.

Personally, I’d rather sit (actually, lie down) in Oriville Wright’s spot on the 1903 flyer, or perhaps the command module of the Apollo 11, if given the choice of any ‘seat’ in a historical aircraft.

But I have to say I’ve always been envious of Larry’s opportunity to hang out at the old Silver Hill facility. I’m glad I got to play a part in having it happen.

]]> Comment on WordPress Upgrade by Rick the Admin http://www.smat.us/archives/22#comment-4 Rick the Admin Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:57:29 +0000 http://www.smat.us/?p=22#comment-4 Upgrade of my 'professional' web site, on the other hand, was a disaster. I failed to disable all the plugins, and a couple went unstable when I tried to bring the site back up. The visual result was that my pages came up blank, except for the admin pages. It took an entire evening (about 6 hours) of fiddling to bring the site reliably back on line and finish the upgrade. Upgrade of my ‘professional’ web site, on the other hand, was a disaster. I failed to disable all the plugins, and a couple went unstable when I tried to bring the site back up. The visual result was that my pages came up blank, except for the admin pages. It took an entire evening (about 6 hours) of fiddling to bring the site reliably back on line and finish the upgrade.

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