Comments on: The Blog Lebowski

By: The Figure a Poem Makes « Bull Runnings

The Figure a Poem Makes « Bull Runnings — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:58:42 +0000

[...] Figure a Poem Makes 20 11 2008 In this post, I tried to explain – ineloquently – my “vision” for this site (I’ll use the word [...]

By: Robert Moore

Robert Moore — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:22:06 +0000

Don, Sounds like there might be a parallel between the mentality of tankers and submariners. However, where you guys get in the middle of things, I think we more enjoy being sneaky… of course, there are times where a little one-on-one game of “chicken” does go on underneath the waves.

Off topic again here too… I know…

By: Robert Moore

Robert Moore — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:11:19 +0000

Good point Linda. Piecing together history is a lot of fun, and a lot of work. My favorite work was with the records of the Charlottesville Artillery. I think I had 3 or 4 different perspectives from members of the unit as to what happened at Spotsylvania Court House. Piecing them all together to make sense of it all was challenging, but I felt satisfied when I was able to wrap it all in one package. The puzzle is an excellent mataphor.

Speaking of an eye for precise details, by default, I think anyone who works with historical materials has to be an “investigator.” We shouldn’t be satisfied to take something at face value and, therefore, we have to be critical… and part of being critical is learning how to curb any personal thoughts (Civil War “memory” being an excellent example) that might cloud our analysis. I always go back to the metaphor of the “cube.” How many different ways are there of looking at the cube… and who is to say we shouldn’t include also look at things from within the cube?

By: Linda Mott

Linda Mott — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 03:39:16 +0000

Although, I only have a BA in History, I do feel I am allowed an opinion about how history is presented. One must have the evidence to back up the narrative. It’s much like assembling a jig-saw puzzle. All the pieces have to fit before we can see the finished picture. If we rely on the ORs for information, do all the pieces fit? Maybe to some, but to a historian with an eye for precise details; the OR’s cannot stand alone as a source for information. Case in point, Col. Miles states in his OR that he was ill the day of the battle, do we believe him? Is this a red flag to the historian? Yes, the puzzle is missing a piece. Where is this piece and how can I find it? This is when digital compilation history comes into play. Perhaps, someone has the missing piece that will answer the question, was Col. Miles really ill? Someone may have posted an actual eye-witness accounting within a digital history blogsite about Miles’ true illness the day of the battle. Voila! The historian now has a true source, he/she can be directed there, and read about Miles’ illness written within days after the battle. However, before the historian can confirm or refute Miles illness several other like eye-witness accounts must be located before placing a statement in a narrative. If you’ll notice I have deliberately refrained from stating what his illness was. I have merely hinted that Miles may or may not have been truthful about his illness, I leave the “Budha finger pointing at the moon.”

Linda

By: Don

Don — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 03:19:26 +0000

Harry,

Beautiful, baby, beautiful. But try to keep the waves positive so no one blows up the bridge on us, okay? Don’t start with the negative waves. While off-topic, I must observe that Donald Sutherland’s portrayal of a tanker is even better than Gerorge C. Scott’s.

I think the poetry analogy finally made it all click for me. At least part of our discussion now seems to me to be debate over whether sonnets or haikus are better, while someone’s trying to explain the possibilities of iambic pentameter. Which is about as far as I’m willing to extend the analogy, since it took an embarassingly long time to remember the correct phrase for IP.

By: Harry Smeltzer

Harry Smeltzer — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 02:31:47 +0000

Mannie,

Like I said, tis site is a little schitzo. My blogging is pretty traditional. My use of a blog platform for my Bull Run Resources is not so traditional. But I’m not alone (see the Information Compilation Blogs list to the right).

The world is our oyster (or clam, Antoninus).

By: Mannie

Mannie — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:10:15 +0000

Harry,

I think that its the nature (and value) of blogs to be personality driven, at least for now, in this very volatile virtual venue.

As long as I’m provided with attribution (Jeff Bridges) or citations, I say celebrate the humanity of the transaction as well.

Yours, in alliteration,

Mannie

By: Harry Smeltzer

Harry Smeltzer — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:17:03 +0000

Sounds like a plan! BTW, we also have a lot of 4h PA Cav graves around these parts.

By: cenantua

cenantua — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:35:21 +0000

On another note, I just realized where you are at in PA (around the stomping grounds of the old 22nd Pa. Cavalry!). Next time I head up to my mother-in-law’s house in Wheeling, I need to touch base with you so we can grab a cup of coffee somewhere around Washington, PA.

By: Harry Smeltzer

Harry Smeltzer — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:11:25 +0000

I guess that makes me just a plain old rogue. Or maybe a digital rogue.