bits and pieces

This from Heidi:

Just to throw in some more curves, I've gotten some more info from the living history types and the reenactors I hang around. :/

One woman suggested I look into Brueghel's Children's Games, which led me to this site:
http://www.ahs.uwaterloo.ca/~museum/VirtualExhibits/Brueghel/knuckle.html

(I also thought this was kind of a neat demo, but not very helpful- I just thought it was interesting: http://www.brucevanpatter.com/brueghel_painting.html )

This is another email I received from someone in the living history group at the festival:
I know that the set that the Smithsonian's Hands-on History Room had as"1800s" (I don't think there was a specific date given) had metal jacksand a pottery ball (though wooden was used as well).No idea if anyone there knows for sure... but it might not hurt to ask :-)I do know that I've heard and read a number of places that the metaljacks were an American thing... though I don't know if that means that we picked up the idea from someone and it took off faster here, or if itwas invented here. I do know that even for my mom's family, thingsother than jacks were sometimes used when they were playing when she was young (I think I remember my aunt mentioning stones... though they useda rubber ball).I'm also fairly sure that I remember "knucklebones" being mentioned as agame even in the early 20th century... though it may have referred to another game played with knucklebones.... more like dicing... I'm not sure.

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I've found in reenacting, often, that the problem when researching something like this is that you don't often get a straight answer. (Kind of what you were expressing in your latest post.)
My main focus is 16th century landsknecht (Holy Roman Empire). Our group is based in Maryland, but we do events in a few different states and have been around for 10 years, although a few of our members have been doing this time period for longer. When you do something like this its particularly difficult because you can't go to photographs and most of the time you can't even reference written descriptions of what the soldiers and their families wore and did with their time. Its not like American Civil War or later periods, although things are never as objective as you might like.

History is always blurry, however. Its very difficult to piece together while looking back. So we're always changing up our understanding and interpretation of things.

But I digress. Its frustrating not to be able to say- 'yes, this bit of metal is shaped this way because originally it was this, and then it became this, and then this man bent it like this and gave it to his daughter.' And we can't wake up too often and say 'yes' with any certainty.

You seem to have gotten some good info from lots of places. If you want I'll continue to syphon whatever trickles my way. If you've had enough of the ramble, I'll let it rest. :) At any rate- thanks for posing the question. I've enjoyed looking into it. (And so have my friends! Need to keep everyone on their toes, you know.)

Thanks, Heidi.
******

On other questions: A few posts back I pondered how long it would take 150 flushable wipes to 'go away'.

The answer is, until Lisa has had enough and calls the plumber and gives him a good deal of money.
Sort of like getting to the center of a Tootsie Pop. Eventually you just say "fuck it" and bite.

****

Ever open one of those random instant messages just for the hell of it? I did a few moments ago, for basically unknown reasons. Mostly because I was having a coffee break so felt justified in wasting a little time. Weirdness! Except for the initial greetings and "do I know you?" the following is the unedited balance:

SychoShadows [1:04 P.M.]: I'm eleven. Fucking LOSER. Bad words shock you?
Harlikn7 [1:04 P/M/]: No. There are no bad words, only inappropriate places to say them. I'd say this is one.
SychoShadows [1:05 P.M.]: chicken butt
Harlikn7 [1:05 P.M.]: yuuuummm. yummy chicken butt
SychoShadows [1:06 P.M.]: cd
SychoShadows [1:06 P.M.]: i have a CD of people sucking chicken butt
SychoShadows [1:06 P.M.]: its cool
Harlikn7 [1:06 P.M.]: wow! get that off Sesame Street?
SychoShadows [1:07 P.M.]: yeah
SychoShadows [1:07 P.M.]: elmo said it
Harlikn7 [1:07 P.M.]: cool
Harlikn7 [1:07 P.M.]: That Elmo, what a stinker.
SychoShadows [1:07 P.M.]: then said omg fuck my tight red ass bigbird
Harlikn7 [1:07 P.M.]: I believe it's a proper name. Big Bird.
SychoShadows [1:12 P.M.]: he would make good chicken
Harlikn7 [1:12 P.M.]: I didn't know Big Bird could cook.
SychoShadows [1:12 P.M.]: no
SychoShadows [1:13 P.M.]: i could
SychoShadows [1:13 P.M.]: BUT
SychoShadows [1:13 P.M.]: IM
SychoShadows [1:13 P.M.]: 11
SychoShadows [1:14 P.M.]: so i cant cook aparently
Harlikn7 [1:14 P.M.]: I disagree. I think eleven is old enough to cook.
Harlikn7 [1:15 P.M.]: did you want to cook Big Bird?
SychoShadows [1:15 P.M.]: yeah
Harlikn7 [1:15 P.M.]: Because....it's sort of a secret---Big Bird is really a man in a big bird suit. Harlikn7 [1:16 P.M.]: and humans don't make good chicken substitutes. They're more like pork. SychoShadows [1:16 P.M.]: no cannabalists arent cool
Harlikn7 [1:17 P.M.]: Then. You likely don't want to cook Big Bird.
SychoShadows [1:17 P.M.]: hes not human
SychoShadows [1:17 P.M.]: il just eat his suit
Harlikn7 [1:17 P.M.]: Hmm. I'm pretty sure that would be polyester.
SychoShadows [1:17 P.M.]: and vinyl
Harlikn7 [1:17 P.M.]: right. I forgot the vinyl
SychoShadows [1:17 P.M.]: do you have a myspace
Harlikn7 [1:17 P.M.]: no SychoShadows [1:18 P.M.]: i bet you do
Harlikn7 [1:18 P.M.]: nope.
SychoShadows [1:18 P.M.]: too bad
Harlikn7 [1:18 P.M.]: do you?
SychoShadows [1:18 P.M.]: id ad you
Harlikn7 [1:18 P.M.]: no thanks. I do have a journal. But alas, you're a bit too young yet SychoShadows [1:18 P.M.]: can i see it
SychoShadows [1:18 P.M.]: please
Harlikn7 [1:18 P.M.]: No. But again. Thanks.
Harlikn7 [1:19 P.M.]: Well, let's think about this. You're asking me to reveal my identity to someone who spent ten minutes trying to insult me for no reason.
SychoShadows [1:19 P.M.]: im obviously kidding
Harlikn7 [1:20 P.M.]: Don't think it would be a particularly good move on my part.
Harlikn7 [1:20 P.M.]: Not so obvious, actually. Takes time to glean intent from text only.
Harlikn7 [1:21 P.M.]: May I ask another question?
SychoShadows [1:21 P.M.]: yup
Harlikn7 [1:21 P.M.]: Do you read?
SychoShadows [1:22 P.M.]: ya
Harlikn7 [1:22 P.M.]: What do you read?
SychoShadows [1:22 P.M.]: novels, and haikus
Harlikn7 [1:23 P.M.]: What's the last novel you read?
SychoShadows [1:23 P.M.]: catcher in the rye
Harlikn7 [1:23 P.M.]: Good one. Dark though.
SychoShadows [1:23 P.M.]: sure
Harlikn7 [1:23 P.M.]: Do you read anything just for fun?
SychoShadows [1:23 P.M.]: sometimes
Harlikn7 [1:23 P.M.]: like what?
SychoShadows [1:24 P.M.]: great expectations over the summer
Harlikn7 [1:24 P.M.]: What did you get from that one?
SychoShadows [1:25 P.M.]: tough to understand
Harlikn7 [1:25 P.M.]: I agree.
SychoShadows [1:25 P.M.]: i have a fear of traveling and seperation anxiety
SychoShadows [1:25 P.M.]: so it didnt help much
Harlikn7 [1:25 P.M.]: Have you traveled much?
SychoShadows [1:25 P.M.]: nope
Harlikn7 [1:26 P.M.]: You might get over that then, if you travel more when you're older. SychoShadows [1:26 P.M.]: ya
SychoShadows [1:26 P.M.]: how old are u
Harlikn7 [1:26 P.M.]: I'm guessing your age at 15 - 18
SychoShadows [1:26 P.M.]: first tel me yours
Harlikn7 [1:26 P.M.]: I'm not asking you to tell me.
Harlikn7 [1:28 P.M.]: Have you ever read anything that stayed with you for a long time? SychoShadows [1:28 P.M.]: not quite
Harlikn7 [1:29 P.M.]: I must get back to my book. Thanks for the coffee break conversation. SychoShadows [1:29 P.M.]: np
SychoShadows [1:29 P.M.]: just tel me your age
Harlikn7 [1:29 P.M.]: Interesting that you're so hung up on that.
Harlikn7 [1:29 P.M.]: I'll give you a little help. I'm not in high school and I'm not reading a book, I'm writing one.
Harlikn7 [1:30 P.M.]: Let me know how Big Bird tastes.
SychoShadows [1:30 P.M.]: 28-32
Harlikn7 [1:30 P.M.]: close enough for you---anything over 25 is just old.
Harlikn7 [1:30 P.M.]: bye bye
SychoShadows [1:30 P.M.]: bvye


g'night