Bye Bye Blackbird- Saturday Soundtrack

I've read that when Ray Henderson and Mort Dixon wrote this song in 1926 they were telling the story of a prostitute leaving that sad life and returning home to her mother. In several versions of the song that idea really comes through, but not in the two versions I like the most. The first is by Miles Davis. I don't know when it was recorded but I like it more than his famous 1956 recording. This one is pitched a little higher and has a faster tempo, typical of Davis' later years.




Joe Cocker's version of the song, though famous for the electric guitar solo also has a trumpet connection. In one of those so weird it has to be true stories, Cocker used to own a burlesque theater in Canada with Phil Driscoll.




Here are the original lyrics.

Blackbird, blackbird singing the blues all day
Right outside of my door
Blackbird, blackbird who do you sit and say
There's no sunshine in store

All thru the winter you hung around
Now I begin to feel homeward bound
Blackbird, blackbird gotta be on my way
Where there's sunshine galore

Pack up all my care and woe
Here I go, singing low

Bye bye blackbird

Where somebody waits for me
Sugar's sweet, so is she

Bye bye blackbird

No one here can love and understand me
Oh, what hard luck stories they all hand me
Make my bed and light the light
I'll arrive late tonight

Blackbird, bye bye

Bluebird bluebird calling me far away
I've been longing for you
Bluebird bluebird what do I hear you say
Skies are turning to blue

I'm like a flower that's fading here
Where ev'ry hour is one long tear
Bluebird bluebird this is my lucky day
Now my dreams will come true

Pack up all my care and woe
Here I go, singing low

Bye bye blackbird

Where somebody waits for me
Sugar's sweet, so is she

Bye bye blackbird

No one here can love and understand me
Oh, what hard luck stories they all hand me
Make my bed and light the light
I'll arrive late tonight

Blackbird, bye bye

Salmon Mousse

Usually, I make this for church. It is a crowd pleaser.


48 Oz of cream cheese (For Heaven's sake, do not even think of using low fat!)
32 Oz of smoked salmon (No skin. No bones. No brown. Only use the pink flesh of the fish.)
24 Oz of sour cream (You're not using low fat are you?)
1 large red onion (peeled)
About 1/2 cup fresh dill leaves
Three tablespoons fresh black peppercorns

Put all of the above ingredients (except for the black pepper) into a food processor and process them until them until smooth and light pink. There should be no chunks, rather everything should be smooth and well blended.

Line three bread pans with plastic wrap.

Cover the bottom of the pans with fresh cracked (a mini chopper works well for this) black pepper. (Other possible toppings: Capers, chopped red onions, dill.)

Spoon the mousse into the bread pans, and cover with plastic food wrap.

Set bread pans into a large container of ice and leave there for 4 hours before serving. Make sure water level is below the lip of the bread pans.

When ready to serve this is what you do: Uncover the mousse, set a pretty serving platter upside down on top of the mousse making sure no plastic wrap is between the mouse and the platter. Quickly turn over the mouse and platter so the mousse is on top of the now face-up. Carefully remove the bread pan and plastic wrap from the mouse. Garnish and serve with crackers, little toasts, or slices of sourdough bread.

Christmas Pudding w/ Brandy Sauce

This recipe is adapted by me from the recipe used by Mrs. Kinky Kincaid in the book "An Irish Country Christmas" by Patrick Taylor, M.D.

175g or 3/4 cup soft bread crumbs
400 ml or 1 3/4 cups whole milk
300g or 1 1/4 cups castor sugar
250g or 1 cup suet
175g or 3/4 cup white all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
175g or 3/4 cup grated carrot
250g or1 cup currants
250g or 1 cup raisins
175g or 3/4 cup mashed potato
75g or 1/4 cup candied peel
3 eggs, beaten
4 tsp treacle or molasses

Heat milk to boiling point and pour over crumbs in very large bowl. Add the sugar and leave to soak for 1/2 hour. Mix in all other ingredients, except eggs and treacle, mixing very well. Finally add the eggs and treacle, and beat very well. Put mixture into greased bowls, cover and steam for 4 hours. continue to add boiling water from time to time to ensure it does not boil dry. Makes one very large pudding or two small ones.
You can use special bowls with their own lids, or else cover the bowl with aluminum foil. I used grease proof paper, then brown paper,and I tie it on with a string. making a handle with the string. If you haven't got a doctor handy,you do need to be careful with the boiling water, so.

The pudding matures and tastes much better it you can remember to make it one year to six months before you need it.

(Addition from Matt: Feed with brandy, just a teaspoon or so, once a fortnight. To feed the pudding, open the top, and skewer the pudding three or four times, then sprinkle the brandy on to the pudding. Then cover and tie it up again. Oh, I do hope you are using a ceramic bowl. Over the course of a few months the brandy will eat through steel.)

Brandy Sauce
55g or 4 tbsp butter
55g or 4 1/4 cup white all-purpose flower
570 ml or 2 1/2 cups milk
55g or 1/4 cup castor sugar
1/4 cup brandy

Melt the butter and stir in the flour. Cook 2 minutes and stir in the milk. Bring to a boil, stirring all the time. Simmer gently for 10 minutes. Stir in the brandy and sugar, and serve with the Christmas pudding.

Garnish the pudding with a holly sprig.

With God All Things Are Possible

The Anglican seminary Nashota House and St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary have entered into a "covenant". I don't know exactly what it means but it seems promising even if a mass conversion is unlikely. I mean, asking the whole traditionalist Anglican Church in North America to become Orthodox as a group seems like asking an awful lot. There are some huge obstacles, Calvinism and women priests and bishops are merely two of them. And are the Anglican's really wanting to be Orthodox? I'm not sure. To me it seems that they are reaching out to anyone who will support them in their stand against the Episcopalians.

If the "covenant" is the same thing as the "concordat" mentioned on the SVOTS website there might not be as much to be excited about as one might think, as all it does is record "both seminaries' commitment to preserving the historic record of the Anglican-Orthodox dialogue to date, and to continuing that dialogue on a theological level."

The Diocesan Assembly

First, I want to say Protection of the Holy Theotokos Parish/St. Serephim Church did an amazing job hosting the Assembly. The food was almost too good to be true. I especially want to call attention to the dolmas, the the chocolate torte, the falafel, and the mussel,clam, and rice dish. They were all made from scratch in the church's kitchen and were amazing. There was much else: pork loin, chicken, a salad with, I think, candied walnuts, much wine, beer, first rate coffee, fresh fruit, olives, cheeses, and very yummy cookies. But what made it all so good, was not just the food. It was the hospitality. Real hospitality, not the kind you pay for at a fancy restaurant. Every bite said "I love you. I'm glad you are here." Our brothers and sisters in that parish found every need and made sure it was met.

The main building was beautiful. It is not often one gets to step into an artist's workshop and see sketches on the walls for the soon to be painted frescoes. Currently, only slightly more than half of the east wall (including all of the altar) and part of the west wall and two pillars are finished. All the rest is whitewashed concrete. One of the most beautiful things is the interior of the dome. It is still white concrete but all the icons have been sketched in sepia-tones. I can hardly wait to visit the church again in the future and see all the frescoes completed. Of all the icons that have been painted so far, I think the most moving might be that of St. John of Damascus. Something about it seems thankful.

The services were beautiful, as one wold expect with two bishops, 14 archpriests, three deacons, and two of the best trained and most experienced sub-deacons in the history of the Church (Yes, I mean Subdeacon Johann Morse and Subdeacon Dr. Dimitri Solodow) serving. Also I think I should mention the choir. It was small but perfect. Every voice did exactly what it was supposed to do, to the Glory of God. (This reminds me of something else about this temple I loved: Almost all the light was natural from the sun, from oil lamps, or from beeswax candles. Even the lights on the choir's music stands was candle light: There being 5 candles set in the right hand edge of each stand.

One of the services was changed by Bishop Benjamin. A vespers service had been planned but at the last minute he changed it to a Panikida (sp?) for two recently reposed priests and Mat. Barbara Sokolov. For this service a choir of priests was formed. The beauty of their voices beseeching Gods mercy on those three beloved members of our family was heart rending.

As for the business of the meeting, well, there wasn't much.
1. Bishop Benjamin said to his Priests, "Holy Unction is not just a prayer for the sick! It is a Sacrament! Confession before Holy Unction is required. So if you need to educate your people, do it."
2. We have some very poor parishes (It seems that some of our priestly families are living below the poverty line), and Bishop Benjamin would like the parishes with money to help those that don't have money. Toward that end he had some laymen introduce a bank that would be funded by Orthodox parishes and institutions that would loan money to parishes for capital improvements. I really liked the idea until I found out that the bank board would be self continuing and not appointed by the church. That will have to be looked at very closely. History shows that many institutions are formed for one purpose and wind up serving another. I mentioned Harvard University having been formed for the propagation of the Gospel but how it now does everything but that. My comment was well received by the Assembly. I think Bishop Benjamin might be worried about the same thing. Simple solution: Parishes with money just need to give to those that need it. We are one diocese, aren't we?
3. The diocesan budget is balanced and was approved (after some questions) by the Assembly.
4. Bishop Benjamin asked for the opinions of the members of the Assembly on many issues and we gave it. I was astounded by the unanimity of opinion. That my opinion on so many matters would be the same as that of an old woman ascetic, a very cosmopolitan priest from a big city, a fairly recent (three years) convert from L.A., a hipster chick (You should have seen the boots she was wearing!), matushkas young and old, a horde of priests, and a handful of nuns can only be ascribed to the Holy Spirit. Whether or not Bishop Benjamin and the rest of the Holy Synod follow our advice almost seems beside the point.
5. Robert Kondratick is still suing us and if he wins will bankrupt the Orthodox Church in America. So far, defending against the suit has cost $500,000. The bishops are unanimous that they will never reinstate him to the holy Priesthood, which is, I think, what he really wants. I am proud of our bishops.
6. We all had such a good time with each other that we asked Bishop Benjamin to schedule the next Diocesan Assembly in the summer so we can bring our families, or perhaps, have another meeting, where we can all get together.

Funny line. When discussing whether or not to do away with the Church Growth Department in the Metropolitan's chancery one woman said: "Church growth department? We have a church growth department? Would somebody please tell me, when did we become Protestants?" Pretty much, the Assembly recommended the elimination of all departments at the Metropolitan's Chancery except external affairs (it is required by the Holy Canons), clergy pensions, and the seminaries. Also, the church planting grants were deemed a worthy and successful program. Everyone seemed to think that program should stay at the Metropolitan's Chancery. Everything else should be done at the diocesan level with the following exceptions:
Christian education should be done only by the OCEC, big foreign charity works should be done only the IOCC, and foreign missions should only be done by the OCMC, all of which are agencies of the SCOBA. All we need the Metropolitan to do is provide links to these agencies on his website.

I was greatly honored to meet the woman who runs Martha and Mary House. Sometimes we encounter people we are not worthy to even look at, let alone converse with. She is one of those people.

Oh, one more very cool thing. I got to hear the new abbot from the St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco Monastery preach. WOW!!!!!

I hope I get to go to the next Diocesan Assembly.

Rain!!!!

I am told that this rain we have been experiencing since last night is the remnant of a typhoon. I and, I am sure, all California is glad for it. It has quenched a long and oppressive thirst.

Around noon Basil and I, wearing our yellow rain coats, walked up to the grocery store. Its about 1 1/2 blocks from out front door. I bout a tin of deviled ham and some crackers and milk. I thought the boys might like deviled ham. I was wrong. Oh, well. Live and learn.

On the way to the store Basil cleared any clogged storm drains he encountered. There were many where the water was being held back by piles of leaves. He used a stick to break up the dams and let the water flow. It was fun. On the way to the store the gutters were flooded and water was out in the streets and in some places up over the curb. On the way home all the water was flowing and the water was receding. Los Gatos Creek runs right by the grocer so we walked up to the bridge to see the water from the storm drains pouring into it. Basil was impressed by all the water. He had never seen the creek so high.

After Basil and I got home (Anselm was at home doing math problems while we went shopping) and after I discovered the boys hate deviled ham, I made them hamburgers. They liked those much more than deviled ham.

About an hour ago I saw that the parking lot here at the apartments was flooding. I dressed both the boys in rain gear, rolled up their pant legs and the three of us went out to set up the submersible pump. MUCH FUN!

Well, I have to get Basil down for a little nap, and Anselm has to get ready for a Cub Scout meeting tonight.

Fruited Molassas Balls

My Aunt Nettie has been making these every Christmas since her son was five years old. He is 53 now. I make them every year now, too.

Matt's Aunt Nettie's Fruited Molasses Balls

1/2 cup Sugar
1 cup molassas
1 stick soft butter
2 large eggs
2 cups flower
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup raisins
24 oz. chopped dates
2 cups chopped nuts (I use pecans AND walnuts)

Cream butter, sugar, and eggs
Stir in the in the molassas
Add dry ingredients
Stir until no white flower is visible.

Pour dough into greased baking pan, bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes
Cool a little bit, but while still hot (this hurts, but what act of love doesn't?) pick up some of the dough (you've buttered your hands haven't you?) and roll it into a ball about 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter. Let cool.
Sprinkle w/ powdered sugar.

Recipe can be doubled but you'll need a very large mixing bowl.

Mulled Wine

Weather is getting cool here. Already thinking about Advent and Nativity. I'll be posting some recipes as we get closser to the days. Here's a good recipe for Advent.

Nov 15-Dec 24 is a fast in the Orthodox Church. It is called by various names but the one I like is Advent. In general, during a fast no meat, poultry,fish dairy, oil, or wine is eaten, except on Sundays when wine and oil is blessed, and Major Feast days when fish might be on the calendar. But the days leading up to the Nativity of Jesus are such a joyous fast that wine is blessed for many many days during Advent. Thus, this recipe.


Mulled Wine (Serves 2)

1/2 of a 750ml bottle of full-bodied red wine. Most California Merlots and Cabernets seem to work. Sangiovese, not so much. Also, as much as I like Gallo Burgundy, it doesn't really work in this recipe.

Zest of 1 orange
1 cinnamon stick crumbled by hand
2 tsp whole allspice
1/2 tsp whole cloves

Put above ingredients in a pan over medium heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat . Stir in 2 table spoons granulated sugar. Simmer 5 minutes. Add two table spoons brandy (Paul Mason is no good. Stick to Christian Bros.) Strain. Pour into mugs.

Th dearth of posts

I apologize to my regular readers. I know I have been posting little of interest lately. My time has been consumed with many mundane things. I think I might have bitten of more than I can chew with this M.A. program. The amount of reading is amazing. The amount of writing is daunting. I spend several hours every day on it. Then there is taking care of the boys and homeschooling them. Although today home schooling consisted of watching movies all day while I wrote an essay on the Progressive Historians. Oh, I also was dealing with exterminators, carpet cleaners, and plumbers today. In all, we had issues in 6 units that had to be dealt with today. Plus, I showed a vacant unit a couple of times. I think I am wearing out. Not getting enough sleep. Goodnight.

Oh! Wait! Wednesday was Basil's b-day. He is now four years old. It is hard to believe. I also took the boys fishing. I think that was on Monday. That remindsd me I am going duck and goose hinting with Basil's godmother's boyfriend in December. My forst time to hunt water fowl. Very excited. Thinking about buying a new 20 ga. shotgun for the event.

All Around the World.

I'm not sure that this video has a point other than to be a tour of Orthodox architecture in various countries. I think the chanter is Fr. Apostolis Hill.

I think the picture in Paris is the courtyard of Holy Mother Maria's convent. The one where she rescued the Jewish Children during WWII.

Sales

Anselm has been selling Christmas wreaths to raise money for his Cub Scout Pack. So far, he is doing okay. He just has to sell a couple of more to reach his goal. The neatest thing is that he doesn't get discouraged when people say "no" but gets very excited when people say "yes". Instead of just going to the next door when some one buys a wreath he runs all the way home to tell me about it. The money raised will underwrite camping trips, the various medals and patches earned by members of the pack, and the cost of uniforms for new Cub Scouts.

A sad thing to me about selling Christmas Wreaths is that our one Jewish Cub Scout does not participate. Its especially sad because the decorating of the temple gates with wreaths on the first Chaunuckha is the origin of the Christmas Wreath (See 1 Maccabees 4:56-59, and 2 Maccabees 10:6-7). It seems to me that we could put blue ribbon on some of the wreaths and call them Chaunukha wreaths. (In the Christian context, I think, its especially important to see the wreath as a reminder to every Christian that his house is supposed to be a little temple where worship is conducted.)

Or, maybe, we could get the whole Pack together to make Chanukha Pretzel Wreaths.

Home Schooling

Anselm was supposed to go to Live Oak today for choir, and history & science enrichment but he was coughing, and given the events of Sunday afternoon, I thought I should keep him close.

So, today we worked on Math. All day. My goal was 2 hours math, then we'd do music, then we'd do chess. But he was so slow!!! Basil was always quick to distract and Anselm was always willing to be distracted. It took five hours to get through what should have taken two hours.

We are using ACE math curriculum. I like it a lot. (I used the their curriclum for all of high school.) It works a lot like Kumon but is not quite as repetitive, and includes instructions to pray before the tests.

The last couple of days

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning were all about homework; mine, Anselm's and Athanasia's. We are, pretty much, a family of scholars. We are totally out of space on the bookshelves. Books are piling up on tables, chairs, and in corners.

On Sunday afternoon I took Anselm and Basil with me to the Green Library at Stanford University. I have a big paper due on the roots of WWI and Stanford has quite a collection of WWI related literature. Then we went to the beach. (Athanasia needed some time to do her school work without me or the kids around.) I figured it would be our last beach outing of the year.

We were there for a couple of hours, Basil and I were watching a seal, when I heard a woman say, "Look at that boy way out there." I looked and saw than Anselm was out past the breaking waves (about 8 feet from trough to crest) and being driven by the current south, around the cliffs and out to sea. I don't remember getting to the water, but I remember tripping over my shorts as they fell to my ankles. The next thing I remember was being behind Anselm, between him and the open sea, pushing him toward the beach. A couple of times he panicked and tried to turn around to grab hold of me, but I turned him around and kept pushing him to the beach. I said, "don't grab me, swim to the beach." And he obeyed me. He was very afraid but kept paddling toward the shore with me pushing from behind.

By the time I got him back to the breakers I was really tired. A couple of times, at the crest of a wave I saw people standing on the beach watching us but they weren't coming to help. Anselm sank down and I swam under him to push him back up. I felt the sand under my feet so I knew we were almost there. But I was exhausted. My head and heart felt like they were going to explode. Finally, I saw someone else in the water coming toward us. I made one final push to get him up and over the breakers. I saw Anselm slide down the face of the wave to the man below, and I relaxed went over the edge, too. The man grabbed Anselm and all three of us washed into the beach. Before the wave washed us out again some people grabbed Anselm and the man (I learned later that his name is Albert. He gave Anselm a Rosary.) and a woman grabbed my hand.

Once I was back on the beach I discovered I was totally naked. By the time I got up the beach to Anselm he was already wrapped in a blanket and was coughing up water. He started to go into shock and I told the woman to elevate his feet. I'm afraid I was pretty useless after that. Once I was back on the beach I could hardly breath and couldn't stand up. Someone found my shorts and someone else found my glasses. My shirt was lost. Someone called 911 and paramedics, police, and the fire department were all there in what seemed like just a few seconds.

Anselm was flown in a helicopter to Stanford Hospital. I called Athanasia and told her what was happening. She took a taxi to the hospital, my brothers and sister and her sister met her there. They all arrived about the same time as the helicopter. Because of heavy traffic Basil and I didn't arrive until two hours later.

About midnight Anselm was released from the hospital. We were all happy to get home and into bed.

Early this morning I had to see the dentist to get a filling. I was pretty bummed by having to have a filling but my dentist cheered me up by saying I've been very lucky, that most people my age have had 2 or 3 times the number of fillings I've had. When I got home from that, at about half past 9 o'clock I went back to bed. Anselm slept with me until about noon while Athanasia worked on her homework and Basil played games on Sesame Street.

This afternoon Anselm had choir practice. Basil and I went shopping. We bought coffee, apples, olives, a baguette, milk, butter, yogurt, and oats. (It occurs to me had I bought cigarettes instead of oats I could emigrate to France.) We also went for a walk up Lincoln Ave. He looked in all the shop windows, we played "Pop goes the weasel" while spinning around the sign posts. We went out back to the pool and put our feet in and walked around making foot prints. he sure is a fun boy.

On Monday evenings the pizza parlour over on Lincoln Avenue sells 2 for 1. So almost every Monday we get a pizza. That is what we did today. After supper we read to the boys and got them ready for bed. Athanasia and the boys are in bed now. I have to do a little more reading then I will join them. God is very good to me.

Saturday Soundtrack: Evergreen

I have to admit that I don't think I actually liked this song when I was a little kid, which I was when it was all over the radio. But as I got older I began to like it more.

Lyrics by Paul Williams.
Music by Barbara Streisand.
The song won both an Oscar and a Golden Globe, but did not win a Grammy.

The video is from the 1976 remake of A Star is Born.

Why History?

"Why should the professional historian be expected to have a different relationship to the public than other professionals? Why should a professional historian care about the public's understanding of his or her work if this never enters the mindset of most physicists? "

---

It has to do - and I know some disagree with me - with the goal of history. St. Bede wrote that...

"[s]hould history tell of of good men and their good estate, the thoughtful listener is spurred on to imitate the good; should it record the evil ends of wicked men, no less effectually the devout and earnest listener or reader is kindled to eschew what is harmful and perverse..."

Physics and chemistry can not help people in this way. It might be able to help people in other ways but not in the way history can help. History has the potential to make people wise, to "imitate the good", to "eschew what is harmful and perverse".

But why should the historian do this? Why should the historian care about helping people be better people? If you allow me to appeal to authority - I do know it is one of Aristotle's fallacies but it seems to me to be the way the world really works - I will remind you that we all have a duty, as Al Gore said, echoing the words of countless sages and prophets and saints, a duty to reach down and pull our neighbor up. Even if that help is a mere smile that lifts a stranger out of a dark mood. How much more of a duty to help does the historian have? An historian has much more ability that the person who's only way to help is by smiling. Like bards, poets, and homilists, the historian has a special calling with specialized skills. The historian doesn't merely lighten a mood (Though how much mischief has been avoided because a joke was made at just the right time?), he imparts wisdom. If the historian does not use those skills to build up humanity, to impart wisdom, to help people be better people he is not worthy of the calling.

Church Authority

I just heard a man say "It was quite some time before a central authority developed in the Church that could dictate belief and practice."

What do they teach in schools these days? Don't they read Act 2:42 or Acts 15 anymore? It seems pretty clear from the text that the Apostles were the "central authority" from the get go.

This is neat

The dean of the Cathedral where we used to parish (we've been visiting around but still haven't made a decision) asked me to stay on as the lay delegate to the diocesan assembly next month. I offered my resignation but he said no. I think Cyndi is going to take the time off and go up with me for a couple of days. It ought to be a lot of fun.

I'm thinking of changing concentrations

AMU offers a a bunch of different history M.A. programs. Right now I am enrolled as as a Classical and Ancient History student. But I am taking a course right now called "Historical Research Methods" which is reading, among many other books, Major Problems in American Military History. The letters and reports in this book written by people who actually fought in so many of my country's battles is very moving. So, I am thinking of changing from Classical and Ancient to American. I am certainly interested in Classical and Ancient, but it doesn't make my heart pound. I've read scads of those old Greeksand Romans, and though their is wisdom in what they say, and sometimes humor, for me there is not much love. But reading Washington's report of the Battle of Ft. Necessity, or Iron Hawks account of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, or Sherman's justification for his march to the sea are not only fascinating but full of emotion for me. Its my family history. I am not a Roman or a Greek. I am an American.

I will have to make my decision before next semester. The two courses I am taking this semester are required of all history grad students. But all the following semesters are concentration specific.

--

Below is something I wrote today. I have to write a few of these little things each week for the professor who seems bored.

Q: What makes the first person primary source particularly useful to historians?

A: Since the 19th century genius Leopold von Ranke wrote that the work of the historian is to write history "wie es eigentlich gewesen" most historians have made that their goal (1). In order to tell it as it really was the historian must know how the witness to events remembered and regarded those events.

Q: What criteria would you use to evaluate the usefulness of a first person source?

A: Before I could ascertain the usefulness of a source I think I would have to make a judgement about its accuracy. To do that I'd begin by asking these questions.:
1. What do other sources say? Can they all be reconciled?
2. Is the source trying to protect or embellish his reputation or the reputation of another person, group, or institution?
3. Is the source benefiting in some way from this account?

Once accuracy is ascertained it seems to me that the source can be used in one of two ways:

A. Proving the accuracy of other sources
B. Providing information not found in other sources

For example, let's take a look at Iron Hawks account (2) of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Does his account align with the other first person accounts? Yes. Though he was a witness to different details, the big picture he paints is in agreement with his enemy Lt. Benteen's letter (3), the Oglalas interviewed by Billy Garnett (4). Iron Hawk recounts his own confusion and fear so he seems to not be trying to embellish his own reputation. Neither does he seem to be exaggerating the fear of the Unites States soldiers nor the bravery of the Indians. And finally, I can't think of how he might be benefiting by retelling this story. I would judge Iron Hawk accurate

Having judged the accuracy of Iron Hawks account I would use it , primarily, for getting into the minds of the Indian warriors. For example, the admonition Iron Hawk received when he was slow to the fight, "The earth is all that lasts" (5) was revealing of the fatalism of the Indians the U.S. Army was facing that day. And Iron Hawk's account of the Shyela warrior being fired upon many times and not being hit, though dropping lead balls from his belt in front of the other Indian warriors can be seen in at least two ways; evidence of the Providential protection of the Indian warriors on that day, or of a psychological operation on the part of the Shyela warrior to make them believe they were under some sort of supernatural protection.



(1) Breisach, Ernst, "Historiography: Ancient, Medieval, and Modern (2nd Ed.)" (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1994), p. 233
(2) Chambers, John Whiteclay & Piehler, G. Kurt, "Major Problems in American Military History" (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1999), p. 198
(3) Ibid, p. 195
(4) Ibid, p. 205
(5) Ibid, p.199

Tradeoffs

I have two very different professors this term.

My professor for Research Methods is a Ph.D. from Harvard full-time professor. She assigned all readings and papers the first day of class. It is a lot of work but there is almost no interaction with her. Boring class but at least I know what is expected and am able to get it done. It is a tremendous amount of reading. The professor seems a little bored.

My professor for Historiography is a Ph.D. from University of Chicago. He knows everything and reads everything. He is only a part-time teacher and does it because he loves it. (He says he has "anon-academic job to make money) He offers extremely detailed comments to everything I write. Like the Research Methods professor, he assigned all the readings and papers (also a tremendous amount) at the beginning of term, or so I thought. As students post papers the professor is reminded of things that are "very interesting" remind this professor of other books and he adds them to the reading list. For example, I wrote something about de Touqeville, Justice Joseph Story, Hegel, some 18th century German legal historians, James Otis, George Bancroft, and how the roots of German legal positivism and Prussian state-idolatry lead to WWI,WWII, Nazi-ism and Communism. The next thing I know, the professor gets all excited writes an essay in response, asks the whole class for comments, and assigns a new book for the entire class to read. Thankfully I don't have to buy it because it is in the Public Domain and available on line. Unfortunately, it is another book I have to read. And he does this once or twice a week. I love his enthusiasm and how he wants us all to be the world's best historians, but now we are up to 9 additional books fort his class.

This Historiography class is a semester's worth of work all by itself!!! I'll be glad wen this semester is over and I can start taking the Ancient and Classical courses.

Two Prayers of Elder Leonid of Optina

Perhaps these prayers will be useful to someone.

For a suicide:

‘Seek out, O Lord, the lost soul of my father; if it is possible, have mercy! Unsearchable are Thy judgments. Account not my prayer as sin. But may Thy holy will be done!’

For a loved one who died outside the Holy Orthodox Christian Faith:

“Have mercy, O Lord, if it is possible, on the soul of Thy servant (name), departed to eternal life in separation from Thy Holy Orthodox Church! Unsearchable are Thy judgments. Account not this my prayer as sin. But may Thy holy will be done!”

There is much more said about these circumstances of death and the prayers an Orthodox Christian can and should pray. You can read the whole thing here.