It’s a rainy Saturday here. I’m busily organizing my notes and sources in preparation for the first writing drafts of my thesis on the Grand Army of the Republic in Indiana. Here’s what’s in the news (at least in my head).
- I totally missed it earlier in the week, but May 15 marked the 101st anniversary of the dedication of the Indiana Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument. The Indianapolis Journal had this to say about the dedication on May 16, 1902 in an editorial entitled “Indiana’s Greatest Day”: “In every way the exercises of Dedication Day were entirely successful… It was an Indiana crowd, few coming from beyond the borders of the state. It, therefore, goes without saying that it was an intelligent and enthusiastic crowd… The exercises of dedication–speeches, music [which included an appearance from John Philip Sousa], Mr. Riley‘s poem–all were of as high order and will contribute a glowing page to the history of the State. The parade in the afternoon contained several novel features–the soldiery of to-day, the boys in uniform who will be soldiers if they are needed and the men who know what it is to have been soldiers… It was in every way a great day for Indiana, a blending of the memories of the old with the lesson of the present. The thousands of young people who looked upon the exercises of the day will be sure to be better men and women for what they saw and felt.”
- Another person is skeptical of Big Data.
- President Obama is advocating for more open government data, but what is actually open, and what will remain closed?
- Stonewall Jackson died 150 years ago earlier this month, fighting for what he believed to be the true definition of freedom. But this fine essay reminds us that his story is merely one within a larger conflict regarding the nature of freedom during the Civil War. It also reminds us that word choice is crucial when we interpret the past.
- Mapping out a “geography of hate” through tweets. While keeping in mind the fact that only 16% of the American population–more or less–is on Twitter, these results are nonetheless troubling. There’s a lot of red in the Midwest, especially around Chicago and Indianapolis.
- There are college professors on welfare, believe it or not. I’d love to teach at the college level someday, but not under these terms. I think we are starting to see many adjuncts saying “enough is enough.”
- Larry Cuban on “How to Teach History.” This may be my favorite new blog out there right now.
- The New York Times has an article on digital music and metadata that demonstrates the importance of metadata in showing us the connections between people, events, and culture. Michael Jackson didn’t do it all by himself, but people get that impression when they listen to his music online.
Cheers
Exploring the Past 