4.1219 Queries (5/162)

Elaine Brennan & Allen Renear (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Tue, 9 Apr 91 23:04:32 EDT

Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 4, No. 1219. Tuesday, 9 Apr 1991.


(1) Date: Tue, 09 Apr 91 08:49:48 MST (28 lines)
From: Skip <DUSKNOX@IDBSU>
Subject: Textbooks: History of the Renaissance

(2) Date: Thu, 21 Mar 1991 12:53:14 EST (31 lines)
From: TVICKERY@SUNRISE.ACS.SYR.EDU (Tom Rusk Vickery)
Subject: RE: 4.1118 Words (7/188)

(3) Date: Tue, 9 Apr 91 10:11 EDT (12 lines)
From: "Beverly B. Madron" <MADRON@ZODIAC.BITNET>
Subject: Queries

(4) Date: Tue, 9 Apr 91 17:05:10 EDT (81 lines)
From: Richard Shroyer <shroyer@bosshog.arts.uwo.ca>
Subject: query on lies

(5) Date: Tue, 9 Apr 91 08:21:00 PST (10 lines)
From: Michael_Kessler.Hum@mailgate
Subject: E-Mail address

(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 09 Apr 91 08:49:48 MST
From: Skip <DUSKNOX@IDBSU>
Subject: Textbooks: History of the Renaissance

I have posted this message on FICINO, but that list is in the process of
moving and seems to have fallen silent. So I ask again here.

I shall be teaching my Electric Renaissance class again next fall. This
is a straightforward history of the Italian Renaissance with the twist
that the course is taught entirely by modem on computer, conducted rather
like discussions are conducted here on HISTORY.

With no lectures and no live contact with the professor, the textbooks
assume an even more central role. When I went shopping last year I was
discouraged by what was available. Rather than use the same books again,
some of which were good, some of which weren't, I'd like to hear from
my colleagues.

If you teach an upper-division course on the Renaissance, what texts do
you use? I'm especially interested in books specifically on the Italian
Renaissance, though I'll take ones on all Europe. Specialized books are
OK, too. All must be in English, however.

Thanks in advance for any responses.

ELLIS 'SKIP' KNOX
Historian, Data Center Associate
Boise State University DUSKNOX@IDBSU.IDBSU.EDU
(2) --------------------------------------------------------------40----
Date: Thu, 21 Mar 1991 12:53:14 EST
From: TVICKERY@SUNRISE.ACS.SYR.EDU (Tom Rusk Vickery)
Subject: RE: 4.1118 Words (7/188)

Now that the brouhaha over emasculating the language has died down
a bit, let me pose a question concerning the origins of the objections
to the use of "man" as a gender-inclusive noun.

According to the OED "man" had been used to refer to people without
regard to sex or age since at least 835 AD. Somebody decided to get
offended by this and then set out to remanufacture the sensibilities
of others so that they, too, would be offended by it--or at least would
pretend that they were offended and avoid its use. And later, I
presume, we have people who wish to add autobiographical editorial
comments [e.g., (sic)] to note their disgust with people who used "man" in
what was at the time of its writing a perfectly reasonable way of
using the language--people who must not understand the function of
quotation marks, I suspect.

Now I don't wish to restart the venom-slinging; I just would like to
know if anyone knows the history of this linguistic and political
phenomenon? If so, please share. Thanks.

T.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Tom Rusk Vickery, 265 Huntington Hall *
* Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244-2340 *
* 315-443-3450 TVICKERY@SUNRISE.ACS.SYR.EDU *
* TVICKERY@SUNRISE.BITNET FAX 315-443-5732 *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
(3) --------------------------------------------------------------17----
Date: Tue, 9 Apr 91 10:11 EDT
From: "Beverly B. Madron" <MADRON@ZODIAC.BITNET>
Subject: Queries

Two questions: (1) Where did the phrase "pushing the envelope" originate?
I've heard it frequently in news broadcasts and other places, but have no
idea where it came from or what it refers to.

(2) When did we begin to stand "on line" rather than "in line"--and why?

Many thanks!
Bev Madron
(4) --------------------------------------------------------------92----
Date: Tue, 9 Apr 91 17:05:10 EDT
From: Richard Shroyer <shroyer@bosshog.arts.uwo.ca>
Subject: query on lies

April 9,1991

Neil Klar, M.Sc. M.Math.
Kresge Building
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
University of Western Ontario
London, Ontario
Canada
N6A 5C1
(519) 661-2162 (x6269)
neil@biostats.uwo.ca

-------------------------------------------------------------

An open letter to the HUMANIST bulletin board.

I am a graduate student doing doctoral research in a depart-
ment of epidemiology and biostatistics. My studies include
an interest in the history of my discipline. One of the as-
pects of the history of statistics which interests me is the
willingness with which statistical evidence is accepted.
Probably the best known statement criticizing such evidence
is the quotation which ends "...lies, damn lies and statis-
tics" attributed by Mark Twain to Disraeli, although there
are several other claimants. Unfortunately I have been un-
able to trace the quotation beyond Mark Twain's autobiogra-
phy.

I began my investigation by searching the library shelves
hoping that I might find the quotation in a book of
Disraeli's collected speeches or letters. The enormity of
the task overwhelmed me and I decided that it might be help-
ful to write to a Disraeli scholar for advice and direction.
By good fortune I came across Sarah Bradford's recent biog-
raphy of Disraeli and decided to write to her for advice.
She was familiar with the quotation but had not known that
it had ever been attributed to Disraeli and felt that it did
not have "a Disraelian ring." However she thought it prudent
that I contact M.G. Wiebe, a professor at Queen's University
and General Editor of the Disraeli Project. Professor Wiebe
thought the quotation might have originated with Disraeli
but was unsure how to narrow the search for the source and
suggested I put the question to the members of HUMANIST.

I would appreciate any help in answering the following ques-
tions. Was Twain correct in ascribing the quotation to Dis-
raeli? If so, in what context was it stated and where might
I find it? If you do not know the source of the quotation
can you make any suggestions to simplify my search?

The essay by Twain in which he includes the quotation begins
with a discussion of an inadvertant episode of plaigarism of
which he was guilty. A statistical historian of my acquain-
tance has suggested that Twain himself made up the phrase
"...lies, damn lies, and statistics" and attributed it to
Disraeli as a sort of joke. Is this likely?

The 1959 edition of the Home Book of Quotations states the
quotation has also been attributed to Henry Labouchere,
Abraham Hewitt, and Commander Holloway R. Frost but provide
no references. Has anyone seen where the quotation has been
attributed to them?

I am grateful for any help which can be offered.

Sincerely yours,

Neil Klar, M.Sc. M.Math.
Kresge Building
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
University of Western Ontario
London, Ontario
Canada
N6A 5C1
(519) 661-2162 (x6269)
neil@biostats.uwo.ca

(5) --------------------------------------------------------------18----
Date: Tue, 9 Apr 91 08:21:00 PST
From: Michael_Kessler.Hum@mailgate
Subject: E-Mail address

I am trying to locate a professor Delacote, supposedly of San Francisco
State University (but in fact not at that location). I also am trying
to get the E-Mail address of Olivier Cheyron of l'Universite de Nice-
Sophia-Antipolis. Any information would be appreciated. Thank you.

MKessler@HUM.SFSU.EDU