Round and Square: Celebrity Commentary

From Round to Square (and back)

For The Emperor's Teacher, scroll down (↓) to "Topics." It's the management book that will rock the world (and break the vase, as you will see). Click or paste the following link for a recent profile of the project: http://magazine.beloit.edu/?story_id=240813&issue_id=240610

A new post appears every day at 12:05* (CDT). There's more, though. Take a look at the right-hand side of the page for over four years of material (2,000 posts and growing) from Seinfeld and country music to every single day of the Chinese lunar calendar...translated. Look here ↓ and explore a little. It will take you all the way down the page...from round to square (and back again).
*Occasionally I will leave a long post up for thirty-six hours, and post a shorter entry at noon the next day.

Showing posts with label Celebrity Commentary. Show all posts

Friday, March 1, 2013

Roll Tide Guy—I'm Innocent

Click here for the "Celebrity Commentary" Resource Center—(all posts available)
Click here for the introduction to the Round and Square series "Celebrity Commentary" (coming soon)
This is a "small" (小) post—click here for an explanation of Round and Square post lengths.

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One year ago on Round and Square (1 March 2012)—Divinatory Economics: Sacred Mountain Incense
Two years ago on Round and Square (1 March 2011)—Fieldnotes From History: Introduction

[a] I'm Innocent...Roll Tide PD

I'm Innocent...
Roll Tide

Click here for coverage of "Roll Tide" (watch the reaction of the agents at :57)

[b] Roll...Tide RF

...and since I have your attention, anyway, let me just say that I'm innocent. I maintain that innocence (Roll Tide) until about ten seconds later in the interview. Then I just admit that I've been stupid. Just listen.

I screwed up, but I'll be that you don't understand the cultural depths of "Roll Tide." Before my thirty posts are done, you will (a little).

Roll Tide.

Oh, and Roll Tide.

[c] Roll Tide RF

[Originally posted on June 1, 2014]

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

French Bulldog Puppy—André and Julien

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One year ago on Round and Square (6 February 2012)—The Emperor's Teacher: Table of Contents (a)

[a] French Musings PD

I don't know who you are,
but I will find you...[1]

...and tell you that I never get tired of the story of action and adventure that I first read in pup-school back in the day. It is about two young orphans who steal away in the middle of the night from German-occupied Phalsbourg (in the wake of my country's terrible defeat in the Franco-Prussian War).

[c] Almost Württemberg (for a while) RF

They begin a dangerous trek toward their homeland, their motherland, La France.

Even though I know the story well, I am always thrilled to see how André uses his schooling to read a challenging wall map in the home of a ranger...and then the stars twinkling above.

And little Julien is as cute as...well, as cute as moi.

A friend of mine has worked up a brief translation here, just in case you are interested.

[1] I like Liam's opening, and he gave me a box of biscuits to use it for the rest of the week.

[c] Seven and fourteen years old...in the dark...and lined with Prussian guards RF

[Originally posted on May 6, 2014]

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

French Bulldog Puppy—Le Monde (The Newspaper)

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One year ago on Round and Square (5 February 2012)—Hurtin' Country: Sunday Morning Coming Down

[a] French Musings PD

I don't know who you are,
but I will find you...[1]

...and tell you that the (French) daily, Le Monde is one of the greatest newspapers in the world. It has been my home page for years, and I read it daily on my shiny new IPad.

[b] In Louvre RF

I used to read it on my Kindle, but it was not as beautiful, even though the analysis was—of course—equally incisive).

Le Monde—The World.

That pretty much sums it up.

[1] I like Liam's opening, and he gave me a box of biscuits to use it for the rest of the week.

[b] That's Life...RF

[Originally posted on May 5, 2014]

Monday, February 4, 2013

French Bulldog Puppy—China's May Fourth Movement

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One year ago on Round and Square (4 February 2012)—The Emperor's Teacher: Talking Points (e)

[a] French Musings PD

I don't know who you are,
but I will find you...[1]

...and tell you that today was an absolutely pivotal day in modern Chinese history—exactly ninety-five years ago.

[b] Path RF

I once read a fine scholarly analysis of the protests, urban strikes and general tumult caused by the May Fourth Movement (五四).

Where did I read that?

Well, in the work of Jean Chesneaux, of course. It all stems from that pesky Treaty of Versailles, as it turns out.

Never forget that, for all of my diverse and global interests, I am a French Bulldog Puppy.

[1] I like Liam's opening, and he gave me a box of biscuits to use it for the rest of the week.

[c] Modern China RF

[Originally posted on May 4, 2014]

Sunday, February 3, 2013

French Bulldog Puppy—Côtes du Luberon

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One year ago on Round and Square (3 February 2012)—The Emperor's Teacher: Talking Points (d)

[a] French Musings PD

I don't know who you are,
but I will find you...[1]

[b] Roussillon RF

...and tell you that, while the wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy are indisputably among the greatest in the world, there is a great deal more going on in French viniculture than certain aficionados with a binary imagination..let on.

One of my favorites (discovered on a trip to southern France a decade ago—I know what you're thinking; I only look this young, and have many talents—are the wines from the banks of the Luberon River.

These Côtes du Luberon gems are delectable, and there are many more of these "hidden" (only to those who have limited oenological imagination) gems in my homeland, La France.

[1] I like Liam's opening, and he gave me a box of biscuits to use it for the rest of the week.

[c] Countryside RF

[Originally posted on May 3, 2014]

Saturday, February 2, 2013

French Bulldog Puppy—French Sinology

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One year ago on Round and Square (2 February 2012)—The Emperor's Teacher: Talking Points (c)

[a] French Musings PD

I don't know who you are,
but I will find you...[1]

...and tell you that there is a whole passel of French scholars who spent their lives studying China. Among the greatest are Edouard Chavannes, Paul Pelliot, and the master of Chinese thought, Marcel Granet.

[b] Master RF

So what's up with that?

Well, the long Western tradition of studying other societies (this dates back at least to Herodotus), for one. That's what's up.

How does all of this (the serious study of language, literature, history, and culture) fit together with the more insidious picture of Western colonialism? Ah, that is another (but undeniably linked) story.

Just how linked is another topic for another day.
[1] I like Liam's opening, and he gave me a box of biscuits to use it for the rest of the week.

[c] Another topic, another day RF

[Originally posted on May 2, 2014]