Round and Square

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.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

French Bulldog Puppy—Le Monde (The Newspaper)

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.

*** ***

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]

China's Lunar Calendar 2013 02-05

Click here for the introduction to the Round and Square series "Calendars and Almanacs"

Click here for the introduction to the Round and Square series "Calendars and Almanacs"
Today's date is marked by the following asterisk: *

[a] February 1-9, 2013

This is one in a never-ending series—following the movements of the calendar—in Round and Square perpetuity. It is today's date in the Chinese lunar calendar, along with basic translation and minimal interpretation. Unless you have been studying lunar calendars (and Chinese culture) for many years, you will likely find yourself asking "what does that mean?" I would caution that "it" doesn't "mean" any one thing. There are clusters of meaning, and they require patience, reflection, careful reading, and, well, a little bit of ethnographic fieldwork. The best place to start is the introduction to "Calendars and Almanacs" on this blog. I teach a semester-long course on this topic and, trust me, it takes a little bit of time to get used to the lunar calendar. Some of the material is readily accessible; some of it is impenetrable, even after many years.

As time goes on, I will link all of the sections to lengthy background essays. This will take a while. In the meantime, take a look, read the introduction, and think about all of the questions that emerge from even a quick look at the calendar.

Section One
Solar Calendar Date

五

日

星期二

Fifth Day

WeekdayTwo

(Tuesday, February 5)

————————————————
Section Two
Beneficent Stars

十合天

靈日德
Heavenly Virtue

Gathering Days
Ten Spirits

—————————————————

Section Three
Auspicious Hours
申辰子

凶中中

酉己丑

中中吉

戌午寅

吉中吉

亥未卯

凶吉吉
23:00-01:00 In-Between
01:00-03:00 Auspicious
03:00-05:00 Auspicious
05:00-07:00 Auspicious

07:00-09:00 In-Between
09:00-11:00 In-Between
11:00-13:00 In-Between
13:00-15:00 Auspicious

15:00-17:00 Inauspicious
17:00-19:00 In-Between
19:00-21:00 Auspicious
21:00-23:00 Inauspicious

*The hours above are for Hong Kong. It is up to you if you want to recalibrate or to assume that the cyclicality of the calendar "covers" the rest of the world. This is a greater interpretive challenge than you might think.

—————————————————

Section Four
Activities to Avoid

忌

動祭開

土祀渠

Opening Sluices
Giving Reverence
Moving Earth

—————————————————

Section Five
Cosmological Information
廿

五

壬

寅

金

室

建

Twenty-fifth day (twelfth lunar month)

Cyclical day: xinchou (39/60)

Phase (element):Gold

Constellation: House

Jianchu Cycle: Establish

—————————————————

Section Six
Appropriate Activities
(and Miscellaneous Information)

宜

安交會
牀易友
納納訂
畜財婚
啟上納
攢樑采
安作立
葬倉約

星短

陰土下
將府兀

Appropriate Activities
Meeting Friends, Engaging to Marry, Grain Payments, Making Appointments
Business Deals, Cash Payments, Erecting Beams, Building Granaries
Positioning Beds, Livestock Payments, Opening Savings, Positioning Graves

(Miscellaneous Matter)
Star, Short
Lower Amputee, Earth Palace, Yin General

—————————————————

Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars

丫天

Bifurcation, Heaven

—————————————————

Section Eight
Miscellaneous Activities

倉

爐庫

Granary

Kitchen, Storehouse

Monday, February 4, 2013

French Bulldog Puppy—China's May Fourth Movement

*** ***

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]

China's Lunar Calendar 2013 02-04

Click here for the introduction to the Round and Square series "Calendars and Almanacs"

Click here for the introduction to the Round and Square series "Calendars and Almanacs"
Today's date is marked by the following asterisk: *

[a] February 1-9, 2013

This is the first post in a series that will go on-and-on—following the movements of the calendar—in Round and Square perpetuity. It is today's date in the Chinese lunar calendar, along with basic translation and minimal interpretation. Unless you have been studying lunar calendars (and Chinese culture) for many years, you will likely find yourself asking "what does that mean?" I would caution that "it" doesn't "mean" any one thing. There are clusters of meaning, and they require patience, reflection, careful reading, and, well, a little bit of ethnographic fieldwork. The best place to start is the introduction to "Calendars and Almanacs" on this blog. I teach a semester-long course on this topic and, trust me, it takes a little bit of time to get used to the material. Some of the material is readily accessible; some of it is impenetrable, even after many years.

As time goes on, I will link all of the sections to lengthy background essays. This will take a while. In the meantime, take a look, read the introduction, and think about all of the questions that emerge from even a quick look at the calendar.

Section One
Solar Calendar Date

四

日

星期一

Fourth Day

Weekday One

(Monday, February 4)

————————————————
Section Two
Beneficent Stars

合月

日德
Lunar Virtue

Gathering Days

—————————————————

Section Three
Auspicious Hours
申辰子

凶中中

酉己丑

中吉吉

戌午寅

中吉吉

亥未卯

凶凶中
23:00-01:00 In-Between
01:00-03:00 Auspicious
03:00-05:00 Auspicious
05:00-07:00 In-Between
07:00-09:00 In-Between
09:00-11:00 Auspicious
11:00-13:00 Auspicious
13:00-15:00 Inauspicious
15:00-17:00 Inauspicious
17:00-19:00 In-Between
19:00-21:00 In-Between
21:00-23:00 Inauspicious
*The hours above are for Hong Kong. It is up to you if you want to recalibrate or to assume that the cyclicality of
the calendar "covers" the rest of the world. This is a greater interpretive challenge than you might think.

—————————————————

Section Four
Activities to Avoid

忌

動醞

土釀
Fermenting Beverages
Moving Earth

—————————————————

Section Five
Cosmological Information
廿

四

辛

丑

土

危

閉
Twenty-fourth day (twelfth lunar month)

Cyclical day: xinchou (38/60)

Phase (element): Earth

Constellation: Danger

Jianchu Cycle: "Closed"

—————————————————

Section Six
Appropriate Activities
(and Meteorological Information)
立

春

十子

三正

分零

時

宜

塞補

東

風

解

凍

土火

符星
Beginning of Spring (1/24 solar cycles)
Begins 00:13
Appropriate Activities: Plugging and repairing
East Wind Melts the Ice (1/72 mini-cycles of the solar year)
Miscellaneous Matter: Fire Star, Earth Charm

—————————————————

Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars
白
White

—————————————————

Section Eight
Miscellaneous Activities

廚

厠灶
Kitchen
Toilet, Stove

Sunday, February 3, 2013

French Bulldog Puppy—Côtes du Luberon

*** ***

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

*** ***

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]

Friday, February 1, 2013

French Bulldog Puppy—Public Intellectuals (Bloom to Piketty)

*** ***

One year ago on Round and Square (1 February 2012)—Seinfeld Ethnography: Dunkin' Joe

[a] French Musings PD

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

[b] Capital RF

...and tell you that I am reading Thomas Piketty's
Capital in the Twenty-First Century. I am just as
intrigued by how an obscure French academic becomes a
rock star as I am by his analysis.

This reminds me (the fame part, if not the argument)
of the late Allan Bloom, who managed to sell a million
copies of his book about twenty-five years ago.

Rear legs and forelegs up and out for public intellectuals
(no matter the persuasion). Out of the ivory tower and into
the big, roiling world of ideas with consequences.
[1] I like Liam's opening, and he gave me a biscuit to use it today.

[c] Clarity and Complexity RF

[Originally posted on May 1, 2014]