Wednesday's flowers

extraordinary U.S. rural telephone development

Early in the twentieth century, telephone prevalence in some rural U.S. states far exceeded that in major cities around the world.  For example, Nebraska in 1914 averaged only 15 persons per mile of road.  More than 99% of its roads were dirt (unsurfaced) roads.  Yet across the rural, agricultural state of Nebraska in 1912 were [...]


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real, sacred, natural passion

The Sacred Made Real: Spanish Painting and Sculpture, 1600–1700 had a sensational debut in the National Gallery, London, late last autumn.  An art critic began her review thus: This is the most powerful show the National Gallery is ever likely to hold. One can say that without overstatement. It is not common for people to [...]


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more on Ovid and Roman love elegy

Living for sex and by sex in Roman love elegy: understanding the male position.


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Wednesday's flowers

leaders in the early spread of telephone service

About 1893, the country leading the world in telephones per 100 persons (teledensity) was Sweden.  Telephone service in Sweden developed through a variety of institutional forms: the International Bell Telephone Company (a U.S. multinational), town and village co-operatives, the General Telephone Company of Stockholm (a Swedish private company), and the Swedish Telegraph Department (part of [...]


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exhibiting creative commons

Don’t look for a good product.  Seek a creative space. G-40: The Summit, in Crystal City, VA, through the end of March, exhibits a collective greater than its individual pieces, a creative space.


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email and telephone policy

My thinking and creativity here, as valuable or invaluable as it is, I offer freely to everyone. If you have a question regarding some topics that this blog addresses, please ask the question as a comment to the relevant blog post.   I will respond with a comment or blog post in accordance with my interest, [...]


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Wednesday's flowers

from mass media to communication

In 1932, about a decade after radio broadcasting began in Germany, a German playwright declared: As for the radio’s object, I don’t think it can consist merely in prettifying public life.  Nor is radio in my view an adequate means of bringing back cosiness to the home and making family life bearable again.  But quite [...]

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