Cabinet of Wonders
July 14, 2007 10:43 PM Subscribe
"What we have here is a Cabinet of Wonders, a place where things of interest are set out, in possibly bizarre, possibly fetishistic presentation, for perusal by the discerning, who understand that presentation, and scientific interest, are all a form of magic." [via Neil Gaiman]
I looked up "reality" on wikipedia (which struck me as an amazingly odd thing to do);
No one reads books anymore.
posted by three blind mice at 11:36 PM on July 14, 2007 [1 favorite]
No one reads books anymore.
posted by three blind mice at 11:36 PM on July 14, 2007 [1 favorite]
I looked up "reality" on wikipedia (which struck me as an amazingly odd thing to do);
No one reads books anymore.
I looked ub "books" on wikipedia.....
posted by rokusan at 12:22 AM on July 15, 2007 [1 favorite]
No one reads books anymore.
I looked ub "books" on wikipedia.....
posted by rokusan at 12:22 AM on July 15, 2007 [1 favorite]
Very great; bookmarked - thanks!
Not really on topic, but still cool in a curio-cabinet sidenote kind of way: "Motus" Seb Martel music video with a musical cabinet of curiosities theme at The Practical Archivist.
posted by taz at 12:29 AM on July 15, 2007
Not really on topic, but still cool in a curio-cabinet sidenote kind of way: "Motus" Seb Martel music video with a musical cabinet of curiosities theme at The Practical Archivist.
posted by taz at 12:29 AM on July 15, 2007
look, when it comes to sites that are well researched and present us with intersting takes on commonly understood phenomena and then backs that up with substance, I go "wow. that's amazing." But if we're just talking about someone who repeats the commonly understood history I balk at supporting it. when someone points out that marie antionette wore uncomfortable hoop skirts and never actually said "let them eat cake" i think "why am I reading this?"
i guess what I'm saying is that there's plenty of room for me to have failed to understand the significance of this blog. But that I would love for someone to explain precisely what I missed that makes this so intersting as compared to any decent history professor's blog.
For instance: "where things of interest are set out, in possibly bizarre, possibly fetishistic presentation says to me "well, that's any blog." I mean, sure, there are people who hold themselves back when it comes to thigs they think will be regarded with scorn or condescension, but on the whole the internet is filled with furry or baloonist or whatever you want fetishists connecting with each other. and they're all places where "things of interset are set out. in possibly bizarre possibly fetishistic presentation."
take this page which says the following: the Chinese understood lodestones to be trying to return to their mother stone. They also believed lodestones to be an important factor in geomancy, otherwise known as feng shui
Really? I can't help but feel like there's a lot more to geomancy than feng shui, and a lot more to feng shui than geomancy. So I guess what I'm getting at is: why am I reading this besides an inaccurate representation of multiple belief systems?
posted by shmegegge at 1:38 AM on July 15, 2007
i guess what I'm saying is that there's plenty of room for me to have failed to understand the significance of this blog. But that I would love for someone to explain precisely what I missed that makes this so intersting as compared to any decent history professor's blog.
For instance: "where things of interest are set out, in possibly bizarre, possibly fetishistic presentation says to me "well, that's any blog." I mean, sure, there are people who hold themselves back when it comes to thigs they think will be regarded with scorn or condescension, but on the whole the internet is filled with furry or baloonist or whatever you want fetishists connecting with each other. and they're all places where "things of interset are set out. in possibly bizarre possibly fetishistic presentation."
take this page which says the following: the Chinese understood lodestones to be trying to return to their mother stone. They also believed lodestones to be an important factor in geomancy, otherwise known as feng shui
Really? I can't help but feel like there's a lot more to geomancy than feng shui, and a lot more to feng shui than geomancy. So I guess what I'm getting at is: why am I reading this besides an inaccurate representation of multiple belief systems?
posted by shmegegge at 1:38 AM on July 15, 2007
But that I would love for someone to explain precisely what I missed that makes this so intersting as compared to any decent history professor's blog.
How much of the site did you look at? In the 15 minutes or so that I was there, I read extremely interesting pieces on a couple of kinetic artists, a woman who made an early movie from shadow puppets, about horrible stones formed in the belly of goats that were used to ward off poisons and a pile of other stuff.
If you don't find it of interest, then hey, that's why God gave you a space bar -- hit it and move on -- but it's gotta be better than the standard single link newsfilter/youtube clip we get here.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 2:30 AM on July 15, 2007
How much of the site did you look at? In the 15 minutes or so that I was there, I read extremely interesting pieces on a couple of kinetic artists, a woman who made an early movie from shadow puppets, about horrible stones formed in the belly of goats that were used to ward off poisons and a pile of other stuff.
If you don't find it of interest, then hey, that's why God gave you a space bar -- hit it and move on -- but it's gotta be better than the standard single link newsfilter/youtube clip we get here.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 2:30 AM on July 15, 2007
I love blogs like this—thanks, Kattullus.
As to what makes it ‘interesting as compared to any decent history professor’s blog:’ it doubtless isn’t if it’s just telling you what you already know, or aren’t especially curious to find out about. For a reader like me who shares its author’s fascination with the byways of cultural history, but who knows very much less about them than she does, it’s just the ticket.
posted by misteraitch at 3:06 AM on July 15, 2007
As to what makes it ‘interesting as compared to any decent history professor’s blog:’ it doubtless isn’t if it’s just telling you what you already know, or aren’t especially curious to find out about. For a reader like me who shares its author’s fascination with the byways of cultural history, but who knows very much less about them than she does, it’s just the ticket.
posted by misteraitch at 3:06 AM on July 15, 2007
This is a really interesting blog. Thanks Kattullus, duly bookmarked.
Schmegegge, please direct everyone to the many decent history professor's blogs that rival Cabinet of Wonders. I think they'll prove precisely what your missing: history professors are dry and boring writers, while Heather McDougal is a lively and interesting writer.
posted by Blingo at 4:41 AM on July 15, 2007
Schmegegge, please direct everyone to the many decent history professor's blogs that rival Cabinet of Wonders. I think they'll prove precisely what your missing: history professors are dry and boring writers, while Heather McDougal is a lively and interesting writer.
posted by Blingo at 4:41 AM on July 15, 2007
MetaFilter: a Cabinet of Wonders, a place where things of interest are set out, in possibly bizarre, possibly fetishistic presentation, for perusal by the discerning, who understand that presentation, and scientific interest, are all a form of magic.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 8:24 AM on July 15, 2007
posted by ZenMasterThis at 8:24 AM on July 15, 2007
yeah, sorry guys. that was drunk posting. it's not an excuse, but I thought i'd come in and state categorically that that post is just worthless nonsense by me and should be completely ignored. sorry sorry sorry.
posted by shmegegge at 9:21 AM on July 15, 2007
posted by shmegegge at 9:21 AM on July 15, 2007
Uh, magic is a form of presentation.
Anyway, amusing blog indeed, and well-named.
posted by scheptech at 10:36 AM on July 15, 2007
Anyway, amusing blog indeed, and well-named.
posted by scheptech at 10:36 AM on July 15, 2007
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posted by Kattullus at 11:00 PM on July 14, 2007