Monday, December 16, 2019


“William” is the nickname of a faience hippopotamus statuette from the Middle Kingdom of Egypt, now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, where it serves as an informal mascot of the museum.  Found in a shaft associated with the Upper Egyptian tomb chapel of "The Steward, Senbi", in what is now Meir, William dates from c. 1961 BC–c. 1878 BC during the reigns of Senusret I and Senusret II.  This small figurine in Egyptian faience, a clay-less material, has become popular not only for his endearing appearance but also because his defining characteristics illustrate many of the most salient facets of craft production in ancient Egypt during this time.

A desire path (often referred to as desire line in transportation planning, and also known as a game trail, social trail, herd path, cow path, elephant path, goat track, pig trail, use trail or bootleg trail) is a path created as a consequence of erosion caused by human or animal foot-fall traffic.  The path usually represents the shortest or most easily navigated route between an origin and destination.  Width and erosion severity can be indicators of how much traffic a path receives.  Desire paths emerge as shortcuts where constructed ways take a circuitous route, have gaps, or are non-existent.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desire_path  Thank you, Muse reader! 

People have lived on Malta for thousands of years, as evidenced by large stone temples and carved stone reliefs with intricate designs.  Around the 8th century BC, the Phoenicians settled on the island and brought advances such as metallurgy and writing.  The Phoenicians established their main city of Maleth on a large plateau in the middle of the island.  They considered the location a place of refuge since it was naturally defensible.  In fact, the ancient name for the island is derived from Phoenician Melita, which means, “refuge.”  By about the 6th century BC, Malta had come under the control of the Phoenicians from Carthage.  However, due to the spread of Hellenism around the Mediterranean and Malta’s proximity to the Aegean region, Greek influence was found alongside Phoenician.  Then, in 218 BC, during the Second Punic War, Malta surrendered to the Romans and Malta became part of the Roman province of Sicily.  During the Roman period, the name of this main city in the center of the island was Latinized to Melite, and it was considered the capital of the Maltese Islands.  Today, the two towns of Mdina and Rabat cover the ancient city.  Mdina is considered one of the best-preserved examples of a walled medieval city in all of Europe.  Randall Niles  https://drivethruhistoryadventures.com/melita-the-place-of-refuge/  See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melita

From Elizabeth Karmel:  I bought a whole acorn squash and placed it in the oven without any prep, other than heating the oven to 400 degrees.  I didn’t wash or cut it—just removed the paper sticker from the outside and placed it on the middle rack of the oven.  I put foil under the squash to catch any drippings.  And then I walked away for a little more than an hour.  When I opened the oven door and checked on the squash, it was still intact but no longer hard.  When I pressed on the outside shell, it felt softer, like an almost ripe pear.  I turned off the heat and closed the oven door.  I let the squash cool in the residual heat of the oven for another hour, but generally, 20 minutes works just as well.  Depending on the size of your squash, you may need to cook it more or less, but it is almost impossible to overcook.  If a paring knife can be inserted easily into the center of the squash, it is done.  I carefully removed the squash to a cutting board.  With a long serrated (bread) knife, I sliced the squash through the middle with ease.  The truth is that I could have used almost any knife because it was cooked through and the skin was no longer tough.  I scooped out the seeds with a spoon and discarded them.  Then I scooped the silky, steaming squash into a bowl.  I added a bit of salt and dried sage and a healthy knob of butter, and mashed it with a fork.  It was one of the best “mashed anythings” I had ever eaten! 

Skoolies or Schoolies  School buses that have been converted into mobile living spaces.  Skoolies are a natural extension of the tiny house craze.  Buses are not only easier and safer to drive than an RV, they provide a jump-start on the conversion process with frame, roof, and floor already in place.  May also refer to people who live in them.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_recreational_vehicles  Thank you, Muse reader! 

The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens announced on December 12, 2019 that it is establishing the Shapiro Center for American History and Culture at The Huntington, thanks to a generous gift from L. Dennis and Susan R. Shapiro.  Along with financial support, the Shapiros are donating their collection of some 340 rare items focused primarily on American presidential administrations from the 18th to the early 20th centuries.  The gift includes an endowment for innovative programming and the long-term care and growth of The Huntington's early-American collections of rare books and manuscripts.  The Shapiro Collection is particularly rich in correspondence by John Adams and his son John Quincy Adams, including dozens of Adams-related documents and letters penned by the second and sixth presidents, father and son.  Importantly, the gift will fund a biennial book prize, the first to be offered by The Huntington, for a first scholarly monograph in American history and culture.  The Shapiro Prize will focus on books that make exceptional use of primary source materials, especially documentary collections.  The inaugural prize, which will carry with it a $10,000 cash award, is targeted for 2021.  The Huntington is located at 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA, 12 miles from downtown Los Angeles.  It is open to the public Wednesday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Closed Tuesdays. Information:  626-405-2100 or huntington.org.  https://www.huntington.org/news/huntington-receives-endowment-gift-shapiro-center

SuperReal is a destination immersive multimedia art experiment that adds a layer of reality to the real world.  Using cutting-edge visual effects and pixel-precise projection mapping technology, SuperReal sends visitors on an immersive journey through large-scale, 360-degree multidimensional realms that blur the boundaries between real and virtual.  Approximately 45 minutes  customerservice@superrealnyc.com  347-835-2489  Find prices at https://www.superrealnyc.com/#superreal   SuperReal is located at 25 Broadway in Manhattan.  See also https://www.timeout.com/new-york-kids/things-to-do/superreal  Thank you, Muse reader!

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY  Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. - Philip K. Dick, science fiction writer (16 Dec 1928-1982)

On December 16, 1901, English writer Beatrix Potter privately published 250 copies of The Tale of Peter Rabbit  after several publishers' rejections. 
          
http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 2197  December 16, 2019 


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