_History Lessons_

Just started looking at this book I picked up randomly, and it's due back today, but it looks interesting. It's the history of the US as told by non-US textbooks around the world, in various snippets. Just the introduction was interesting: non-US textbook processes being a lot more centralized than the US, and different styles of textbooks: e.g. US texts tend to be organized by political history, presidents and eras and such, while the French have more social and economic history and history of ideas. Anglophone books tend to go for long narrative, French for short summaries and lots of primary sources.

A Cuban book notes details like the sailor of Columbus who saw land being Andalucian. "Caribbean" (various small islands share a text) spend more attention on Columbus's activity in their region, including the genocide and slavery of the Indians.

Some facts I hadn't known: In the mid 1700s France supposedly had 20 million people, Britain just 6 million, the British colonies 1.5 million (so 1/4 that of Britain!), New France just 100,000. I didn't know the colonies were so big relative to the UK. Differences between British and French colonies: partly the availability of fertile land, but largely immigration policies, the French only wanted pious Catholics while the British were less committed to mercantilism (so more colonial industry and trade) and took in more people from all over Europe.

Interesting day

Made salad. Sprinkled garlic powder on it. Realized I was actually sprinkling cayenne powder. Oops! Wasn't too hot.

Came home from the gym to a big flat cardboard package from an unfamiliar business. I didn't remember ordering anything. Was a bit nervous, wondering about a random anthrax attack. As I opened, I then remembered some outstanding Kickstarter webcomic orders. Ding! Dresden Codak physical format (vs. PDF) finally arrived, The Tomorrow Girl and some posters. I didn't realize the comic was going to be art book height. I should probably keep the box for later transportation of those and other posters.

Earlier this week I'd started to worry about not remembering feedback from the state about my renewed health insurance, and had called, though hadn't made contact yet. Today's mail also contained a renewal letter. It did not contain what I'd been told on the phone: "Due to Obamacare your insurance will be terminating early on Dec 31, so re-register online after Oct 1 for the 2014 plans."

At the Davis market I asked when peach season was ending; they think next week. I bought a lot. He also said the heat this year had bunched up the seaon somehow, so they'd had 60 trees producing a week rather than 20.

When I left Diesel, I heard bagpipes, playing some familiar dirge I can't name. It's, get this, September 11th, so there was a 9/11 memorial going on in Davis Square. Bunch of cops and firemen in dress uniforms (the firemen look like the cops, but with red badges), and I assume Mayor Capuano speaking, when he wasn't having some priest giving a benediction. Not a terribly secular ceremony

Bourbon Cafe in Porter Exchange now says it is Rwandan owned, with directly traded coffees. I assume it's always been Rwandan owned but I hadn't seen notices before. The blackboard text sounded like they actually started in Rwanda, not just being owned by some Rwandan immigratns.