![fyeah-history:
Mizrach, 18th Century, Southern GermanyMizrah (Hebrew: מזרח “east”) is the Hebrew word for “east” and the direction that Jews in the Diaspora face during prayer. Jewish law prescribes that Jews face the site of the Temple in Jerusalem during prayer. Multicolored mizrah with two male figures flanking architectural frame with two columns decorated with chevron motif and supporting an arch topped by garlands; Hebrew inscription with large word in elaborate red block letters at center with texts above and below. Mizrach depicting Moses (to the right) and Aaron (left). The Hebrew inscription recites: הפתח בכל יום דלתות שערי מזרח (“He who opens every day the doors of the gates of the East”), a reference to the liturgical poem, “Hakol yadun,” for the Yotzer blessing (or “blessing of creation”) of the Sabbath morning prayers in the Ashkenazi liturgy; and מצד זה רוח חיים (“from this side [comes] the spirit of life”), four words composing the acronym, מזרח (“mizrach”).](http://25.media.tumblr.com/f2196f284d9f7e910558e1a108787a87/tumblr_mom3sugwSt1rrjpupo1_500.jpg)
Mizrach, 18th Century, Southern Germany
Mizrah (Hebrew: מזרח “east”) is the Hebrew word for “east” and the direction that Jews in the Diaspora face during prayer. Jewish law prescribes that Jews face the site of the Temple in Jerusalem during prayer.
Multicolored mizrah with two male figures flanking architectural frame with two columns decorated with chevron motif and supporting an arch topped by garlands; Hebrew inscription with large word in elaborate red block letters at center with texts above and below. Mizrach depicting Moses (to the right) and Aaron (left). The Hebrew inscription recites: הפתח בכל יום דלתות שערי מזרח (“He who opens every day the doors of the gates of the East”), a reference to the liturgical poem, “Hakol yadun,” for the Yotzer blessing (or “blessing of creation”) of the Sabbath morning prayers in the Ashkenazi liturgy; and מצד זה רוח חיים (“from this side [comes] the spirit of life”), four words composing the acronym, מזרח (“mizrach”).
This is why I want to learn every language I can.
Me: That's the weirdest German I've ever heard.
TURNS OUT IT WAS DUTCH
Me: No, that's not French. It sounds....off.
TURNS OUT IT WAS CANADIAN FRENCH
Me: I don't know why I can kind of understand Romanian.
TURNS OUT I CAN KIND OF UNDERSTAND ITALIAN AND ITALIAN IS SUPER CLOSE TO ROMANIAN
Me: WHAT THE HELL IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PERSIAN AND FARSI.
TURNS OUT THERE ISN'T ONE (that I know of)
Me: I can kind of understand Swedish and Norwegian and I have no idea why.
Turns out they're Germanic languages, and I already speak some German
A picture held us captive. And we could not get outside it, for it lay in our language and language seemed to repeat it to us inexorably.
“
| — | Wittgenstein, originally culled from @JoyceCarolOates’s extremely strange Twitter feed (via nerveandwire) |
Language is a labyrinth of paths. You approach from one side and know your way about; you approach the same place from another side and no longer know your way about.
“
| — | Ludwig Wittgenstein—Philosophical Investigations (via deadcatsdeadrats) |
Note: Made rebloggable by surprisingly popular request
Oh hey! You know what’s super fun and totally mature? Using the word gay as a homophobic slur by denoting a negative context to an academic subject by attempting to associate it with the word gay. Calling something gay, and meaning in a negative context is wrong and a pretty shitty thing to do. Your insult is bad and you should feel bad.
On the other hand, it would be incredibly flattering for you to call anthropology gay. I think that lots of current anthropologists really do strive to add deeper dimensions to their own research and attempt to include the experiences of LGBT subjects. Unfortunately, historically, anthropology was often less open to documenting those experiences. Anthropology was only the “study of other” and through this lens of the “other” many anthropologists were not exactly promotional or positive when documenting “gay” culture or experiences. That being said, we as a discipline, are trying harder (in my humble opinion). So, I guess, THANK YOU for such an amazing compliment, although I am unsure if we are worthy of it.
In terms of your accusation that I, personally, should study a “real science”? Ow, you really hurt my feelings. Everyone knows that hard sciences are the only true form of knowledge, and that other fields of study are not only unworthy of further research but tell us absolutely nothing of value. Because my small, under developed, anthropology-brain is often confused, I sometimes forget that only chemistry, biology, physics and math are important for the future of humanity. Sociology, psychology, economics, law, history, poli-sci, and linguistics are totally and completely useless. And don’t even get me started on foreign languages or english literature. You know who is totally irrelevant and should definitely have studied science? Emile Durkheim and Marcel Mauss. Clifford Geertz, Foucault, Claude Levi-Strauss, Ruth Benedict, Margaret Mead, Franz Boas, Erik Trinkaus, Knud Rasmussen, Leslie White, Lewis (goddamn him) Binford, Wade Davis, the ENTIRE Leakey family (and therefore Dian Fossey because if there were no Leakeys there would be no Fossey), and maybe a man named Alfred Russel Wallace…who is basically the lesser known Darwin. Yep, all of these people should really have switched to science.*
Sarcasm aside, I don’t really want to give into your pure science elitism but I kind of have to tell you, it’s really hard to hear you over the MASTERS OF SCIENCE THAT I AM CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF ATTAINING.
If you are going to make fun of anthropology, you should probably know at least a little about it. A lot a pretty “scientific” things fall under the umbrella of anthropology and many of them DO in fact, adhere to the scientific method. Archaeology is not just “digging up artifacts”; it incorporates bioarchaeology, paleolithic anthropology and archaeology, zooarchaeology, experimental archaeology, forensic archaeology, paleoethnobotony, archaeological sciences and probably a whole host of other sub-disciplines that I’ve forgotten. In fact, there are plenty of Universities in NA and Europe where a masters in archaeology gives a person the designation of a Master’s of Science. Even outside of archaeology, anthropology includes things such as forensic anthropology. Have you ever seen the TV show Bones? Temperance Brennan/Kathy Reichs certainly fits the category of scientist.
So, to summarize: 1. Calling anthropology gay is actually a compliment 2. I am a scientist and study science. If you disagree, take it up with my future masters committee.
*since I assume you don’t know who most of the people I listed are, maybe you should google them and revel in their amazingness.
Our new episode. All about the vulva :)
The Vulva - The Vagina’s Neighborhood (by sexplanations)
