Comments for Time to Eat the Dogs

Comment on The Greely Expedition by Michael Robinson

Michael Robinson — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:46:47 +0000

@ M.Boisvert Two relief expeditions tried to reach Fort Conger but failed, forced back by the ice. (one of the relief ships was crushed). Through a combination of poor judgement and ambiguous orders, few provisions from these ships were left for Greely in southern Smith Sound. Perhaps Greely is also partially responsible since he would have been able to survive another winter at Ft Conger in good form but decided, against the wishes of many of his men, to head south in the steam launch.

@Susie That’s great news about the muster rolls!

Comment on The Greely Expedition by susie henry

susie henry — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:35:20 +0000

I finally found the muster rolls in the follow-up papers with the Navy. My dad says that Robert Lincoln would not permit a rescue mission until Greely’s wife kept insisting and getting some backing for the mission. But when they returned, Lincoln was there shaking hands. My great grandfather shook his hand on his return.

Comment on The Greely Expedition by M. Boisvert

M. Boisvert — Tue, 15 May 2012 09:24:29 +0000

WHY where they abandoned? Was anyone held accountable for leaving them up there for so long?

Comment on “The Adventure” by Georg Simmel by Michael Robinson

Michael Robinson — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:29:12 +0000

Good questions Andrew. I think Simmel would accept that conditions for adventure will vary from culture to culture, epoch to epoch, and indeed, from person to person. He seems less interested in these criteria, however, then the psychological experience of the adventure itself, whatever its trigger or object may be. This is interesting, I think, exactly because it seems so ahistorical (or maybe metahistorical?). Certainly it doesn’t look anything like the discussions of extreme experience that I know — by the Romantics, Turner, etc. Then again, its a fair question to ask if Simmel’s case study — the love affair — really is so representative of all adventure in all conditions. A pretty bold claim. But getting back to your question — Simmel aside — I am VERY interested in these cultural questions that you ask. How, for example, do Medieval pilgrims experience the sublime in the same manner as the Romantic painter? The bungee jumper? The glue sniffer?

Comment on “The Adventure” by Georg Simmel by Andrew Jenks

Andrew Jenks — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:42:03 +0000

Michael, thanks for bringing Simmel to my attention. His thoughts provide a useful starting point for explaining adventure as a cultural and historical phenomenon. That said, I wonder how we might define “adventure” as a historical category. What constitutes an adventure — as opposed, say, to an outing? Are adventures individual, collective, or both? To what extent are Simmel’s ideas about adventure culture-bound — that is, byproducts of the specific culture in which he lived? Are there such things as distinctly Hindu, Chinese, or American conceptions of adventure, and how are they influenced by political, economic and other factors?

Comment on The Reenacted Voyage by Thread of websites « Museum of Skills

Thread of websites « Museum of Skills — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 12:07:18 +0000

[...] http://timetoeatthedogs.com/2008/05/30/the-voyage-reenacted/ [...]

Comment on “The Adventure” by Georg Simmel by Michael Robinson

Michael Robinson — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:42:20 +0000

Thank you Carla

Comment on “The Adventure” by Georg Simmel by Carla

Carla — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 15:30:27 +0000

Lovely essay!

Comment on The Problem with Scientific Exploration by Youngy

Youngy — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 07:57:31 +0000

It’s posts like this that make sufnrig so much pleasure

Comment on The F-Word by 100 Books to read… « Armida Books

100 Books to read… « Armida Books — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 12:19:41 +0000

[...] The Frontier in American History by Frederick Jackson Turner. Turner’s classic work explores the idea of American uniqueness being shaped by the specific ordeals confronted by the settlers along the frontier. [...]