New access to some old issues of ThinkWell

I'm in the process of uploading PDFs of seven issues of Thinkwell. Four are in already, this evening. The files are huge; it's taking a while. The PDFs were sent by Ivan Alexovich.

I found something worth quoting, that I wrote in 1993. It's on page 7 of TW #15:

"I'd rather see someone who stammers and mumbles truth than a great orator with simulated warmth who would sell the whole kingdom for a beer."

Here it is in greater context:

What should be the balance of Truth and Theatre? What if a speech sounds good, but it isn't true? What if someone gives the appearance of being a sincere, caring, compassionate person but really is a lying, cheating conscience-free human substitute? Once when someone was formally accused of being extremely untruthful, that judgment came back 50/50 on the grounds that although the lying was indisputable, the physical and social appearances were good, and that was considered (by some, not all involved) to cancel out the problem.

Of course the ideal is someone whose honor is impeccable and who is Kenneth Branagh's drama coach, and some of you have memories of SCA royalty or nobility who come close to this model, but personally I'd rather see someone who stammers and mumbles truth than a great orator with simulated warmth who would sell the whole kingdom for a beer.

Reading through some of these issues I'm working with, I've found a typo and a misspelling I wish I had caught 25 years ago, and I used "which" when I wish I had used "that," and I nearly lull myself into wanting to spruce the whole thing up and schedule some philosophy discussions, but then I remember that lying is excused and people who work as hard as I did are abused, insulted, and not defended.

If I had three parallel lives, I might have stayed in the SCA with one of them, but I'm not going to use up my only life on it. Not all of it, anyway. I did invest more in the time I played than most people ever do, and I was able to have more fun than many get to have, too. It was good; it was enough.


Issue #11, July 1992

Issue #12, October 1992

Issue #13, December 1992

Issue #14, February 1993

Either search for Duckford at the archives there, or go to SandraDodd.com/tw to find the other three (15, 18, 19). The first six are linkd at this /tw page, too. Someday maybe they'll all be somewhere. Some of the ideas are way old and not useful. Others are as good as new.

Article (re)published, May 2016

The Leaflette, of Myrtleholt, in An Tir, May 2016.

The chronicler, Lady Nim, found and liked What Makes Normally Sane Adults Love the SCA So Much?, and it's nicely ensconced in the newest edition of their beautiful online newsletter.

Robin Hood series

Linked to my wheelbarrow blog:  Wheelbarrow Things

From little boy to baron

Bardolf (whose SCA name then was Jeffery Paul) and me on the front of al-Barran's flyer for newcomers, looks like 1991. You can click to get to a larger file. Feel free to save or print. There used to be hundreds of them.

They two-sided and folded in thirds with the image above on front and the map on the back. Our home phone number is still the same as it was then.

Pelican art in England

On the market cross in Chichester, photographed 2013:

I saw others, and might add them later.

-ford names

Years ago when I wanted to register "Duckford," some SCA heralds were a bit snooty about it, and I started collecting "-ford" names, for fun. Surprised at how many there were, I kept a list on my old computer. It was a Kaypro II and had a daisy-wheel printer. I found them in casual reading and in looking at maps or town names. 224 of these are from that list, and a few others were found later, or I'm adding from little pieces of paper I'm filing/trashing as I go through all my old files.

Abbotsford (British Columbia)
Alford (Scotland)
Alresford (England)
Armingford (England)
Arnford (surname)
Ashelford, Jane (author)
Ashford (England, Ireland)
Aylesford (newfoundland, and in "The Ups and Downs," so probably once in England)
Ballylongford (Ireland)
Barford
Basford
Bassford
Battleford, North Battleford (Saskatchewan)
Bayford
Bedford (MA, NH, OH, TX, Quebec)
Bereford
Beresford (New Brunswick)
Benford
Berford
Biddeford (ME)
Binford
Bishops Stortford
Blackford (Scotland, England)
Blackfordby (England)
Blandford Forum (England); Port Blandford (Newfoundland)
Bottesford
Boxford
Braffords
Bradford (England, PA Ontario)
Branford (North Branford, CT)
Brantford (Ontario)
Brailsford
Brelsford
Bridgeford
Bridgford (no "e"— West Bridgford, England)
Broadford (Scotland, Ireland)
Bruford
Buford
Burford [from Beorgford, (Battle of, 725 A.D.) also Ontario]
Byford Tye (England)
Campbellford (Ontario)
Canford Magna (England)
Carlingford (Ireland)
Chalford
Charford
Chelmsford (England, Massachusetts)
Chesterford
Childford
Chingford
Christian Malford (Cristemaleford, 937)
Churchingford
Clifford (Ontario); Clifford Vale (New Brunswick)
Coachford (Ireland)
Conisford
Crawford (England, Scotland); Crawfordsville (IL)
Crockford's Clerical Dictionary
Cullingford
Danford
Darlingford (Manitoba)
Dartford
Deanford
Deptford; Deptford Township (NJ)
Duxford
Fafford
Fordwich (Ontario)
Foxford (Ireland)
Frankford (Ireland, Ontario)
Freshford (Ireland)
Galford
Gifford (Scotland)
Glandford
Glanford Brigg
Glemsford
Gifford
Glenford
Gratorford (PA)
Guessford (surname)
Guilford
Guildford
Guliford (surname)
Gulliford (surname)
Hafford (Saskatchewan)
Hannaford
Hallford
Hanford (CA)
Harford
Hartford
Hasford (surname)
Hastingford
Haerford
Haverfordwest (not West Haverford; Wales)
Headford (Ireland)
Helford
Hemmingford (Quebec)
Hepford
Hereford (Texas)
Hertford
Hilford
Hinckford
Horsford
Hosford
Hufford
Hungerford
Huntingford; Hunting Ford
Hurford
Hurlford (Scotland)
Ilford
Kemsford
Kingsford (Michigan)
Knutsford (England)
Langford
Lankford
Latchford (Ontario
Ledford
Lifford (Ireland)
Lintzford
Lipford
Longford (County, Ireland)
Lunsfordds (double d—not a typo, so might translate "forths"?)
Luxford
Lyford
Lynford (fem. given name)
Madginford
Mangersford
Manningford Abbots
Meaford (Ontario)
Medford (MA, OR, NY, surname)
Millford; Milford (NH, OH); Milford Mill (MD); New Milford (NJ); Milford Haven (Wales)
Mogford
Moundford
Mugford
Mumford
Nafford
Orford
Oxford
Pafford
Paxford
Peachford (hospital in Atlanta)
Pettiford
Pigford
Pitchford
Pitsford
Plaitford
Playford
Plumford
Plyford
Poundisford
Radford (VA)
Ratchford
Ratford
Retford (England)
Relaford
Rickford
Riddiford
Rixford
Rochford
Rockford (Illinois)
Rockyford (Alberta)
Romford
Rossford (Ohio)
Rumford (Maine); Rumford Compact (Maine)
East Rutherford (New Jersey)
Salford (England)
Salterford
Saltisford
Sampford; Sampford Courtney
Sandford: not alone, but "Woodley and Sandford" (England and Sir Sandford (a mountain in British Columbia)
Sanford
Santford
Scalford
Seaford (Deleware, England)
Sleighford
Shackleford (county, Texas)
Shalford
Shefford (Quebec)
Shellingford
Sleaford (England)
Slickford (Kentucky)
Spalford
Springford (Ontario)
Stableford
Stafford
Stamford
Stanford
Stepford (wives)
Standiford
Strafford (county, New Hampshire); Straffordville (Ontario)
Strangford (Northern Ireland)
Stratford (CT, NJ, and -on-Avon, Ontario)
Stratford Toney
Stretford
Swinford (Ireland)
Swofford
Tarrant Crawford
Tedford (surname)
Telford
Tetford
Thedford (Ontario)Telford
Tetford
Thedford (Ontario)
Thenford
Thetford; Thetford Mines (Quebec)
Thrusford
Tiddingford
Trafford Park
Turtleford (Saskatchewan)
Tuxford (Saskatchewan)
Ufford
Urlingford (Ireland)
Vanderford
Vansanford
Wakeford
Walford
Walfords
Wallingford
Watford (Ontario)
Waterford (Michigan, Ireland)
Weatherford (Texas)
Weeford
Welsford (New Brunswick)
Westford (Massachusetts)
Wexford (county, Ireland)
Whichford
Whitford
Wichenford
Whitford
Wichenford
Wigford
Wilford
Willeford
Williford
Willowford (given name)
Winsford (England)
Wodford
Wofford
Wolford
Wolford Farm
Woodford
Yarnaford

Animal names:
crawford
foxford
hartford
horsford
oxford
pigford
swinford
ratford
wolford (wolf, if, maybe)

Renforth (New Brunswick)—might it be a ford? someday, look...
Seaforth (Ontario)






(more to come, I hope, if I finish transcribing that list)

Sir Bardolf Gunwaldtsson

Bardolf was knighted at Estrella this evening. Because of Facebook, I had a reminder an hour before. Because of cellphones, Viscountess Lore de Lorraine called and told me she cried, and others cried, and it was beautiful. Bardolf spoke from his heart, she said, and the ceremony was great.

Here's the helm Artan got Sir Richard of Wolfwood to make. Here's the helm (with a Ganesha t-shirt) before anyone had touched it with a weapon or a sticker from a war, and before any dust or rain had touched it.

Outlandish Tales, part 1

Ulrich von Matanuska (Ray Morgan) has put up a new edition of Outlandish Tales, which some of us had on VHS from the 1980's. Gunwaldt still has and uses that banner. Kirby was an infant, and neither Gunwaldt nor I was in, but our banners and props were; that's why we're in the credits. This is part 1. It has some outtakes, right in with the rest, which is fun.

Awards

Keith/Gunwaldt and I are in Texas visiting our oldest (Kirby/Magnus). I heard from Bardolf (Marty) last night that he and Kendrick (Brett Henry) were named companions of the Order of the Heart of the Scorpion of al-Barran at al-Barran's Toys for Tots event. And Bella (Ashlee) was made a member of the Order of the Scorpion. Those are good awards both Gunwaldt and I have received, and I think it's very sweet that one of our children is still that involved in the SCA.

Bella also got the baroness's prize for arts and sciences (?official name?) for a banner she made.

I don't have any photos from yesterday, but here's something from our garage not so long ago. :-)

Great review, and insanely bad review ("for balance"?)

October 19, 2011, I was tagged in a facebook post, so I dutifully went to read what it said, and was flattered. The one response at the time was interesting, and made me curious.

David Peters (Wade Averey)

David Peters

Since I find myself with more time than usual I have been exercising that mass of grey between my ears. As luck would have it while trudging along the web I stumbled upon a great resource. If you have not yet read it do so and if you live near enough to Sandra Dodd I am officially jealous.

Humility and Formality
www.sandradodd.com

Rob Hotch-r

I mean the best way possible, but you need to hit yourself with something heavy until you forget everything yoil read. Once people read that book they are never the same. I've seen it ruin people, primarily because it does make a lot of sense. Do what you want but you've been warned.

David Peters

‎Rob ~ Are there specifics you have in mind? Feel free to reply privately if you wish.

Sandra Dodd

Perhaps he means that people who have high ideals and principles can become disappointed with the realities of the SCA. I've seen that some with my students and associates. They thought they wanted to know lots, but the more they knew, the more they saw reality fall short of ideals. (If it's not that, Rob, reply privately because I probably don't want to know. :-) )

Rob Hotch-r

I mean that every person I've known who's read that book was one person before they read it and then different after (usually feeling that they need to tell people that they've read it-almost an instinctual "hey I've been baptized" response). I don't know if there are spores ala' Invasion of the Body Snatchers somehow hidden in the physical pages or if there's a hypnotique trance induced by repeating words, phrases, etc. (I don't really think any of these things) but it literally changes people and, I personally feel, not usually in a good way. Maybe, which has been a suspicion, there is no fault with the actual tome necessarily, but the content is interpreted by the reader as to give some sort of permission (not necessarily intended) to those who've got a latent arrogant streak or secret egotistical urges, to let those respective flags fly proudly. I've only glimpsed pages and veiwed small sections (as I've intentionally avoided an actual full reading-specifically because of this.) and though there is a lot of what I know about it that I agree with, it's just not going to happen and I will never advise anyone to read it. Write me off as a cook, or as jaded former society, whatever flavor you please. I realize that you're proud of your work Sandra and have every right to be. There's just bad ju-ju in there.

Sandra Dodd

‎#1, it's not "a book." It's ten e-mails. So if you don't even know what it is, and you haven't read it, it seems odd that you would appoint yourself a guardian or even reviewer. "Bad ju-ju"? "Tome"?

#2, What do you mean,"Write me off as a cook"...? A kook, did you mean? There's nothing in there that should bother cooks.

Rob Hotch-r

#1 Bleh #2 Bleh Bleh I'm doing this little email geek dance with you. You created poison and that's it.

Oh. Then I guess he deleted that one (which I had cut and pasted) and put this:

‎#1 Bleh #2 Bleh Bleh I'm not doing this little email geek dance with you. You created poison and that's it.

Doing this, not doing this. It didn't seem like a "geek dance" to me. It seemed like someone attempting to seem knowledgable and important in the absence of any real knowledge or weight. It seemed like someone flinging poo on someone else's happiness. Monkey poo.