linacre li(n)es

hilary 2009

linacre li(n)es

hilary 2009

�

Articles 4

MixingUpYourP2PandYourVPNDoesn’tLeadtoLOL.............................4 Anonymous

TheScienceoftheMundane.................................................................6 MarzyehGhassemi

TheBrashBoatmenoftheHague..........................................................8 ArttuAhava

WhytheArtsMatter............................................................................10 AaronHanlon

Photojournal 12

Japan:AncientTraditionsandModernMisfits..........................................12 HeidiKikoler

Numerology 16

Original Recipe 17

JamaicanGoatCurryàlaMick.............................................................17 MickCraig

Community 18

Last Word 19

LastWord:AShortStory.....................................................................19 PierreMenard,autordelQuijote

Contents

Linacre Li(n)esisproducedtermlybythesittingLi(n)esEditorandfundedbytheCommonRoomofLinacreCollege,Oxford.TheopinionsexpressedwithinthisMagazinearethoseoftheindividualcontributors,anddonotnecessarilyreflecttheopin-ionsoftheEditorialStaff,theCommonRoom,theCollege,ortheUniversity.

AllmembersinterestedinsubmittingworktoLi(n)esarewel-cometodoso,andshouldsendsubmissions(asattachments)orqueriestolines@linacre.ox.ac.uk.ThoseinterestedincontributinginotherwaysareencouragedtocontacttheEdi-tor.

VisitLinacre Li(n)esonlineathttp://www.linacre.ox.ac.uk/CommonRoom/linacre-li-n-es.

LinacreCollegeOxford,UKOX1�JA

*SpecialthankstoOlivierJardaforbeinganinvaluablere-sourcethroughoutthemakingofthistransitionalissue.

Editor-in-Chief AaronHanlon

Not-so-lame Duck OlivierJarda*

Copy EditorsSharenLeeAlexPinder

CovergirlJudy

4

Longgonearethedayswhenanentrepreneurial,yetshady,distantunclewouldregalethescienceofpirateVHSvideo-making,theprocessofsneak-ingasilvercamcorderthesizeofasuitcaseintoacinematovideorecordthelatestblock-buster;thewiring-upoftwoVHShomevideorecorderstocopy,inpainfullyslowreal-time,onetape,fulloffuzzypictures,popcorn-throwing,andsilhouettedfigures,ontoanother;theperfectsynchingofplayononemachineandrecordontheother.

Truly,thiswasalostartof1980ssuburbia.TherealclincherwouldcomewhentheseclassycopieswerepresentedasChristmasgifts,completewithvinylvideocasesmadetore-sembleabookcollectionwhenstackedtogether.Ofcoursetherewasalwaysalingeringfeelingthattherewassomethingnotquitelegalaboutthatdubiousbookshelffullofnewblock-busters;buthey,whowouldknow?Afterall,theylookjustlikebooks.

Timeshavechanged;andwiththeadventofpeer-to-peer(P2P)sharing,theabilitytosourceandobtainnewfilmsfromyourPChasbecomeeasi-erandmorewidespread,albeitwithinanextremelygreyzoneofwhatconstitutesalegalorillegal,non-copyrightedorcopyrightinfringed,download.Indeed,itwouldprobablybehardtofindaFacebookGen-erationindividual,highly-adeptinthelanguageofLOL,TTFN

andemoticons,whohadnot,atonepointoranother,‘ex-perimented’withthese‘free’downloads.Well,asitturnsout,thesedownloadsaren’tasfreeastheyseemtobe.

Tropic Thunderisn’tBenStill-er’sorJackBlack’sbestmovie,butitcertainlyisn’ttheirworst.Itwasdefinitelyworthwatchingatthecinemaasthemoviewithin-a-movieplot

playedoutwithhugeexplo-sions,fistfightswithapandabear,andgratuitousdisplaysof‘Booty-Sweat’.Butit’sacom-edy,soitworksonthesmallscreentoo.Soafterseeingitatthemovies,IdecidedtoplayaroundwithsomeP2Psoftwareandtryandgetthefilmforfreetowatchwhen-everIwanted.Whoknows,ifthisP2Pstuffworked,perhapsIwouldneverneedtobuyaDVDagain?

Downloadofaprogram,quicksearchonthenetandthereitis,heypresto,Tropic Thunder,rippedfromthesoon-to-be-re-

leasedDVD,perfectquality,nopopcorn,silhouettesorfaux-bookcases...excellent.

Butwait,wasn’ttheresome-thingthatsaidyoucan’tusethesesortsofsystemsonLina-creorUniversitynetworks?Nomatter;I’monaprivatewi-finetwork,farawayfromLina-creoranOxforddepartment,soallshouldbefine.Surelyeveryonedoesthisthesedays?

Download.Thefileinforma-tionstartstotrickleinbytebybyte.

Threedayslaterthefilmisat100%.Iopenitanditseemstoplayperfectly,nojumping,nofuzziness,ah,nosound,butwait,sub-titles,yes,erm,inDutch.Great.Idon’tspeakDutch.Disappointing.Ohwell,perhapsIchosethewrongfile;maybeI’mjustnotsavvyenoughtomakeP2Pworkforme.InanycaseI’dalreadyseenthemovieatthecinema.MaybeI’lltryagainlater.Nobigdeal.

Icheckmyemail.Ah,quiteabigdeal.

ItseemsParamountweren’ttoohappyabouttheirlatestreleasebeingthesubjectofP2Pdownloading,linkedthedownloadonmymachinebacktoOxford,andnowOUCSwereintouchwitha“ceaseandde-sist”noticefromParamount’slawyers.Astheemailfromcol-legestated:“thisputsyouinalotoftrouble”.

Howcouldthishappen?Iwasonaremoteprivateconnec-tion,nowhereneartoOxford.Threeletters:VPN.MyVir-

Mixing Up Your P2P and Your VPN Doesn’t Lead to LOL

An Anonymous Public Service Announcement

�

tualPrivateNetworkhadbeenonatthesametimemyP2Psoftwarehadbeenrunning.WhentheVPNisactivated,myremotecomputerappearedtobeconnectedlocallytotheUniversitynetwork,sotoex-ternalsourcesitlookedlikeIwassittinginOxfordandhadpluggedintohappilydownloadP2PfilesusingtheUniversity’scomputersystem.

Icertainlywasn’tintendingtodothat,butopen-ingtwoprogramsatthesametimeostensi-blyhadthesameeffect.OUCSwerenothappytosaytheleast;theydisconnectedmyVPNconnec-tionandrequiredthepaymentofadministrativecostsof£�0forthecommunicationwithParamount.Linacrethenissuedanofficialdisciplinarywarninginwritingwiththeoptionofanextrafine.Collegedecidedtowaivethefine,butwereveryclearinthewarning:anymoreuseofP2PontheuniversitynetworkandtherewouldbeahearingwiththeProctorsandpossiblesendingdown.Ouch.Allforasilentfilmwithsubti-tlesIcouldn’tunderstand.P2Psuddenlyseemedaveryex-pensiveoptiontoseeamovie.

Sowhatdoesthisallmean?Itmeansthatalthoughfileshar-ingandthehugeincreasesinelectronicmediadownloadinghavebecomeadailyroutineformanypeople,intellectualpropertyrightsovercopy-rightedmaterialbymulti-bil-liondollarmediacorporationsaimtobeasstronglyenforcedasever.

Inideologicalandpolitical

responsetothismoviemus-cle,thereisaburgeoninginternationalanti-copyright...orpro-piracy...movement(Los Angeles Times,April29,2007)aimedatprovidingsourcesandcontenttoinhibittheabilityofdistributioncompaniestoen-forcecounter-infringementoftheircopyrightedmaterial.

Inthesame‘antilarge-scaleprofits’vein,andclosertohome,artistssuchasRa-

dioheadhaveexperi-mentedwithnewwaysofpro-vidingdigitalmedia,releas-ingtheir2007

albumIn Rainbowsfreeofchargeontheweb,andaskingfanstopaywhattheythoughtitwasworth.PerhapspeoplepaidenoughtokeepThomYorkarockstar,orperhapsjustenoughforhimtostillhavelunchattheVaultswiththerestofus.Inanycase,thedebateover‘tocopyright’or‘nottocopyright’seemslikeitwillcontinuefortheforesee-ablefuture.

Whatisnotupfordebateiswhetherthingscouldgetalittleembarrassing,expen-sive,andtime-consumingifyouloadP2PsoftwareonthesamecomputerasyouhaveyourVPN,orthinkthattheLinacreorUniversitynetworkisagreatplacetorestockyourDVDcollection.Well,itisn’t.Whateveryourpoliticsonmediacopyrightsandintel-lectualproperty,it’sprobablybesttoleaveP2Pdownloadingtothosenotneedingtojeop-ardizetheirworkatOxford,orperhapsbetterstill,todistantuncles’intricateVHSknowl-

edgeandtheirglass‘book’shelvesstackedwith80sclas-sics.

Although file sharing and the huge increases in electronic me-dia download-ing have become a daily routine for many peo-ple, intellectual property rights over copyrighted material by mul-ti-billion dollar media corpora-tions aim to be as strongly en-forced as ever.

6

Groundbreakingscienceisof-tenfascinatingtoreadabout.Evenifwedon’tunderstandexactlyhowadiscoverywasmadeorthewaythatitssys-temofstudyworks,wecanstillappreciatetheideasorprinciplesbehindthescience.However,weobviouslycan-notconsumealltheinforma-tionthatisbeingreported(letalonepublished)onadailybasis.Thetimejustisn’tthere.Insteadwedowhathumanbe-ingsareverygoodat:filtertheincredibleamountofincominginformationtoincludeonlytheimportantstuff.Butjustwhatmakesadiscoveryimportant?

Ibelievethatassavvycon-sumers,wehaveanexpecta-tionthatimportantscientificadvancesmustbepurpose-ful,notjustnovel.Whenwereadaboutcottoncandybeingusedasatemplateforcon-structedbloodvesselnetworksorinducedpluripotentstemcellsbeingexploredaspossiblewaystoregeneratelostcellularfunction,wepauseandsay:“Aha!Sciencemovesforward!”Butwhatabouttherestofit?

By‘therestofit’Imeandis-coveriesthatarenovel,butperhapsnotapparentlypur-poseful.Theseadvancesmaybereportedontopokefunattheresearchersforfoolishlypursuingthatparticulargoal,buttheyarenotseriouslycon-sideredbymostpeopletoberealscientificadvances.Whyistheresomuchjudgmentaboutwhatisworthyscience?

Perhapsweneedtostartdis-tinguishingbetweenscienceandScience.Scienceisthewondrous,magicalideahalothatwehaveaboutresearch:

groundbreaking,sexy,andstartling.Youmightfindyour-selfwondering,“CanIreallymakebloodvesselsfromcot-toncandy?CanIreallygrowaneweyeball?”WemarvelatthemysticalprogressofSci-enceandworshipattheTem-pleofProgressbyreadingtheScrollsoftheJournal.

AsmuchasIpokefunatthisreverenceofScience,Ithinkit’sagreatthing:weshouldbeexcitedbyprogress.However,Ithinkthatalltheattentionon

Sciencehasaninherentdan-gerofshowingupthescience.WhatkindofscienceamIreferringto?

OneexampleisgivenbyDr.GeorgSteinhauserofViennaUniversityofTechnology.Dr.Steinhauserhasbeeninthenewsrecentlyforspendingthreeyearsstudyingbellybut-tonlint.That’sright.Threeyears.Bellybuttonlint.Hisresearchincludedtheexami-nationofover�00piecesofhisownbellybuttonlint.Asare-sulthehaspublishedhisfind-ingsaboutthespecialtypeofbodyhairthattrapsanddrawslintintoyourbellybuttoninthejournalMedical Hypotheses.There’sevenaniceanalysisofallthedelightfulthingsthelintiscomposedof.Didyouknow

thatlintismadefrombitsofskin,dust,andclothresiduethatisheldtogetherbyfatandsweat?Fascinating,right?

Now,youmightbeask-ingyourself,“Butwhat’sthepoint?”Thereisnopoint.That’sthepoint.Asridiculousasitmightsound,Iadmireexperimentslikethesebecausetheyarescience:discoveryforitsownsake.Somebodywascuriousabouthowsomethingworkedandtheyspenttheirvaluabletimeandmoneytry-

ingtofigureitout.Therewasnograntschemeorpurpose,justtheanticipatedthrillofdiscovery.

Thisdesiretosolvethemun-daneisnotonlyexhibitedbyDr.Steinhauser(whohasalsoexploredtheerosionofhisweddingring).Onthesubjectofbellybuttonsandlint,therehasbeenanearlierAustralianstudyofsamplesfrom�,000people.Thisstudyconcludedthatthetypicalcarrierofnavelfluffis‘aslightlyoverweightmiddle-agedmalewithahairyabdomen’.Really?Youdon’tsay...

Norismundanesciencespe-cifictobellybuttonlint.Oneorganizationthathasdedi-cateditselftothecelebration

The Science of the Mundane By Marzyeh Ghassemi

7

ofmundanescienceisthefunnyscientificmagazineAn-nals of Improbable Research,whichparodiestheNobelPrizeawardseachyearbygivingoutIgNobelPrizes.Therearetenprizesawardedperyear;oneeachincategoriesthatincludephysics,engineering,biology,literature,andpeace.Some

recentwinnersincludeintrepidresearch-ersthathavestud-iedthe

physicsofhula-hooping,thecomparativejumpingcapac-ityofcat-basedfleasversusdog-basedfleas(dog-basedfleaswin!),andananalysisofthegeometryandelasticityofcrumpledsheets.Importanttonoteisthateachofthesewaspublishedinapeer-reviewed,respectedscientificjournal(seereferencesatend).

IfyouareaScienceperson,youmaybeshakingyourheadindisgustrightaboutnowandasking,“why.”Butifyouareascienceperson,youknowwhy.Becauseitwasunknown.Inhisrecent(April2008)let-tertoCell,MartinA.Schwartzwroteabouttheimportanceofstupidityinscientificresearch,saying:“Oneofthebeautiful

thingsaboutscienceisthatitallowsustobumblealong,gettingitwrongtimeaftertime,andfeelperfectlyfineaslongaswelearnsomethingeachtime...Themorecomfortablewebecomewithbeingstupid,thedeeperwewillwadeintotheunknownandthemore

likelywearetomakebigdis-coveries.”

Sayingthatscienceistheartoffeelingstupidmayseemcounterintuitive,butSchwartzhasitcompletelyright.Whatelseisscience(orScienceforthatmatter)butaregularex-plorationofthingsthatweareignorant(stupid)about?Work-ingthroughthisstupiditycanbetough,soscientistsneedtobemotivatedbysomethingtodrivethemthroughthedryspells.Butwhat?

Scientistscanbemotivatedeitherbythesheerjoyofnewdiscovery(science)orthedesiretoaddressapressing,glamorousproblem(Science),buteitherwayweshouldrespectbothasvaliantat-tacksonourcollectivelackofknowledgeabouttheuni-verse.NoticethatIsaidlackofknowledge,notlackofexcit-ing,publishableknowledge.Focusingonlyonthefunstuffwouldbeahugedisservicetomankindbecause,honestly,it’ssuchasmallsub-sectionofthepossibleresearchthatcouldbedone.

SowhatamIaskingfor?It’snotlikeIwanttheexcitingsci-encetolosethefightandthemundanesciencetogetthegirl.Infact,Idon’tthinkthattheyshouldbefightingover

thesamegirlatall.I’mjustlookingforsomebalance.Ifwecouldeaseuponexpectingpracticalapplicationfromallprogress,therejustmightbeaplaceforscienceandSci-encebothtolivetogetherinharmony.Afterall,themoresciencewedo,themorethesemundanelittlediscoveriescanbetransformedintomajorSci-ence!Sothenexttimeyouarereadingaboutarecent,sexybreakthroughwithimportantrealworldapplications,takesometimetothinkaboutthethousandsofboringandmun-danediscoveriesthatlieun-derneathit.Andwhoknows?Maybeyou’llcatchyourselfwonderingaboutthemyster-iesofbellybuttonlintandthephysicsofhula-hooping.

References:“CoordinationModesintheMultisegmentalDynamicsofHulaHooping,”Balasubramani-am,R.andTurvey,M.;Biologi-calCybernetics,vol.90,no.�,March2004,pp.176-90.

“Acomparisonofjumpper-formancesofthedogflea,Ctenocephalidescanisandthecatflea,Ctenocephalidesfelis,”Cadierguesa,MarieChristine;Jouberta,Christel;andFranc,Michel;VeterinaryParasitology(ElsevierScience),vol.92,no.�,October2000,pp.2�9–41.

“ConicalSurfacesandCres-centSingularitiesinCrumpledSheets,”Cerda,E.;PhysicalReviewletters,vol.80,no.11,March1998,pp.2��8.

Scientists can be moti-vated either by the sheer joy of new discovery (sci-ence) or the desire to ad-dress a pressing, glamor-ous problem (Science), but either way we should respect both as valiant attacks on our collective lack of knowledge about the universe.

8

OnFebruary14th,IattendedaconferenceonidentityinSudanhereinOxford.Justtheweekbefore,thenewshadbeenfulloftheInterna-tionalCriminalCourt(ICC)proceduresagainstElBashir,andIwenttotheeventfullyexpect-ingthemattertobemuchdiscussedbythevariouspoliticalgroupsthere.

Iwassorelymistaken.

Thecommunists,houndedfordecadesasathe-istsbyElBashirandhisparty,didnotmentionit.TheSPLArepresentative,whoseorganizationhadfoughtarecently-endedtwenty-yearcivilwaragainstthegovernment,spokeofotherthings.

ThemanfromtheBejaPeo-ple’sConfer-ence,anotherwould-besplin-termovement,veeredaroundthetopic,whiletherepresenta-tivesoftheDarfurianrebelmovementsdidnoteventurnuptothecon-ference.ThepersonwhoactuallydidraisetheissuewasanAmeri-canstudent,buthiscom-mentsfoundlittleresonancewiththemainlySudanesepar-ticipants:onehadthefeelingthatthiswasdisruptivetalkataneventfocusedonmutualunderstandingandco-operation.

Twoweekslater,theICCcarriedoutitsindict-mentofElBashir,whichthepresidenthimself

dismissedasaneocolonialattackonMuslim/Africanautonomy.TheglobalreactiontotheseeventsremindedmeoftheAmericanstudentandhisuncomfortablequestion.TheAfricanUnion,spearheadedbyLibyaandEgypt,calledfortheUNsecuritycounciltostoptheproceed-ings,insistingthatthiswasanAfricanaffair,andthatanAfricansolutionwascalledfor:Af-ricans(representedbytheAU)would,inco-op-erationwithElBashir,worktoproduceaccount-abilityinSudan.

TheICC,withitsactions,wasrecklesslyrock-ingtheboat.Despitethemoretoned-downlanguage,herewasanechoofElBashir’sac-cusations,andademandfortheEuro-Ameri-

canworldtoletAfricasortoutitsownpoliticalschisms.Accordingtothisview,theso-calledin-ternationalcommunityisatbestablun-deringfool,atroublemakeratthenegotiationtableruiningdelicateunder-standingswithrigidandunrea-sonablepro-nouncements,andatworstaclubofsinisterneo-colonialistsenforcingthepoliticalhe-gemonyoftheEuro-Americanworld.

Ibelievethisisratheruncharitable,foronebecauseofhowworntheneocolonialistargumentis.ItisahandystrategyperiodicallyusedbyAfricanelitesagainstunwelcomeforeignanalysesorintrusions:tocalltheoutsidefactionneocoloni-

The Brash Boatmen of the Hague

By Arttu Ahava

9

alist,andthusdenyanylegiti-macyforitspres-enceinAfrica.Thisstrategyissome-

timesalsousedagainstfellowcountrymen(heistoo“white”;heisbetrayingthecountryinfavourofthecolonialpowers),andalwaysforonepurpose:tostakeoutamonopolyonwhoisallowedtorepresentthecontinent.ItisnotmerelyaquestionofAfricansspeakingforAfrica,butofcertainAfricans,membersoftheelite,claimingthesolerighttospeakfortheircountrymen.Thus,anychallengestothemethodsoftheirrulecanbedeflectedwithat-tacksonthelegitimacyofthespeakers,betheyforeignornot.

Thus,whentheICC,liketheill-advisedAmeri-canstudent,raiseditscoarsevoiceabovethegentlesusurrusofpeacefulnegotiations,itwasnosurprisethatitwasmetbythecriesofcolonialistaggressionanddisruptionofpeace.Nevertheless,onemustquestiontheAU’sownapproachtotheproblem.

Whilesubtlenegotiationsandsharedunder-standingshavetheirplace,yearsandevendec-adesofsucheffortshavedonelittletoproduceaccountabilityonthepartoftheSudanesegov-ernmentfortheatrocitiesofthelastwarfrom198�-200�,nottomentiontheonehappeninginDarfurrightnow.Similarly,theSudaneseparties’internalnegotiationshavedonelittletobuildamoreequalanddemocraticstate,justastheconferenceonidentityproducednoconsensus.

Forthatmatter,theAU’sbeliefinElBashir’scapacityforreformseemsrathersurprisingconsideringthatthemanhasatwo-decadetrackrecordofrepression,duringwhichhisgovernmenthasbeenincreasingly,ratherthandecreasingly,readytovisitatrocitiesontheci-vilianpopulation.Hisreactiontotheindictmentwastelling:secureinthesupportoflargepartsoftheworld,heannouncedthatthejudgementwasworthlessthantheinkitwasprintedwith,andejectedthirteenmajoraidorganizationsfromDarfur,puttingoveramillionaidrecipientsindangerofstarvation.

How,then,arewetoviewthematter?Arequietvoicesandgentlecounselbetterthanbrashanddisruptiveactionbyoutsiders?WhileitistruethattheICC’sactionswereperhapsill-consideredandhaveaggravatedthealready

tensepoliticalsituationinthearea,wemustaskourselves:ifthosemoredirectlyinvolvedinaconflictarenotwillingtoraisedifficultissues,shoulditnotbethedutyofanoutsidefactiontodoso?Whatelsedoestheinternationalcom-munity,theUN,theICCstandforifnotacom-mitmenttodefendingtherightsofpeoplebeingmassacredbytheirownstate,evenwheresuchadefenceisinconvenientanddisruptive?

WhilethelongtermeffectsoftheICC’spro-nouncementstillremaintobeseen,onemustapplaudtheirwillingnesstotakeastandonadifficultmatterlikelytoupsetagreatnumberofpeople.Despitetheveryrealcrisiscausedbytheaidorganizationsbeingexpelledfromthecountry,IamlessinclinedtoblametheICCthanElBashirhimselfforhispettyruthlessnessinputtingoveramillionofhisowncitizensinmortaldangerasaretaliationforapersonalattack.Sometimes,whenpeoplearetoocloselyinvestedinasituationtobeabletorocktheboat,someoneelsecan,andshould,doso.

We must ask ourselves: if those more directly in-volved in a conflict are not willing to raise dif-ficult issues, should it not be the duty of an outside faction to do so? What else does the in-ternational community, the UN, the ICC stand for if not a commitment to defending the rights of people being massacred by their own state.

10

Istandfixed.At17:09theafternoonsunstillmanagestodragfiverefractedbeamsacrossitsfacetopushasideitswispycoiffure,flashingahintofcollegialeyecontactbeforedippingintothegreatbeyond:

Fosforece la luna sobre las aguas errantes.Andan días iguales persiguiéndose.*

TheSun(Latin:Sol)isthestaratthecenterofourSolarSystem,circumnavigatedbytheEarthalonganellipti-calpathatanapproxi-matemeandistanceof149,600,000kilometers.TheEarthalsorotatesinitsorbit,exposingdif-ferentsectionsofitselftotheSunatdifferenttimesandincyclicalfashion,resultinginal-ternatingperiodsoflight(day)anddark(night),withsomepolarexcep-tions.

*****

Nowisadifficulttimeforthoseofusintheartsandhumanities.Amidaglobaleconomiccrisis,asthelogicgoes,whohasthetime,ener-gy,ormoneytoreadnovels?Withpeoplelos-ingtheirjobs,theirhomes,andtheirretirementfunds,whatgoodarepubliclyfundedmuse-ums?Inshrinkingjobmarketsforwhichdiffer-entiationfromone’scompetitorsoftenrequirestheacquisitionofhighlyspecialized,technicalskills,whocanaffordtostudyphilosophy?

Infact,theartshavespentmorethanjustthesepastfewyearsofeconomicdownturnoccupyingthemarginsofpublicconcern.Tech-nologiesthatmakefaultyheartsbeatregularly,

producecleanenergy,orcarryussafelyandswiftlyfromManilatoCaracasproducetangibleandimmediatesolutionstosalientproblems,suchthatthebenefitsofthesekindsoftech-nologiesaremorewidelyandeasilyunderstoodinthebroaderpublic.

Bycontrast,historicalrelationshipsbetweenart,beauty,andpleasurestillthreatentoclass

thestudyofartsas,ifnotthesupplementalprerog-ativeofprivilegedindi-viduals,certainlythatofprivilegedsocieties.Thus,formany,theartsarenotameansofaddressingtangiblesocialproblems,butasupplement—asetofpurelyaestheticprac-tices—tobeenjoyedonlyafterasocietyhastendedtomoreimportantissues:theeconomy,thewar,thefamine,thedrought.Whattangiblesolutionsdohumanitiesscholarshave?Whatproblemsareweevenequippedtoad-dress?

Attemptstoanswerthesekindsofquestionsindefenseoftheartstypi-callyfallintotworela-tivelyextremecategories,

constitutiveofacounter-productive(andfalse)dichotomyatworst,andineffectualatbest.Eithertheartsarebeauti-ful,pleasurable,anduseless,tobeenjoyedbythoselookingforapleasurableretreatfrom‘re-ality,’ortheartsareprimarilyuseful,especiallyineducationalsettings,asameansofteachingawidelyapplicablesetofanalyticalandcom-municationskills.

Thevalueofthefirstdefenseliesinitsabilitytoshowthatthearts,byvirtueoftheirallegedautonomy,mayprovideakindofbenefitthat

Why the Arts Matter By Aaron Hanlon

11

onecannotgetelsewhere.Thedownfallofthisdefense,however,isitstendencytolapseintocircuitousargumentsaboutthebeautyofpleas-ureandthepleasureofbeauty,itsappealsto‘useless’knowledgemainlyforthosewhocanaffordtoneglectuse-value(ormarketvalue)asaconcern,anditsfailuretoaddressthemanywaysinwhichknowledgeanditspursuitcanbebothbeautifulanduseful.

Thoughitdemonstratessomeofthemoreim-mediatepracticaladvantagesofartstraining,theseconddefenseisalsoshortsightedinitsdesiretoreducethestudyofhumanitiestojustanotherofmanytypesofmarket-oriented,vocationaltraining,mostofwhich(computerprogrammingcourses,engineeringcourses)out-competehumanitiescoursestobeginwithinjobmarkets.

Withintheframeworkofthesetwodefenses,thehumanitiesareeitheranetherealsourceofpleasurewhosevalueotherwiseislostonanyoneunfamiliarwithaestheticphilosophyfromroughlyHoracetoKant,orahalf-way-vo-cationalgroupofprogramsnolongerprimarilyconcernedwiththeirnamesakeobjectofstudy,humans,inalltheircomplexity.

Ratherthanisolatingtheartsandattemptingtodefineandjustifytheminandofthemselves,wewoulddobettertounderstandtheastro-nomicalvalueofthesefieldsinrelationtoan-othersetoffields,thesciences,whosebenefitsarealreadywellunderstood.

Theartsarenotanairysupplementtobepluckedfromthestratospherewhentimesaregood,butanessentialcomplementrequired,inconjunctionwiththesciences,forthefullestunderstandingandameliorationofthehumanconditionatalltimes.Inthiscomplementaryrelationship,thesciencesprovideuswithanunderstandingofhowtheworldis,andwhatweareandarenotcapableofdoingwithinit.Theartsandhumanitiesprovideuswithanunder-standingofhowwerelatetoandexperiencetheworld,andwhatweshouldandshouldnotdowithourcontinuallyfluctuatingcapabilities.

Humans,whoselimitedfacultiesleadus,per-hapssometimesforthebetter,tonear-constantmisapprehensionanderror,aretheembodi-mentofbadscience.Weseethisperhapsasstronglyasevernow,inthewakeofwidespreadmiscalculationsandfailuresofcriticalandethi-caljudgmentamongpoliticalandindustrialleaders.Forthisreasonwemeasureandmodelwithmachineswheneverpossible;andnone-thelesswecannotobviatehumanfallibility.

Whatweknowiscontinuallydissociatedfromwhoweare.Thevalueofthehumanitieslies,then,inthisdisjunctionbetweenthewaytheworldis(accuracy)andthewayweexperienceit(humanity).

Skepticsinterestedinobservingthisphenom-enonneedonlystandfixed,feetplanted,armedwithknowledgeofastronomyandrelativity,andobservethemovementofthatwhollyhu-manandwhollyinhumanobjectasitmakesitswayacrosstheskyandeventuallybeneaththehorizon,givinguscuestoeat,drink,andsleepinanticipationofrisingwithitagainandagainandagainuntiloneofthelightsgoesout,itsoryours,whichevercomesfirst.

Itisthiseasytowitnessthedualityoftruth,ortheaporiaattheheartofwhatisandwhatappearstobe.Itisthiseasytounderstandtherebytheneedfordualenquirythroughthesciencesand the arts.

*FromPabloNeruda,Twenty Love Poems and A Song of Despair,“AquíTeAmo.”

The arts are not an airy sup-plement to be plucked from the stratosphere when times are good, but an es-sential comple-ment required, in conjunction with the sciences, for the fullest un-derstanding and amelioration of the human condi-tion at all times.

12

Japan: Ancient Traditions and Modern Misfits

Article and Photos by Heidi Kikoler

ForyearsIdreamtaboutvisitingJapan.IdideverythingIcould,apartfromvisitingthecountry,toimmersemyselfinitsmodernculture.Iatesushieveryweek.Andatthedispleasureofmywallet,sometimesmultipletimesaweek.Istudiedthelanguageforafewmonths.Notmyforte,butitdidleavemewithabetterunderstandingofJapanesewordsatsushibars.IwatchedMem- oirs of a GeishaandThe Ring.Andyes,Iwilladmit,Iownoneortwo,okay,three,HelloKittyitems(Noshame!).IfinallyvisitedJapanlastAugustandmyhighexpectationswereblownoutofthewater.Thesushiwasfantastic,nomatterifitwasconsumedat5a.m.atTokyo’sfamedTsukijiFishMarketorat11p.m.inasmallsushibardownasidealleyinOsaka.Mylanguageskillsprovedabysmal.However,notaproblemastheJapaneseturnedouttobequitekeentocommunicatewithhandgesturesandsmiles.Thegeishaturnedouttobereal.Infact,walkingatnightintheGiondistrictofKyotoattimesfeltlikeIhadsteppedontotheMemoirs of a Geishafilmset.Andmyvisitopenedupawholenewworldof‘kawaii,’Japaneseforcute,toysfromsmilingpiecesofburnttoasttooddlyamusingtofucharacters.WhilemyoriginalfascinationwithJapanleanedmoretowardsthewondersofitsmodernculture,whatstruckmewhileIwastherewasthestarkcontrastbetweentraditionalJapanandmodernJapan.ThefollowingpagescontainashortphotoessaythatdepictsthewonderfulmixofJapan’sancienttraditionsandmodernmisfits.

StatueintheOkunoinCemetaryinKoyasan

1�

CosplayerattheKyotoInternationalMangaMuseum

Cosplay,shortforcostumeplay,isafavoritepastimeforalargenumberofJapanesegirlswhodressupandadoptthepersonaoftheirfavoritemangaoranimecharacters.Asanoutsidertothissub-culture,itisanunbelievablesighttosee.

14

AShingonBuddhistmonkdoeshisearlymorningprayers,Koyasan

Waitingforthesalarymentoarriveatthegeishahouse,Kyoto

1�

AncientBuddhameetsmodernlights,Koyasan AdramaticdisplayofJapanesenailart,Tokyo

Traditionallydressedgirlsenjoyingmodernconveniences,Nara

16

�80,000

TheaveragenumberofnewusersSkype,nowlaunchingSkypefori-Phone,enlistsperday(“Sky-peGrowingby380,000UsersaDay,”PCWorld.com,Tuesday10February2009).

44,000,000,000Amount,inUSdollars,thattheUnitedStatesgovernmentspendsperannumonits“WaronDrugs,”whichtargetsillegaldrugtrade(JeffreyMiron,SeniorLecturerinEconomics,HarvardUni-versity,CNN.com,24March2009).

��,000,000,000Amount,inUSdollars,thattheUnitedStatesgovernmentforfietsinpotentialtaxrevenueonle-galizeddrugsbymaintainingdrugprohibition(JeffreyMiron,SeniorLecturerinEconomics,Har-vardUniversity,CNN.com,24March2009).

�minutes,�4seconds

Thetimeittookthemen’sOxfordBluesboattoreachthemilemarkinthe2009Oxford&Cam-bridgeBoatRace,wonbyOxford(theboatrace.org).

�minutes,4�seconds

ThetimeittookworldrecordholderHichamElGuerroujofMoroccotorunthemile(wikipedia.org).

Numerology

17

Ingredients:

�00ggoatormutton 1tspturmeric 1cinnamonstick2largeonions 1-2tspgingerpowder 40gbutter&oil�-6clovesgarlic 1tspcorianderseed pineapple,cubed1scotchbonnetchilli 1tsppeppercorns basmatirice½tubetomatopuree 1tbspcurrypowder desiccatedcoconut1tinofkindeybeans 1lime(optional) naturalyoghurt(optional)10-12cardamoms(removedfrompod)

To make the marinade:

• Roastsomecorianderseed,peppercorns,10-12cardamom,1cinnamonstick andgrindupinpestleandmortar. • Rubthemarinadeintothedicedgoat(ormutton)andalsoaddinadecent amountofturmericandgingerpowder.Massagethespicesintothegoat. • Ideally,leaveovernightinthefridge,orforatleast2hoursinasealedcontainer atroomtemperature.Addingsomelimejuicemighthelptenderisethemeatand speedupcookingtime.

To make the curry itself:

• Meltabout40gbutterwithsomeoil(grapeseed/sunflower/olive). • Chop1scotchbonnetveryfinely,and3-6clovesofgarlic. • Fryuntilthegarlicstartstoturnbrownandthenaddthemeat(completewith spices).Whenaddingthemeat,alsoaddinafairamountofcurrypowder. • Frythemeatforafewminutesuntilit’ssealed,andthenaddenoughwaterto completelycoverthemeat. • Braisethemeatforabout�0-60mins,andthenaddin2largeonions,quartered andchopped.Ifnecessary,addsomemorewatertocover. • Aftertheonionshavegonesoft(butnotcompletelycooked),addinabout½ tubeoftomatopureeandthekidneybeans. • Reducethecurrydownuntilthesauceisniceandthickandthemeatistender. • Addsomeyoghurtifthecurrymeltsyourface.

To make the accompanying rice:

• Boilsomerice(basmatiismypersonalfavourite)withsomedesiccatedcoconut. Drainandrinsewithboilingwater. • Getsomemoredesiccatedcoconutandreconstitutewithsomewater. • Chopsomepineappleslicesinto1cmcubes,andfrywithsomeoliveoil. • Oncethepineappleistender,addthericeandreconstitutedcoconutandcook untilit’snice,warmandwell-mixed.

Original RecipeMick Craig’s

Jamaican Goat Curry à la Mick

18

New Items

TheCommonRoomhassecuredtwoveryhealth-friendlyprocrastinationdevices,bothofwhicharenowavailableforuse.Thegymisnowoutfittedwithanew elliptical machine,whiletheTVroomcontainsaNintendo Wiiwiithactiivegamessuchastenniisandboxing.TosignoutakeyforWiiaccess,visittheporter’slodge.

Social

Trinitytermisgoingtobeevenbetterthanlastterm:highlightsincludesumosuitwrestlingbbq,oldschoolsportsdaywithjellyandicecream,andamurdermysteryeveningatQuod.Prepara-tionsfor this year’s Linacre ballareinfullswing,soputthedateinyourdiary(27thJune)andgetshoppingforthoseglamourousoutfits!Findoutmoreandbuyyourtick-etsatthelaunchparty,Friday1stMay.

Environmental

TheOCTannerandAbrahambuildingsnowhavenew, more efficient boilerstoreduceourenergyconsumption.Theseboilersarecapableofusingsuncollectorstoproducewarmwater.WhileLinacredoesnotyethavesuncollectors,theboilerswerecarefullychosentomeetpossiblefutureneeds,indicatingthedirectioninwhichLinacreisheadingenvironmentally.Otherprojectsonthehorizonincludetheinstallationofdouble-glazedwindowsandlow-energylightbulbsintheOCTannerBuilding.

SarahWomackandDr.JohnHolmeshavesuccessfullyiniti-atedthe Linacre Sustainability Committee,andarenowjoinedbyasecondfellowandthreestudentstocomprisetheCommittee.Itsaimistodevelopanenvironmentalroad-mapforLinacre,andtoadvisetheCollegeadministra-tionasitdefinesshort-termandlong-termgoalstoreduceLinacre’senvironmentalimpact.

Charity

Wanttovolunteer?TheOxfordHuboffersvolunteerinductionsandcoordinatorworkshopsforavarietyofcharitableactivities.E-mailvolunteermanager@oxfordhub.orgorcall0186�40���1toaskquestionsandgetinvolved.

Li(n)es

InterestedinbecomingpartofLinacre Li(n)es?E-mailAaronatlines@linacre.ox.ac.uk.

Community

19

Last Word: A Short Story By Pierre Menard, autor del Quijote

Lastword.1

� M—trifledwithamenucornerwherethelaminatewasflayed,hisfingersthink-ingtheymightpeelitbackfarenoughtogetatthepaperin-side,therestofhimnotthink-ing.Heconcludedmomentsearlierthatsanityisamatterofstatistics,andthoughtthemattersettled.Hewasasam-pleofone.

ThepubwasthreeblocksfromS—’sflatonthesamestreetwherethetwoofthemcookeddinnertogether.Hedidthechopping,shethefrying.Theymadefajitas.Hewentthereaf-terwork,halfsix.Shegreetedhim.Noavocadohesaid.Backoutfortheavocado.

Hedrankfromhispintwithalacrity,sippingcompulsivelyandpausingonlytoacknowl-edgetheworkingofhisfingersonthemenu,histhumbnailthrustintheshallowgrooveofthesplitcorner,hisotherthumbandforefingerpressedtogetherlikeapincer,graspingatthethincurlofplastic.

M—cameuptheliftwiththeavocadoandmadehiswaydownthehall.S—wasrus-tlingaboutinthekitchen,soundingbusy.ThedoorwasajarenoughforM—tocatchglimpsesofhermechanicalmovementsasheapproached:apieceofrigidarmasshepiv-otedbacktowardtherefrigera-tor,thepinklineofhercalf.

HalfwaythroughthepintitoccurredtoM—whathehaddone.Hisfingerswerenowbusyonascrapofmenupaperhehadaccessedandtornoff,pullingitintosmallpiecesand

collectingthepiecesinatidypile.Hesattearingwithhisforearmsrestedonthetableandthehalf-emptypintglassinthecenterbetweenhistorsoandhisoutstretchedarms,givingtheappearance,fromhispointofview,ofanambersnowglobeashesprinkledthetornbitsofwhitepaperintohispilebehindthebeer.M—wasexperiencinggravity.

Heploddedloudlyasheap-proachedthedoortoavoidstartlingS—,whoseperam-bulationsaboutthekitchenwerealwayssofrenetic,herchangesofmindanddirectionsoabrupt,thatspookinghercouldeasilymeancatchinganincidentalfryingpanorsalsabowlintheteeth.Herbodywastense,hethought;ma-chine-like.M—calledhername(forgoodmeasure)ashecamethroughthethreshold.

Hewasstaringthroughthepintglassatthebitsofwhitepaperwhenhefeltthefirstadvancesoffeeling,whichafteronlyafewmomentsheightenedtofull-onassault.Hisstomachwascold;thepressurewaswellingupinhisesophagus.Hisfeetpickedupliketimedautomatawherehisfingersleftoffandbegantap-pingandfidgetingunderthetable.Hehadtomove.

Backwiththeavocado,Isee.Acknowledginghisarrival,S—cametoajerkinghaltafewfeetinfrontofhimwithachoppingknifeinonehandandabowlofcilantrointheother.Sheworeathinsmile,acamisole,andapairofheelswhich,thoughhighenoughtobringhertohiseyelevel,

werenotquitestilettoindi-ameter.Herhairwasstillwetfromtheshower;shelookedgood,hethought.Shealwayslooksgood.Istartedchopping,S—said.Whattooksolong?Queues.

M—acquiescedtohisfeet,swunghislegsoutfromun-derthetable,andwalkedasinconspicuouslyashecouldtowardthebathroom.Inside,heavoidedtheurgetogazeathimselfinthemirrorlikesomanyfilmcharactersinmo-mentsofmacabremeaculpabeforeoraftersomethingirreconcilabletakesplace.Hescrubbedhishandsinthesinktwoorthreeseparatetimes—hewasn’tcertain—anddriedtheminthestallwithamassoftoilettissue.Wheretogonow?

Hefinishedthechopping;shebeganfryingandwarmingthetortillasintheoven.Hepouredtwoglassesofwhitezinfandelfromaboxintherefrigeratorandputtwoplatesontheta-ble.Sheputthewarmtortillasontheplates,thenthefriedmixtureontop.Hefoldedhertortillaforher,asalways,intoasturdypouch.Hefoldedhisown.Howwasyourday?Fine.Yours?Good.Shecameoutoftheshowerashearrived.Givemeaminute,shesaid,asthoughitwereabadtime.Hesettheavocadoonachair.Whensheemergedfromthebathroominatowelhershouldersandcollarbonewerewetfromherstill-saturat-edhair.Shedroppedthetowelandsatonthebedatonceinafluidmotion.M—feltafamil-iarcoldnessinhisstomachas

20

hejoinedheronthebed.Shetookhishandandpresseditflatonaspotatthebaseofherneckwherethedropletsofwaterfromherhairbegantheirslowdescent.M—wasexperiencinggravity.Heleanedintoherandlethisweightgo;theyfellintothebedintandemandmadelove.Hazyaboutwhathehaddone,hedressedhimselfhastilyandleftherflatinapanic.Wheretogonow?Therewasapubacrossthestreet.Hewalkedin,tookacornertable.Pintoflager,please.Hebeganfingeringthemenuatthecornerwherethelaminatewasflayed.Nottheflat;notnow.

M—wasinbed,restless.Hetriedtoclosehiseyeswith-outseeingherlayingthereandfeelingthecoldnessinhisstomach.Hisfeetbegantostir.Hehadtomove.Outtothekitchenforaglassofwater.Dishesinthesink.Theknife.Hewentbacktobed.HisstirringwasenoughtokeepS—awake.

‘Troublesleeping?’

‘I’mfeelingkindofill.Ithinktheavocadowasoverripe.Mustbetheavocado.’

‘I’msureit’stheavocado.’

S—leanedintohimnowandputahandoverhisstomach,stillwearingthecamisole.Withherotherhandbehindhershereachedthroughthedarkto-wardthenightstanduntilherfingertipsfoundcoldsteel.Sheknewitwasn’ttheavocado.Shewaspurringinhisearnow.Hewasenjoyingit.

‘IstheresomethingIcandotohelpyousleep,mydear?’

Heinhaledsharplyassheranherhandunderhist-shirt.

‘Yes.’