johndavidcobb.bsky.social
@johndavidcobb.bsky.social
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I always tell students if you ask a good question the article will write itself
December 30, 2025 at 4:12 AM
I always tell students if you ask a good question the article will write itself
Reposted by johndavidcobb.bsky.social
"Mahadharmaraksita was "a Greek Buddhist head monk" who led 30,000 Buddhist monks from "the Greek city of Alasandra" (Alexandria of the Caucasus), to Sri Lanka for the dedication of the Great Stupa in Anuradhapura during the rule (165–135 BCE) of King Menander I."
World is trippy dude
World is trippy dude
Mahadharmaraksita - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
November 20, 2025 at 3:34 PM
"Mahadharmaraksita was "a Greek Buddhist head monk" who led 30,000 Buddhist monks from "the Greek city of Alasandra" (Alexandria of the Caucasus), to Sri Lanka for the dedication of the Great Stupa in Anuradhapura during the rule (165–135 BCE) of King Menander I."
World is trippy dude
World is trippy dude
Reposted by johndavidcobb.bsky.social
there are lots of people who write "big history" books - even as non-historians! - who are liked and respected and engaged with by historians because they did the work! a couple of examples off the top of my head: James C. Scott, Charles Mann.
People say it's impossible to write a responsible "Big History" book but I think that's false! You would just have to be diligent in reading the literature and systematic in contacting academics to stress-test your conclusions.
The Ted Talk crowd would rather pontificate than do actual work.
The Ted Talk crowd would rather pontificate than do actual work.
3 point plan for success: Read. Listen. Try to get it right.
November 20, 2025 at 5:25 PM
there are lots of people who write "big history" books - even as non-historians! - who are liked and respected and engaged with by historians because they did the work! a couple of examples off the top of my head: James C. Scott, Charles Mann.
Reposted by johndavidcobb.bsky.social
I kind of love that every second Leonard Cohen song is about "what if this traditional expression of longing for the divine was also about a real sexy lady"
August 16, 2025 at 4:52 PM
I kind of love that every second Leonard Cohen song is about "what if this traditional expression of longing for the divine was also about a real sexy lady"
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A series of Iranian propaganda postcards based on one of the plots of the famous Persian epic Shahnameh (Book of Kings) in support of the Allied Powers during World War II. #Iran
August 8, 2025 at 6:40 PM
A series of Iranian propaganda postcards based on one of the plots of the famous Persian epic Shahnameh (Book of Kings) in support of the Allied Powers during World War II. #Iran
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Q: Why were the Mitanni so big on chariots?
A: They were always Hurrian.
A: They were always Hurrian.
August 7, 2025 at 7:46 AM
Q: Why were the Mitanni so big on chariots?
A: They were always Hurrian.
A: They were always Hurrian.
Reposted by johndavidcobb.bsky.social
For a medieval monastic chronicler, a headline to die for
August 2, 2025 at 7:19 PM
For a medieval monastic chronicler, a headline to die for
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the peace of westphalia
June 22, 2025 at 7:27 PM
the peace of westphalia
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The most evergreen tweet of all time:
May 27, 2025 at 1:43 AM
The most evergreen tweet of all time:
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Interviewer: Can you explain this gap in your resume?
Me, a Sinologist: The essay topic is 吾猶及史之闕文也.
1. Exordium: The Sage laments that the virtue of former historians no longer obtains.
2. Propositio thematis: Of old, historians left gaps in texts rather than fill them with baseless hearsay
Me, a Sinologist: The essay topic is 吾猶及史之闕文也.
1. Exordium: The Sage laments that the virtue of former historians no longer obtains.
2. Propositio thematis: Of old, historians left gaps in texts rather than fill them with baseless hearsay
Interviewer: Can you explain this gap in your resume?
Me, a network engineer: nope, sounds like an end-user device issue
Me, a network engineer: nope, sounds like an end-user device issue
Interviewer: Can you explain this gap in your resume?
Me, a software engineer: Hmm, it looks just fine on my machine. Have you tried rebooting?
Me, a software engineer: Hmm, it looks just fine on my machine. Have you tried rebooting?
May 13, 2025 at 1:50 AM
Interviewer: Can you explain this gap in your resume?
Me, a Sinologist: The essay topic is 吾猶及史之闕文也.
1. Exordium: The Sage laments that the virtue of former historians no longer obtains.
2. Propositio thematis: Of old, historians left gaps in texts rather than fill them with baseless hearsay
Me, a Sinologist: The essay topic is 吾猶及史之闕文也.
1. Exordium: The Sage laments that the virtue of former historians no longer obtains.
2. Propositio thematis: Of old, historians left gaps in texts rather than fill them with baseless hearsay
Reposted by johndavidcobb.bsky.social
love reading a 12 year old girl in 1911 write a mech pilot tweet in her diary abt the experience of driving an automobile
April 26, 2025 at 9:45 PM
love reading a 12 year old girl in 1911 write a mech pilot tweet in her diary abt the experience of driving an automobile
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The 9% pro black death are actually medieval labor historians who point out wages went up dramatically in its aftermath.
At long last someone has identified RFK Jr.'s support base: the 9% of people who have a favorable opinion of the Black Plague
April 24, 2025 at 7:10 PM
The 9% pro black death are actually medieval labor historians who point out wages went up dramatically in its aftermath.
Reposted by johndavidcobb.bsky.social
"Liberty is the possibility of doubting, the possibility of making a mistake, the possibility of searching and experimenting, the possibility of saying No to any authority - literary, artistic, philosophic, religious, social and even political."
Ignazio Silone
Ignazio Silone
April 21, 2025 at 11:51 PM
"Liberty is the possibility of doubting, the possibility of making a mistake, the possibility of searching and experimenting, the possibility of saying No to any authority - literary, artistic, philosophic, religious, social and even political."
Ignazio Silone
Ignazio Silone
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are we sure the Trump White House isn't using Vicky 3 as a simulator
April 21, 2025 at 11:54 PM
are we sure the Trump White House isn't using Vicky 3 as a simulator
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In other news I am supposed to be at the airport in two hours & amn’t packed because I have considered the virtues of simply standing around my room in a silent stupor & found them genuinely compelling
April 19, 2025 at 8:28 PM
In other news I am supposed to be at the airport in two hours & amn’t packed because I have considered the virtues of simply standing around my room in a silent stupor & found them genuinely compelling
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Sign by the sink in men’s washroom, NY Supreme Court.
February 27, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Sign by the sink in men’s washroom, NY Supreme Court.
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January 25, 2025 at 9:30 PM
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I threw together this design years ago. Should really have them printed, for the few dozen people for whom this means anything.
December 3, 2024 at 2:04 PM
I threw together this design years ago. Should really have them printed, for the few dozen people for whom this means anything.
Reposted by johndavidcobb.bsky.social
The elf on the shelf is an agent of the surveillance state (he works here)
December 25, 2024 at 12:04 AM
The elf on the shelf is an agent of the surveillance state (he works here)
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Interviewer: Can you explain this gap in your resume?
Assyriologist: Du[ring] grad sch[ool] I [took?] a position ... [13 lines illegible] ... now.
Assyriologist: Du[ring] grad sch[ool] I [took?] a position ... [13 lines illegible] ... now.
December 20, 2024 at 8:36 PM
Interviewer: Can you explain this gap in your resume?
Assyriologist: Du[ring] grad sch[ool] I [took?] a position ... [13 lines illegible] ... now.
Assyriologist: Du[ring] grad sch[ool] I [took?] a position ... [13 lines illegible] ... now.
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ansibyl
Inspired by another's idea, asking o1 this:
Basically, what are some scientific/technological insights that would have changed Rome.
Basically, what are some scientific/technological insights that would have changed Rome.
December 17, 2024 at 4:52 AM
ansibyl
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I'm not religious but damn do I love a christian carol. "O Holy Night"? It is if someone's singing that song. "Fall on your knees" ??!! Already down here, buddy. You've knocked me out
December 19, 2024 at 9:06 PM
I'm not religious but damn do I love a christian carol. "O Holy Night"? It is if someone's singing that song. "Fall on your knees" ??!! Already down here, buddy. You've knocked me out
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I’m trying to get comfortable with self promo so here is the theoretically award-eligible work, If you truly think “A Hoard of Infinite Meanings” deserves an award for, idk, best short story about magical languages, you can nominate it.
December 18, 2024 at 7:21 PM
I’m trying to get comfortable with self promo so here is the theoretically award-eligible work, If you truly think “A Hoard of Infinite Meanings” deserves an award for, idk, best short story about magical languages, you can nominate it.
Reposted by johndavidcobb.bsky.social
JRRT: this is Lúthien. She is an icon. She is the moment. Here she is rescuing her boyfriend from Sauron’s dungeon. Here she is seducing the god of evil. Here she is convincing the god of death to bring her boyfriend back to life.
Also JRRT: here’s Beren, every bad thing happens to him twice.
Also JRRT: here’s Beren, every bad thing happens to him twice.
Ok JRRT wrote an epic poem that was a genderswapped Orpheus/Eurydice retelling, in which his wife was a supernaturally beautiful half elf/half goddess amazon princess, he should be canonized as the patron saint of weird little freak artists.
I mean if there ever was a creator whose example should encourage you to be a weird little freak, pouring out years of your life on your weird little freak art, it was JRRT. Automating the process destroys the whole point, to say nothing of the environmental and social effects.
December 19, 2024 at 3:31 PM
JRRT: this is Lúthien. She is an icon. She is the moment. Here she is rescuing her boyfriend from Sauron’s dungeon. Here she is seducing the god of evil. Here she is convincing the god of death to bring her boyfriend back to life.
Also JRRT: here’s Beren, every bad thing happens to him twice.
Also JRRT: here’s Beren, every bad thing happens to him twice.