Most of the vintage dance events around here say things like "Historical attire suggested but not required" or "..admired but not required". The problem is, what does it mean to someone who doesn't have the historical costume. Sure, it's not required, but what is?

Sheila singing Meet Me in St Louis Louis at the Lanterman Ragtime Tea Dance in 2009. The band is led by Ian Whitcomb.

Proper behavior and attire for the 19th Century American Man

One of the big challenges in putting on a vintage dance event is finding the right hall. Here are a few thoughts on the topic from someone who has been doing it for a few decades.

I gave a presentation called "Marketing with Everything You've Got: the interconnectedness of all things" at the latest convention of the users of the Library automation system that my employer uses (the vendor is called SIRSI/Dynix).

The presentation advocates a holistic approach to marketing that first emphasizes good customer service. While the Powerpoint slides lack much of my narrative, they do give a fair outline of my arguments.

Video taken at medieval living history programs.

There has been much talk lately about torture -- with the defenders asserting that, moral objections aside, it was effective and therefore justified. The "ticking timebomb" is held up as the exemplary scenario. I'm afraid this is illogical, given the ultimate dynamic of torture.

It looks like venerable institutions like the Smithsonian and Eastman collection are putting their photo archives up on Flickr. I haven't been able to find a proper "portal" that links to all of them, but here's what I have found:

The Smithsonian

LIbrary of Congress

Nationaal Archief Netherlands

The Library of Virgina