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How do we get an invite to book club?

So, she's using her own views and not history to make a point? Why can't white people accept the fact that these so-called "great" people and stories that WE were all taught about those people are lies? Class and economics have always played a role in America and to think that wealthy white people didn't or still don't look down on other white people is insane. When its other racial groups white people have no problem believing myths like all black people are poor, live in the ghetto and steal BUT to read the truth that the real waste people of American history were uneducated whites is a one-sided opinion is suspect? Explain that when you literally have documented proof! I've read the entire book, when you get to the end please reach out and include me in your book club so we can discuss it.

You got my subscription, it amazes me how people older than me dont know this part of history.

You make a good point about Ivan the Terrible being actually Ivan the Awesome but awesome back then linguistically meant terrible so both statements are correct.

have you thought of teaching about using obsidian and a zettelkasten as the hub of an academic and scholarly life? i’m unemployed myself now, but i would absolutely consider such classes.

Welcome back!

Its Aaron Gladhill here. I feel like I was tremendously lucky to get to study under you at bemidji state university. The times I learned, studied, and conversed within your classes and advisory are times I will always hold in reverence. Thank you so much for teaching at BSU, as it enriched my college experience.

Graeber died suddenly from necrotic pancreatitis in 2020. He was a brilliant writer. ✍

It has been an interesting side journey having left employers over my career to date, two 'American' style as in paid off and out the door within the hour. The 'working notice period' for the other three were by the UK's normal month, and I was in those cases to busy clearing the desk and loose ends and preparing to start the next to particularly worry constructively about 'right decision/wrong decision'. So as you reflected, railed against and moved your focus about, whilst within the same environment was instructive. Glad to see the current positive mood, but I was ready to jump a plane to 'hold' whoever you needed holding to 'bash' some sense into if called upon, might still have to. : )))))) So have a good new start when you fully start in St. Pauls

So glad you have something to look forward to -- may it turn out to be GOOD luck! I'll be looking forward to see what you share next on your journey. Cheers!

i hope good luck stays with you, hombre.

nice you sharing this moment, I watched them all until you left temporarily

i got reccomended this video, never heard of your channel till now, but dammit im glad to have you back dan.

Hoping for the best

Glad you're back! Looking forward to the new content!

Welcome back to CZcams, Dan! Best wishes for you and future.

Great news! This made my day! Thanks, Dan! ~Mikjail

As a black man born and raised in the south who understands and know the history and platform of the democrat party. I cannot understand why black people are part of the democrat party. I worked for HBCU and they do not teach the true history of blacks in America.

Is there a specific reason why you chose Substack? Did you also consider Ghost or Medium?

This occurred also in Brazil at the time of the building of the Rio de Janeiro settlement. The French abandoned in huge numbers the settlement to live among the different tribes of the region. It went so far as to make the authorities worried and imposed a law that no whites could settle among the natives, to save the colony. Similar comments about the differences I read in a book back in the 80ties about this, so the ideas in Dawn are not new, though it's a good addition.

The idea of handwriting note taking has been questioned lately in studies trying to replicate results showing it was better than typing.

if i can make a suggestion about the videos on youtube. unlist them rather than delete them. some people have linked specifically to your videos and deleting them will remove them as that sort of resource. they won't randomly show up as related or be pushed in searches or anything, but they will still be available for people who have them in playlists and who have linked them on twitter/blogs as part of conversations. i know i'm in this category and once the videos are gone it breaks the integrity of those existing webs. while the videos may still be available somewhere else, paid or not, information is still lost when those webs break down. but at the end of the day, it is your work and your decision and i respect that. best of luck on substack.

Hello Dan! I hope the change goes well. It's a bit sad for me to see your videos removed from the platform - not only now but since the channel transition almost a year ago. I found some of them on Vimeo, which is great. I advocate for public archives, staying as long as possible on the web, and CZcams is good at doing that. One never knows when someone might come back to some video. That happened to me with one you titled something like "How can you believe me?" I only saw a part of it at the time, and when the idea hit my head again, and I wanted to go back, it no longer existed. I keep thinking about that some days. Having said all this, I respect and understand your decision. There is another thing I would like to add: I think there is something with the titles that does not work the best way. It's common that to find something, search the name of the person or the CZcams channel. If I search for "MakingHistory" on CZcams, the platform corrects it to "Making History." I have to put it in quotes to work precisely. If I search for your name, your old channel mainly appears. That is why it's common to see that many times the channels are titled with the author's name, or with something plus the author's name. The same thing happens with the titles of the videos, which don't include the most key and remarkable aspects for those who are interested - since there are people who see this type of content, but it does not reach their hands. And that is what must be achieved. It's sad that this is how CZcams works, because I also prefer shorter and more minimalist titles, and I don't like it nor am I good at thinking in a business way... but apparently things don't work like that. Perhaps it's necessary to cultivate the name and the brand, and you have done excellently with many history videos and especially with the knowledge management (which is how I found you years ago). If the path is to search for an audience, and reach it, perhaps it's important to think about those little tricks and guidelines, which I may have expressed poorly (because of my lack of knowledge, and my rudimentary English), but there are people who know much more about it. I cannot emphasize how grateful I am to you. You are a true intellectual inspiration. And I will always hope that everything goes well for you. See you at Substack and elsewhere, Mikjail

I will check out Substack to see your material. Frankly, I wish you would stay on CZcams. The Book Club could have/should have drawn more people, but some of the participants had poor production values, and one in particular would speak at great length and not necessarily about the book under discussion. Perhaps a book club with a revised format, fewer participants, and agreed upon tecnical standards could be more successful. I am a fan, and have often wished you had more subscribers and views. I enjoy your laid-back, soft spoken style. Your setting is visually appealing with the plants and the meandering feline presence. I have benefited from your book on note-making, and enjoyed your videos. I do not pretend to know what would increase your audience, and I do not know what other historians are doing on CZcams. However, speaking personally, as I learn more about my Indigenous heritage, colonialism, and racism my interest in history increases. Current events and wars in Ukraine and the mid-east, poverty and oppression here on Turtle Island, the people on our streets all raise huge issues and concerns, and reflect their respective histories. As I, an unofficial student at 75, try to understand more I am drawn to a range of ideas that excite my "little grey cells", as Christie's Poirot (sp?) would say. I have rediscovered the ideas of Paulo Freire, which influeced me in the 1970s, and his thoughts on adult literacy, oppression, and education, and am pursuing relatively recent interests in genocide studies and intersectionality - a trail from Freire to Lemkin to the Afro-American feminist movement. All of the above makes history relevant and exciting (at least to me)! And then there is the question of how to pull all of this together in a meaningful way. I am writing this off the top of my head, but I am thinking that if I were in one of your lectures, or sitting in your office with the plants and the feline presence you would have ideas about how to make sense of all of this in a good way. My thought is that this could perhaps happen on CZcams. Whatever happens, Dan, I am a fan and appreciate what you do! Please forgive me if I have been presumptuous or overstepped. All the best to you! Chi Miigwetch! (thank you very much) - Daly

What CZcams gives you is discoverability. I've been enjoying your book club videos. which I discovered on CZcams. Due to the length of them, I haven't had time to watch the ones from the last two months or so but do plan to do so. Unless they get moved from CZcams to behind a pay wall. (I'm a free subscriber on Substack.)

Please consider breaking the video into chapters.

Hello sir do you jave watssap or Facebook Contact?

When I saw the Neo Slavery video, I was so mad at the fact that I was taught a lie well I was in School. I don't understand why teachers don't teach this style of history when its important to race relations today. I get it if Teachers don't want to blame white people for what other white people did in the past. But no matter what our ancestors did in the past, we are not responsible for what they did in the past. Its our goal in the present to learn from our history and be better. In fact its our government that is the caused of so many issues with race relations today.

This was great. I didn't expect to sit & watch the entire thing but i thoroughly enjoyed your insight.

Thank you so much professor.

Your response to Neoslavery is almost as narrow as Neoslavery video itself. To keep this pithy, I will say you are projecting your 21st Century mindset into the very History you claim to be studying. Secondly, where in the world did slavery not exist in the 18th and 19th Centuries? Slavery is an institution that was universal, all races were guilty. In fact, it still goes on today in certain parts of the globe. The etymological roots of the word slave comes from the word Slavic. Hmmm, I wonder why that would be? 🤔. History cannot be objectively studied by projecting our subjective views of our times and way of thinking into historical research. Proper perspective is needed!

Thank you for sharing the method of scanning microfilm. Compared to the professional scanning machine used in the library, what is the specific scanning effect of this machine? What is the resolution of the scanned image? Is the text blurry? I am preparing to digitize some of my own 35mm microfilm, but the price of a professional machine is too high for me. I saw your sharing, so I would like to ask this question.

In the preface, the editor goes on for a bit about the propagandization of education and mass media, and that the remedy for this is having a liberal arts education available to everyone. They address digests, too. "We attach importance to making whole works, as distinguished from excerpts, available; and in all but three cases... No one will deny that many arid stretches are contained in the works of the great writers. But we believed that it would be presumptuous for us to do the reader's skipping for him. When Herman Hesse referred to the present age as "the Age of the Digest," he did not intend to say anything complimentary... "... Here are great errors as well as great truths. The reader has to determine which are the errors and which the truths. The task of interpretation and conclusion is his. This is the machinery and life of the Western tradition in the hands of free men."

In spite of or even because of the popularity of the Internet there should be an interest to rewrite this book.

Fast upload Dan

Could you share the link to the Adler/Van Doren videos?

Just before you started talking about ChatGPT at the end, I had been on there, seeing what would turn up, in terms of studies or histories of the development of the Great Books series. Outside of obscure political questions, I generally have a much easier time with the bot than I had here. ME: Is there a detailed history or study of the creation and publication of the Great Books series? ChatGPT: Yes, there is a detailed history and study of the creation and publication of the Great Books series. It was initiated by Mortimer J. Adler and Robert Hutchins in 1947 as part of the Great Books Foundation. The series aimed to compile essential works of literature, philosophy, and science. Detailed information can be found in books and academic articles on the subject. ME: I would like to know if anybody studied the process of Adler and co.? ChatGPT: Yes, there have been studies and analyses of the process initiated by Mortimer J. Adler and his colleagues in creating the Great Books series. These studies often examine the selection criteria for the books, the editorial process, and the impact of the series on education and intellectual discourse. You can find academic works and articles that delve into these aspects for a more in-depth understanding. ME: Is there a history of the series? ChatGPT: Yes, there is a history of the Great Books series. It originated in 1947 when Mortimer J. Adler and Robert Hutchins launched the project as part of the Great Books Foundation. The series aimed to compile essential works of literature, philosophy, and science. A detailed history of the series, including its development, evolution, and impact, can be found in books and articles dedicated to this subject. ME: I understand that Adler and Hutchins were involved. Did anybody else write about the process of creating this series? ChatGPT: Yes, there have been writings by other authors who have explored the process of creating the Great Books series initiated by Mortimer J. Adler and Robert Hutchins. These authors have provided insights, critiques, and analyses of the series' development. If you're interested in a broader perspective on the creation of the Great Books series, you can explore these additional works by different authors. ME: Who? ChatGPT: Several authors and scholars have written about the creation of the Great Books series and the contributions of Mortimer J. Adler and Robert Hutchins. Some notable ones include: Charles Van Doren: Van Doren wrote about his experiences as an editor for the Great Books series and his collaboration with Mortimer J. Adler. Dennis Sepper: Sepper's work includes analyses of Adler's philosophy and his role in shaping the Great Books series. Bruce Kuklick: Kuklick has written about the educational philosophy behind the Great Books project and its impact on American higher education. These authors, among others, have provided insights and perspectives on the creation of the Great Books series from various angles. ME: Please direct me to criticism of the project. ChatGPT: Criticism of the Great Books project has come from various scholars and educators over the years. Some areas of criticism include its selection of authors and works, its focus on Western literature to the exclusion of other cultures, and debates about the canon itself. To find in-depth criticism of the project, you can explore academic articles, essays, and books written by scholars who have examined its limitations and controversies. ME: I need names and titles. ChatGPT: Certainly, here are some authors and titles that offer criticism of the Great Books project: Allan Bloom - "The Closing of the American Mind" - Bloom critiques the Great Books approach, arguing that it fails to provide a comprehensive education. Stanley Fish - "There's No Such Thing as Free Speech, and It's a Good Thing, Too" - Fish discusses limitations of the Great Books in addressing contemporary issues. Harold Bloom - "The Western Canon: The Books and School of the Ages" - While not entirely critical, Harold Bloom engages in debates about the canon and its exclusions. Anthony Kronman - "Education's End: Why Our Colleges and Universities Have Given Up on the Meaning of Life" - Kronman explores how the Great Books curriculum can fall short in addressing life's fundamental questions. These authors and their works provide critical perspectives on the Great Books project and its impact on education and intellectual discourse. -- That's all I could handle.

Tomorrow will be 50 days that you've been on this journey. Here area few questions that might be worth asking yourself: What progress do you feel you've made over those 50 days to get you on the path to whatever comes next? Do you think you've used those 50 days as well as you could have in that sense? Give yourself a little bit of grace here since some of that time needed to be spent processing the upheaval and emotional aspect of the retrenchment. Do you have a clear game plan for moving forward?

Dan, confusing or unlinked... an oxymoron, surely. : ))))) An interesting review of the book and a D&D boundary... And nice to see more comments

I'm enjoying the progression of your vlog, whatever the framework/topic. "Retrenchment" as an era, this valley in your journey. You are a compelling storyteller, so I check in to listen. There's a narrative sensemaking aspect which is relatable, especially to viewers who have been laid off or underappreciated in other fields, too. We are legion these days! The "choose your own adventure" through history has been used by museums for user engagement and education to great effect. Or even escape rooms! Maybe explore that method a little to capture the theatrics.

Promo>SM

Dan, in response to your questions, I think the primary consideration should be whether these daily Retrenchment videos are the best use of your time each day; I think we are interested in how your quest progresses, but perhaps a less frequent posting might suffice. There is also a broader issue that you might consider: the current evolution of education in America; for example, the retrenchments happening at other colleges, like U of WV[1]; the shift of public funding from public to private schools[2]; and whether the costs and benefits of college are causing more high schoolers to skip college[3]. Your questions: and my answers: [S]hould I talk about this stuff in these retrenchment posts? Sure Stop the retrenchment posts and focus on the new stuff? Depends on your time use; suggest you broaden and combine the title. Or drop the daily retrenchment posting and just say something about BSU when there's something to say about news or changes? An OK option. I suggest a broader title/content focus, to change the negative tinge of Retrenchment, to something like: Our Journey - Retrenchment (Day x) -- others are caught up too in this shift in education and politics of our era. I'd be interested in your views on these broader trends, as well as continuing to know how you are affected and are adapting to them. But, it's yours to determine what is the best use of your time and the benefits of posting here. All the best to you. Pat 1. [Deep Cuts To Faculty, Academic Programs At West Virginia University](www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2023/08/12/deep-cuts-to-faculty-and-academic-programs-recommended-at-west-virginia-university/?sh=706182536321) 2. [Why the school choice movement is finally scoring breakthrough wins in the Biden era - Vox](www.vox.com/politics/23689496/school-choice-education-savings-accounts-american-federation-children) 3. [American colleges in crisis with enrollment decline largest on record | Fortune](fortune.com/2023/03/09/american-skipping-college-huge-numbers-pandemic-turned-them-off-education/)

I like the daily blog, regardless of the topic. If it's about 5-10 mins then I'm happy to drop in and listen. It's been interesting to listen to your tone and comparing it to going through the various stages of grief. I'm now hooked on seeing how this pans out for you over the next year.

I've really enjoyed your daily posts. In a way, I've been vicariously revisiting some episodes of my own history, both distant and recent. I left BSU a bit over a decade ago, the year before the last retrenchment crisis, when I almost certainly would have been retrenched myself. It's amazing how much appears not to have changed in the interim. More recently, I learned just over a year ago that it was to be my final year at the university where I was teaching, so your posts have been a window into my own mindset of a year ago: a lot to say at first and then, once the dust had settled a bit, the day-to-day demands of teaching interspersed with the slog toward something new. Since things will likely grind slowly at BSU (I suspect most of the players are stuck somewhere between "waiting to see what develops" and "wishing it would all just go away") if you only post when there's news, there may be very few things left to post. My 2 cents: I think a "because-of-retrenchment" series is as valuable a primary record as just recording the events would be.

I think it's a nice vlog where you indicate the things that are going on at your university and the way you count down. It has been a great way to process the first part in your head and explore new ideas. I hope you continue this way.

I'll say I found you recently due to your Obsidian, note taking, and Zettlecasten/Luhmann history videos. I had never heard the term retrenchment before this video series and watched the first one to figure out what it was. Now 48 episdoes in I find it oddly interesting to watch. First the upset at being retrenched, then the shots at the university, and now the acceptance and looking forward to what the next steps are for you. Personally I think this daily video journal entry is a way to follow someone who is knowingly working their last year and figuring out what to do next with their professional life. Obviously you have to focus on setting up that next stage but watching this progression is fascinating and can be a teaching tool in and of itself for others in similar situations. I get that a daily video is difficult but I don't think it should be dropped at this point entirely.

I would suggest going forward with the last hybrid approach.

I've been seeing these videos as your journey from teaching to whatever comes next for you, not the overall saga of the retrenchment and how it impacts the school. Today's video was in line with that. You are figuring out what you want to do next and how you want to do it.

So, now it's a "because-of-retrenchment" diary ...

Cant watch when there are documentaies made by people who knew Che. Dislike having to listen to biased people going on ...life is too short