Congratulations to Russell Arben Fox, who is leaving Arkansas State for a new position at Western Illinois University. He's also developing a course on political theory and film. You may want to stop by In Media Res with some suggestions.

Cliopatria wishes a speedy recovery to Michael Berube, who had an emergency appendectomy on Thursday, the 19th.

If you have the stomach for it, you ought to read Tim Golden,"In U. S. Report, Brutal Details of 2 Afghan Inmates' Deaths," New York Times, 20 May. This is behavior beyond disgraceful.

Warren Hoge,"Swedes Dispute Translation of a U. N. Legend's Book," New York Times, 22 May, reports that knowledgeable Swedes have long believed that W. H. Auden's translation, Markings, of Dag Hammarskjold's memoir seriously distorted the diplomat's intentions.

Both Daily Kos and Instapundit are recommending that you act now to contact the Federal Elections Commission to comment on its proposed regulations of internet communications. The FEC needs to receive all comments by 3 June.

When a reader of the private listserv, H-AmStdy, asked for a short list of famous lost things for an article he is preparing, the suggestions ranged from the obvious (the manuscript of Phillis Wheatley's second book, Robert E. Lee's Special Order 191, the golden tablets on which the Book of Mormon was said to be inscribed) to the shocking (King Philip's crippled hand that was displayed in a jar of brandy in New England bars, his jaw that Cotton Mather is said to have pulled from his head when it was impaled on a pole in Salem, and Nat Turner's scrotum, which was said to have been made into a coin purse and displayed in the ante-bellum South).

Although she makes the common error of confusing the Industrial Workers of the World with the International Workers of the World, Dr. History reminds us that this is the centennial year of both the Industrial Workers of the World and Rotary. They were both founded in Chicago in 1905. Shouldn't there be a comparative study of working class and middle class organization in that coincidence?

Whether you are a"Star Wars" geek or not, you can enjoy the"Grocery Store Wars." Thanks to Josh Chafetz at Oxblog for the tip. But, speaking of grocery store wars, how about this museum spoof over at Barista? While you're there, he's got a great shot of a beautiful old horse-drawn omnibus and some good ideas for promotingaudiences for blogs.