[Sca-cooks] Interkingdom Anthropology

[Judith Epstein]

On 10 Nov 2009, at 2:04 AM, Stefan li Rous wrote:

> Judith, you are in the Middle Kingdom, right?  Are you aware that it  
> is one of the few, if not the only one, that still has arguments  
> over what is an art vs. what is a science? Because it still has  
> different offices for each.

I can see why there's argument, to be honest. At a certain point, art  
becomes science; at a certain point, science becomes art (or  
religion). The argument is probably over where that activity begins,  
where the average practitioner of the activity is, and where that art/ 
science switchover happens, and then which of these things ought to  
take precedence. (Precedence is big in the Society, I've noticed.) I  
can also see why it's split -- that's a lot of people to administer,  
so of course they want to divide the work so more than one person can  
go insane doing it. ;)

> To me, holding a fighter practice inside (in a gymnasium???!) is  
> just, plain, weird.

I've lived through ten Chicago winters now, and this was my 11th  
Chicago summer, and I can tell you that being outside for at least,  
oh, 25% of the year is a severe health hazard. I really get it.

> There are kingdoms where almost every event is a camping event  
> (Ansteorra) and it isn't unusual for this to be in an open field  
> with no running water and no electricity. On the otherhand, I've  
> heard that in Meridies, many (most?) of the outside events have  
> cabins. Of course this makes the site fees, much, much higher.

I can see the benefits and drawbacks to each, but to me, camping means  
camping, and cabins (unless they were built with medieval tecnology  
only) are cheating. Then again, I also don't have a medical need for  
electricity, refrigeration of meds, or the like.

> And that there is a kingdom that is so backward as to not have  
> Rapier Combat! (Calontir)

I would like to quote the great philosopher M. R. Cyrus: "Funny- 
lookin' man say WHAT?"

Judith / no SCA name yet
Master Albrecht Waldfurster's Egg
Middle Kingdom, Midlands, Ayreton, Tree-Girt-Sea (Chicago, IL)