Granfalloons
21 October 2011
3 Comments
Granfalloon (n) : “A proud and meaningless association of human beings.” A word coined by Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007) in his book Cat’s Cradle. I was recalling the concept recently for some reason but couldn’t bring the term to mind. There it is: A granfalloon. The idea is illustrated in the book by a woman from Indiana who is just thrilled to meet Hoosiers everywhere she goes, a Hoosier being a name for people from the state of Indiana, but the shared qualities she recognizes in Hoosiers exists only in her own mind. Thanks, Kurt.
There being an important (yet often blurry) distinction, of course, between shared qualities and shared experiences (and their effects).
Yeah! Hey I know you’re really into genealogy – do you use any particular software to keep track of everything?
I’ve tried lots of different software and find most of the ones that are freely available are pretty good. I particularly like RootsMagic. I use the free version, RootsMagic Essentials, which to me has everything I need.
Mostly, though, I’m still using a dizzying variety of Word documents and other files that can be confusing but present the data in just the way I like.
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Author and Professor Dr Jamillah Karim spent a year living in Kuala Lumpur. Read this great interview by Sister Brooke, and then visit Dr Jamillah's blog for a series of thoughtful reflections on what living in Malaysia was like for her as an African American Muslim, what insights she gained about the immigrant Muslim experience in America and more.
Granfalloon (n) : "A proud and meaningless association of human beings." A word coined by Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007) in his book Cat's Cradle. I was recalling the concept recently for some reason but couldn't bring the term to mind. There it is: A granfalloon. The idea is illustrated in the book by a woman from Indiana who is just thrilled to meet Hoosiers everywhere she goes, a Hoosier being a name for people from the state of Indiana, but the shared qualities she recognizes in Hoosiers exists only in her own mind. Thanks, Kurt.
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