Brendan O’Kane
@bokane.org
Scrutable Occidental, erstwhile 北漂, quondam translator, Ming and Qing fiction enjoyer, congenital Philadelphian. Shitposty sinology. Cynicism makes you an easy mark. Signal: @bokane.1644.
http://www.burninghou.se
http://www.burninghou.se
Reposted by Brendan O’Kane
貓兒房，近侍三、四人，專飼御前有名分之貓。凡聖心所鍾愛者，亦加升管事職銜。牡者曰「某小廝」騸者曰「某老爺」，牝者曰「某丫頭」
The Cat Office employed three or four attendants to feed cats of recognized status. Favorites of the Emperor received promotions: males were styled “pages;” females, “maids;” neutered cats were addressed in the manner of senior eunuchs.
The Cat Office employed three or four attendants to feed cats of recognized status. Favorites of the Emperor received promotions: males were styled “pages;” females, “maids;” neutered cats were addressed in the manner of senior eunuchs.
November 14, 2025 at 7:59 AM
貓兒房，近侍三、四人，專飼御前有名分之貓。凡聖心所鍾愛者，亦加升管事職銜。牡者曰「某小廝」騸者曰「某老爺」，牝者曰「某丫頭」
The Cat Office employed three or four attendants to feed cats of recognized status. Favorites of the Emperor received promotions: males were styled “pages;” females, “maids;” neutered cats were addressed in the manner of senior eunuchs.
The Cat Office employed three or four attendants to feed cats of recognized status. Favorites of the Emperor received promotions: males were styled “pages;” females, “maids;” neutered cats were addressed in the manner of senior eunuchs.
Early in the Jiajing Emperor's reign, there was a cat in the Forbidden City with fine, curly fur that was all slate-grey save for two eyebrows of the purest white, for which the cat was named Frostbrows. (1)
also this, from 宛署雜記; will translate this afternoon if I get a minute:
嘉靖初年，禁中有貓美毛而虯，微青色，惟雙眉瑩然潔白，因號曰霜眉。性不喜噬物，而善解人意，目逐之即逃匿，呼其名則疾至，為舞蹈之狀。旦夕隨駕所之，若侍從然。上或時假寐，霜眉輒相依不暫離，即飢渴或便液必俟醒乃去。上以是憐而異之，封為虯龍。
忽一日，向上前若疲而泣者，有頃走他所，盤曲以死。上命內侍葬之萬歲山陰，勒其碑曰虯龍墓云。夫貓微物耳，一或戀主，而生榮死恤，且足傳不朽，此之謂忠無不酬，德及禽獸，有如人臣盡忠報國，奚翅虯龍，或者激勸微義，先帝固亦有取爾已。
嘉靖初年，禁中有貓美毛而虯，微青色，惟雙眉瑩然潔白，因號曰霜眉。性不喜噬物，而善解人意，目逐之即逃匿，呼其名則疾至，為舞蹈之狀。旦夕隨駕所之，若侍從然。上或時假寐，霜眉輒相依不暫離，即飢渴或便液必俟醒乃去。上以是憐而異之，封為虯龍。
忽一日，向上前若疲而泣者，有頃走他所，盤曲以死。上命內侍葬之萬歲山陰，勒其碑曰虯龍墓云。夫貓微物耳，一或戀主，而生榮死恤，且足傳不朽，此之謂忠無不酬，德及禽獸，有如人臣盡忠報國，奚翅虯龍，或者激勸微義，先帝固亦有取爾已。
貓兒房，近侍三、四人，專飼御前有名分之貓。凡聖心所鍾愛者，亦加升管事職銜。牡者曰「某小廝」騸者曰「某老爺」，牝者曰「某丫頭」
The Cat Office employed three or four attendants to feed cats of recognized status. Favorites of the Emperor received promotions: males were styled “pages;” females, “maids;” neutered cats were addressed in the manner of senior eunuchs.
The Cat Office employed three or four attendants to feed cats of recognized status. Favorites of the Emperor received promotions: males were styled “pages;” females, “maids;” neutered cats were addressed in the manner of senior eunuchs.
November 14, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Early in the Jiajing Emperor's reign, there was a cat in the Forbidden City with fine, curly fur that was all slate-grey save for two eyebrows of the purest white, for which the cat was named Frostbrows. (1)
Reposted by Brendan O’Kane
Alexander Boyd of @chinabooksreview.com joins me on a special crossover episode of Barbarians at the Gate to discuss Vikram Seth's 1983 travelogue, From Heaven Lake.
open.substack.com/pub/jeremiah...
open.substack.com/pub/jeremiah...
Barbarians at the Gate x China Books Review: From Heaven Lake
Before he became an award-winning novelist, the Indian writer Vikram Seth was an exchange student in China. In the 1980s, he traveled overland from Nanjing to Delhi.
open.substack.com
November 14, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Alexander Boyd of @chinabooksreview.com joins me on a special crossover episode of Barbarians at the Gate to discuss Vikram Seth's 1983 travelogue, From Heaven Lake.
open.substack.com/pub/jeremiah...
open.substack.com/pub/jeremiah...
also this, from 宛署雜記; will translate this afternoon if I get a minute:
嘉靖初年，禁中有貓美毛而虯，微青色，惟雙眉瑩然潔白，因號曰霜眉。性不喜噬物，而善解人意，目逐之即逃匿，呼其名則疾至，為舞蹈之狀。旦夕隨駕所之，若侍從然。上或時假寐，霜眉輒相依不暫離，即飢渴或便液必俟醒乃去。上以是憐而異之，封為虯龍。
忽一日，向上前若疲而泣者，有頃走他所，盤曲以死。上命內侍葬之萬歲山陰，勒其碑曰虯龍墓云。夫貓微物耳，一或戀主，而生榮死恤，且足傳不朽，此之謂忠無不酬，德及禽獸，有如人臣盡忠報國，奚翅虯龍，或者激勸微義，先帝固亦有取爾已。
嘉靖初年，禁中有貓美毛而虯，微青色，惟雙眉瑩然潔白，因號曰霜眉。性不喜噬物，而善解人意，目逐之即逃匿，呼其名則疾至，為舞蹈之狀。旦夕隨駕所之，若侍從然。上或時假寐，霜眉輒相依不暫離，即飢渴或便液必俟醒乃去。上以是憐而異之，封為虯龍。
忽一日，向上前若疲而泣者，有頃走他所，盤曲以死。上命內侍葬之萬歲山陰，勒其碑曰虯龍墓云。夫貓微物耳，一或戀主，而生榮死恤，且足傳不朽，此之謂忠無不酬，德及禽獸，有如人臣盡忠報國，奚翅虯龍，或者激勸微義，先帝固亦有取爾已。
貓兒房，近侍三、四人，專飼御前有名分之貓。凡聖心所鍾愛者，亦加升管事職銜。牡者曰「某小廝」騸者曰「某老爺」，牝者曰「某丫頭」
The Cat Office employed three or four attendants to feed cats of recognized status. Favorites of the Emperor received promotions: males were styled “pages;” females, “maids;” neutered cats were addressed in the manner of senior eunuchs.
The Cat Office employed three or four attendants to feed cats of recognized status. Favorites of the Emperor received promotions: males were styled “pages;” females, “maids;” neutered cats were addressed in the manner of senior eunuchs.
November 14, 2025 at 4:41 PM
also this, from 宛署雜記; will translate this afternoon if I get a minute:
嘉靖初年，禁中有貓美毛而虯，微青色，惟雙眉瑩然潔白，因號曰霜眉。性不喜噬物，而善解人意，目逐之即逃匿，呼其名則疾至，為舞蹈之狀。旦夕隨駕所之，若侍從然。上或時假寐，霜眉輒相依不暫離，即飢渴或便液必俟醒乃去。上以是憐而異之，封為虯龍。
忽一日，向上前若疲而泣者，有頃走他所，盤曲以死。上命內侍葬之萬歲山陰，勒其碑曰虯龍墓云。夫貓微物耳，一或戀主，而生榮死恤，且足傳不朽，此之謂忠無不酬，德及禽獸，有如人臣盡忠報國，奚翅虯龍，或者激勸微義，先帝固亦有取爾已。
嘉靖初年，禁中有貓美毛而虯，微青色，惟雙眉瑩然潔白，因號曰霜眉。性不喜噬物，而善解人意，目逐之即逃匿，呼其名則疾至，為舞蹈之狀。旦夕隨駕所之，若侍從然。上或時假寐，霜眉輒相依不暫離，即飢渴或便液必俟醒乃去。上以是憐而異之，封為虯龍。
忽一日，向上前若疲而泣者，有頃走他所，盤曲以死。上命內侍葬之萬歲山陰，勒其碑曰虯龍墓云。夫貓微物耳，一或戀主，而生榮死恤，且足傳不朽，此之謂忠無不酬，德及禽獸，有如人臣盡忠報國，奚翅虯龍，或者激勸微義，先帝固亦有取爾已。
Reposted by Brendan O’Kane
Excited to say that my article on horse names in China's ancient postal system has been published with Early China! 🐎✉️🌿 Meet Skittish Fish, Calm at the Carriage, and, my personal fave, Cinnamon Stick, at the link below:
#animalhistory
#animalhistory
www.cambridge.org
November 14, 2025 at 10:51 AM
Excited to say that my article on horse names in China's ancient postal system has been published with Early China! 🐎✉️🌿 Meet Skittish Fish, Calm at the Carriage, and, my personal fave, Cinnamon Stick, at the link below:
#animalhistory
#animalhistory
貓兒房，近侍三、四人，專飼御前有名分之貓。凡聖心所鍾愛者，亦加升管事職銜。牡者曰「某小廝」騸者曰「某老爺」，牝者曰「某丫頭」
The Cat Office employed three or four attendants to feed cats of recognized status. Favorites of the Emperor received promotions: males were styled “pages;” females, “maids;” neutered cats were addressed in the manner of senior eunuchs.
The Cat Office employed three or four attendants to feed cats of recognized status. Favorites of the Emperor received promotions: males were styled “pages;” females, “maids;” neutered cats were addressed in the manner of senior eunuchs.
November 14, 2025 at 7:59 AM
貓兒房，近侍三、四人，專飼御前有名分之貓。凡聖心所鍾愛者，亦加升管事職銜。牡者曰「某小廝」騸者曰「某老爺」，牝者曰「某丫頭」
The Cat Office employed three or four attendants to feed cats of recognized status. Favorites of the Emperor received promotions: males were styled “pages;” females, “maids;” neutered cats were addressed in the manner of senior eunuchs.
The Cat Office employed three or four attendants to feed cats of recognized status. Favorites of the Emperor received promotions: males were styled “pages;” females, “maids;” neutered cats were addressed in the manner of senior eunuchs.
I Am The Resistance Inside The New York Times Editorial Board
November 14, 2025 at 4:39 AM
I Am The Resistance Inside The New York Times Editorial Board
Looking forward to this!
COMING VERY SOON FROM PAST-ITCH PUBLISHING…
Coal of Fire - Translations of the Hebrew Bible and other writings by @maddavenport.bsky.social
Stay tuned for details!!
Coal of Fire - Translations of the Hebrew Bible and other writings by @maddavenport.bsky.social
Stay tuned for details!!
November 13, 2025 at 10:49 PM
Looking forward to this!
this is how you get outbreaks of Mad Oreo Disease
oh wow that’s crazy
oreos with bits of
of oreos. in them
Real Bits of Oreos
oreos with bits of
of oreos. in them
Real Bits of Oreos
November 13, 2025 at 10:11 PM
this is how you get outbreaks of Mad Oreo Disease
Reposted by Brendan O’Kane
Reposted by Brendan O’Kane
"babies are born worshipping unknown gods" is one of the most incredible dwarf fortress bugs i have heard of. its poetry.
November 11, 2025 at 4:18 PM
"babies are born worshipping unknown gods" is one of the most incredible dwarf fortress bugs i have heard of. its poetry.
Reposted by Brendan O’Kane
The Yanai Initiative is pleased to invite proposals for a symposium entitled “Experimental Translations in/with East Asian Languages,” to be hosted at UCLA on April 10-11, 2026. Deadline November 30, 2025, 11:59 PM (PT). See more information threaded below. ⬇️
November 9, 2025 at 6:46 PM
The Yanai Initiative is pleased to invite proposals for a symposium entitled “Experimental Translations in/with East Asian Languages,” to be hosted at UCLA on April 10-11, 2026. Deadline November 30, 2025, 11:59 PM (PT). See more information threaded below. ⬇️
Reposted by Brendan O’Kane
it's a hell of an act -- what do you call it
The attorney general and the FBI director, a manosphere podcaster bro, pulled into the situation room a member of Congress best known for getting kicked out of a Beetlejuice musical for drunkenly giving her date a handy, in order to pressure her about the president's child sex trafficking scandal.
November 13, 2025 at 12:15 AM
it's a hell of an act -- what do you call it
Literary Chinese for Pedophile Rulers:
嘉靖壬寅年，宮婢相結行弑，用繩係上喉，翻布塞上口，以數人踞上腹絞之，已垂絕矣。
In the ren-yin year of Jiajing, palace girls conspired to commit regicide by strangling the Emperor with a rope, gagging him, and getting several girls to sit on his chest to suffocate him until he was nearly dead.
嘉靖壬寅年，宮婢相結行弑，用繩係上喉，翻布塞上口，以數人踞上腹絞之，已垂絕矣。
In the ren-yin year of Jiajing, palace girls conspired to commit regicide by strangling the Emperor with a rope, gagging him, and getting several girls to sit on his chest to suffocate him until he was nearly dead.
November 12, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Literary Chinese for Pedophile Rulers:
嘉靖壬寅年，宮婢相結行弑，用繩係上喉，翻布塞上口，以數人踞上腹絞之，已垂絕矣。
In the ren-yin year of Jiajing, palace girls conspired to commit regicide by strangling the Emperor with a rope, gagging him, and getting several girls to sit on his chest to suffocate him until he was nearly dead.
嘉靖壬寅年，宮婢相結行弑，用繩係上喉，翻布塞上口，以數人踞上腹絞之，已垂絕矣。
In the ren-yin year of Jiajing, palace girls conspired to commit regicide by strangling the Emperor with a rope, gagging him, and getting several girls to sit on his chest to suffocate him until he was nearly dead.
Literary Chinese For When The Sky Does That:
靖康元年正月丁丑夜，赤白氣起西方。九月戊寅，有赤氣隨日出。九月乙未，西方日下有赤氣。十一月乙丑，日下有赤氣。閏十一月丁酉，赤氣亙天。
February 4, 1126: Red and white qi arose in the western night sky.
October 3: Red qi followed the sun.
November 4: Red qi pooled under it.
December 21: Red qi spanned the entire sky.
靖康元年正月丁丑夜，赤白氣起西方。九月戊寅，有赤氣隨日出。九月乙未，西方日下有赤氣。十一月乙丑，日下有赤氣。閏十一月丁酉，赤氣亙天。
February 4, 1126: Red and white qi arose in the western night sky.
October 3: Red qi followed the sun.
November 4: Red qi pooled under it.
December 21: Red qi spanned the entire sky.
November 12, 2025 at 4:51 AM
Literary Chinese For When The Sky Does That:
靖康元年正月丁丑夜，赤白氣起西方。九月戊寅，有赤氣隨日出。九月乙未，西方日下有赤氣。十一月乙丑，日下有赤氣。閏十一月丁酉，赤氣亙天。
February 4, 1126: Red and white qi arose in the western night sky.
October 3: Red qi followed the sun.
November 4: Red qi pooled under it.
December 21: Red qi spanned the entire sky.
靖康元年正月丁丑夜，赤白氣起西方。九月戊寅，有赤氣隨日出。九月乙未，西方日下有赤氣。十一月乙丑，日下有赤氣。閏十一月丁酉，赤氣亙天。
February 4, 1126: Red and white qi arose in the western night sky.
October 3: Red qi followed the sun.
November 4: Red qi pooled under it.
December 21: Red qi spanned the entire sky.
Reposted by Brendan O’Kane
Postdoctoral position in global philology at U. Uppsala (apply by Nov. 26). Specialisations include: Comp./General Lx., Greek and Byzantine Studies, Indology, Iranian Languages, Latin, Semitic Languages, Sinology, and Turkic Languages. tinyurl.com/nhbk8fhh
Postdoctoral position in global philology - Uppsala University
Postdoctoral position in global philology, Department of Linguistics and Philology, Uppsala University
tinyurl.com
November 10, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Postdoctoral position in global philology at U. Uppsala (apply by Nov. 26). Specialisations include: Comp./General Lx., Greek and Byzantine Studies, Indology, Iranian Languages, Latin, Semitic Languages, Sinology, and Turkic Languages. tinyurl.com/nhbk8fhh
Reposted by Brendan O’Kane
Amazon Kindle currently has my new book availalbe for FREE as an e-book online right now! Buy it now for $0.00 before they change it back!
Link: shorturl.at/uPZC3
Link: shorturl.at/uPZC3
November 10, 2025 at 7:47 AM
Amazon Kindle currently has my new book availalbe for FREE as an e-book online right now! Buy it now for $0.00 before they change it back!
Link: shorturl.at/uPZC3
Link: shorturl.at/uPZC3
the dialect work in Task is crazy good
November 10, 2025 at 6:41 AM
the dialect work in Task is crazy good
Reposted by Brendan O’Kane
It is so scummy that Fetterman turned off his voicemail months ago
November 9, 2025 at 9:19 PM
It is so scummy that Fetterman turned off his voicemail months ago
“Do not let familiarity dull your outrage” man you could do eye surgery with my outrage, we’re good on outrage
November 9, 2025 at 9:17 PM
“Do not let familiarity dull your outrage” man you could do eye surgery with my outrage, we’re good on outrage
pov: you are on probation
November 8, 2025 at 6:11 PM
pov: you are on probation
Reposted by Brendan O’Kane
Anyway I'd like to propose a new and improved version of the Basilisk: what would an aligned AI think of people who helped create a world where the average person thinks of AI as a technology which talks people into killing themselves?
November 7, 2025 at 3:12 AM
Anyway I'd like to propose a new and improved version of the Basilisk: what would an aligned AI think of people who helped create a world where the average person thinks of AI as a technology which talks people into killing themselves?
Ring any bells for anyone?
Ok Bluesky hive mind: trying to find a clip that was played in a class lecture about three years ago. It was a documentary (I think) featuring a rural Manchurian village where they’re doing a lottery. (Felt just like home LOL) @beijingpalmer.bsky.social @bokane.org any ideas?
November 6, 2025 at 2:46 AM
Ring any bells for anyone?