North Dakota Legacy Fund -- October, 2024, Data Posted

Locator: 48660LEGACYFUND.

In this week's "Top Stories," I opined:

We're still feeling the effects, economically, culturally, academically.

Exhibit A: the North Dakota Legacy Fund.

• August, 2014: $117 million
• July, 2020: $9 million
• October, 2024:$65 million

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The Book Page 

 India: A History, John Keay, c. 2000, 2010.

First notes of the day:

This is so incredibly cool. Fifth century BC India struggling to become a nation. The great epic -- one of two -- Ramayan's primary function was to legitimize monarchical rule. Meanwhile, Jain and Buddha were touting "The Middle Way" and/or alternative state systems -- variously described as oligarchical, republican, or even, democratic.

Exactly what we're seeing (again) this year in American national politics. 

• Trump: would like to be a monarch; will settle for an oligarchy
• Harris: supporters would like a purely democratic system (best example: get rid of the electoral system and simply decide on direct vote county.

Even more cool: this was happening in the 6th and 5th century; the same period when classical Greece was undergoing much the same. The "Golden Age of Greece" is now referred to, by historians, as "Fifth-Century Greece." 

Incidentally, I'm not sure if I see much difference between Buddhism and Jainism.

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The Word Page

"Senior Common Rooms" -- p. 133, John Keay, India: A History; must be a British / Indian term.

Voivodeship: area administered by a voivode (governor) in eastern and central Europe, particularly Poland. Have existed since medieval times, duchies. Now, generally referred to as provinces. I forget where I first saw that word. Colossus?