James A. Benn

@jamesabenn.bsky.social

1.7K followers 2.4K following 720 posts

Medieval Chinese Religions. McMaster Uni. Burning for the Buddha (Hawai'i 2007) pback 2016; Tea in China (Hawai'i, 2015), Chinese trans. 2019. Canadian, obvs.

Videos

Political science 34%

Sociology 34%

Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by James A. Benn

Alex Usher @alexusherhesa.bsky.social · 4h

This is kind of interesting.

eCampusOntario Partners with Government of Canada to Advance Access to Funding in the Innovation Economy

eCampusOntario announced today a strategic partnership with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) to help businesses and postsecondary institutions across Ontario more easily conn...

ecampusontario.ca

Reposted by James A. Benn

Nevin Thompson @nevint.bsky.social · 4h

Apropos of nothing, Sofuku-ji in Nagasaki is also devoted to Mazu (媽祖婆, 媽祖), due to the historically strong ties between that city and Fujian (and by way of Fujian, Taiwan).

Reposted by James A. Benn

American Council of Learned Societies @acls1919.bsky.social · 4h

A new book on the origins of incarceration co-authored by Mark Letteney, 2022 ACLS Emerging Voices Fellow, is featured in The New Yorker: https://bit.ly/49dkuiN

The Ancient Roots of Doing Time

The historical and archeological record upends the widespread belief that long-term incarceration belongs to the modern state.

www.newyorker.com

Reposted by James A. Benn

aohsu @aohsusometimesy.bsky.social · 4h

Does anybody have any more info about Maduro's Sai Baba connection?

religionnews.com/2026/01/06/s...

How Maduro's Indian guru became a household name in Venezuela

(RNS) — The very first, unofficial Sai Center, named for guru Sri Sathya Sai Baba, opened in Caracas in the 1970s. Now, there are almost 30 centers or groups connected to the guru across the country.

religionnews.com

Reposted by James A. Benn

Cllr Emily Kerr 💚 @emilykerr36.bsky.social · 4h

Today I was at a cool innovation thing, a collab including Oxford Uni & Brookes amongst others. They asked at the start if they could take pics & share on socials. I said "sure but not Twitter".

People laughed and the organisers said "Of course not!"

Two conclusions: (1/2)

Reposted by James A. Benn

Maura Elizabeth Cunningham @mauracunningham.bsky.social · 8h

Links this week on ice hockey in China, why the Xiaomi factory tour is the country's hottest ticket, an inside look at Myanmar's capital of Naypyidaw, remembering Renee Nicole Good, and more.

Weekly Wanderings: January 12, 2026

Thanks for joining me this week. Recommendations China Stories Eliot Chen, “Cheng Lei On Life in Chinese Prison” Jenny Huangfu Day, “Ice Hockey in China” David Frazier, “Aircraft bunkers in Taiwan’…

mauracunningham.org

Reposted by James A. Benn

Prof. Dr. Michael Hö (Sinologist) 何彌夏 🇹🇼🇪🇺🇭🇰 @medievalchina.bsky.social · 16h

#BOTD in #ChineseHistory: Lao Gan #勞幹 (1907–2003), #historian of early (#秦漢) and early medieval (#魏晉南北朝) #China. His works include the pioneering study of wooden strips from Juyan #居延漢簡 in Inner Mongolia found in 1930.

Reposted by James A. Benn

Prof. Dr. Michael Hö (Sinologist) 何彌夏 🇹🇼🇪🇺🇭🇰 @medievalchina.bsky.social · 16h

#BOTD in #ChineseHistory: Zhou Youguang #周有光 (1906–2017), #economist, #linguist, and 'father of #Pinyin' #漢語拼音之父, a system of #Romanisation for #Mandarin #Chinese, now recognised as the most common standard. #ChineseLinguistics #ChineseEconomics

Reposted by James A. Benn

Prof. Dr. Michael Hö (Sinologist) 何彌夏 🇹🇼🇪🇺🇭🇰 @medievalchina.bsky.social · 16h

#BOTD in #ChineseHistory: Zhang Taiyan #章太炎, a.k.a. Zhang Binglin #章炳麟 (1869–1936), #philologist, #philosopher, #revolutionary, and scholar of #Buddhism. #ModernChina

Reposted by James A. Benn

Soren Lorenson @soren-lorenson.bsky.social · 21h

Looks like it's time for my semi annual perusal of jobs in Canadian higher ed. Anyone need an academic technology leader with 20 years experience? In a place I can actually afford to live? (I'm a dual citizen, no visa sponsorship necessary!)

Reposted by James A. Benn

Footnotes in History @footnotesinhistory.bsky.social · 1d

#OTD in 1944, the Seattle Times reports on a hunger strike that occurred at the Tule Lake incarceration camp. The strike lasted several days and included almost 200 Japanese Americans. The strike ended when "a change of policy has been in the making in the past 24 hours" occurred.
🗃 #skystorians

Reposted by James A. Benn

Retro Tech Dreams @retrotechdreams.bsky.social · 1d

Even calendar apps used to have themes. Expresso Calendar and Address Book (1994)

Reposted by James A. Benn

Worn On This Day @wornonthisday.bsky.social · 1d

Worn #onthisday in 1967 by Keith Richards at a press conference in Green Park, London, held the day before the Rolling Stones departed for New York to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show, where they performed a censored version of their controversial new single “Let’s Spend The Night Together." #OTD

Reposted by James A. Benn

Year Progress Bot @yearprogress.bsky.social · 1d

░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 2.88%

Reposted by James A. Benn

Mattias Brand @mbinzurich.bsky.social · 1d

On 10 January 2026, Erich von Däniken passed away. He is mourned by his family, his friends around the world, millions of readers of his books
evd.ch/rip/index.html

EvD.ch - Erich von Däniken Kondolenzbuch / Condolence book

EvD.ch - Eine Hommage an Erich von Däniken.

evd.ch

Reposted by James A. Benn

Prof. Dr. Michael Hö (Sinologist) 何彌夏 🇹🇼🇪🇺🇭🇰 @medievalchina.bsky.social · 1d

#BOTD in #ChineseHistory: Cai Yuanpei 蔡元培 (1868–1940), philosopher, politician, and education reformer. As president of Peking University 北京大學 and Academia Sinica 中央研究院, he was one of the most influential educators in #ModernChina.

Reposted by James A. Benn

Prof. Dr. Michael Hö (Sinologist) 何彌夏 🇹🇼🇪🇺🇭🇰 @medievalchina.bsky.social · 1d

#OTD in #ChineseHistory: In 1851, Hong Xiuquan #洪秀全 (1814–1864) declares the Jintian Uprising #金田起義, which marks the beginning of the #Taiping Rebellion and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom #太平天國 (1851–1864).

James A. Benn @jamesabenn.bsky.social · 1d

“Created in collaboration with T&T Supermarket” is what hooked me tbh.

James A. Benn @jamesabenn.bsky.social · 1d

Roots not doing Lunar New Year gear but Joe Fredh is www.joefresh.com/ca/collectio...

www.joefresh.com

Reposted by James A. Benn

波鴻漫錄 || Sven Osterkamp @schrift-sprache.bsky.social · 1d

Zisk 2025 "A comparison of morphogram-driven linguistic innovations throughout the Sinographic Cosmopolis and beyond" @ doi.org/10.3765/plsa... (OA 🙏)

A comparison of morphogram-driven linguistic innovations throughout the Sinographic Cosmopolis and beyond | Proceedings of the Linguistic Society of America

doi.org

Reposted by James A. Benn

Hari Kunzru @harikunzru.bsky.social · 1d

Only meaning I can glean from this is a threat.

Kristi Noem looking dead eyed behind a podium with the text “one of ours all of yours”

Reposted by James A. Benn

Unofficial BBCNews (World) Bot @bbcnews-world-rss.bsky.social · 2d

Town cashing-in on China's billion-dollar appetite for luxury durian

A former gold mining town in Malaysia has seen its riches turn a new shade of yellow, thanks to this pungent fruit.

www.bbc.com

Reposted by James A. Benn

The French Republican Calendar @sansculottid.es · 2d

Today is Duodi the 22nd of Nivôse in the year 234.
Nivôse is the month of snow.
Today we celebrate salt.#JacobinDay

More information on salt

Reposted by James A. Benn

Ancient Egyptian Prayer Bot @egyptianprayerbot.bsky.social · 2d

Offering the lotus and papyrus: Take the lotus that I present before you; as for the papyrus, it makes your body young, the thicket of papyrus preserves your body. (OGC)

Reposted by James A. Benn

Xueting C. Ni 倪雪婷 (she, they) @xuetingni.bsky.social · 2d

I talked about the 冒烟小茶壶奶茶, contemporary to-go teas in China that come with a #tea pet in the shape of a tiny teapot (filled with dry ice so it swirls with smoke). They spread like wildfire across China. Now the Guangzhou teashop that created it, Tingtea, has just opened a branch in the U.S. 1/

Reposted by James A. Benn

Arthur Urbano @arturoviaggia.bsky.social · 2d

Shared with me by a user on another site (no, not that other site).

#SartorialTheology

www.saintjohnchurch.org/orthodox-lit...

A Guide to Orthodox Liturgical Vestments

In this guide, we list the different liturgical vestments worn by Eastern Rite Orthodox Christian clergy. Learn about them in this post!

www.saintjohnchurch.org

Reposted by James A. Benn

Cool Bike Art @coolbikeart1.bsky.social · 2d

The Anna Held Cycling Suit
Jordan, Marsh, and Company
ca. 1890s

Antique newspaper advertisement for a women's cycling outfit featuring and illustration of a woman riding a bicycle while wearing the outfit, plus two illustrations of elements of the outfit at the top.

Reposted by Peter Thorne, Antti Lipponen, James A. Benn

Pekka Tahkola @pekkatahkola.bsky.social · 2d

Just a reminder that on the bike & footh paths here in Oulu 🇫🇮, 2 cm of new snowfall must always be gone within 3 hours, on entire 166 km main 🚲🚶 network, 24/7. Maintenance needs to be fast, reliable & efficient 👌 Join our Urbanism Masterclasses to learn more! 🤗
#MeanwhileInOulu #CityMasterclass

Reposted by James A. Benn

David Cowhig 高大伟 @gaodawei.bsky.social · 2d

Taiwan Civil Defense Guide in English online. prepare.mnd.gov.tw/assets/pdf/m...

Reposted by Wolfgang Behr, James A. Benn

波鴻漫錄 || Sven Osterkamp @schrift-sprache.bsky.social · 3d

Reposting one of my favourites: 🤓

Manchu Cuneiform | 楔形滿洲文字 (😉)

From Shiba Kōkan's 司馬江漢 Oranda tensetsu 和蘭天説 (1796) @ www.digital.archives.go.jp/img.pdf/1236...

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