ArtsSciences

The following caveats apply to most if not all of my A&S classes. I am:

1. An autodidact; more enthusiastic than skilled; eager for factual corrections and directons for future research.  That said, bear in mind that like many of us, I have more enthusiasms than time.

2. Uncomfortable with ethonyms; they get overused and mislead.  Identity is a complex topic. Even today many individuals assert multiple identities. The notion of ascribing attributes to an ethnonym for which we have limited records is... defensible only because the alternative is worse.

3. Cautious/skeptical at any simple treatment of the Han dynasty. The Han dynasty was and is fascinating, but some of the people fascinated are not constrained by historical discipline, and others are overtly trying to hijack the history of the Han dynasty to serve modern agendas.  I don't want to get into the current politics but (a) I try to be responsible when I refer to the Han, and (b) I urge that we follow the advice of Baroness Caitriona MacDhonnachaidh, "I'd like to see their documentation".   (you need to hear her excellency say it ...)

4. Oversimplifying multiple complicated topics.  My goal is brevity at the expense of depth. All education is at best All Models Are Wrong and more likely to be Lies told  to children.  When you try to summarize research into an hour or so, the abstraction will omit nuance.  I do my best to point out opportunities for deeper understanding.