More levity, this time from Lapin, not that he drew the cartoon or anything.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
Is The US No Longer A Republic?
From Juan Cole:
War turns Republics into dictatorships. The logic is actually quite simple. The Constitution says that the Congress is responsible for declaring war. But in 2002 Congress turned that responsibility over to Bush, gutting the constitution and allowing the American Right to start referring to him not as president but as 'commander in chief' (that is a function of the civilian presidency, not a title.)
Now Bush has now turned over the decision-making about the course of the Iraq War to Gen. David Petraeus.
So Congress abdicated to Bush. Bush has abdicated to the generals in the field.
That is not a Republic. That is a military dictatorship achieved not by coup but by moral laziness.
....
Bush campaigned on being a 'uniter not a divider' in 2000. In fact, he is the ultimate Divider, and leaves burning buildings, millions of refugees, and hundreds of thousands of cadavers in his wake. He is not Iraq's Brownie. He is Iraq's Katrina itself.
Just as New Orleans's Ninth War[d] will still be a moonscape when Bush goes out of office, so will Iraq.
This is just so totally depressing to me that I am nearly paralyzed. I don't know what to write about here, because the present situation with the Iraq War has dragged me down so today. Somehow it seems all that matters.
From the AP via the Orlando Sentinal:
WASHINGTON - The new timeline for U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq? There isn't one.
The American public is tired of the war. Democrats are calling for a U.S. troop exodus from Iraq. But President Bush said Thursday that he told his top commander in Iraq that he can take "all the time he needs" to decide whether more troops can come home after the latest round of cutbacks is completed in July.
....
"The president still doesn't understand that America's limited resources cannot support his limitless war," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. "Let me be clear: This is not a so-called troop pause. With today's announcement, the president has signaled to the American people that he has no intention of bringing home any more troops.
"Instead he is leaving all the tough decisions to the next administration."
And what about you folks in the Congress, Harry? Why don't you make some tough decisions? DO YOUR JOB!
War turns Republics into dictatorships. The logic is actually quite simple. The Constitution says that the Congress is responsible for declaring war. But in 2002 Congress turned that responsibility over to Bush, gutting the constitution and allowing the American Right to start referring to him not as president but as 'commander in chief' (that is a function of the civilian presidency, not a title.)
Now Bush has now turned over the decision-making about the course of the Iraq War to Gen. David Petraeus.
So Congress abdicated to Bush. Bush has abdicated to the generals in the field.
That is not a Republic. That is a military dictatorship achieved not by coup but by moral laziness.
....
Bush campaigned on being a 'uniter not a divider' in 2000. In fact, he is the ultimate Divider, and leaves burning buildings, millions of refugees, and hundreds of thousands of cadavers in his wake. He is not Iraq's Brownie. He is Iraq's Katrina itself.
Just as New Orleans's Ninth War[d] will still be a moonscape when Bush goes out of office, so will Iraq.
This is just so totally depressing to me that I am nearly paralyzed. I don't know what to write about here, because the present situation with the Iraq War has dragged me down so today. Somehow it seems all that matters.
From the AP via the Orlando Sentinal:
WASHINGTON - The new timeline for U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq? There isn't one.
The American public is tired of the war. Democrats are calling for a U.S. troop exodus from Iraq. But President Bush said Thursday that he told his top commander in Iraq that he can take "all the time he needs" to decide whether more troops can come home after the latest round of cutbacks is completed in July.
....
"The president still doesn't understand that America's limited resources cannot support his limitless war," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. "Let me be clear: This is not a so-called troop pause. With today's announcement, the president has signaled to the American people that he has no intention of bringing home any more troops.
"Instead he is leaving all the tough decisions to the next administration."
And what about you folks in the Congress, Harry? Why don't you make some tough decisions? DO YOUR JOB!
Department Of Ya Coulda Fooled Me
From the New York Times:
Get real, people. That is not a naked woman reflected in Vice President Dick Cheney's sunglasses.
Click on the picture for the larger view. What do you think?
This is a "laughing on the outside, crying on the inside" post. The Iraq War has me dragged way down today.
Note: New picture added.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
"Afghan Trials Unfair"
From the AP via New York Times:
Human Rights First lauded the Afghan government's decision to try the detainees, formerly held in the prisons at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and Bagram, Afghanistan, in a court of law. But the New York-based group said in a new report that the legal proceedings are unfairly based on little more than allegations by American officials.
"Where there is evidence of criminal activity, persons should be tried in proceedings that comport with international fair trial standards," Human Rights First said in its report. "In Afghanistan, the trials of former Bagram and Guantanamo detainees being conducted since October 2007 fall far short of this mark."
In trials that last between 30 minutes and an hour, defendants have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from three to 20 years, it said.
Thirty minutes to an hour? What kind of trial can be completed in that period of time, unless the defendant pleads guilty?
Among the group's findings:
-- During the trials, no prosecution witnesses and little or no physical evidence are presented.
-- Defense lawyers are not present when a client is interrogated by the prosecution or when intelligence officials collect evidence, so defendants are unable to challenge the evidence or cross-examine witnesses.
-- Lawyers are appointed to the case after the investigation is concluded and generally have only five days to review the government's evidence prior to trial.
Hmmm.
"Consider your verdict, the King said to the jury.
"Not yet, not yet!" the Rabbit hastily interrupted. "There's a great deal to come before that!"
"Call the first witness," said the King; and the White Rabbit blew three blasts on the trumpet, and called out, "First witness!"
....
Here the Queen put on her spectacles, and began staring at the Hatter, who turned pale and fidgeted.
"Give your evidence," said the King; "and don't be nervous, or I'll have you executed on the spot."
....
"No, no!" said the Queen. "Sentence first--verdict afterwards.'
"Stuff and nonsense!" said Alice loudly. "The idea of having the sentence first!"
"Hold your tongue!" said the Queen, turning purple.
"I won't!" said Alice.
"Off with her head!" the Queen shouted at the top of her voice. Nobody moved.
Yes, yes. That's what the trials remind me of.
Human Rights First lauded the Afghan government's decision to try the detainees, formerly held in the prisons at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and Bagram, Afghanistan, in a court of law. But the New York-based group said in a new report that the legal proceedings are unfairly based on little more than allegations by American officials.
"Where there is evidence of criminal activity, persons should be tried in proceedings that comport with international fair trial standards," Human Rights First said in its report. "In Afghanistan, the trials of former Bagram and Guantanamo detainees being conducted since October 2007 fall far short of this mark."
In trials that last between 30 minutes and an hour, defendants have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from three to 20 years, it said.
Thirty minutes to an hour? What kind of trial can be completed in that period of time, unless the defendant pleads guilty?
Among the group's findings:
-- During the trials, no prosecution witnesses and little or no physical evidence are presented.
-- Defense lawyers are not present when a client is interrogated by the prosecution or when intelligence officials collect evidence, so defendants are unable to challenge the evidence or cross-examine witnesses.
-- Lawyers are appointed to the case after the investigation is concluded and generally have only five days to review the government's evidence prior to trial.
Hmmm.
"Consider your verdict, the King said to the jury.
"Not yet, not yet!" the Rabbit hastily interrupted. "There's a great deal to come before that!"
"Call the first witness," said the King; and the White Rabbit blew three blasts on the trumpet, and called out, "First witness!"
....
Here the Queen put on her spectacles, and began staring at the Hatter, who turned pale and fidgeted.
"Give your evidence," said the King; "and don't be nervous, or I'll have you executed on the spot."
....
"No, no!" said the Queen. "Sentence first--verdict afterwards.'
"Stuff and nonsense!" said Alice loudly. "The idea of having the sentence first!"
"Hold your tongue!" said the Queen, turning purple.
"I won't!" said Alice.
"Off with her head!" the Queen shouted at the top of her voice. Nobody moved.
Yes, yes. That's what the trials remind me of.
They Make Me Laugh
Today, when I picked up my grandchildren from school, they asked for a sno-ball. We went for a sno-ball yesterday. The sno-ball stand is on a narrow residential street, with very little parking, folks driving in and out of the spaces, children crossing the street, resulting in what seems to me a rather hazardous and stressful situation. I did not want to go back again today, so I suggested an icee, which they agreed to. We took a drive to the convenience store that sells the icees, but - lo! - the doors were locked. The registers were down. I said, "Let's go home and see what we can find."
Today is a humid, quite windy day. My hair is curly or wavy, depending on the weather. Very humid weather makes it almost frizzy. As we were leaving the locked convenience store, after my hair had been blown wild, my grandson asked me, "Mimi, why do you have an afro?" My friends, I'm still laughing about that one. Any ideas out there to help me explain to my grandson why I have an afro? Did I say I was still laughing?
Today is a humid, quite windy day. My hair is curly or wavy, depending on the weather. Very humid weather makes it almost frizzy. As we were leaving the locked convenience store, after my hair had been blown wild, my grandson asked me, "Mimi, why do you have an afro?" My friends, I'm still laughing about that one. Any ideas out there to help me explain to my grandson why I have an afro? Did I say I was still laughing?
Godspeed, My Friend
This week my cleaning lady of 12 years left to take a full-time job. By writing this, I may leave myself open to such thinking as, "Well, so the old bag lost her 'maid'. Am I to shed tears for her?" She was not my "maid", but she was so much more than a cleaning lady to me. She was my friend, my counsellor, and my therapist, and I believe that I returned the favors in some measure. We shared all of the major events of our lives and much of the trivia, too. She knew more about me and my family than all but near relatives.
We worked together. She did the heavy lifting, but I prepared the way for her. You know the old joke about cleaning up ahead of the cleaning lady, well I did that, in a manner of speaking. Our house was cleared and sorted out before she came to work. She had only the cleaning to do with no tidying up required of her. She said I was one of her best clients.
She loved what she did and did her work well and would have wanted to continue, but her husband, who was a butcher for a supermarket chain, was laid off when the chain downsized. He has another job in a privately-owned market, but no benefits come with the job. Their private health insurance premiums increased beyond what they could afford, so she is taking a job that provides health insurance.
I wish her well in her new job, but I will miss her terribly. I'll look for someone to replace her, because our house is too large for me to do on my own, and Grandpère won't move to a smaller house. I know that I will never find another like her. We both shed more than a few tears on her last day. We'll see each other, of course, but it won't be the same. Each Tuesday, I looked forward to her coming, and now she is gone.
We worked together. She did the heavy lifting, but I prepared the way for her. You know the old joke about cleaning up ahead of the cleaning lady, well I did that, in a manner of speaking. Our house was cleared and sorted out before she came to work. She had only the cleaning to do with no tidying up required of her. She said I was one of her best clients.
She loved what she did and did her work well and would have wanted to continue, but her husband, who was a butcher for a supermarket chain, was laid off when the chain downsized. He has another job in a privately-owned market, but no benefits come with the job. Their private health insurance premiums increased beyond what they could afford, so she is taking a job that provides health insurance.
I wish her well in her new job, but I will miss her terribly. I'll look for someone to replace her, because our house is too large for me to do on my own, and Grandpère won't move to a smaller house. I know that I will never find another like her. We both shed more than a few tears on her last day. We'll see each other, of course, but it won't be the same. Each Tuesday, I looked forward to her coming, and now she is gone.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Sazerac Will Not Be State Cocktail
From the AP via WTOP News:
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A proposal to honor the New Orleans cocktail known as the Sazerac has gone down the drain.
The Louisiana Senate on Tuesday rejected legislation that would have made the whiskey-based beverage the official state cocktail.
Senator Ed Murray (D-New Orleans) introduced the bill, because he said the drink was known all over the world. But Senator Buddy Shaw (R-Shreveport) disagreed that Louisiana should have a state drink.
"Is there a possibility that we could be encouraging folks, who were not intending to drink, that it would be acceptable and they could become an alcoholic?" Shaw asked.
"No," Murray replied.
Shreveport is in north Louisiana.
Senator Murray is correct. This AP story has been picked up by news agencies all over the world.
UPDATE: Here's the recipe, if you'd like to make your own Sazerac. From my dear friend:
Dennis said...
INGREDIENTS:
* 3 oz rye whiskey
* 3/4 oz simple syrup
* Peychaud bitters to taste
* absinthe or absinthe substitute
* lemon twist for garnish
PREPARATION:
1. Chill an old-fashioned glass by filling it with ice and letting it sit while preparing the rest of the drink.
2. In a separate mixing glass, muddle the simple syrup and Peychaud bitters together.
3. Add the rye whiskey and ice to the bitters mixture and stir.
4. Discard the ice in the chilled glass and rinse it with absinthe (or substitute) by pouring a small amount into the glass, swirling it around and discarding the liquid.
5. Fill the rinsed glass with crushed ice.
6. Strain the whiskey mixture from the mixing glass into the old fashioned glass.
7. Garnish with a lemon twist. Traditionalists will say that the lemon twist should be squeezed over the drink to release its essences but that the twist should not be dropped into the glass itself.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
The Frick Collection
"Head of an Angel" - Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) - 17th century, terracotta, coated with dark brown paint flaked with copper.
The Frick Collection, on East 70th Street in New York, along with a number of other small museums, is one of my favorites. The Cluny Museum and the Rodin Museum in Paris, the Convento di San Marco in Florence, and the Courtauldt Museum in London are among the others. They're small places, filled with art treasures that you can look at and linger with and see them all in half a day. I love that.
Of course, I'm thrilled to visit the great museums, but they can overwhelm, and I'm often left wondering what to see first and end up feeling rushed and worn out, because time runs out, and my feet wear out.
I adore the angel by Bernini that is pictured above. The first time I saw it, I gasped at the sight of it, my breath audible, because the sculpture is so full of life. The sweet smile and the tilt of the head are absolutely endearing. I fell in love at first sight.
The museum is housed in the former Henry Clay Frick mansion, facing Central Park. After the deaths of both Mr. and Mrs. Frick, the collection was opened to the public. And what a collection it is!
From the website:
The Frick Collection includes some of the best-known paintings by the greatest European artists, major works of sculpture (among them one of the finest groups of small bronzes in the world), superb eighteenth-century French furniture and porcelains, Limoges enamels, Oriental rugs, and other works of remarkable quality.
The museum was celebrating a new acquisition by Parmigianino, titled Antea. A thing of beauty it is, with the lovely face and neck with glowing skin, the luscious satin and lace. Of course, there's the dead marten draped over her shoulder, which put me off a little.
The Living Hall is one of my favorite rooms. On the fireplace wall are three magnificent 16th century portraits, El Greco's "St. Jerome" and on either side Hans Holbein the Younger's two Thomases, "Thomas Moore" and "Thomas Cromwell".
From past visits, I remembered the Rembrandts at the Frick, one his many self-portraits and another titled "The Polish Rider", whose authenticity was uncertain until recently, but opinion has come down in favor of its being a true work of the master. As I walked through the gallery, I had another breathless moment as I came upon the painting "Nicolas Ruts" by Rembrandt. I was taken by surprise, because I didn't remember ever seeing this painting in previous visits. I don't know whether it was out on loan or not being exhibited at those times. I bought a catalog of the collection, and the painting is not included in the catalog either. Anyway, it's wonderful and it was quite an unexpected pleasure to find it.
Oh, I could go on. Vermeer, Hals, Van Dyke, Goya, and El Greco's splendid "Purification of the Temple", shown below.
Feast Day of William Augustus Muhlenburg
From James Kiefer at the Lectionary:
William A. Muhlenberg was born in Philadelphia on 16 September 1796, to a distinguished German Lutheran family. Attracted to the Episcopal Church by its use of English, he was ordained in 1817. He was active in promoting the Sunday School movement, and concerned that the Church should minister to all social groups. He wrote hymns and compiled hymnals, greatly expanding the range of music in Episcopal churches. In 1828 he founded, and for twenty years headed, Flushing Institute (later St Paul's College), a boys' school in Flushing, New York. There he made extensive use of music, flowers, vestments, and an emphasis on the Church year and on sacramental worship, with the weekly reception of the sacrament of Holy Communion, while at the same time preaching with great force and conviction the Reformation doctrines of grace and of justification by faith. Out of his ministry came inspiration for the establishment of Church schools and hospitals, and an outreach to the poor. In 1846 he founded the Church of the Holy Communion in New York City, with a parish school, a parish unemployment fund, and trips to the country for poor city children. He called himself an "Evangelical Catholic," and by his firm stand for Evangelical Faith, Apostolic Order, and Corporal Works of Mercy, he spoke to all parties in the Church while belonging to none. As one writer has said, "There was not a significant area of the Church's life, during his ministry, that he did not elevate and strengthen by the pureness of his life and the vigor of his consecrated imagination."
As the words in bold type (emphasis by me) demonstrate, Muhlenburg was a living example of one person embracing both the catholic and the evangelical strains within the Episcopal Church, with the result that his life bore much fruit. Thanks be to God.
From his obituary in the New York Times (PDF):
At St. Luke's Hospital no day passed that his slender figure was not seen passing through the wards and cheering the sick by his mere presence. Last Winter he never failed to knock at the doors of certain boarders at the hospital and wish them a cheery good-night. Many of the sick who could hear his voice would wait for the sound before they themselves could sleep. From his own private table he used to send wine to certain old ladies; frequently he was known to take meat from his own table to feed the destitute; and doubtless, had he followed his natural impulse, he would have stripped off his coat in the street, like the famous early saint, and covered the rags of beggars.
He sounds like a lovely man.
Readings:
Psalm 84:1-6 or 133
Ephesians 4:11-16
Matthew 21:12-16
PRAYER
Do not let your Church close its eyes, O Lord, to the plight of the poor and neglected, the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick,the lonely and those who have no one to care for them. Give us the vision and compassion with which you so richly endowed your servant William Augustus Muhlenberg, that we may labor tirelessly to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow into joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
UPDATE: Here's a picture of the Church of the Holy Communion, which C.W.S., in the comments, tells us was last known as the Limelight Disco
William A. Muhlenberg was born in Philadelphia on 16 September 1796, to a distinguished German Lutheran family. Attracted to the Episcopal Church by its use of English, he was ordained in 1817. He was active in promoting the Sunday School movement, and concerned that the Church should minister to all social groups. He wrote hymns and compiled hymnals, greatly expanding the range of music in Episcopal churches. In 1828 he founded, and for twenty years headed, Flushing Institute (later St Paul's College), a boys' school in Flushing, New York. There he made extensive use of music, flowers, vestments, and an emphasis on the Church year and on sacramental worship, with the weekly reception of the sacrament of Holy Communion, while at the same time preaching with great force and conviction the Reformation doctrines of grace and of justification by faith. Out of his ministry came inspiration for the establishment of Church schools and hospitals, and an outreach to the poor. In 1846 he founded the Church of the Holy Communion in New York City, with a parish school, a parish unemployment fund, and trips to the country for poor city children. He called himself an "Evangelical Catholic," and by his firm stand for Evangelical Faith, Apostolic Order, and Corporal Works of Mercy, he spoke to all parties in the Church while belonging to none. As one writer has said, "There was not a significant area of the Church's life, during his ministry, that he did not elevate and strengthen by the pureness of his life and the vigor of his consecrated imagination."
As the words in bold type (emphasis by me) demonstrate, Muhlenburg was a living example of one person embracing both the catholic and the evangelical strains within the Episcopal Church, with the result that his life bore much fruit. Thanks be to God.
From his obituary in the New York Times (PDF):
At St. Luke's Hospital no day passed that his slender figure was not seen passing through the wards and cheering the sick by his mere presence. Last Winter he never failed to knock at the doors of certain boarders at the hospital and wish them a cheery good-night. Many of the sick who could hear his voice would wait for the sound before they themselves could sleep. From his own private table he used to send wine to certain old ladies; frequently he was known to take meat from his own table to feed the destitute; and doubtless, had he followed his natural impulse, he would have stripped off his coat in the street, like the famous early saint, and covered the rags of beggars.
He sounds like a lovely man.
Readings:
Psalm 84:1-6 or 133
Ephesians 4:11-16
Matthew 21:12-16
PRAYER
Do not let your Church close its eyes, O Lord, to the plight of the poor and neglected, the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick,the lonely and those who have no one to care for them. Give us the vision and compassion with which you so richly endowed your servant William Augustus Muhlenberg, that we may labor tirelessly to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow into joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
UPDATE: Here's a picture of the Church of the Holy Communion, which C.W.S., in the comments, tells us was last known as the Limelight Disco
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