Loosely Speaking

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Thursday, November 6, 2008

Just a bit of history to savor the moment

For some reason, I am thinking of Elizabeth Tudor's words, when they came to her with the news that Mary had died, and that she was now Queen of England. She, who had been legitimate heir to Henry VIII for a few years, then with her mother's fall was declared bastard; who had survived her sister Mary's delusions, jealousies and fears; who was even consigned to the Tower for a time, accused of treason and heresy; who watched Mary's late pregnancy develop, knowing that any heir would knock her out... Sign in to see full entry.

I'm reminded of a story about plumbing and water...

BC-A left a comment over in my Show blog today that brought this to the surface. The grandfather of my best friend in high school was dismantling a laundry sink in the basement. He very, very carefully removed the sections of pipe beneath it, draining them into a bucket between his knees where he sat cross-legged, and was so skilled and careful, he didn't spill a drop on the floor. Finally, the last section was drained, and the bucket was full to the brim. Very, very slowly and cautiously,... Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Uistlady commented on the celtic knot-work design in one of my photos...

which prompted this itty bitty ditty: In and out the knot-work weaves In and through and round about, twisting twining on the page among the letters all a-shining… So it goes, the dancing feet, Weaving knots with flying toes, music merry leaps and turns-- never does it halt or tarry! In Irish hills the patterns sprout, all Irish art defining: even in poetry and prose, from Cork to Londonderry. Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, October 31, 2008

Joe the Plumber...? Oh, please...!

You mean that guy who has done so well he can afford to buy a business that will pay him $250,000 a year? Explain to me why he should not pay more taxes than the fella who works for, say, $80,000 a year. No, don't bother... The point is, this is a non-issue, just another emotional trigger point to confuse the real issue, which is that some people can afford more, and some can't. Calling him "Joe the Plumber" makes him sound like just the Joe down the street who is making nowhere near that kind... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

"The Name of the Rose" by Umberto Eco :a review & recommendation

came up in conversation in another blog, with Luz Briar. It is one of my favorites of all time, in fact two of my favorites, book and film. The movie is quite a different experience from the book, and stars Sean Connery, Christian Slater (maybe his first film? and in what was billed when first released as the 'hottest sex scene of the season') and a weird collection of others perfectly cast in a kind of Fellini-esque way... Ron Perlman is 'Salvatore', the most overtly grotesque of the bunch. But... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

AMERICA IS NOT A CHRISTIAN NATION part 1

Here is a link to the post in which I first tackled this topic: http://www.blogit.com/Blogs/Blog.aspx/CLRedding/448949 For a still wider view on this whole thing, I suggest doing a Blogit search on 'not a Christian nation.' Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Speaking Truth to Power

It's a test of character and courage: can you, in the face of someone who holds your fate in their hand, tell them straight out the truth you see? In this election season, we, the People, the Voters, have the power. Who, if anyone, is willing and able to speak their truth to us? Who steps aside from the emotionally-manipulative rhetoric their handlers tell them to pour out into preconditioned, prejudiced, hungering ears, to tell us what we need to hear, like it or not? Who faces our questions... Sign in to see full entry.

"Mind the Gap!"

(This post began in response to Naut's wonderful and gratifying and most cogent comment in my next-previous post, which I do most appreciatively salute, regardless of any typos that might suggest otherwise.) "Mind the gap!" Yes, there is always that gap between Ideal and practice, and sometimes the gap gapes wider and more dangerously, on some occasions is only a bit of an ankle-twister to watch out for. The Ideal is by its nature unsustainable. But it provides a direction and an encouragement,... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Clinging to Guns and Religion

Sometimes things need to be acknowledged aloud, whether it is polite or politic. And there will always be someone ready to pounce on phrases and words that push their buttons. Or that they can turn around and twist and spin, to push other people's buttons. The segment of society Obama referred to as clinging to their guns and religion does exist. He wasn't denigrating them, but pointing to a certain aspect of our national make-up. Can we honestly deny that there are those who cling to their guns... Sign in to see full entry.

AMERICA CANNOT BE...

a one-religion nation, and still be a nation of " Liberty and Justice for all." We cannot be a bigotted nation, and also be the Land of Opportunity to the millions here now, and the many more who are drawn from their homelands to share what they have of diversity and beauty, to enrich the American landscape, and to make lives of hope and well-being that America promises. We cannot be selfish, insular and self-indulgent, we cannot be an ignorant, poorly-educated nation, and still hold onto the... Sign in to see full entry.

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