Shakespeare on the cartoon controversy

From Jeremy Abrams writing at the bards eye view comes this gem:

Only someone with license to speak truth to power can make her mindful of what is being lost. Just as only the free expression of ideas today, including such noxious ideas as may be embodied in those Muhammad Cartoons (if indeed those ideas are noxious – who knows unless the cartoons are published for our review?), can lift the veil on our reality.

Here Olivia responds to Militant Islam's murderous worldwide rampage against free expression; that is, to Malvolio's rant against Feste:

Olivia: "O, you are sick of self-love, Malvolio, and
taste with a distempered appetite. To be generous,
guiltless, and of free disposition is to take those things
for bird-bolts that you deem cannon bullets. There is
no slander in an allowed fool, though he do nothing
but rail, nor no railing in a known discreet man, though
he do nothing but reprove."

Yes, like Malvolio, radical Islam is indeed sick of self-love, and tastes with a distempered appetite, taking for cannon bullets a set of cartoons (for heaven's sake) that more soberly would be regarded as bird-bolts (and there's a timely reference, considering our US Vice President's recent contretemps with birdshot).

Read the full post to appreciate the insight that Shakespeare (and Jeremy) have into today's current events.

 

 

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Home again

 

The road was kind to us. The wind was either at our back or cutting across us all the way home. Sometimes pushing the car to the side. Needed to pay attention. Fortunately little traffic to interfere with the cruise control, mostly manual as the grades on some of the hills would cause the engine to rev. One of the problems with cruise control, otherwise it is great for long rides on mostly level surfaces.

 

The wind did some interesting things on the way down. Caught sight of quite of few mini swirls. The snow so delicately floating up and away.

 

The most unusual thing seen was one stretch approx 100 meter long, the snow was being blown across the road so that it covered the road but stayed above the road about an inch. Like a sheet blown perfectly flat out in the wind stretched across the road dissipating as the car drove through. Never saw the likes of it before.

 

More music of course... more on that later...

 

 

PS - the temp was a balmy 26 degrees F here in Franklin when we arrived. It feels good!

 

 

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Only 3

 

On the road again later today. This was just an overnight stay for Carolyn at St Michael's in VT.

 

Cold here this morning. weather.com says 3 with a wind chill effective temp of -12.

 

I wonder how much this will play as a factor of choice for her?

 

Time will tell.

 

 

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For Dolores

On the ride to VT, we also heard from Van Morrison as he sing:

 

Have I told you lately that I love you
Have I told you there's no one above you
Fill my heart with gladness
Take away my sadness
Ease my troubles, that's what you do

Oh the morning sun in all its glory
Greets the day with hope and comfort too
And you fill my life with laughter
You can make it better
Ease my troubles that's what you do

There's a love that's divine
And it's yours and it's mine
Like the sun at the end of the day
We should give thanks and pray to the One

Have I told you lately that I love you
Have I told you there's no one above you
Fill my heart with gladness
Take away my sadness
Ease my troubles, that's what you do

There's a love that's divine
And it's yours and it's mine
And it shines like the sun
At the end of the day we will give thanks
And pray to the One

Have I told you lately that I love you
Have I told you there's no one above you
Fill my heart with gladness
Take away my sadness
Ease my troubles, that's what you do

Take away my sadness
Fill my life with gladness
Ease my troubles that's what you do
Fill my life with gladness
Take away my sadness
Ease my troubles that's what you do.

 

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Initial shock

Regular readers here will recognize that Robert Bly is one of my favorite poets. Last year a meme was going around the blogosphere about creating your board of directors. I never got to it, but have not forgotten and will be putting this together sometime soon. Robert will be on the board.

Then when looking for one of his poems to quote from yesterday, I find an article trashing his work. More research to be done here, of course, but imagine my initial shock.

"What is this?"

"Who is this person?"

"How could they do this?"

"What are they thinking?"

"They are attacking one of my heroes!"

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