Thursday, December 24, 2009
I am sure! Am I?
Yes, to the question I have sometimes been asked.
This agnostic will be enjoying the days to come.
Given Christ would be the very one he is said to be;
and given you believe what you have been told:
Are you sure he would our preparations for what we call Christmas not call Christmess?
We do not need any god to know that it is go(o)d to be go(o)d to one another.
Yes. We bought a (killed) tree.
Ah, and again having the privilege to do the washing up when the ladies of the house are baking all those most delicious cookies!
Talking we are, joking we are, listening to one another we are, washing up I am. :)
And not seldom I would hear: Ah, Sean/Popoye, why would you think to need reminding us of so drastically of what happens in this world?
And, despite feeling guilty for spoiling their happiness, I'd say: 'Just to remind us of that we are very lucky.'
Not always - and how good I can understand - they would appreciate my words.
But for sure: I do appreciate their (hands') work.
Yes!
I do like - almost I had written: I love - our annual rituals.
And still, like last year: My 'Merry Christmas' post will not fill your hearts with joy.
It would not be my intention, anyway.
Having written this: Enjoy the togetherness with those you love. Be kind to one another. Very probably, any sign of kindness - may it be some sparkling eyes, a (very) kiss, a tender hug - well, you know what I mean, hm? :) - will be appreciated; more than any (expensive) present.
I am sure!
Am I?
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
That's not enough!
The thoughts are free, who's able to guess them?
They fly by like nocturnal shadows.
No man can know them, no hunter can shoot them,
with powder and lead: The thoughts are free!
I think what I want, and what does delight me,
yet always in stillness, and as it's complying.
My wish and desire can no one deny me
and so it will be: The thoughts are free!
And if I am thrown into darksome a dungeon,
all this would be but vain an endeavour,
because my thoughts tear the gates
and walls apart. The thoughts are free!
So I will renounce my sorrows forever,
and never again with whims will plague me.
One can in one's heart always laugh and banter
and think thereby: Die Gedanken sind frei!
(translation in progress :) sj)
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Universal dialogue
Universe: ...
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Pain(t)ing history or: Human's got talent
A touching story it was; a story in which - as a commenter stated - she 'united a grief of our people [i.e. the Ukrainian people], and also glory and pride, especially the victory over fascism'; a touching patriotic story that won her the contest "Ukraine's got talent".
Now is her specific talent such great that the sand-paintress could have painted any story in the sand to win the equivalent of 125,000 dollar, would you agree?
Any story?
Would she have enthusiastically been awarded the winner, had she told a story about those Ukrainian countrymen who enthusiastically welcomed the invaders and joined them? Those Ukrainian countrymen who helped to humanly, i.e. not (!) bestialically* kill Jews and Sinti and other human beings they obviously also considered subhuman?
Do I hear anybody say this would not have been clever an idea?
Well, such kind of (hi)story would not fit to any nations glory, hm?
Human's got talent to repress certain unpleasant details.
Some human's got even talent to deny certain unpleasant details.
End of the beforegoing.
And now to the opening question. As for Patrick Desbois, just follow this link, and - in case you speak English, French and/or German you will understand why I came to think of him. You won't find anything in Russian and Ukrainian, though.
As for Péter Esterhazy: I felt reminded of one sentence in his aureate speech when in 2004 he was awarded the Peace Price of the German Book Trade. Basically he said: All European nations do love the Germans. Blaiming them does spare us to deal with our own history.
The peace of the night.
* I decided to spare you details; at least for now.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Sharing responsibility with Liu Xiaobo
One year after his detention, yesterday Liu Xiaobo was formally indicted by the Beijing Municipal Procuratorate. Liu is charged with "inciting subversion of state power", a provision regularly used to silence writers in China. If convicted, Liu Xiaobo could face up to 15 years in prison.
The case will be heard by the Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People’s Court; and why would I not be surprised if injustice were dispensed while people like me are supposed to celebrate the so-called 'feast of love'.
Now do I know that clenching fists and wishing that all those Bastards of Beijing may lose their teeth except of one for permanent toothache does have about the same effect like a cucumber glass detonating in Caracas.
And I do ask myself, if - in case I were a Chinese living in China - I would have been amongst those 10,000 who signed Charter 08, of which Liu Xiaobo was one main architect, and: if I would have the courage to sign the following:
We Are Willing to Share Responsibility with Liu Xiaobo
Author:The cosigners of Charter 08
(December 10, 2009)
We, the Chinese citizens who have co-drafted or signed Charter 08 with, that Mr. Liu Xiaobo, have learnt that he is to face prosecution and be subjected to penalties, and so reaffirm our attitude once again:1) We have always believed that China's development and progress must be based on the conditions that the human rights are fully protected, and that the justice can be fully realized, and that the rule of law tends to be completed, and the system turns to democracy. Otherwise, the society will only continue to result in abnormal prosperity, and the social wealth gap will be widening, and serious injustice will bring about the social conflicts. On this point of view, we have upheld the same ideas and pursuits as Mr. Liu Xiaobo has;
2) We are ready to sign Charter 08 and agree with its concepts, which is based on our concerns on the nation’s current and future situations, and also the performance of our civic responsibilities in accordance with the rights affirmed by the Constitution, and which we have never considered to be contrary to any of the existing laws and regulations;
3) If Mr. Liu Xiaobo is to be prosecuted for those above, then each of us is an integral part of his case, and the indictment of Mr. Liu Xiaobo is to put each of us on trial; if Mr. Liu Xiaobo is convicted, it is equivalent to condemn everyone of us as being guilty. We have no choice but bear punishment with Liu Xiaobo.
Well, so far 164 domestic co-signers of Charter 08 have signed to share responsibilities with Liu Xiaobo, and 41 overseas co-signers (see the list here).
Will ... ?
Ah!
The peace of the night.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Correcting myself
Who does not know me, could easily think I were an arrogant 'hm hm hm'.
Why?
Well, this was my comment when Jams O'Donnell mentioned on October 8th, that Herta Müller had won the Nobel Prize:
"And now she possesses 970,000 Euro. Besides, I do, for a change, agree with Günter Grass who welcomed the nomination as follows: "The members of the Nobel Prize Comitee will have their reasons why they chose Herta Müller."A nasty reply / comment that was. Yes.
And yes! I know quite a few authors of whom I think ...
You, too? Lovely!
No, indeed. Never I shall need to read a book of her!
Why? 'cause after feeding myself for decades with reading / watching / witnessing atrocities I do just not need to be taught how horrible we can be. I do not need to read such things anymore FULLSTOP
But did you ever listen to Herta Müller? Did you watch her? Do you know (a tiny bit of) her biography?
Thus, again: There are quite a few authors of whom ... I would have thought that ... but ... what a woman!
And one day ... one day you will have listened to her ... you will agree.
... and one day ... one day ... who knows? i'll write the same about this years's Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. ? ? ? ? ? ?
Just for my dear readers
Sorry for not having answered your recent comments, yet.
As you know, mostly I'd try to answer, individually.
However, presently - presently?! :) - words do not come easy to me.
For this and that reason.
Ah! ... Do I see you leniently smile? :)
That's all I need, these days. Thank you so much.
No comments, please, as I do wish to delete this as soon as ... possible.
The peace of the night.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Wordy Wednesday IX
As many things would come in threes,
why not three fine pieces of writing?
No doubt reading them each will leave you impressed.
- Sullivan's Wall
- From the Bard of the Liberties to the Liberty of Westmoreland Street Bard
- miaow in the winter of my discontent.
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Planet of Peace
:)
Monday, December 07, 2009
Cure-all for Climate
Herewith we declare within the next 60 years
to reduce the population of human beings on earth
to 50 percent of the population in 1350.
Sunday, December 06, 2009
For all ?expref=next-blog visitors
Right you are. Surf on in peace, and may you find more interesting a blog. :)
... Well, and now nothing about Afghanistan, nothing about obvious liars ands shammers; nothing about Blackwater, nothing about idiots who call themselves either left or right; nothing about idiots who call themselves muslims, christians, jews, hindus - ha ha ha ha ha, did I forget any?; nothing about ...
Ah! No child abused. No woman raped. No man raped or raping himself.
No politician, no cleric lying, no scientist cheating ... for whatever reason.
Here's just a simple sunset:
Enjoy. Forget about those who love war; forget about those who just can't afford to watch; forget about those who deep in their heart can't appreciate such trivial things like a sunset. Just forget those you will (probably) never come to know. Enjoy your life!
Isn't it wonderful?! I've found ... nah!! ... taken the leisure to write this; you have taken the time to read this - really??? ha ha ha.
Anyway. May you not get raped. May you have enough to drink and to eat. May no one surpress you.
Don't worry. Be happy.
The peace of the night.
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Frying the shammers
For those few who would not know Stephen Fry.
And here his blog which is - although not listed among them :) - seldom boring.
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Essay on the universal validity of tolerance
About democracy and tolerance
as long as they are not in the majority.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Orkney's Italian Chapel
Imagine you had been one of 550 Italians captured in North Africa and in 1942 being brought to the Orkney Islands, being forced to construct causeways to block German U-Boots from accessing Scapa Flow.
The name those four causeways got, by the way:
Epilogue:
Why would an agnostic write a post about some Italians who a) were so stupid to follow a megalomaniac 'duce', b) be so stupid to let capture themselves, and finally c) in their rainy and stormy detention centre would start to build a chapel for someone/something who/that has - so far - not introduced her-/him-/itself as Her/His/Its godish Highness?
Answers:
1. (the ironic one) Just because it's a sign of hope. After all, out of approximately 500 prisoners of war only 24 were such silly full stop
2. (the first of two serious ones, and I do cut it but short): It's just amazing! Just amazing.
Finally, two questions:
Would Major T. P. Buckland have allowed to build a mosque?
Would a Muslim-Major (have) allow(ed) his Christian prisoners to build a chapel?
And a last thought for tonight; a thought that is ... yes! ... permanent part of Omnium: We all (!) could (!) know from history how ... have no adjective here ... war is. And still ... and still ... there has not yet been the one generation who was willing and able to immunise their children against those roothless and greedy few (!) who'd do their best to instigate envy and hate and ... wars.
And therefore:
Past is. Is presence. Impossible to let bygones be bygones or even forget about. It’s there. Is presence. And maybe herein lies the reason that we remain unable to learn from the past.
Up til infinity?
For how many years, decades ... millennia the majority will keep silence?
Friday, November 27, 2009
Chapeau, Monsieur Aznavour
Apart from that I shall prefer listening to his old chansons: What an artist; the more when comparing him to the many tiny squallers who think they were stars, not knowing they are at least 86 per cent bicycle*.
* Those few - although it is most unlikely they exist - who would not understand what I am refering to, as they happen to not being in possession of the master's complete œvre: Saddle your ponies, folks, and hurry up. The friendly, most well-educated and -sorted bookseller just round the corner will be happy to fill the gaps of your education and in your bookshelf.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Turning fools in Love
Thus on her 70th birthday:
Trashed - or: A circle of life
Why would a notorious lazy man feel such a joy in his heart watching a phenomenon that entails work?
Trashed
When I fell to the ground
you walked all over me
even though I shaded you…
was it just yesterday?
Now you are going to rake me,
toss me in a bag
as if I'm some kind of monster
you need to eject.
Why don't you leave me be;
by springtime you will
never even know I was here .
What Lady Janice puts in poetry, Andrew Scott puts prosaic: [...] some people not too far away from me seem to regard every fallen leaf as a disgraceful piece of filth, to be tidied away as soon as possible. They are out every morning, frantically scooping up all the leaves and casting disapproving glances at the coppery golden carpet adorning my lawn.
And right both they are. Some people would overdo, acting like maniacs for housework or, in this case, maniacs for raking leaves.
Well, I am raking leaves, too ... and give them another job:
Seanhenge's chief-protectors of shrubs, trees, roses etc.; and after they have done a great job during winter, they get their deserved long rest, long enough to convert into young, strong and fresh humus.
And thus the cycle of life goes on ...
Saturday, November 21, 2009
The day after
Dames en heren,
Bayanlar, Baylar,
Signoras e Signori,
Señoras y Señores,
Mesdames et Messieurs,
Friends,
Once again, just in case anyone's conCERNed and fearing - or exulting - I might have been swallowed by a Black Hole.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
soliloquy, blooming A ... or so
Apples. Lots of apples. In front of the pub. Public tree. No one cares. No one is hungry. Otherwise ... Tomorrow morning I shall go and pick them. Up. Winter's coming. Hm? The blackbirds love apples. In winter, anyway. Lovely to watch them. Creatures. Hungry. In Seanhenge they will find food. Always. Ah! Watching them in the morning. While smoking a first cigarette on balcony. Phewwwwwwww! Smoking? Yep. Gosh, in the last moment. One ought always to have Mr Joyce's heirs in one's mind. Not to forget my former finance minister who when in 2003 once again raising the tobacco tax let me know that the more I smoke the more I support the 'war on terror', while the health minister ... Fucking hypocrites!! Sorry about this tiny aprosdoketon. There is something rotten ... not only ... in the state of ... Israel. I mean not only Joyce's heirs one ought to have in one's mind, but the peace-loving people of Israel, too. This sounds kafkaesque? Well, si. Mr Kafka(´s work) is national heritage, isn't he? National heritage? Well, at least heritage of the state of Israel, hm? After all, Kafka died only 24 years before Ben Gurion proclaimed a state of Israel. Shshhhhhh! A German ought not to write such naughty things. That's anti-semitism. Each Arab, Maltese etc. will get infuriated. Won't he? Not to speak of her. And what did the friendly looking elderly Turk in Bremen say three or four years ago when being asked about a most suprising campaign, in which the Turkish tabloid Hurriyet tried to elucidate that women are human beings, too, and that it's not nice to beat one's wife, at least not on a daily basis? "A man who does not beat his wife is not a man."
Ah, nuff written. What one cometh to think of within but a few minutes! Time to fall into the feathers, put my head on the pillow and have a dream: All semites and other machos with immediate effect do veil their faces up til infinity ... yes ... and walk four steps behind their wives ... yes ... when lugging the shopping bags. Yes.
The peace of the night.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Wordy Wednesday VIII
Not here. On the very blogger's site I am linking to.
I am quite sure they will appreciate your comments.
After all, (interesting) comments are the salt in the soup of any article, hm? :)
So, let's begin with my favourite:
Cause and effect
All you need is Awe and Humility - Finding the Right Attitude towards Life's Marvels
Why everyone must move to Finland, or not.
A little man against torture and torturers.
Interview with Egyptian blogger Wael Abbas:
... and deliver us from hypocrisy
World leaders convened at the FAO Headquarters for the World Summit on Food Security today unanimously adopted a declaration pledging renewed commitment to eradicate hunger from the face of the earth sustainably and at the earliest date.Addressing the Pope, I conclude:
The article ends:
Addressing FAO's Member States in all their official languages, the Pope concluded: "God bless your efforts to ensure that all people are given their daily bread."
Cha líonann beannacht bolg.
A blessing does not fill a belly.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Still no divorce filed
Well, first of all: It's Friday the 13th of November 2009, thus exactly 209 years and eight months after their wedding, and still the great grandparents of my grandfather have not filed for divorce.
See? There does really exist no reason for paraskavedekatriaphobia, at all!
Secondly: I wanted to spend the weekend in
Mrs. J. would rather have picknicked on top of
Compromise: We shall spend the weekend in and around
Alright, perhaps the name is a bit short. I shall ponder ...
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
The advantage of billionfold gay marriages
Well, what about looking on the bright side?
Two generations of billionfold gay marriages,
and the problem of overpopulation will be solved.
On celebrating remembrance
I do it my way.
Controversial opinions ought not to be islands, hm? :)
To make it easy, though, in times of organised stupidity, when victims of a psychotic alienist (sic!) are getting praised as heroes*, just two links to posts about the matter.
Herewith I declare the bazaar - err - the discussion open.
Help yourself.
The red poppy signifies the yearly charade of concern for the UK's war dead and wounded is upon us.
At the going down of the sun ...
and in the morning, we will remember them.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Sláinte, Sire Schiller!
Geben Sie Gedankenfreiheit!To put it straight: In case I were an autograph collector, I'd give 100 Grass' and Goethes for one Schiller.
Give freedom of thought! *
Friedrich von Schiller , November 10th, 1759 - May 9th, 1805
The word "Sire"?
Hm, let's look at Don Carlos, 3,10 on page 176 of Volume one of the complete edition from 1886, published by A. Warschauer Verlag, Berlin.
It's obviously neither Geben Sie Gedankenfreiheit, Sire! nor Sire, geben Sie Gedankenfreiheit!.
Why would most quotation collections then offer Sire, give freedom of thought! ?
Let's look a bit closer.
1. in the same line: Sich ihm zu Füßen werfend = Throwing himself at his feet
2. König / King (überrascht, etc = surprised, etc.)
Is it possible that some translator(s) in later (erroneously) added König / Sire to Marquis Posa's speech, and thus it became Sire, give freedom of thought?
Well, anyway, Friedrich, both we shall be able to live with this, shan't we? :)
In this sense [raising my tin chalice from 1905]: Sláinte, Sire!
Saturday, November 07, 2009
Summer leaves
Some might say: Bravo Sean, who would have thought that when winter is in the air summer leaves?
Well ... :) ... this does not lack of logic.
Friday, November 06, 2009
In the Fog
Im NebelSeltsam, im Nebel zu wandern!
Einsam ist jeder Busch und Stein,
Kein Baum sieht den andern,
Jeder ist allein.Voll von Freunden war mir die Welt,
Als noch mein Leben licht war;
Nun, da der Nebel fällt,
Ist keiner mehr sichtbar.Wahrlich, keiner ist weise,
Der nicht das Dunkel kennt,
Das unentrinnbar und leise
Von allen ihn trennt.Seltsam, Im Nebel zu wandern!
Leben ist Einsamsein.
Kein Mensch kennt den andern,
Jeder ist allein.Hermann Hesse, November 1905
And here - fully aware that here and there it will sound strange - perhaps even foggy :) - to some native speakers - a humble attempt to translate as literally as possible.
Suggestions for improvement are, nevertheless, welcome.
In the Fog
Strange, to wander in the fog!
Alone each bush and stone,
No tree does see the other,
Each is alone.Full of friends was my world
When still my life was light;
Now the fog descends
None is to be seen.Verily, no one is wise
Who does not know the dark
Which inescapably and quietly
From everyone him separates.Strange, to wander in the fog!
Life is loneliness.
No man knows the other,
Each is alone.
As for some crossroads
Well, actually I had just been after - sic! :) re-reading it only a couple of weeks before, which was the more interesting, as the reader had the advantage to know more about the past 13 years than the contributors while writing their essays.
John Hume, f.e., could not know that in 13 years time there'd be a heated discussion whether a majority of the Irish in the(ir) second referendum about the so-called Lisbon-Treaty within one year should vote "Yes" or once again "No".
Still, his essay Everything is Political in a divided Society could easily be written in September 2009.
Judge yourself.
Here's a short excerpt taken from “Arguing at the Crossroads – Essays on a changing Ireland”, 1997, pp 105/106:
"[...] The renewal of Ireland is scarcely thinkable outside the process of the development of a political and cultural Europe. [...] It (the EU; sj) is the greatest example of conflict resolution in the history of humanity. Nations who for centuries invaded each other, occupied each other’s territories, expelled each other’s peoples and massacred each other, came together freely to bury their old hatreds. [...] But the fact that these nations have preserved their identities is even more encouraging. It proves that institutions can be created to pursue common objectives without sacrificing Europe’s diversity of culture and traditions.
[...] The more people are given responsibility for their future, the more they show their ability to take such responibility. The more people believe that their political institutions belong to them, the more effective those institutions will be.
[...] Working for a new Ireland in a new Europe [...] It is time to look honestly at the virtues and defects of our society and find new answers capable of preparing us for the challenges which lie ahead. It is time to paint a realistic portrait of society and to abandon the consolation of outmoded imaginary mental pictures. We need the courage to imagine new perspectives which will help us to formulate answers to the questions of social diversity, possible political institutions and the eventual resolution of our conflict."
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Why waiting another thousand years?
Imagine, already those approximately 6.5 billion human beings living today would behave and act accordingly ...
Monday, November 02, 2009
Crescent Nebula
Dedicated to those (earthlings)
who think they were the cream of all universes
and even those not yet discovered.
*
I watch the wor(l)d, he observes the sky.
No personal note
Days I enjoy
Days I enjoy are days when nothing happens,
When I have no engagements written on my block,
When no one comes to disturb my inward peace,
When no one comes to take me away from myself
And turn me into a patchwork, a jig-saw puzzle.
A broken mirror that once gave a whole reflection,
Being so contrived that it takes too long a time
To get myself back to myself when they have gone.
The years are to strictly measured, and life too short
For me to afford such bits of myself to my friends.
And what have I to give to my friends in the last resort?
An awkwardness, a shyness, and a scrap,
No thing that's truly me, a bootless waste,
A waste of myself and of them, for my life is mine
And theirs presumably theirs, and cannot touch.
Vita Sackville-West (1892-1962)
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Winter is in the Air
Those who in February were harbingers of spring,
while passing Seanhenge singing their "Farewell".
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Clandestini
Imagine an Italian speaking ...
f.e., the word clandestini.
Clan - des - ti - ni.
Ah, it's music, isn't it?
Well, the right voice, and il - le - gal(e) sounds sweet as well, hm?
Illegal(e) is just another word for clandestino, clandestina, clandestini.
Völkerwanderung (wandering of the people) is a / the German word for migration.
Ever heard about the migration period?
And:
Do you remember what Deng Xiaoping once offered Jimmy Carter when the US-President insisted on speaking about human rights?
Basically:
How many Chinese do you wish me to let accompany you on your return-flight? Ten millions? Fifty millions? 100 millions?
It is said that Mr Carter immediately changed the topic.
Clandestini - illegals.
A very very difficult topic. And very a complex one.
Too complex for me to put all aspects into a short post.
Yesterday I heard a song, though. The CD's title: Clandestini.
Don't know why, but immediately I thought of some posts by Welshcakes Limoncello.
There have been quite a few about this topic in recent years, but when reading this one from April 14th (The sea has no generosity) and this one from June 17th ( (Il silencio del mare), you will almost know what I think about one aspect.
And, although it is / seems nowadays but a platitude, I like it:
Everyone is illegal - almost everywhere.
In this sense: Here's Manu Chao.