WESTMORELAND. O that we now had here
But one ten thousand of those men in England
That do no work to-day!
King: What’s he that wishes so?
My cousin, Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin;
If we are mark’d to die, we are enow
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God’s will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my garments wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my desires.
But if it be a sin to covet honour,
I am the most offending soul alive.
No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England.
God’s peace! I would not lose so great an honour
As one man more methinks would share from me
For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made,
And crowns for convoy put into his purse;
We would not die in that man’s company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is call’d the feast of Crispian.
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam’d,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say “To-morrow is Saint Crispian.”
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say “These wounds I had on Crispin's day.”
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he’ll remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words-
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester-
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb’red.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.
Monday, May 25, 2015
Monday at the Bar: Courthouses of the West: Wind River Indian Reservation Tribal Court
Courthouses of the West: Wind River Indian Reservation Tribal Court:
This is the Wind River Indian Reservation Tribal Court, which also houses various other law related facilities. The court is located in Ft. Washakie, the seat of government for the Wind River Indian Reservation, and serves the Shoshone and Arapahoe tribes on the reservation.
This is the Wind River Indian Reservation Tribal Court, which also houses various other law related facilities. The court is located in Ft. Washakie, the seat of government for the Wind River Indian Reservation, and serves the Shoshone and Arapahoe tribes on the reservation.
Sunday, May 24, 2015
Some Gave All: Highland Cemetary, Casper Wyoming
Some Gave All: Highland Cemetary, Casper Wyoming: This Spanish American War era artillery piece is in a portion of Casper Wyoming's Highland Cemetery that has several features dedica...I can't help but note how, in this town cemetery, for a town that wasn't founded until 1889, wars of the past have a long reach. Veteran's tombstone markers note quite a few instances of Civil War service, from the eastern states which these men originally called home, and a few instances of frontier service as well. And the early introduction of military aircraft, and the late disappearance of the horse also show up.
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Movies In History: The Longest Day
This is Memorial Day weekend, and that means that some movie channels will be running war pictures all weekend long. I've noticed that this film is getting a real running this year.
This movie is one of my all time favorite films, and it has been since I was a child. I recall that for many years the movie was played on a Denver television channel on New Years Day, without interruption, sponsored by Lloyd's Furs. What the movie has to do with New Years I have not a clue, and I doubt that it has anything to do with it at all, but the fact that this was a type of big deal says something about how well respected the film was, and is.
The Longest Day is the movie version of the book by Cornelius Ryan. The Irish born Ryan was a war correspondent during World War Two and turned towards writing a series of histories of the war thereafter. He wrote a total of three books on the war, all of which are truly excellent, and all of which are written in the same style which primarily focus on first person recollections by the participants.
The movie treatment of his 1959 book came out in 1962 and featured a huge star studded cast, which it would almost have to have, given that it is, after all, a series of recollections. Filmed in black and white so that it had the appearance of a newsreel to some degree, and using a small bit of original footage, the movie excellent portrays the events of the Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944 from both the Allied and the German prospective. It's a great film.
So nothing to complaint about, right?
Well, sadly no.
As great as this film is, it suffers in one significant manner, particularly post Saving Private Ryan. Material details are somewhat lacking, mostly in the category of uniforms.
That may seem like a minor matter, and it is, but this film really blows it in terms of American uniforms. It's way off. Part of this was likely because it was being filmed in black and white, and all military uniforms have a drab appearance. My guess is that another reason was that the sheer size of the caste deterred the filmmakers form having that many period uniforms recreated where they could avoid it. Indeed, that they knew in part that they were getting them wrong is oddly demonstrated by the uniforms of a few key characters where parts of the uniform details were obviously detailed to try to get a correct appearance.
Almost all the US soldiers in the film are wearing field uniforms that are correct for when the movie was made, in 1962. Not for when the film is set, 1944. In a few odd instances 1962 period jackets have been somewhat reworked to try to look like the paratrooper uniform of that period, but it's pretty obvious that's what's been done. More oddly still, however, US troops are shown wearing khaki shirts of various patterns under their field jackets, which is completely incorrect.
Not that this should be hugely problematic for most people watching the film. But for those detail oriented, it is a bit frustrating. It's still a great film, however.
This movie is one of my all time favorite films, and it has been since I was a child. I recall that for many years the movie was played on a Denver television channel on New Years Day, without interruption, sponsored by Lloyd's Furs. What the movie has to do with New Years I have not a clue, and I doubt that it has anything to do with it at all, but the fact that this was a type of big deal says something about how well respected the film was, and is.
The Longest Day is the movie version of the book by Cornelius Ryan. The Irish born Ryan was a war correspondent during World War Two and turned towards writing a series of histories of the war thereafter. He wrote a total of three books on the war, all of which are truly excellent, and all of which are written in the same style which primarily focus on first person recollections by the participants.
The movie treatment of his 1959 book came out in 1962 and featured a huge star studded cast, which it would almost have to have, given that it is, after all, a series of recollections. Filmed in black and white so that it had the appearance of a newsreel to some degree, and using a small bit of original footage, the movie excellent portrays the events of the Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944 from both the Allied and the German prospective. It's a great film.
So nothing to complaint about, right?
Well, sadly no.
As great as this film is, it suffers in one significant manner, particularly post Saving Private Ryan. Material details are somewhat lacking, mostly in the category of uniforms.
That may seem like a minor matter, and it is, but this film really blows it in terms of American uniforms. It's way off. Part of this was likely because it was being filmed in black and white, and all military uniforms have a drab appearance. My guess is that another reason was that the sheer size of the caste deterred the filmmakers form having that many period uniforms recreated where they could avoid it. Indeed, that they knew in part that they were getting them wrong is oddly demonstrated by the uniforms of a few key characters where parts of the uniform details were obviously detailed to try to get a correct appearance.
Almost all the US soldiers in the film are wearing field uniforms that are correct for when the movie was made, in 1962. Not for when the film is set, 1944. In a few odd instances 1962 period jackets have been somewhat reworked to try to look like the paratrooper uniform of that period, but it's pretty obvious that's what's been done. More oddly still, however, US troops are shown wearing khaki shirts of various patterns under their field jackets, which is completely incorrect.
Not that this should be hugely problematic for most people watching the film. But for those detail oriented, it is a bit frustrating. It's still a great film, however.
Friday, May 22, 2015
Taking on ISIL
Bedouin in Palmyra, early 1940s
ISIL has taken Palmyra, a Syrian city with spectacular Roman ruins from the first century. The global fear is that what time and weather have not done, which is to erase Palmyra from the face of the earth, ISIL, under its extreme interpretation of the tenants of Islam. So extreme, in fact, that some time ago it issued a disapproval of important Islamic features in Mecca.
No ruin is worth human lives, but there is a bigger question at work here. And what that is, is this. Should we (the Western World) take on ISIL?
I think we have to.
The reason I think we have to, is that it is taking on us, and what we have to determine is how much ground we're prepared to lose before we can't tolerate losing any more.
I think there's been a very widespread assumption in the West that ISIL is so nutty that it will fail on its own accord. That might be true, long term, and it probably is true, but we have to ask, as part of that, how much damage are we willing to endure in the meantime. And as part of that we have to acknowledge that really nutty ideologies can be hugely attractive, even if nutty. Nazism was both evil and full blown whacky, and I think a lot in the developed world assumed that such an evil, nutty, ideology would fail in such a civilized nation as Germany. It probably would have, but left unchecked that probably would have taken decades. Communism provides another example. Soviet Communism never made any sense at all, but it did manage to make a 70 year run in the Russian Empire, killing millions in the process.
ISIL may look minor in comparison with either of those, but I'm not so sure it really is. It's proven that it actually can exhibit state craft, perhaps at least as effectively as the actual sovereigns in the region in some instances. It's gone from being a radical Islamic militia to an actual army that's not terribly badly equipped, in the regional context. That army seems to be able to hold its own and even defeat the Iraqi army, and to hold its own and occasionally defeat the Syrian army. It's administering a government in the areas that it's captured, and right now it probably controls more ground that the governments in Baghdad and Damascus do. We don't notice it much here, but it's ideology seems to having a real impact in the Islamic regions of the former USSR where there's an ongoing problem of young men being drawn into it and leaving to fight in Iraq and Syria. It's pretty clear that immigrant Islamic populations in Europe have some people who go back and forth into it, and its hardcore Islamic message has proven attractive enough to some in the Western world that there are converts who are drawn into it. In some ways, what we're seeing is sort of analogous to Communism in the 20s and 30s, when it was really attractive to certain groups and during which it seemed to be expanding.
I don't think we can ignore it in the West, therefore, as I think there is a real risk that it'll win in both Iraq and Syria. If it does, it's not going to be content with that and we'll have to deal with an incredibly violent, aggressive, rich, regime that would be hugely problematic to the entire region, and which would sponsor some violence well beyond its borders. The questions is, I guess, what to do.
And as part of that problem, we have to acknowledge that this is a religious war. We don't want it to be, but because our opponents conceive of it that way, it is.
I'm sure I don't have the solution, but what I think we probably have to concede is that this might be a long one. But we probably also have to strangle ISIL in the cradle of Iraq and Syria right now in the hopes that kills it off. The Iraqi army appears completely worthless, and the only fighting force worth its salt seems to be the Kurds. I don't think any Western nation, ourselves included, are willing to put boots on the ground. The only regional one that clearly is, is Iran, and that presents its own problems.
Pretty grim situation.
I think we have to.
The reason I think we have to, is that it is taking on us, and what we have to determine is how much ground we're prepared to lose before we can't tolerate losing any more.
I think there's been a very widespread assumption in the West that ISIL is so nutty that it will fail on its own accord. That might be true, long term, and it probably is true, but we have to ask, as part of that, how much damage are we willing to endure in the meantime. And as part of that we have to acknowledge that really nutty ideologies can be hugely attractive, even if nutty. Nazism was both evil and full blown whacky, and I think a lot in the developed world assumed that such an evil, nutty, ideology would fail in such a civilized nation as Germany. It probably would have, but left unchecked that probably would have taken decades. Communism provides another example. Soviet Communism never made any sense at all, but it did manage to make a 70 year run in the Russian Empire, killing millions in the process.
ISIL may look minor in comparison with either of those, but I'm not so sure it really is. It's proven that it actually can exhibit state craft, perhaps at least as effectively as the actual sovereigns in the region in some instances. It's gone from being a radical Islamic militia to an actual army that's not terribly badly equipped, in the regional context. That army seems to be able to hold its own and even defeat the Iraqi army, and to hold its own and occasionally defeat the Syrian army. It's administering a government in the areas that it's captured, and right now it probably controls more ground that the governments in Baghdad and Damascus do. We don't notice it much here, but it's ideology seems to having a real impact in the Islamic regions of the former USSR where there's an ongoing problem of young men being drawn into it and leaving to fight in Iraq and Syria. It's pretty clear that immigrant Islamic populations in Europe have some people who go back and forth into it, and its hardcore Islamic message has proven attractive enough to some in the Western world that there are converts who are drawn into it. In some ways, what we're seeing is sort of analogous to Communism in the 20s and 30s, when it was really attractive to certain groups and during which it seemed to be expanding.
I don't think we can ignore it in the West, therefore, as I think there is a real risk that it'll win in both Iraq and Syria. If it does, it's not going to be content with that and we'll have to deal with an incredibly violent, aggressive, rich, regime that would be hugely problematic to the entire region, and which would sponsor some violence well beyond its borders. The questions is, I guess, what to do.
And as part of that problem, we have to acknowledge that this is a religious war. We don't want it to be, but because our opponents conceive of it that way, it is.
I'm sure I don't have the solution, but what I think we probably have to concede is that this might be a long one. But we probably also have to strangle ISIL in the cradle of Iraq and Syria right now in the hopes that kills it off. The Iraqi army appears completely worthless, and the only fighting force worth its salt seems to be the Kurds. I don't think any Western nation, ourselves included, are willing to put boots on the ground. The only regional one that clearly is, is Iran, and that presents its own problems.
Pretty grim situation.
Monday, May 18, 2015
Monday at the Bar: Courthouses of the West: Converse County Courthouse, Douglas Wyoming
This is the Converse County Courthouse in Douglas Wyoming. This modern office style building houses all of the principal offices of Converse County, as well as one of the four 8th Judicial District courtrooms.
The Converse County War Memorial is located in the lobby of this courthouse.
Sunday, May 17, 2015
My annual spring cold has arrived. . .
and I feel miserable.
Most people associate colds with winter. But I'll go years with no wintertime cold. Not so spring, I get a spring cold every darned year. Must be something about the unpredictable weather or something.
Most people associate colds with winter. But I'll go years with no wintertime cold. Not so spring, I get a spring cold every darned year. Must be something about the unpredictable weather or something.
From the phenominally bad idea department: M J Wright: Chickenosaurus lives
Chickenosaurus lives!
I'd note that there are a lot of bad ideas that seem to float around in the genetic modification department now days, everything from this step back towards dinosaurs to trying to revive mammoths. Studying this stuff is fine, but we seem to have utterly no restraint on implementing whatever bad ideas we come up with.
I'd note that there are a lot of bad ideas that seem to float around in the genetic modification department now days, everything from this step back towards dinosaurs to trying to revive mammoths. Studying this stuff is fine, but we seem to have utterly no restraint on implementing whatever bad ideas we come up with.
Friday, May 15, 2015
The paused that refreshed.
Fountain for horses, downtown Denver. These were placed by the National Humane Alliance, an organization that put the up for urban horses all over United States. They were concerned about the conditions that working horses worked in. The draft horses are, largely, gone, but the fountains remain.
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
(Over)acclimating to technology
One of the things that gets cataloged here a lot are technological changes. How technology, specifically computer technology, has worked a change in my own daily life became abundantly clear to me this pat week. Frankly, I don't think all of the changes are universally good either, which may seem surprising for somebody who is running a blog.
Amishman, 1940s. The Amish are a well known North American religious group (Anabaptist) that have restricted their use of technology. Widely misunderstood, the religious concept at work has to do with the use of things that would reduce a human's humbleness and therefore their focus on devotion. As we become more and more technological, the more a person has to wonder if the Amish don't really have it right on at least recognizing that technology may offer, at some point, as many dangers as it does benefits.
For one thing, this is a new computer. This computer came about as I recently went from a Pentax K-x to a Pentax K-3. It's a great camera, but I'm frankly still learning how to use all of its features, and as it's a fairly complicated camera, I probably never will. Be that as it may, I like it. And part of the liking it is that not only can you take really good pictures with it, but you aren't leased to film, the way we were with earlier film cameras.
However, because of certain new features in it, it wouldn't work with my old computer, which was truly ancient. It was in the category of PC's that had an operating system that was supposed to be updated some time back, as it was no longer supported by Microsoft, but as it was working, and as computers are expensive, I didn't do it. Well, I finally had to as the software for the K-3 was not supported by the old operating system. So one technology lead to another.
That meant, for a variety of reasons, that I was without a home computer for about a week. That should have been no big deal, but it was oddly unsettling. This was, in no small part, because I've grown used to checking the computer early in the morning, when most of this stuff is written, and also checking it sometimes in the evening as well. In other words, I've become habituated to that, and anything you are habituated to you do in place of something else.
Indeed, anything that you are habituated to, you are dependent upon to some degree. I could easily live in a house with no television, and I only listen to the radio while in a car (although now I frequently listen to podcasts, which is another habituation) but the computer I really noticed not being here. Not good, in some ways.
Taking this further, last weekend I was in Denver. I'm not really keen on Denver, but I was there with my family and we went to REI, the big outdoor sports store. REI has a great store, and a great catalog. I first became acquainted with both through a college friend, who was a big outdoorsman (and still is). We went down to Denver, probably in 1983 or 84, and went to REI, which we did frequently thereafter.
At that time, REI was in one of the neighboring towns around Denver, not Denver proper, although where one begins and the other stops is questionable. Most people would have said we were in Denver. At any rate, it was in what had been built as a grocery store at the time, but it was amazing, or perceived that way in any event.
Now, REI is in Denver, in a trendy nice area near the aquarium, and it's new bigger store is in a building that had been built as a power plant a century ago. It's a nice store, but visiting it just doesn't have hte same excitement it once did. There may be a variety of reasons for that, including that I"m just older, but while there I texted (technology again) my old friend and noted that I was there, and that it just wasn't as exciting as it had been back when. He texted back that "the internet has ruined the experience".
Spacious interior of the current REI outlet in Denver.
I hadn't thought of that, but I really think he's right. It has. Not completely, but partially.
Now, when you want something, there's none of the sense of scarcity of the item or the wonderment in finding it. In a way, of course, that's good. But at the same time, there was something sweet about finding what you wanted, or even what you liked but didn't know you wanted, and which was difficult to get. The effort, or just the surprise, meant something. Now, that's all gone. In its place, we look up everything on the net and know its whereabouts right away. Again, that's not universally bad by any means, but it has given us a false sense of super abundance that makes us less appreciative of anything we have or seek to acquire. That would include, I feel, even the acquisition of knowledge, as now we just "Google it".
While in Denver, as I have several times recently, we made frequent use of the Google Maps navigation feature which allows for voice directions. This is a nifty feature, but I've found its had a direct impact on my sense of place and direction, both of which have always been very good.
I've always been able to navigate my way around any place, including any city, simply by looking at maps and mentally planning a route. Now, because of Google Maps, I frequently don't, just having my Iphone do the work. I've found that this has actually messed significantly with my sense of place and direction, as when I depart from it, I don't have a real good sense of where I am. Usually, if I go to a place once, I know how to get there, but now it would seem this is less certain. I don't like it.
Fortunately I can get back to normal simply by not using it, but it was disturbing to see how very quickly I'd become acclimated to it. This is particularly disturbing as I feel that this is one of the many technological things that has the impact of taking us a bit further from the natural world, really, which as I noted the other day has the impact of creating a world that's contrary to our natures.
All in all, while technology definitely has its benefits, I do question if we can reach the point where it's overall detrimental to us. Indeed, I think we may have already done that. We don't have a really good history of self restraint. Most of us will not take the view of the Amishmen, and it risks making us less in tune with where we are, or even who we are. Indeed, an entire younger generations doesn't notice where they are or who they are with at any one time, as their heads are buried in their phones. This trend is not only negative, but to paraphrase from Pogo, we have met the enemy, and its our technology. Not completely, yet, but partially.
Monday, May 11, 2015
Lex Anteinternet: Wyoming Adopts the Uniform Bar Exam, and why that'...
Back when I posted this item:
Now I've read that New York is adopting the UBE with the expressed purpose of allowing transferability of its licenses.
This may seem irrelevant to Wyoming, but far from it. I don't know how many New York lawyers there may be, but it wouldn't surprise me if the number exceeds the number of residents that reside in any one of Wyoming's larger cities.
On a plus side, however, this will impact the same out of state bars that are presently poaching in Wyoming. So, now we can expect to see Colorado and Montana firms that have been practicing across state lines complain about the same thing we're experiencing, and they certainly will experience it. And it won't be good for the practices in their states.
I'm not going to cry about that, but we can shed a tear for one group, the legal consumer. An irony of the practice is that practitioners in small states are often highly experienced in the courtroom, with far more trial practice than some trial lawyers in big states. Quite often, a local litigant is better off with a lawyer from their home state, which is becoming less common, and stands to become even less and less the case as we move on.
Nothing every prevented a Colorado lawyer from taking the Wyoming exam, or a New York lawyer taking the Colorado exam. If they took it, and passed, we knew they were qualified. With the UBE, we don't know that.
Lex Anteinternet: Wyoming Adopts the Uniform Bar Exam, and why that'...: Wyoming Supreme Court in Cheyenne. Students of legal minutia know that the phrase "to pass the bar", or "to be ca...I noted a widely held concern that the adoption of the UBE would be detrimental to the practice of law in Wyoming in a number of ways. So far, at least one of the concerns, the increased exportation of the legal practice in this state to big out of state cities, accompanied by a decrease in practitioners who actually know Wyoming's law, has been coming true. Now, I work with a lot of really good out of state counsel, and this isn't a universal slam. Certainly quite a few of those lawyers are really good lawyers, but there a lot of lawyers residing in Wyoming who are equally good. The concern, however, was well placed and long term, this is not a good trend for Wyoming at all, as all the fine really good local counsel risk being forgotten simply because they aren't in a large city, in spite of their trial records.
Now I've read that New York is adopting the UBE with the expressed purpose of allowing transferability of its licenses.
This may seem irrelevant to Wyoming, but far from it. I don't know how many New York lawyers there may be, but it wouldn't surprise me if the number exceeds the number of residents that reside in any one of Wyoming's larger cities.
On a plus side, however, this will impact the same out of state bars that are presently poaching in Wyoming. So, now we can expect to see Colorado and Montana firms that have been practicing across state lines complain about the same thing we're experiencing, and they certainly will experience it. And it won't be good for the practices in their states.
I'm not going to cry about that, but we can shed a tear for one group, the legal consumer. An irony of the practice is that practitioners in small states are often highly experienced in the courtroom, with far more trial practice than some trial lawyers in big states. Quite often, a local litigant is better off with a lawyer from their home state, which is becoming less common, and stands to become even less and less the case as we move on.
Nothing every prevented a Colorado lawyer from taking the Wyoming exam, or a New York lawyer taking the Colorado exam. If they took it, and passed, we knew they were qualified. With the UBE, we don't know that.
Monday at the Bar: Courthouses of the West: Weston County Courthouse, Newcastle Wyoming
Courthouses of the West: Weston County Courthouse, Newcastle Wyoming:
This is the Weston County Courthouse in Newcastle, Weston County, Wyoming. If this well preserved courthouse is not the oldest operating courthouse in the state, it must be very close to the oldest one still in use. The courthouse houses a courtroom of the 6th Judicial District, which also has a courthouse in Gillette, Wyoming.
(Note, the text here is the original from the original Courthouses of the West entry. Since that time, I've learned that there is in fact an older courthouse still in use in the state, in Evanston Wyoming.).
This is the Weston County Courthouse in Newcastle, Weston County, Wyoming. If this well preserved courthouse is not the oldest operating courthouse in the state, it must be very close to the oldest one still in use. The courthouse houses a courtroom of the 6th Judicial District, which also has a courthouse in Gillette, Wyoming.(Note, the text here is the original from the original Courthouses of the West entry. Since that time, I've learned that there is in fact an older courthouse still in use in the state, in Evanston Wyoming.).
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Saturday, May 9, 2015
The Press interpreting the news
The Press is frequently criticized, as we all know, for interpreting the news it reports. Having had a few newsworthy cases over the years, I have to say that I've found that they are often inaccurate, often innocently, and sometimes because the reporter has a view he's focusing on.
This past week, however, I've seen two items that really show why the press lines up for criticism in this area. One story was local, and the other international. It's been interesting.
The local story involved an accusation of a minor assault following a city council meeting. I'm not going to get too far into it, as I don't know what happened, but it basically seems to have involved a contact with some papers. As assault is defined as rude and threatening contact, basically, a very minor assault is fairly easy to have happen. It doesn't mean you got hit or anything.
Anyhow, whatever happened, the Tribune reported that the assailant was a local religious figure, or words to that effect. That's quite the news. The on line Oil City News, which has a much different spin on this incident (and which frankly right now seems more accurate on it) said no such thing. When the name was reported, I looked the guy up.
Shoot, he's on the board of directors for his synagogue. That doesn't make him a religious figure at all. The Tribune is reporting this like he's a minister. Boo hiss Tribune, that doesn't seem supported at all. He's not the rabbi. Heck, I'm on the Parish Council for my church, and that doesn't make me a Priest or Deacon.
Frankly, were I Jewish, who seem to be the most picked on people on earth, I'd be super offended.
The second story was an article, perhaps an op ed, by the New York Times claiming that following this election we have a divided United Kingdom.
Oh really NYT? Maybe what we have is the Conservative party gaining and Labour collapsing. Sure, the Scots Separatist gained seats, but this isn't new. What it really looks like is a massive validation of the middle right path of the Conservatives, something a seemingly increasingly left wing NYT probably doesn't like.
The Press is long on its concept that it's a protector of the public. If it is, it ought to be a bit more careful on occasion to not appear to be partisan.
This past week, however, I've seen two items that really show why the press lines up for criticism in this area. One story was local, and the other international. It's been interesting.
The local story involved an accusation of a minor assault following a city council meeting. I'm not going to get too far into it, as I don't know what happened, but it basically seems to have involved a contact with some papers. As assault is defined as rude and threatening contact, basically, a very minor assault is fairly easy to have happen. It doesn't mean you got hit or anything.
Anyhow, whatever happened, the Tribune reported that the assailant was a local religious figure, or words to that effect. That's quite the news. The on line Oil City News, which has a much different spin on this incident (and which frankly right now seems more accurate on it) said no such thing. When the name was reported, I looked the guy up.
Shoot, he's on the board of directors for his synagogue. That doesn't make him a religious figure at all. The Tribune is reporting this like he's a minister. Boo hiss Tribune, that doesn't seem supported at all. He's not the rabbi. Heck, I'm on the Parish Council for my church, and that doesn't make me a Priest or Deacon.
Frankly, were I Jewish, who seem to be the most picked on people on earth, I'd be super offended.
The second story was an article, perhaps an op ed, by the New York Times claiming that following this election we have a divided United Kingdom.
Oh really NYT? Maybe what we have is the Conservative party gaining and Labour collapsing. Sure, the Scots Separatist gained seats, but this isn't new. What it really looks like is a massive validation of the middle right path of the Conservatives, something a seemingly increasingly left wing NYT probably doesn't like.
The Press is long on its concept that it's a protector of the public. If it is, it ought to be a bit more careful on occasion to not appear to be partisan.
Friday, May 8, 2015
Urban Sheep?
Granted, my lawn is a little long right now (okay a lot long) as we've been getting rain and I haven't had a chance to mow it, but. . . .
Urban Sheep?
Ummm. . . .
I can't see that working.
Urban Sheep?
Ummm. . . .
I can't see that working.
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Did they listen to that song?
This morning, while getting ready for work, the television was on, and an advertisement which was playing Janice Joplin's "Heartbreaker" was playing.
Now, I'm a fan of Janice Joplin.* I really like her music. Sure, she was before my time, and my parents hated her music, but I love it. It may figure, as I'm a fan of Jimi Hendrix as well, so I have a taste for the blues and blues influenced music.
Anyhow, as the ad was playing, I stopped to watch it. It was a Dior perfume advertisement.
My gosh, that's weird. Janice was one messed up woman, but I seriously doubt she'd approve of any of her music being used for perfume. Perfume wearing is sort of basically anti-Janice. Man.
Beyond that, the whole theme of the ad is weird, in relation to the music, which makes me wonder if anyone really ever listens to the lyrics of any song, ever.
In the ad, a bride at a wedding has a crisis, and fleas the groom, strips off her wedding dress, is lifted up into a helicopter, kisses the man therein, and flies off, presumably to a life of adventure.
In the song, an anguished singer cries out her love for a man who is mistreating her, professing her desperate undying love no matter what, in spite of the vast pain that man is causing the singer.
Boo hiss, Dior.
___________________________________________________________________________________
*In spite of her death years ago, Janice Joplin is so familiar to our household that everyone had no problems in immediately recognizing the reference when I named a stray female cat in the neighborhood Janice. She's small, has long haired, and extremely disheveled. She's also desperately in love with our disinterested male cat and she hangs around trying to sing screechy songs to him in a very loud voice.
Now, I'm a fan of Janice Joplin.* I really like her music. Sure, she was before my time, and my parents hated her music, but I love it. It may figure, as I'm a fan of Jimi Hendrix as well, so I have a taste for the blues and blues influenced music.
Anyhow, as the ad was playing, I stopped to watch it. It was a Dior perfume advertisement.
My gosh, that's weird. Janice was one messed up woman, but I seriously doubt she'd approve of any of her music being used for perfume. Perfume wearing is sort of basically anti-Janice. Man.
Beyond that, the whole theme of the ad is weird, in relation to the music, which makes me wonder if anyone really ever listens to the lyrics of any song, ever.
In the ad, a bride at a wedding has a crisis, and fleas the groom, strips off her wedding dress, is lifted up into a helicopter, kisses the man therein, and flies off, presumably to a life of adventure.
In the song, an anguished singer cries out her love for a man who is mistreating her, professing her desperate undying love no matter what, in spite of the vast pain that man is causing the singer.
Boo hiss, Dior.
___________________________________________________________________________________
*In spite of her death years ago, Janice Joplin is so familiar to our household that everyone had no problems in immediately recognizing the reference when I named a stray female cat in the neighborhood Janice. She's small, has long haired, and extremely disheveled. She's also desperately in love with our disinterested male cat and she hangs around trying to sing screechy songs to him in a very loud voice.
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