One must wonder, as the months and months have rolled by, who had a finger on the "nuclear button", a figurative term, and who does now? Who is singular and plural, but the commander-in-chief makes the final decision in a time of war.
Article I, Section 8, Clause 11: [The Congress shall have Power . . . ] To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water; . . . "...These cases settled whether a state of war could exist without a formal declaration by Congress. When hostile action is taken against the Nation or against its citizens or commerce, the President may resort to force in response. "But whether the Constitution empowers the President to commit troops abroad to further national interests absent a declaration of war or specific congressional authorization short of such a declaration has been controversial.21 "The Supreme Court has not addressed this issue22 and lower courts have generally not adjudicated the matter on political question grounds.23 Absent judicial guidance, Congress and the President have had to reach accommodations with each other."24 https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S8-C11-3/ALDE_00013589/#:~:text=Article%20I%2C%20Section%208%2C%20Clause,Land%20and%20Water%3B%20.%20.%20.&text=The%20Articles%20of%20Confederation%20vested,foreign%20relations%20in%20the%20Congress.
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“Ghost gun” is a term used to describe homemade weapons constructed from parts often purchased online. They are problematic in that they are difficult to trace for lack of serial numbers and background checks.
The Victorian Era produced six inventions: telephone, adhesive postage stamp, underground railway, public flush toilet, electric light bulb, and pneumatic tire. Great authors came into view, too: the Brontë sisters, Collins, Thackeray, Doyle, Stevenson, Tennyson, Kipling, Wilde, Stoker, and Hardy. My Reading List honors them all, and today is a poem by Stevenson. Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet, and travel writer, best known for Treasure Island, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Kidnapped, and A Child's Garden of Verses. He traveled widely and spent time in California at Monterey, San Francisco, and St. Helena (Napa Valley). Fact: French was the official language of England from 1066 to 1362. At the Battle of Hastings, William II of Normandy defeated King Harold II of England on Oct. 14, 1066, and was crowned king at London on Christmas Day. Basically, the sweep of history advanced like this: from Greek to Latin to French to English. "He who is brave is free." -Lucius Annaeus Seneca
A very qualified woman from the Catholic Writers Guild has graciously agreed to work with me on the first short story co-written by Alexander. It is an action fantasy set in the year 2025. Our series is not about zombies: the characters surpass the zombies in this Haiku, an example of his brilliance that took us five minutes to write:
Zombies of the night Go dream your last dream tonight Bid farewell to light These three find a unique form of fraternity. If you are a lonely guy, you could try their method. I’ve put it out there, the first fantasy story co-written by Alexander, requests/queries to Catholic Writers Guild, Quora, Defiance Press, and a freelance editor. The Young Writer's Initiative is closed to submissions. Now comes the fun part: body and soul are turned into ground chuck. Here's one of Alexander's many drawings. That's Real Extermination Commando Squad.
The word astronaut is derived from the Romanized Ancient Greek words astron and nautes, which translate to stars and sailor, respectively, and first appeared in the 1880 novel Across the Zodiac by English author Percy Greg to describe a spaceship.
Some Related Forms of Fiction
Fable is a literary genre defined as a succinct fictional story of morality in prose or verse that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are anthropomorphized, meaning they have human characteristics. Legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions believed or perceived to have taken place in human history, a story that can demonstrate human values and possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude, the appearance of being true. Allegory is a literary device, either narrative or visual, in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a meaning with moral or political significance. (This is what my writing student and I are attempting.) Parable is a succinct, didactic story in prose or verse that illustrates one or more instructive lessons on, or principles of, morality and differs from fable in that fables employ animals, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature as characters, whereas parables have human characters. This entry quotes Wikipedia in part to help those who do not understand what a parable is. See Quran plagiarized. Ignorance of fiction ends the formation of a polymath. In my reading list are examples of fable, "Lemmings", and allegory, "Harrison Bergeron". At age 15, she changed her name from Margaret Ann to Lionel because she did not like her given name and, as a tomboy, felt that a conventionally masculine name was better. She is 67 and married. I am co-writing something with my writing student for a general audience.
The 1977 film Star Wars was shot in Tunisia and Death Valley (CA) and on soundstages in England. One could accuse George Lucas of cultural appropriation when he borrowed "May the Force be with you" from the Mass's "Dominus vobiscum", but we were flattered. Scene: a beach
Length: 490 words Characters: Police Officers Reordon and Carmack Richard Matheson said, "Only write what you're really interested in." “Where do they all come from?” Reordon asked. “Everywhere,” said Carmack. They were standing on the coast highway. As far as they could see there was nothing but cars. Thousands of cars were jammed bumper-to-bumper and pressed side-to-side. The highway was solid with them. “Here come some more,” said Carmack. The two policemen looked at the crowd of people walking toward the beach. Many of them talked and laughed. Some of them were very quiet and serious. But they all walked toward the beach. Reordon shook his head. “I don’t get it,” he said for the hundredth time that week. “I just don’t get it.” Carmack shrugged. “Don’t think about it,” he said. “It’s happening. What else is there?” “But it’s crazy.” “Well, there they go,” said Carmack. As the two policemen watched, the crowd of people moved across the gray sands of the beach and walked into the water. Some of them started swimming. Most of them couldn’t because of their clothes. Carmack saw a young woman flailing at the water and dragged down by the fur coat she was wearing. In several minutes they were all gone. The two policemen stared at the place where the people had walked into the water. “How long does it go on?” Reordon asked. “Until they’re gone, I guess,” said Carmack. “But why?” “You ever read about the Lemmings?” Carmack asked. “No.” “They’re rodents who live in the Scandinavian countries. They keep breeding until all their food supply is gone. Then they move across the country, ravaging everything in their way. When they reach the sea they keep going. They swim until their strength is gone. Millions of them.” “You think that’s what this is?” asked Reordon. “Maybe,” said Carmack. "People aren’t rodents!” Reordon said angrily. Carmack didn’t answer. They stood on the edge of the highway waiting but nobody appeared. “Where are they?” asked Reordon. “Maybe they’ve all gone in,” Carmack said. “All of them?” “It’s been going on for more than a week,” Carmack said. “People could have gotten here from all over. Then there are the lakes.” Reordon shuddered. "All of them,” he said. “I don’t know,” said Carmack, “but they’ve been coming right along until now.” “Oh, God,” said Reordon. Carmack took out a cigarette and lit it. “Well,” he said, “what now?” Reordon sighed. "Us?” he said. “You go,” Carmack said. “I’ll wait a while and see if there’s anyone else.” “All right.” Reordon put his hand out. "Good-bye, Carmack,” he said. They shook hands. "Good-bye, Reordon,” Carmack said. He stood smoking his cigarette and watching his friend walk across the gray sand of the beach and into the water until it was over his head. He saw Reordon swim a few dozen yards before he disappeared. After a while he put out his cigarette and looked around. Then he walked into the water, too. A million cars stood empty along the beach. At six years of age, my writing student Alexander said the same thing Matheson said. I recommend "The Happy Prince" as a bedtime story for children (that's a first).
Oscar Wilde had two sons, born 1885/1886. The allegory was published in 1888. A guess: he wrote it for them. In his book, Capistrano Nights, Father St. John O’Sullivan, Pastor of Mission San Juan Capistrano 1910-1933, relates how the swallows first came to call the Mission home. One day, while walking through town, Fr. O’Sullivan saw a shopkeeper, broomstick in hand, knocking down the conically-shaped mud swallow nests that were under the eaves of his shop. The birds were darting back and forth through the air squealing over the destruction of their homes. “What in the world are you doing?” Fr. O’Sullivan asked. “Why, these dirty birds are a nuisance and I am getting rid of them!” the shopkeeper responded. “But where can they go?” “I don’t know and I don’t care,” he replied, slashing away with his pole. “But they’ve no business here, destroying my property.” Fr. O’Sullivan then said, “Come on swallows, I’ll give you shelter. Come to the Mission. There’s room enough there for all.” One month before my brother Tommy died, the last time I saw him, he said to me, "I had a dream, and in the dream Christ Himself gave me Communion." I dedicate this reading to all Latin Mass Catholics. I listened several times to understand all the allusions. Keep Oscar, a deathbed Catholic, in your heart.
Mark Twain mentions in his autobiography his childhood friend Tom Blankenship as inspiration for Huckleberry Finn: “In Huckleberry Finn, I have drawn Tom Blankenship exactly as he was. He was ignorant, unwashed, and insufficiently fed; but he had as good a heart as ever any boy had. His liberties were totally unrestricted.” drawing of Finn age 13 with a rabbit and a gun
from the original 1884 edition of the book Oh life! what lets thee from a quick decease?
Oh death! what draws thee from a present prey? My feast is done, my soul would be at ease, My grace is said, O death! come take away. I live, but such a life as ever dies; I die, but such a death as never ends; My death to end my dying life denies, And life my loving death no whit amends. Thus still I die, yet still I do remain; My living death by dying life is fed; Grace more than nature keeps my heart alive, Whose idle hopes and vain desires are dead. Not where I breathe, but where I love, I live; Not where I love, but where I am, I die; The life I wish must future glory give, The death I feel in present dangers lie. Robert Southwell SJ On 21 February 1595, Southwell was sent to Tyburn. Execution of sentence on a notorious highwayman had been appointed for the same time, but at a different place – perhaps to draw the crowds away – and yet many came to witness Southwell’s death. Having been dragged through the streets on a sledge, he stood in the cart beneath the gibbet and made the sign of the cross with his pinioned hands before reciting a Bible passage from Romans 14. The sheriff made to interrupt him, but he was allowed to address the people at some length, confessing that he was a Jesuit priest and praying for the salvation of Queen and country. As the cart was drawn away, he commended his soul to God with the words of the psalm in manus tuas. [into your hands] He hung in the noose for a brief time, making the sign of the cross as best he could. As the executioner made to cut him down, in preparation for disemboweling him while still alive, Lord Mountjoy and some other onlookers tugged at his legs to hasten his death. His lifeless body was then disemboweled and quartered. As his severed head was displayed to the crowd, no one shouted the traditional “Traitor!”. Wikipedia The pdf of the story lay under my novel as I wrote it. This is a good radio production of the story. Philip Marlowe, the committed bachelor, makes no apologies for the language. Neither do I.
I reject labels because they are used to silence people.
Instead, let’s look at definitions. I look them up every day.
My vote on any given day is a secret, not to friends (I don't have to utter a word), but to the world and demons, and they cannot read my thoughts. I found a great vocabulary word: heuristic (adj) (pronounced hyu-RIS-tik and from the Greek heuriskein meaning "to discover") - enabling someone to uncover and learn a truth or untruth for himself or herself, through experimentation and evaluation or trial and error. For Latin Mass Catholics only...
Shakespeare, poet, playwright, and recusant, wrote to us. Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments; love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove. O no, it is an ever-fixèd mark That looks on tempests and is never shaken; It is the star to every wand'ring bark Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken. Love's not time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks Within his bending sickle's compass come. Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom: If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ, nor no man ever loved. God of our fathers, known of old,
Lord of our far-flung battle-line, Beneath whose awful Hand we hold Dominion over palm and pine-- Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet, Lest we forget—lest we forget! The tumult and the shouting dies; The Captains and the Kings depart: Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice, An humble and a contrite heart. Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet, Lest we forget—lest we forget! Far-called, our navies melt away; On dune and headland sinks the fire: Lo, all our pomp of yesterday Is one with Nineveh and Tyre! Judge of the Nations, spare us yet, Lest we forget—lest we forget! If, drunk with sight of power, we loose Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe, Such boastings as the Gentiles use, Or lesser breeds without the Law-- Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet, Lest we forget—lest we forget! For heathen heart that puts her trust In reeking tube and iron shard, All valiant dust that builds on dust, And guarding, calls not Thee to guard, For frantic boast and foolish word-- Thy mercy on Thy People, Lord! Rudyard Kipling 1897 by Stephen Crane High Five Poker is a table game. It is like a combination of Three Card Poker and Pai Gow Poker. It uses a 53-card deck, where the 53rd card is a Joker and can be used to make a Straight, Flush, Straight Flush, or Royal Flush; otherwise, it acts as a fifth Ace. One small detail: when I enter the cold, my skin reddens. Characters
This story is the 64th. There are 50 poems in the Reading List. All the entries are classics, and many are narrated.
I present a radio play from 1950, "Mars Is Heaven," by science fiction writer Ray Bradbury. If you can get past Richfield Oil commercials (sponsor), the story is actually pretty good. His name: John Black. Reality is altered. Blogging will slow now. I will be doing other things. Thanks for listening. If anyone wants to send me an entry, please do so. I will create a space for it. One last thing. I run into Catholics who tell me how to practice my faith. No. Not allowed. I do not tell others how to practice their faith. The way I do it is peculiar to me. So much more is seen in the dark. … and why it is, one does not ask, "Why did you do this crime?"
Magdalene’s Complaint at Christ’s Death Thirty-four-year-old Robert was beheaded and quartered at Tyburn on Feb. 21, 1595, for the crime of being a Catholic priest. He came from the Douay-Rheims group (NT - 1582, OT - 1609-1610).
Southwell and Shakespeare “Apart from their mutual acquaintance with the Earl of Southampton, and the strong circumstantial evidence that they must have known each other within the confines of London’s close-knit Catholic recusant community, the strongest evidence for Southwell’s and Shakespeare’s friendship is to be found in their respective works. … “Shortly before his capture in July 1592, Southwell had been working on a manuscript of his poems and had penned a Preface addressed to the author’s ‘Loving Cousin’. Since Southwell and Shakespeare were distant cousins, it has been conjectured that the Preface was addressed to Shakespeare, though others have suggested that the ‘Cousin’ in question was perhaps Southampton, since Southwell’s brother and sister had each married Southampton’s first cousins. “Either way, the Preface itself is an appeal to poets in general, or perhaps to Shakespeare in particular, to use their God-given talents in the service of the Giver of them: ‘Poets, by abusing their talents, and making the follies and feignings of love the customary subject of their base endeavours, have so discredited this faculty, that a poet, a lover, and a liar, are by many reckoned but three words of one signification….’” theimaginativeconservative.org/2023/07/romeo-jesuits-robert-southwell-joseph-pearce.html#:~:text=Since%20Southwell%20and%20Shakespeare%20were,each%20married%20Southampton's%20first%20cousins. Shakespeare wrote a poem to honor Anne Line and her husband, but you will find no mention of her name in it. The Phoenix and the Turtle Catholics were subject to a COE tax and fines and had two choices: pay the tax and lay low or be jailed and executed. Shakespeare chose the former; the Line's and Southwell chose the latter. Two other women were executed for hiding priests: Clitherow and Ward.
"The Sierra Club's Equity Language Guide discourages using the words stand, Americans, blind, and crazy. “The first two fail at inclusion, because not everyone can stand and not everyone living in this country is a citizen. The third and fourth, even as figures of speech (‘Legislators are blind to climate change’), are insulting to the disabled. “The guide also rejects the disabled in favor of people living with disabilities, for the same reason that enslaved person has generally replaced slave: to affirm, by the tenets of what’s called ‘people-first language,’ that ‘everyone is first and foremost a person, not their disability or other identity.’ “The guide’s purpose is not just to make sure that the Sierra Club avoids obviously derogatory terms, such as welfare queen. It seeks to cleanse language of any trace of privilege, hierarchy, bias, or exclusion. "In its zeal, the Sierra Club has clear-cut a whole national park of words. Urban, vibrant, hardworking, and brown bag all crash to earth for subtle racism. “Y’all supplants the patriarchal you guys, and elevate voices replaces empower, which used to be uplifting but is now condescending. “The poor is classist; battle and minefield disrespect veterans; depressing appropriates a disability; migrant—no explanation, it just has to go.” https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/04/equity-language-guides-sierra-club-banned-words/673085/ To euphemize English is to anesthetize English, then leave it for dead. I cracked an egg this morning and out came two yokes.
According to the American Egg Board, "Double-yoked eggs are often produced by young hens whose egg production cycles are not yet completely synchronized. They're often produced, too, by hens that are old enough to produce extra large-sized eggs." My dad loved our little blue parakeet, and I loved watching him eat breakfast in the breakfast room and the parakeet running around and looking at his reflection in the toaster. Well, we thought the bird was a male. In the 12th year, a tiny egg was found. |
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