Vengeance

Subject: Having too much to say......
Time: 10:19:12 PM EST
Author:  bbartle3
Mood:  Loopy
Music:  CNN

I'm reading two books: A book about Hemingway's relationship with what turned out to be his wife number 3, (of 4) title, Nothing Ever Happens to The Brave. I'm halfway through: "The Story of Martha Gellhorn," is the sub-title. She's dull, but the sweet-tempered biographer keeps his gloves on. Hemingway comes over as somewhat goofy, but I don't mind, he might very well have simply been more kind, generous, empathetic and noble in purpose than is generally granted him in spite of his Nobel Prize (mostly for his use of language).

Apparently his marriages suffered from his fierce concentration on his fiction writing. While with Gellhorn he wrote For Whom The Bell Tolls. She wrote news copy for Colliers magazine, mostly about the approach of WW2 and the failure of the Allies to keep Hitler muzzled.

The other book is A History of Western Music, by Donald Jay Grout.  (Norton, 1960). I picked it up at Goodwill for pennies because there's a Chapter on Beethoven whom I have become greatly enamoured of ever since my under-one-year-old son Mark Andrew 'sang' along with the third movement while travelling in his car seat. I wanted to find out why the music was so compelling. I found clues, but I lack the language of music notation so I'm still virtually in the dark. Here is one clue however: nah, I can't quote briefly what takes pages of prose in the book. To my ears it reads almost as if Beethoven was the Marlon Brando of his eara, in his field. He used his subjective life in other words far more than did other composers had done up to his time, while all the time using the music inspiration provided by Bach, Mozart, Haydn, etc.  But, here's a quote I just found: "Beethoven's music, more than that of any composer who came before him, gives the impression of being a direct outpouring of his personality."

Probably I won't be able to get any closer to the music, and its source, until I bite the bullet and learn to play a musical instrument. The piano I guess. Beethoven was a pianist.

Reading two non-fiction books at once: now there's a new development. Ha!

Barry

 

 

 

 

 

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Subject: Sportsmanship
Time: 8:48:03 PM EST
Author:  bbartle3
Mood:  Happy
Music:  The sun going under




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Subject: Shooting
Time: 9:39:37 AM EST
Author:  bbartle3
Mood:  Mischievous
Music:  My finches greeting the morning

Speculative psychology kinda thrived not so long ago when it was cool to be known as seeing a shrink. Not so today, right? We go it alone today, tough guys. Grandparents? Ha! What do they know?

And still the campus shootings continue. To posit that in the minds of young people today are thoughts of themselves, or their friends being sent to the Middle East, armed, with prospects of coming home lightened up by the loss of a limb, or in a box to be dropped in the hole while mournful instruments play must sound too nuts to even be examined.  So, it could be posited, why couldn't a healthy young college student get it into his head to hurry up the process right now with a rapid fire shot gun? A lecture hall seating a thousand possible future soldiers, male and female, can be an instant battle ground: heck, it feels like one anyway without birthing via having hostile thoughts. 

Campus shootings are so commonplace in America that teachers, I believe, some of them anyway, ask themselves 'When willl it happen in MY classroom?' My seven year old, yes S E V E N, was charged by his woman teacher of conspiring to shoot her. Several of the other conspirators were sent home for three days, while my peace-loving son Patrick was 'fined' only one day at home. I was summoned by the school assistant Principal for a conference. I pointed out that so far a seven year old had never been involved in an actual school shooting, and that the whole thing was a "Tempest in a tea pot." I suppose my name on campus is now anathema. She should have taken it up with her labor union, not a parent. Blame, how popular it is.

Barry

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Subject: Soap Opera Election via Commercials
Time: 11:08:20 AM EST
Author:  bbartle3
Mood:  Angry
Music:  Rain

For a while new technology made USA's Presidential election manoevering seem revealing and informative: Now I'm totally disallusioned because the electronic prophets predict an Obama win and that would be catastrophic, as if the winner of American Idol were to become President.  

Barry

http://journals.aol.com/bbartle3/Vengeance/

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Subject: Writing
Time: 7:11:24 PM EST
Author:  bbartle3
Mood:  Mischievous
Music:  News via CNN

My habit has been to save hard copies of letters written to friends.  In fact some of those copies go back decades, and one particular, most valuable letter copy, saved for me by an indulgent Aunt records a sky-high, bragging letter to my same age cousins, goes back to when I was ten, and only semi-literate, a barbarian in fact.

The difference between this 'letter' and that childhood writing is that I write now for myself, and I wrote then to 'get' something: an invitation to visit in the country where there were horses to ride, rabbits to hunt poison or dig out, sheep to tend, household chores to be responsible for, bikes to ride, and many cousin playmates.  In the city, with no siblings yet, I had to entertain myself with model airplane building, swimming in pool or ocean, or simply exploring solo. 

In spite of that self-observation I still don't really understand writing.

Does writing simply make one feel better? Writing IS aggression. I wonder if working out in the gym beating up a punching bag might be more beneficial?  Most writing is justification. Excuse.

I plead guilty.

Barry

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Subject: No Subject.....
Time: 11:54:28 PM EST
Author:  bbartle3
Mood:  Frustrated
Music:  CNN

............. oh yes, I remembver now, I was thinking about writing an Entry on the subject of the literature of "Negro revolt" in America.  (I mean it's timely, given Obama's historic run for the Presidency.)

Today, purely by accident, and to kill time, I entered a book store that had as it's theme African American history: the store doubles as a meeting place for poets who read their works out loud with a microphone turned on.  a sign in the window said so. 

I bought a book: Negro Protest Thought in the Twentieth Century: (Pub. 1965) Haven't consumed it yet, but I did learn that the first 'literary' protest speaker was Booker T. Washington. He espoused "accomodation." W. E. B. Du Bois attacked Washington as too wishy-washy. Later figures such as Malcolm X cried out for violence, and he got his, right in front of his followers.  In other words there was a struggle to find a rewarding strategy; MLK Jr. eventually demonstrated what really worked: kind persistence.

I've only owned this 1965 history of protest for half a day; The subject has caught fire for me simply because of the current run for the Presidency by Barak Obama.

You know what?  with a gasp of disappointment and chagrin it's already hit me that Obama's demeanor, tenor, tone, rhythms and cadences echo to an astounding degree the angry squawking of Malcolm X making his screwed up eye(s) pronouncements of Doom.

In other words, I predict that's already it, as in 'it's over' for Barak Obama.  For Teddy, his hehind the scenes meddling in National Politics echoes that deadly bridge crossing when his date died from his reckless driving, and he got off merely with a sullied reputation I'd hoped was finally repaired. No such thing. It's hanging out in all it's too rich ghastliness.

The best thing that's happened as a result of all this is that Hillary has had her 'metal' tested, and she's come out with colors flying.

Barry

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Subject: Sweet Lovable Cats, etc....
Time: 11:43:35 AM EST
Author:  bbartle3
Mood:  Mischievous
Music:  CNN

Cats galore all of a sudden around here. Wild (?) cats who seem to live as many hours as possible per day on the hood of a still-warm vehicle.

I like 'em, and call Kitty-kitty to them when in the mood. They are guarded. They don't need people, direct, they have the dumptsters, so be certain your cats adore you for the food you supply them, tid bits they don't have to even stand up to consume.

Arriving in the empty driveway with three children on board, we ran smack bang into raw, natural biology: cat intercourse in full throttle with a cat audience as well as my own human child audience. What was I gonna do? speed down the driveway without explanation?! Not me. I gave commentary as the show progressed figuring I had a splendid opportunity to tune in my children to real life. It ain't always pretty. Prettier than all those phony Hollywood movies, but  in the flesh quite startling.

You know, the male held her by the neck jamming her down into the concrete. The viewing cats didn't move. She complained, but it had to be phony 'cause earlier I'd seen the same female in the garage screaming in pain while all alone. And here she was fully engaged in Act Two! She liked it! Does that mean my boys will be as seemingly cruel and unfeeling?! Hell no, biology is more interesting than that cliche.

I'll admit I was embarrassed, just a smidge. But I was damned if I was gonna play cute and avoid the scene. The boys said nothing. I pointed out how rigidly he was holding her by the neck, from the back. She cried all the time.  

I just thought, what with so much cat chat Online, I'd insert (heh) a small note of reality in the name of the beauty of biology.

Barry

Natualist, heh.

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Subject: Writing
Time: 5:38:12 AM EST
Author:  bbartle3
Mood:  Happy
Music:  Dishwashing/Washer

A cloud hung over my computer; it was like a mushroom cloud so I didn't approach. Amazingly easy to fix these days so I don't know why the Hackers bother.

All's well, thank Heavens. There were over 200 emails 99% of which I deleted moments ago.

Thanks Zoe!

Thanks Aura!

I wanna be missed.

Son, aged 12 did the fixing.  That son is in Middle School, top in just about everything. The other two boys are in Elementary.   'Elementary' mailed me a letter threatening me with legal action if I didn't such and such; But the facts don't fit me one tiny bit, and this is the second time I've felt baited! should I get a lawyer!??  That dumb ass school charged my most peaceful, quiet son, age 7, with conspiring to shoot his class teacher!? Such an event is totally impossible! Why do teachers tell such tall tales!!!???????????????? I need a lawyer, badly!

Barry

 

 

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Subject: Frozen Ink
Time: 11:36:53 AM EST
Author:  bbartle3
Mood:  Mischievous
Music:  CNN & Politics galore

Most of the journals I read, as well as some I don't read, seem to be in the grip of Winter. That includes me. Well, I'm always laggard. Each of my entries ends up as a kind of shroud, ha ha ha ha. Message boards too are hunkered down as if waiting for the 'blizzard' to expire. Of course the trolls, the vagabonds in overcoats - ever covered up - made of cruelty, roam disconsolate as usual, Summer Spring Fall or Winter.

An odd exception is the message board "Do You Believe?" which in reality isn't a Community board but a hassle of 'Threads' with the same old goats chewing the same old grass over and over and over.

So, I'm going back to personal correspondence. My oldest, consistent correspondent has again flown to Florida for the Winter like so many do every year, for a hundred years or more, leaving near frozen New York to tremble in the cold. In a year or so we might do the equivalent here on the West Coast but instead of Florida, go down Baja California driving our new Jeep 4x4 that seats 6-plus. My son has a lap top but I have no idea if it could pick up a signal down there in the desert.

The new Xmas present camera, Canon, is a marvel of engineering. It may be old hat to you but it was shocking for me to stumble over the fact that the camera can expose for faces: it 'finds' faces showing same in little boxes on the screen, then exposes for those faces. Now, there's a fantasy camera of all time: Mr Kodak/Eastman must be applauding from his grave. Well, his name is probably already installed in some similar camera or another. Being 'frozen' in the 'joints' (brain variety) by age and timidity I haven't yet explored the video capability. The blog champ in that arena seems to be Bea, hands down. You know NC Bea, the one and only. May God bless her.

GOOD MORNING!!

Barry

http://journals.aol.com/bbartle3/Vengeance/

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

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Subject: Finches Five
Time: 12:08:53 PM EST
Author:  bbartle3
Mood:  Loopy
Music:  Near-toddler-talk from numero quartro

Taking care of five finches, harbored since birth, is a lot of work about nothing. I recognize that. I just like feeding birds. And their call is musical, sweet and homey. I've fed seagulls french fries in a SoCal parking lot - Seagulls some of them are hughmonguous - and two or more species of birds probably Finch-related, french fries in McDonald's parking lot before venturing off on the death trap freeways. Soothing somehow. Sparrows are Finch related. In the book (not very good really) Finches for Dummies I read that Darwin brought Finches back from the Galapagos Islands in the 1800's.

The cage I keep them in isn't very big. Consequently I must tend to their water and food twice a day, especially the water they bathe in. Wow does that water get discolored and dirty quickly!  Can anyone tell me if Finches practive birth control? I have no definite proof, but when an egg is laid I think they eat it.  Gruesome thought in this oh so daintly modern world of 'propriety.' Okay, so eating babies isn't such a hot idea. Wot do you want me to do? Punish them? Besides, I have no proof. When they were only two they pronto laid four eggs and three chicks survived. The fourth egg didn't hatch.  Two plus three = five.

My in-progress photo-essay about stray cats in the neighborhood is on hold. Bloggers like cats apparently and hate birds.  Heh. So far only three cat shots. They are flighty. It'll be easier with the new camera's longer lens. My central subject is why do cats like us? It's obvious why they like our garbage, but I sense they are lonely wand want and need to be stroked. THAT'S why people like cats: identification!  Ha ha ha ha ha ha, we're just felines and Toms...... IMO.

Barry

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