DSK, 'innocenté..?'



Sans vouloir être un rabat-joie, les dieux exprimaient-ils leur désapprobation (5.8 sur l'échelle Richter) pendant que le procureur voulait faire savoir publiquement sa décision à propos de l'affaire DSK?

Libre, ce dernier, en quelque sorte, mais peut-on vraiment dire 'blanchi'?

Il a hâte de rentrer en France, et peut-être il y aura même une délégation de l'opposition pour l'accueillir chaleureusement, mais cette rude histoire semble loin d'être terminée.

La raison pour laquelle le procureur a laissé tomber les charges contre Strauss Kahn est que selon lui, 'la victime présumée' a trop menti. Mais DSK lui-même n'a-t-il jamais menti? D'abord il a menti en niant qu'il y ait eu 'un rapport intime', puis il a menti en prétendant que ce 'rapport intime', prouvé quand même par des résultats ADN, était consentant..

De toute manière en quoi les mensonges de Nafissatou Diallo changent les faits accomplis et prouvés par les résultats forensiques et médicaux? La 'probabilité' qu'un crime a été fait, qu'il y a eu des rapports intimes 'non consentis', ce qui veut dire- sinon un viol, certainement une agression sexuelle- est quand même assez accablant. N'est-ce pas la responsabilité du procureur de faire valoir la vérité au delà de tout doute, au lieu de laisser partir un accusé qui a 'probablement' commis la violation pour lequel il a été arrêté?

Imaginons par exemple qu'il s'agissait d'un cas d'homicide, et le procureur voulait en finir décidant qu'il est 'probable' que l'accusé a commis le meurtre, d'ailleurs la preuve contre lui est assez accablante, mais à cause des mensonges qui ont quelque peu entaché l'affaire, (et on ne fait aucune allusion à ceux de l'accusé), le procureur a décidé de ne pas continuer à le poursuivre en justice..

Il y a aussi la question de 'subordination de témoin'. Selon des avocats de Nafissatou Diallo, les réseaux DSK ont utilisé tous les moyens pour dissuader d'autres femmes qui avaient l'intention de témoigner contre lui.

Sous ces circonstances on a du mal à s'empêcher de soupçonner qu'au dernier moment, grâce à la pression, et aux 'mensonges convenables', plus le bilan de 'la victime présumée', il y avait un 'tacite arrangement' entre DSK , sa défense, (les lobbies) et ce procureur, Cyrus Vance Jr. Ce dernier ne donne pas l'impression donc qu'il ait veillé jusqu'au bout et sans flancher pour que la justice règne...
Cette decision, est-elle celle formulée et établie par la justice incorruptible ou par le pouvoir de l'argent et le soi-disant 'établissement'?
La justice américaine refuse même les appels des avocats de Mme. Diallo. Pourquoi?

Mais c'est la suite qui pourrait être encore plus révélatrice et peut-être même divertissante, certainement à l'égard du comportement de la gauche française et de leurs illustres candidats pour les présidentielles. (Seulement hier sur LTC François Hollande faisait allusion à 'l'égalité de la justice'..). Sans doute parmi les socialistes il y a toujours certaines exceptions à la règle..

Et si on n'a jamais été suffisamment convaincu par les performances de Nafissatou Diallo, on ne peut pas dire non plus que celles de DSK aient été tellement mieux.

Bref, cette clôture assez brusque de l'affaire lamentable de DSK/Diallo ne change en rien la manière de voir les choses pour beaucoup trop de gens.
__

Opinion and illustration © Mirino (PW) August, 2011

Pensées volatiles



C'est encore par là qu'elle risque d'amorcer.
Déjà l'Egypte semble vouloir montrer ses muscles et son changement d'attitude à l'égard d'Israël. Malgré leur première pantomime de modestie, les Frères Musulmans, (ceux qui sont d'ailleurs responsables d'avoir fait naître Hamas) risquent de s'imposer davantage en Egypte. Ceci pendant qu'Assad cherche désespérément un bouc-émissaire comme prétexte qu'il espère sera acceptable, sinon pour justifier sa répression brutale et dédaigneuse, peut-être pour la faire oublier un petit peu. Qui mieux qu'Israël ferait l'affaire?
Pour le moment le régime iranien reste dans les coulisses, ou caché dans les profondeurs sombres comme un requin attendant son moment sanguinaire, l'occasion qui selon Ahmadinjad lui-même, sera son 'destin divin'.

Par contre on ne peut qu'admirer l'opposition libyenne. Dès le début elle a osé confronter son régime franchement, et malgré le défi et les difficultés, elle n'a jamais renoncé à son but. Commençant de manière responsable en établissant une délégation de transition, (que honteusement trop peu des dirigeants mondiaux ont eu le courage de reconnaître, au moins jusqu'à ces derniers temps) elle s'est toujours bien organisée et n'a jamais montré une faille de division. Il n'y a donc aucune raison encore de croire que la Libye n'est pas en mesure d'établir une démocratie vraie et exemplaire.

Quant à l'Egypte, malheureusement on ne peut pas encore affirmer la même chose.
Et si jamais le peuple syrien demandait l'aide à l'Europe et à l'Occident, évidemment ce serait immoral et incohérent de la refuser. La Russie, qui prétend être une démocratie, révélerait son hypocrisie et sa fausseté à cet égard, si jamais elle l'oppose.

Obama a donné priorité à son idéologie, ce qui veut dire à lui-même, son image de 'yes we can', qui en réalité a toujours été- 'yes I can'. Malgré toutes les contraintes géopolitiques et économiques qui auraient du persuader un homme sensé de patienter, de comprendre ce qui se passe dans le monde, il est allé outre mesure en essayant de créer un idéal interne au détriment des engagements externes, en rendant pire l'économie des Etats Unis, donc par extension le monde entier.
En tous cas la situation mondiale risque de tout bouleverser, comme déjà d'ailleurs cela parait être de plus en plus le cas.

En Europe Sarkozy et Merkel sont d'accord pour essayer de contrer la spéculation et ce qui semble avoir été une gérance insulaire donc mauvaise de la BCE. Un gouvernement européen économique pourrait bien faire partie d'une solution, mais c'est moins certain que Herman van Rompuy ait le poids et les capacités nécessaires d'assumer cette responsabilité.
Depuis que Trichet a présidé la BCE, la bourse n'a cessé de perdre de sa valeur. Pire, ce qui aurait du être anticipé et donc mieux esquivé par une équipe économique digne de son devoir et à la hauteur de sa tache, est devenu une réalité- un gouffre financier dont les pays sérieusement touchés et déjà tombés, risquent de tirer avec eux d'autres pays de la zone euro vers le même abysse.

Pour sa peine, étant le seul européen avec Merkel à essayer de corriger la tendance, les fameux  sondages français prétendent que Sarkozy perd encore plus de 'points de popularité'. On dirait qu'ils posent leurs questions déjà formulées d'une manière ambiguë à une sélection de crétins pour obtenir de tels résultats recherchés.

Eva Joly avec l'air déjà convaincu d'être devenue la reine abeille, parade dans les décombres suivie avec enthousiasme par les media. Pour ce qui est des problèmes mondiaux en attendant, elle ne semble pas leur accorder un trop plein d'importance.
Hulot a eu raison de quitter la ruche, ou plus exactement le guêpier. Il n'est pas fait pour ce monde de double jeu hypocrite. Il a raison de ne pas vouloir être imposé par l'idéologie partisane qui n'a rien à voir avec les soucis écologiques qui naturellement regardent le monde entier.

Dans leur préoccupation à se donner l'air d'avoir un esprit large et généreux, Hollande et Aubry ont cru bien de faire allusion à DSK, sans doute à cause de la possibilité qu'il serait peut-être 'blanchi'... Hollande- 'Il (DSK) peut revenir en politique et exercer des fonctions publiques (...)'. Aubry- 'Il (DSK) pourra parler (...) et aider son pays...'. Ils auraient fait bien mieux de se taire.
Inutile d'ajouter d'ailleurs que si DSK voulait vraiment 'aider son pays' sans considérer aider le parti socialiste, jamais au départ il serait tombé dans un tel piège (si piège il était) aussi grossier.

Pendant que le Pape est accueilli avec grande pompe et ferveur en Espagne. C'est très bien, mais certains d'entre nous ne sont pas toujours convaincus qu'il s'engage autant qu'il pourrait contre le mal du monde, y compris celui du Vatican même. Il condamne la stratégie de violence visant les chrétiens, mais ne faut-il pas aller au delà pour expliquer la valeur de la diversité, des racines, et de l'histoire des civilisations, certainement à l'égard de l'Egypte? Si certains musulmans s'en prennent aux coptes, ce serait logique qu'ils s'en prennent aussi à toute la civilisation et la culture de l'Egypte ancienne.
Benoît XVI ne devrait-il pas faire aussi des allusions plus directes à ce qui se passe en Syrie et en Somalie?

Voici quelques pensées qui mijotent, peut-être trop sur la surface de l'esprit.
On a du mal à croire que tout le monde soit d'accord avec de tels soliloques, et encore plus que la majorité s'en fiche. S'il s'agit en effet du deuxième cas, ce serait assez lamentable. Dans le premier cas que l'on manifeste alors, car peut-être il reste toujours une étincelle d'espoir qu'on arrivera à désamorcer ce qui semble être une autre immense et très volatile bombe à retardement..
__

Text and image © Mirino. August, 2011

Infinity




To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.





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Images © Mirino (PW) August, 2011

Faith


















Surely, as suggested before, in the beginning of mankind's history, religion originated from one, unique source. But the sacred water, wending its long way down the mountain side of history to arrive at 'the sea of truth', naturally divided itself into different chanels, then into various deltas.

Or, to again use the metaphor of the 'tree of civilisation', it stems from one root which, in its search to probe for the truth, gradually multiplies. The tree's branches mirror the roots in their deep, diverse quests. They stretch up and out, aspiring to reach the Heavens in their own, individual way.
And the tree blossoms and flourishes. Its various branches, each one sure of its own path towards Heaven, naturally determine the balance and beauty of the entire tree, like the colours of the rainbow that constitute white light, or the truth. (Truth is not a colour, it is light..)

In the uncensored writings of Mark Twain's Letters from the Earth,
he made some scathing observations about the Bible, especially with regard to the incoherencies and contradictions of the Old Testament.
But of course the Old Testament is very ancient, and in ancient times it was normal to think in terms of women being (even more) inferior to men, and therefore more 'lapidatable' when presumed unfaithful. It was reasonable not to encourage the people to try to educate themselves; acceptable to recognise the guilt of an entire community as well as their leaders, for the sins (or what was then judged as sinful) of the smallest minority. It was ok to wipe out an entire population, should it be thought to represent a threat.
Had there been no positive evolution to the reasoning of 'an eye for an eye', for example, perhaps blindness would have generally prevailed in such an intolerant world.

Mark Twain thus points out the contradiction concerning the Lord's sixth commandment of the Ten inscribed on the two stone tablets confided to Moses who was supposed to convey them to the Children of Israel after his forty days and forty nights on Mount Sinai. 'Thou shalt not kill'. (Exodus 20: 2-17).

For later on, in Biblical history, Numbers 31: 1-24, the Lord commands Moses to annihilate all the male Midianites, burn their cities, and worse. This even though Moses' own wife was a Midianite and that the Medianites had kindly received him after his flight from Egypt.

Mark Twain made no allusion to the eighth commandment in this affair- 'Thou shalt not steal'. For Moses took all their women, their children, their cattle, their flocks and all their goods. And apparently even then he wasn't satisfied, for he ordered that every male among the 'little ones' be killed, as well as 'every woman that hath known man by lying with him'.

Such contradictions indicating that even the Lord was incapable of respecting- or abiding by- his own laws, must therefore also be found in the old manuscripts of the Koran and the far more ancient Tanakh.

But the wise moderates interpret the ancient manuscripts wisely thus moderately. The weak-minded are unable to interpret them at all, and the extremists only interpret them according to their own interests.

In spite of the invention of hell, the New Testament is a more consistent reference, and the story of Jesus of Nazareth can only have a more positive than negative effect on civilisation.
Yet is it necessary to believe in miracles, resurrections, Heaven and Hell, Paradise and Inferno?
Even without what most fervent Christians might deem as essential- Holy spirituality, the reward of immortal Paradise or the punishment of hell's eternal damnation- it seems to me that the story of Jesus is such that the miraculous and spiritual aspects don't really have an enormous influence on what he essentially preached and conveyed.

After centuries of barbarity, intolerance, hate, racism, wars and eyes for eyes, here at last appears on the scene someone who dares to preach of love, understanding and tolerance. At one time he even defended a prostitute. Maybe had he lived longer he would have also given a kick start to far greater tolerance of abnormalities that certain democracies today are vainly trying to 'normalise'..

Of course great weight and authority are added to Jesus' message by his claiming to be the Son of God. If he was truly convinced of this, then for him it must have been so, or at least symbolically or spiritually so. But even if this were not so, would it diminish the importance of his message to mankind, of the truth that time has proved he represents, and perhaps will always represent?
By this I mean that in order to believe, one shouldn't need to be convinced by a show of miracles. In order to be kind to one's fellow man, one shouldn't need to be assured that eventually one will be rewarded for it.
As showmen and illusionists can disguise charlatanism; or 'artistic' ornamentation can masque a poor meal, embellishments and artifices have always been used to compensate for mediocrity or lies. In order to promote anything, human nature has always thought it necessary to give too much priority to superficialities. But does goodness and truth really need any other support than goodness and truth? And isn't the beauty of the world and the order of the universe already miraculous enough for us to agree with Thomas More, that it can't possibly be ruled by blind chance?

If one wishes to believe that Jesus was finally compensated for all the good he did, and is enthroned on the right hand side of God the Father, to give the story a nicer ending, that's fine, and no doubt absolutely necessary, for those who follow and believe all the pertaining religious doctrine, but supposing one didn't? Would it fundamentally change anything?
Surely what counts is what he successfully preached and conveyed to mankind. A faith so strong that he was prepared to suffer and die for it.
What else is more essential, important and significant, compared to such an eternal example, and to such faith?
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Text and photograph © Mirino. August, 2011

Oscar Wilde. The Artist


 
'Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not the sitter'

Oscar Wilde was fond of paradoxes. Unconsciously he also seemed
to make them sublimely and tragically intrinsic to his life. Yet they were never 'tragically' intrinsic to his work, which he defended at all costs, right up until the end, at only forty-six years of age. His short life's work, published and preserved for posterity is his glorious banner of victory and achievement. Whilst those who were bent on using him and destroying him, remain the losers, of 'no importance'. They fade into the past, become the dust of time, the theme of The picture of Dorian Grey, which seems to be a veiled allusion to Alfred Douglas himself.

But naturally Wilde's work never needed defending. That during his trial the author was more intent on speaking in defence of himself as an artist, than as a person falsely accused, and charged with what at that time was considered to be a criminal offence, also seems paradoxical.

If Lord Alfred Douglas had any talent as a poet, or any talent at all, it was, and will always be dwarfed by the treacherous role he played in Oscar Wilde's life. He was spoilt and extravagant, and the following also points out his intellectual limitations.
Although Wilde had originally written his Salomé in French, for a reason more likely to be Alfred Douglas requesting it himself, Wilde commissioned him to translate it into English. The translation was very much criticised. For the line that reads- On ne doit regarder que dans les miroirs,  for example, Alfred Douglas translated it as- One should not look at mirrors. As he couldn't abide criticism, he accused Wilde of having made the errors in the first place.

Even though Wilde had to redo most of the translation, he allowed 'Bosie' to be credited on the title page as the translator. Douglas ungracefully accepted this by once more revealing his weakness and vanity by comparing such title-page crediting with the sharing of it as- "the difference between a tribute of admiration from an artist and a receipt from a tradesman."

As part of the conclusion of the introduction specially written for Complete works of Oscar Wilde, (Collins) Oscar Wilde's son, Vyvyan Holland, wrote the following passage-

"(...)
While in prison, Wilde wrote the letter to Lord Alfred Douglas, part 
of which was published in 1905 by Robert Ross, under the title of De Profundis. In a letter to Robert Ross he wrote; "This is indeed an Encyclical letter, and as the Bulls of the Holy Father are named from their opening words, it may be spoken of as Epistola: in Carcere et Vinculis. (In prison and in chains). The manuscript was not revised by Wilde, although he intended to do this, as shown by the letter he wrote to Robert Ross: "As soon as you have read it, I want you to have it copied for me. As regards the method of copying, I wish the copy to be done on good paper and a wide rubricated margin should be left for corrections". A copy of De Profundis was made and sent to Alfred Douglas; but after reading the first few pages, he destroyed it, probably thinking, rather naïvely, that there was no other copy in existence. Douglas strenuously denied ever having received the letter, and could not go back on this without contradicting himself.
After my father's death in 1900, Alfred Douglas tried to get hold of the MS. but Robert Ross settled the matter by sealing it up and presenting it to the British Museum, with the proviso that it should remain sealed for sixty years, that is to say until 1960, at the end of which time it might safely be presumed that everyone mentioned in it would be dead. (...)".

Regarding a more recent 'homage', I dare say Oscar Wilde would have been horrified and insulted by Danny Osborne's coloured, sculptural portrayal of him in Merrion Square, Dublin. He would have objected to his being rendered and seen in such an impossible, uncomfortable and vulgar position for posterity, and would have regarded it as completely unæsthetic, uncharacteristic, and thus naturally paradoxical..

To end this second reference to Oscar Wilde, here's his Sonnet To Liberty, which again appears to be appropriate with regard to present-day, world events. This is followed by one of his poems in prose.

Not that I love thy children, whose dull eyes
See nothing save their own unlovely woe,
Whose minds know nothing, nothing care to know,
But that roar of thy Democracies,
Thy reigns of Terror, thy great Anarchies,
Mirror my wildest passions like the sea
And give my rage a brother---! Liberty !
For this sake only do thy dissonant cries
Delight my discreet soul, else might all kings
By bloody knout or treacherous cannonades
Rob nations of their rights inviolate
And I remain unmoved--- and yet, and yet,
These Christs that die upon the barricades,
 God knows it I am with them, in some things.
__

The Artist.

One evening there came into his soul the desire to fashion an image of The Pleasure that abideth for a Moment.     And he went forth into the world to look for bronze.    For he could only think in bronze.  
      But all the bronze of the whole world had disappeared, nor anywhere in the whole world was there any bronze to be found, save only the bronze of the image of The Sorrow that endureth for Ever.
    Now this image he had himself, and with his own hands, fashioned, and had set it on the tomb of the one thing he had loved in life.  On the tomb of the dead thing he had most loved he had set this image of his own fashioning, that it might serve as a sign of the love of man that dieth not, and a symbol of the sorrow of man that endureth for ever.    And in the whole world there was no other bronze save the bronze of this image.
    And he took the image he had fashioned, and set it in a great furnace, and gave it to fire.
    And out of the bronze of the image of The Sorrow that endureth for Ever he fashioned an image of The Pleasure that abideth for a moment.
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Oscar Wilde. On Socialism
Oscar Wilde. De Profundis


Introduction by Mirino. Text from- Complete Works of Oscar Wilde (Collins). Sources include Wikipedia (Oscar Wilde). Photograph by George Charles Beresford of Lord Alfred Douglas, 1903, from the National portrait Gallery. (Wikipedia Commons). Portrait of Oscar Wilde by Toulouse Lautrec. With grateful thanks. August, 2011

Scottish myths 6






Coluinn gun Cheann, The Headless Trunk.

It seems there are two versions of this macabre legend. The more absurd is about a decapitated ghost. His name, in both versions, was Coluinn gun Cheann. Apparently he carried his severed head around with him and threw it at his victims, mostly travellers, to stun them before murdering them. He was supposed to have done this in the Trottenish region.
Later, he left the Isle of Skye, and somehow made his way to the mainland choosing Arisaig where apparently there were more victims for his diabolical and horrendous, head hurling attacks.
Eventually fate led him, or more literally he headed towards a fatal culmination point, by choosing the wrong victim.
When Coluinn's head was thrown at a young soldier, the young man was sharp enough to catch it on the point of his sword.
In order to retrieved his head, Coluinn had to promise to return to Skye, and to never return to the mainland again. A promise which is said he kept.

The other version depicts Coluinn gun Cheann as a 'Bauchkan' (hobgoblin, ghost, etc.) who for many centuries acted as loyal protector of the Macdonalds of Morar. He was often seen in the vicinity of the Macdonald residence, Morar House, not far north of Arisaig, on the mainland opposite the Point of Sleat of the Isle of Skye.

For some reason Coluinn gun Cheann was very aggressive towards travellers and even the neighbours of the Macdonalds. He would take on the strongest men, and haunted 'Mile Reith' where many of his murdered victims were found badly mutilated. Everyone avoided the area after sunset, but it's said that Coluinn never attacked women or children.
One day he made the mistake of choosing a distant relative but good friend of Raasay's as his victim. When Ian Garbh, Big John, the son of M'Leod of Raasay learnt of this, he sought the advice of his step-mother, as was his wont, for although he was famous for his great strength, he may have been less endowed regarding his capacity of reasoning. Without hesitation she advised him to avenge the death of his friend.

He thus set out after sunset and met Coluinn on the Mile Reith.
It must have been a terrible fight between the headless giant and Big John, for it lasted the whole night. Ian had the advantage however, because Coluinn, being a ghost, had to avoid the sunrise. When Ian was confident of winning he got a tight grip on Coluinn and prevented him from escaping. He wanted to see what the ghost looked like in daylight. Coluinn had never been known to speak (which wasn't surprising), but somehow he managed to shout out 'Leig as mi' (Let me go). But Ian refused to let go. 'Leig as mi, agus chan fheachear an so mi gu brath tuileadh' (Let me go, and I shall never be seen here any more).
Ian replied, 'Ma bhoidachais thu air a leobhar, air a chonail, agus air a stocaidh dhubh, bi falbh!' (If thou swear that on the book, on the candle, and on the black stocking, begone!). Ian let him go only after forcing him to kneal down before him to make the solemn promise. Coluinn then howled off into the early morning mist endlessly repeating the following lament which was obviously remembered for posterity- 'S fada uam fein bonn beinn Hederin, s fada uam fein bealach a bhorbhan.' This is the translation-

'Far from me is the bill of Ben Hederin
Far from me is the pass of murmuring.'

These words have been handed down and women of that beautiful region still sing them to their children, to a particular melody which is said to be exactly that of Coluinn's final lament.
___

Although we know that myths and legends are deeply embedded in the culture and history of the Highlands, it's difficult to associate any of the above ghoulishness with this particularly beautiful part of Scotland.

The top picture of the sunset, for example, was taken at Arisaig, mentioned in the above legends. We were at the pub, the Cnoc-na-Faire, having dined on beef-pie with a pint of their best, chased down with a wonderful Islay malt tauby Scotch. 
There was another, apparently well travelled couple there who we chatted with. At the same time we were all suddenly conscious of the beautiful, warm, evening light, and we grabbed our cameras to see the most splendid of sun-sets. An unforgettable evening.

The lower picture was also taken from Arisaig, looking across the bay towards the Isle of Eigg. It was taken quite a few years earlier, well before digital cameras had reached their high performance. I had walked down from where we were staying, because I knew there would be a wonderful sunset. Having taken a few pictures with my trusty old Nikkormat, (that I would never part with, even today) I started climbing back up the bank. Suddenly I turned round to see this swan come regally paddling into the bay towards me, then it veered gracefully to its left, as if it knew what a fine picture it would make.


I regard this picture, that I call The Swan of Scotland, as particularly significant, also for personal reasons due to the unfurling of tragic events at that time. Yet these have far more to do with the beauty of life, its realities, with wonderful examples and memories, than with any myths or legends, including the most fabulous.


 Scottish myths 7
 Scottish myths 5
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Retelling and photographs © Mirino (PW) Sources- Popular tales of the West Highlands. Scotland Myths and Legends (Beryl Beare) with grateful thanks. August, 2011

Web loggers' and site evaluators' lunacy



In Web loggers' lunacy, I made a few allusions to the noble, modest, thankless and vain efforts one makes trying to contribute to make the world a better place to live in...
In this Web loggers lunacy, (The Return) we shall deal with a case of rife incoherence regarding specialists who are supposed to be qualified in making public assessments and classements of web domains.

I came across this curiously paradoxical analysis today. 
Checkwebsiteworth.co.uk value Viewfinder at  $22,00 and affirm that it's hosted in the Netherlands..
In the first place I would say that they have overvalued Viewfinder by at least $11, which considering the present, world, economic instability, is also bound to fluctuate.

Do Checkwebsiteworth.co.uk., evaluate sites by their content, or by how much money they somehow estimate the sites earn by the odd advertising widget web-loggers must never dare click on? Do they sometimes take time out to read the articles, those only in English of course, or do they just have a quick squint at a few pictures they might come across in their expert, random perusals? In the latter case, assuming they don't do a lot of reading, even in English, do they have any sense of discernment and appreciation, if not any sense at all?.

Checkwebsiteworth.co.uk., is way off clink regarding their geography in any case. Viewfinder is certainly not hosted in Holland.
Their daily page view estimate of Viewfinder is '0'. This too is a bit off the mark, though perhaps not by a monumental amount..

Maybe Checkwebsiteworth.co.uk., should take time out to study a bit more and update their data. Alternatively, and preferably, they should take this worthless analysis off the web completely.

Yet when I type another domain on Checkwebsiteworth.co.uk, the URL for- A Venture.., for example, there's a staggering difference.
Unlike Viewfinder, A Venture.., one of several sites created with Flash, and well before DSL was ever generally accessible, (which explains the modest size) doesn't advertise for any external company at all, yet Checkwebsiteworth.co.uk., value it at a staggering figure of $8,900,378,08 and list its daily profits at $24,139,59!

As I am in personal contact with the owner and creator of this particular site, (which isn't hosted in Holland either, by the way) I can absolutely affirm that he doesn't earn $ 24,139,59 a day in profits from any advertising. If however, someone is making such a fortune from A Venture.., would they please get in touch with me as soon as possible to explain the situation. If it's an embezzlement rip-off, and assuming justice will be done (as is usually the case in today's wonderful world) I could then arrange that Mr. Weevers receives the money that according to Checkwebsiteworth.co.uk., he would seem to be fully entitled to.
Thanks to all concerned in advance for your precious co-operation regarding this.

Incidentally, should Checkwebsiteworth ever feel they should not only improve on their data base, expertise standards, but also on their name, I'm certain that I (and anyone else for that matter) could come up with something more imaginative. Maybe even chic enough to inspire confidence..
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Text and image (Peter Rabbit) © Mirino. August, 2011

The Gourmet Frog




The gourmet frog
Will leap at chances
Or make direct advances
With his eloquent,
Extensive tongue

To secure his favourite food
That others may find crude
Or perhaps a little
Underdone.

 He takes his time to savour
 That fine, distinctive flavour
Of escargots
With blue-bottle fly

 Then, quite conceivably,
A little eau-de-vie
And a thought
 As he taps his thigh..

  * 
  La grenouille gourmet
Saute sur les chances
Ou fait des avances
Avec sa langue éloquente
Et étendue

Pour attrapper son repas
Que d'autres ne dégustent pas
L'estimant répugnant
Et assez cru

La grenouille prend le temps de goûter
En fine sauce baveuse et veloutée
Des escargots- aux mouches bleues
Pour son délice

Puis sereinement accroupie
Sirotant son eau-de-vie
La grenouille songe, en tapotant
Sa cuisse. 


   *
La buongustaia rana
Salta sulla fortuna,
O fa delle avances
Con la sua lingua
Lunga ed eloquente

Per prendere il suo cibo
Che altri trovano crudo,
Stimandolo poco cotto
E repellente.

Ha sempre tempo per gustare
Distendosi per assaporare
Degli escargots con moscone
Blu bottiglia.

Poi forse per finire
Un'euforica acquavite,
E un pensiero toccando
La sua coscia.
_

Although The Gourmet Frog is a French, epicurean frog, the poem 
(or doggerel for the 'purists') naturally has a distinct, Anglo-Saxon (or Anglo-Scottish) flavour. The style of the illustrations might also be considered classical Anglo-Saxon, even if- and perhaps also because- it was perfectly natural for the artist to create the Animal series, at a particular period of his life for his own amusement.

Some of the series have been published in books and also in card form, with the original 'doggerel' in the latter case. 

Occasionally more of them will be shown on Viewfinder.

Because of the Anglo-Saxonism, especially characteristic to this particular work, it seems fitting to try to retain this quality as much as possible in the translations, which in my view makes them also an interesting challenge.

If there are any French or Italian poets (or writers of 'doggerel'- an art in itself) who think they might be able to write amusing versions of the above efforts, I would be very interested in reading the results.
I would also be delighted, and most willing to add any worthy contributions, most certainly as comments, and even more so if they are written by children (of all ages). 

This note could also apply to any future publication of examples of the Animal series on Viewfinder, concerning poem translation in French and Italian, or in any other language, for that matter.
__  

Poems and illustration © Mirino (PW). August, 2011
With thanks to Rob (Wind Rose Hotel) for his advice re. the Italian version.

Obamacare



Barack Hussein Obama often saunters up to his rostrum to make public statements. Although inaudible to some, one can imagine that the most recent ones basically consisted of justifications regarding the stance of the Democrats, and remonstrations regarding the stance of the Republicans.

Idealism is praiseworthy, above all when it's tempered with realism. Obamacare is a commendable ideal, but would the setting up of such a costly health-care system, during possibly the worst financial crisis in history, and when the USA has never been more deeply in debt, be realistic?

He would be quite right to expect well-off Americans to help more in shouldering the financial burden, but he would be quite wrong not to pull back just as much, if not more, on his ambitious, public spending programs.

To help solved the insolvable, the debt ceiling level has been raised. This seems to imply that the US can continue to play for time, instead of adopting more austere measures- the stringent steps called for and expected regarding European countries far less in debt, for example. It's difficult to follow the US Congress theory that the federal debt will be reduced in ten years time by raising it's ceiling level.. No doubt extra intelligence is require to understand such 'high finance' subtleties.

Obama therefore seems to be doing his best to explain how such situations are developing, perhaps less swaggeringly confident that he will succeed in regaining the pubic support he so enjoyed during the first year following his election. But it appears that he is stuck in a deeper hole than ever, and no one, certainly on the Republican side, is showing any eagerness to help pull him out.

Consequently US foreign commitments could be increasingly limited. The world is informed that 10,000 American troops are leaving Afghanistan this year. A further 20,000 will be leaving Afghanistan next year.
It's difficult to imagine the Taliban making public announcements to inform the world that several thousand of their forces will be pulling out at any given time.

Obama's latest declaration regarding foreign affairs was a sweeping statement underlining that on no account will there be any military intervention in Syria.
Assad must also be delighted to hear this affirmation, that as far as the US are concerned, he can continue without impediment to encourage and congratulate his army for their courageous and patriotic stand, in regularly massacring mostly unarmed, Syrian civilians.

One only hopes that the EU will be more forcefully realistic and idealistic regarding Syria. Almost on a daily basis the Syrian people are sacrificing themselves for an ideal which, at least in principle, the free world is supposed to defend. One can't defend the principle of democracy in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, and at the same time be virtually a tacit accomplice to systematic assassinations of unarmed civilians whose only crime is to manifest for the same freedom in Syria.
One either defends the principle of democracy or not. Incoherent double standards are usually only practised by cowards or hypocrites.

There is also a paradoxical twist regarding the terrible situation in Somalia. In order to help well over two million famine victims, it seems that the US are considering the possibility of easing restrictions imposed on the extremist Islamist group al-Shabab, the killers of Western aid workers. This might mean that in the hope of getting some of the much needed food supplies through, al-Shebab could even be paid 'taxes and tolls'. In any case it's probable that when restrictions are lifted, much of the supplies will also be creamed off by the extremists, to add insult to injury.

Such an idea seems senseless. Surely this massive catastrophe deserves a far more important, international engagement. In order to insure that precious food and medical supplies get through to the famine victims, shouldn't these supplies be escorted by strong contingents of UN or NATO forces?

The world is precious, and still beautiful, but it badly needs a lot more care and attention, certainly from those who are willing to give it. Needless to add, the USA, the great nation that has always claimed to extol freedom above all others, should continue to play a prominent role.
___

Opinion and water-colour vignette © Mirino, August, 2011

Edmund Spenser



Across history humanity has always been orientated by, and sometimes obsessed with, the timeless combat between what is considered according to each epoch as 'good and evil'. The combat is often 'religious', but it doesn't always have to be. Religion is frequently used however, as a justification to wage war against whatever is decreed as 'evil', determined by whatever interests are at stake at such times.

When opposing forces claim that God is on their side, the combat against 'evil' is thus often relative to one's interests.
When 'progress' is the criterion, for example, those who try to oppose it would be classed as evil elements- the baddies, as the North American Indians defending their land and way of life were regarded and characterised, even up until the early 60's. Or when, for life's survival, the defence of the environment becomes more important, technological progress tends to be ostracised in favour of the former. Whatever the historic facts, we then start believing that the North American Indians, who were either wiped out or exiled to allocated reserves, were right after all.

Tolkein's The Lord of the Rings magnificently exposes the evil of hate, greed and obsessive desire for power, but the recent film Avatar could be regarded as a more up to date version of this particular modification of values.
In today's world the abuse of tyrannical and/or financial power are continuing to culminate causing radical consequences of enormous social impact world-wide. And as a further, minor example, words such as immigration and integration are bound to take on new connotations when increasing numbers of hosted immigrants refuse to integrate. Inevitably this too contributes to social change.

The Crusaders had 'God on their side' and their enemies were the 'heathens'. Concurrently, the Muslims had 'God on their side' and their enemies were the 'infidels'.

But evil certainly exists. Whatever it claims, it never has God on its side. From time to time it raises its ugly head and spews its hate on the entire human race and life in general.

In Edmund Spenser's epic poem, The Faerie Queene, evil has many faces. Spenser gave it hideous, complex and perfideous forms that remind us of modern interpretations brought to horrific vividness via computer technology. This, even though the poem was written as long ago as the 16th century.

Edmund Spenser is classed as 'the greatest, nondramatic, English poet of the Elizabethan era'. (Nondramatic meaning he wasn't a playwright).
He was born ca. 1552, in London and started his schooling at the Merchant Taylor's School before going to Cambridge in 1569 as a 'poor scholar' (sizar).  His interest in poetry grew from his translating verses from anti-Catholic propaganda. He experimented in quantative versification with his friend and humanist, Gabriel Harvey.
Spenser received the A.B. degree in 1573 and the A.M. in 1576 after which he served as personal secretary to Dr. John Young, bishop of Rochester, as well as Queen Elizabeth's favourite, the Earl of Leicester. During this period he made acquaintances with Sir Philip Sidney and Edward Dyer, courtiers interested in launching 'new English poetry'. Spenser's contribution to this was The Shepheardes Calender (1579). He dedicated it to Sidney.

Spenser, who greatly admired Chaucer, used archaic, Chauceresque language to give his poem more rusticity. Sidney however, being a purist, didn't approve.
Since then Spenser's skill and the 'melody' and variety of his verses are widely recognised and appreciated. He was a great experimenter. There are 13 different meters in The Shepheardes Calender. Most of them were new. Only three or four of them were fairly common in 1579.

Such innovations are best known in The Faerie Queene. It's nine-line stanza and it's six-foot line finale are fine examples.

Spenser is sometimes referred to as the 'poet's poet', because so many poets learnt from him and were inspired by him.

After the publication of The Shepheardes Calender, Spenser had to go to Ireland as secretary to Lord Grey of Wilton, lord deputy of Ireland. He tried to obtain posts in England but in vain. During his stay in Ireland he wrote a strong apology for the brutality of the English colonial regime- A View of the Present State of Ireland.

Sir Walter Raleigh visited him when he was writing his epic The Faerie Queene, in Kilcolman Castle. Spenser was hoping, with Raleigh's influence, that his poem would gain the favour and patronage of the queen. The six book epic was published in 1596. He wrote this letter to Raleigh regarding his master-piece in 1589.

During the Irish revolt and civil war, Kilcolman castle was destroyed. Spenser was then sent to England to convey messages from the besieged English garrison.

He died the 13th January, 1599 in Westminster and was buried in 'poet's corner' of Westminster Abbey near the grave of Chaucer. He had always revered Chaucer, and like many romantics, preferred the past to his own era, yet his innovations paved the way forward and inspired great poets such as Milton, who regarded him as 'a better teacher than Scotus or Aquinus'.

His spelling has never been altered. Only his confusing punctuation has partly been modified. His spelling suggests rhymes to the eye though often incorrect, even according to his own era. But it was also the fashion of the Elizabethan epoch, not only for poets, to exercise considerable licence regarding spelling.

Spenser was a great analyst of good and evil, recognising the latter in all its diabolical and insidious forms and appearances. As a staunch Protestant he diabolised the Roman Catholic Church which was considered a dangerous threat to the English Crown also under Queen Elizabeth.

The Faerie Queene, consists of six books of twelve cantos each, thus imitating Virgil's Aeneid. It exposes the virtues of Holiness, Temperance, Chastity, Friendship, Justice and Courtesy. It's basically an epic combat between good and evil in all its forms. It depicts Knights and ladies, chivalry, nobility, Arthur, Merlin, magic trees, 'Saracens', dragons, guardian lions, magicians, giants, evil hags, warlocks and witches, etc., including a vivid description of the parade of the seven deadly sins, whipped along by Satan.
English patriotism and Queen Elizabeth herself are symbolically incorporated and fiercely defended. The Redcrosse Knight is the virtuous knight (as well as St. George, patron saint of England).
The poet often draws on Italian and Greek classics as well as classical theology and allegories. His sources include Ovid, Virgil and Homer.
In the following, very short excerpt, Spenser even associates Roman Catholicism with the most vile and evil dragon, which well illustrates the above argument that what is often conceived to be 'good and evil' is more often than not based on the historic evolution of social, geopolitical and economical interests and requirements.

(...)
Much daunted with that dint,° her sence was dazd            °blow
Yet kindling rage, her selfe she gathered round,
And all attonce her beastly body raizd
With double forces high above the ground:
Tho° wrapping up her wrethèd sterne arownd,                  °then
Lept fierce upon his shield, and her huge traine°               °tail
All suddenly about his body wound,
That hand or foot to stirre he strove in vaine:
God helpe the man so wrapt in Errours endlesse traine.

His lady sad to see his sore constraint,°                             °entrapped state
Cride out, "Now now Sir Knight, shew what ye bee,
Add faith unto your force, and be not faint:
Strangle her, else she sure will strangle thee."
That when he heard, in great perplexitie                        °his fettered state
His gall did grate for griefe° and high disdaine,               °wrath
And knitting all his force got one hand free,
Wherewith he grypt her gorge° with so great paine,         °neck
That soone to loose her wicked bands did her constraine.

Therewith she spewed out her filthy maw
A flood of poyson horrible and black,
Full of great lumpes of flesh and gobbets raw,
Which stunck so vildly, that it forst him slacke
His grasping hold, and from her turne him backe:
Her vomit full of books and papers was,¹
With loathly frogs and toades, which eyes did lacke,
And creeping sought way in the weedy gras:
Her filthy parbreake° all the place defilèd has.²                  °vomit
(...)

¹ The books and pamphlets consisting of Catholic propaganda attacks against Queen Elizabeth in 1588.
² Revelation 16.13: And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

__

Without considering the Jewish religion, the Roman Catholic Church might still consider Protestants and Anglicans as heretics, and Eastern Orthodox as schismatic. Yet the schism between the Eastern Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Church was made irredeemably worse by the Fourth Crusade, (1202-1204) instigated by Pope Innocent III and cunningly exploited by the Venetian Doge. It led to the shameful sack of the Christian port of Zara and Christian Orthodox Constantinople.

Protestants were also known to victimise and execute 'heretics' after the Protestant reformation in the 16th century. But it was also the era of enlightenment, and it was this enlightenment (in sciences, astrology and the arts, etc.) that was perceived to be a threat to certain religious institutions, especially the Roman Catholic Church.

The inquisition was also initiated by the Church to suppress 'heresy'. They were active in several European countries and were fervently supported by the civil authorities. The most brutal inquisitional methods were practised by the Spaniards. They included burning 'heretics' at the stake.
The last victim to be burnt alive on orders from Rome was Giordano Bruno in 1600.
In his case the 'heresy' consisted of beliefs including Copernicanism. Most likely considered the worst 'evil' even then was his belief in an unlimited universe with countless inhabited worlds. A belief that certainly wouldn't be considered unreasonable or sacrilegious today.
More unbelievable is the fact that the last recorded execution for 'heresy' by Catholic authorities was that of the Spanish Schoolmaster Cayetano Ripoli in 1826. (His alleged crime consisted of teaching the principles of Deism).
There's no doubt that thousands of so called 'heretics' have been executed by diverse ecclesiastical authorities throughout 'civilised' history, far more out of fear and self-interests than for any professed sacrosanct combat against what was then falsely decreed as 'evil'.
__

Text © Mirino. Source- The Norton Anthology English Literature, with grateful thanks. Portrait of Spenser by an unknown artist, with thanks to Wikimedia Commons. August, 2011