Post has been replaced by
Forfatterarkiv: immablog
Common Sense About Drama and the F-35.
Today is Friday and it’s the 22nd of March. According to the ‘Illuminati’ this makes it a ‘magic date’ – as 322 is supposed to be a ‘magic number’. Please don’t ask me why, as I don’t know or at least don’t seem to remember.
But to stay in that vein a little – yesterday reportedly was Purim. And if you occasionally have been critical towards Mozzard abuse, like you probably have been towards abuse more or less everywhere else, then you might want to tread carefully today? (link 1).
My kitchen i my small flat has a double function as photographic dark room. This is possible on account my old frind K.N. at some point graciously offered to make a light tight, easily removable screen for the one window.
An old, wooden table, both light and sturdy, discarded by some nice person a few years ago fits perfectly i the corner beside the fridge.
The table, presumably almost century-old, has one shallow drawer and round legs turned in a lathe. A plan that makes plenty of room for stuff and things under the table, ofcourse.
This morning I wanted to check on my enlarger, standing tall on that wonderful old table. It’s a professional model LPL 4×5″ variable contrast enlarger, still quite sought after, by the way, even in our digital age.
Only problem – I don’t use it often enough. This particular model use a electro-mechanical switch to turn on the halogen lamp and its cooling ventilator. If this switch isn’t activated more or less regularly it becomes unreliable.
Hence I wanted to check it out today. And sure enough – it turned out to be somewhat erratic.
Wanting to check the power outlet and cables under the table I was reminded of a couple of bags with books more or less hiding in the shadows and obviously unattended for a few months.
One of the bags turned out to hold about a dozen books from a ’75-cents-books-sale’ last year, mostly unreported in these pages until now. Here is yet another handful of micro-(micro)-reviews, then:
I believe the only exception from being unreported is this amusing little book
1. ROTTEN REJECTIONS – A Literary Companion. Edited by André Bernard. 1990, Pushcart Press, Wainscott, NY. 101 p. Bound in whole cloth with orig. dustjacket.
But just to make sure, here is a couple of samples:
‘It would be extremely rotten taste, to say nothing of being horribly cruel, should we want to publish it’. (THE TORRENTS OF SPRING, by Ernest Hemingway, 1926).
‘I haven’t the foggiest idea about what the man is trying to say. It is about a group of American Army officers stationed in Italy, sleeping (but not interestingly) with each others’ wives and Italian prostitutes, and talking unintelligibly to one another. Apparently the author intends it to be funny – possibly even satire – but it is really not funny on any intellectual level. He has two devices, both bad, which he works constantly … This, as you may imagine, contitutes a continual and unmitigated bore’. (CATCH-22, By Joseph Heller, 1961).
‘It is impossible that it could be true and therefore it is without real value’. (TYPEE, By Herman Melville, 1846)
‘Retired curry colonels writing their reminiscences of India are two a penny’. (BRUTAL AND LICENTIOUS, By John Masters, 1958)
‘Not desirable. I do not find the thing good of its kind and few people like that kind … Some of the talk is clever and some of the characters interesting, but much of the long discussion of the author’s philosophy of life is tedious and the author’s view pessimistic and hopeless … I do not think that the book would have a large sale here, and while I would not say that it is impossible, I think i is distateful’. (THE RAZOR’S EDGE, By W. Somerset Maugham,1944)
‘The idea of men adrift on a raft does have a certain appeal, but for the most part this is a long, solemn and tedious Pacific voyage.’. (KON-TIKI, By Thor Heyerdahl, 1952).
>What’s seems especially interesting about these ‘rotten rejections’ is the editors/readers all seem to ‘speak their mind’. Perhaps you may often find the unmitigated ‘hidden truth’ lurking in or between the lines of these outspoken literary arbiters?
For instance I have owned the last title KON-TIKI for about sixty years, as it was presented to me in school for ‘dilligence and good behaviour’ – I believe while attending Thisted Borgerskole in the North-West of Jutland 1956-57.
(Just for the record – I’m not absolutely sure which of the four schools I have consecutively attended that presented this particular book, as I received book presents from all four: Thisted Borgerskole, Bjerringbro Realskole, Hoersholm Kommuneskole and Rungsted Statsskole. The books should still be lurking on the bottom of a box somewhere).
But this is neither here nor there. The thing is I newer until this day read the book. I have a habit of leafing loosely through any book I pick up, and fancy I have a knack of spotting anything unusual or unsually interesting. And frankly, as a teenager the KON-TIKI book just looked boring to me. Whence I have to join the above verdict ‘long, solemn and tedious’ – if not plainly boring?
2. COMMON SENSE ABOUT DRAMA. By L.A.G. Strong. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1937, 131 p. Whole cloth.
A few samples:
(From page 9)
‘In the early days of the Elizabethan stage there was no scenery. The audience was shown a placard, telling them what the next scene was.
‘The Chinese play, Lady Precious Stream, drew large London audiences who laughed at its ‘quaintness’, its conventions, or, if you prefer it, its absence of conventions. It seemed to these audiences funny that an actor, to express a journey on horseback, should jog once or twice around the stage as if he were riding a hobby-horse.
‘The whole thing depends on the point of interest. The Chinese audience was not primarily interested in the journey. They were interested in what happened after it, and therefore accepted any means of conveying the otherwise unimportant information that the journey had been made…
‘The Elizabethan audience was not interested in the scene, but in what happened upon it; and so they accepted without difficulty the crude, non-realistic method of the placard…
‘The Elizabethan dramatist was interested in character rather than in apparatus. Even when scenery was used, it was of the simplest kind: just so much as was necessary to convey to the audience the sort of place in which the action lay. And the audience, impatient for what was to happen next, accepted the hint at once.’
(From page 35)
‘The earliest and simplest form of drama is the dance. Self-expression through rhytmic muscular action must have preceded speech: We find it in the courtship of birds.
‘In primitive religion, ceremonial dancing was the chief expression of worship (note 1). The gesture was supplemented by the spoken word, and the two forms for a long time grew together.
‘It is only in comparatively recent times that dancing has come to be a separate art, lingering on as ballet in opera – its one surviving association within another form of drama – and subsisting triumphantly by itself.
‘Though we are here concerned chiefly with spoken drama, we must not for a moment forget that mimed drama and sung drama have equal rights. In one, the actor uses speech and gesture; in another, song and gesture; in the third, gesture alone.
‘Nor is it reasonable to regard one as more or less ‘real’ than the others. Each expresses emotional truth in terms of an agreed convention.
‘The general preference for spoken drama is due to the fact that most people find it easier to understand, and to the number of masterpieces available, a far greater repertory than that possessed by opera or by the ballet.’
(From page 36)
‘From the beginnings of history, drama has been closely associated with religion. The ritual dances of East and West, the religious and mythological themes of Greek tragedy, the sacred drama which is the chief expression of Christian worship, the old English Morality and Miracle plays, all attest that the art of the theatre has noble origins, and should not exist to stupefy men’s minds.
‘The Morality and Mystery plays are worth attention too, for they show us something we are in danger of forgetting; that those whose religion is firmly rooted need not fear to mingle laughter with worship.
‘The writers of those plays did not hesitate to introduce scenes of broad comedy, and to treat Biblical characters with a contemporary vigour.
‘Indeed, when we look at the drama’s origins, and consider the nobility of thought and force of criticism of which it has been the vehicle: when we remember that Aristophanes in his Lysistrata dared to make fun of the war in which his countrymen were engaged, and had an audience who could receive it (whereas, early in the Great War ((1914-19)), newspapers reported with dignified approval that a number of officers had walked out of a performance of Shaw’s ‘Arm and the Man’); when we see what an instrument of human enlightenment the theatre can and should be, we cannot help lamenting the degradation and timidity which have almost overcome it to-day.’
(From page 59)
‘Chapter I. ended with the assertion that drama was an inescapable condition of our lives. I should like to go back to that idea for a few minutes, and consider the dramatist that resides in each one of us, whether we want him or not: the dramatist in our subconscious mind.
‘This is a subtle craftsman, of great skill and great integrity. Even though we very often do not realize, or will not acknowledge, what he is at, nothing we consciously say or do will deter him from representing in character and parable what comes before him.
‘Since he is an honest artist, and represents what he sees, he is frequently in conflict with our conscious mind, which acts as a censor, and is often shocked by the dramas he presents. They represent a view of life of which we altogether disapprove. They suggest things we are afraid of; consequently, we often attempt to forbid them altogether.
‘He works best at the time when our conscious mind is least able to interfere with him, and, while we are asleep, produces the shows we call our dreams.
‘Dream life is as complex as waking life, and no one explanation will cover every type of dream. There is, as common sense has always insisted, the dream that is due to objective causes, such as a striking clock or too much lobster salad.
‘The point is that we need necessarily go no further than this universally admitted type of dream in order to accept the existence of the dramatisk in our subconscious midst. Realization of his existence commits us to belief in no modern school of thought on the subject. We can admit him without ever mentioning psycho-analysis of the names of Freud, Jung, and Adler.’
3. BREVE OM ITALIEN. Af Christian Elling. København, Boghallen, 1945, 90 p., softcover booklet.
From page 27ff: ‘Om Maskefrihed’.
‘I det 18. aarhundredes Venedig kunde man hyppigt møde en mand, der bar en miniatyrmaske i haanden eller hængende ved en knap i sin kjole. Denne lille maske betød en hel del, mere end et ridderbaand.
‘Thi mens det sidste blot angiver, at dets bærer er større end han synes, oplyste masken, at manden i det øjeblik var noget helt andet end det, han saa ud til.
‘Masken var en signatur, der kort og godt forkyndte, at den paagældende person optraadte som maskeret og ikke vilde kendes. Han figurerede i rollen som incognito.
‘Den lille stump legetøj traadte i stedet for den store, den rigtige maske for ansigtet, der almindeligvis blev benyttet. Og den gjorde god fyldest.
‘I Danmark stikker vi en hvid pind i munden og forsvinder – det er eventyr, billedtale for en begivenhed, der havde hverdagens realitet i Venedig.
‘Fænomenet er ret beset meget mærkeligt. Mest forbavsende er det, at det lille signal altid blev respekteret. Som et magisk tegn gjorde det sin indehaver usynlig, indspandt hans borgerlige person i en tryllekappe.
‘Den hornformede tingest, der ofte hang ved Italiernes urkæde lige op til vor tid (jeg har flere gange set den), beskyttede manden mod folk med onde øjne.
‘Maskebilledet værnede ham mod alles øjne, tilsikrede ham en fuldkommen integritet som et væsen hinsides den trivielle verden.
‘Det er vanskeligt, ja vel egentlig umuligt at finde en haandgribelig analogi i nutidens liv til denne sælsomme foreteelse. Den venezianske skik er et kulturfænomen, der har opnaaet en abstraktions rene skønhed. Saadanne symboler har altid ladet et langt stykke historie bag sig i støvet, før de foldede sig ud. Saaledes ogsaa i Venedig…’
‘Karnevalet i Venedig varede længere end i nogen anden italiensk by – flere maaneder. Her havde maskeringen ogsaa en anden karakter, thi den var overvejende uniform og ens for begge køn: en lang kappe og en hvid, grotesk fremspringende ansigtsmaske fæstnet under den trekantede hat.
‘Alle kunde bære den, fra skoledrengen til patriarken, og de fleste gjorde det. Synet af alle disse spøgelser har været fantastisk. I theatrene herskede endogsaa masketvang. En person kaldtes blot ‘Hr. Maske’.
‘Maaske halvdelen af den store bys indbyggere gled omkring som figurer i et elegant spil, tilsyneladende irreelt som en drøm, i virkeligheden spejlklart, udkrystalliseret af et samfund, hvis adelige mennesker elskede uafhængighed. De var stærke nok til at sætte det i system og saa meget artister, at systemet blev skønt som en Isblomst…’
‘Men den levende digter med masken vil vedblive med at mystificere os. Ogsaa derfor er han til. Det er hans ret, det er en part af hans kunst. Han leger med sine kammerater; Du og jeg staar udenfor kredsen. Maaske faar vi lov til at være med i en tur, hvis vi vil lære reglerne.’
>Finally, let’s take a quick look at a few recent tweets (may not yet be tweeted):
*Trump’s Mideast Bombshell: US Must Back Israeli Sovereignty Over Golan Heights.
Syria recently threatened war if Israel didn’t end its occupation.
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-03-21/trump-tweets-mideast-bombshell-us-must-back-israeli-sovereignty-over-golan-heights
*US Duplicity Over Golan Demolishes posturing on Crimea, says Finian Cunningham.
>Would that be a ‘tit-for-‘tat for Russia’s accepting Crimea’s desire to reconnect with Russia? I wonder if the Golan’s want to ‘reconnect’ with IL?
*Gucci Is Selling $870 Sneakers That Look Dirty Poor
“Looking Poor Is In Fashion”
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-03-20/gucci-selling-870-sneakers-look-dirty
>Is it now smart mocking the thousands of homeless in the US and the world? Off-hand seems callous and very distasteful.
*Governments have lost control of the narrative that they are in control of events… and they are scared to death…
Censorship Tightens As Governments Lose Control
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-03-20/censorship-tightens-governments-lose-control
*America’s Generals Have Learned Nothing From Our Failed Wars.
The senior officials responsible for our military failures are guiding us to more of the same.
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-03-20/americas-generals-have-learned-nothing-our-failed-wars
*It’s like the reverse Marshall Plan. Wage a war on a foreign country. But this time lose and block rebuilding by declaring anyone that does so to be an ‘enemy of peace.’
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-03-20/empire-chaos-crumbles-iran-outflanks-us-iraq-beyond
>If the Illuminati-Globalists secret agenda is disruption, chaos and destruction, they will ultimately loose control, of course; As they seem totally unable to put something healthy in place of destruction and chaos. Say Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria (and the U.S.?). Chaos everywhere.
*The Fed’s constant intervention in the market has created a moral hazard on a scale that has never been experienced before by humanity.
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-03-21/why-fed-keeps-propping-market
>Obviously the Fed’s constant printing of ‘counterfeit’ money to the tune of trillions for the benefit of a select few (billionaires) is a deadly poison to the economic organism at large. Destruction and chaos will certainly ensue.
*With facial recognition, shoplifting may get you banned in places you’ve never been.
There are hundreds of stores using facial recognition — none that have any rules or standards to prevent abuse.
https://www.cnet.com/news/with-facial-recognition-shoplifting-may-get-you-banned-in-places-youve-never-been/
*Supermarkets in the UK are using it to determine whether customers are old enough to buy beer. Millions of photos uploaded onto social media are being used to train facial recognition without people’s consent.
https://www.cnet.com/news/with-facial-recognition-shoplifting-may-get-you-banned-in-places-youve-never-been/
*Accuracy rates matter — it’s the difference between facial recognition determining you’re a threat or an innocent bystander, but there’s no standard on how precise the technology needs to be. The time is now to regulate this technology before it becomes embedded in our everyday lives.
https://www.cnet.com/news/with-facial-recognition-shoplifting-may-get-you-banned-in-places-youve-never-been/
*Without any legal restrictions, companies can use facial recognition without limits. That means being able to log people’s faces without telling customers their data is being collected.
https://www.cnet.com/news/with-facial-recognition-shoplifting-may-get-you-banned-in-places-youve-never-been/
*People don’t have to be convicted of a crime to be placed on a private business’ watch list. There aren’t any rules or standards governing how companies use facial recognition technology.
https://www.cnet.com/news/with-facial-recognition-shoplifting-may-get-you-banned-in-places-youve-never-been/
*Facial recognition:
One mistake could mean never being able to shop again.
Privacy advocates fear that regulations can’t keep up with the technology — found everywhere from your phone to selfie stations — leading to devastating consequences.
https://www.cnet.com/news/with-facial-recognition-shoplifting-may-get-you-banned-in-places-youve-never-been/
>Facial recognition: Obviously a monster awakening. But not really surprising – the Illuminati-Globalists want to disrupt and destroy all sane, sound and healthy social life (above).
Wonder how many F.R. spots are now up and running in Denmark? Probably no-one knows for sure, except perhaps the Secret Police – except they may not want to know? Surely there is F.R. at the main entrance to the Copenhagen Central Library? How about the Metro-trains and stations? One has to remember, that with constant real time video-surveillance any alien Secret Service (say CIA, NSA, Mossad & etc) will be able to run F.R., if necessary via hacking.
*Har Pia tabt sutten?
https://ekstrabladet.dk/plus/politik/revser-mutter-skrap-har-pia-tabt-sutten/7563614
>’Pia’ is the president of the Danish Parliament. Everyone loves to mob her, probably mostly because she don’t have a university degree.
The above link relates to her asking a foolish member of parliament to not bring her toddler into a parliament sitting. This has raised outrage among a lot of likewise quite foolish observers, – although should really be a non-issue.
*Aktie von Bayer bricht nach Gerichtsverfahren in den USA ein
Aktie von Bayer bricht nach Gerichtsverfahren in den USA ein
>Incredible that Bayer has learned nothing from the Mercedes-Chrysler debacle, that cost Mercedes billions.
*While The Nation Fragments Socially, The Financial Aristocracy Rules Unimpeded
America’s aristocracy is not formalized, and that’s the secret of its success.
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-03-19/while-nation-fragments-socially-financial-aristocracy-rules-unimpeded
>Interesting observation; the modern (plutocratic) Royalties are much more intangible and shady than the old, European Royal Houses. Of course this plan makes it much more difficult for ‘the man in the street’ to recognize patterns, i.e. he knows not who’s pulling the strings.
*Senators Stunned By Air Force Plan For More Boeing F-15X Fighters, F-35 Cuts
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-03-19/air-force-plan-more-boeing-f-15x-fighters-met-pushback-f-35-proponents
>The F-35 has already been a farce for some time and now seems slated for failure? Some weeks ago Germany cancelled orders for the F-35 (I believe this news has been totally suppressed in the Danish press – Denmark has obviously decided to remain a total, blind US-puppet – willingly seconded by our press?). But now also the US-AirForce make cuts in their orders.
Note 1.
This brings to mind what the Danish historian Rosenberg has told somewhere about the Summerian priests, that had to ‘dance’ around the altar ON ONE LEG, presumeably in a certain plan or pattern. Whence ‘modern’ childrens play or game with hopping on one leg from space to space in a certain plan or pattern.
Link 1.
Operation eller mission?
(22./23.Mar./18.Sept.2019)
Crossposted on www.gamleboeger.dk and http://blocnotesimma.wordpress.com
Tweets on www.twitter.com/gamleboeger
Eliot, Arnold and Reich-Ranicki
In the last post I did a ‘micro-review’ of Philip Henderson’s wonderful little book ‘Literature’ from 1935. Likewise I hinted at plans to do some more micro-reviews of ‘1.50-dollar-books’, all from the February dutch book-sale in the Heilig-Geist Church Community House in downtown Copenhagen.
Here we go then.
1. THE LITERARY CRITICS – A STUDY OF ENGLISH DESCRIPTIVE CRITICISM.
By George Watson. Penguin Books, England, 1962, 248p, paper-back in pocket-book format.
Here is another author – an 35-year old Australian lecturing in Cambridge – that entices you with his semingly endless stock of knowledge about literature as well as of acute thinking and common sense.
Like most always I can only bring a few specimens, that pop up more or less arbitrarily. From the first page of Chapter 9, ‘The Early Twentieth Century’ – and T.S.Eliot:
‘The question sounds eminently reasonable, but remains unanswerable: what is revolutionary in the criticism of T.S.Eliot? Everyone – except, apparently, Mr Eliot himself – can see that the critical tradition of the whole English-speaking world has been turned upside down by the trickle of articles and lectures – there has never, strictly, been a critical book – issuing from his pen since the First World War.
‘But the nature of Eliot’s influence as a critic has always been felt to be mysterious and indefinable. E.M.W.Tillyard, in his history of the Cambridge English School, has told how the essays in THE SACRED WOOD (1920), when they first appeared, ‘made me uncomfortable, and I knew they could not be ignored’.
‘Disciples – even enemies – have hardly succeded in identifying what is new and special in Eliot’s criticism, though they have been loud in praise and censure. The most discreet of major English critics, he has practised evasion and reticence with determined skill.
‘In his earliest period, positions are tentatively stated and argument disarmed by a certain irony; in his middle years, argument is openly spurned; and in the later years, since the Second World War, he has elaborately pretended never to have been a major critic at all.
‘Altogether, his critical career might have been planned as a vast hoax to tempt the historian into solemnities for the sport of the Philistines.
‘The key to Eliot’s reticence as a critic surely lies in the relationship betwen his criticism and his poetry. In a sense, his criticism is a smoke-screen to the rest of his career.
‘It misleads as much as it reveals about the quality of his poems, and the smoke-screen grows thicker as the years pass. By the 1950s Eliot’s determination to hide himself from the devotees of his poetry by means of critical red-herrings had grown so obvious as to suggest a motive: the intense love of privacy, perhaps, of a fastidious New Englander whose poetry has led him into the indignity of spiritual self-exposure.
‘We fear something of the kind as early as a Harvard lecture of 1932, where he attempted to disarm analysis of ASH-WEDNESDAY (1930), a poem intimately tracking the path of a religious conversion, by suggesting the addition to the poem of a Byronic motto:
“But the fact is that i have nothing planned,
“Except perhaps to be a moment merry…
‘The mask of the sage slips as such moments of embarrassing whimsy, to reveal the face of injured piety.’
From Eliot we move back in time a bit to Matthew Arnold, who has all of Chapter 7 dedicated to him, twenty pages in all. On page 160f we read:
‘A historical estimate of Arnold must always conclude him to have been the most influential force among the Victorian critics. But there seems no good reason now for accepting his claims to greatness as a critic.
‘Those who see civilization as a cause rather than a condition of mind will always be attracted to this most insistent and eloquent of its advocates. But to enjoin and encourage men to be critical is no more like being a good critic oneself than to urge men to be good is to be a serious contributor to the study of ethics.
‘Those who see in Arnold’s essays evidence of a major critical intelligence should set themselves to consider the following objections. Where, first, in the entire corpus of Arnold’s criticism, do we see ‘the great critical effort’ at work upon any English text – upon a single play of Shakespeare or poem of Milton, Wordsworth, or Keats?
‘The admirers of Johnson, Coleridge, even Hazlitt, can point to demonstrations of critical finesse. The admirer of Arnold’s criticism has to accept the word for the deed. Again, to seek out and advocate the best is not only hopelessly question-begging: it is also hopelessly out of key with Arnold’s own achievement.
‘The ESSAYS IN CRITICISM and the Biblical reinterpretations are not even remotely disinterested. They are works of passionate partisanship by a skilful, urbane, not always candid controversialist with a zest for opposition. Their virtues, which are considerable, are essentially polemical.
‘If Arnold had seriously tried to be ‘disinterested’, his career as a critic would not have happened at all. And it is no defence to argue that Arnold’s passionate partisanship is all in favour of such désintéressement.
‘There are Arnoldian values clearly implicit in his preference for French civilization over English, Joubert over Coleridge, Renan over St Paul, Wordsworth over Shelley, and Goethe over both. Those who cannot see such values as especially and distinctively Arnoldian disqualify themselves by their very discipleship from the task of judicious appraisal.
‘More than that, there is no coherent theory of poetry in Arnold’s criticism. This might not matter very much if, as in Johnson, a certain incoherence of ideas were compensated for by vigorous critical demonstration. As it is, Arnold’s notion of a poetry purged, like religion, of fact and dealing in analogical truths is explored in vacuous and tautological language.
‘For a critc who enjoyed the benefits of a public career, and who spent a dozen years in writing essays on religious and social questions, Arnold is culpably vague concerning the proper subject of poetry. The 1853 preface is free with advice to poets to be ‘particular, precise, and firm’ – about what?
‘Arnolds own answer, in this first of his critical essays, is as ‘general, indeterminate, and faint’ as could well be. The true subject of poetry, he claims, is ‘an excellent action’ appealing to ‘the great primary human affections’.
‘This account, surprisingly, is never enlarged upon in the religious essays, though an image of perfection emerges in the ‘sweetly reasonable’ Jesus of LITERATURE AND DOGMA (1873), a figure that combines the virtues of a liberal Protestantism with the Hellenist ethos of Rugby School.
‘It may be – and reference to the poems would, on the whole, support this claim – that an action is ‘excellent’ to the extent that it recommends such values as loyalty and openmindedness. But, given Arnold’s generous use of such terms as ‘good’, ‘true’, ‘sound’, and ‘sweet’, it is hardly fairminded of him to leave us so profoundly in the dark concerning the nature of light.
‘The deep voids and gaping incongruities of Arnoldian criticism are so evident that they call for explanation rather than analysis. It is well worth asking how it happened: Arnold remains in most respects the most seductive of the great Victorian pundits, more variously and wittily intelligent than those great juggernauts Ruskin and Carlyle. He is almost never dull. And the vast contradictions that underlie his programme for the poetry and the civilization of England do not in any way dimish its fascination’.
Finally a few samples from
2. ÜBER RUHESTÖRER – JUDEN IN DER DEUTSCHEN LITERATUR. By Marcel Reich-Ranicki. 1973, Piper, München. 103 p., paper-back in pocket-book format.
First a bit about the author (p.99):
‘Marcel Reich-Ranicki wurde am 2. Juni 1920 in Wloclawek an der Weichsel geboren. Sein Vater stammte aus Polen, seine Mutter aus Deutschland. Ab 1929 wohnte die Familie in Berlin. Im Herbst 1938, kurz nach dem Abitur am Berliner Fichte-Gymnasium, wurde Reich-Ranicki nach Polen deportiert. Von 1940 bis 1943 lebte er im Warschauer Getto, spaeter – nach der Flucht aus dem Getto – illegal ebenfals in Warschau.
‘Seine literarische Arbeit begann nach dem Krieg in Polen. Zunaechst als Verlagslektor taetig, war er ab 1951 freier Schriftsteller in Warschau. Anfang 1953 wurde gegen ihn aus politischen Gruenden ein generelles Publikationsverbot erlassen, das bis Mitte 1954 in Kraft blieb….
‘Im Jahre 1958 siedelte Reich-Ranicki nach der Bundesrepublik um. Er wohnt seit 1959 in Hamburg. Nachdem er zuerst fuer die Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung und Die Welt gearbeitet hatte, ist er seit 1960 staendiger Literaturkritiker der Wochenzeitung Die Zeit.
‘Ausserdem veroeffentlichte er Essays in den Zeitschiften Neue Rundschau, Der Monat, Merkur und Neue Deutsche Hefte sowie in zahlreichen Sammelbanden. Seine Arbeiten sind auch in englischer, franzoesicher, italienischer, daenischer, japanischer und hebraeischer Uebersetzung erschienen. Er war von 1965 bis 1972 Mitarbeiter der Encyclopaedia Britannica.’
Here are two small specimens from Kapitel 1. ‘AUSSENSEITER UND PROVOKATEURE’ (p.13f/p.15):
‘Von Heine stammt das Bonmot: “Die Juden, wenn sie gut, sind sie besser als die Christen, wenn sie schlecht, sind sie schlimmer -“. Das mag eine hoechst fragwuerdige Verallgemeinerung sein; worauf sie aber letzlich abzielt, ist so abwegig nicht.
‘Denn Heine duerfte nichts anderes gemeint haben als die beruehmte und beruechtigte Intensitaet der juden, ihre bisweilen verblueffende und sogar als erschreckend empfundene Radikalitaet, ihre Neigung zur Kompromisslosigkeit und ihren gelegentlich bewunderten und haeufig missbilligten Hang zum Extremismus. Nur dass alle diese Eigenheiten und Tendenzen wohl eher im Intellektuellen und im Aesthetischen zum Vorschein kamen und kommen als in dem Bereich des Moralischen, auf den Heine offenbar anspielte.’
And from page 21:
“In den Jugendjahren eines jeden deutschen Juden gibt es einen schmerzlichen Augenblick, an den er sich zeitlebens erinnert: wenn im zum ersten Male voll bewusst wird, dass er als Buerger zweiter Klasse in die Welt getreten ist, und dass keine Tuechtigkeit und kein Verdienst ihn aus dieser Lage befreien kann”
‘Auch wenn der deutsche Jude, der diese Worte schrieb, mitnichten ein Buerger zweiter Klasse geblieben ist – es handelt sich um Walther Rathenau, den Reichsaussenminister, der freilich 1922, wenige Monate nach seiner Ernennung, ermordet wurde -, scheint mir seine Aeusserung hoechst aufschlussreich, denn sie akzentuert ohne Umschweife die psychischen Voraussetzungen, die in einem grossen Teil der von Juden stammenden deutschen Literatur ihre direkte und, haeufiger noch, indirekte Widerspiegelung gefunden haben.’
It’s a pleasure to read the crystal clear german of Mr Reich-Ranicki. Only a modern reader might perhaps have wished for a slightly less lopsided treatment of difficulties of the Jews in Europe through the ages; it generally seems that Mr Reich-Ranicki honestly believes these difficulties emanates solely from the Europeans and never from the Jews themselves?
In the next post I’ll endeavour to manage a few more micro-reviews (or rather micro-micro-reviews) of the books/booklets acquired at the February-sale.
(12./14.Mar./rev.21.Sep.2019)
Crossposted on www.gamleboeger.dk and http://blocnotesimma.wordpress.com
Tweets on www.twitter.com/gamleboeger
Wiking Seafarer, Saxon Chieftain and Charles Dickens.
Tonight my dreams were rather helter-skelter and obviously mostly relating to my activities the day and evening before. But in the early a.m. I had a clairvoyant vision, or rather a flash-vision. Someone said: ‘I (or we) will send one to kill you’.
Well – great, thanks for telling. But it is of course really nothing new, as this has been on the agenda for the last decade and then some.
But evidently I am very heedful of warnings like that – nocturnal or not. After all the mob are real clever, they are doing gods work and can walk on water. Surely not to be trifled with!
However it makes me feel real good to recognize that Danish citizens now have a thoroughly competent, rightful and honourable – perhaps even honest? – M.O.J.
But it’s now late in the p.m., and it’s a very nice day here in downtown Copenhagen. Bright and sunny, although a bit windy and chilly.
In a recent post (link 1) I told a little about some of the ‘1.50-dollar-books’ found in the most recent dutch book-sale in the Heilig-Geist Church House here in central Copenhagen.
But I only managed to mention the lesser part of the acquisitions that day. Hence a few more comming up:
1. LITERATURE AND A CHANGING CIVILISATION. By Philip Henderson. London, 1935, John Lane, 180 p. Original cloth.
This small book is really quite unassuming. In fact so much that I almost passed it by – which however would have been a bloody shame. Because Mr. Henderson seems to be a very sensible guy indeed.
He appears to be replete with common sense and also an ability and a desire to think fairly and squarely and independently?
Of course I can only give a few small specimens of his brilliant little book. But in fact, almost no matter what page you happen to open on you are surprised by the authors common sense and acute observations.
Chapter II ‘Feudalism and the Church’ (page 18) begins like this:
‘By the end of the seventh century the Anglo-Saxon pirates had been settled in Britain for about two hundred years.
‘The legends that they had brought with them were of the same order as the legends brought by the Greeks into Aegean, telling of the exploits of supermen and heroes against giants and monsters.
‘Like the Greek legends they were sung to the harp in the hall of the chief, or baron, by wandering bards called scops. They differed from the Greek legends, however, by the heavy grey skies, the bogs and fens of their northern landscape, and by the prevalent mist through which shapes of horror loom and seem to cloud and confuse their very language.
‘But after the Christianisation of the Anglo-Saxons at the end of the sixth century, latin became the language of learning among them, and such men as Bede of Northumbria wrote with a clear and noble simplicity that is free from the heavy weather of their poetry, though the terror of the harsh northern landscape is still there.
‘Thus in Bede’s account of the conversion of Northumbria to Christianity, one of the nobles at Aedwin’s court speaks as follows:
“So, O king, does the present life of man on earth seem to me, in comparison with the time which is unknown to us, as though a sparrow flew swiftly through the hall, coming in by one door and going out by the other, and you, the while, sat at meat with your captains and liegemen, in wintry weather, with a fire burning in your midst and heating the room, the storm raging out of doors and driving snow and rain before it.
“For the time for which he is within, the bird is sheltered from the storm, but after this short while of calm he flies out again into the cold and is seen no more.
“Thus the life of man is visible for a moment, but we know not what comes before it or follows after it. If, then, this new doctrine brings something more of certainty, it deserves to be followed.”
‘It should be mentioned, perhaps, that though Bede wrote in Latin, he was the disciple of the Irish monks settled in Jarrow, and his early training was partly Celtic.
‘But while cloistered scholars were leading lives of extreme simplicity in grey stone monasteries by the sea and in the greenest and most delightful parts of the country, writing ecclesiastical histories, lives of the saints and epics of part wars and marvels, the working population of Britain continued man’s eternal struggle with the earth and the sea.
‘Familiar as we are with the idealisation of the sea in English poetry, there are few poems which give us the stark reality as well as the strange lure of sea-life so well as the Anglo-Saxon SEAFARER.
With a bitter breast-care I have been abiding:
Many seats of sorrow in my ship have known!
Frightful was the whirl of waves when it was my part
Narrow watch at night to keep on my vessel’s prow
When it rushed the rock along. By the rigid cold
Fast my feet were pinched, fettered by the frost,
By the chains of cold. Care was sighing then
Hot my heart around; hunger rent to shreds within
Courage in me, me sea-wearied! This the man knows not,
He to whom it happens happiest on earth,
How I, carked with care, in the ice-cold sea,
Overwent the winter on my wander-ways,
All forlorn of happiness, all bereft of loving kinsmen,
Hung about with icicles; flew the hail in showers.
Nothing heard I there save the howling of the sea,
And the ice-chilled billow, ‘whiles the crying of the swan!
All the glee I got me was the gannet’s scream,
And the swoughing of the seal, ‘stead of mirth of men;
‘Stead of the mead-drinking, moaning of the sea-mew.
(Stopford Brooke’s translaltion) (Note 1)
‘But while another monk in another Northumbrian monastery was celebrating the deeds of the Danish heroes of Gothland in THE LAY OF BEOWULF, which tells of the victory of the Franks over the Goths between 512 and 520, the Danes themselves came down on the north-east coast of Britain in one of their terrible raids, burning, killing and destroying and rudely breaking in upon the quiet cloistral life that had sheltered Bede, Alcuin and the author of BEOWULF.
‘But these wars in their turn produced a crop of epics of which the fragment of THE BATTLE OF MALDON that has survived, celebtaring the defeat of the East Saxons by the Danes in 993, can be described as part of a rough ILIAD.
‘The poem, record of defeat though it is, is full of gaiety and a wild joy in battle, for when the Saxon chief is mortally wounded he breaks into a laugh and thanks God that he has been allowed to strike great blows before his end.’
To another age entirely, that of the industrial revolution, the following observations pertains (page 83):
‘The novels of Charles Dickens, good bourgeois though he was, partially revealed the appalling squalor in which the lower stratas of the population were sunk.
‘Having himself known what poverty could mean, the terror of once more relapsing into that state became the mainspring of his enormous creative industry, though the root causes of that poverty, buried in the viciousness of the whole enonomic system, are largely obscured in his novels by the sticky mess of sentimental ‘cosiness’ and raucous humour which recommended him to the vast middle-class reading public of his day.
‘Though one can recognise Dickens as an extremely powerful writer, he is, for a generation nurtured on Bernard Shaw, D.H.Lawrence and Aldous Huxley, of all the Victorians the most difficult to read.’
Would have liked to bring a few more samples, but this has to suffice for today.
I was planning to likewise tell a bit about two more, small books:
2. ÜBER RUHESTÖRER – JUDEN IN DER DEUTSCHEN LITERATUR. By Marcel Reich-Ranicki. München, Piper, 1973. 103 p. Pocket-book format.
(Link 2)
3. THE LITERARY CRITICS. A STUDY OF ENGLISH DESCRIPTIVE CRITICISM. By George Watson, Penguin Books, England, 1962. 248 p. Pocket-book format.
(Link 2)
Both of these titles, incidentally, seem to be of much the same quality-stock as the before mentioned. But due to an appointment I have to leave them to next time.
Thanks for your time and be safe!
Note 1.
Perhaps the seamen’s plight of the wiking seafarer wasn’t that much different from that of the North Sea fishermen working on the open sea more than a millineum later?
For instance a cousins of my maternal grandfather was a lifelong fisherman at the North-Western coast of Jutland. For many years he was also captain of the local lifeboat.
My fahter, that worked in a nearby general store in the 1930’s, has told me that no matter how cold and how severely it was freezing he would never wear gloves. That may easily have meant a 3 mile ride in open horse cart in, say, minus 10 to 20 degree celcius.
I think that a hardness of this kind is perhaps most readily explained by him having spent days and years on the open sea since childhood?
(Indicentally he is pictures with other locals in one of Emil Nolde’s pictures from the Danish North Sea coast).
Link 1.
http://www.gamleboeger.dk/2019/02/21/la-chanson-de-roland-des-normands/ (febr.21/22.)
Link 2.
Eliot, Arnold and Reich-Ranicki
(11.Mar.2019/rev.28.Sep.2019)
Crossposted on www.gamleboeger.dk and
http://blocnotesimma.wordpress.com
Tweets on www.twitter.com/gamleboeger
26th of April: War on Iran and Danish General Election? (Upd.)
Will war on Iran be unleashed and the impending Danish general election be announced on April 26th?
To learn the actual date for the calling of the soon to come Danish general election, you may just have to ask the company servicing the heat meters in our appartment building. Here’s why:
Tonight in the early a.m. I had a clairvoyant vision like this:
“Someone knokked on the door to my flat, and I said ‘Yes – come in’.
The door opened, but nobody came; only someone cried: ‘Don’t let them in’.”
Exposition: Obviously what’s alluded to is the soon to come inspection of heat-meters in our flats. One of the occasional ‘gods-gifts’ (if demons are your gods!) with respect to setting up yet another assassination attempt targeting myself.
It’s only been a couple of months since the last opportunity (below, and link 1) – which however didn’t play out, if only because I took the trouble to elucidate the business on my blog and mail the post to a number of newspapers, danish and foreign?
Here’s what I wrote on december 28th (*originally posted as tweet):
*Tonite had clairvoyant vision of being burglarized in #NewYearsEve by Mozzard hitsquad. The plan being that hardly anyone will notice kicked-in door, muffled gunshot, general racket in cacophony of exploding #fireworks. Mozzards are real clever, do gods work and can walk on water!
Yes, that’s right. I am in fact occasionally clairvoyant (mostly) while sleeping. And sadly the TPTB hates my guts – not least for this very reason.
Hence it’s a priority for the TPTB to have me ‘eliminated’ which, hovever, – and precisely on account of my clairvoyance gift – has proven itself a somewhat elusive task.
But a New Years Eve is ofcourse a wonderful chance to ‘get even’ with a rather annoying critic.
‘But this doesn’t happen in a democracy like our Danish one’ – you protest?
But you have to grow up, dear danish fellow citizens. Dont be clueless and naive. I can assure you, that our SecretService/SecretPolice (P.E.T.) does what similar agencies do everywhere: They increasingly operate outside the law, not inside but outside of the law!
It’s a given, really, because everywhere with no oversight shabby characters will feel irresistibly attracted and congregate. It’s a well known law of society and of human nature!
And yes, the P.E.T. IS NOW ALSO A SECRET POLICE! The former director of the (then) danish Secret Service, the honourable Ole Stig Andersen has warned strongly against this development in an essay in leading Copenhagen Daily Politiken from 17. December 2005! (Link 2, 3 & 4).
>The general public seems to be completely oblivious of the terrible dangers a coterie of rogue, morally rotten-to-the-core top politicians and rogue SecretPolice can make out with respect to the life and well-being of not least precisely the general public, including many politicians, journalists and intellectuals.
And no rogue minister, opposition leader or secret police agent will suffer gracefully to be unveiled as being in fact mostly a gangster. Believe me – these people really, really want me gone once and for all! (Link 5)
I believe you may quite confidently anticipate that our govt. will do everything in its power to make the (calling of the) impending general election to coincide with the next assissanation attempt (or kidnap attempt) targeting myself.
And the next heat meter inspection – placed somewhere between middle of March and beginning of July – could just about fill the bill perfectly.
But the meter inspection date is of course just one of three legs of the plan scheduling. The other two are a) The impending war of agression on Iran by US/IL., and b) The calling date of the approaching Danish general election.
a) According to recent internet reportings (Link 9) a war of agression on Iran has already been decided by US/IL and scheduled to be launched in April/May (The exact day is of course classified).
b) Danish Govt. would like very much to announce the general election concurrently with their DeepState masters unleashing an insane, illegal and catastrophic (nuclear?) war on Iran. The election is scheduled to be held in the beginning of June at the latest.
Any ruling ‘conservative’ coalition would of course, if at all possible, want to schedule an important election to be concurrent with a major – any major – national or international catastrophe. This, obviously, is because such a situation generally makes the electorate vote more conservative and chose the ‘well known’ for the unknown.
In conclusion these three (four) legs have to be amalgamated into one date: The date of launching the insane war of agression on Iran, aka the date of the danish Govt. calling for the general election, aka the date for inspection of the heat meter in my flat, aka the date for yet another assassination or kidnap set-up on myself.
As noted above, you may call the meter-servicing company and ask for that very date. But perhaps they don’t even know, or perhaps they don’t want to tell? And luckily there’s another way.
Our Governments DeepState illuminati masters are reportedly very superstitious and heavily influenced by cabalistic adepts. For instance they are fascinated by ‘magic numbers’ and ‘magic dates’.
Two such ‘magic dates’ in fact occurs right smack in the middle of the time window reportedly set up for the assault on Iran: My birthday is April 26th – and my mothers birthday is april 30th.
But why, you may ask, are these dates ‘magic’. That’s easy – simply because it would obviously be evil in the extreme to kill a man (or progeny) on his or his parents birthday. And evil incarnate (aka the cabalistic black magicians) want to do evil in the extreme (and, incidentally, likes to flaunt it)!
(Upd.27.Sept.2019: It turned out they choose alternative ‘magic dates’ – see Note 1 (below))
On one of these days, then
– the DeepState would want to launch their assult on Iran
– the Danish Govt. would like to call their general election
– the meter servicing company would like to enter my flat
– and the SecretService and/or their friends would like to attempt yet one of the so ardently desired assassination/kidnap-attempt on myself.
Ofcourse both the general election and the (nuclear) war on Iran would tend to remove the focus of news outlets and the general public totally away from a shabby, small Copenhagen appartment building and their hapless occupants.
Below are few recent tweets touching on the above:
*(17.May.2018) Early in AM had clairvoyant #vision of being in a harbour. Suddenly a #fleet of large Ocean-fishing vessels entered quickly and berthed with reckless arrogance. Then saw a captain gut codfish and hold it up as an offering to someone (hidden) in high place (Link 7)
*(17.May.2018) Perhaps the Ocean-fishing mafia has been mobilized or taken action voluntarily? I guess I have to advice friends and extended family to now be extremely watchful when visiting Ocean-fishing harbours in the N.W. (Link 8)
*(22.10.2018) Tonite in clairvoyant vision saw decadent group of people walking along nightly road. Appeared to be mostly assorted rogues, lunatics and traitors. Opposition traitors just cast their disguise and joined the gang. Someone said: Let’s deliver the package’ (i.e. myself to Mossad?) (Link 6)
*(22Okt2018)Tonite in clairvoyant vision saw man in darkblue ‘uniform’ presenting himself as from ‘Goldma’ (or something) wanting to inspect my flat. As I declined he wanted to use my WC. As again declined he tried to force his way in. Govt. dont like my blogs?
*27Feb2018 At abt. 3 AM had clairvoyant vision of small girl held captive in crate, and scared witless. I guess the SecretPolice or their friends would like to #kidnap my nephews kids? I wonder if to be locked-up in Mossad-safe-house almost in my backwyard?
*(15.May.2018) Have just learned that suspected Mossad safe-house in the near vicinity has recently had sound-proof room installed. Ideal for confining and torturing #kidnapped: A Mozzard specialty? (Link 10)
*‘Burn everything Down Every 7 Years’ is (#satanist?) mantra of #Danish Government and their ‘Disruption Task Force’. “It’s a general and striking observation that every movement be it liberal or reactionary always winds up doing the same thing, namely #Terror” (GeorgBrandes 1921)
*(9.Feb.2018) That Friday at abt. 1.40PM was harassed by (rogue?) SecretPolice agent just outside Photografica in downtown #Copenhagen. Perhaps our – hororable or evil? – P.M. and his – cute or evil? – Minister of Justice don’t love #bloggers?
*(29.Jan.2018) ‘Disruption and Wispy Trails’ or ‘burn everything down every 7 years’: Within less than 10 years 2 close friends and my kid sister had their #houses burned down – two first obvious arsons. What does probability theory say?
Småting og bagateller (2)
*This summer/fall (2016) escaped 5 Mossad hit-squad set-ups: Weeks 21, 40, 41, 43 and 44. Most in or close to Foto/C.
CHARLIE HEBDO OR DEATH BY BLACK MAGIC?
*(16.3.2018)Sadly the DeepState has eventually succeded in disrupting and virtually destroying the 2 only independent Danish blog-portals: smartlog.dk (f.i. imma.smartlog.dk – gone!) and litteratursiden.dk (f.i. litteratursiden.dk/blogs/gert-pedersen – gone!)
The DeepState really hates all and every competition to Facebook!
*Was acting danish Sec. of State’s wife almost killed from attack by criminal Mossad-mentalists in 2014?
*The Psychic Hit-Man? ‘Uri Geller spy for Mossad and CIA’
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/uri-geller-discusses-his-double-life-as-a-psychic-spy-for-mossad-and-cia-10492978.html
Note 1. (extract from http://www.gamleboeger.dk/2019/05/12/war-on-iran-general-election-kill-the-canary/ ).
Now let’s recapitulate some of above dates with respect to illuminati/cabalist numerology.
Our PM called for General Election on 7. May at 13.00 oclock. And today – the 13. May – the heat-meter inspection in my flat has been scheduled for 22. May, to start at 13. oclock (sticker on our street door). There are also 13 days between 22. May and election day, the 5th of June.
The numbers/dates 7, 13 and 22 are reportedly all very significant for deep-state illuminati cabalist. For instance terrorist attacs seem to be preferably carried out on the 11. or 22. day of the month (11 being important as half of 22. – like f.i. 911).
Update 20.May: Incidentally the PM Book title ‘SET FREE’ (‘Frigørelsens Øjeblik’) might as well have been copied directly from the CIA Mind-Control program called Monarch (like the butterfly). All butterflies experience their ‘moment of release’ and ‘to be set free’ when they break out and fold out their wings.
The symbolism reportedly being that you have finally cast away all moral checks and restraints like the Monarch butterfly its confinement.
Just for the record: Of course our honourable Prime Ministers are not in any way, shape or form Satanist Illuminati Globalist puppets? Hence above notes are merely to point out the unusual and curious coincidence!
Update 24.May.2019: Here’s what happened in my flat on May 22nd, more or less apropos the heat-meter inspection.
1) In the early A.M. I had a clairvoyant vision like this:
I saw a bright read van turning up and parking in front of me.
The van was of the type used by terrorists and often, I believe, called ‘a Toyota’ or ‘a Technical’.
It had an open cargo hold with some sort of large, manned gun mounted on it.
However the gun seemed to not be a firearm but more like a water cannon or perhaps a dispenser for poisoneous chemicals, like used by fruit growers.
2) I then had a vision of someone handling capsules, tins or glasses with poisoneous gas in them (but this part was evanescent and short-lived and only remember it faintly).
3) Next I found myself with several friends on the extreme edge of a precipice. Everyone wondered if the edge was solid enough to prevent us from falling into the abyss. But is was.
4) Finally I was driving in a car being piloted by an old acquaintance (now deceased). I thought he was driving the car wildly fast on a very slippery and unsecure road. I tried to point this out to him. But to no avail, and the trip ended ok.
After the two first dream-visions I woke up and was quite upset. Thus I didn’t go to sleep again for a couple of hours while contemplating my options.
Later in the morning I had the two visions 3) and 4), that made me calm down somewhat.
Thus when I rose at about 9.a.m. I felt reasonably cool and relaxed. This, however, only lasted until abt. 11.a.m. when one of my neighbours called and asked if I would please show the heat-meter inspector into his flat. If so, he would drop in with the key shortly.
I dare say that if I hadn’t felt rather relaxed that a.m. I might perhaps have ‘blown a gasket’. Because off hand I felt this unexpected task would perhaps more or less prevent me from ignoring the inspector (i.e. not open my door for him) in case anything made me nervous.
However I decided to accept the task asked for, but with the caveat that if something made me nervous, I might chose to ignore the inspector, which was accepted.
Two notes here: Firstly, I’ve talked more or less regularly with this neighbour for abt. a decade; but has never been asked to look after his flat, although he’s often been away.
Secondly I’ve often wondered if he in fact was a stooge or at least an occasional errand-boy for the (Danish?) SecretService?
Still this unexpected duty made me again feel a little bit uneasy, whence I telephoned one of my amateur-photographer- friends and asked him to drop in for a cup of coffee at 1.p.m., which he accepted (although extremely peaceful he weighs-in at abt. 250 pounds, I suspect!).
The heat-meter inspector arrived about 1.15 p.m.
HE WAS DRIVING A BRIGHT RED CAR.
It wasn’t a van, however. But he had his tools and ‘chemical-vials’ (and what not) in the back of the car.
Incidentally, he’s a veteran workman and has been around here for at least a decade.
Although one might perhaps describe him as a slightly weird looking, middle aged gentleman, I remember him as having always been courteous, fast and professional.
Likewise this time, although I thought I felt a certain coldness when thanking goodbye. Frankly I believe I felt something more like hate emanating from him. No hateful gestures, certainly, except he was very fast to turn his back before saying bye-bye.
If I’m not entirely mistaken here the question is – why is that? Why would he have trouble hiding a (hypothetical, to be sure) hatefulness towards me?
Has someone been asking him about the dates/hours: 13. and 22. May and 13 oclock (i.e. 1.p.m.)?
It’s a theory of mine, that movers and all kind of house- and home-inspectors are particularly exposed to the wishes and endeavours of the Security Services to always try and get clandestine ways of gaining access to and information about the homes and lives of most everyone.
Ofcourse I have no idea if the gentleman in question has been compromised by a rouge Security Service in this way?
Link 1.
Link 2.
Link 3.
En stat i staten?
Link 4.
Ved hjælp af bedrag
Link 5.
Another Fine Mess – Oliver!
Link 6.
CHARLIE HEBDO OR DEATH BY BLACK MAGIC?
Link 7.
https://blocnotesimma.wordpress.com/2018/04/11/the-gussian-gold-a-satire/
Link 8.
Disruption and Wispy Trails (Upd.)
Link 9.
Trump, Kushner, Bolton Weighing False Flag Scenarios for April-May War with Iran
Link 10.
(24.Feb./01.Mar.2019/rev.28.Sept.2019)
Crossposted on http://www.gamleboeger.dk and https://blocnotesimma.wordpress.com
Tweets on http://www.twitter.com/gamleboeger
General Election & Kill The Canary?
this post has been replaced by
La Chanson de Roland des Normands?
Today is Thursday and the penultimate day of the ongoing Dutch book sale in the Heilig Geist Church House here in central Copenhagen. Which means the price is 10 Kr pr. item ($1,50). Incidentally there won’t be a ‘5Kr-day’ on the last day as usual and the price will 10 Kr. also to-morrow.
After checking my piggy bank account this morning I decided to give the beautiful, old Church House a quick once over in the a.m..
That’s why I’m now once again sipping coffee in a burger bar with a couple of bagful with books at my side. Here is some of today’s booty.
1. FORFATTER-LEXICON. Af Thomas Hansen Erslew. 1843/1962, Rosenkilde og Bagger, København. 7 vols. Privately bound in nice half cloth.
This admirable work in seven massive volumes is a valuable supplement to more recent lexica and biographical dictionnaries.
Here is a sample, picked rather arbitrarily:
“Martin Dietz, f.d. 28de august 1765 i Tønder; hans fader Johan Georg Dietz var Militair. – Sønnen blev først huuslærer paa forskjellige steder i det Slesvigske, 1790 Skrive- og Regnemester i Aalborg, derpaa tydsk Skolelærer i Randers, og tillige Timelærer i Calligraphi ved den lærde Skole sstd.; sildigere Degn i Vrensted i Vensyssel; opholdt sig derefter i Kjøbenhavn. – g. 1792 Anne Marie Hübertz (d. 4/10 1836 i Kbhvn.). – (Jfvf. hans ‘Fødsel, Liv og Levnet’, 1834)
(Værker) “DEN JYDSKE DEGN, eller M. Dietzes Fødsel, Liv og Levnet, samt hændelser og drømmerier, skreven af ham selv. 1st. hefter, Kbh. 1834. – AFTENUNDERHOLDNINGER. Nr. 1-2, ibid. 1838. – GODE RAAD til Dr. Rothe. ib. 1839. – BILLIGE BEMÆRKNINGER ved Redacteur Steenbergs tilførsel i Raketten nr. 289, samt svar paa hans opfording. ib. eod.”
This specimen covers abt. a quarter-page, but the author goes on and on like this for more than four thousand pages!
The present ‘super-complete’ set consist of three ordinary volumes, three supplementary volumes and the (much later issued) register volume.
It is of course a magnificent, major work in- and on Danish litterary history, and I feel quite sure I would have to wait a very long time to get a chance to acquire another set as pretty and inexpensive as this one.
2. DICTIONNAIRE DES ROIS ET DES REINES DE FRANCE. Par Didier Feuer / Jean D’Hendecourt. 1989, Le Grand Livre du Mois. 244 p. Hard Cover with dust jacket.
This nicely kept volume should come in handy when reading about the french and their history. Seems to be quite complete so as to mention both obscure, almost mythical Burgundian or Merovingian queens and princes as well as the well known kings and queens of later epochs.
An obscure Merovingian king or queen may be consummately treated in one or two textlines; while Louis 14. takes op eight whole pages, and Louis 15. is treated on four pages.
3. MEMORIES. By Julian Huxley. Harper & Row, (1970?), 296 p., hardcover.
Mr. J. Huxley is an interesting author and ‘scientist of life’. I already own a couple of his books, although I don’t offhand recall their precise title. I’m looking forward to reading about his life, demeanour and thoughts.
4. BÜRGER UND PATRIZIER. Von Bogislav von Archenholz. 1978, Ulstein, Frankfurt-M., 340 p., softcover.
Here’s a sample from page 194 – STRALSUND.
‘Erst im neunzehnten Jahrhundert sprengte Stralsund die Grenzen, die es sich durch seine mittelalterlichen Stadtmauern selbst gezogen hatte.
‘Die Stadt wuchs also langsam und blieb im grossen Hansebund der deutschen Städte klein und ohne Macht. Die Stadt is jedoch geradezu ein Modelfall für die frühe politische und wirtschaftliche Bedeutung des Grossbürgertums.
‘In kaum einer anderen deutschen Stadt hat das Patriziat so lange und so unumschränkt gehersscht wie in Stralsund, und nirgendwo sonst auf deutschem Boden sind so heftige Kämpfe innerhalb des Bürgertums und zwischen den grossen Familien ausgetragen worden, so dass man, wenn man die Geschichte Stralsunds liest, sich mitunter ans Mittelmeer versetzt fühlt und an die Rivalitäten der alten genuesischen Geschlechter erinnert wird.’
4. PHILIPPE AUGUSTE ET SES TROIS FEMMES. Par le Duc de Lévis Mirepoix (de l’Académie Francaise). Paris, 1957, Fayard, 286 p.
For a Danish amateur of French history it’s ofcourse not without interest to have a chance to read a French treatment of the tragic fate of the Danish Princess, Ingeborg (Ingeburge), who was the second wife of the troubled king Philippe Auguste.
A pretty, small book nicely bound in contemporary half calf and it seems to be the original edition.
5. LA CHANSON DE ROLAND. Publiee d’apres le manuscrit d’oxford et traduite par Joseph Bédier. Edition Definitive. Paris, 1937, H.Piazza, 355 p. Soft cover.
The editor is of course the redoutable Joseph Bédier that our Danish critic Paul V. Rubow lauds almost panegyrically in one of his wonderful essays.
From a quick skim of the avant-propos it seems to transpire that the editor has some doubt about which language precisely the original manuscript has been told- og penned in.
The so-called Oxford manuscript treated of here is in a certain Norman-French-AngloSaxon ideom, but mr. Bediér maintains, I believe, that this is hardly the original language of this epic poem.
Which reminds me of a long treatment of the Chansons de Geste in an old issue of Aarboeger for ‘Nordisk Oldkyndighed og Historie’ (1851), in which the exceedingly well informed author maintains that Les Chansons de Geste originally were conceived in Normandy by – more or less – Norse authors.
The actual occasion is his, first ever, translation of ‘Tristam Ok Ísod’ from OldNorse into Danish.
Three Honourable Gentlemen, Laerke and Sainte-Beuve
(16.Feb.2019) Today is Saturday and the 16th of February. Which means that yesterday was my maternal grandmothers birthday. She was anno 1885 but died already in 1918 (link 1).
It’s nice and sunny here in central Copenhagen, in fact nice enough for me to having brought my old Hasselblad in it’s own easy to carry shoulder bag. Even if mostly because I need to make a few test shots.
The Hasselblad is a 500ELX. Bought in one of the friendly downtown photo stores, and for a pittance, really, due to several issues needing attention or repair. Which I’ve eventually managed to accomplish, I fancy.
The lens – a Zeiss Sonnar 150mm – has a tale of it’s own. It had two issues: The coating on the inner surface of the rear lens cell is defective – something occasionally seen with these older 150mm lenses, at least according to the talk about photo-nerd-town.
Which means you must be careful to not have the sun rays directly into the lens, would make the lens almost opaque. If you, however, take care to avoid this special condition, you may still make perfectly sharp negatives but for a slight decrease in all over contrast.
The other issue is the lens has been put together by combining two partially defective lenses. This means the front lens cell and the focusing mount are from one lens, while the rear lens cell is from another.
It turned out this changed the focus of the combination a bit, making the focus a few milimeter shorter. Which has made a recalibration of the focusing assembly necessary.
Happily I seem to likewise having managed this by my own devises. On the ground glass everything seem ok; but you cannot really judge the sharpness at the edges of the frame on the ground glass, making a few test shots necessary.
I’ve brought a Kodak T-Max 400, but doubt I manage to do the tests today, after all.
This is because I once more happened to drop in on one of the antiquarian dutch book sales in the Heilig Geist Church House – the oldest house in Copenhagen, by the way.
And lo and behold – almost first rattle out of the box – or rather in the second row of books on the first table right inside the entrance – I oogled a marvellous sight: Thirteen nicely bound volumes of Sainte-Beuve’s CAUSERIES DU LUNDI (i.e. the complete first edition, I think).
I almost couldn’t believe my luck to have a chance to acquire this wonderful set for another pittance, i.e. 20 Kroner (3 dollars) per volume – 260 Kroner (39 dollars) in all.
Because – firstly you hardly ever see this set in our town. Secondly it’s very nicely bound in contemporary half calf. And thirdly the volumes are partly first editions (the late volumes are generally in first-, the middle volumes in second-, and the early in the third edition).
This means they are all from the 1850’s (when the author still lived (1804-69); the volumes were perhaps most likely originally acquired as a set right around 1860?) – and thus very likely nicer printed and more ligible than the later editions from, for instance, the 1920’s.
This paritular set has a very nice book-plate from a – completely unknown to me, of course – noblemans library:
‘Bibliotheque de Boussoit – Comte L. de Nedonchel’.
Here are a few of the articles from vol. 8 (sec. ed. 1855):
– Le Cardinal de Bernis
– De l’Ètat de la France sous Louis XV
– Malherbe et son Ecole
– Le Prince de Ligne
– Histoire litteraire de la France, publiee par l’Institut
– Le Roman de Renan
And a few articles from vol. 9 (sec. ed. 1856)
– Nouvelles Lettres de Madame, mere du Regent.
– Froissart
– Duclos
– M. de Stendhal
– Geoffroy de Villehardouin
Finally a few entries from vol. 10 (first ed. 1855)
– Oeuvres de Francois Arago
– Fenelon, sa Correspondance spirituelle et politique
– Buffon, ses Oeuvres annotees par M. Flourens
– Chateaubriand, Anniversaire du Genie du Christianisme
– Bossuet, Lettres de M. Poujoulat, Portrait par M. de Lamartine
– Saint-Martin, le Philosophe inconnu. (Link 2)
Of course the supplementary volumes 14 and 15 are not there, neither is the (much later issued) register volume 16. But of small avail, I trust many of you may feel like me, that the first 13 volumes no doubt contain ‘good stuff a’plenty’
In the BurgerKing close to the City House, where I’m now writing this while sipping coffee, some nice person left an issue of todays Politiken, the leading daily in our small capital. Why not take a quick look at a few headlines?
On page 6 of the general news section there is a whole-page treatment of the predicament of the rising tension between the European Union and Russia.
This is once again making it abundantly clear, that contemporary European statesmen are either completely obtuse to or even clueless about what’s in fact going on on the big scene.
Compare this headline from yesterdays internet news site Zerohedge.com:
Russians Told To “Prepare For Worst Outcome” As US Prepares New Sanctions
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-02-15/russians-told-prepare-worst-outcome-us-proposes-new-sanctions
Without going into an extended analysis of the disgraceful history of the quite recent and sudden decay in the friendly post-1990 cohabitation between Eastern- and Western-Europe – Russia and the EU – you have to necessarily behold and keep in mind the obvious fact, that the US is frantically, almost desperately trying to provoke a split or even a confrontation between Russia and the rest of Europe.
It’s also clear – except for those who will not see, of course? – that the US and its friends are systematically and deliberately trying to drum up a (nuclear?) war between Europe and Russia.
The US and its friends seemingly endeavor, infamously and maliciously, to (once again!) have Russia and Europe destroy each other so as to eventually split the spoils between themselves and China?
Please compare my blog update from last December 28. (whence I repeat the highlights concerning the recent G.20 conference, tweets of mine are indexed with an asteriks, comments with an arrow):
*In early a.m. of Wednesday Nov.28.2018 had vision of US-President donning his new, green Chinese generals uniform. The Uniform was however in Russian Style. Thats why I tweeted that same wednesday that Xi and US are going to embrace in #G20 and split up #Russia.
*(28.Nov.2018) In early a.m. there were rumours in the ether that US & Xi are going to embrace at G20. The split: US to have Europe to Urals, Xi to have Siberia to Urals and IL gets MiddleEast?
>The above two tweets seem to have made quite an impact. You can follow a bit of the resulting panic reaction here:
*Trump Cancels G-20 Meeting With Putin
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-11-29/trump-cancels-g-20-meeting-putin
*One Snub Too Many: Kremlin Sours On Trump As “Patience Coming To An End”
“We can do ‘give and take’ but not ‘give and give’.”
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-12-06/one-snub-too-many-kremlin-sours-trump-patience-coming-end
*Trump told Erdogan in the Dec. 14 call, “OK, it’s all yours. We are done.”
Turkey Says US Agreed To Vacate Syrian Kurdish Enclave As Ground Attack Imminent
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-12-25/turkey-says-us-agreed-vacate-syrian-kurdish-enclave-ground-attack-imminent
*(The Race to Obfuscate: Meng Wanzhou The Red Herring?)
What does NOT make sense is that the arrest happened on Saturday and markets did not find out about it until Wednesday night.
This is where what had to be a massive conspiracy of silence begins to raise some interesting questions.
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-12-12/larry-lindsey-something-about-huawei-cfo-arrest-doesnt-make-sense
*And then? Come G20, ‘nothing’. Trump stalks the edges of G20 looking tense and defensive. He was no alpha-male, dominating these events. He looked crocked. It was all a bit of a dud, really
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-12-10/what-didnt-happen-g20-far-more-important-what-did
*The Presidents of two pre-eminent military and nuclear powers, who sit astride major geo-political faultlines, and who need to talk, circled each other, closed-faced, and without stretching out hands – they could not find even, the subterfuge for sitting together.
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-12-10/what-didnt-happen-g20-far-more-important-what-did
*Jatras concludes, more in sorrow than in anger, “it would be only a small exaggeration to say that with respect to foreign and security policy, Trump is now a mere figurehead of the permanent state. Even if Trump and Putin do happen to meet again, what can the latter expect the former to say that would make any difference?”.
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-12-10/what-didnt-happen-g20-far-more-important-what-did
>Also the former insider, gen. Wesley Clark, is obviously confused. He would be, ofcourse, because he haven’t had a chance to read my blog (unlike a few other top players), hence he simply don’t know the lay out:
*Ex-NATO Commander Wesley Clark To CNN: Did Erdogan Blackmail Trump?
“Was there a payoff or something? What was it? Why would a guy make a decision like this?”
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-12-24/ex-nato-commander-wesley-clark-cnn-did-erdogan-blackmail-trump
And almost as insanely as tellingly, the US is now again preparing new sanctions on Russia – while concurrently doing everything to negotiate a trade deal with China. Sadly, on this issue nothing of real importance has changed materially since December 28th!
On page 20/21 of the Art Section of Politiken you find a double spread about an exhibition of ‘Queer Art’ in the Willumsen museum in Frederikssund.
What caught my eye was a photograph by the brilliant, young photographer Laerke Posselt, whom I knew slightly more than a decade ago.
She was then strikingly beautiful, intelligent and cultured, and almost as interested in old photographic paraphernalia as myself, to boot. Something that’s not easily accomplished, I dare say.
The reproduced photograph of a young teenage queer is straight (no pun intended, I assure you) but on it’s own and alone hardly extraordinary?
On page 5 of the feuilleton section there is an important essay by three of the certainly most distinguished and upright gentlemen in contemporary Danish public debate: Ole Hasselbalch, Bjoern Elmquist and Ole Stig Andersen (link 3).
At issue is the rapidly increasing surveillance and censorship by government in our small country. However I haven’t yet managed to peruse the essay in detail and thus have to confine myself to generalities.
What I find especially important, and also somewhat neglected about the issue of surveillandce is the notion, that more or less constant and ubiquitous surveillance is certainly in disagreement with our constitution (the Grundlov) by limiting citizens constitutionally guaranteed right of free movement and travel very materially (Par.71).
If you, as a rule, have to report to the government every few minutes or hours, meters or kilometers, yards or miles when moving or travelling you have certainly not freedom of movement.
And it doesn’t really mitigate your predicament that the reporting is now fully automatic and electronic and – more or less stealthily? – relayed to Government and/or their SecretService/SecretPolice.
On page 8 of the Book Section there is a review of a stark satire on the plutocracy in modern Germany – ‘HOCHDEUTCHLAND’ – by Alexander Schimmelbusch.
However I have to call it a day as I need to be all set for the poor man’s opera tonight (on my radio).
Thanks for joining, and be safe!
Link 1.
En minderune
Link 2.
Lidt om illuminater
Link 3.
(16./18.Febr./1.Okt.2019)
Crossposted on www.gamleboeger.dk and http://blocnotesimma.wordpress.com
Tweets on www.twitter.com/gamleboeger
THE GUSSIAN GOLD (Satire)
(Satirisk Eventyr) I guess most of my readers have now for some time been fully aware that we earthlings at this point of time are all living in the shadowy world of the dead (also called ‘The Underworld’, ‘The Deep State’ or ‘The Netherworlds’).
After all it was widely, almost universally publicized roughly half a dozen years ago that the earthly world, as we knew it, after having for a few centuries slice by slice gone bunkers, was finally totally destroyed on Dec.22, 2012, as it had in fact been accurately foretold by the Mayan priesthood.
Hence everyone are now ‘living’ in the netherworlds, the world of the dead.
But many well informed people of course also know that conditions and circumstances in many ways are almost as real in the shadowy world of the dead as before our global annihilation.
Clearly that’s basically why we have been able to recently report from some of the top-leaders in our new underworld. But of course the old world-leaders’ generally high esteem for some of this writers major reportings has obviously contributed to making everything happen more smoothly.
Recently the new underworld deep down below the former Danish capital enjoyed a rare visit by the flamboyant – in a shadowy, rather dead way of course – Atlantica prime minister Dr. Julia.
Reportedly Dr. Julia wanted to especially secure the full cooperation and support for her and her associates’ political missions from the respected leader of the Danish netherworlds, Dr. Cluck, who personally picked up Dr. Julia deep down under the old Copenhagen airport.
‘Hello Dr. Cluck, it’s me, Julia, you do remember me, don’t you?
‘But certainly Dr. Julia, how could I ever forget you? You always looked like a million dollars, something that’s constantly on my mind. Tell me, what can I do for you? The trip was all right, I hope?
‘Yes, thanks, we enjoyed the trip a lot. Only we had a minor problem finding your fine little city on our cards over the netherworlds. Luckily, just in time someone happened to glance out through the windows and thus saw a small collection of houses and all, and hence we suspected your great underworld capital city would be just about right beneath us somewhere. And well – here I am.
‘Wonderful, I’m so glad you are here. We need to try and find something to amuse ourselves with the next day or so. Do you like playing cards, patience or something? Did you perchance bring your own deck of cards? You wouldn’t happen to go for a game of chess, would you?
‘Oh, I’m so glad for your positive approach to the art of neighbourliness, Dr. Cluck. But let me assure you I never play chess, which I find absolutely childish. But I always bring my own deck of cards to play patience or else my black Taroc cards. Would you like me to predict your future from my Taroc cards? I’ill do it for free, absolutely!
‘Sure, sounds great to me. I always wanted to have my future divined, on account I feel – well, I dare say I almost know – that I have a great, great future. But ofcourse it would be nice to REALLY know! Listen, as soon as we arrive at my office we’ill take a few hours off and amuse ourselves?
‘I’m so happy, Cluck. Let’s hurry, I love divining with my Taroc cards. And I always felt you definitely have an interesting, promising future.
‘Thanks a lot, Julia. I appreciate that. You know I try to behave like any other ordinary underworld human zombie, but of course it’s often quite hard to conceal how very special I am, how grand a future I have.
But I notice we’re already there. Please follow me to the escalator, in this way we may arrive at my private rooms quite unhassled. So – now we’re here. You may lay out your Taroc cards on this little table over there, if you please. I’ill order some tea for you, and cookies.
‘Thank you, Cluck, sounds good. But won’t you join me for tea and cookies?
‘No, no, no, I never take tea. I think, though, that perhaps I had better order a few bottles of wine. I suddenly remember we were yesterday sponsored with a half dozen cases of really nice red wine from one of my many admirers. I always felt it’s important to be accessible to all citizens and sponsors, not just the rich, you know!
Here is tea and wine, now. But have you laid out the Taroc cards, Julia? Please tell me, what’s the good message.
‘Yes, dear, the cards are all laid. And I dare say there’s great news for you, Cluck! You want me to read it out for you right away?
‘Oh, but certainly, I can hardly wait to hear the sweet words directly from you and the gods of the shadows.
‘Yes, of course. Here you are, then. You see these 3 key cards here. The first is called the King, the second over there the Queen and the third down here the Sword. Naturally you want to know what these 3 important cards mean in the positions indicated, and I’m certainly only too glad to tell you.
I’m so glad we’re here, you and me together. But you have to trust me now, because I have important things to tell you. So listen carefully, please.
‘Sure, go right ahead Julia, and hurry please!
‘All right. But you have to trust me, Cluck! I’m here to help you, read my lips!
‘But certainly I trust you, Julia, I always did, I would follow you to the end of the underworld, you ought to know that. After all that’s what I’m here for!
‘Yes, right. But now I have some important things to announce to you from my black magick cards of destiny.
Firstly, the King card personifies you. You are thus, potentially, the King of things and situations!
Now comes the Queen card. This card symbolizes myself. Obviously I’m your Queen – in a somewhat metaphorical way, of course. But what it means is you have to heed and comply with the advice and wishes of the Queen. I guess you understand that clearly?
After all we are now living in a modern, progesssive underworld where women are equal to and in fact often the leaders of all the other dead shadows. I’m sure you understand that? You ought to, otherwise I can hardly help you.
‘But of course, Julia, dear. But what about that 3rd card, the Sword, what does this card symbolize?
‘As a matter of fact the 3rd card is very, very important. Because, after all, both you and I have long known we are in a way already King and Queen whereever we are among our kinfolks, the elites in the world of the dead.
But – and this is very important, so please listen carefully: the 3rd card, the Sword, tells us unmistakeably how you must behave to secure your wonderful future as King among the zombie elite: You have to live by the sword!
Now, this is of course just generally speaking. Because we have to interpret the additional seven Taroc cards in order to decipher and read this key card in relation to actual underworld politics.
And it thus transpires, that what is meant is basically this: You have to support me and my zombie friends in every possible way in our mission to make the world of the dead more just end righteous! Which of course can be done only by the sword!
I need to eventually lay this out in more detail, of course. But you have to trust me, Cluck, mark my words! So here come the important details and remember I’m here to help you – read my lips!
‘But of course, Julia, dear. I understand all that, go on please.
‘All right. What you have to do urgently and obligatory is this.
Firstly and most important, you have to support me and my zombie friends and associates in all our endeavours to strafe these monsters over there in the Gussian world of the dead. I hate them, they are so evil. They won’t even give us our due respect as the masters of the underworld, who are doing gods work. Can you imagine that? The pricks!
But what’s much, much worse is they won’t give us our gold! I almost can’t believe this, but that’s how it is: they won’t give us our gold! The monsters! The gold that we have a historical claim on, and which god has promised us, because it’s ours!
I know you have studied history a lot and hence know, I’m sure, that about 100 years ago his excellency mr. Gasputin and the Emperor of Gussia gave us all the gold of the Gussian empire. To have practically as our own, or almost. Worth hundred of billions in todays value!
Most everyone that know history are aware of all this of course. But it now transpires these Gussian traitors didn’t give us ALL their gold, but hid some of it for their own uses. The monsters!
That’s why we have to strafe these traitors and hit their houses and their cities and their armies and their friends and all in their squalid netherworlds. Justice has to be done. If justice is not done, the underworld will descend into anarchy and chaos!
Remember my dear Cluck, my friend, we’re doing gods work and hence we have a god given right to all this gold these Gussian pricks have concealed from our righteous claims. I almost can’t belive this is happening, but it is.
But I can assure you we shall strafe these monsters and teach them a lesson they wont forget so soon. Do you understand?
‘Yes, yes, dear Julia, perfectly, I know, gods work, certainly. You can count on me! But what’s in it for me – that is, I mean, what can I do right now to help you and your deep state zombie associates?
‘I’m glad you asked that question, Cluck, dear. Of course you want to know, and I shall now delineate it for you in more detail.
I suppose You wonder about all these other Taroc cards laid out here on my black magick cloth, dear Cluck. And I can assure You these additional seven cards are all very important, and also extremely auspicious of course.
So what my intuition told me already before laying out the cards has once again proven absolutely reliable: Your future, Dr.Cluck, dear, here in our new underworld among the dead zombies is definitely extremely promising.
Now you will clearly ask how come I can tell this with absolute certainty just from my magick Taroc card as they are laid out here for you.
However I have to say, I cannot reveal in minute detail why those other seven cards are so wonderfully auspicious. You see, you have to be an initiate into the art of black Taroc card magick to be allowed to have all these occult forces revealed to you.
But that of course should be no problem, as I already know you trust my absolute sincerety and honesty without reservation. Isn’t that right, dear Cluck?
‘But of course, Julia, dear, please go on. But hurry, as I have to soon order a few more bottles of wine. And won’t you have another cookie, dear?
‘Oh, thank you so much, that’s very considerate of you, Cluck. I’ill take just one more cookie, but I certainly have to watch my figure, you know.
Now, let me be entirely frank with you, Cluck, dear. It’s not necessarily very easy to qualify for a permanent top job as King among equals in the underworld elite of zombies.
Because one has to meet certain, rather stringent standards. By which I mean one has to perform certain, perhaps even somewhat delicate tasks to the absolute satisfaction of our common supreme masters – the Emperor of the zombies and his entourage – down here in the shadowy world of the dead.
But of course I have already learned that you are basically absolutely willing to help me and my zombie masters to recuperate all that gold the Gussian monsters have stolen from us.
Now, then, I shall specify in somewhat more detail what is further expected from you, which of course is what all these magick Taroc cards are channelling to me almost directly from the gods of the dead.
Firstly there’s the question of the black gold. By this of course is meant the black gold of the Gussian underworld monsters.
Obviously they think they can steal our black gold also. Isn’t that schocking? Imagine, they first steal nearly all of our real gold and then they have the insolence to think they can get away with stealing our black gold also? Can you imagine that? The villains.
But according to what my magick Taroc cards say, that’s where you come into the picture, Cluck, dear: You have to try and disrupt their plans for the so called GussianOil.2 pipeline going from the wretched Gussian underworld to the Neuropean netherworlds.
Perhaps you cannot entirely hinder that pipeline, though, but at least and as a very minimum you have to obstruct and disrupt it as much and as long as at all possible!
Now, let me assure you the underworld zombie elite is very much aware of the great work you have sucessfully discharged during several years by disrupting the pathetic little country of which you are now the head of state – the Danish netherworld of dead zombies.
For instance you have successfully disrupted the regional democracy of your ridiculous little state, which is very important for me and my zombie overlords as this means your rich underworld countryside is becoming almost emptied of the parasitic Danish zombies.
This means the danish zombies are soon to be replaced by parasitic alien zombies, which makes everything much more chaotic and disruptive.
I suspect you are fully aware how important it is to disrupt and create chaos everywhere in the Neuropean netherworlds and especially in the rich countryside and the farm industry in your underworld?
The reason for this of course is that some of the most important billionaire deep state dead zombies, both in the TallyStreet underworld, the Donlon City netherworld and Mr. Sunk and Mr. Natter in the Free-States’ and the Levantine underworlds all want to acquire these assets as their private, personal property and possessions.
It’s especially the rich, lush countryside and its wonderful weather system you have so successfully developed – perhaps right now the worlds most salutary weather system here in our global new netherworlds of the dead – that these honourable billionaire zombie Lords of ours want as their own.
Of course you can hardly blame these dead zombie gentlemen for wanting to eventually own what is after all just their god given right! You do agree, don’t you, Cluck, dear?
‘Oh but certainly, dear Julia. But please go on, I almost can’t wait to hear more about when I will be King of the dead in my own underworld. It will be soon, won’t it?
And by the way I want it please to be understood that I really expect a somewhat more propitious remuneration than was given to my predecessor, Dr. Hollow, who was only made Queen of Save the Zombie Quids. Of course zombie quids are nice and important, but still I should certainly hope for a bit more than that, shouldn’t I?
‘Please, dr. Cluck, my friend, be patient. Of course you will get quite a bit more! After all you have created a lot more disruption and chaos in your pathetic little zombie state than your predecessors – even if we know they certainly tried hard enough!
But before we return to the big question of the stolen black gold I would like to touch upon the issue of the Ministry of Disruption, a ministry you promised me last that you would create urgently.
Have you created this important ministry by now, dear Cluck? The reason why I’m asking is I don’t seem to notice a ‘Ministry of Disruption’ in the list of government ministries as provided by you.
‘But of course, Julia, dear. The Ministry of Disruption has certainly already been successfully instituted in our government. And I think I can state with confidence that we have picked the most cleverly devious and reckless woman in our government as its head.
Only – and of course that’s why you missed this ministry in our list – we have resolved, until further notice, to not name it ‘Ministry of Disruption’ but something else entirely. I certainly hope you appreciate how clever that is, – I mean by deceiving the dead zombie citizens so as to keep calm in our netherworld?
But I also want to point out, that this ministry’s task force for creating chaos and disruption among the dead has been faithfully named ‘Disruption Task Force’.
And I should like to impart just one specimen of the mind set of this important task force, namely a very clever mantra invented by a certain high profile member of the task force: ‘Burn everything down every seven years!’
That’s both creative and progressive, don’t you think? Certainly I can hardly begin to tell you how happy I am to have zombies like that in my underworld government.
‘But of course, Cluck, dear. How clever that is. This is certainly a load off of my chest. I would like to already now tentatively congratulate you with how progressive everything is in your deep state zombie government!
Now we have to return to the issue of our stolen black gold. We all know how Mr. Hussi and Mr. Assa time and again tried to steal our black gold. And likewise we have all heard about their seriously bad luck!
But the wretched Gussians zombies and their devious Giranian friends have obviously until now neither learned to fear nor sufficiently experienced the wrath of our gods of the underworld, but proceed with impudence in their vile cabals to illegally hide our black gold from us!
But of course we shall take our black gold back and punish these zombie villains in the process! I think you may safely rely on that, dear Cluck.
‘Of course, Julia, dear. But precisely what am I expected to do now to oblige the Emperor of the Zombies? By the way, who is Emperor right now? Could you possibly give me just a few hints as to the whereabout and identity of the Emperor and his splendid Court of Zombies?
‘Oh, no, no, no. Please dont be silly, dear Cluck. Identity and whereabout of the Emperor and his Imperial Court is of course extremely secret. In fact so secret, that not even I – although being a full Queen of the Dead for all of the Atlantica netherworlds – have been imparted with these facts.
The thing is, you have to be at least an Arch-Duke or even an Arch-Prince to be initiated into that kind of deep occult knowledge. Hence I can only tell you, that the Emperor is very, very rich and mighty and that he normally is designated just ‘ET of Z’. Of course that’s just short for Emperor of The Zombies or perhaps Emperor of The Zombieworlds.
Furthermore that his court is large and rich and that his closest entourage is made up of twelve Arch-Magicians, called Sappos.
These Sappos are of course all accomplished Black Magicians of the Dead and are invested with the task of maintaining discipline among the courtiers and the entire zombie population in the netherworlds. I’m told they just Zap, Zap, Zap anyone that’s getting out of line.
The first Zap may mean disability for the wretched target. The second Zap may mean insanity for the miserable. But the third Zap often means certain death and extermination from the world of the Zombies! How awful that would be!
Incidentally it’s almost certainly also these Arch-Magicians that – by the agency of my magick Taroc cards as laid out here on the black cloth – through their accomplished black magick impart the will of the Emperor and the gods of the shadows unto me.
Do you understand all that clearly, dear Cluck?
‘But certainly, Julia, dear. And I dare say I’m rather impressed by the power and riches of the Imperial Magick Court of the Zombies.
But specifically, what is it your black magick Taroc cards actually convey unto you from the ET of Z – about all that stolen black gold. I mean, what is it I’m supposed to do next for you and your dead zombie associates, please?
‘Yes, our course, Cluck, dear – you want to know. Now listen closely:
It has pleased his Hollyness, the ET of Z, to impart unto me by venue of my magick Taroc cards, that the Imperial Court expect you to travel down to Gothica and talk to that reprehensible Uber-Witch of the Gothic Zombies, Dr. Schnorrkel. And demand on behalf of the Emperor that she disrupt the GussianOil.2 pipeline as completely as at all possible.
Do you think you can do that, Cluck, dear?
‘But of course, I already know Dr. Schnorrkel and I think I can fix her no problem!
‘Oh, that would be just great, dear Cluck. You see, I hate this sorry Uber-Witch of the Gothics so much I would rather not talk to her at all.
But mind you, rumours has it she is a 3rd generation Uber-Witch of the Polish Black-Wood Zombies. Can you imagine that? The prick!
And please also take care to have her promise to sanction the Gussian monsters in every way possible. This may, by the way, be particularly valuable for yourself in your endeavours to disrupt your pathetic little zombie deep state to the utmost.
You understand – you may mortally weaken the agri sector and hence the whole countryside of both your underworld and all of the Neuropean netherworlds. And thus make it possible for the Emperor and his dead zombie associates to secure their rightful ownership of the entire, lush countryside of your pathetic little zombie state on the cheap. After all, it IS the Emperor’s rightful property, don’t you agree?
‘But certainly, Julia, dear. I shall definitely do the best I can. Trust me – read my lips!
‘Of course, dear Cluck. I know I can trust you.
Very well, Dr. Cluck, I think this about winds up our talk today. And please accept my sincere assurances of how great a pleasure it’s been to again work with you here in your fine little Ducal court of the dead.
Personally I feel you may definitely very soon expect to be named King of the Zombies here in your small capital city of the shadows.
But until then I wish you the best of luck with all your important missions of disruption!
‘Thank you so much, dear Dr. Julia. It was as always a great pleasure to be with you and especially to have you divine my great, important future. I wish you a very nice trip back to the Atlantica netherworlds.’
END OF SATIRE.
10.April/30.May.2018/rev.06.Feb.2019 – crossposted on http://www.gamleboeger.dk and blocnotesimma.wordpress.com.
Tweets on http://www.twitter.com/gamleboeger
Hammett’s Plots
Today is Thursday and it’s wet out there. From my cosy café here in downtown Copenhagen I’m trying to not enjoy the spectacle outside of people hurrying past striving not to get too wet. But to no avail, I’m afraid.
While I’m writing this the wetness seems to shapeshift from a drizzle over sleet to snowy and then back again.
Luckily here’s no papers laying around, whence I feel free to not comment on the dreary drudge of Danish pre-election politics this particular afternoon.
In the last post I told about an apparently lucky find from the odds-and-ends box in a large photo store here in our small capital. A seemingly very nice Sigma 24mm ‘superwide’ lens for my autofocus Nikon (it turned out it kind of had a problem with dirt in the focusing thread).
But yesterday when I looked inside to say hello I met mostly blank faces with eyes that seemed to evade looking my way.
Now, why is that? I have to suspect that at least one DeepState puppet employed in that very shop scrutinize my blog posts regularly and closely.
This may or may not be the case; and likewise my feeling of ad-hoc unfriendliness may or may not be pertinent. But be this as it may, it fits the bill to elucidate a case in point, anyway.
Because I know for a fact the DeepState (also called TPTB) certainly has as one of it’s strategies to economically starve their thoughtful critics.
Like said before (link 1), it’s proved itself to be an elusive task for the DeepState to outright have me assassinated or kidnapped, partly or perhaps even mostly due to my modest gift of clairvoyance.
Hence the urgency to employ other, more devious and roundabout ways and means. Among which the politics of starving you economically perhaps is held to be the most effective and important, although certanly not the only one (Note 2).
In an earlier blog post (link 2) I’ve told a bit about how the government a few years ago illegally and arbitrarily held back my housing benefit (rent assistance) for abt. 16 months, amounting to nearly $5,000.
And as told, this agency – like the Danes’ much beloved SecretService/SecretPolice (they even call it their PET!) – is way above and outside insight and effective oversigt. Furthermore you cannot complain to anyone except the agency itself. Brave new democracy – the regime in which you are totally at the mercy of ubiquitous and multifarious rogue power abusers! (Note 1)
Touching also upon another well known strategy: That of isolating you from friends, family and neighbours. One tool is to hire as many of your friends as possible as snitches for a SecretService agency, Danish or alien.
Of course only very, very few are able to resist if rogue agents from a rogue agency (with a fancy name) approach you with a request to help them spy on your friends and other ‘dangerous elements’ (- i.e. the clever and undounted critics).
For instance my old ‘friend’ – in fact my best friend for more than a decade – as recent as day before yesterday again (and again and again) tried to lure me on an outing in his fancy car. He’s perhaps long since sprung out as a Mozzard puppet? In a way you can’t blame him, perhaps, as it may run in the family?
Still the sheer evil may almost knocks you off your feet?
Another strategy, of course, is to simply assassinate or in other ways seriously harass your friends. For instance I wonder what happened to Gunnar Buchmann and Morten O.?
I also wonder who ordered the (obvious) arson house fires of my then perhaps two closest friends in Hilleroed and Roskilde? (link 3)
And who croaked the – old and sick to be sure – girlfriend of a neighbour? The ‘plan’ could obviously be to lure myself up in said neighbour’s lonely cottage. And – as I’ve touched on earlier (link 4) – that’s exactly what happened, or could have happened, as the first thing said to me after the grisly death was ‘now you have to go with me up to my cottage instad of her’.
Well – you couldn’t make this s**t up!
Could go on and on – there’s really no end to the evil that reveals itself almost everywhere when morals in society collapse more or less completely.
But back to life. Last Sunday was the closing day of the dutch sale of old books in the Heilig-Geist Church House.
The closing price was 10 Kr. ($1.50) and I had in fact considered not to attend on account, mostly, of my cramped quarters at home and a rather tight budget.
However I decided to take a short look if only to learn if two small booklets I had noticed the other day were still there.
They were. And also I had a hard time resisting a few other interesting offers whence I eventually found myself hauling two bags to a nearby café. I’ill just comment on a couple of the finds. (As usual I’ill quote samples in the same tongue as the books).
1. UDVALGTE BREVE AF L. SMITH. Meddelte af J.H. Bang. Sorø 1876, 52 p., (indbundet m. indbydelsesskrift fra Sorø Akademi).
2. Dito – Sorø, 1877. (vol.2 of the set).
L. Smith appears to have been a well known intellectual and man of letters in his time (late 18th century). I forgot to look up Mr. Bang – but will aim to remedy this later (it turns out I have nothing on J.H.Bang in my dictionaries).
From skimming the letters I would say offhand they don’t seem to be without merit even today. They are all written in 1785-86 I believe, and appear to may often be of general interest.
What sold me, however, was perhaps mostly the ownership history of these two otherwise unasuming booklets.
They both have the exlibris of the well known Danish linguist H.G. Olrik on the inside cover. And on the flyleaf directly opposite you read, likewise in both: ‘Højvelbaarne Hr. Konferensraad Dr. Madvig, ærbødigst og hengivenst fra Udgiveren’ (J.H.Bang).
Dr. Madvig is of course the famous Danish 19. century scholar of the classical languages.
3. THE DAIN CURSE. By Dashiell Hammett. Penguin Book, 1966. 188 p. Softcover pocket book that seems to be unread.
From the back cover: ‘Dashiell Hammett gave you THE THIN MAN and THE MALTESE FALCON. Here one of his toughest Continental Ops takes a steel grip on a case that is either modern witchcraft or conspiracy and hocus-pocus of the foulest kind’.
I’m sure I already own at least one copy of The Dain Curse. Hence I naturally thought I’ve read it more than once, like I have all Hammett’s other books about fifty years ago.
But I’m now past page 75 and half a dozen murders and frankly I don’t seem to recognize or remember a single scene or character. Which worries me slightly, and make me want to soon discover in my storeroom the box with my more than a hundred detective novels (Only Hammett, Chandler and Stanley Gardner/A.A.Fair – thank you very much).
Of course some readers may rather early get a feeling that the detective’s old author friend seems to be introduced somewhat haphazardly in the plot. He just ‘by coincidence’ happen to have moved to SanFrancisco – seemingly without good reason except he’s needed in the plot.
Or perhaps I’ve got a rudimentary reminiscence of this detail, after all?
Anyway a detail that’s an obvious weakness in Mr. Hammett’s labyrinthine kind of plot: The authors hero-dective says somewhere he has stopped beliveing in coincidence and clearly the author should have expected his intelligent readers to likewise have grown out of being ‘coincidence-theorists’ (Note 3).
Not surprisingly this particular novel seems to highlight a couple of the typical Hammett traits: A certain cold-hearted brutality and perhaps even reveling in murder? And also an almost old-testament severity and lack of humor. (By the way, wasn’t there’s an old township in then Palestine named Hammat or Hammath?).
Hammett was, I believe, very proud of his extraordinary cleverness:
– Big Flora: ‘…but you just played a hand – that’s – that’s…
– Hammett’s hero detective: ‘Yeah – I’m another Papadopulous’.
But occasionally you could wish for a bit more simplicity and less overly ingenious plots. Seriously!
Note 1.
The exact same thing seems to be in the offering for the Danish public health and hospital sector right now.
Our DeepState controlled govt. want to put an end to any and all local (political) control of the sector, so as to remove any conceivable access for the public to complain to local power brokers. These locals simply will have all their powers stripped by and transfered to the government.
In this way the DeepState controllers of our govt. can direct everything of importance, f.i. which political or ideological opponents or (not-totally-clueless) journalists are to be ‘wasted’ in the hospitals – as central govt. will control any and all promotions of doctors and nurses as well as administrative staff (links 5 & 6).
The Key: It’s the DeepState that controls ALL fat-cat jobs – be they in NASO or Save The Quids or anywhere else. Remember?
Note 2.
A couple of hours after having updated the above on my WP-blog yesterday (Saturday Jan.19.), I was accosted by an ‘Italian’ gentleman just outside one of my usual haunts in downtown Copenhagen, the photo shop Foto/C in Holbergsgade.
Sitting in his brand new light colored but otherwise nondescript car he rolled down a window and asked me for directions to the airport.
After having told him, he wanted to give me a present ‘for my kindness’. He was, he said, an Italian salesman of mens apparel. And as he had too much stuff to carry on the plane he wanted to present me with one of his fancy windbreakers – ‘normally priced at abt. four or five hundred dollars’!
If I would just enter his car to be seated beside him and shut the door to the cold wind, he would show me the clothings.
When I politely but firmly declined to enter his car his generosity now transmuted itself into an offer to sell me 3 (heinously ugly, as it transpired) windbreakers for only $150, in cash of course. Which generous offer it was not too difficult to resist.
Interpretation: Obviously one of the ‘devious and roundabout’ ways alluded to above. But very dangerous for all that, because had I been clueless enough to enter his car for just a few seconds, the following might most likely have happened:
After closing the door ‘to the cold wind’ I would have found that I couldn’t open it again. And soon after some sort of an sedative might perhaps have been administered, one way or the other? And kidnap accomplished.
Incidentally a kidnap is way more dreadful than an outright assassination: If kidnapped you may expect to be tortured for months or even years. Remember – the DeepState power brokers ARE INSANE! They don’t mind in the least wrecking you and your country and even your planet – if they can just have all the planet’s gold (for what??)(Link 7 & 8).
Summing up: I guess our government and their DeepState friends and masters really, really want me eliminated. A burning desire that seems to grow only more urgent by the day.
Note 3.
‘I’ll call myself a conspiracy-theorist if you will call youself a coincidence-theorist’
(John Judge via. D. Icke)
Link 1.
Link 2.
Link 3.
Småting og bagateller (2)
Link 4.
The Simple Art Of Murder?
Link 5.
Operation eller mission?
Link 6.
Kill the canary
Link 7.
The Robots’ Cash Ban
Link 8.
(17./23.Jan./1.Okt.2019)
Crossposted on www.gamleboeger.dk and http://blocnotesimma.wordpress.com
Tweets on www.twitter.com/gamleboeger