"Once More Unto the Breach..."

We survived Nixon. We survived Reagan. We survived George W.

Hoping we survive this.

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;

Or close the wall up with our English dead.

In peace there's nothing so becomes a man

As modest stillness and humility:

But when the blast of war blows in our ears,

Then imitate the action of the tiger;

Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,

Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage;

Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;

Let pry through the portage of the head

Like the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm it

As fearfully as doth a galled rock

O'erhang and jutty his confounded base,

Swill'd with the wild and wasteful ocean.

Now set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide,

Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit

To his full height. On, on, you noblest English.

Whose blood is fet from fathers of war-proof!

Fathers that, like so many Alexanders,

Have in these parts from morn till even fought

And sheathed their swords for lack of argument:

Dishonour not your mothers; now attest

That those whom you call'd fathers did beget you.

Be copy now to men of grosser blood,

And teach them how to war. And you, good yeoman,

Whose limbs were made in England, show us here

The mettle of your pasture; let us swear

That you are worth your breeding; which I doubt not;

For there is none of you so mean and base,

That hath not noble lustre in your eyes.

I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,

Straining upon the start. The game's afoot:

Follow your spirit, and upon this charge

Cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!'

Link:

Clueless, Reckless, Graceless, Mindless and Heartless: Our President-Elect

Notes on The New York Times and our world today

--Anyone who screams for less and less regulation of business should, once again, take a lesson from life--and China--today after reading that a 28-story apartment tower caught fire while under renovation yesterday. It ended up burning most of the building and killing "at least 42 people and injuring at least 90 others..." Less regulation. Right. As though oil spills and skyscraper fires aren't enough. Personally, I'm also fond of clean air, water and soil, too, but that's me. Oh, and I also don't like my world financial economy collapsing, either. Call me picky.

--There's a very small, brief article describing Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki saying yesterday that "an Iranian arms shipment intercepted in Nigeria was a 'misunderstanding' that had been settled." It goes on: "Nigeria says the shipment of artillery rockets and other weapons, which were labeled as building supplies and found in Lagos, Nigeria, last month, may have been on the way to politicians intending to use violence if they lose forthcoming elections." Get that? "Building supplies"? Yeah, right. We're convinced.

--There is a terrific review of what sounds like a wonderful and funny book by one Christian Lander that lampoons "being white". It's called "The Whiter Shade of Pale". The author of the review did his best, it seems/I think, to be on par with the humor of Mr. Lander. I have to quote one line in it for you: "When white people think about regular salt, all they can think about is sodium and poor health. When they think about sea salt, they think about France." I loved that line. (You're welcome).

--Finally, for the "true believers" or true followers out there of "everything Babs", I see in a full-color, full-page ad on the back of section C--naturally the Arts section--that Barbara Streisand has come out with a book on design. (Ugh). It's called, of course, "My Passion for Design" and quotes Ms. Streisand as saying "My whole life, in a sense, has been a search for beauty." Well, it has ever since she got her first big checks, anyway.