Saturday 12 October 2013

Commendable Restraint.

I encountered a blog today, written by an American woman, with the tag line:

Still Catholic. Still Conservative.

Her latest post was what I suppose one might expect of a person of such proclivities: a mocking little attack upon Obamacare. I thought of leaving a comment along the lines of:

‘Madam, if I believed in your version of hell, I should take delight in commending you to it. It would be a fitting repository.’

I decided against it. I decided it would be ungracious and unbecoming of an English gentleman, even one of the peasant variety. That was today’s good deed to myself.

8 comments:

Della said...

Must come here more often, so enjoyable to read. Hope you are well.

JJ said...

Thank you, Della. It's always a delight to see you. I think about you every time I hear Faun sing 'Diese kalte Nacht' or 'Tanz Mit Mir.' I valued your comments highly, you know - always direct, always frank, always erudite, always respectful. And you made light work of slapping my wrists when I failed to live up to your standards! Do come again.

Did you ever finish your novel, by the way?

Della said...

Still working on it, as we speak. That might always be the case – as a lifelong endeavor – but why not? There's joy there and dread in the thought of tackling the publishing problem. Publishing advice on the internet is just numbing but I laugh when I remember your remarks on the 'writing by committee' trend. I wonder if you're still writing too? Your short story site was so enjoyable.

Did I mention Faun? Ha. I'm still a fan yes, and cannot get enough of the Mediaeval Baebes, I do so enjoy their last recording The Huntress (and an improved CD photograph, more down to earth I think). I saw Loreena McKennitt here about a year ago but would have preferred seeing her at a smaller venue.

That's my news :) I will surely look in from time to time to make sure you're doing well and not so haunted by the dark autumnal sprites now descending...they will come, but be gone again too :)

Take care.

JJ said...

You never mentioned Faun, Della. I only discovered them a few weeks ago. The reason they remind me of you is because of all that German! And also because I thought there was a vague similarity between Elisabeth Pawelke when she was younger (Karuna unplugged - the one in the garden) and that b&w picture of you doing the moody Italian thing.

I only write odd things now - no formal stories as such. One was an allegory I felt moved to write recently called An Episode in Three Lives, which I posted to the stories blog a few weeks ago And now that I've more or less given up on getting more stuff published, I've posted a few of the originals there, too.

The local library, however, has asked for a copy of Odyssey and The Gift Horse, so maybe I'll become a local celebrity soon. Oh, joy...

Della said...

Ha... Must look up Elisabeth Pawelke (do not know her!) and see if we have aged along the same lines :) The moody Italian thing only works when you're young, b.t.w.

Will look into your latest writing on your fiction site, odd or otherwise.

JJ said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mty9TEmdfc

The one playing the hurdy gurdy.

Della said...

Gosh, I just wrote a long comment that was wiped out for some reason :(
Okay, once more: I saw Faun twice but don't remember seeing Elisabeth Pawelke either time. I know who Fiona and Katja are, and of course Oliver Tyr. Possibly I'm not so observant. Didn't know you were a fan! I'm not so crazy about their latest cd, preferring the one before, Eden, and probably Renaissance above all.

JJ said...

I gather Elisabeth Pawelke was a founding member of the band, but then went back to school after a few years to do further musical studies. However, in a YouTube video of a concert given in 2013, she turns up again. Either that or I'm confusing two different women, which is entirely possible but it's a fault to which I'm not usually given. Maybe it's time I took to my armchair and watched soaps instead.