Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion

The quick sum up with a yadda, yadda, yadda here & there: was a mathematics major this semester until last week about; have switched back to the English lit. because I decided I didn't want a career in math (not that a math B.S. would require that, of course, but you know..)  I'm taking my math and physics courses in stride now that they'll be counting as mere electives.    

It's been getting cooler (and pleasant to begin with), and I've been wearing long sleeves to superstitiously coax the weather along.

My workload (& extra curricular obligations) has helped me to avoid reading or hearing about the upcoming presidential race; I think it's a really interesting election (unlike, say.. Dole v. Clinton (if you're my age, try to think of Dole's VP/running-mate..)), I just don't think I have a great personal interest in it.  I don't have a set opinion on so many of the 'key' issues, and not because I'm not informed but precisely because I am informed (and I don't mean that in a cynical way).  Another reason to avoid all of it for the time being is that despite all the chatter and movin' & shakin'.. nothing is going on.  It's more or less like a soccer match.  There's a lot of jogging, there're some penalties, there are some last minute substitutions & then one team wins, often 1-0.  And arguably it's their win because their team has the money to afford the best players (why the Irish never have good clubs; all the promising micks go abroad for the check), arguably.  Come to think of it, watching the networks on an election night is a lot like watching a good sporting event, just more epic: it tilts one way, it tilts another, passions are flying all over, you've got Tim Russert with his play board over here, you've got assistant coaches for one of the teams over there, people who support the same team get together and watch and yell.  I think most people who are really committed to one political side/ideology or another have made a decision of faith in their team.  Now, when the time comes, I will in fact have to decide who I think will be the best head of the executive branch for our nation and the world (because, no, I don't believe in not voting (though it is a tempting belief)).  I'll have to make a more in depth political post/think some more in depth political thoughts in the days to come to clarify because I'm not as cynical as all this lets on. 

Was just watching him interview an author, David Gilbert, about happiness, and Gilbert said that those who don't have children are generally happier than those who do - the audience really cheered at this one - but the real Colbert himself came out and got defensive; he said something along that lines that the sublime feeling that comes with children is better than happiness. It's interesting that while Colbert certainly has a lot in common with his studio audiences (liberal/Democratic politics), there are these sorts of gulfs that come up.

Definitely.

Classes were cancelled and the rest. So we sledded down our hill, drank much tea, and had an otherwise wasteful, irresponsible and jolly old day.

And, no, it doesn't take much snow to shut the city down. Today is my first time to see real snow in Texas; it's taken fifteen years.

I had my first day of classes today: there're only seven other people in my Intro to Literary Studies class which is very good; Environmental Science will be a lot of fun because the prof. is a character, very intense; The American Experience will be great because Prof. Farrall is basically exactly what a professor should be.

My two other ones will be tomorrow.

My holiday was very nice; very relaxing. Did some reading. Of particular note is that Molly and I saw The Chieftains with the Houston Symphony this past Friday; it was really fantastic - the C's especially and then the symphony, and the very impressive stepdancers (as a likely non-Chieftain's fan but Symphony subscriber said in the lobby after the concert, "Boy! I could just watch all that jiggin' any old time"). They played a few familiar songs, and some fun inventive stuff, like "Planxty Mozart".

Anyway, it's very good to be back in Austin. I forgot how much I do appreciate it. Upon simply arriving in the city limits (distinguishable by certain landmarks), I felt better; it might be the trees and their general layout. More later, perhaps!

Environmental Science on Monday, Wednesday and Friday with a professor I've heard is good if difficult.

Math for Liberal Arts Majors on Tuesday and Thursday . . .

The American Experience (Cultural Foundations req'd course) on Monday and Wednesday with Molly's Sociology professor who is good if difficult.

Introduction to Literary Studies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday with a professor I don't know a thing about; this is for my major.

Rhetoric & Composition II on Tuesday and Thursday.


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Concerning the extra-curricular:

This morning I slept in and read 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,' Burton Raffel's translation; I love it, so I made a library trip to get Tolkien's translation which I imagine I'll love even more. In Tolkien's letters, I remember a Raffel mention - I'm gonna go find that to share -- well, I couldn't find it; it wasn't indexed. Maybe later.

From the Raffel version,

"With the New Year drawing close, courtiers
And ladies sat to a double feast;
Mass had been sung in the chapel, the king
And his knights came to the hall, and priests
And laymen called "Noel! Noel!"
And shouted and sang, and nobles ran
With New Year's presents in their hands, noisily
Passing in a crowd, calling "Presents!
Presents!" and loudly disputing gifts,
While ladies laughed when kisses were lost
(And whoever won them found it hard to weep),
And till dinnertime came they ran and laughed;
Then they washed and sat at that stately table,
The noblest nearest their lord, and his queen,
Guenevere the gay, seated in their midst:
Arranged around that priceless table
Fringed with silk, with silk hung
Over their heads, and behind them velvet
Carpets, embroidered rugs, studded
With jewels as rich as an emperor's ransom--
                                                          And the queen
                  Watching with shining
                  Gray eyes, seemed
                  As beautiful a lady
                  As a man could have seen."



Edit seven p.m.  -

Note in the bit from S. G. G. K. above that the mass was 'sung'. Doesn't that sound much more wonderful than 'said' or celebrated or anything else? Besides the ring of it, I imagine it's a literal phrase as well and that reminds me how much more I prefer the more 'sung' mass. Singing is much more suitable to what the mass is, the type of thing it is; and that's to say, for one, that beauty is a priority. At the cathedral more is in song; the pater noster, for instance. Agnus Dei is actually Agnus Dei (in the latin, I mean), and it's sung as well (but I believe that's much more common). Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona nobis pacem.
   
                                 "And Gawain's gear shone rich, the smallest
                                 Laces and loops glowing with gold.
                                 Ready in armor, he stood at the altar
                                 For mass to be chanted, then came to the king
                                 And the assembled knights of Arthur's court,
                                 And took courteous leave of lords and ladies,
                                 Who kissed him, commended him to Christ, then
                                     walked him
                                 There where Gringolet stood ready..."

The subject of this post is the title of a book I bought three days ago. It's an interesting idea for a book, for sure (why I bought it). The author has these nice little digressions into things Irish; for instance, he (Richard Wall) takes a few pages to defend the dramatist Sean O'Casey simply because Wittgenstein once commented to his friend (concerning one of O'Casey's plays), "No one ever talked this sort of language."

Wittgenstein talking to his primary Irish friend, Con Drury, "Isn't it remarkable that, in spite of their professed materialism, the Russian's have gone to such trouble to preserve Lenin's body in perpetuity; and to visit his tomb. You know I don't think much of modern architecture, but that tomb in the Kremlin is well designed."

Tonight I receive my first and greatest birthday gift (my birthday's in December): Molly got us tickets for Jerry Seinfeld. I was completely surprised by this when she first told me, but I can't think of a better way to consummate my relationship with the man or the show, and I'm rather excited about it. I do wonder what his new material is like, but he could do old stuff from the show and I'd love it.

Tomorrow we drive up to New Braunfels for Wurstfest: beer, sausage and Goldens. The good life, in other words.

Yesterday, Molly and I woke for the 8:15 mass at the Cathedral, and luckily it turned out to be the one the Cathedral school attended, i.e., the kids participated with lectoring and singing and so forth; it was ultra cute and Molly's now convicted she ought to open a Catholic orphanage.

Today was very nice weather-wise; we did some homework on the lower part of the hill (sitting upon a big oriental looking quilt) until it got too windy and cold. I love it here, I do.

I intend to switch my major from Philosophy to English Literature; I can't help myself. I hate identity problems and I love 'Beowulf'.

I gave a speech today on the Irish Easter Rising of 1916 for my Communications class; I've found that I enjoy speaking like that in front of a class, just not for an allotted amount of time on an allotted day and with no chance of exchange. In other words, I'd enjoy the prof. style (or at least the style my professors take).

I have this idea that when my Logic professor writes the form of a standard contradiction on the board he is going after the Western Church: he always uses R&~R, and he's very much Orthodox. I've taken it upon myself to use C&~C in my quizzes.

I'll be voting for Chris Bell on the 7th. I watched the debate: Kinky doesn't know much (and honestly, he has become such a character (take the damn hat off during the debate)), Grandma was just painful to watch, our beloved incumbent Good Hair declined to participate in the other five debates that were supposed to happen and then after this one that he finally agrees to, he snuck out the back of the venue before the press could interview him like they did the others: his people stayed behind, however, to declare an Orwellian 'decisive victory' and so forth. So, I urge my Texans to consider Bell, please, for governor. As Jake Bernstein at the Texas Observer asks, Why the Bell Not?

Molly's a bit ill and I wish she weren't; please pray for her.

"The rain surrounded the whole cabin with its enormous virginal myth, a whole world of meaning, of secrecy, of silence, of rumor. Think of it: all that speech pouring down, selling nothing, judging nobody, drenching the thick mulch of dead leaves, soaking the trees, filling the gullies and crannies of the wood with water, washing out the places where men have stripped the hillside!" - Thomas Merton in Raids on the Unspeakable

I'm going to try and visit an Orthodox parish, St. Elias on 11th & Trinity, for Vespers on Saturday; see what it's like and so forth, to complement my reading. I've been really considering 'moving East' actually and finally. I imagine it'd be different if I were already confirmed; I'm not, so I have the leeway to honestly look at the pertinent matters and weigh the claims.

The strangest thing for me would be the married priests; celibacy is 'optional' and in reality it's an option only five to eight percent (?) of Orthodox priests choose. If I were called to enter the priesthood, I'd for sure want to be celibate. Fr Andrew Greeley, generally lib, is very contra doing away with the Western tradition of celibacy, and that's telling. Priests with families, I don't know.

Someone said it somewhere, that it's a bloody shame that the one thing fundie Islam seems to've inherited from the West is the Culture of Offense.

I don't know whether I'll vote for Kinky or James Werner (Libertarian) come November.

"Does anyone sleep here?"

Anyway, no was my answer. I'm sitting in my floor's lobby; I think the plaque calls it 'Meditation', 218. I wanted to leave my room for no apparent reason - you'd think I'd be taking advantage of my roommate's staying at his brother's for the long weekend.

There's a girl from my parish back in Spring who I've been seeing around and I've been meaning to introduce myself.

I'm the spaced out sort of tired that's never in the mood for sleep - cream soda and The Confessions instead, in fact.

Earlier, which was still rather late, Mo, Ashley, a fellow from Mexico, and I did our first college laundry. It took three hours nearly and we basically sat around and waited, for fun. The Mexican was impressed with the Austin party scene and departed around 1:30 to party no less.

Tomorrow's labor day and then I don't have any classes on Tuesday as my one Tuesday class is cancelled for a reason I forget.

Time to head back to the room, I think.

It's interesting to have a philosophy professor (for two of my classes, in fact) who is Eastern Orthodox and libertarian. He's an ethicist primarily and more specifically is interested in organs and the market. He said today that he insists to his wife that in the event of his death she should sell his organs on the black market for the best price possible, a final snub to the Federal government. Anyway, I like him very much.

The classes I don't have with him should be ok, some of them challenging and in various ways.

Beside that, I really like living here. I take a couple walks daily and they'll only improve with the seasons. Being in the old buildings is fresh; I've been having to remind myself I'm not in New Orleans, where I've primarily experienced old buildings to this point.

More later, perhaps some photos!

I wouldn't think it appropriate or classy to ship the remnant of my liquor cabinet abroad if I were moving abroad. Neither does a classy family moving to the old prisoner's island and so it happens their poison has come into the grateful hands typing this out.

I post this as the content of this liquor collection is confusing to me who knows little beyond whiskey, beer & wine (I should add, a me who was perfectly happy knowing so little); W.B.W., if you will. But the fates demand much. The new varieties I now have include tequila, brandy, rum, and a few liqeurs. The brandywine I rather like; the tequila isn't that interesting and should be reserved for margaritas it seems. What I know of rum: it's both the generic-pirate's and my Uncle Francis' drink of choice. The liqeurs entrusted to me are: Kahlua, Grand-Marnier, Leroux Triple Sec, Velvet Falernum, Praline, Van Der Hum.

Any ideas as to what's best done with any of that are welcome.

On a more conventional thread: work is work, summer's nice, I'm ready for school.

"Needless to say, the philosopher, as such, has nothing against mysticism; what he does not like is a mysticism that presupposes as its necessary condition the destruction of philosophy. If, as seems to be true, mystical life is one of the permanent needs of human nature, it should not only be respected, but protected against the too frequent assaults of superficial minds. Yet it remains true that philosophical knowledge is a standing need of human reason and that need too ought to be respected. It is for us the most diffucult, but but at the same time the most important, of all problems, to maintain all of those spiritual activites which honour human nature and dignify human life. We gain nothing by destroying one in order to save another, for they stand and fall together. True mysticism is never found without some theology, and sound theology always seeks the support of some philsophy; but a philosophy that does not at least make room for theology is a short-sighted philosophy, and what shall we call a theology werein no provision is made for at least the possibility of mystical experience?"

I've returned from Virginia.

It was great to see the family. The cousins I all love still; I forget the younger ones age and change. Photos pending perhaps.

Much good Virginian lager was drunk. The Fourth was celebrated. Some of us indulged in serious late night Twilight Zone (Sci-Fi Channel marathon in honor of Independence Day) and all of us were overjoyed to watch Italy triumph at the last moment (I do hope they beat France). Ireland better put an ace team together one year soon.

My vacation book was Ray Flynn's book on the late pope; enjoyable. A few evenings were decent and more than decent weather-wise; there was some nice rain but I'm told there was more here in Texas.

One of my earlier Virginia memories was when I must've been seven or so, chasing lightning bugs; it was another Fourth of July weekend. There was a neighborhood parade: red, white and blue streamers on bikes and scooters. I seem to forget how I miss those people until I see them.

It's easy to notice how we the grandkids are aging because the two older cousins could only spend two days each with us in Chesterfield due to work and what not. Washington D.C. is a blackhole for smart Virginia kids.

If I could, I'd bide my time up there until fall.

Someone on my friend list had a great entry and idea; I'll go and find it to link; ok, it was whatifoundthere here.

I'm going to do Manalive characters as that's what I've most recently read:

innocent is interested in Christianity, animal planet and women in the military. She has boy troubles and one entry ends like so: "I am so aggravated. / But then...my ex sends me a picture on my phone, and reminds me that I am loved...if only everything could work out with him. But it can't."

michaelmoon has one interest: skateboarding. His latest entry appears to be a personal poem; it starts thusly: "im in alliumin,/climbing stairways,/floor after floors./i reach the midway were my friends are waiting,/i dont know any of them./but we are whats left of the free"
His only other entry, his first entry, is titled "cheers to american glutteny" [sic]

rosamund is from the UK. She writes 'MARLOWE: Gay Atheist Spy'  fanfiction. She likes 'email rpgs', but not 'heteronormativity'.

inglewood is "21 years old and trying to figure out what path to follow in this foul year of our lord." He reads "everything from Hemingway to Don Dellio". Originally from Montana, he's currently in the Coast Guard training to be an electrician. He likes to golf but he's never updated his livejournal.

diana is South African. Her entry dated February 28, 2001 reads: "Well, this is it. My first online journal. I've never been good at keeping a journal before, so we will see how this one goes." She never did update again; probably, she's 'lazing on the beach', eating 'anchovy pizzas' or doing crossword puzzles.

warner's "interests include the living dead, Marilyn Manson, and Slipknot." He isn't "Christian, Catholic, Lutheran, or any other religion you can think of. Unless you consider Wicca a religion." He has just one livejournal friend, mom. mom is a Native American mostly interested in beadwork and chili cookoffs.

nosey's fifth entry down is titled 'lugubrious' and its content: "Thus ends another meaningless chapter./We are indeed insignificant little specks of dust floating about in a great big bowl of nothing." gould as interests lists aerosmith, 'illigal substances', 'leagal substance' and 'stupid things'. He's from Jersey and his bio reads, "hmmm.... wonder what i should write here.... I should write about myself.... nah... /Hum de dum de do... do de da de do ..../........................................................................"

Among other things, mrsduke is interested in wedding planning and gaming.

I'm afraid to say there was no marygray.

On days I don't work the morning shift I'm in the strange habit of waking at a proper time and then falling back asleep a considerable amount of time later to finally wake again at a time like this.