Initiative.

inanimum est enim omne, quod pulsu agitatur externo; quod autem est animal, id motu interiore et suo

Indeed, that is completely dead which moves by external compulsion; but that is alive, which moves by its own interior motion.

– Cicero, Somnium Scipionis

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Initium ut esset, creatus est homo.

That there might be a beginning, man was created.

– St. Augustine, City of God (as pointed out by, who else, Hannah Arendt).

churchill gems.

“To his Military Cross he added the unique distinction of having been shot through the heart, and living happily ever afterwards wtih the bullet in him.”

- Winston Churchill, The Second World War: The Gathering Storm

Tuesday, the Best Day in A While

Barack Obama becoming President of the United States

plus a couple of inches of snow, is more than I’m entitled to ask for.

collect: more facts from Milton

- the Ranters, a religious sect in 1650’s England, “believed that an individual attained perfection through sinning. The aim was enact a sin as ‘no-sin’”

- the Diggers, another sect, “grew corn, parsnips, carrots and beans” on common land; their leader “had received a simple but revolutionary message in a trance: ‘Work together, Eat bread together.’”

- after the monarchy was restored in 1660, “the government ordered the exhumation and posthumous execution of key leaders from the republican years.”

Fascinating.

saint augustine, you’re breaking my heart

“Is not the unfeigned confidence and mutual love of true and good friends our one solace in human society, filled as it is with misunderstandings and calamities?”

Politics III

listening to Aaron Copeland’s Lincoln Portrait, as performed by the UNC Symphony, last night, was struck by a feeling of American liberty-loving patriotism usually only felt when: watching Ken Burns’ The Civil War, reading Milton’s Areopagitica, or hiking in the Appalachians.

People I’d like to hear performing it:

- James Earl Jones (Mufasa/Darth Vader, as Lincoln? Yes!)

- Paul Newman

- Barack Obama (naturally)

- Dr. Miller

stuck it to the refridgerator.

To continue in the political/classical-antiquity vein of the day, the enemy’s standard was captured, at great personal risk, this past weekend.

likelihood of having to pay the price of 50 Obama signs: unlikely.

likelihood that I belong in Iran: unlikely.

I hope I’m not caught: I’d better.

by request.

Instead of translating Pliny.

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Bellum Gallium

The War of Gall

Manes Julii Caesaris paucis diebus aderant — “O, most bloody sight!” — cum Ioannes McCainus, mavericus et veteranus captivusque Belli Francoindosinini, et Sara Palina, barracuda borealis, qui sneerare amant Baracum Obamam causa oratorii, pillorant ut demagogi veri, Africanum-Americanum senatorem Terrae Lincolni, ad Republicanas rallias.

The spirits of Julius Caesar have been dead for a few days – “O, most bloody sight!” – when John McCain, maverick and captive & veteran of the French-Indonesian War, and Sarah Palin, the barracuda borealis, who love to sneer at Barack Obama because of his oratory, as true demagogues pillory the African-American senator of the Land of Lincoln, at Republican rallies.

Rabidi subcanes candidati, pretendant “no orator as Brutis is,” ut “stir men’s blood” et disturbant mentes populi ad “a sudden flood of mutiny,” ut Wilhelmus Shakespearus scripsit.

These rabid sub-dog candidates pretend they are “no orator as Brutus is” as they “stir men’s blood” and disturb the minds of the people to “a sudden flood of mutiny,” as William Shakespeare wrote.

Cum Quirites Americani ad rallias Republicanas audiunt nomen Baraci Husseini Obamae, clamant “Mortem!” “Amator terroris!” “Socialiste!” “Bomba Obamam!” “Obama est Arabus!” “Caput excidi!” tempus sit rabble-rouseribus desistere “Smear Talk Express,” ut Stephanus Colbertus dixit. Obama demonatus est tamquam Musulmanus-Manchurianus candidatus — civis “collo-cerviciliaris” ad ralliam Floridianam Palinae exhabet mascum Obamae ut Luciferis.

When the (peace-time-capacity, many-peoples-united) American People at Republican rallies hear the name of Barack Hussein Obama, they shout, “Kill him!” “Lover of terrorists!” “Socialist!” “Bomb Obama!” “Obama is an Arab!” “Cut off his head!” – it is time for the rabble-rousing “Smear Talk Express,” as Stephen Colbert said, to stop. Obama is a demon and almost a Muslim Manchurian Candidate – a citizen “hillbilly/redneck” at a Florida rally of Palin exhibits a mask of Obama as Lucifer.

Obama non queretur high-tech lynching. Sed secreto-serventes agentes nervosissmi sunt.

Obama did not ask for a high-tech lynching. But secret-service agents are most nervous.

Vix quisque audivit nomen “Palinae” ante lunibus paucis. Surgivit ex suo tanning bed ad silvas in Terram Eskimorum, rogans quis sit traitorosus, ominosus, scurrilosus, periculosus amator LXs terroris criminalisque Chicagoani? Tu betchus!

Scarcely anybody heard the name “Palin” a few months ago. She rose from her tanning bed in the forests in the Land of the Eskimos, asking who is the most traitorous, ominous, offensive, dangerous lover of the 60’s terrorists and criminals of Chicago? You betcha!

“Caeca ambitio Obamana,” novum rumorem Palina McCainusque dixit. “Cum utilis, Obama laborat cum amatore terroris Wilhelmo Ayro. Cum putatus, perjuravit.” McCainianus bossus maximus Francus Keatinx vocat Obamam, “plebeium,” et ut iuvenum snifferendum cocaini minimi (“a little blow.”)

“The ambition of Obama is blind,” Palin and McCain tell a new rumor. “With joy, Obama worked with a lover of terrorists, William Ayers. With thinking, he lies. McCain’s head boss, Frank Keating calls Obama “plebian,” and as a youth having sniffed a little cocaine (‘a little blow.’)

Cum Primus Dudus, spousus Palinanus, culpari attemptaret “Centurionem-Gate,” judices Terrae Santae Elvorumque castigat gubernatricem Palinam de abusu auctoritatis per familiam revengendum.

When the First Dude, the husband of Palin, tried to take the blame for ‘Trooper-Gate,’ the judges of the Land of Santa and the Elves chastized the governer Palin for the abuse of authority for family revenge.

Tamen Sara et Ioannes bury Obama, not praise him. Maverici, ut capiunt auxilium de friga-domina, hench-femina, Cynthia McCaina Birrabaronessa, (quae culpat Obamam periculandi suum filum in Babylonia), brazen-iter distractant mentes populares de minimissimis IV 0 I K.ibus, deminutione “Motorum Omnium,” et Depressione Magna II.0. Omnes de Georgio Busio Secundo colossale goofballo. “V” (because there’s no W. in Latin) etiam duxit per disastrum ad gymnasium.

Nevertheless, Sarah and John bury Obama, not praise him. Mavericks that take the help of the ice-mistress henchwoman Cynthia McCain the Beer-Baroness, (who blamed Obama for the danger to her son in Babylon), brazen, in this way they distract the minds of the people from the most tiny 401Ks, the shrinking of General Motors, and Great Depression 2.0. All of this from George Bush II the colossal goofball. “W” also led through disaster to the gymnasium.

Gubernatrix (prope Russia) Palina, spectans candidaciam MMXII, post multam educationem cum Kissingro et post multam parodiam de Sabbatis Nocte Vivo atque de Tina Feia, ferociter vituperat Obamam, ut supralupocidit (aerial shooting of wolves) in Hyperborea.

Lady-governor (lying near to Russia) Palin, looking to be a candidate in 2012, after much education with Kissiger and after many parodies from Saturday Night Live from Tina Fey, more fiercely attacks Obama, as though from-above-wolf-killing in Hyperborea.

Vilmingtoni, in Ohionem, McCain’s Mean Girl (Ferox Puella) defendit se gladiatricem politicam esse: “Pauci dicant, O Jupiter, te negativam esse. Non, negativa non sum, sed verissima.” Talk about lipsticka in porcam! Quasi Leeus Atwater de oppugnatione Busii Primi ad Dukakem: “non negativus, sed comparativus.”

To Wilmington, in Ohio McCain’s Mean Girl (Fierce Girl) defends herself being a female-gladiator-politician: “A few say, O Jupiter, to you that this is negative. No, I am not negative, but most true.” Talk about lipstick on a pig! Almost as though Lee Atwater, on the fighting of the First Bush against Dukakis: “It’s not negative, but comparison.”