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[Charles Pogue]

I too hate retro PC, particularly where movies and literature are concerned.  To get upset by GONE WITH THE WIND or Bing Crosby warbling in black-face in HOLIDAY INN is just too silly.  You have to judge art and culture from the proper historical perspective and not imposed today's social mores upon it.  In fact, you have to judge history in the same historical perspective.  It's easy to claim Columbus was some hideous monster when, in fact, he was just a creature of his time doing what what was normal in his day and age of exploration and conquest.  And, of course, what is always overlook in the indictment of Columbus is that before he got here...all the Indian tribes were busy conquering each other, warring on each other, torturing each other and raping and enslaving each other.

[JoseSPiano]

...I do have to say that is has been rather incredible watching the Papal "process" the past hour or so.  They just started showing shots of Vatican City from the Papal Balcony... Now that's a crowd!  And even more incredible to think that Vatican Square was only about 1/4 full when the smoke first started to appear.

[JoseSPiano]

I too hate retro PC, particularly where movies and literature are concerned.  To get upset by GONE WITH THE WIND or Bing Crosby warbling in black-face in HOLIDAY INN is just too silly.  You have to judge art and culture from the proper historical perspective and not imposed today's social mores upon it.  In fact, you have to judge history in the same historical perspective.  ....

I know I've mentioned this here before, but...

It still amazes me the books that I was required to read in high school - a private, Catholic high school - that my friends in the public school system were not allowed to read.  "Catcher in the Rye", "Tom Sawyer", etc...  Even such "lighter" fare like the "Chronicles of Narnia" were put on some "questionable reading" lists due to the religious symbolism.

Hell!  We even read that wonderful translation of Dante's "Inferno" that used the word "shit"!   Oh, and those bawdy, bawdy "Canterbury Tales" of Chaucer.  *I was never able to memorize that prologue in the Old English.  

[JoseSPiano]

Should I modify my above post to use "sh*t"?

Or would that be too PC?

[JoseSPiano]

 

Something I never thought I'd ever hear or see on TV...

"Due to the Papal Election earlier here on NBC, we will now be joining "Days of Our Lives" already in progress."

 

[Charles Pogue]

Really?  Tom Sawyer now?  I knew there had been a stink about Huck Finn because of its use of  an epithet for Negro, which, of course, is absurd...because 1) in 1850's Missouri that's what a black man was commonly called and 2) Huck Finn happens to be one of the most humane, anti-racist books ever written...your hero's best friend is a black man who is trying to get to freedom.

[William F. Orr]

Since it is appropriate to the month, I quote from aging memory:

Whan that Aprille with his saures sots
And in the draught hath soaked to the rote
....  oops
Than longen folk to go on pilgrimages.

Remembering to trill your r's, pronounce "continental" vowels, pronounce the final e's and the gh as a gutteral, unvoiced.

[William F. Orr]

Well, my memory wasn't too terrific.  Here's what I get from Projec tGutenberg.

WHEN that Aprilis, with his showers swoot,                      
The drought of March hath pierced to the root,
And bathed every vein in such licour,
Of which virtue engender'd is the flower;
When Zephyrus eke with his swoote breath
Inspired hath in every holt and heath                    
The tender croppes and the younge sun                    
Hath in the Ram his halfe course y-run,
And smalle fowles make melody,
That sleepen all the night with open eye,
(So pricketh them nature in their corages);
Then longe folk to go on pilgrimages,

[William F. Orr]

In our elite "advanced" English class, the teacher got special permission from the Principal to have us read, among others, Canterbury Tales, selections including all the bawdy ones,  and Rabelais.  So we got Chaucer, Rablais, but not Balzac.

I remember reading Macbeth from our textbook in class and our teacher becoming incensed seeing the word "wench" printed, where Shakespeare had used "whore".

In our Latin text, one of the Metamorphoses of Ovid had a footnote instructing us to "Translate this as 'his wife'", presumably so we wouldn't look up the words and find out they meant "bed partner".  

[JoseSPiano]

Really?  Tom Sawyer now?  I knew there had been a stink about Huck Finn because of its use of  an epithet for Negro, which, of course, is absurd...because 1) in 1850's Missouri that's what a black man was commonly called and 2) Huck Finn happens to be one of the most humane, anti-racist books ever written...your hero's best friend is a black man who is trying to get to freedom.

At the time - and this was, WOW!, 22 years ago!! - it was a "guilt by association" thing.  Since Tom and Huck were friends, and were written by the same author...

OH!  And then word got out that Walt Whitman was gay!...  There were some highly edited versions of "Leaves of Grass" around.

*And I still remember my Junior Year English Class with Mr. Johnson - truly one of the most lovable - and crazy - teachers I've ever had.  We all came in one day...

"OK.  Today we are going to start reading and analyzing the poetry of Walt Whitman.  Walt Whitman was gay.  Now let's read "I Hear America Singing."

-And that was all that was said about Mr. Whitman's sexual preference.

-Oh, and Mr. Johnson used to work as an orderly at St. Elizabeth's, and sometimes when we would have some free time in class he would tell some tales...  Talk about non-PC!!!

[William F. Orr]

Of course in those days, when the movie came out, some newspapers insisted on printing the ad as Darn Yankees.

Later, there was one newspaper that listed Best Little Warehouse in Texas.

[William F. Orr]

Cardinal Ratzinger named new pope
- - - - - - - - - - - -
By William J. Kole

April 19, 2005  |  VATICAN CITY -- Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany, a hard-line guardian of conservative doctrine, was elected the new pope Tuesday evening in the first conclave of the new millennium. He chose the name Pope Benedict XVI and called himself "a simple, humble worker."

Ratzinger, the first German pope since the 11th century, emerged onto the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, where he waved to a wildly cheering crowd of tens of thousands and gave his first blessing as pope. Other cardinals clad in their crimson robes came out on other balconies to watch him.

"Dear brothers and sisters, after the great Pope John Paul II, the cardinals have elected me — a simple, humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord," he said. "I entrust myself to your prayers," the pope said.

The crowd responded by chanting "Benedict! Benedict!"
 
Ratzinger served John Paul II since 1981 as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In that position, he has disciplined church dissidents and upheld church policy against attempts by liberals for reforms. He turned 78 on Saturday.

The new pope had gone into the conclave with the most buzz among two dozen leading candidates. He had impressed many faithful with his stirring homily at the funeral of John Paul II, who died April 2 at age 84.

Okay, another hard-liner.  So who was surprised?  A "simple, humble worker in the vineyard" who is into discipline!

Bring back John XXIII, along with Birdie, I say.

[bk]

I'm up, I'm up.

Speaking of PC, I wonder if The Dam Busters would get shown here unedtied, since Richard Todd's dog, a jet-black large dog, is callen the "N" word - that's his name.  We already know what happened to Miss Agatha Christie's book Ten Little N....s" - changed to And Then There Were None.  It was changed to Ten Little Indians, but then someone found that offensive, too.  

HALCYON!

I think the time stamp is still off.

[Charles Pogue]

Jose, I used to have great and daring teachers like that too.  The Lovely Wife and I were just talking about it the other day.  My favourite teacher, Norm Yonce, advanced Senior English and Creative Writing, probably couldn't get away with the stuff he taught us back then.  I remember him referring to a heroine's action in a John Steinbeck short story "as a bitch in heat".  He told us that a Herrick poem entitled Advice to Young Maidens in Spring was actually entitled Advice to Young Virgins in Spring.  He told us the reason that Julius Caesar is taught in high schools is not because it is one of Shakespeare's greatest plays, but because it is one of his cleanest plays.  He introduced us to Rod McKuen's poetry, personally gave me William Goldman's Temple of Gold to read, and so many other things.  

Teachers are so straight-jacketed by what they can do in this day and age.  I find it especially sad that they are curbed from teaching anything with sexual content when the average teenager is assaulted by sexual content and imagery all day long on TV, film, and the internet...

[bk]

Happy to say that the timestamp has been adjusted and we are now with it, time-wise.

We are not with it people-wise, however, since there is nobody here but us chicken.

[bk]

I wonder if one can use the expression "There is a chink in his armour" today.

[Charles Pogue]

WTO, the Vatican's Pope election of another hard-liner conservative is just another example of why the Catholic Church and Catholic religion becomes more obsolete and irrelevant everyday.  Everyone else is moving into the 21st century, while the Catholic hierarchy keeps retreating back to the 12th century.  

Of course, it doesn't help that the entire hierarchy is a bunch of geezer, decrepit old men who have never been laid...at least as far as we all know.

There was an episode of South Park a year or so ago which brilliantly punctured the archiac institution of the Catholic hierarchy.

Of course, putting it all in historical perspective, one has to remember that around the time of Constantine, The Church held conventions to decide just how to cobble the whole Christian religion together...and cobbled it was...from deciding which gospels would be included as "The Revealed Word of God", to appropriating pagan holidays and making them Christian holidays (the pagan god Mithras was born on December 25th), to deciding to gut any feminine aspect of the religion.  They stole bits from this religion and bits from that religion and jostled it altogether in a great big conical hat and came up with Christianity.  When you examine it from an historical viewpoint, it sounds just as fantastical and improbable as any "pagan" religion.

[bk]

And even Mr. Kevin Spirtas had a moment of PC - he was wondering if it would be acceptable to sing Thank Heaven for Little Girls.  Such silliness.  

[Ron Pulliam]

"everyone"?  Are you being PC by using "everyone"?



And I take offense at "Good Morning" since it is clearly past Noon here on the East Coast.

Harumpphhhhhhh!

 :PThwrttttsszztts!

 

[Ron Pulliam]

WTO, the Vatican's Pope election of another hard-liner conservative is just another example of why the Catholic Church and Catholic religion becomes more obsolete and irrelevant everyday.  Everyone else is moving into the 21st century, while the Catholic hierarchy keeps retreating back to the 12th century.  

True enough, IMO.

But...the man is 77 and looks 87.

My guess is we'll be going through this process again within the next 10 years or less (maybe even 5). Makes me think they deliberately chose a man who would make no changes for a while, until they get a feel for how a "healthy" pope with views similar to JPII will fare in the 21s century.

Who gets elected next may welll depend on how this one does with the little time he has left.

[Ron Pulliam]

And even Mr. Kevin Spirtas had a moment of PC - he was wondering if it would be acceptable to sing Thank Heaven for Little Girls.  Such silliness.  

As long as Mr. Michael Jackson doesn't sing "Thank Heaven for Little Boys."

[Joey]

Many of the people who work at the church where I live were not very happy with his election. Most of us were hoping for either the Cardinal from Nigeria or one of the Cardinals from Latin America. I still have hope that they will be tired of having a hardliner and go for someone more liberal next time.

[William F. Orr]

WTO, the Vatican's Pope election ...

  When you examine it from an historical viewpoint, it sounds just as fantastical and improbable as any "pagan" religion.

Frist First, let me thank you for promoting me to Executive Producer at Warner Bros. ...

Can you imagine the sandled carpenter coming to the Vatican and taking a look at the architecture, the costumes, the rituals, and the politics?  Oy!

[William F. Orr]

The first thing he'd say:  "That pagan idol is supposed to be my mother?  She doesn't even look Jewish."

[JoseSPiano]

As for the new Pope...

Being a born and raised Roman Catholic, I didn't really expect that anyone "radical" would be elected to the Papal Throne.  And it's been sort of "fun" reading the spin that's already appeared in the past hour or so about people complaining that such a "hardliner" had been elected.  Was there every really a chance that someone  progressive would have gotten elected?  Even the progressive Cardinal candidates are really not that progressive.

Yes, I do find faults with the Catholic Church and with some of it's doctrines, but I do have to admire their relative steadfastness and "moral continuity"

The thing to watch over the next couple of years - well, many, many, many years - is whether or not the "American Catholic Church" will become a separate entity.

Can you say "schism"?

[JoseSPiano]

Where were we?  Oh, that's right... Shirley Temple.

[JoseSPiano]

Hmmm.. Clean sheets!



And on that note, I shall put on one of my Old Navy t-shirts - don't you just love disposable clothing? - and a pair of shorts - if I can find a pair that fits!  - which is a good thing.  and then head out and wander aimlessly about for a bit. The clouds are starting to move in and the humidity is too.

OH!  And I need to buy the winning MegaMillions Lottery ticket while I'm out.



Laters...

[Charles Pogue]

WFO,  Sorry about that middle initial...I've just watched too many episodes of Cheyenne.  I know it's an "F" and I keep thinking I'm typing an "F", but my fingers are ignorant cusses.

[JoseSPiano]

Of course, it doesn't help that the entire hierarchy is a bunch of geezer, decrepit old men who have never been laid...at least as far as we all know.

Oh, did I just read on the news that there were a series of lightning strikes just reported in Los Feliz?

[Charles Pogue]

If lightning strikes...I hope it hits that hypocrite egoist Cardinal Mahoney's monument to himself cathedral downtown.

Joey, they may not have to wait too long before they do this again...given that this geezer is 78!