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| The Zaporozhye Cossacks Replying to the Sultan - Il'ya Yefimovich Repin (Source) |
There is much going on in the world which makes me livid. I cannot watch the mainstream media as they lie to us all of the time. I find no truth in their words. That applies to both "sides" of things.
There is no civility left, each side wishes to shout down the other, each side holds to the misbegotten concept that only they know the real "truth." Both sides are pushing an agenda, both sides spew propaganda. Both sides appeal mostly to people unwilling to think for themselves. (Perhaps they are incapable of doing so. Who knows?)
I say screw them all, all I wish is to walk free, to worship (or not) as I see fit, to speak the things I wish to speak (and if you don't want to listen, that's cool, but I probably will stop talking to you), and listen to the voices of my children and grandchildren. Oh yeah, and music, the world needs more music. Something Skip commented about yesterday, we need more music in the Blogoverse. I do write musical posts from time to time, yesterday was one such post, and I shall do so again. A number of the folks I follow do music from time to time.
Music is good.
What's up with the painting? It concerns a possibly apocryphal incident in history where an Ottoman sultan sent a letter to the Zaporozhye Cossacks demanding that they submit to the sultan and that they should stop attacking the sultan's interests. (You can chase the source of the painting for more details.)
The Cossacks essentially told the sultan to go fire truck himself. Or words to that effect. Their reply was insulting, coarse, and (to this old sergeant) very humorous. I gather that the sultan was not amused.
There are days that I would respond to the world, and the many bellowing idiots therein, much as the Cossacks replied to the sultan.
Dear World, Leave me and mine alone. I'm tired of your bull crap. Love, Me
Yeah, I cleaned up my reply, just a bit...
And so's not to be a total Debby Downer...
Music, which our John noted in the comments yesterday.
Different.
And. I. Love. It.
Ah what the heck, John posted two links, here's the other, two of my favorite genres. Call it East meets West, or Scotland in the Punjab...
Anyhoo, it's good.
And the lassies ain't too hard on the eyes neither.
I've just found the quote I'll use in my retirement letter. Thank you very much!
ReplyDeleteHahaha!
Delete(That might BE my retirement letter.)
Yes...It's hard to improve on perfection!
Delete:)
DeleteJust wave to the world but conserve your fingers.
ReplyDeleteHahaha!
DeleteGotta conserve those fingers!
Yep, more music, lots more.
ReplyDeleteI aim to please!
Delete:)
Rollo, or Rolf the Granger, of Normandy, you know, the First Duke of Normandy, yeah, that guy, when swearing fealty to the King of France, had a 'fire truck' moment. Part of the Fealty was kissing the king's feet. Rollo/Rolf being who he was, supposedly had his henchmen grab Charles the Simple/the Fat by his ankles and turn Charles upside down, that way Rollo/Rolf, who was supposedly over 6' tall (the Granger, because his feet dragged the ground while riding Norwegian horses,) could thus kiss the royal feet without bending over.
ReplyDeleteProbably didn't happen, but...
William, Duke of Normandy (yes, That William, the Bastard (no, really) or the Conqueror) supposedly was playing chess with the King of France, Frenchy cheated, William instructed said king that cheating wasn't a gentlemanly way to play by breaking the board over the King's head.
Standing up for yourself. It's kinda part of my heritage, you know.
And bagpipes and babes, wow, a lethal combination.
Even though part of my heritage is tied to La Belle France, I like the fact that the chap who conquered England wasn't really French, but a Viking, a couple of times removed.
DeleteAs to the videos, I can't thank John enough for sharing those links.
Definitely a lethal combo!
The MSM lies to us all the time. Sometimes, they just quote the politicians who are lying to us, of every political stripe. First, we recognize that the largest problem we face is not political or social, but spiritual. That does not absolve us from striving against those problems, but it puts into perspective the nature of the underlying cause.
ReplyDeleteWhen I get the rest of it figured out, I'll let you know...
You've made a good start towards understanding the problem!
DeleteWarrior.
ReplyDeleteMusic.
Dear world, best to leave me and mine alone.
This one does it for me---
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTs6a0ORdQU
Nice!
DeleteDamn, Sarge, I thought that was a pic of a Chant bloggers-&-commenters get-together! You can just about pick out who's who, from the expressions & postures. I didn't know you smoked a pipe.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I've always loved the Cossacks' reply to the Sultan. Called him everything but a white man, & they should have called him one of those, too. It would've probably counted as an insult.
--Tennessee Budd
Well, it's how I picture this crowd.
DeleteFree men all and taking no flak from anyone!
Ok... I accept the challenge. Clearly, Sarge is the dude with the Quill. Lex is the guy in the white fur hat, laughing. Beans is the shirtless guy to our left ar the table. Tuna has his fist on Bean’s back. LUSH is between the dude in the black fur hat and Sarge. I’m feeling left out. Where am I?
DeleteOh and VX is the guy between Beans and Tuna.
DeleteJuvat - Buck is the guy leaning over the table behind me, you'te the guy behind Buck and just to Lex's left. I mean that has to be you, you're doing "fighter pilot things" with the visible hand and you know the other probably has a giant watch. I think your hand gestures are what has Lex laughing so hard.
DeleteAnd yeah, that's definitely VX.
DeleteI don't think that there is a need to schedule the Cossacks for annual assertiveness training. They seen to already be up to speed.
ReplyDeleteHahaha!
DeleteI think you're right Dave!
I also don’t think you should schedule them for sensitivity training. For some reason, I belive it might end.....badly.
DeleteYup, feelings will be hurt, safe spaces will be violated.
DeleteAlmost kinda off topic, but Repin has long been one of my favorite painters. Recently over at Ace of Spades there was an open thread featuring Repin's "Ivan The Terrible", which was recently vandalized. I've always liked that painting and would happily hang a reproduction of it....
ReplyDeleteDamn! I chased down an article discussing that damage, geez, some people's kids!
DeleteAnd Jenk, almost nothing is "off topic" here, speak your mind. I post something, you want to talk about something else, bring it up, you never know where the discussion might lead.
Repin was an excellent artist.
Cossacks have begun as fugitives-cum-outlaws on the "no-mans-land" between the Polish-Lithuania, Russia and Crimean Khanate, in area that today is Ukraine. At a times even nobles turned outlaws from the Commonwealth fled often to the Sietch, the Cossack main stronghold, though fleeing serfs were main recruiting source.
ReplyDeleteThey have been raiding all the sides involved, and allying with all sides involved at a times, but ultimately allied themselves to the Czars of Russian Empire, more out of necessity than free will, simply because Russia came to dominate the lands to the extent of extenguising statehood of both Commonwealth and Khanate... . For a degree of autonomy and not being turned into serf they have become Tzars fave enforcers and irregulars.
As a light cavalry and raiders they have been amongst top of the tops, constantly facing both Commonwealth's excellent cavalry and Tartars who practically invented almost the entire raiding style back in the Genghis Khan days.
As for the political side? Acta non verba. I respect Trump for giving NATO new supply of troops and tanks, despite all of his rhetoric. I respected Obama for his decison to send in SEALs to Islamabad instead of "safe" options of aerial strike or whatsnot. I will always discuss merits of actiosn rather than of people involved... Ad hominem, whether in minis or in plus (flattery) is so... unelegant.
Actions not words indeed!
DeleteAs to your last sentence - yes, one might say, as the Russians do, некультурный.