It is four, it is always four!

Sometimes one thing reminds one of another, and sometimes there is chain of provenance of memories and works. Last night I had a couple of discussions, and in between them I remembered a scene from a television show. The scene had the actor, Patrick Stewart being subjected; the scene is a retelling of Orwell. The character O’Brien, was portrayed by Richard Burton, in an extremely grey Nineteen Eighty-Four [which I do not remember well] at the picture show, but the motivation of the interrogator (read torturer) was shown better in Star Trek as, the unnamed, Gul [captain] Madred. The two and two formula of truth, I have remembered maintaining many times as truth and freedom, and have been appalled by the other conversant not agreeing. I remember Dostojevskij, and other russians, and Aristotle, and Aquinas, and the epitome of the self evident.

In a two part episode, Chain of Command, of the second Star Trek, which came out very late in 1992, Captain Picard is captured by the next series main villains, Cardassians. They want military information and plans. The interrogating officer finds out Picard knew nothing of any military plans, yet the torture continues. He shows four lights. The answer he wants to hear from Picard is that there are five.

The torturer received news of the agreement which is to have Picard released immediately, he [the torturer] quickly attempts to fool and pressure Picard to verbally break, and to state the evident falsity as actuality. Guards come to escort Picard’s release, and are displeased that the officer does not have Picard ready. Picard stands defiant, “There are four lights!”

Elsewhere, Captain Picard remarked,“Torture has never been a reliable means of extracting information. It is ultimately self-defeating as a means of control. One wonders why it is still practiced.” The torturer says to his daughter: “But human mothers and fathers don’t love their children as we do.” At times, the episode is chilling, it is even more chilling, that such scenes happen every day, and by fellow citizens. I have since read, that, the scriptwriter, Frank Abatemarco, was in contact with Amnesty International.
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From, George Orwell, 1984, part 3, chapter 2:

'Do you remember,' he went on, 'writing in your diary, "Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four"?'
'Yes,' said Winston.
O'Brien held up his left hand, its back towards Winston, with the thumb hidden and the four fingers extended.
'How many fingers am I holding up, Winston?'
'Four.'
'And if the party says that it is not four but five -- then how many?'
'Four.'
The word ended in a gasp of pain. The needle of the dial had shot up to fifty-five. The sweat had sprung out all over Winston's body. The air tore into his lungs and issued again in deep groans which even by clenching his teeth he could not stop. O'Brien watched him, the four fingers still extended. He drew back the lever. This time the pain was only slightly eased.
'How many fingers, Winston?'
'Four.'
The needle went up to sixty.
'How many fingers, Winston?'
'Four! Four! What else can I say? Four!'
The needle must have risen again, but he did not look at it. The heavy, stern face and the four fingers filled his vision. The fingers stood up before his eyes like pillars, enormous, blurry, and seeming to vibrate, but unmistakably four.
'How many fingers, Winston?'
'Four! Stop it, stop it! How can you go on? Four! Four!'
'How many fingers, Winston?'
'Five! Five! Five!'
'No, Winston, that is no use. You are lying. You still think there are four. How many fingers, please?'
'Four! five! Four! Anything you like. Only stop it, stop the pain!'
Abruptly he was sitting up with O'Brien's arm round his shoulders. He had perhaps lost consciousness for a few seconds. The bonds that had held his body down were loosened. He felt very cold, he was shaking uncontrollably, his teeth were chattering, the tears were rolling down his cheeks. For a moment he clung to O'Brien like a baby, curiously comforted by the heavy arm round his shoulders. He had the feeling that O'Brien was his protector, that the pain was something that came from outside, from some other source, and that it was O'Brien who would save him from it.
'You are a slow learner, Winston,' said O'Brien gently.
'How can I help it?' he blubbered. 'How can I help seeing what is in front of my eyes? Two and two are four.'
'Sometimes, Winston. Sometimes they are five. Sometimes they are three. Sometimes they are all of them at once. You must try harder. It is not easy to become sane.'
He laid Winston down on the bed. The grip of his limbs tightened again, but the pain had ebbed away and the trembling had stopped, leaving him merely weak and cold. O'Brien motioned with his head to the man in the white coat, who had stood immobile throughout the proceedings. The man in the white coat bent down and looked closely into Winston's eyes, felt his pulse, laid an ear against his chest, tapped here and there, then he nodded to O'Brien.
'Again,' said O'Brien.
The pain flowed into Winston's body. The needle must be at seventy, seventy-five. He had shut his eyes this time. He knew that the fingers were still there, and still four. All that mattered was somehow to stay alive until the spasm was over. He had ceased to notice whether he was crying out or not. The pain lessened again. He opened his eyes. O'Brien had drawn back the lever.
'How many fingers, Winston?'
'Four. I suppose there are four. I would see five if I could. I am trying to see five.'
'Which do you wish: to persuade me that you see five, or really to see them?'
'Really to see them.'
'Again,' said O'Brien.
Perhaps the needle was eighty -- ninety. Winston could not intermittently remember why the pain was happening. Behind his screwed-up eyelids a forest of fingers seemed to be moving in a sort of dance, weaving in and out, disappearing behind one another and reappearing again. He was trying to count them, he could not remember why. He knew only that it was impossible to count them, and that this was somehow due to the mysterious identity between five and four. The pain died down again. When he opened his eyes it was to find that he was still seeing the same thing. Innumerable fingers, like moving trees, were still streaming past in either direction, crossing and recrossing. He shut his eyes again.
'How many fingers am I holding up, Winston?'
'I don't know. I don't know. You will kill me if you do that again. Four, five, six -- in all honesty I don't know.'
'Better,' said O'Brien.

Pontiac

At the beginning of this week, what was formerly denied, was announced, that, General Motors would dispatch Pontiac to oblivion. From the 1920s through the '50s, the Pontiac emblem, logo and hood ornament featured an handsome indian. Only a fool or liar would propose that the indian was treated well within or by the United States, but occasionally he has been recognised, if only to make a dollar.

Now, Pontiac (*c.1720, †1769) was a real indian, a war chief of a confederacy, before the birth of the United States, in what was the old northwest, or french territory. He defeated the british, almost took Detroit, but it was an international war and Pontiac's line was dispatchable and not central. Pontiac was impressive. Francis Parkman the yankee historian wrote about him in his volumes on the french and the english in north america.

Alfred Sloan was chief (president 1923-37, ceo '23-'46, chairman '37-'56) at GM and founded a business school at MIT. His thoughts dictated business. Planned obsolescence, market segmentation for price niche marketing were among his contributions. He also thought, in 1940, that, the fascist countries were more advanced than the democracies.

In the middle '20s General Motors had five car makes, in ascending order: Chevrolet, Oakland, Oldsmobile, Buick, and Cadillac. Sloan saw gaps and added 'companion makes'. The line became: Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oakland, Oldsmobile, Viking, Marquette, Buick, LaSalle and Cadillac.

General Motors, in 1909, bought the Cartercar, which was manufactured in the city of Pontiac, in Oakland county, Michigan. General Motors, in 1909, bought the Oakland Car Company as well. An earlier Pontiac was manufactured in 1907-08 by another Pontiac buggy company. In 1915 GM builds Oaklands, in the Cartercar plant, in Pontiac.

The new companion Pontiac is introduced in 1926. In 1932, the Oakland division becomes the Pontiac division. Pontiac survived the first Depression, when many lines failed. Pontiac often had some sporty models. It was the 'muscle car' GTO. Pontiac had a certain panache that sounded well by the ear. Ricky and Lucy Ricardo drove a Sky Chief convertible on television. Working class america had liked Pontiac, but working class america has been under a great assault for over a generation. An icon of a certain glory is going to the attic of memory.

Tulips

6 April 2007 supra, 1 May 2007 media, 28 April 2009 infra

Date.......................High.............. Record
27 April 2009........85 °F....... 86 °F (1990)
26 April 2009........86 °F....... 87 °F (1948)
25 April 2009........85 °F....... 87 °F (1990)
24 April 2009........85 °F....... 88 °F (1925)

The color and shape of spring bulb flowers are truly lovely. Tulips are often delightful in those qualities, and in fragrance. The aesthetic experience is thoroughly enjoyable; under moderate weather, they can be brilliant for more than a month. The colors can succeed each other, yellow comes first, and the darkest purple, called black, is the finale. The color palate waxes and withers. Some colors predominate, and then fall away, and other colors come to the fore. Drying, wilted tulips have a concentrated color on their curled, and contorted petals.

During their vibrancy, they open and close their blooms. The mid-day sun can splay them 180°, exposing the internal base color, which can be white, or black, or another hue than the predominate color.

They prefer the mid 50°s. Here, they just went through four consecutive mid 80°s. The first day, it surprises them, and they recover during the night; after that, the cycle is, noticeably accelerated, and the toll hits.

They can survive an early snow, especially when the bud is tight; an open bud, when capturing enough wet snow can snap the stalk. Tulips are cold hardy. Too much heat, and they mature rapidly.

Theology on a communion rail

communion rail section. p. 1918. Saint Colman, Cleveland, O.
Saint Colman church in Cleveland did not suffer remodeling after Vatican II. It is a magnificent place for a mass. The irish, who had made it off the boat, were expanding in resources and settling in; some had grandchildren born in the new country. In the middle of Cleveland's westside they built a new church for a parish, during the years of the great war, the european war, the war to end all wars.

In the midst of the first generation of the new century, the building went up fast. The parish priest wanted baroque Rome built by irish hands for america. So much excellence of material and detail converged on this particular church. It was going to be more magnificent than the older, of the then, two surviving, westside, irish parishes. It was going to be grander than the yankee, and other protestant neighbors' opinions of the irish would expect, and in this, it followed much catholic building projects throughout the country.

The communion rail is white italian marble, carved in Dublin. There are 30 panels that run from wall to wall. There are twelve bas-relief episodes in vertical oblong, and eighteen carved stone filigree in horizontal oblong twice size, interrupted by colored columns, spanning in front of the sanctuary altars. There is more theology in that stone span of frieze than in some graduate level theology courses. A stunningly, spectacular, artistic craftsmanship of sacred beauty. As central to catholic worship, and of great importance, the liturgy of the Eucharist deserved, in the sentiments of fervid believers, an appropriate locale and atmosphere for Its celebration and reception. To many, nothing was too good for Its regard. This is the main reason for the necessary requirement of beauty to many believers.

Weaved and cut, illustrated, biblical passages that presage the passion, and sacrifice of Christ, and His Sacrament, and his monograms, and continuing Presence in the physical forms of communion are shown. Some of these stone vignettes are immediately recognisable, others may jog or elude the memory, or cognition.
At first, what is this scene; look at the several details: a young (no beard) man kneeling, before what? a fire, a fire with a Hand from above (heaven), God is accepting a burning offering, in the background: another man is watching, he is clutching...a weapon.

Abel also offered of the firstlings of his flock, and of their fat: and the Lord had respect to Abel, and to his offerings. But to Cain and his offerings he had no respect: and Cain was exceeding angry, and his countenance fell. ― Genesis iv. 4-5. DRC

Abel quoque obtulit de primogenitis gregis sui et de adipibus eorum et respexit Dominus ad Abel et ad munera eius ad Cain vero et ad munera illius non respexit iratusque est Cain vehementer et concidit vultus eius.

Here at communion, God the Father, accepts the sacrifice of the Sacrament, as he did of Abel. Abel, like Jesus, would unjustly be killed by his own, a pre-figurement of the Passion. Here when one did kneel while waiting reception, one could be reminded at the meaning and significance of the True and Acceptable Sacrifice and Mystery, a tool for catachesis, for every first communicant, in the theology of the Blessed Sacrament. This rail should be appreciated by all communicants of the diocese, yet this church did not make the bishop's list for saving.*

The bas-reliefs are of :

• wheat
• Abel's offering ― Genesis iv. 4-5.
• gathering manna ― Exodus xvi. 14-18.
  
• Jesus knocking ― Apocalypse iii. 20.
  
• (2) distributions of the Host (one, St. Colman receiving the Viaticum)
  
• Melchísedech and Abram ― Genesis xiv. 18-20.
  
• Sacrifice of Isaac ― Genesis xxii. 9-12.
  
• Chanaan grapes ― Numbers xiii. 24.
  
• Jesus as Good Shepherd ― John x. 1-18.
• Moses and Brazen serpent ― Numbers xxi. 8.
  
• grapes
  

The marble filigrees are of :

• (2) chalice and host
• (2) pelican vulning
• (2) nails of crucifixion
• (2) loaves and fishes
• (2) ΧΡ Chi Rho
• (3) IHS (appears as $ to some)
• ΑΩ Alpha Omega
• the veronica
• sanctuary lamp ― Exodus xxvii. 20-21.
• hand of God giving manna
• monstrance

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*postscriptum: shortly after the original writing, Bp. Lennon amended his list. Saint Colman was given a conditional reprieve, a probationary period.

a continuing list of repugnant partisans...

Feeling beleaguered and, possibly, writing in vain, I am considering to end this journal. Instead of rolling out a little essay mentioning new lunatic partisans, every now and then, when piqued by some outrage of inanity, or absence of ethics, I might just add to a continuing list. You can always further investigate why they are despicable, and why they should not represent sane, ethical and moral people. Some are just extreme partisan lunatics, some are shithouse rat crazy, and some are plain evil.

Some of those noted already:

1. george bush junior - Texas ?
   
2. Karl Rove - Texas
3. Tom Delay - Texas
4. Dick Cheney - Texas ?
5. Newt Gingrich - formerly Georgia
   
6. George Allen Jr. - Virginia
   
7. George Herbert Walker Bush - Texas ?
8. Dick Armey - Texas
9. Orrin Hatch - Utah
   
10. Fox news [sic]
11. Jack Kingston - Georgia
12. Larry Craig - Idaho; sexual scandal and hypocrisy exposed
13. (Diaper Dave) David Vitter - Louisiana; sexual scandal and hypocrisy exposed
14. David Dreier - California
    
15. David Addington - architect of torture
    
16. Alberto Gonzales - Texas
17. John Woo - architect of torture
18. Wayne Allard - Colorado
19. Kit Bond - Missouri
20. Tom Coburn - Oklahoma
21. Thad Cochran - Mississippi
22. John Cornyn - Texas
23. James Inhofe - Oklahoma
24. Pat Roberts - Kansas
25. Jeff Sessions - Alabama
26. Ted Stevens - Alaska
27. Condoleezza Rice
    
28. Tony Zirkle - currently local (Indiana)
29. Douglas Bruce - currently local (Colorado)
30. Kenneth Blackwell - Ohio
    
31. Diebold - Ohio
32. Todd Rokita - currently local (Indiana)
    
33. Rush Limbaugh III
34. Vito Fossella - New York; sexual scandal and hypocrisy exposed
    
35. Mike Erickson - currently local (Oregon)
    
36. Sarah Palin - Alaska
    
37. George Voinovich - Ohio
38. Michele Bachmann - Minnesota
    
39. Paul Broun - Georgia
40. Bob Corker -Tennessee
41. Richard Shelby - Alabama
42. Mitch McConnell - Kentucky
43. Jim DeMint - South Carolina
44. Norm Coleman - Loser
    
45. Grover Norquist
    
46. Rick Perry - Texas
    

new additions

47. on continuing flow of inanity: Peter King - New York (crazy since 9/11)
48. John Carter - Texas (demands Napolitano's head over DHS report on danger of right wing extremists)
49. on continuing flow of partisan inanity: Marsha Blackburn -Tennessee
perhaps a shorter list would be: decent non-repugnant Republican congressmen
List as of 24 April 2009
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50. Lamar Smith - Texas [yes, another one]
Speaking on FOX [surprise] : "Let me just say — this is going to sound radical, I don’t mean for it to be radical — but to me, the greatest threat to America is not necessarily a recession or even another terrorist attack. The greatest threat to America is a liberal media bias." - 3 June 2009
51. Michael Steele - chairman (guffaw). I forgot this blithering fool, he seems addicted to saying one ludicrous, crazy statement after another whenever a microphone is present. Perhaps, he should have been a cigarette lawyer. - 11 June 2009
52. Peter Hoekstra - Michigan. This idiot is the ranking Republican on the intelligence committee. Ha Ha! - 19 June 2009
53. Dana Rohrabacher - California. This idiot has said many foolish things for years, but with so much competition for stupidity, or worse, he has not come to the fore in some time. To-day, 23 June, he has. He has blamed the iranian situatuin on the current president, Barack Obama, as if Obama has authored persian-american relations since the end of wwii. The previous régime demonised and ignored Iran simultaneously for eight years. For most of the last generation, the US has been the Great Satan in the rhetoric of Iran. Idiot Rohrabacher lays this on Obama? Clearly, the Republicans must hire a score of psychiatrists for their congressional delegation.
54. Mark Sanford - South Carolina. There used to be a television show called, Car 54. Where are you? Mark Sanford was missing, not on the Appalachian Trail, but in Argentina after tail. Being an arrogant, self-righteous, teabagger, and a hypocritical adulterer was not enough to add him to this list, that sort of thing is just par for Republicans. The self-aggrandisement to compare oneself, in biblical terms, to King David—the archetypal ruler is. - 27 June 2009

George,Quijote and the Dragon

To-day is Saint George’s, and the traditional date of the death of Miguel de Cervantes. Heroism of the struggle, with the ardor of a chivalric, christian heart ties these two together. The dragon is symbolic of a fearsome adversary. Saint George defeated him. In Cervantes Don Quijote, our befuddled caballero was, in spirit, the perfect christian chevalier. I could write a book on this, but I have not the audience, nor the support...
Jurij Zaninović. Bridge with four dragons. 1900-01. Ljubljana.
I am also fascinated with the word for the creature: draco, drakon, zmaj, aždaja, smok. There are particular dragons, and there are types of dragons, and the general dragon. (The east asian dragons have a different ethos, from the indo-european dragons.) These dragons share with the biblical dragon an interchangeability with the serpent, but with wings and fire, which greatly increases their fearsome mythology. There are exceptions to their rapacious, evil ferocity, some are guardians. This is surprising and interesting. The dragon of Ljubljana, ljubljanski zmaj, supposedly guards the bridge, and the city; yet in the small town of Sveti Jurij (Saint George) not far off, the traditional heraldic depiction of the armoured and caped saint dispatching the fearsome beast with a lance is the coat of arms, shield, and flag. A similar Jurij serves Moscow. Now, the serbs also love George, as the english once did, but in addition to the generic slavonic zmaj, they also name aždaja. This dragon came from Persia and the zoroastrians, but not directly. The barbarian turks picked up words from conquered civilisations and were linguistic vehicles.

To further speculate, wildly, and most uncertainly: there is the less common words 'pogoj' dragon, and, in srpskohrvatsko, 'pakoa', hell, perhaps suggesting sulfurous pitch*. In addition the greek 'hades', 'aidelon', and 'άδης', fires of hades, and in Plato, the house of hades. From the greeks the russians got 'ad' in addition to their variation of peklo, pekel, pakao, pekla. There is the persian 'aži dahāka'. Is there a multi-lingual convergence of creature and locale? of dragon and hell? Or am I like the father in, My big fat greek wedding, creating fanciful etymologies?
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*Jakob Grimm noted the fire and stench of slavonic hells, and modern greek hell. The hebraic 'gehenna' has often been translated into hellfire, and fire and brimstone means fire and sulfur.

Anselm, Doctor of the Church

To-day is Saint Anselm's day. Nine hundred years ago, to-day, he left the earthly life. He is apelled: d'Aosta, à Bec, of Canterbury, depending on the language used, and the nation claiming. He was born in Aosta (Piedmont Italy) and went on to Bec (Norman France) and became a benedictine monk, scholar and philosopher. Now, in the year Anselmo reached Christ's age, William conquered England, and Anselm was prior at Bec, the prevous prior, Lanfranc became the archbishop of Canterbury in 1070. Lanfanc was succeeded by Anselm. William (II) Rufus was an overreaching, immoderate king, and interfered with church affairs. For four years the see was left vacant as William Rufus collected and robbed what was available. Anselm succeeded his old teacher, and inherited his problems. With a new king, Henry I, a slightly better go went forth, although Anselm would still find exile. The conflict between mitre and crown would continue in England for centuries, until the faith was completely forbidden. Now, neither Canterbury nor the crown mean much of anything, outside of pomp and ceremony.

Anselmo, during his time at Bec, was in the center of the intellectual world. Anselm is considered a founder of scholasticism. In philosophy and theology, he is the most important betwixt Augustine and Aquinas. In Cur Deus Homo, he writes on the theology of the Atonement. In the Proslogium, he gives two versions of, what Kant later calls, the ontological proof of God, which in the simplest manner can be reduced to: God exists by definition, because that which you understand to be, as what God would be, is an idea that could not be invented in your mind, by your mind.

Augustine said, "Crede, ut intelligas". Believe that you may understand.
Anselmo said, "Credo, ut intelligam". I believe that I may understand.
Christian faith was at the center of philosophy and understanding.
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To-day, is also the birthday of the city of Rome.