Detail of a female holding an offering of a triple gem from attributes of rDo-rje ‘Jigs-byed (Vajrabhairava, “The Fear-inspiring One”) in a Tibetan “rgyan tshogs” banner.
Monthly Archives: December 2016
Avian gentrification?
Most of Southwest Virginia is really beautiful, but this one backyard I visited is totally for the birds.
“Epitaph on a Tyrant,” by W. H. Auden
“Epitaph on a Tyrant,” by W. H. Auden
Perfection, of a kind, was what he was after,
And the poetry he invented was easy to understand;
He knew human folly like the back of his hand,
And was greatly interested in armies and fleets;
When he laughed, respectable senators burst with laughter,
And when he cried the little children died in the streets.
A few quick words on the Season 2 premiere of “The Man in the High Castle”
“The Man in the High Castle” is still one of the best shows on television in recent years. It’s ambitious as hell, and frightening in its story device. It’s smartly, tightly and deliberately plotted, yet still moves at a nice, brisk pace. We meet, for example, the titular “Man” right in the second season’s first episode; I don’t think that’s much of a spoiler, as it’s been shown in the season’s trailer.
I’d give it a 9 out of 10. I won’t say much more than that, this is a mystery-thriller with plot points that are too easy to spoil, and I am still trying to persuade certain friends of mine to watch Season 1. (Why isn’t this fantastic show more popular?)
I will say that maybe the show’s only failing is its scarcity of likable lead characters. The duplicitous Joe (Luke Kleintank) is mostly flat. Frank is inexplicably irritating to me, despite being portrayed by the talented Rupert Evans … though he does seem to shine as a mutual foil for the equally talented Brennan Crown’s callow art dealer, Robert. And the Man in the High Castle is somewhat … disappointing, despite being portrayed by another wonderful actor. I hope this character’s peculiarities are explained later. (No. I haven’t read Philip K. Dick’s source material.)
Only Juliana (the terrific Alexa Davos) comes across as a heroine that I like and root for. And her character too often feels like a damsel in distress — she’s frequently affected by the plot and the actions of others, and seldom vice versa.
Still, this show is superb. Watch it.
“He looks too like a grocer for respect.”
“The Hero” (Part XVI of “The Quest,”) by W.H. Auden
He parried every question that they hurled:
“What did the Emperor tell you?” “Not to push.”
“What is the greatest wonder of the world?”
“The bare man Nothing in the Beggar’s Bush.”
Some muttered: “He is cagey for effect.
A hero owes a duty to his fame.
He looks too like a grocer for respect.”
Soon they slipped back into his Christian name.
The only difference that could be seen
From those who’d never risked their lives at all
Was his delight in details and routine:
For he was always glad to mow the grass,
Pour liquids from large bottles into small,
Or look at clouds through bits of coloured glass.
From our house to yours, Merry Christmas!!
The next couple of days will be a bit busy … so if I don’t get the chance to say it later, we wish you and yours a safe and joyous Christmas!
I’ve never seen a goddam apex predator want to snuggle so much.
This dog’s gas is suffocating.
And that makes sense. Because it’s so damned big you could park a hybrid car in its colon.
Norman Rockwell’s “Girl in Snow With Dog,”1916
Oil on board.
My poetry, from 2016
If any of you guys fancy these poemy-type things that I keep churning out, here are links to my 2016 publications.
Source: My poetry, from 2016
Eric Robert Nolan, Author 