SALMAGUNDI

Rodriguez 

Graphics are from Favianna Rodriguez and Buddy McCue in that order.

RANT:

PutinPoot has troops in South America. Trump intends to stop aid to 3 South American countries to assist him. And nobody is talking about it. I am going to say it again. There are Russian troops in South America. Some of us too busy hating on Sarah Slanders. Counterproductive to do that bigtime. 

Roman Catholic priests are burning Harry Potter books. Tit for tat I say. Harry Potter fans get to burn pedophile priests and those who covered for them. One flaming priest for 10 books. I think that is reasonable.

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Kings and Barons are back in style. You know - feudal system. A Corporation is now a legal person with religion and freedom of speech. Only difference between a human person and a corporation? A Corpo never dies. A Monarchy never dies. Takes messy revolutions to move such cultural institutions. 

Men: do not touch women without asking if it is OK. Especially do not give women a little pat on the shoulder in a formal setting like government, medicine etc. That is how women's careers are halted. Gives rise to 'she slept her way up' for example.

The Old Men who are in power are moldy old men. Hat tip to Moms Mably. They lived their lives and formed their young selves when women were significantly enchained. So they treat women with a combination of 'isn't she adorable' and 'get that cunt cuz she persisted...bitch' in a situation of political or economic combat. It is what they know. Habit. 

I advise women: get a small Italian stiletto, offer to kiss their Uncle cheeks, and shove it into a buttock. "Sting like a bee." Practice at home on an orange. It will be 7-10 minutes before they even know they are bleeding.

I have reached peak bipolar rage obviously. These whackadoos are putting children in cages. I cannot take it any more. That fact has taken me so low it is making me sick in body and mind. I have to avoid going to places or the News because no one can grieve all the time. Not without breaking.

A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more (Jeremiah 31:15 NIV).

No Biden. I remember Hill/Thomas hearing. I want Warren and/or Abrams. It is going to take charisma and intelligence to beat the traitors in our midst and the corpos. Both have it. The rest of the field is not one bit possible.

Pompeo is a pompous, obese, weak and sweaty guy trying hard to convince us he is a warrior. Epic fail.

It is bad. We are all at the mercy of rich people. We have to stop this now. 

I say we all march on DC and surround the White House, sing kumbaya songs, and refuse to leave until Trumpus leaves. Nothing in and nothing out until he leaves. Let us see if our government will fire on us. We call it the NOTHING IN AND NOTHING OUT MARCH. I am serious as a heart attack.

McCue

The Surrender of General R. E. Lee to General U.S. Grant

Note: Repeating because of increased interest in the era. Published April 9, 2010

April 9 is the anniversary of the surrender of General Robert E. Lee to General Ulysses S. Grant which ended the military phase of the American Civil War.

To mark the occasion, Bede's Beat brings you a sample of Kurt Weill's settings of four of Walt Whitman Civil War poems.



Shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the German declaration of war against the U.S., Kurt Weill -- who had fled Nazi Germany in 1933 and moved to the U.S. in 1935 -- began to set three of Walt Whitman's Civil War poems to music.

The poems Weill chose form a cycle which was completed by the addition of the setting of a fourth poem in 1947.

The first poem, Beat! Beat! Drums!, begins the cycle with an enthusiastic martial call to arms. The middle part of the cycle is devoted to the inevitable result of war: death.

The second, O Captain! My Captain!, about death of a leader in time of war, proved prophetic.

The third poem, Come Up from the Fields Father uses the imagery of autumn and the harvest to presage the grief of a mother upon learning of her son’s death -- a reminder of the toll of war on the home front.

The cycle concludes with Dirge for Two Veterans, and the contrast of Whitman's lament with the first poem in the cycle is reflected in music for each: while the first movement is sprightly, martial and optimistic, the final poem is set to a funeral march. 

Two Days into Spring

Spring this year began March 20. First we have Music and Coffee. This was in my Uncle Marco's record collection. I used to play it on an old Victrola on rainy days in the attic.

I wrote this yesterday. I am on sIow. I woke up dreaming of Polish comfort food - Fried Cabbage. They tell me it is Spring but there is a driving cold rain making the house damp and cold. I am wearing a beanie indoors.

I share with you a recipe for Bacon and Cabbage. I make it in a cast iron skillet and I can eat the whole pan all by myself. Vegans/Vegetarians can just leave out the Bacon, saute in another fat, and add more garlic and some peperoncini maybe for a bit of zing. Mild red Bell Pepper might be nice too. 

Spring is on its way! I can tell by the seed catalogs in the mail.

Fried Cabbage and Bacon

6 slices bacon, chopped
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large head cabbage, cored and sliced
1 tablespoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Put the bacon in a large heavy bottomed pot and cook over medium-high heat until crispy, about 10 minutes. Add the onion and garlic; saute until the onion caramelizes; about 10 minutes. Immediately stir in the cabbage and continue to cook and stir another 10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes more.

This is so good with some Fish Fry and a Beer.

God bless the Irish. They are a Warrior Folk. UPDATE.

Never pick a fight with an Irishman. They are brilliant wordsmiths and fearsome warriors. Men and women both. Check out Queen Maeve.

The drawing is Albrecht Durer's Three Kerns. Kern was adopted into English as a term for a Gaelic soldier in medieval Ireland.

“Fascism is capitalism plus murder.”
- Upton Sinclair

“The essence of fascism is to make laws forbidding everything and then enforce them selectively against your enemies.”
- John Lescroart, A Plague of Secrets

The American fascist would prefer not to use violence. His method is to poison the channels of public information. - Henry Wallace.