Comments on: Transformations: queen into swan

By: Ralph Kinney Bennett

Ralph Kinney Bennett — Wed, 30 Dec 2015 02:25:13 +0000

Thank you again, Neo. Superb. You were very lucky to have such a teacher. I had a few, too, for which I am ever grateful. And I had a mother who read to my brother and me — every night, from as early as we could remember. No matter how tired she might be from work, the books came out and she read to us. Not just kid stuff. Shakespeare, the Bible, O’Henry, Bram Stoker! Kipling, Thurber (wonderful). We were reading when we started first grade. We thought everyone could.

By: neo-neocon

neo-neocon — Tue, 29 Dec 2015 19:07:15 +0000

Ralph Kinney Bennett: Glad you feel the same way. Then you'll probably like this one, too. The teacher described there also used to make us memorize a lot of poetry as well as write it. He was one of the best.

By: Ralph Kinney Bennett

Ralph Kinney Bennett — Tue, 29 Dec 2015 13:45:16 +0000

Dear Neo,
I had not discovered you yet, back when this poetry post was written. I will have to dig and delve a bit more into your archives. Uncanny. I felt as though your fingers had taken over my keyboard as I read it. I was very resistant to poetry at first, thinking it somehow “prissy.” But, as was your experience, the diligence of great teachers and the latent effect of my mother reading to me left me a lifelong treasure. I once tried to make a list of all the poems etc. I have memorized and I lost count. Friends say, how do you do that? And I remind them that they know all the words to this or that popular song or span of movie dialogue. It’s partly what you choose to memorize,isn’t it? Ah, those old teachers of yore! I have always reminded my children and grandchildren that, if they are lucky there will be a handful of teachers that they would want to someday shake hands with and thank, and they are precisely the ones they “hated” or feared when they were in school. They were TEACHERS, not friends.

By: neo-neocon

neo-neocon — Mon, 28 Dec 2015 23:54:41 +0000

Ralph Kinney Bennett: Well then, here's another post you might enjoy, if you haven't seen it already.

By: Ralph Kinney Bennett

Ralph Kinney Bennett — Mon, 28 Dec 2015 23:28:17 +0000

Neo,
Thanks again. We really are kindred spirits. Many of the poems you mentioned in that second post are ones I “have to heart.” I try to take a long bike ride almost every day, and poems like these and many of Shakespeare’s sonnets and other passages are my companions on my trip. I recite them to myself and they make the miles fly by. I consider them good exercises for the (aging) mind and their beauty and wisdom never fades.

By: neo-neocon

neo-neocon — Mon, 28 Dec 2015 18:32:49 +0000

Ralph Kinney Bennett: You're welcome! That's one of my favorite poems, of course (see also this).

By: Ralph Kinney Bennett

Ralph Kinney Bennett — Mon, 28 Dec 2015 18:15:00 +0000

Thank you, Neo
For drawing my attention to your earlier post regarding the composer’s additions to Swan Lake, and the enduring beauty of the music. I’m not sure how I missed that. You are, indeed a kindred spirit. Even though this is music I have heard many hundreds of times (perhaps more than a thousand). I, too, have experienced tears “rise in the heart and gather to the eyes” at moments in its performance.

By: ArtfldgrsGhost

ArtfldgrsGhost — Mon, 28 Dec 2015 15:10:45 +0000

PatD Says: Reminded me of jackals

no, feminists idolize hyenas.. not jackals

Males in most hyena species are larger than females, though the spotted hyena is exceptional, as it is the female of the species that outweighs and dominates the male. Also, unlike other hyenas, the female spotted hyena’s external genitalia closely resembles that of the male

but i find it more interesting that nyc will protect transgendered people from comments with a 250,000 dollar fine

Incidents that are deemed “wilful and malicious” will see property owners face up to $250,000 in fines, while standard violations of the law will result in a $125,000 fine. For small business owners, these sums are crippling.

So the next time there is an all male version of swan lake or similar with transgendered men dancing in tights in ballet. make a comment and buy them a house
[free speech? what is that tovarish?]

you can be sure that men are dressing up as women now to go to bars to be annoying and win a 250k gender lottery…

and in violation of the state promoting a religion, now has a law to protect muslims, but no law to protect christians, or jews…

House Resolution 569 was introduced on December 17th by the Democrats and it’s dangerous. Its self-described purpose is “condemning violence, bigotry, and hateful rhetoric towards Muslims in the United States.” Resolutions of this nature have a tendency to be reintroduced later as binding legislation to be forwarded to the Senate. The introduction of this resolution is not yet newsworthy, but it will be if it emerges intact from committee to be voted on by the whole House

cant wait for my grave…
ovens and gallows, and so on are not my thing…

By: PatD

PatD — Mon, 28 Dec 2015 05:45:50 +0000

@ArtfldgrsGhost: Reminded me of jackals.

By: neo-neocon

neo-neocon — Mon, 28 Dec 2015 05:19:24 +0000

Ralph Kinney Bennet: See this.