The Masque of Mandragora

I've taken the liberty of checking out a novelization of the Doctor Who serial The Masque of Mandragora. The first two paragraphs of the introduction by Harlan Ellison make me want to go no further lest I be terribly disappointed. There's no story that can beat a potential geek fight:

"They could not have been more offended, confused, enraged and startled...and then an eruption of angry voices from all over the fifteen hundred person audience. The kids in their Luke Skywalker pajamas and the retarded adults spot-welded into their Darth Vader fright-masks howled with fury. But I stood my ground, there on the lecture platform at the World Science Fiction Convention, and I repeated the heretical words that had sent them into animal hysterics: 'STAR WARS is adolescent nonsense; CLOSE ENCOUNTERS is obscurantist drivel; STAR TREK can turn your brains into puree of bat guano; and the greatest science fiction series of all time is DOCTOR WHO! And I'll take you all on, one-by-one or all in a bunch to back it up!'"

(This heretic hadn't even seen the 3 Star Wars prequels!)

I really like Star Wars (I don't even consider the prequels). I've never been big into Star Trek but I'm sure it's not that bad. But I do agree that Doctor Who is superior. Not only is it great storytelling, it's got a frickin' legacy! 46 years?! C'mon! I just don't have the guts to say it in front of a bunch of geeks dressed up in their gear at a sci-fi convention!

new artwork

We went to Homer last week.  Among the things to do in Homer (going to the meadery, going to the winery, going to the brewery) browsing art shops is one of the least glamorous.  But it's great.  Homer has beautiful scenery and that alone is enough to inspire artistic genius.  Unfortunately the proportion of bad artistry is just as high-if not slightly higher-than everywhere else.

There was one piece that I found that I loved, though.  There were half-a-dozen pieces by the same artist, using the same technique, but this one was above and beyond my favorite.  Essentially, the artist created wooden inlays.  There was an Orca jumping out of the water, a sultry woman, a moose on ice skates (seriously--eccchhh!).  I was almost put off from buying the one I liked.

Anyway, I went back the next day and put my money down on the table, "Wrap it up!" I said.  

No, but the artist happened to be there (so I'm glad I didn't speak so honestly about the rest of his artwork) and I praised his picture.  It just happened to be his favorite as well (imagine that).  

Anyway, no more belaboring it:

Forgive the cybermen invasion.  I haven't found a good place for it yet. 

WBMC 2009

Yesterday we attended the World Beard & Moustache Championships in downtown Anchorage.  It was certainly a celebration of facial hair...and of course I participated.

Blag

So, National Poetry Month ended up being a bust as I seizured, slept, and recovered from my, well, seizure.

Everything's okay. My MRI and EEG came back clear and there have been no repeat occurrences. I'm medication free for the time being.

Anyway...

I'm putting a halt on my concertina lessons until August because work is about to get REALLY stressful. Summer Reading starts on Saturday and promises to be a lot of fun and a lot of work. The theme is Be Creative (or Express Yourself! for teens) and not only am I doing two storytime programs a week w/ukulele accompaniment but I foolishly agreed to take on a Fractured Fairy Tales program the first week in June AT ALL THE LOCATIONS. Egad! The program has been put together for awhile. I just need to come up with some MadLib inspired Fairy Tales to do with the kids during the program (also one for them to take home).

Again, EGAD!

But I'm excited about the other programming: Jugglers and magicians, musicians and Mad Science. I'm not excited about the late-comers and the over-crowding, the constant business and the inability to take a vacation.

Trying to remain optimistic.

No poem today.

It's been a long day.  No poem today. 

Here's why.

4/18-The Pythons-

In honor of my going to see Spamalot this evening, today's poem-of-the-day is a video.

Enjoy:

4/17-Voltaire-

Probably my favorite public intellectual/author is Voltaire. There's little I love more than thinking about the rivalry between Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Voltaire. That's not really something that happens today. Sure Christopher Hitchens can take the piss out of Mos Def on national television, but it's not nearly as fun as thinking about two absolutely brilliant people publicly pronouncing their hatred for one another...especially when everyone likes Voltaire better because he wasn't such a grumpy old poop.

Anyway, on to the poetry!

FROM LOVE TO FRIENDSHIP

by: Voltaire (François Marie Arouet, 1694-1778)

If you would have me love once more,

The blissful age of love restore;

From wine's free joys, and lovers' cares,

Relentless time, who no man spares,

Urges me quickly to retire,

And no more to such bliss aspire.

From such austerity exact,

Let's, if we can, some good extract;

Whose way of thinking with this age

Suits not, can ne'er be deemed a sage.

Let sprightly youth its follies gay,

Its follies amiable display;

Life to two moments is confined,

Let one to wisdom be consigned.

You sweet delusions of my mind,

Still to my ruling passion kind,

Which always brought a sure relief

To life's accurst companion, grief.

Will you forever from me fly,

And must I joyless, friendless die?

No mortal e'er resigns his breath

I see, without a double death;

Who loves, and is beloved no more,

His hapless fate may well deplore;

Life's loss may easily be borne,

Of love bereft man is forlorn.

'Twas thus those pleasures I lamented,

Which I so oft in youth repented;

My soul replete with soft desire,

Vainly regretted youthful fire.

But friendship then, celestial maid,

From heaven descended to my aid;

Less lively than the amorous flame,

Although her tenderness the same.

The charms of friendship I admired,

My soul was with new beauty fired;

I then made one in friendship's train,

But destitute of love, complain.

http://www.poetry-archive.com/v/from_love_to_friendship.html