To thine own self be true

He is suddenly rigging the leadership vote in a desperate move to win, crookedly, GOP style. *This was all planned out ahead of time as a backup plan, you can be sure. He had this gerrymandering worked out ahead of time to be parachuted in last-minute to give him another in a series of crooked edges.

(‘thirty pieces of silver, Kenney-style; a ‘big joke’ out of sight from the UCP membership and the Alberta public)

All this while CBC was breaking the story yesterday that there is much evidence of his fingerprints all over the coup to defeat Jean in the last leadership battle. Sealed with a Dark Horse alcohol bottle ‘gifted’ to his collaborator for dropping out of the race, then siding with Kenney to crown him last time.

“Some people like to make a little garden out of life and walk down a path.”

Like Trump or Putin, self-righteously declare your enemies to be traitors regardless of how many betrayals of your own people you have facilitated or of how many attacks you have led on law, justice, and democracy.

the Trump/UCP/truck convoy/freedom convoy supporting federal PCs become totally irrelevant till 2025. It is doubtful there will be another out-of-control Ottawa rally. And no PC-led non-confidence votes have a prayer. If anything, it’ll give PCs a longer window to fully embrace their redneck supporters.

Originally broadcast on BBC, Civilisation did not reach Canadian tv till 1971-72, when I was in my last university year, training to become a senior high English teacher. By this point, I had taken many English and History courses and taken a good introductory course in Western civilization (comprehensive textbook below). But Clark’s weekly series was amazing in that it was an attempted overview of European history and culture from after the Roman Empire to the early 20th century. It used examples of architecture, painting, sculpture, music, literature, and history to present the 13 different episodes illustrating different periods and eras of European culture. He also did a good job in focusing on the prominent central figures of the various times, the great men of history and the ideas and values they espoused.

Originally, I had seen the series on a cheap, small black and white set, and it was not until 40 years later that I saw it on a big screen in HD and in color. A more sublime experience ultimately. And I also thought back to how Clark had introduced me to many famous buildings, painters, classical composers, and more great writings and given a much larger context to frame my u studies and knowledge base. His series was a major information source, a steady mental workout and a reflective spiritual exercise. Lifelong learning this series; I have gone back to various periods and episodes many times over the year. I never cease to be impressed and somewhat overwhelmed by the enormity, insights, and collected wisdom of the series. BBC picked the right host, writer, and narrator for this memorable, timeless work of art.

The episodes and contents of each in chronological order:

There followed the best-selling book version which gave Clark a chance to edit and refine his texts. The book was illustrated by many plates in color and black-and-white. (The following are some of the main artworks referred to.)

As in the series, the following greats are featured: Alberti, Bach, Beethoven, Bernini, Botticelli, Brunel, Byron, Charlemagne, Constable, Courbet, Dante, David, Delacroix, Descartes, Duke of Berry, Durer, Erasmus, Gericault, Goethe, Hals,  Handel, Haydn, Holbein, Leonardo da Vinci, Luther, Michelangelo, Millet, Montaigne, Mozart, Raphael, Rembrandt, Rodin, Rousseau, St. Francis of Assisi, Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Turner, Van Eyck, Van Gogh, Vermeer, Voltaire, Watteau, Wordsworth, and Wren.

Last two pages of his book in which he reveals his values and beliefs and thoughts about the future of Western civilization:

Recommended for: university students today interested in Western culture and civilization, senior-high English, Art, and Social Studies teachers today trying to enhance their knowledge of historical contexts and Western civilization, adults interested in the Arts, and people generally interested in European history and culture. A perfect graduation gift for Faculty of Arts grads.

in use for ourselves and family.

Something that started with owl, woodpecker, and wolf books two weeks ago.

Too often these books can lie dormant, unperused, otherwise.

This week: left to right: Monet, da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Van Gogh.

to a new TV box. Forced obsolescence via Shaw cable.

Many fine programs we’ve had to review one last time most likely. Show such as several New Year’s Vienna concerts with the excellent Philharmonic and the Vienna Ballet. “On the Beautiful Danube” played several times with accompanying footage of the orchestra, Vienna architecture, and places along the glorious river valley between Vienna and Budapest.

An excellent, beautiful Oregon coast from the air documentary.

Several of the Escape to the Country shows.

A couple of PBS Nature series shows on butterflies and rabbits.

The rare black and white shot in Scandinavia of Peter Brook’s King Lear starring Paul Scofield.

A couple of PBS shows on the furthest realms of our solar system.

A wonderful visual documentary of New York City from its streets and from the air at different times of the day.

The latter two I bought on video, subsequently.

This morning as the snow fell on the first day of spring, we saw more of the above, and will clear the old PVR deck this evening on what is promising to be an another entertaining at-home day.

All that beauty, all that culture, all of some of the best of Western civilization still remaining in an ever-increasing ugly, chaotic, corrupt world of trucker convoys, steady lies and falsehoods, and the ongoing pandemic winter. But the New Years concerts will be back as well as other precious Nature and spiritual viewing experiences when we connect the new machine in another week. Upward and onward, I say.

2003, black & white, backyard

like teachers, nurses, and doctors is a shameful sign of how they are mistreated by the dumbass, overly-paid politicians of the UCP. There is no proper understanding or appreciation of the tremendous social work these people do. Nowhere else in Canada do you find the same war that has been declared on these advocates for children, the sick, and the vulnerable.