caroljane

Thanks for that Adam.Singing that Teapot seems to have been a Cdn rite of passage. I remember singing it at 4 or 5 and unlike Gordon I was extremely short and stout, which was noted with merriment by my relatives. I thought I was a big hit.

According to the National Post (awordsworth@natpost.com)the state of Belgium has now been without a government for more than ten months and is doing just fine. The key is that regional governments are still in place, and as Laurens de Vos wrote in the Guardian,.. "a nonexistent national government is unable to spend any money, which has proved an economical policy."

O, Lightfoot on the radio at night --do you have a favourite? btw did you recognize the song I translated? It was Lightfoot on the radio in my dad's Buick. I understood your French, but don't recognize the song. I never owned any of his albums, and only know those three hits. I couldn't chose between them. I bought his best of a few years ago but seem to have misplaced it. It was "That's what you get for loving me" - if you liked those 3, you would love the others. At his best he is haunting, relentlessly bleakly beautiful. And in the refuse-to-pity-myself-down-and-out vein, you cannot beat "Early Morning Rain".

But whose soul is always and only grave?

I got Rebirth of Reason confused with Rule of Reason recently and ended up on Rule. Whoever Rule is , thinks Somali pirates are spearheads of Islamist jihad. Creepy.

O, Lightfoot on the radio at night --do you have a favourite? btw did you recognize the song I translated?

Uh, OK. In that case I'll book you a hospital suite in the name of cousin Eugene, he won't be needing his free healthcare here for awhile.

Phil, would I make an obvious joke? I am far too porous. Great news about the book tour! We will host you at the Hag & Sporran where there is no food at all unless Mad Rab is in a good mood, then starve onwards to Papa's for souvlaki. You already have fans here who crave to not be insulted and I am sure they will treat you.

Ted, just good research are you a fan? Which do you think is his best ballad? Here's my free translation of one from his I'm such-a-tough-loner-poor-me period- Tu n'aurais jamais du m'aimer J' n'suis pas ce que tu pensais== et tout ceque tu possessais je l'ai vole tu n'aurais jamais du m'aimer I aologize for the lack of accents - I was told how to get them but just have not done it.

And Cohen is our holy fool, Halleluia.

There was a time in this fair forum when the Carol did not post When the wild and crazy antics lacked a Canuck twang Long before the Pippi and long before the Jac When the nutty yanky doodles had yet to meet their match But the world has no edges and the Web has no bounds As to this sleepy forum she posted all around She posts about the Muslims and she speaks about Obama Showed her wit, wisdom and tenacity for the good of us all! Its great to have you back Carol! Never shall I have a greater tribute, even when I get my 100th birthday telegram from the Queen, which my Ma was supposed to get but she checked out 20 years early, the piker. For those who are not familiar with our premier troubadour, Gordon Lightfoot, the above is a parody of his masterwork (though not to my mind his masterpiece), the Canadian Railroad Trilogy. The final lines of the 1st verse refer to the forest, which is "too silent to be real". Sounds just like me doesn't it. Come to think of it, what a great theme for the railroad scenes in the Atlas Shrugged Part 3 musical.

Brant, your remark about what doesn't travel made me think about the enduring dramatic power of Rand's fictional works, and how they travel, while Objectivist-influenced fiction, and the productions of a whole generation of eager readers of her "Art of Fiction" , lie lifeless on the page. I know this subject has been endlessly discussed, but it is still interesting. Meanwhile I await Michael's take on the Jan17th production to see what has travelled and what has been left behind. Well, you at least know half of what you are talking about. And what is "the Jan 17th production"? --Brant Thanks for the half. I would say that "Jan17th" refers to the next day after the Night of Jan !6th -ie the successive, 2011 version which Michael saw.But really, it was just a typo.

Any reasonable person would understand that to call people "loud-mouthed table-pounding cranky abrasive old farts" is an insult -- but not Phil. He doesn't think this is an insult because he didn't name anyone in particular -- even though it is obvious to whom he is referring. Thus, when I replied that Phil should "remove the pole from his ass," he responded with righteous indignation, claiming that I was "defiantly returning to very sort of abusive insulting language the inappropriateness of which has been pointed out to him." This is not a matter of being serious. It is a matter of being a gold-plated hypocrite. But if Phil doesn't think LECAF is an insult, then this would qualify as an error of judgement on his part, and not as a conscious attempt at deception (to which the term "hypocrisy" refers). Do you really think Phil is so dense as not to understand that the phrase "loud-mouthed table-pounding cranky abrasive old farts" is an insult? If you truly believe this, then you have a much lower opinion of him than I do. Why are you telling me this? I have said similar things many times. Phil can insult me all he likes; it doesn't bother me in the least. What annoys me is Phil's incessant moralizing about civility, when he is as uncivil as anyone else on OL. This wouldn't be a big deal if Phil only did it occasionally. But he has appointed himself the school marm of OL, and I don't like school marms. Ghs Indeed! XRay and I are both schoolmarms. I think there is some hifalutin goshdarn word for your characterization here.

Before or after his report on the Glenn Beck rally? Definitely before.

Brant, your remark about what doesn't travel made me think about the enduring dramatic power of Rand's fictional works, and how they travel, while Objectivist-influenced fiction, and the productions of a whole generation of eager readers of her "Art of Fiction" , lie lifeless on the page. I know this subject has been endlessly discussed, but it is still interesting. Meanwhile I await Michael's take on the Jan17th production to see what has travelled and what has been left behind.

Cookie? It's Laureen. Just want to say thanks again, I couldn't have done it without you! You were so smart to get Olivia to bring you in the car, that paparazzo might have spotted her bike chained to the fence and one of Stephen's weasels would have busted us. It all went great didn't you think? Mercer got here early and brought the booze and he lent me $50 and helped me persuade Gaetan in the kitchen to keep quiet about the guest list for my ladies' luncheon. Stephen has been auditing the household accounts again, why did I have to marry an economist, he told me he would just be in a think tank thinking and plotting to make Canada a free capitalist society, and now look where we are. Anyway Rick helped me work out the action plan and sell it to Mme (what is her name anyway? I just went with Madame and she didn't seem to mind) and Szszuszie. I was a little worried when Mme aske her if she was a Kabbalist because her name is Zohar, but it seemed to be an icebreaker. So we're set for tomorrow. Olivia will recruit a group of neighbourhood multicultural monarchists to picket Jack's constituency office. Szue will remind her husband that he's descended from Russian nobility and could lose the entire UEL vote. Mme will tell Gilles that it is an issue of male oppression of the feminine which Quebecoise do not like especially her. Now who do I tell Stephen was here (or let Gaetan tell him, I am still not speaking to him). How about Maritime Hockey Mothers Union? That should work. The poutine was spectacular! Talk to you later, bye.

Ever so British, old chap. Served at all the best tea-parties, especially if there are aristocrats about, and in far-flung corners of the Empire. (Yes, that Empire!) Just the trick, I imagined, for the ladies, vegetarian Xray and Commonwealth Carol taking tea. Actually, quite tasty, considering. Dainty little quartered white bread slices with the crusts cut off, and inside, lots of butter... and cucumber slices. Since colonialism went out of fashion, I seldom see it served any more. Silver tea service, best china, on starched table-cloths - the height of pretension which I scorned once. Now, I'm getting a touch nostalgic for it. Tony, they serve afternoon tea at the Royal York and the King Edward Hotels here every Sunday. I went once to the King Eddie, scrumptious and so colonial-elegant! Also went to the Rennie Mackiintosh Tearoom in Glasgow. Well, it was Glasgow-- let's just say the architecture was good. I love cuke sandwiches though I confess to the heresy of mayonnaise. The tea tradition also holds in my hometown where various of my aunts will be found slicing, buttering and baking for the next occasion almost any day of the week. Wish you could do an Empire Nostalgia tour and join me in blissful biscuit blankout. My wardrobe would certainly fit right in with the period. I would forego the raincoat. You should come too, Phil. For a man of your wide culture your culinary tastes are insular, not to say revolting. Beer floats? Read A la recherche du temps perdu and start with the madeleines!

Pippi! Great to hear from you. I was afraid you had flounced because this here town wasn't small enough for the one of you.

It is true, my valour is not as valourous as yours, nor my resolve so resolute, and I have had a little R&R behind the lines, but I do struggle for liberty in my lowly way. In fact I take as many liberties as I can. So since I've been readmitted to the intellectual feast, I'll have that calf medium-rare please, and the wine list.

I think this is more apropos and so much more realistic and true: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVeFkakURXM grrr - I cannot stand when this happens. Oh well... Just working out your subtle imagery -- oh good heavens, that happens to you ? You poor guys. Must be an American thing.

For some reason I thought your name was Carol Gordon, so your return made me think of a classic Brian Blessed moment: Pretty dumb, I know. Time for another beer. Cheers, Ninth! You probably associated me with Gordon because I "thank Gord" a lot. Gord is the name of most Canadian Anglo males, they are all named in honour of the great Lightfoot. Most of the other men I know are named Mohammed or Xiangbo. I adore Brian Blessed. His Augustus in I Claudius was unforgettable and as the Blackadder ancestor he stole the show. Apparently he sings too. Make mine a Moosehead, Carol

Dayaamm! Of all the words to misspell... Michael Michael, he is not my dog. He is my son's dog an English bulldog puppy who was first in line for cute and last in line for brains. I lent Andy my computer and Bodie (the dog) chewed off the keys while A was in the bathroom. He gets jealous of anything that takes A's attention away from him, he has mangled or hidden his cellphone and the TV remote. He knows he isn't supposed to do that so he waits till A is absent from the room. You know intecheptitude is not a misspelling but a coined word. I thought it sounded better than "cluelessness".

Does it ever feel good to be back in my comfy chair. The Outer Darkness is no place for decent folks! I was going to "come upon a quiet day, and simply seem to take my place" but that did not work out too well the first time so I might as well fulminate. So many people to thank! First and foremost the International Altruist Coalition so ably and bleeding-heartedly led by wss;the metaphysicians and Air Cadets for emergency food for thought; Michael for my witty and intricate new password which even I could not forget;everybody who did not sneer at my intecheptitude (in print at least)/Tony and Joel, thank you for missing me, I missed you too. It occurs to me that my lockout began on March 1 - as soon as I had served been 60 days in Objectivist Correctional Centre Living. But I am not a conspiracy theorist and draw no conclusions. I have many visits to make but first I think I will just set a spell. Carol a Detriment once more

Hey, at least my most of my inanity is intentional. I leave the anity to my Betters.