Recta Ratio

No traction.

If Kerry leads Bush by only 2% now (though he will probably lead by 15% on August 1 right after the convention and a week of almost uninterupted Democrat gas baggery) he is in trouble, since the President has yet to really start into campaign mode (and the campaign has had something of a tin ear so far).

An Inquiry Concerning Preparation for Communion

The Voice of the Disciple

When I consider Thy dignity, O Lord, and mine own vileness, I tremble very exceedingly, and am confounded within myself. For if I approach not, I fly from life; and if I intrude myself unworthily, I run into Thy displeasure. What then shall I do, O my God, Thou helper and Counsellor in necessities.

Teach Thou me the right way; propound unto me some short exercise befitting Holy Communion. For it is profitable to know how I ought to prepare my heart devoutly and reverently for Thee, to the intent that I may receive Thy Sacrament to my soul's health [or it may be also for the celebrating this so great and divine mystery].

Nineteen Catholics hanged by Calvinists for their belief in the Real Presence.

Over at Recta Ratio: The Yahoo Group (always free to join and a lot of great stuff there),

I added a photo album of Caravaggio's works.

More to come.

And since the 30 days of mourning for the much lamented death of President Reagan are over, I switched the color scheme to something less funereal and more summertime/patriotic.

Dom Bettinelli has a good piece over at his place noting that there is, indeed more than one verse to the national anthem.

The song To Anacreon In Heaven was a drinking song peculiar to the Anacreonic Society, and was written in the 1760s. Here are the original words of the tune borrowed by Francis Scott Key in 1813:

To Anacreon in Heaven, where he sat in full glee,
A few sons of Harmony sent a petition,
That He their Inspirer and Patron would be;
When this answer arrived from the Jolly Old Grecian,
"Voice, Fiddle, and Flute,
No longer be mute,
I'll lend you my Name and inspire you to boot,
And, likewise I'll insruct you
Like me to entwine
The Myrtle of VENUS with BACCHUS' Vine."

II
The news through OLYMPUS immediately flew;
When OLD THUNDER pretended to give himself Airs
"If these mortals are suffer'd their Scheme to persue,
The Devil a Goddess will stay above the Stairs.
Hark, already they cry,
In transports of Joy,
'Away to the Sons of ANACREON we'll fly,
And there, with good Fellows,
We'll learn to entwine
The Myrtle of VENUS with BACCHUS' Vine."'

III
"The YELLOW-HAIRED GOD and his nine lusty Maids
From Helicon's Banks will incontinent flee,
IDALIA will boast but of tenantless Shades,
And the bi-forked Hill a mere Desert will be
My Thunder, no fear on't,
Shall soon do it's Errand,
And, dam'me! I'll swinge
The Ringleaders, I warrant,
I'll trim the young Dogs,
For thus daring to twine
The Myrtle of VENUS with BACCHUS' Vine."

IV
APOLLO rose up; and said, "Pr'ythee ne'er quarrel,
Good King of the Gods, with my Vot'ries below:
Your Thunder is useless." - then, shewing his Laurel,
Cry'd, "Sic evitabile fulmen, you know!
Then over each Head
My Laurels I'll spread;
So my Sons from your Crackers
No Mischief shall dread,
Whilst snug in their Club-Room,
They jovially twine
The Myrtle of VENUS with BACCHUS' Vine."

V
Next MOMUS got up, with his risible Phiz,
And swore with APOLLO he'd cheerfully join
"The full Tide of Harmony still shall be his,
But the Song, and the Catch, & the Laugh shall be mine
Then, JOVE, be not jealous
Of these honest Fellows."
Cry'd JOVE, "We relent,
Since the Truth you now tell us;
And swear, by OLD STYX,
That they long shall entwine
The Myrtle of VENUS with BACCHUS' Vine."

VI
Ye sons of ANACREON, then, join Hand in Hand;
Preserve Unanimity, Friendship, and Love!
'Tis your's to support what's so happily plann'd;
You've the Sanction of Gods,
And the FIAT of Jove.
While thus we agree
Our Toast let it be.
May our club flourish happy,
United and free!
And long may the Sons
Of ANACREON intwine
The Myrtle of VENUS with BACCUS' Vine.

Love and respect the national anthem as is fitting and proper. But recall that the Brits had the tune first.

I can't see this generating much excitement. Edwards, despite living in the Carolinas, does not have much appeal with Southerners. I doubt a multi-millionaire ambulance chaser (literally the type of law he practiced) will have much appeal down South. In fact, I doubt he will do the one thing that a VP selection is supposed to do: deliver his home state.

This was a safe bet for Kerry. A more dramatic strategy would have ignored regional politics and gone for female votes with a DiFi or Hilary! (TM). But we saw how badly that worked for Mondale 20 years ago. Kerry did not have any good choices. Hilary! (TM) is the Most Unpopular Political Woman in America (probably finishing better than those women who were convicted of murdering their own children and maybe Leona Helmsley and Martha Stewart, two other Queens of Mean, but a finisher for Most Unpopular Woman In America overall). She would have done immense damage. DiFi's husband, I think, has Ferraro/Zaccaro style baggage that could be exploited.

Who else?

Gephardt? A has-been loser.

Lieberman? An all New-England ticket? No.

Zell Miller? Sorry, we have him.

General Clark? An ignorant loose cannon, with little appeal.

Ho Chi Dean? What are we trying for the psycho-ward vote? I think Kerry already has it.

And that is about as deep as the Democrat bench goes.

Edwards was the best pick of a thoroughly bad lot. But it will not be enough to put Kerry in the White House, or even damage the President at all in the South/West.

Can you say, "Four more years"?

Model of chastity.