Behind the Green Gates

Feline doppelganger observes and comments on war, literature, sex, mankind, biology, Afghanistan,
tree-hugging, music, art, God and gods, America, books, politics and the return of the Florida anole.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Alpine Retreat

"Many a one has lost his faith in God because he first lost his faith in man; and again many a one has found his faith in God again because he met a good man who took the bitterness out of his heart." - Cardinal Faulhauber. And so it goes with the journey of Maria and her family of Trapp singers, leaving behind the Austrian Alps, now swarming with Nazis, to find brotherhood in America. While "The Sound of Music" is brilliant, entertaining and beautiful, it does faint justice to the true story of a family who lives frugally on dollars but rich in faith and love. The latter elements lead to bread alone for a time but prosperity in the end and the equivalent of gold bullion in friendships along the way. Her story is deeper than what Julie Andrews portrayed and the bulk of it actually takes place in America where the naturally haughty Europeans learn what it means to be poor and to be a pioneer because of it. Necessity being the mother of well, you know ... I would have asked for more of a glimpse into the hearts of the oldest boys who are drafted to fight in WWII for a country they are not yet citizens of but it is after all a tale about Maria and the relationship she has with God and the Catholic Church that founds and funds her life. A story worth re-reading when the going gets rough.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Seeing red in the green zone

Green Zone Causing flashbacks from the CPA's blundering early in the Iraq War, "The Green Zone" is nonetheless a very probable glimpse into the truth. Based on insightful journalist Rajiv Chandrasekaran's book Imperial Life in the Emerald City, it touches on truths which are indisputable: the fantasy world of the Green Zone where the wet-behind-the-ears spend their days making incredibly naive decisions; truths that are probable: while we had every legal reason to go to war w/Sadaam, for inexplicably bad reasons we chose WMDs without good intel or a plan to stop them from being moved quickly into Syria; and truths that stretch the imagination: the State Department being caught in such a bad conspiratorial lie that they're willing to use SF to kill an HVT from the deck of cards. Good acting as an Army Chief Warrant Officer (a useful rank you don't see utilized enough by Hollywood -- nobody can touch a Chief), realistic Army briefing and field visuals, probable dialogue and suspense to the end. Esmerelda says check it out. H-o-w-e-v-e-r, after speaking w/SR71 about this, I am obliged to point out that this review in no way constitutes support of the "Bush Lied; People Died" crayon crowd. The media simply pressured him into the easy road in communications rather than trying to explain to the dunderheads what was really going on in the world. How much better off would we be in Iran and Iraq were currently in cahoots, either overtly or covertly? And how much does anyone seem to care that Iran has declared war on us time and time again? People want sexy news reporting and sadly that's what they get sometimes. I told the President not to focus on that WMD stuff ... but would he listen?

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Jane's Error

Third cancer surgery over, now all I CAN do is lie about and read. My dream come true but alas I am restless. Well, I continue to struggle through Jane Eyre, wanting more of the Bronte's after reading their historical biography. Now Jane is displaying the error of her decision in her misery. She has left the love of her life behind, and hides penniless on the moor, her heart filled with pain and confusion. No amount of disregard for another human being --especially one of the opposite sex --would engender such feelings. Not a whit of freedom or relief does she feel. She's gone quite mad instead with passionate devotion and overwhelmingly: love. Too stubborn to admit, too goody-two-shoes of a devout shrew and she is whistling in the darkness. I feel absolutely no sympathy for her, only for the good man she has abandoned after forcing him to pour his heart out to her. I don't care for such behavior. As much empathy I have for unrequited love, who is the elite snob now, Jane? I write later ... how can Jane truely see St John Rivers a good man, a Godly man? Amazed that after all this she is still only 19 but she has shown some mature good sense so far. He is not a Christan but an obsessed clergyman who will shame the gentle Hindus into converting. He is the worst Christianity has to offer. He is the reason many of us question the Church, any Church. Zealotry in any fashion is more than passion, it is the sheer opposite of reason and thus a danger to the unlucky soul placed in the path of such a cleric. Run, Jane, see Jane run again ... Having said all that, I finally finished the book and found I could not then set it down. A very distracting and disturbing story; an apt description of Jane as well. It stuck with me. I almost feel more fully formed for having read this book. It seemed to channel Charlotte throughout and I felt very close to her. Strange.