December 7, 2012

At the Last Day of School Café...

Untitled

... a dog and husband waited for me in the fast-falling darkness.

45 comments:

McTriumph said...

"... a dog and husband waited for me in the fast-falling darkness."

Poetry!

edutcher said...

That's sweet.

When The Blonde and I were romancing long distance, on one of the occasions when she was in Bryn Mawr, as I was walking home from the train after work, there she was, walking up the street, arms out, smiling - one of the nicest memories I have.

A nice way to start Christmas vacation, Madame, knowing you are loved that much.

Toad Trend said...

Dogs and husbands.

(Wo)man's best friends.

chickelit said...

Tom Waits for no one.

Down By Law

n said...

Two friends wait, silent.
Dusk broadens space and draws in
Three in love's circle.

Big Mike said...

This far in advance of the Christmas holiday? Wow.

Big Mike said...

Or the winter solstice celebration for my fellow atheists.

ricpic said...

Looks like a sphinx.

CWJ said...

A wonderful evocative post.

But 12/7 is the last day of school? Is UW on a quarter system?

Alex said...

I don't know anyone who has 4-octave vocal range.

McTriumph said...

Julie Andrews did.

Anonymous said...

A particularly handsome animal Photographed well.

Anonymous said...

Query: Was Zues leashed in the photograph?

ndspinelli said...

It's heartwarming and S.A.D.

pm317 said...

suspense video in the other thread of Zeus running to Meade was nice. I kept thinking how it would look if Zeus had just walked to Meade.. May be Chip Ahoy can show us.

Hagar said...

Why does so many women I see on TV have this odd look around the eyes these days?
Is it just make-up or is it due to plastic surgery?

Chip Ahoy said...

Zeus the Althouse spokesdog.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Svengali Zeus.

Bob Ellison said...

I have the best dog. Nyah nyah!

MadisonMan said...

Today is the earliest sunset. Here's to more afternoon sun. But UW has another week of classes -- why is the Law School done so early?

Wince said...

Shouldn't that beast be on a chain?

And the dog too.

chickelit said...

...why is the Law School done so early?

Exam study time to be followed by exams?

traditionalguy said...

School is out just in time. It's a long bike ride all of the way to Pasadena where you Wisconsinites seem to end up every New Years day.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

The big question is where Zeus going to be on 12/12/12.

bagoh20 said...

"I have the best dog. Nyah nyah!"

Yea, but I have that times 5 . When it comes to love, more is better.

Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...

Tom Waits for no one.


Now ya did it.

Ya gots me in the mood for some of that San Diego Serenade.

David said...

71st anniversary of Pearl Harbor was today. One prompt response was the Doolittle raid on Japan in April 1942. Of the 80 aircrew, two died as their planes crash landed in or near China. Eleven were captured, and three of those were shot by the Japanese after a faked war crimes trial. Another crewman died in captivity.

Many of those who survived the raid did not survive the war. Here is part of Wikipedia's account:

Immediately following the raid, Doolittle told his crew that he believed the loss of all 16 aircraft, coupled with the relatively minor damage the aircraft had inflicted on their targets, had rendered the attack a failure, and that he expected a court-martial upon his return to the United States. Instead, the raid bolstered American morale to such an extent that Doolittle was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Roosevelt, and was promoted two grades to brigadier general, skipping the rank of colonel. .c . . . He went on to command the Twelfth Air Force in North Africa, the Fifteenth Air Force in the Mediterranean, and the Eighth Air Force in England during the next three years.

Corporal David J. Thatcher (a flight engineer/gunner on Lawson's crew) and 1st Lt. Thomas R. White (flight surgeon/gunner with Smith) each received the Silver Star for their efforts in helping the wounded crew members of Lt. Lawson's crew evade Japanese troops in China. All 80 Raiders received the Distinguished Flying Cross and those who were killed, wounded or injured as a result of the raid also received the Purple Heart.

. . . .

Twenty-eight of the crewmen remained in the China Burma India theater flying missions, most for more than a year. Five were killed in action. Nineteen crew members flew combat missions from North Africa after returning to the United States, with four killed in action and four becoming prisoners of war. Nine crew members served in the European Theater of Operations, one killed in action. Altogether 12 of the survivors died in air crashes within 15 months of the raid. Two survivors were separated from the USAAF in 1944 due to the severity of their injuries.


In addition, the Japanese massacred tens of thousands of Chinese civilians in retaliation for assistance given the Americans after they landed in China.

Times now are not so difficult if we think back.

bagoh20 said...

Thanks David. We do forget what real sacrifice is sometimes.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

A last day of school.. has a finality to it that presupposes moving on to something else.

The last day pot will still be illegal somewhere... the last day gay marriage will still be illegal somewhere... the last day these causes need to raise awareness, fund raise or whatever, so as to have people get it, now approaches...

Mission Accomplished!

And yet, I dont sense the same kind of preponderating transcendence, if you will, as a result of the re-election of president Obama?

I mean, the first election wasant a fluke!... knowwhatimean?

Shouldn't this inauguration reflect the last day of racism in these United States?

If we don't say it... then it doesn't get to mean it and... an opportunity is wasted.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Lets not forget, in the first election people cited McCain weakness as a candidate... this time Romney was a more formidable foe than McCain... I dont think anybody would dispute that.

I cant think of any other ritual or significant gathering where we all have the opportunity to get together and express our opinion, the way we do in elections.

So, there's that.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Maybe that was what the Nobel Peace Prize people had in mind when they awarded Obama that honor... and we just didn't get it.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Maybe Obama believes that where Rosa Parks accomplishment meant the end of segregated buses, he signifies the beginning of the end of something we are not discussing... are not getting... we have grown comfortable with its uncomfortability.

Would it be too bold to credit Obama with ending racism?

Or are we waiting for a mesiah like figure, the way arch-conservatives (like me) wait for Reagan, then and only then should we considered ourselves worthy?

I know getting out of a geografical spot like Iraq, is not the same as getting out of a... I dont even know what to call it... but we do.
Or at least we did back when we ended the civil war... or did we?

I remember the comic disonance when I saw the Ken Burns Civil War documentary used for fund raising... whenever they broke away they would say... and the the civil war will continue after a short break... we want to hear from you.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

She's Not There - The Zombies

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Get Off My Cloud - The Rolling Stones

I live in an apartment on the ninety-ninth floor of my block
And I sit at home looking out the window imagining the world has stopped
Then in flies a guy who's all dressed up like a Union Jack
And says, I've won five pounds if I have his kind of detergent pack

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

A Day In The Life

Woke up, fell out of bed
Dragged a comb across my head
Found my way downstairs and drank a cup
And looking up, I noticed I was late
Found my coat and grabbed my hat
Made the bus in seconds flat
Found my way upstairs and had a smoke
And somebody spoke and I went into a dream

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Lucky Man

A bullet had found him
His blood ran as he cried
No money could save him
So he laid down and he died

Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was


For those who might want to take this reference in the wrong direction... choose not to get it... explore what is lucky about fighting and dying for a loosing cause... when are we going to end the war on racism?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I'd Love to Change the World

Population keeps on breeding
Nation bleeding, still more feeding economy
Life is funny, skies are sunny
Bees make honey, who needs money, monopoly

I'd love to change the world
But I don't know what to do
So I'll leave it up to you


The alternatives to what I was suggesting means redistribution... socialism... is that what we meant re-electing Obama?

I mean, I know we are on our way there... but aside from us kooks few, hardly anybody gets that.

Chip Ahoy said...

Have you ever had pasta in cream sauce with orange?

It's strange but I like it but don't recommend it. I would have loved this when I was a kid.

I just realized I missed heat from peppers and cilantro.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Roundabout

I'll be the roundabout
The words will make you out 'n' out
We spend the day your way
Call it morning driving thru the sound and
In and out the valley.... eh

In and around the lake
Mountains come out of the sky and they
Stand there
One mile over we'll be there and we'll see You
Ten true summers we'll be there and
Laughing too ooo
Twenty four before my love you'll see I'll be
There with you.....


We get it... with a little help from our friends ;)

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I was going to post Magic Man by Hart but at this point I would be belaboring the point under the assumption... the point is I need to go to bed... and I think I got enough to get my point acress.

Clyde said...

Spackling the holes in my music collection, I recently added a Rare Earth CD. It includes a 21:30 long version of "Get Ready" (and yes, I was inspired to get in after Ann's posting of the video of "People Get Ready" a couple of weeks back). The song took up an entire album side in its original vinyl format. It's probably one of the greatest examples extant of excess, with the extended drum solo, etc. An edited-down single version of the song ran less than four minutes, and really didn't lose much unless you are a big fan of the extended jam.

McTriumph said...

Rare Earth, a great band and "Get Ready" at 21:30 beats Iron Butterfly's "In A-Gadda- Da-Vida", Young's "Down By The River", "Cowgirl In the Sand" and The Byrds' 8-Miles High in length. Size does matter if done well.

chickelit said...

Another night of gems by Lem...very cool.

Peter V. Bella said...

Nice shot of the husband. Where's the dog? (Sarcasm)

Ann Althouse said...

"Today is the earliest sunset. Here's to more afternoon sun. But UW has another week of classes -- why is the Law School done so early?"

We always end earlier, I think. It's a 14-week semester for us, in line with national law school standards.