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Wednesday 12 September 2012

And did these men die in vain?



European and American men have forgotten their history, their literature, their religion.........and they have forgotten their own identity. Men of the West, you have lost your souls.


La Chanson de Roland--A part of this grand epic:

CLXXXI
The heathens said, "We were born to shame. This day for our disaster came: Our lords and leaders in battle lost, And Karl at hand with his marshalled host; We hear the trumpets of France ring out, And the cry 'Montjoie!' their rallying shout. Roland's pride is of such a height, Not to be vanquished by mortal wight; Hurl we our missiles, and hold aloof." And the word they spake, they put in proof, They flung, with all their strength and craft, Javelin, barb, and plumed shaft. Roland's buckler was torn and frayed, His cuirass broken and disarrayed, Yet entrance none to his flesh they made. From thirty wounds Veillantif bled, Beneath his rider they cast him, dead; Then from the field have the heathen flown: Roland remaineth, on foot, alone.

The Last Benediction of the Archbishop
CLXXXII
The heathens fly in rage and dread; To the land of Spain have their footsteps sped; Nor can Count Roland make pursuit Slain is his steed, and he rests afoot; To succor Turpin he turned in haste, The golden helm from his head unlaced, Ungirt the corselet from his breast, In stripes divided his silken vest; The archbishop's wounds hath he staunched and bound, His arms around him softly wound; On the green sward gently his body laid, And, with tender greeting, thus him prayed: "For a little space, let me take farewell; Our dear companions, who round us fell, I go to seek; if I haply find, I will place them at thy feet reclined." "Go," said Turpin; "the field is thine To God the glory, 'tis thine and mine."
CLXXXIII
Alone seeks Roland the field of fight, He searcheth vale, the searcheth height. Ivon and Ivor he found, laid low, And the Gascon Engelier of Bordeaux, Gerein and his fellow in arms, Gerier; Otho he found, and Berengier; Samson the duke, and Anseis bold, Gerard of Roussillon, the old. Their bodies, one after one, he bore, And laid them Turpin's feet before. The archbishop saw them stretched arow, Nor can he hinder the tears that flow; In benediction his hands he spread: "Alas! for your doom, my lords," he said, "That God in mercy your souls may give, On the flowers of Paradise to live; Mines own death comes, with anguish sore That I see mine Emperor never more."
CLXXXIV
Once more to the field doth Roland wend, Till he findeth Olivier his friend; The lifeless form to his heart he strained, Bore him back with what strength remained, On a buckler laid him, beside the rest, The archbishop assoiled them all, and blessed. Their dole and pity anew find vent, And Roland maketh his fond lament: "My Olivier, my chosen one, Thou wert the noble Duke Renier's son, Lord of the March unto Rivier vale. To shiver lance and shatter mail, The brave in council to guide and cheer, To smite the miscreant foe with fear, Was never on earth such cavalier."
CLXXXV
Dead around him his peers to see, And the man he loved so tenderly, Fast the tears of Count Roland ran, His visage discolored became, and wan, He swooned for sorrow beyond control. "Alas," said Turpin, "how great thy dole!"
CLXXXVI
To look on Roland swooning there, Surpassed all sorrow he ever bare; He stretched his hand, the horn he took, Through Roncesvalles thee flowed a brook, A draught to Roland he thought to bring; But his steps were feeble and tottering, Spent his strength, from waste of blood, He struggled on for scarce a rood, When sank his heart, and drooped his frame, And his moral anguish on him came.
CLXXXVII
Roland revived from his swoon again; On his feet he rose, but in deadly pain; He looked on high, and he looked below, Till, a space his other companions fro, He beheld the baron, stretched on sward, The archbishop, vicar of God our Lord. Mea Culpa was Turpin's cry, While he raised his hands to heaven on high, Imploring Paradise to gain. So died the soldier of Carlemaine, With word or weapon, to preach or fight, A champion ever of Christian right, And a deadly foe of the infidel. God's benediction within him dwell!
CLXXXVIII
When Roland saw him stark on earth (His very vitals were bursting forth, And his brain was oozing from out his head), He took the fair white hands outspread, Crossed and clasped them upon his breast, And thus his plaint to the dead addressed, So did his country's law ordain: "Ah, gentleman of noble strain, I trust thee unto God the True, Whose service never man shall do With more devoted heart and mind: To guard the faith, to win mankind, From the apostles' days till now, Such prophet never rose as thou. Nor pain or torment thy soul await, But of Paradise the open gate."

The Death Of Roland
CLXXXIX
Roland feeleth his death is near, His brain is oozing by either ear. For his peers he prayed - God keep them well; Invoked the angel Gabriel. That none reproach him, his horn he clasped; His other hand Durindana grasped; Then, far as quarrel from crossbow sent, Across the march of Spain he went, Where, on a mound, two trees between, Four flights of marble steps were seen; Backward he fell, on the field to lie; And he swooned anon, for the end was nigh.
CXC
High were the mountains and high the trees, Bright shone the marble terraces; On the green grass Roland hath swooned away. A Saracen spied him where he lay: Stretched with the rest he had feigned him dead, His face and body with blood bespread. To his feet he sprang, and in haste he hied, He was fair and strong and of courage tried, In pride and wrath he was overbold, And on Roland, body and arms, laid hold. "The nephew of Karl is overthrown! To Araby bear I this sword, mine own." He stooped to grasp it, but as he drew, Roland returned to his sense anew.
CXCI
He saw the Saracen seize his sword; His eyes he oped, and he spake one word "Thou art not one of our band, I trow," And he clutched the horn he would ne'er forego; On the golden crest he smote him full, Shattering steel and bone and skull, Forth from his head his eyes he beat, And cast him lifeless before his feet. "Miscreant, makest thou then so free, As, right or wrong, to lay hold on me? Who hears it will deem thee a madman born; Behold the mouth of mine ivory horn Broken for thee, and the gems and gold Around its rim to earth are rolled."
CXCII
Roland feeleth his eyesight reft, Yet he stands erect with what strength is left; From his bloodless cheek is the hue dispelled, But his Durindana all bare he held. In front a dark brown rock arose He smote upon it ten grievous blows. Grated the steel as it struck the flint, Yet it brake not, nor bore its edge one dint. "Mary, Mother, be thou mine aid! Ah, Durindana, my ill - starred blade, I may no longer thy guardian be! What fields of battle I won with thee! What realms and regions 'twas ours to gain, Now the lordship of Carlemaine! Never shalt thou possessor know Who would turn from face of mortal foe; A gallant vassal so long thee bore, Such as France the free shall know no more."
CXCIII
He smote anew on the marble stair. It grated, but breach nor notch was there. When Roland found that it would not break, Thus began he his plaint to make. "Ah, Durindana, how fair and bright Thou sparklest, flaming against the light! When Karl in Maurienne valley lay, God sent his angel from heaven to say 'This sword shall a valorous captain's be,' And he girt it, the gentle king, on me. With it I vanquished Poitou and Maine, Provence I conquered and Aquitaine; I conquered Normandy the free, Anjou, and the marches of Brittany; Romagna I won, and Lombardy, Bavaria, Flanders from side to side, And Burgundy, and Poland wide; Constantinople affiance vowed, And the Saxon soil to his bidding bowed; Scotia, and Wales, and Ireland's plain, Of England made he his own domain. What might, regions I won of old, For the hoary - headed Karl to hold! But there presses on me a grievous pain, Lest thou in heathen hands remain. O God our Father, keep France from stain!"
CXCIV
His strokes once more on the brown rock fell, And the steel was bent past words to tell; Yet it brake not, nor was notched the grain, Erect it leaped to the sky again. When he failed at the last to break his blade, His lamentation he inly made. "Oh, fair and holy, my peerless sword, What relics lie in thy pommel stored! Tooth of Saint Peter, Saint Basil's blood, Hair of Saint Denis beside them strewed, Fragment of holy Mary's vest. 'Twere shame that thou with the heathen rest; Thee should the hand of a Christian serve One who would never in battle swerve. What regions won I with thee of yore, The empire now of Karl the hoar! Rich and mighty is he therefore.'
CXCV

That death was on him he knew full well; Down from his head to his heart it fell; On the grass beneath a pine - tree's shade, With face to earth, his form he laid, Beneath him placed he his horn and sword, And turned his face to the heathen horde. Thus hath he done the sooth to show, That Karl and his warriors all may know, That the gentle count a conqueror died. Mea Culpa full oft he cried; And, for all his sins, unto God above, In sign of penance, he raised his glove.
CXCVI
Roland feeleth his hour at hand; On a knoll he lies towards the Spanish land. With one hand beats he upon his breast: "In thy sight, O God, be my sins confessed. From my hour of birth, both the great and small, Down to this day, I repent of all." As his glove he raises to God on high, Angels of heaven descend him nigh.
CXCVII
Beneath a pine was his resting - place, To the land of Spain hath he turned his face, On his memory rose full many a thought Of the lands he won and the fields he fought; Of his gentle France, of his kin and line; Of his nursing father, King Karl benign; He may not the tear and sob control, Nor yet forgets he his parting soul. To God's compassion he makes his cry: "O Father true, who canst not lie, Who didst Lazarus raise unto life agen, And Daniel shield in the lions' den; Shield my soul from its peril, due For the sins I sinned my lifetime through." He did his right - hand glove uplift Saint Gabriel took from his hand the gift; Then drooped his head upon his breast, And with clasped hands he went to rest. God from on high sent down to him One of his angel Cherubim Saint Michael of Peril of the sea, Saint Gabriel in company From heaven they came for that soul of price, And they bore it with them to Paradise.

Men of the West Series is Tagged

If one wants a series to read, such as Men of the West, one only has to click on the tag at the bottom of the posts. Just a reminder for some readers....

13th Century Stained Glass Roundel from Chartres Cathedral, showing Roland Attempting to Break Durendal and Blowing His Olifant


Oh no, my home town is losing the St. Louis Cardinal affliation


http://qctimes.com/sports/baseball/professional/minor/midwest-league/cards-likely-not-to-renew-affiliation-with-quad-cities-river/article_b83b9838-fce2-11e1-8bfb-0019bb2963f4.html

And we have one of the most beautiful ballparks in all cities of that league.

Many professional players learned their skills here. I hope another team offers to come in. When I was a kid, the Braves were the affiliates.

But, as a die-hard Cardinal fan, this has been a plus to have the Red Birds here in the Quad-Cities.

Sad...

The President's Response is Disgraceful and Weak

Our president's response is a disgrace. May the souls of those killed, Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and the staff in Libya, rest in peace. These dedicated people were killed because of violence against freedom of speech.

http://www.nationaljournal.com/nationalsecurity/u-s-ambassador-killed-in-libya-20120912


and response from Romney:

“I’m outraged by the attacks on American diplomatic missions in Libya and Egypt and by the death of an American consulate worker in Benghazi,” Romney said. “It’s disgraceful that the Obama Administration’s first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks.”
Romney’s remarks came before the White House confirmed Wednesday morning that U.S. ambassador to Libya, John Christopher Stevens, was among those killed in the Benghazi attack.
Romney foreign policy adviser Rich Williamson told Foreign Policy magazine Tuesday evening, before the deaths were reported, that the attacks were related to Obama’s “failure to be an effective leader for U.S. interests in the Middle East.”

and my response...


I would never apologize for a crusade to save the lives of those who are weak and being forced to live under the black flag. Today is a day of celebration in the Catholic Church, not only because of Mary’s Holy Name, but because of her intercession in helping the West stop the onslaught of Islam. To deny that is to deny our history as Catholics and Westerners.
That is part of our history. We should be proud of it. But, I am afraid there are few if any more Rolands, or Sobieskis or Prince Eugenes, not among Catholics. We are not a pacifist religion. We never have been. We have a right to defend ourselves. We have few Protector Men left. That is the tragedy of our civilization. That is the tragedy of Catholic women and children.

As to Cairo, all this was planned. The supremacists are on the move.


 You can buy the black caliphate supremacist flags online. There are no accidents in history. England has seen these.
And the black flag  in Cairo is not merely the flag of Al Qaeda, but the black flag of the Prophet. I looked this up on an Islamic flag site. The Muslims, and I say this like a mantra, have long memories.
“The major flag of the Prophet was known as “Al- Uqaab”, it was pure black with and without symbol or marking. Its name and color was derived from Quraish’s national flag.” Just google Islamic flags. Additional markings were accrued over the centuries by other caliphates. There is a YouTube showing the black flags of the caliphates in a demonstration in India in February of this year. it was a terrifying exhibition of the real faith of Islam. If people want to know things, it is not hard to find out.
All this was planned to coincide with this holy and great day for Catholics, the Holy Name of Mary whose gracious intercession won the Siege of Vienna in 1683. To know history is to know our Catholic roots and identity.
There are no accidents in Islam and there are none in Catholicism either.
These demonstrations had nothing to do with the movie and the apologies of both potus and Clinton, as I said on my blog this European morning, are despicable, grovelling and deceitful.



The statistics in this video are alarming--check it out


Spot the problem in the United States policy

http://www.raymondibrahim.com/12268/islam-black-flag-flies-over-egypt

http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Giuliani-terror-confused-Qaida/2012/09/12/id/451535

Happy Feast of the Holy Name of Mary

The Education of Mary
Happy Feast Day!

Cute Wednesday Two--Cute Dog



Well, I have three cat videos to one dog photo. I need some dog photos. A cute Illinois dog....very nice.

The Sartre of Cats--I love this.........what can one do about ennui?

This very intelligent cat also reminds me of Camus and L'Etranger. If I were teaching again, I would use these. I hope Henri finds meaning.....



Pay attention, Westerners: Sam's Speech




http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/netanyahu-obama-israel-nuclear/2012/09/11/id/451404?s=al&promo_code=1008A-1

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2012/09/11/cairo-us-embassy-protesters-prophet-mohammad/70000126/1#.UFAUyLKPV5V

http://washington.cbslocal.com/2012/09/11/netanyahu-to-obama-wait-for-what-wait-until-when/

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/white-house-declines-netanyahu-request-to-meet-with-obama.premium-1.464328

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/52597/World/International/Mob-sets-fire-to-US-consulate-in-Benghazi-witness.aspx

http://news.sky.com/story/983922/us-official-killed-in-libya-prophet-protest

Three Happy First Communicants-Cute Wednesday One



The face of joy and love. Praise God for raising up new generations of Catholics. Bless these three lovely children. Pray for them. Pray for vocations. I love the white mantillas and the adorable dresses. They have a great mum and a great dad. The parish priest just blessed their new rosaries.


Pigs and the Financial Times


Here are two photos of places I know well in Iowa. The soy bean field has been saved near Clinton, Iowa because of irrigation. Clinton is a place where I taught for awhile. That farmer did a great job. Not all farmers were so fortunate. The cornfield near McCausland is ruined. My state, Iowa, is the leading producer of soy beans. We have had a terrible drought. Soy beans are expensive because so much of the crop was ruined. Have you ever wondered what soy beans are used for in your diet and in the diets of animals? the Financial Times explains the soy drought will affect your ability to eat pork. English pig farmers are giving up on raising pigs. The feed is too dear.

I cannot eat soy because of one medication which I take. Soy interferes with the absorption of this med.

So, I have to read labels and labels and labels.

Everything which has soy in it will increase in price because Iowa has a drought, and all the neighbouring soy states.

Soy is in soy sauce, of course, and other yummy Japanese things, but here is a real list from this site:


Baked Goods
Soy protein is used in the manufacturing of breads, cookies, crackers and other baked goods. Soy protein improves texture; holds moisture; creates cake richness; whitens bread; extends shelf-life; reduces breakage and crumbling; enhances nutrition; improves manufacturing, handling and machine ability; and improves mouth feel and overall quality as perceived by the consumer. 




Breakfast Cereals

Soy protein is used extensively as an ingredient in hot cereal mixes and breakfast bars to boost protein value and quantity.

Pasta
Pasta products can be fortified with soy protein to increase nutritional value. For instance, the U.S. National School Lunch Program uses soy-fortified pastas with 15 to 17 percent protein content.

Beverages and Toppings
Soy isolates are used in coffee whiteners, liquid whipped toppings and pre-whipped toppings. They also are used in sour cream dressings to emulsify fat, control viscosity and provide textural characteristics. Instant beverages used as meal replacements often contain soy concentrates and soy isolates as a source of protein.

Meat, Poultry and Fish Products
Processed and whole meat products can be improved by adding soy protein, which provides the product flexibility and cost stability consumers demand. Adding soy protein to meat and poultry products can enhance moisture holding, texture, binding and cohesion, product yield, juiciness, protein quality, appetizing color and appearance, longer shelf-life, palatability and total nutrition.

Dairy-Type Products
A number of dairy analog products have been developed with soy protein, including imitation milk, imitation cheese, non-dairy frozen desserts, coffee whiteners, yogurt and others. Soy protein lowers cost, improves nutrition and reduces allergenic response.

Milk Blends
Many companies produce soy and milk protein blends for food manufacturing, combining the two to offer protein content similar to milk in a non-fat dry milk form. The different blends are used as a complete or partial replacement for non-fat dry milk in baked goods, sauces, meat products and other foods.


and Pig Feed