THE BATTLEMENT

It has been a long indulgent weekend. You’ve spent all afternoon in the deserted house ensconced in the armchair reading, having kicked off your shoes and curled up. Both your hair and your pleated skirt are awry, and, having devoured several chapters of an English novel, you rub your eyes. How late is it? Teatime?
Cookies!

Several minutes later you pad back into the living room with a plate and a cup. Time to go on the computer and see what’s new in the world.
Particularly, what that amusing Dutch-American chap who always hides out at his office on weekends has been up to.
And did he also have tea today?

Of course he did!

Dot. Dot. Dot.

Yesterday was a good day for escaping. And, at around tea-time, I was at my desk in the Financial District. Earlier I had been fondling my pipe after a satisfying bowlful in a peaceful alleyway with a bench, day dreaming.
Upon reaching the office building, I switched on the computer and read the BBC news as well as De Telegraaf. They’ve had particularly hot weather in Holland these last few days. How ironic that there are so many Dutch people and Germans visiting San Francisco now, where the highest it has gotten – in the downtown, and shielded from the wind – has been 63 degrees Fahrenheit. Usually it has been somewhat cold and windy.

Feeling somewhat disappointed with the world, I spent an hour reading about the fall of Saigon in 1975. That seems so long ago. All imperial powers have suffered tropic defeats. England, France, the Netherlands. Germany, Spain, Portugal. Italy. Ours was just a little more recent than theirs. We Americans don’t do imperialism well, it’s not as intrinsic a part of our culture, nor is brutally exploiting other people so important to our sense of well-being.

Then, to change the mood, something upbeat.
A vocaloid singing a spirited tune.


HATSUNE MIKU SINGS LA MARSEILLAISE!

[Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aUmqYY2HF4.]

There now. Who could possibly feel sad after such a bright and sprightly performance?
And note that yesterday was a sunny day. Perfect for happy discoveries.


A MEDIAEVAL PRISON

That backdrop is lovely.  Somehow I think it would make a great wine label.  Though obviously not suited to a California wine, better for a fine plonk from overseas.

[Watercolour by Jean-Pierre Houël, 1789, property of the Bibliothèque Nationale Française.]


The event portrayed in the painting above is greatly detailed on Wikipedia. The citizen-mob stormed the Bastille to acquire ammunition, rather than to liberate the prisoners therein.
Who are described in that Wikipedia article as four forgers, two nutballs, and a deviant.
All in all, other than the symbolic victory of capturing the citadel that represented tyranny, it was like most rebellious acts rather silly. Subsequent bloodletting discredited the rabble, and had they not been ultimately victorious, they and their cause would have been forgotten.

In other words, it was a great revolutionary triumph!
Which is deservedly celebrated every year.
Go ahead, play that song again.

Likely I had too much tea yesterday.
Positively giddy by evening.
Not a bad day.



==========================================================================
NOTE: Readers may contact me directly:
LETTER BOX.
All correspondence will be kept in confidence.
==========================================================================