Fewtril True
The Joy of Curmudgeonry - Fewtril #109
Nothing is as important as it seems at first — or: complacency wins in the end.
Too true. I’ve noticed in the past few days more and more blogs, radio people, news people talking about Domestic Politics, at the expense of Israel v Lebanon/Palestinians, the Indian Bombing (which hasn’t been mentioned at all, but there are things going on with that), the Doha talks, even the Iraqi PM’s talk to a joint meeting of Congress this morning.
July 26th, 2006 at 3:01 pm
Well itn like Lyndon Johnson sed: All politics is likker.
He didn’t really say that.
I’ve reached the end of Churchill and am now drowning in R Caros Life of Johnson… ugh….
July 26th, 2006 at 4:24 pm
Wow! Fun!
The life of Johnson!
I think, personally, I’d rather reread a Jane Austen.
July 27th, 2006 at 3:53 am
Nice one Half! LBJ was my special subject on a TV quiz show over here, and I read Caro, which is sui generis in the genre of biography as thriller. He also has this neat way of including little biographies of the figure LBJ’s working with or against in that specific volume - Sam Rayburn, Coke Stevenson, Richard Russell - and they’re the best thing in the book. Also his tales of Hill Country life - fancy LBJ’s grandfather being the original of the John Wayne character in “Red River”. I’ve got Robert Dallek’s two-volume biography too, which is much better history but nowhere near as much fun. One for Brett: did you know LBJ was born on exactly the same day as Don Bradman? Spooky, huh?
July 27th, 2006 at 4:34 am
Oh, I thought you meant Samuel Johnson, Half. Had a cameo in Blackadder.
No, I didn’t know that, Red. I would have guessed that the Don was the older, but then I see that LBJ died much younger. I’m thinking the Don would have made a terrible president. So, something in common apart from the birthday?
July 27th, 2006 at 4:59 am
For a life of Johnson (Samuel) look no further than Boswell’s “Life of Johnson” which has the added benefit of being a classic in its own right (and great fun).
LBJ never looked like scoring runs with any degree of consistency. The Don was certainly not respected for his man-management qualities by the Tiger, Fingleton and the Nugget. Cordially disliked, in fact.
Think they both might have known about “insider trading” on occasion.
July 27th, 2006 at 5:24 am
If you ever get a chance to see “Cricket in the 70s - The Chappell Era” you’ll see that Chappelli wasn’t a great fan of the Don, either. Not that Ian had a huge fan-club himself (as a person. Great cricket brain, of course). Greg was the more diplomatic of the two, and in fact became a politician (conservative) in Queensland (may still be).
July 27th, 2006 at 8:20 am
Yes Caros mini-bios are good stuff. I especially like the one on Richard Russell (of the Georgia Russells). Wish he had the space to do one on Walter George who was his compatriot, his farm adjoined my Great-Uncle Bills in Vienna (pronounced Vi Enya) Georgia.
July 27th, 2006 at 8:22 am
Did he indeed? I remember seeing him when he was very young playing for Somerset in 1968, alongside the legendary Bill Alley. Liked Chappelli as a player but can quite see where the difficulties might arise.
July 27th, 2006 at 8:26 am
Russell comes over as the Noblest Roman of the All, as it were. Caro’s very good at the personal complexities. His Russell could have so easily become a liberal caricature. I liked how Coke Stevenson’s incorporated into the great mythologies of the frontier.
July 27th, 2006 at 9:57 am
Yes.
July 27th, 2006 at 2:45 pm
Coke Stevenson reminds me a little too much of me beloved Dad. Coffee Cooling and such. Makes me stamp my feet. Let’s make a damn decision! :>
July 28th, 2006 at 3:40 am
I like the story about how, when the chaplain of the Texas House had failed to turn up to request the help of the Almighty in its deliberations, Speaker Coke observed “I guess you fellows are on your own today”. Cool.
July 28th, 2006 at 6:56 am
Ha ha! yep.
July 28th, 2006 at 8:49 am
And that “just one riot, just one Ranger” line from Frank Hamer?
July 28th, 2006 at 5:43 pm
Was that from Caro? I assumed that line was from the way way back era.
My cousin Stephen tells a similar story about a near riot breaking out in St. Pete during the “bad years” an Officer Needs Help call went out and the first responder (he was working US 19) was a Florida Highway Patrolman. He waded into the crowd with his 357 in both hands and dispersed same. Steve sez he heard from the back of the “Watch out! It’s a Road Man!”
July 31st, 2006 at 1:21 am
Caro tells it - settling a labour dispute/riot. Caro’s very good on making Texans seem very very different.