Cato's Grammar Grumble

[Cato]

It seems to me that "an international bill of [any] rights" is in part delusional, as there is no such international governing body to covenant to any such thing.

Right!  And who will enforce such a law in e.g. Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, etc?

And certainly (I would think) the "free democracies" would not want to subordinate themselves to the U.N. for such legislation.

[North Star]

There is the International Criminal Court, of course...

[kishnevi]

There is the International Criminal Court, of course...

to which the US is not a signatory, because of the possibility of Americans being harrassed by unfounded war crimes charges  (the possibility of American politicians being charged with well founded war crimes charges of course makes no appearance in the public explanations of the American stance on this question).

[Todd]

There is the International Criminal Court, of course...

Yes, but enforcing imaginary international bills of rights are outside its purview.  It's too busy hearing cases on African leaders, and nothing but African leaders.

to which the US is not a signatory, because of the possibility of Americans being harrassed by unfounded war crimes charges  (the possibility of American politicians being charged with well founded war crimes charges of course makes no appearance in the public explanations of the American stance on this question).

Bipartisanship in action.

[Karl Henning]

Bipartisanship in action.

Yes, we can!

[Sergeant Rock]

Punctuation is important 




Sarge

[Cato]

Punctuation is important 




Sarge

Highly disturbing! 

Another case where the "Oxford comma" is necessary!

[North Star]

[Cato]

This is just... sad!

Our dear 30-something principal reads from the Lives of the Saints every day, many of which are what a priest I knew called "pious fictions."  Last week the principal read something about a Council of Constantinople which put the Mass into the basic form we know today.

"And because the Council was in Greece, that's why one part of the Mass was left in Greek,

(hesitating... hesitating... )

the Kai Ree." 

(Sigh!)  I would have hoped that a Catholic adult, even though born after 1965, would still know how to pronounce "Kyrie."

Or would have asked the eldest member of his faculty, a classicist who knows Ancient Greek, how to pronounce the word!!!

Today, the good man speaks of a certain Saint Flannan of Ireland, who preached the Gospel in Ireland and Scotland ...

"... and even on the Hee Brides Islands."

(SIGH!)

Okay, it does look like "Hee Brides," but again...

[Karl Henning]

Ahead of their time.  They were all she-brides, in my day . . . .

[The Six]

Last week the principal read something about a Council of Constantinople which put the Mass into the basic form we know today.

Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople (still a Turkish delight on a moonlit night, though).

[Florestan]

This is just... sad!

Our dear 30-something principal reads from the Lives of the Saints every day, many of which are what a priest I knew called "pious fictions."  Last week the principal read something about a Council of Constantinople which put the Mass into the basic form we know today.

"And because the Council was in Greece, that's why one part of the Mass was left in Greek,

(hesitating... hesitating... )

the Kai Ree." 

(Sigh!)  I would have hoped that a Catholic adult, even though born after 1965, would still know how to pronounce "Kyrie."

Or would have asked the eldest member of his faculty, a classicist who knows Ancient Greek, how to pronounce the word!!!

Your principal is as ignorant as it gets and then some... 

First, there has been no Council ever, in Constantinople or elsewhere, to "put the [Roman Catholic] Mass into the basic form we know today".

Second, "the basic form we know today" of the "Roman Catholic Mass" is not older than the Second Vatican Council --- and many (myself included) would argue that (1) it is neither Roman, nor Catholic, nor Mass and (2) it is theologically and aesthetically offensive.

Third, a Council held in Constantinople (as there were many) did not take place "in Greece", but in the Roman Empire, and in its very political, theological and cultural heart for that matter; by the time of the First Council of Constantinople (381), which had absolutely nothing to do with the Mass, Rome had long since lost its political, theological and cultural importance; its 476 sack was absolutely nothing like "the fall of the Roman Empire" (save. perhaps, for people like your principal  )

Look, Leo, I'm not a Roman Catholic but a Greek Orthodox and I'm currently unemployed; should your principal be dismissed I'd like to apply for the position. 

Today, the good man speaks of a certain Saint Flannan of Ireland, who preached the Gospel in Ireland and Scotland ...

"... and even on the Hee Brides Islands."

(SIGH!)

Okay, it does look like "Hee Brides," but again...

What's his Alma Mater, if I may ask?

[Cato]

I'm currently unemployed; should your principal be dismissed I'd like to apply for the position. 


What's his Alma Mater, if I may ask?

Yes, I sighed at everything you mentioned! 

There is ultimately no excuse for him, because I am right next door to his office, and if he cared at all, if he prepared at all for his daily readings, he could always ask me how to pronounce things, or whether something is historically accurate.

But "planning" is a foreign word to him!

Somewhat in his defense, he is reading a children's "Lives of the Saints" which I am sure has streamlined and simplified away the objections you mentioned.

On the other hand, the book occasionally contains some rather brutal descriptions of martyrdom, and recently he blurted out a line (about Saint Lucy?) about how the female saint went off to a convent "where she would not be molested."   

Our English teacher came running out into the hall, waved at me, and mouthed "WHAT IS HE THINKING?"   

I explained to my 8th Graders, who also were not a little shocked, that in Latin "molestus" means "annoying, or bothersome."

Florestan, I would love it if you could be our principal!!!  Unfortunately, it seems "Fearless Leader" will be around for a while.

And "Fearless Leader" has an education degree (the worst degree in America, next to Sociology     ) from a famous football college known as Notre Dame.   0:)

[Karl Henning]

An education degree from Notre Dame . . . sounds like a punch-line . . . .

[Florestan]

"Fearless Leader" has an education degree (the worst degree in America, next to Sociology     )

It seems to me that Education today is about preventing children from getting any education at all and their parents from remedying the situation, while Sociology is about promoting whatever ideas and behaviors are guaranteed to destroy the social fabric... 

from a famous football college known as Notre Dame.   0:)

IIRC, that is the college that once boasted Jacques Maritain as one of its professors. O tempora, o mores!...

[Florestan]

Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople (still a Turkish delight on a moonlit night, though).

The most beautiful moonlight I've ever seen was in Istanbul. I'm sure that, had it been in Constantinople still, it would have been even more beautiful yet... 

[Cato]

It seems to me that Education today is about preventing children from getting any education at all and their parents from remedying the situation, while Sociology is about promoting whatever ideas and behaviors are guaranteed to destroy the social fabric... 

IIRC, that is the college that once boasted Jacques Maritain as one of its professors. O tempora, o mores!...

Jacques Maritain!!!  I feasted on his books... (does calculations)    ... 40-45 years ago!   

Marvelous thinker and writer!

And yes, I have never battled so many parents who are preventing their children from maturing and learning, because they are 1. convinced that their children are over-worked geniuses,  2. convinced that we are too obtuse to realize that we are over-working these geniuses, and 3. are therefore convinced they must "help" their students by doing homework for them, making excuses, and believing the lies their children tell about how overworked they are!

And then we have moronic bureaucrats (although Catholic schools have few in comparison to public ones) and administrators to handle and ignore! 

[Karl Henning]

Was it Maritain who did the Latin translation of Œdipus Rex for Stravinsky?  Or do I misremember?

[Cato]

Was it Maritain who did the Latin translation of Œdipus Rex for Stravinsky?  Or do I misremember?

No, the historian (and Cardinal) Jean Danielou translated the text into Latin.  I have a multi-volume History of the Church which he helped to write and edit.

[Karl Henning]

That's right;  just a mish-mash between my ears