John C. Wright's Journal

Polovtsian Dances from Borodin’s Prince Igor:

Rare is a ballet with an operatic interlude. You may be familiar with this melody from the Broadway showtune ‘Strangers in Paradise’.

Fly away on wings of wind
To native lands, our native song,
To there, where we sang you freely,
Where we were so carefree with you.
There, under sultry skies,
With bliss the air is full,
There, to the whisper of the sea,
mountains doze in the clouds.
There, the sun shines so brightly,
Bathing native mountains in color.
In the meadows, roses bloom luxuriously,
And nightingales sing in the green forests;
And sweet grape grows.
There is more carefree for you, song
… And so fly away there!

The words, even in translation, are poignant with melancholy, and conjure the magic of Asian steppes.

The second dance (at 3.41) takes a darker turn:
Sing to the Glory of the Khan! SING!
Praise the power of the Khan! GLORY!
Glory to the Khan! Be Glorious our Khan!
His glory matches the sun! KHAN!
None match the glory of the Khan! NONE!

The woman’s choir chimes in:
The Khan’s slaves, the Khan’s slave, praise the Khan

The Khan then sings to Prince Igor:
Behold the beautiful slaves from distant coasts
See what beautiful slaves from the Caspian seas?
Say, to me, my friend, a single word
I will bestow to you the one you wish

The male choir repeats:

Sing to the Glory of the Khan! SING!
(&c)

Those of you raised on the fantasy paperbacks and planetary romances of my generation, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Leigh Brackett, Robert E Howard, and such, will recognize the oriental splendor and cruelty, but may not know all these things were once as mainstream, once as much a part of fine art, as the sorcery of Prospero, or the witches of Macbeth, the gods, nymphs and satyrs of Virgil and Homer.

If you wondered at the odd popularity of Slave Leia in cosplay, based on a single scene in STAR WARS, keep in mind how many Conan tales, pirate stories, oriental adventures, and, yes, operas like this, that scene followed. The wormlike crimelord Jabba the Hutt was not Al Capone. The Chicago gangster kept no harem of chained dancing girls. No; Jabba the Hutt was a barbaric Khan.

There was a time, before the Great War, before Darwin and Marx, when splendor and wonder were not relegated to the nursery, or published only in cheap pulp disdained as popular.

There are some in this day attempting a renaissance of the high aesthetic preserve from the ancient and medieval world by the pulps, trampled by the crass materialism of socialist and godless editors in our fathers’ day. Entertainment is weary of the Gnostic world-hatred called Woke, the bitter tales of bitter people.

One hears theories as to why Game of Thrones, at one time the most famous and celebrated series in our genre, will never be finished. Writer Devon Eriksen offers a theory that rings true.

The words below are his. 

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https://x.com/Devon_Eriksen_/status/1831714435549057245

Here’s what Song of Ice and Fire actually wants to be, and why George can’t finish it.
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Harris disparaged Trump’s visit to Arlington cemetery to honor the families of fallen servicemen. She and Biden had been invited but declined to come. Eight of the families of the slain have released public messages in return.

Odd to have two columns in a row which merely point to another man’s words, but the personal issues (and disorganization) has kept from from attending properly to my blog of late. Nonetheless, as a courtesy to my readers, I thought  this column from Twitter work of genius, and well worth passing along.

From the pen of Devon Eriksen, author of THEFT OF FIRE.

The words below are his:

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Today’s required reading. The words below are his, reprinted sneakily and without permission, but with great admiration. Original is here.

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Neither Kamala Harris nor Tim Walz has ever spent a single second of their adult lives working in the private sector. Not a second. Not one. Literally every single penny they have ever earned in their adult lives as ordinary income has been provided by sucking at the teat of the value-creating taxpayer. What is worse is that this means they know LITERALLY NOTHING about business or private enterprise.

Now you may be saying, “Oh c’mon CP, they have run organizations, they have been AROUND business, that’s good enough, right?”

No it isn’t. I’ll tell you my own story to explain why.

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Interesting. Sometimes seeming coincidences are just that. But sometimes not.

From Father Z’s Blog.

The Catholic Church that is across the street from the Butler fairgrounds has an outdoor grotto to Our Lady of Fatima and the visionaries. The statue of Our Lady faces in the direction of the fairgrounds.

You can see this on Google maps:  HERE

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In case anyone forgot:

This is not the complete tally.

Please note that this list does not mention votes gathered in ways not permitted under the US Constitution.

Specifically, if the state legislature has not changed the voting method, but some officer of the executive branch, or a judge ruling from the bench, has changed voting methods (e.g. drop boxes allowed, mail-in ballot restrictions removed, voter ID restrictions removed) this is unconstitutional.
I have not followed the cases closely, but as best I know, no law cases concerning the 202 voter fraud have been heard on the merits. All were refused hearing on the grounds of standing, or some other facetious grounds. If anyone has heard otherwise, please tell me.

List taken from Darwin-to-Jesus, like myself, a recovering atheist. 

1. North Korea: Christians face extreme persecution, including imprisonment in labor camps, torture, and execution if discovered practicing their faith. The regime has intensified measures to prevent Christians from escaping to China.

2. Afghanistan: Christians must practice their faith in complete secrecy. Discovery can lead to execution by the Taliban, who view conversion from Islam as a betrayal.

3. Somalia: The small Christian community in Somalia faces severe persecution from al-Shabaab militants and societal pressure. Being a Christian is seen as a betrayal to family and community, often resulting in death.

4. Libya: Christians, particularly converts from Islam, face intense persecution from Islamic militant groups and are at risk of abduction, torture, and murder.

5. Pakistan: Blasphemy laws are often misused to target Christians, leading to imprisonment or mob violence. Christian communities face social discrimination and violence.

6. Nigeria: Islamist militant groups like Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen frequently attack Christian villages, resulting in mass killings, abductions, and the destruction of churches and homes.

7. India: Hindu nationalist groups frequently attack Christians, and new anti-conversion laws in several states have increased the persecution of Christians, leading to violence and harassment.

8. China: The government has intensified its crackdown on Christianity, including the demolition of churches, arrests of church leaders, and increased surveillance and control over religious activities.

9. Iran: Christians, especially converts from Islam, face harsh treatment, including arrest, imprisonment, and torture. House churches are frequently raided, and members are detained.

10. Eritrea: Christians face imprisonment in inhumane conditions, with many held indefinitely without trial. The government heavily restricts religious practice, targeting evangelical and Pentecostal communities.

This is the most interesting and even moving interview this year.

Public figures speaking honestly in public is as rare as a two-tailed comet in Aquarius. Men willing to admit past wrongs, confess the sin of having been deceived, even moreso.

And to let a man speak without interruption? This is like something from long ago, from long lost Atlantis, when newsmen did things called interviews, or had shows that were not scripted and fake.

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This was too crude and rude to download, but too funny not to link to.

Language warning. Bad language.  Southpark levels of TEAM AMERICA WORLD POLICE language.

Assuredly, everyone and his cousin wants to hear what legal scholar, failed lawyer, and intellectual bigwig John C Wright has to say about the constitutional and philosophical nuances of the recent Loper decision overturning Chevron Deference. 

Naw. No one want to hear that. We want to hear the profanity laced screed by the Mountain Who Writes, the Lord of Sad Puppies, the monster of Monster Hunter himself, Larry “International Lord of Hate” Corriea.

https://monsterhunternation.com/2024/07/03/chevron/ 

(and leave thanks and comments at his site.) 

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