15 years ago
Monday, November 24, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Ella Joins The Guard
There is no earthly reason to keep six cats.
I never meant for it to be this way. My god it's like a bad marriage. You pull into the garage with the best of intentions; you only want to park the car for cryin' out loud. It's not as if you live in the country or something. You live in a LOFT...these things don't happen to people who live in lofts!
Crap.
So, we're standing surrounded by grocery bags, waiting for the elevator to come. The prince and I get on and turn to press the button for our floor when what do we see hiding behind the open garage door---a little gray back. A little gray furry back.
"Please," she mews, once her nervousness subsides "I want to join the Ammonia Guard, and be a great guardian of the royal beds, windowsills and food bowls. They say it is a tough life that requires napping for 16 hours a day...but I think I can do it."
Poor little baby is all skin and bones, we're talking hollow kitty. She is so thin that it's hard to feel anything when we pick her up and take her upstairs with us.
"What is your name?" I ask after she has explored the bedroom and refreshed herself with a bit of food and water.
"Ella" she tells us; then she licks herself clean as she can of the grime from the garage and curls up to rest on the bed, beginning her guard duties immediately.
Well, how can the SP and I resist? Little Miss Ella Kit has got the chops. She's a fine guard member, and is filliing out rapidly. I had held out hope that by dismantling the draft we would have no new guard members since it's tough for a monarchy in exile to provide the wherewithal to keep an army clothed, fed, neutered, spayed, you know the rest.
It seems, however, that even with the shingle taken down the recruits will find us, and we, will always take them in.
I never meant for it to be this way. My god it's like a bad marriage. You pull into the garage with the best of intentions; you only want to park the car for cryin' out loud. It's not as if you live in the country or something. You live in a LOFT...these things don't happen to people who live in lofts!
Crap.
So, we're standing surrounded by grocery bags, waiting for the elevator to come. The prince and I get on and turn to press the button for our floor when what do we see hiding behind the open garage door---a little gray back. A little gray furry back.
"Please," she mews, once her nervousness subsides "I want to join the Ammonia Guard, and be a great guardian of the royal beds, windowsills and food bowls. They say it is a tough life that requires napping for 16 hours a day...but I think I can do it."
Poor little baby is all skin and bones, we're talking hollow kitty. She is so thin that it's hard to feel anything when we pick her up and take her upstairs with us.
"What is your name?" I ask after she has explored the bedroom and refreshed herself with a bit of food and water.
"Ella" she tells us; then she licks herself clean as she can of the grime from the garage and curls up to rest on the bed, beginning her guard duties immediately.
Well, how can the SP and I resist? Little Miss Ella Kit has got the chops. She's a fine guard member, and is filliing out rapidly. I had held out hope that by dismantling the draft we would have no new guard members since it's tough for a monarchy in exile to provide the wherewithal to keep an army clothed, fed, neutered, spayed, you know the rest.
It seems, however, that even with the shingle taken down the recruits will find us, and we, will always take them in.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Forward, Into The Future!
To paraphrase an old Steely Dan song:
"He's an artist, a pioneer. He's got the right dynamic for the new frontier."
It is the custom for royalty to stay out of politics lest their views exert undue sway. Since the SP and the OQ are deposed royalty with no sway over anything except the Ammonia Guard (cats, my friends, cats) we feel safe in saying that we couldn't be happier with America's choice.
It was ours as well.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
The Wonder of M. Photoshop
The SP and the OQ have always had a soft spot for the great M. Ingres. That guy sure could paint!
We were especially entranced by this painting of Napoleon on his throne which we saw live and in person when we visited St. Louis a couple of Julys ago.
Now, we have infinite faith in our own M. Photoshop's ability to reproduce any style of art and tailor it specifically to the needs of the SP, so we put it to M. Photoshop; could he create a portrait of our own little prince in the style of M. Ingres?
Ahhh, we should have known.
M. Photoshop merely chuckled and, eyes twinkling with delight he turned to his canvas. It was not long before he presented us with this
A delightful addition to the royal portrait gallery. I tell ya, that M. Photoshop is worth his weight in gold, and pardon me for the bias but I think M. Ingres would be envious of the superior gorgeousness of the subject.
We were especially entranced by this painting of Napoleon on his throne which we saw live and in person when we visited St. Louis a couple of Julys ago.
Now, we have infinite faith in our own M. Photoshop's ability to reproduce any style of art and tailor it specifically to the needs of the SP, so we put it to M. Photoshop; could he create a portrait of our own little prince in the style of M. Ingres?
Ahhh, we should have known.
M. Photoshop merely chuckled and, eyes twinkling with delight he turned to his canvas. It was not long before he presented us with this
A delightful addition to the royal portrait gallery. I tell ya, that M. Photoshop is worth his weight in gold, and pardon me for the bias but I think M. Ingres would be envious of the superior gorgeousness of the subject.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Technical Difficulties
The Prine at the FountainDue to technical difficulties the court in exile will not be able to post as regularly as we usually do, nor will we be able to keep up with those whose wit and wisdom we follow regularly online.
We hope to have this situation under control within the next few days. Until then cheers from the court of the Shoestring Prince.
Monday, October 20, 2008
The Crown In Exile Is Pleased
...to present the newest work of M. Photoshop, court painter.
It's just a typical day in the life of the Shoestring Prince
It's just a typical day in the life of the Shoestring Prince
Sunday, October 12, 2008
This Is NOT a Political Blog...BUT...
(As a native of Berkeley, the Old Queen believes in a socially just monarchy, and in a monarchy where everyone sees themeslves as creatures of value whose worth is reflected in the faces of those who represent them. If you don't believe this read back posts about the importance of boys seeing men and other boys as professional dancers. It makes a huge difference in attitude. I think the time is ripe for little Barack Obamas to see themselves in the role of president...as no doubt little rail splitters did when they looked upon that other "inexperienced" Illinois Senator who rose to the post of president. Yep, it can happen, so keep dreamin' big kids! That's a royal order from The Shoestring Prince, and The Old Queen)(From the royal library at Wiki.answers)
What is the origin of the name Barack?
In: Name Origins
"Barack" is a word that is shared among several languages. First, it is a word in the Semitic family of languages. As such it has a root in Hebrew (but written baruch), a version in Aramaic (berek), a version in Arabic (baraka). (See Strong's Hebrew Bible Dictionary, entries 1288-1294.) It also occurs as a loan word in non-Semitic languages that have been influenced by these Semitic languages. As often happens, cognate words are similar in pronunciation. What appears in a later-appearing language may sound like something else in the earlier language. And in English we sometimes see words that are pronounced the same and even spelled the same, but that have very different meanings. Barack or Barak means 'lightning' in Hebrew.
(Barachiel is the old queen's own patron angel for her birth month of February!)
The name Barak is also mentioned in the Bible in the book of Judges. Barak was part of the story of the prophetess Deborah. Baruch (or Baruwk, Baruk, Strong, 1263) and its cognates berek and baraka all mean the same. Strong, 1288, says "barak, baw-rak', a primitive root; to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit)."
http://www.virtualchristiancenter.com/biblestudytools/kjvstrongs/STRHEB12.htm
Regardless of how one spells the name, it gives two possible and not contradictory meanings. One is "a blessing from God," and another is "a blessing from God that the individual may pass on to others as a benefit to them."
The second meaning is very clear in the Sufi tradition in which the searcher for Allah, or as Jesus would have called Him Alaha, receives from his or her teacher a transmission of some key to seeing what Meister Eckhard called the "divine spark" within each of us. ) If you pray to Allah you may choose to call your child Barak. If you pray to Alaha you may choose to call your child Berek. If you think you are praying to different gods or bestowing names with different meanings you may benefit from further study.
...just sayin'.
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