Commander in Chief

♠
WE hear constantly now about “our commander in chief.” The word has become a synonym for “president.” It is said that we “elect a commander in chief.” It is asked whether this or that candidate is “worthy to be our commander in chief.”

But the president is not our commander in chief. He certainly is not mine. I am not in the Army.

-- Garry Wills, "At Ease, Mr. President" in The New York Times

It may be a pedantic point, but I found it sharp and illuminating, waking one up a little. I particularly loved learning about how the practice of the marines saluting the president when he boards the White House helicopter was started by Ronald Reagan - another Republican playing Commando.

Of course, we understand that by referring to the president as commander in chief we mean to point out that he is the one who orders the military forces. We also know that a certain level of secrecy is unavoidable, even if Mr. Wills is right that Administrations, particularly Republican ones, take advantage of it. Still, this was some nice morning reading and a keeper.

( Wills column )

xXx

Commander in Chief

♠
WE hear constantly now about “our commander in chief.” The word has become a synonym for “president.” It is said that we “elect a commander in chief.” It is asked whether this or that candidate is “worthy to be our commander in chief.”

But the president is not our commander in chief. He certainly is not mine. I am not in the Army.

-- Garry Wills, "At Ease, Mr. President" in The New York Times

It may be a pedantic point, but I found it sharp and illuminating, waking one up a little. I particularly loved learning about how the practice of the marines saluting the president when he boards the White House helicopter was started by Ronald Reagan - another Republican playing Commando.

Of course, we understand that by referring to the president as commander in chief we mean to point out that he is the one who orders the military forces. We also know that a certain level of secrecy is unavoidable, even if Mr. Wills is right that Administrations, particularly Republican ones, take advantage of it. Still, this was some nice morning reading and a keeper.

( Wills column )

xXx

Manly Moisturizing Lotion?

♠
I hate having to use moisturiziing lotion on my hands. One of the little annoyances of winter. Is there not a more manly way to take care of the problem of dried out, cracking hands, other than just suffering the stiffness and itching and the breaking of the skin?

xXx

Manly Moisturizing Lotion?

♠
I hate having to use moisturiziing lotion on my hands. One of the little annoyances of winter. Is there not a more manly way to take care of the problem of dried out, cracking hands, other than just suffering the stiffness and itching and the breaking of the skin?

xXx

Now It's Sunny!

♠
January would bloom springtime now. Monk is close to changing to his shorts. It makes "Magic Mountain" somewhat less enchanting.

Neverthemore, it occurs to him that sunny days do rather work against books and reading, in general. It seems a bit sickly to be staying inside and lost in the introversion of reading, instead of being out there and living life.

But Monk is happily into the novel now, and very pleased that such a book can be fairly counted as his fun reading - as easy and enjoyable as noir or stories of O. He only regrets that this is not likely to be true for the likes of Dickens or books like "Of Human Bondage." All his regrets should be so trivial.

xXx

Now It's Sunny!

♠
January would bloom springtime now. Monk is close to changing to his shorts. It makes "Magic Mountain" somewhat less enchanting.

Neverthemore, it occurs to him that sunny days do rather work against books and reading, in general. It seems a bit sickly to be staying inside and lost in the introversion of reading, instead of being out there and living life.

But Monk is happily into the novel now, and very pleased that such a book can be fairly counted as his fun reading - as easy and enjoyable as noir or stories of O. He only regrets that this is not likely to be true for the likes of Dickens or books like "Of Human Bondage." All his regrets should be so trivial.

xXx

A Collectible Magic Mountain

♠
“I cannot believe I did that.”

~
Monk is nervous as a kitten. At least that money is no longer burning a hole in his pocket. And I guess it was a good thing that he did not order that Scrabble software.

When Monk began to read Thomas Mann's "Magic Mountain" this afternoon, the cover tore off. He figured that it will not be long before the paperback begins to unravel in earnest.

Monk recalls when he bought the book back in 1994. He ordered it from the mall bookstore as an intellectual experiment, without any expectation that it would become such a personal book that hits so many of the right notes on his sheltered and stunted life. The woman clerk asked if he wanted a hardback, and figuring that he is likely to read the thing only once, he immediately and easily said no.

Then Monk started thinking that, even if he wanted to buy a new volume, he might not be able to do so since there is a new translation, which looks simpler to him and which he thinks of as "Magic Mountain for Idiots." But Monk has been enamored of buying good used books and this idea grew on him.

At Amazon, he sees this ad for a leather-bound volume that is also illustrated and by his preferred translator H. T. Lowe-Porter. The cherry on top is that the seller boasts it has never even been read before. And it is only fifteen dollars.

Still, Monk has a copy that is serviceable for another reading on top of this one. It seems like such a luxury. Moreover, he has already read the first chapter, and the timing just seems off.

In the end, Monk clicked and finalized the order, even selecting the option for expedited mailing for a couple more bucks. He is looking forward to getting it no later than Friday, and we will begin this trip up the Swiss Alps again. Who knows, maybe it will get cold again.

xXx

A Collectible Magic Mountain

♠
“I cannot believe I did that.”

~
Monk is nervous as a kitten. At least that money is no longer burning a hole in his pocket. And I guess it was a good thing that he did not order that Scrabble software.

When Monk began to read Thomas Mann's "Magic Mountain" this afternoon, the cover tore off. He figured that it will not be long before the paperback begins to unravel in earnest.

Monk recalls when he bought the book back in 1994. He ordered it from the mall bookstore as an intellectual experiment, without any expectation that it would become such a personal book that hits so many of the right notes on his sheltered and stunted life. The woman clerk asked if he wanted a hardback, and figuring that he is likely to read the thing only once, he immediately and easily said no.

Then Monk started thinking that, even if he wanted to buy a new volume, he might not be able to do so since there is a new translation, which looks simpler to him and which he thinks of as "Magic Mountain for Idiots." But Monk has been enamored of buying good used books and this idea grew on him.

At Amazon, he sees this ad for a leather-bound volume that is also illustrated and by his preferred translator H. T. Lowe-Porter. The cherry on top is that the seller boasts it has never even been read before. And it is only fifteen dollars.

Still, Monk has a copy that is serviceable for another reading on top of this one. It seems like such a luxury. Moreover, he has already read the first chapter, and the timing just seems off.

In the end, Monk clicked and finalized the order, even selecting the option for expedited mailing for a couple more bucks. He is looking forward to getting it no later than Friday, and we will begin this trip up the Swiss Alps again. Who knows, maybe it will get cold again.

xXx