I spoke with my father a little while ago; he sounded much stronger today. He is still ill, but at least he sounds like himself.

Additional tests are underway, but they now expect he will be able to leave the hospital on Monday.

Thanks to all of you who have expressed sympathy and concern.

…jokers to the right
Here I am, stuck in the middle with you…

I have already written of my disgust at the glee expressed by the left-wing, especially on weblogs, in the anticipation of any indictments that might result from the Fitzgerald investigation.

I have equal loathing for the apologists and minimalists on the right-wing, especially on weblogs, that I have heard and read in the wake of the indictments delivered.

Patrick Fitzgerald made it clear that his investigation and that of the grand jury was actively impeded by Lewis Libby.

So, we are confronted with yet another Rorschach test of political views, because it is far easier to react than it is to think, it is far easier to gloat than it is to mourn the true message of the issues revealed, it is far easier to minimize the offense than to stand up and accept responsibility.

Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right
Here I am, stuck in the middle with you…

After seeing the reactions from both sides, I am at a loss for words to express my repugnance for this nauseating behavior.

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I decided I wanted some quiet instead of the noise and activity in the center of town, so I walked to the municipal graveyard, a huge affair with very closely spaced plots.

There were a larger number of people than I was expecting for a work-day out tending their family plots, adding flowerpots, watering the flowers already there, raking the gravel level, and other work.

For the photos I’ve posted here, there are color and a black-and-white versions. I’m up in the air on some of them as to which makes the better picture.

One of the first sights I encountered was one of several areas they have with arrays of the dead from World War I (click on any photo for a larger image in a new window):

A different plot nearby had another World War I fatality, someone who had been decorated for their service (the engravings of the medals are dimly visible in the circle of the horn scribed in the marble):

There were some rather large monuments and crypts present as well. Here is the top of one:

This is the same dome, but zoomed in on the cross at the cap of the dome:

This is the interior of the domed monument that you can see above. I liked how the iron gate mirrored the marble cross inside the monument:

Some monuments were literally dissolving. I was not able to get a photo of one of them that looked to be centuries old and resembled in no small part the 13th century church close to my apartment. I plan to return to photograph it.

Other, more recent plots also were in ruins:

There was a plot against one of the exterior walls of the graveyard that had no marble headstones, but instead had metal nameplates scattered around on the ground:

Finally, a slightly more contemporary monument had in addition to a bronze relief of the deceased in the black marble back, a full statue beneath a black marble roof:

It was a very well-done statue. I need to see if it is a copy of a more famous work, or if it is an original. I wouldn’t mind having a copy of it.

I have a few more photos, but these should be sufficient to tax those on dial-up for now.

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As those in the US wake up to a Friday that is positively bulging with anticipation of a political firestorm regardless of what happens, I’m off for an afternoon walk to take pictures. If any are good, I’ll post them here later today.

I doubt the world will stop or anything will be different if I’m offline actually enjoying the world and indulging in a hobby on a day that may end up being at least a footnote in books yet to be written about politics and history.

Nothing else to say…

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After all is said and done, a lot more will be said than done.
   -Unknown

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