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Micheline's Blog

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Tag Archives: Twitter

An Incident in Quebec: Raif Badawi

25 Sunday Jan 2015

Posted by michelinewalker in Extremism, Middle East, Quebec

≈ Comments Off on An Incident in Quebec: Raif Badawi

Tags

Fouquet, Louis XIV, Philippe Couillard, Raif Badawi, The Middle East, Twitter

DP159399

Laila and Majnun at School, Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami, Calligrapher: Ja’far Baisunghuri (active first half 15th century), Author: Nizami (Ilyas Abu Muhammad Nizam al-Din of Ganja) (probably 1141–1217), Folio from an illustrated manuscript, Date: A.H. 835/ A.D. 1431–32 (Photo credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY)

An Incident

Quebec’s Premier, Dr Philippe Couillard, worked for four years in Saudi Arabia. He is a neurosurgeon who founded or co-founded a hospital in Saudi Arabia. Some members of the opposition in Quebec have therefore been throwing stones in his direction. One could suggest that, as members of the opposition, it is in these politicians best interest to find fault with the Premier, but what about Mr Badawi?

La Rochefoucauld (15 September 1613 – 17 March 1680) wrote a large number of Maximes according to which humans act out of “self-interest.” He is quite right, but the fact remains that many human beings do not act out of self-interest, at least not in the narrowest acceptation of the term. Moreover, although some individuals are rewarded for the good they have done, the good they have done remains good.

A radio personality stated that Premier Couillard would have collaborated with Hitler, which is provocation. That person has since apologized, and apologies were accepted. We are closing this door.

Twitter

But yesterday, I saw disparaging comments on Twitter with respect to Dr Couillard, the Premier of Quebec. My response was that Dr Couillard knew the territory and was in a good position to help Mr Badawi.

No one has tapped Premier Couillard’s telephone, so we do not know what he may have said to Saudi officials, if he phoned Saudi officials. Premier Couillard’s telephone bill may show that he has phoned the royal family, but we would not know what he said. It would be imprudent on the part of Premier Couillard to provide details concerning a private telephone conversation. He may antagonize Saudi officials, if there was a conversation.

Conclusion

Protest is necessary, but throwing stones is not be a good approach. We know, for instance, that upon appeal, Mr Badawi’s sentence grew from 7 years in prison to 10 years, and from 600 lashes to 1,000. Mr Badawi’s story reminds me of Nicolas Fouquet’s demise. This is a story I have told (see RELATED ARTICLES).

I will note, however, that when Nicolas Fouquet appealed his sentence, which was banishment, Louis XIV, an absolute monarch, sentenced him to life imprisonment. In both Fouquet’s and Raif Badawi’s cases, we are dealing with absolute monarchs, which should be taken into consideration.

Mr Badawi was not flogged on 16 January 2015, nor was he flogged on 23 January. In fact, he may not be flogged again. This is reassuring. He has yet to be sent to Canada, but we should not assume he will not be released.

RELATED ARTICLES

  • Madame de Sévigné on Vatel’s Death (8 August 2014)
  • Vaux-le-Vicomte: Fouquet’s Rise and Fall (20 August 2013)

Kindest regards to all of you.

—ooo—

Joseph Haydn’s Serenade

imagesQJ7LCB7X

Dr Philippe Couillard

© Micheline Walker
25 January 2015
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Still Life with Daisies, the News & Answers to your Questions

21 Wednesday Mar 2012

Posted by michelinewalker in Sharing

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

answers, Apple, Blog, Daisies, Etch-and-Sketch, Suzor-Côté, Tools, Twitter, United States

“Still life with Daisies” or “Marguerites”
Marc-Aurèle de Foy Suzor-Coté (1869 – 1937)

 

 12 Mendelssohn Lieder ohne Worte, Op.30 – No. 6. Allegretto in F sharp minor ‘Venetian Gondola Song’ (click on the title to hear the music)

I would like to be able to say that I am the artist who made the above painting, but it would be a lie.  This is one of Suzor-Coté’s paintings.  I consider it a privilege to be able to see flowers so beautifully depicted.

 

The United States: The Etch-a-Sketch Day

The Etch-a-Sketch day (click to see the story)

Today was a special day in the history of the United States.  Americans were made to realize, albeit inadvertently, that the person who will oppose President Obama in the November election might not have become the leader of his party by telling the truth.  I knew this but, suddenly, so does every body else. 

Answering Questions

I have been receiving Questions and cannot answer each of them.  So here are, to the best of my knowledge, a few right answers:

  • one does not need to know HTML to write a post or blog;
  • the platform I use is WordPress.com;
  • blogging does not have to be expensive: in fact, it can be free;
  • blogging can be very demanding, depending on one’s goal;
  • there may be “white” pages, because the administrator is updating her blog;
  • I do not know how to keep hackers away;
  • one may quote elements of my blogs, provided one acknowledges one’s source.

I hope the above is fairly comprehensive.  Where technical issues are concerned, I am occasionally at a loss, but I think I am slowly making progress.

* * *

But let us focus on Suzor-Coté’s Still life with Daisies and these Apples. 

Apples, by Marc-Aurèle de Foy Suzor-Coté

 February 21, 2012

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Musing on the state of women…

08 Thursday Mar 2012

Posted by michelinewalker in Planned Parenthood, United States

≈ 25 Comments

Tags

Aldo Ciccolini, Birth control, crippling view of sexual intercourse, Georgetown University, Kristiana Pärn, Lysistrata, Responsible Freedom, Rush Limbaugh, the Republican Party, Twitter

Follow Your Heart: Swinging Quietly

Kristiana Pärn
12 Variations sur ‘La belle Françoise’ en Mi Bémol Majeur, K.353 (Aldo Ciccolini)
(please click on the title to hear the music)
 

Sometimes I forget that my readers do not necessarily know about events taking place in the United States.  I must therefore provide some information regarding my article entitled: A Response to Mr Limbaugh: Abstinence for All posted on the 6 February 2012.

Background information

This article, featuring Aristophanes’s Lysistrata as an example, was about the disrespectful comments made by a self-appointed Republican party radio host: Mr Rush Limbaugh.  Mr Limbaugh has since lost sponsors, but that does not go all the way.  Members of the Republican party should ask that Mr Limbaugh never again be allowed to speak of their behalf.  Moreover, his radio program should be taken off the air.

Miss Sandra Fluke, a third-year law student at Georgetown University, was addressing the subject of birth control and its cost.  Mr Limbaugh, a self-appointed spokesperson for the Republican Party, called her a “slut” and a “prostitute.”

He also suggested that to protect herself from an unwanted pregnancy she should simply put an aspirin between her knees which prompted me to suggest that he and the likes of him should also refrain from any sexual activity when a pregnancy is to be avoided.  Abstinence for all!

We are free and wish to remain free.  Pierre Elliott Trudeau, a former Canadian Prime Minister stated that, “there’s no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation.” However, all of us should make responsible use of the freedom we enjoy, including Mr Limbaugh.  It is not my business to enter into his private life, but it is quite acceptable for me to remind him that people who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

President Obama phoned Miss Fluke to express compassion and, in fact, apologized on behalf of the United States of America.  As for Mr Limbaugh, he will lose more sponsors because of his abusive statements.

Comments

Mr Limbaugh expressed a very degrading view of women and sexual intercourse.  It would be my opinion to he considers sex a sinful act, which is most objectionable because, among other things, many women have yet to accept their sexuality.

Far too many women have been raised to view sex as “dirty,” and, as a result, are not able to consider sexual intercourse as “clean” after they “marry.”  How can a short ceremony turn sex from dirty to clean?  Mr Limbaugh is therefore perpetuating a crippling view of human sexuality.

It seems that the campaign will circumvent such matters as education, job creation, the availability of affordable housing, equalized taxation and putting into place social programs that will protect every American and will include health-care for women.

Fighting Obama

About ten days ago, I  left a “tweet” on Twitter to encourage Mr Obama.  Within minutes, I was deluged with “tweets” denigrating the President.  I quickly erased my tweet and the tweets I had received, so I could breathe again.  However, looking back, I remember that in some of these offensive “tweets” President Obama was accused of moral laxity.

Fortunately, there are millions of fine Americans many of whom are Republicans and some of whom are my readers.  I respect my readers.  They know that prominent Republicans are now leaving the party to avoid being associated with persons like Mr Limbaugh.

Good news, I am now receiving comments.

—ooo—

This blog was written yesterday, 7 March 2012.  However, I did not post it because I was nursing a migraine and had taken a tablet of sumatriptan.  However, it’s not too late to publish it.  Today is International Woman’s Day.

P. S.  I chose art by Kristiana Pärn in celebration of women and their little ones.  We are not to be vilified.  Inside the heart of most women there is a Loving mother.

 

Follow you heart: Go together

Kristiana Pärn

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