the quality of mercy is twice bless-ed --- the pound of flesh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqvU5CVHHmk

Lamborghini by central train station, about an hour ago - 140am friday 20th

now that quote is from the woman, Portia, who is dressed as a man, both to defend her husband's best friend, Antonio, from the ruthless Jew, Shylock, and also she is dressed as a man to test her husband's fidelity..... from Shakespeare's play, the Merchant of Venice........... my father made a point of having his four children read the parts around the dinner table when we were little kids......... the general home decoration in the setting of the time, 1980s western sydney, might have been a bit too much for all of us, including drinking from old jars instead of normal glasses, and, well at least the walls were painted, although not well, after my mother's tendency over at least a year or two, as i recall, of throwing her coffee dregs on the walls..... eww

anyway, i chose that quote for today's posting as they reported on some american news channel that Putin or his government, or rather, the Russian government has pardoned some greenpeace protesters and what not -- at least they'll have interesting stories to tell of russian prisons

now here are the stations i seem to be able to get:

am1380 - the answer - i think from sacramento california, with the bill bennett there and others

fox news of course, with its precious little media darlings there

it seems it's possible to get the glenn beck and maybe to get a dennis miller show too although still unclear about the latter

a number of other conversative channels which we might mention by and by


now tonight i had some rich banker type customer who was peeved after partying 6 hours with his rich mining clients.......... he told me all about their cocaine, whore, booze parties over the years, business as usual and invited me into his home for a cigarrette, he offered me some pot but i don't smoke it anymore - so just smoked a cigarette -- Porsche driver

not much to report, sure would like to take a performance car like that Lamborghini onto a racetrack one day -- and truth be told -- i can actually afford to drive a professional rally car a few laps, which i might end up doing at some point for kicks ---

PORTIA: The quality of mercy is not strain'd,

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That, in the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much
To mitigate the justice of thy plea;
Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice
Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant there.


PORTIA

A pound of that same merchant's flesh is thine:
The court awards it, and the law doth give it.

SHYLOCK

Most rightful judge!

PORTIA

And you must cut this flesh from off his breast:
The law allows it, and the court awards it.

SHYLOCK

Most learned judge! A sentence! Come, prepare!

PORTIA

Tarry a little; there is something else.
This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood;
The words expressly are 'a pound of flesh:'
Take then thy bond, take thou thy pound of flesh;
But, in the cutting it, if thou dost shed
One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods
Are, by the laws of Venice, confiscate
Unto the state of Venice.

GRATIANO

O upright judge! Mark, Jew: O learned judge!

SHYLOCK

Is that the law?

PORTIA

Thyself shalt see the act:
For, as thou urgest justice, be assured
Thou shalt have justice, more than thou desirest.

GRATIANO

O learned judge! Mark, Jew: a learned judge!

SHYLOCK

I take this offer, then; pay the bond thrice
And let the Christian go.

BASSANIO

Here is the money.

PORTIA

Soft!
The Jew shall have all justice; soft! no haste:
He shall have nothing but the penalty.

GRATIANO

O Jew! an upright judge, a learned judge!

PORTIA

Therefore prepare thee to cut off the flesh.
Shed thou no blood, nor cut thou less nor more
But just a pound of flesh: if thou cut'st more
Or less than a just pound, be it but so much
As makes it light or heavy in the substance,
Or the division of the twentieth part
Of one poor scruple, nay, if the scale do turn
But in the estimation of a hair,
Thou diest and all thy goods are confiscate.

GRATIANO

A second Daniel, a Daniel, Jew!
Now, infidel, I have you on the hip.

PORTIA

Why doth the Jew pause? take thy forfeiture.

SHYLOCK

Give me my principal, and let me go.

BASSANIO

I have it ready for thee; here it is.

PORTIA

He hath refused it in the open court:
He shall have merely justice and his bond.

GRATIANO

A Daniel, still say I, a second Daniel!
I thank thee, Jew, for teaching me that word.

SHYLOCK

Shall I not have barely my principal?

PORTIA

Thou shalt have nothing but the forfeiture,
To be so taken at thy peril, Jew.

SHYLOCK

Why, then the devil give him good of it!
I'll stay no longer question.

PORTIA

Tarry, Jew:
The law hath yet another hold on you.
It is enacted in the laws of Venice,
If it be proved against an alien
That by direct or indirect attempts
He seek the life of any citizen,
The party 'gainst the which he doth contrive
Shall seize one half his goods; the other half
Comes to the privy coffer of the state;
And the offender's life lies in the mercy
Of the duke only, 'gainst all other voice.
In which predicament, I say, thou stand'st;
For it appears, by manifest proceeding,
That indirectly and directly too
Thou hast contrived against the very life
Of the defendant; and thou hast incurr'd
The danger formerly by me rehearsed.
Down therefore and beg mercy of the duke.