More weather misfires

[altivo]

The storms passed by on both sides of us again. We didn't even get much rain. I'm not complaining, really, though the horses may eventually object to being put in early all the time.

Made a pie today with rhubarb, peaches, and some frozen black raspberries from last year. Turned out pretty good, though it looks rather, umm, bloody.

Then we watched National Treasure because a friend recommended it and lent us his DVD. *shrugs* There was a good idea in there somewhere, but they made the whole thing so hokey that all I wanted to do was groan from beginning to end. The fabled treasure of the Templars has been overdone for a long time, since well before Dan Brown and The Davinci Code. I prefer Steve Berry's version, actually (The Templar Legacy) where the treasure turns out to consist of books and manuscripts, most of which have crumbled to dust by the time the puzzle is finally solved. Of course, Berry had it hidden in Spain, while I find the Scottish theory much more plausible...

Comments

[goldenstallion.livejournal.com]

Dear Rider.

We got hit hard Friday afternoon. I went to the Battle Creek VA Medical Center, where they put me in a hospital bed and did blood tests and a ECG for my chest pains and both came out fine. Not sure what is happening but have an appointment next week for a stress test and then with my Doctor Tanni Shanna (tiny, middle-aged Indian woman very highly respected). Yes, been having chest pains and weirdness but they want to figure it out. Taking new meds and nytroglycerin now.

Well, while there it was windy as hell and then the news reports on the tv in the waiting room showed tornados and big thunderstorms headed our way. On the way home the radio kept being interrupted by the US Weather Bureau with tornado warnings and yet only wind until nearly home it started raining like HELL and I could hardly see to drive slowly. But got home ok only to learn that Galesburg and Augusta (two towns I had just driven through half an hour earlier) were hit by a real, touchdown tornado and it was headed right at Fort Custer and the VA Medical Center. Wow. Glad I had left when I did.

But by then, where we live, it was clear and sunny again. The storms had passed right over according to Bear but were NE of us headed NE by then.

Our Internet tower got a direct hit and was down until yesterday afternoon. Rural Communications had to replace various components the automated telephone call reported. So we got hit all right, Bear reported it was raining like HELL... the same rain I drove through on the way home.

Some areas got golfballs the size of hail. Glad this old flying horse was safe and sound that would be impossible to fly in.

Imperator

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I saw the warnings in your area while watching the radar for Chicago on Friday. Real glad it missed you. The last few weeks have been exceptionally heavy with these supercell thunderstorms I think. Several have passed close by here, but not on the ground with the tornados except that weird one back in January.

We only got a lot of twigs and leaves down this time.

Chest pains? Ooops. *loosens martingale* Maybe that will help. Seriously though, be careful about that. Figure out what seems to bring it on if you can.

[heavens-steed.livejournal.com]

I rather liked National Treasure :/

[altivo.livejournal.com]

It's OK for a popular type film, but has all the cliches that bug me. Something has to get blown up, there has to be a lot of gunfire, a car chase is mandatory, a bad guy has to turn out to be good after all, and the hero gets the girl in the end. Bah. None of those were needed for the underlying story.

It seemed like a cheap attempt at duplicating the original Indiana Jones films to me. For humor, The Librarian: Quest for the Spear was better in spite of the cliches. For an intriguing mystery-puzzle plot, The Name of the Rose suits me better, again in spite of the cliches. (The original Eco book is superior to the film of course, and lacks the cliches.)

[saythename.livejournal.com]

Your pie sounds delicious.

National Treasure left me with the same, "eh, okay" feeling.

The Templers...they've been showing up in my life recently,
not the ACTUAL knights, but the conspiarcy theory of them.

What about the Hospitallars? I always liked them better
anyway.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I dunno as much about the Hospitallers as I do about the Templars, but I'm no expert on either.

Certainly all those orders proved again and again that power corrupts and wealth corrupts even more. On the other paw, the Templars were wiped out by political enemies who made up a lot of ugly stories about them and never had to prove any of it. I always liked the theory that they took their treasure to Scotland when they were preparing to take up exile there, but their leaders were imprisoned and killed before they completed the plan.

Of course, this gives credence to the claims that the Scottish Rite Masons really are the heirs of the Templars. ;p

[saythename.livejournal.com]

Its great fodder for stories. It turns out
(after I did a little research) that the
Hospitallers had a bit better go of it after
the Crusades. They captured some islands in
the eastern med but eventually got defeated
by the Muslims. Those that survived were
allowed passage back home (the Muslims of that
day defind Chivalry to a defeated foe). They
ended up, eventually, on the island of Malta,
as virtually a country on its own. To keep that
island, they had to pay the Spanish king, every
year, exactly ONE Maltese Falcon. And yes,
thats where the famous movie/book name comes
from. Unfortunetly they also ended up as a
major waypoint for the slave trade and where
dissolved by Napoleon when they got in his
way. Knights getting in the way of Kings seems
a common theme. Very Chess like. O.o

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Ah-ha! I just made the connection. The Sovereign Military Order of Malta or Knights of Malta. I never realized that they were the heirs apparent of the Hospitallers. Even though they are no longer based on the island republic, they still exist and are recognized as a diplomatic entity by about 90 countries. I think the entire "nation" operates out of some offices in the Vatican state, sort of like a government in exile even after all these years. When I was a school kid, one of my classmates was a girl whose family came to the US from Malta and were very proud of their heritage, so I am familiar with the country's more recent history and the fact that it still has its own language and so forth.

[saythename.livejournal.com]

*hands you a Maltese Falcon, and a song*

Humphrey Bogart was a HORRIBLE actor. Not right
for the role in the movie at all. Spielberg has
a penchant for such remakes, I wish he'd
remake this movie. But the memory of the story,
and the period, demands at least a bit of
music sir;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ph8hNljOXE