[conspire] Reminder: CABAL this Saturday, Oct. 21st

[Rick Moen]

It's conceivable I might be a bit late for this Saturday's 4pm CABAL
meeting, because of my high school reunion at Menlo School, a couple of
klicks down the road (but probably not).

Anyway, I have makings for utterly excellent barbecue, marinated meat,
and also homemade pizza, and homemade garlic bread.

I also have a new little Linux box to play with, a mini-PC Zotac.



Why you should watch old episodes of The West Wing.  Excerpt from 'Two
Cathedrals, season 2.  President Bartlet's private secretary and oldest
friend, Mrs. Landingham, just got killed by a drunk driver, and Bartlett
has just attended her funeral service at the National Cathedral in
Washinton, while trying to decide whether to run for reelection after 
getting caught lying to the public about his medical condition, or
whether to vacate the field in favour of VP Hoynes.  

You just have to admire a President who would tell God to go to Hell --
in Latin, with style -- and cares about Americans getting killed by a
hurricane.  It reminds you of the faint hope of some day again having a
President with a sense of morals.




CUT TO: INT. NATIONAL CATHEDRAL - PRESENT DAY
[ Bartlet stands alone, glaring at the altar.  Most of the guests have left
the church.  Abbey, Leo and Secret Service agents are standing at the
back of the sanctuary.  Leo approaches Bartlet. ]

LEO
[sighs] It was a beautiful service, I thought. 

BARTLET
Yeah.

LEO
[quietly]  I thought it was a beautiful service.  [smiles]  She was a real
dame, old friend.  A real broad.

BARTLET
[nodding]  Yeah.

LEO
[leans in close]  We've gotta go back to the office now, sir.

BARTLET 
[nods] Yeah.

LEO
[quietly]  We've got some decisions to make, now.

[ Bartlet looks absently for a moment. ]

BARTLET
Leo, would you do me a favor?

LEO
Yeah?

BARTLET
[motions to the agents]  Would you ask the agents to seal the cathedral,
for a minute?

[ Leo looks at him. ] 

LEO
Yeah.

[ Leo walks towards the agents.  As Bartlet waits, we hear the sound of
several heavy doors closing.  Bartlet turns back towards the altar. ]

BARTLET
[tired, alone]  You're a son of a bitch, you know that? 

[ He slowly walks up the center aisle. ]

BARTLET
She bought her first new car, and you hit her with a drunk driver.  What,
was that supposed to be _funny_?  "You can't conceive, nor can I, the
appalling strangeness of the mercy of God," says Graham Greene.  I don't
know who's ass he was kissing, there, 'cause I think you're just
vindictive.  What was Josh Lyman?  A warning shot?  That was my _son_.  What
did I ever do to yours, but praise His glory and praise His name?
There's a tropical storm that's gaining speed, and power.  They say we
haven't had a storm this bad since you took out that tender ship of
mine, in the north Atlantic, last year...  68 crew.  You know what a
tender ship _does_?  Fixes the other ships!  Doesn't even carry guns.
Just goes around, fixes the other ships, and delivers that mail.  That's
all it can do.  [angry]  Gratias tibi ago, domine.  Yes, I lied.  It was
a sin.  [holds out arms]  I've committed many sins.  Have I displeased
you, you feckless thug?  3.8 million new jobs, that wasn't good?  Bailed
out Mexico, increased foreign trade, 30 million new acres of land for
conservation, put Mendoza on the bench, we're not fighting a war, I've
raised three children....

[ He ascends the stairs to the Inner Sanctuary. ]

BARTLET
[pleading]  That's not enough to buy me out of the doghouse?  Haec credam
a deo pio?  A deo iusto?  A deo scito? 

[ He stops at the top of the stairs and extends his arms. ]

BARTLET 
Cruciatus in crucem!  Tuus in terra servus nuntius fui officium perfeci.
[angry] Cruciatus in crucem. [waves dismissively]  Eas in crucem!

[ Bartlet turns away in anger.  He descends to the lower sanctuary and
lights a cigarette.  He takes a single puff, drops the butt to the
floor, and grinds it defiantly with his shoe.  He looks back at the
altar. ]

BARTLET
[betrayed]  You get Hoynes!

[ Bartlet holds back tears, as he walks down the aisle. ]



Acted:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYcMk3AJKLk


If that won't do it for you, there's this pre-credits scene from a later
episode where the lying story is still threatening legal consequences:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf8Vl0ORBaE
Now, _that's_ comedy gold.