When our beloved fundamentalist and expensively dressed Emperor finds it untenable to hide behind the War on Terra, thanks to that darn Specialist Wilson’s used armor question yesterday and the unhappy holiday likelihood of dead and wounded young American boys, his Pharisaic minions can always be counted on to quickly scamper behind the thick diversionary cloak of George W. Bush’s own unique brand of convenience Christianity.

Moses with the 10 Commandments, Philippe de Champaigne, 1648

Verily, yesterday, as the smoke from Rummy’s half-hearted offerings hugged the sandy Iraqi ground and our own Promised soil lay littered with the randy remains of wayward youth ministers, a blindingly white sacrificial bull, in the form of the administration's top Supreme Court lawyer, was trotted up Capital Hill to urge the oracles of Justice to consider the administration’s fresh historical insight into one of the many Church-State cases on the soon-to-be-Rhenquistless Court’s docket for 2005.
Begone from our media ye dump-humping and way to verbal soldiery, for yea I say unto thee our leader has new God-inspired insight into one particular translation of those Old Testament Commandments so dear to the magnetic ribbon bedecked hearts of his, coincidentally (wink, wink), most fundamentalist supporters.
Say Hallelujah and take comfort, those of you sinners who remember yesterday, that the Kuwaiti dumps and landfills are among the finest refuse piles on the face of the Earth!
The remainder of you God-loving cable news watchers can rest your weary Christmas-shopping heads knowing the Lord’s work is safely in the grabby revisionist hands of our holiest politicians.
I feel blessed knowing America’s public spaces will soon be littered with countless hulking granite monuments affording new memorial space, alongside a Commandment or ten, for the names of lucky soldiers presently enjoying the fresh wholesome air of a Kuwaiti landfill.
Well done, Mr. President.
I’m praying the Commandments can be expensively hand-embroidered onto your next military-style cloth of gold jacket.


Covered Jar, Leslie St. Clair

I had the great pleasure to spend a portion of last Sunday attending the annual Holiday Pottery Sale by the Clay Alliance at Howard Hall next to the recently restored Basilica of the Assumption in downtown Covington, Kentucky.
As the American Art Pottery Association is presently embroiled in a sadly overly academic and politically correct debate on what exactly constitutes art pottery, a debate likely promulgated by a few sellers more interested in larding their shelves and consequently their pocketbooks with cheaper non American ware, it is a great joy to see present day American potters offering a range of beautiful pots to a frenzy of purchasing citizenry.
It is also, for those of us proud of Cincinnati’s long and checkered history at the forefront of the American Art Pottery movement, great fun to talk about pots and glazes with some of this area’s most talented clay artists.
As a collector of the long-forgotten products of Cincinnati area tile manufacturers, I was thrilled to see several potters offering gorgeous tiles and plaques this year.
When talking with the very talented Leslie St Clair and Jane Bresser, whom I’ve badgered with tile requests for years, I was pleased to note that both women are in differing stages of retiling their own home bathrooms with their own beautifully unique designs.
Jane was offering lovely plant inspired ceramic basins for sale at this particular Holiday Show and Leslie was offering several small form tiles and one gorgeous large form plaque that was feverishly eyed by several attendees before being quickly snatched up at its $300 tagged price.
I heard the purchaser say as she hugged it to her chest, “It’s a steal!”
Both women seemed quite enthusiastic with their tile projects and Leslie appeared thrilled with tiles she had taken from the kiln that very morning.
I wish them much success with an art form possessing a rich local history that includes the Matt Morgan Pottery, the Kensington Tile Works, the Hamilton Tile Works and the pre Wheatley Cambridge Art Tile Company to say nothing of the world famous Rookwood Pottery.
The Clay Alliance will have two more holiday sales on December 12th at different locations.
Information for the one at Cincinnati’s Memorial Hall can be had by calling Jane Bresser at (859) 261-3753 while details of the other at Crooked Tree Studios in Mason, OH can be had by phoning Mary at (513) 762-3339.
Look for the Clay Alliance on line at clayalliance.org and Leslie St. Clair’s superb Celtic designs at stclairpottery.com.
American Art Pottery is alive and well despite some people’s self-serving rumors to the contrary.
These beautiful objects, unlike most mass-produced crap, make beautiful and unique Christmas gifts and ones that will, over time, increase in value.

Images: Google, St. Clair Pottery

- posted by Sean @ 2:30 PM