Mephisto Waltz

Felix also ventured into Shakespear realm with A Midsummer night

www.bing.com/videos/search?q=midsummer+nights+dream+mendelsshon&docid=608002386729118612&mid=3B1413B8099022B569003B1413B8099022B56900&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

I've now started on Death and the Maiden. The title is apparently based on an early work by Schubert. And big spoiler alert: There is a murder. Wow. You were probably thinking that one of these books would just be about German music and Viennese pastries.

And here's another big spoiler: It's a woman whose killed. In fact, thinking back, I can't think of any men who have been killed (although several have fended off deadly attacks.) Oh, yeah. There were the three men in one of the previous books. But mostly it's been about killing chicks.

And the chick who is killed is a famous opera singer. That's not a spoiler because that's established in the early pages. And it leads to a really good scene when Oskar and Max (of course he tags along) go to interview Director Mahler. And it isn't far beyond that scene where I've left off.

But wrapping up the previous novel, Vienna Twilight, we run into an interesting circumstance of the acid drip of Freudianism. Basically there is a murderer about and he has some strange proclivities. And it turns out he has died his hair using a die that includes lead. So, at the end of the day, of course Max supposes that this fiend isn't really or entirely responsible for his actions even though Oskar reminds him that thousands of people have encountered lead poisoning without turning into a serial killer.

I suspect what underlies this is the Jewish/secular motive to erase any and all prior Judeo-Christian basis for morality. No, the author is not clever enough or honest enough to bring up this aspect. But clearly the acid-drip of Freudianism was crucial in the trend to de-moralize people's behavior to the point where we are now that you can't caution about the dangers of being overweight or you are just "fat shaming."

There are, of course, times to favor the physical aspect over the moral. This is obvious. But what human beings seem to lack is the ability for wisdom, for holding both notions in the head at one time. Surely a schizophrenic probably isn't mainly responsible for his condition. It's not a moral failing. But other bad behavior is certainly best understood as a moral failure. And a personal moral failure rather than doing the dodge and just blaming "society" (or whitey).

So I think Freudianism has been (and probably continues to be) a disaster regarding helping and reforming people. But maybe the discipline has substantially changed from Freud's time. But I kind of doubt it.

If you're saying the Freudianism was a generation and has been re-generated in different forms since then, I couldn't agree more.

We may discuss between us the unholy trinity of Freudianism, Darwinism, and Marxism. But it has evolved today into woke-ism, gender wacko-ism, and consumer-materialism. We understand the roots but, good god, the branches are a tangle of weeds.

It do look good. And here's a magnificent view of Vienna (at the top of the web site).

Thanks for the tour. That was interesting.



Ahh. That would have been nice to know while reading that one. And if I remember correctly, this is where Canova's original sculpture, Theseus Slaying the Centaur, was kept…which is now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum.



Yeah, I figured that big gray round thing was one of the flak towers. Man, it gives you an idea of how massive those are. A good tourists guide to the Hofburg can be found here. Would love to visit.

Very familiar with these. 

Here is another cookie, which although not Viennese, I liked very much. They are very simple and have a pleasing taste. I discovered them in Germany, before I moved to Vienna.  You have to be careful because you can sit there and eat a whole package without noticing it. 


Leibniz Keks

Time to visit the Vienna Town Hall as Oskar and Max go forth to interview the mayor in connection with the diva’s death