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David Farrant

‘Sup’ With the Devil

Its Saturday, and still is, but nothing much happened today. Well, its unlikely to, I suppose; apart from Friday’s letters, everything is really ‘closed’.

Before I forget M. and A., thank you for your emails of support about the blog. I only try to do my best in sharing everyday thoughts, and glad you don’t find these ‘boring’ at all!. I will answer you’re points personally, but just to say ‘thank you’ here.

Apart from both your emails of encouragement, I have received several more, offering suggestions or asking me some rather impossible questions. I say ‘impossible’ because there are just some things that I can’t discuss here; including personal relationships that might have been in the public domain.

Let me explain, as this is not really any contradiction to what I have already written here:

I have tried to express my own thoughts and feelings here, as and when, these have arisen, that is all. When such situations have arisen, I have described these as accurately as I could in the limited restrictions of a ‘blog’. But this does NOT mean that I am prepared to answer allegations that some of you might have seen on the Internet or that I feel obliged to answer such statements or allegations. In fact, I am not so obliged; even less so, when such statements do not even reflect genuine opinions but are only the result of perhaps the personal conclusions of just one or two people trying to pretend that their particular views reflect those of many.

They (their views) do not reflect any such thing (as one can easily tell by looking at the views of such sites which normally average between one to three people only!), and are thus not worthy of proper note; however much they might otherwise like to imagine people really take any notice of what they say!For it is really only repetition of the same old thing. In essence, the views of one almost heart-broken person who is desperately trying to justify their past misjudgements and mistakes.

Its all rather sad really. I guess it could be summarised by the old saying when you … “Sup with the devil”.

I think that really sums it all up, really; except I would only add, that if you ‘Sup with the devil’, don’t be surprised if you are given poisonous food!
David

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8 Responses

  1. At first I though by ‘Sup’ you meant the the African American slang expression ‘Sup’ which is a contraction of ‘Wassup’ which is a further contraction of ‘What’s Up’…which roughly means ‘How are you?’ in hip hop rap music vernacular.
    Speaking of Americans, the goat tells me he was told the following tale whilst eating discarded fish tins at the rubbish bin. An author of fiction named Cecil somethingorother has written a novel involving you called “Heads Of Oak”. The plot revolves around a “time travel machine” that a certain Mr. M has acquired in which both of you become trapped and sent back to the year 1790 in. Left to wander round the streets of Olde London Towne, you two hapless naifs are scooped up by the “press gang” and taken to a Royal Navy ship anchored at Spithead. The silver-tongued Mr. M convinces the Captain that he is descended of nobility and is quickly made a lieutenant, while you are sent “below decks” to labor in the scuppers as a common seaman. The novel substantially focuses on the drama as Lt. M subjects you to numerous injustices such as floggings, which turn the crew against him and rally them around you. The story reaches a climax when, during a ferocious sea battle with the French, you expose Lt. M as a traitor to the King.
    Sounds like a ripping good read to me. Miaow.

  2. An interesting post, but you talk as if the day is almost over! It is now approaching noon, and I’m sure the afternoon will be full of excitement and joy if last weekend’s blog is anything to go by.

  3. Thanks for that fascinating reply (for once!) Long John Baldry’s cat.
    A couple of small points if I may before I come to it.
    First, I apologise for any delay in moderating your post. Nothing to do with uncertainty (its fine), but I get the impression that you are an American ‘ghost cat’, and there is an 8-hour difference between English time and yours – that’s all! As you probably already know (like yourself now, I believe!), I do not adhere to the usual Laws of time So if ever there’s any slight delay, that’s the reason for it.
    Probably more confirmation that you’re a ‘Yank cat’ (sorry!) is you’ve never heard of that old English saying “Sup with the devil”. ‘Sup’ is quite literally the old English for ‘supper’ so in this context means to ‘have supper with’ the devil. In its original context, the saying usually applied to people claiming to be ‘God loving’ but who, at the same time, couldn’t abandon earthly sin and shared company with the devil. Hence the saying. It may be an old saying, but I assure you, its just as applicable to some people today. Indeed, there are some people around who like to be seen to ‘love God’ but who in their private lives quite literally ‘cavort with the devil’ – hence the saying.
    The book you mention “Heads of Oak” sounds quite fascinating. Can you tell us more about it?
    The time machine sounds like something out of “Doctor Who” (an English TV series to save you looking that up!) and I actually know of a person who claimed to have invented one – or who planned to invent one!
    I’d like to know what the ‘Mr M’ stands for in the book (Mr. Mouse!?); but I not expecting you to answer that here. In fact DON’T!
    Anyway, sounds like an appropriate read. Please do try and find out more about it. You’ve probably seen my email here a few posts back, so please do let me know. And thanks for sharing that here.
    David

  4. For Molecule,
    You point out . . . “An interesting post, but you talk as if the day is almost over! It is now approaching noon, and I’m sure the afternoon will be full of excitement and joy if last weekend’s blog is anything to go by”.
    Not quite! That post was written about 4am this morning so Saturday (today) had only just begun. Hope that explains it!
    David

  5. Of course I knew what ‘sup’ means and I knew who ‘Dr. Who’ is. I only wanted to make you aware of the hip hop slang meaning of ‘sup’. I will ask the goat for more details on the novel.

  6. Sorry Cat,
    Didn’t mean to insult your intelligence! Yes. I’d be interested to learn more about the book so please ask the goat on my behalf.
    I see the “Overseer” is back on Randi making his usual attacks just because I keep refusing to answer his purile questions. I don’t think I’ll break my ‘holiday’ and return there just yet, though I might say ‘goodbye’ to him again and wish him a speedy return to his billabong. See how I feel later.
    David

  7. Upon further inquiry, the goat tells me the following tale (and coming from Baldry’s Goat who is known to be an unreliable and nasty bugger, a measure of scepticism might be wise):
    The goat claims he was shown an outline of a proposed novel by the American satirist which utilised the same characters as in his last work; the two latter-day occultists who hate each other by poison, present and former female companions, a race of aliens, and a hog. How they all became trapped in the time machine he did not reveal.
    Much of the drama takes place on the flagship, HMS Tyranny. The sadistic Lieutenant Mr. M abuses the crew and nearly has Farrant hanged at the yardarm after accusing him of bewitching the vessel. With the help of the ship’s cat and the aliens, Farrant is able to turn the tables, and ends up in the bed of French dictator Bonaparte’s wife, Josephine.
    The poet Byron also makes a brief appearance. He is only a boy of 10 at the time but Mr. M endeavors to place certain ideas in the lad’s head which will pay off to M’s advantage sometime in the future.
    And of course the hog eventually lands in a prison colony in Sydney.
    How they all get back to the present day is uncertain.

  8. Forget the ‘Overseer.’ ‘Nuff said!
    ‘Sup’ – from the Anglo Saxon ‘suppe’ = ‘soup.’ It’s meaning nowadays is ‘supper.’ Over 70% of English words are taken directly from the Anglo Saxon.
    Very interesting thoughts as usual, David. I enjoy reading them, and replying on the ‘blog.’

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