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nevesmose · 1 month

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Syndroma Holmiensis

Things are different now. That was the last advice Mikulin's father had given him. The Imperium is the biggest gang on the whole planet. The Night Haunter's gang. Stick with them and you'll do fine, son.

His father had lost an eye in a streetfight years ago and the bribe to fit an augmetic was far beyond their means. Mikulin tried to focus twice as much on the other eye instead, solid depthless black like those of every other Nostraman, as it gleamed with something like desperation combined with raw avarice.

Was it hope, he wondered? Something so rare on the Sunless World that they'd had to steal the Gothic word to describe it exactly. Whatever sibiliant kennings and poetic phrases his ancestors had used to subtly imply the possibility of a better future were gone now. Inefficient in comparison to the language of their new overlords.

Most of the time Mikulin found it hard to care overmuch. His ancestors had mined adamantium and murdered one another in the dark for century upon century and achieved nothing. Built nothing. Created nothing but further generations of void-eyed killers.

Until the Night Haunter came. He who flayed and freed Nostramo, pinned the planet down and eviscerated it inch by inch, block by block, heart by heart and corpse by corpse until nothing was left but order and a full stomach.

Mikulin loved the Night Haunter. Mikulin feared the Night Haunter.

It was natural for him to hold both thoughts simultaneously. He loved and feared his father too, didn't he? A strong provider, working shifts in the mine when the work was there and doing what he had to when it wasn't. But also a monster when he'd been paid and given the money straight back to the company bar.

When he was old enough to work they moved to the nearest great city, Nostramo Secundus. Dear Grey Place, the Adamantite City, a hive built into a vast outcropping of ore-bearing rock that jutted out into the roiling black ocean.

His father had called it a promotion, but the truth came out eventually. The mine bosses were scared that his drunken actions, his too-public offences against the new rules of society, would bring the Night Haunter to them. And the Night Haunter rarely found just one criminal worthy of punishment when paying a visit.

Far safer, therefore, to send the problem away into the teeming masses of the nearest hive city. Losing the work had destroyed his father but Secundus gave Mikulin a new razorgang to run with and all the freedom he was brave enough to steal. And he had the Night Haunter to thank for it.

Mikulin loved the Night Haunter. Mikulin feared the Night Haunter.

Mikulin cared little and knew less of the other demigods who had come later, surrounded by an inferno of blinding light and guarding their father the Emperor. Such events, occurring so far away in the capital, were of little importance to remote grey Secundus. Only the Night Haunter mattered because time and distance meant nothing to him. He could be anywhere on Nostramo, seeing and hearing all in his domain and dispensing punishment to the high and the low alike.

Mikulin loved the Night Haunter. Mikulin feared the Night Haunter.

Then the news reached Secundus that the Night Haunter had left to join his father and brothers in conquering the galaxy for humanity. Mikulin had looked up at the coldly glinting stars and felt a twist of envious fury in his gut. They had taken Nostramo's king from his people and wouldn't even use his name.

Konrad Curze, the Emperor had called him. An alien name from an alien being. Mikulin knew it was the Night Haunter who Nostramo's first Astartes followed into the void, him and no other.

They had tested Mikulin once for suitability. Just put your hand in the box on the servitor's chest. A brief sting and a few moments later the verdict was given - negative. Elevated hereditary cancer risk and other minor genetic flaws not meeting the threshold of mutation, the magos biologis announced before moving on to the next prospective recruit.

Stick with the Night Haunter's gang, his father had said. So Mikulin had apprenticed himself to the Administratum, serving the new Planetary Governor appointed in the Night Haunter's place. One of the first natives to join, they said.

Natives grated in his mind like two ends of a broken bone. We weren't natives before you came, before you took him away. We were ourselves. But things are different now.

The first time he really saw offworlders up close he'd just about managed not to stare, or grimace in the closed-off Nostraman way which, to the initiated, was just as expressive as a scream. Someone has put coins in your eyes, he'd thought irrationally, or broken glass in different colours. It happened sometimes as punishment for people who sold out their gangmates or saw things they shouldn't have.

It took him a long while to accept that it was just how they were, the same way they walked the street wrong, slowly, looking at the sights around them like prey. Behaving like that would get a Nostraman killed but, collectively, there seemed to be an indulgence for offworlders.

They didn't know what the people said or thought about them and they didn't have to care. Often Mikulin found himself hating them, hating their accents and their language at the same time as he learned to mimic both to rise up in their organisation.

The outsiders planned great things for Nostramo in the Imperium. We can make this world so much better, someone with eyes the colour of ice melting into slush told him. Mikulin said nothing.

They built Nostramo Secundus a botanical garden to rival any city in the Imperium. A vast adamantium-ribbed dome of glass filled with a kaleidoscope of verdant colour and shape tended by specialised horticultural servitors, the whole edifice illuminated by numberless ultraviolet and visible-spectrum lamps to allow the plantlife to thrive even on the Sunless World.

On the wall surrounding their creation, where Mikulin had to pass every day to reach the Administratum complex, the offworlders had commissioned some famed remembrancer to paint a mural of a lush, rolling Terran landscape lit by a rising sun and bearing the title LET NOSTRAMO FLOURISH.

The people of Nostramo Secundus hated it and the building it adorned. The cost of entry was high enough to exclude all but the wealthiest and every Nostraman visitor had to wear thick eyeshades or else suffer hours of headache and near-blindness, all just to look at plants. Mystifying.

Mikulin had access to the records of just how much power, water and heat the gardens drew away from the rest of the city. How many hab-tenements could the same resources support instead? He had calculated it once on a scrap of parchment and the answer sickened him.

The Night Haunter would have judged the creation in an instant, razed it to the ground and impaled the builders among the wreckage. Eventually Mikulin came to realise that the gardens were never really intended for him or any other native, only to improve the lot of the offworlders condemned to serve the Imperium on dark forbidding Nostramo.

Once, without thinking, he'd saluted an Administratum superior in the Nostraman way, hand clawed over his heart to say may it be torn out if I am untrue. The condescension and pity in their eyes had struck him like a physical blow.

Damn you all, he thought, eyes stinging with a shame he couldn't begin to process. Take your costume-jewellery eyes and your costume-jewellery Imperium and leave us alone like we always should have been. Our world was already better. We were already better.

Mikulin loved the Night Haunter. Mikulin feared the Night Haunter.

Mikulin grew old slowly, the decay held back by juvenats and technology for as long as the Administratum had the budgetary headroom to provide. Nostramo seemed to rot quickly in comparison. The nobility and oligarchs reappeared with new names and faces but the same blood in their veins, the same corruption in their hearts, and no Night Haunter any more to excise them like a chirurgeon.

He didn't remember exactly when it happened, but one work cycle he realised that the Imperium was no longer the biggest gang on the planet. Work orders, requisitions, suicide statistics, every item of paperwork that used to filter upwards to the Administratum had slowed to a trickle and eventually just stopped.

Mikulin continued to attend the office and the Administratum continued to pay him, but in reality the alternative government of the gangs and nobles had slipped into place like a knife between ribs to quietly usurp both their functions.

Eventually the last offworlders left Secundus. No one would say whether it was voluntary. Their replacements were black-eyed and loyal only to the shifting politics of the warlords they followed. They funnelled the city's sparse resources to pay debts and shore up alliances before the newer, hungrier gangs overthrew them and were consumed in turn by their own children in the incestuous reproductive cycle that was as irredeemably Nostraman as the smog filling up their lungs.

Through it all, Mikulin of the Administratum was present, observed and said nothing. They treated him with something like respect - that rarest of things, an elderly Nostraman.

In the end it was Mikulin who finally closed down the botanical gardens. Let the plants rot and the gangs split the proceeds however they pleased. He left and went back to his tenement, hobbling slowly the same way he did everything else now, and went past that accursed mural once again.

It had been smashed and defaced countless times, the people of Nostramo Secundus giving vent to their fury at the image of an idyllic fantasy they would never possess. The rising sun was blotted out by an arterial splash of black paint and, above it all, someone had scrawled new blood-red lettering to change the painting's title.

LET NOSTRAMO PERISH.

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aikoiya · 1 year

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LoL HC - Craobhert

Do we know anything about that island continent to the west of Freljord?

The island continent in the red box to the far left.

If no one wants it, I'm claiming it for the Gaelics!

It's name shall be Craobhert (kroov-hurt), translates to tree heart.

The island is densely forested.

I know that at least one landmark there will be called Coillehert (co-lee-eh-hurt) or heart of the forest.

The original inhabitants of the island were mainly humans, Fae Fauns, Faeries, native Spirits, & a handful of half-dragons ruled by a pair of extremely old elder dragons. One large & red, the other one extremely long & green. (References to the red dragon from Merlin's vision that he associated with the British, the Welsh dragon, & the British legend about the Wyrm of Linton.)

There was also a race there that you can't really find anywhere else on Runeterra; Gargoyles. Anyone who's watched the show Gargoyles knows that they are a magical nocturnal race of guardians that turn to stone in the day. They are a deeply loyal & protective race, stalwart by nature.

The dragon elders are basically a sweet, old married couple, their hatchlings long moved on, though their half-dragon grandchildren remained close. They lived there because they'd gotten tired of modern dragon society's tendency towards arrogance & pride.

A couple hundred years back, immigrants from Ionia & Freljord came there for a new life. Upon these 2 different groups of poor people arriving at their home, the dragon elders felt sorry for them. They were welcome so long as they lived in harmony with the island's spirits & protected nature there.

Because the native culture was the way it was (a mix of Scottish & Irish culture with maybe a bit of Welsh in there too, thus being deeply magical & in tune with nature like Ionia, but also stalwart & hearty like Freljord), the new residents found it easy to integrate into this new society. Native Craobhertians struck a strict balance between nature & progress, making sure to give back more than is taken.

They are a very druidic society, so the few Spirit Walker Shamans that moved there found it relatively easy to get along with them.

The most common elemental magics there are nature, then wind, followed by water, & finally earth. There are other elements too, but these are the most common.

Craobhert's nature magicborn builders & architects tend to make houses by controlling the wood of trees to shape buildings without hurting the trees. Similarly to how the Elves from the Inheritance series makes their buildings, but with Gaelic design. This doesn't mean that there's no woodwork, construction, or carpentry, but they as a culture do try to leave as little of a negative impact on nature as they can manage. Because of this, the island's magic treats them well.

There are a lot of hobbit-y houses & smials in Croabhert.

It's also common for nature druids who enjoy art to practice their craft on the trees to create beautiful vinework Celtic knot imagery.

Similarly, earth magicborn builders tend to make homes of stone.

They tend to have an extremely circle of life sort of philosophy with a strong hunter subculture (because the best hunters are the ones who have their thumb on the pulse of ecology). They respect nature because they know it can be both incredibly beautiful & devastatingly cruel. Poachers are one of the most dishonorable things you can be there & are dealt with harshly.

Again, the country emulates a mix of Irish, Scottish, & Welsh traditions.

As a result of the immigration, Craobhert's population is now a mix of humans, Vastayans, Fae Fauns, Faeries, Luonn Kon, Nixies, Treants (some of the last uncorrupted by the Ruination), Frost-Trolls, Yetis, Spirits, Gargoyles, & some Vastayashai'rei (not many).

However, due to tensions between Ionia & Freljord, small factions of Craob-Jordians & Craob-Ionians have started to feud. The groups are small, but they've been causing unrest in the community.

Coillehert is Craobhert's capitol. It's an enormous tree that acts much like the Home Tree from Avatar, housing an entire city within it's branches.

Here's a good idea of how it looks on the inside:

I basically saw this unnamed island between Freljord & Ionia & said "mine now. This is a hostile takeover."

Arcane Masterlist

#league of legends #worldbuilding #craobhurt #new country #ionia #freljord #lets see if I can get this to stick #arcane

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queerbreadcrumbs · 3 years

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I wrote this letter to for when I eventually come out (:

To my loved ones,

I wrote this letter to explain something important to you, because I value our relationship and your support. I wanted to share with you that I don’t fully identify as the current gender I am recognized as. I’m non-binary. As such, from now on it’d be great if you could address me as “Rowan” rather than “*******” and use they/them pronouns for me. Obviously, I know that this will take some time to adjust to and I’m not expecting miracles, but genuine effort will mean the world!

I understand that this may be somewhat confusing, especially as you’ve all known me for quite some time. Over the course of this letter, I have included answers to the most common questions people have, as well as definitions and resources for further information. I’m also happy to answer any questions you may have regarding this insofar as they are respectful.

What does non binary mean?

- Non- Binary or genderqueer individuals have a gender identity and/or expression that is neither man or woman. Some people are both, or are fluid in their gender identities or expressions and others are neither. In my case, it’s that I don’t identify particularly strongly with either gender. Most of the time I don’t feel like either a man or a woman, I just am.

Are you trans?

- Well yes and no. Yes in the sense that I don’t agree with the gender assigned to me at birth, no in the sense that I have no desire to transition to male.

Do I have to do anything?

- Not really! As I mentioned earlier, my name is now Rowan, and my pronouns are now they/them. So instead of saying something like “I like ******, she bakes really good cakes” or “****** left her coat here!” you’d instead say “I like Rowan, they bake really good cakes.” Or “Rowan left their coat here!” The only thing you really have to do is make a conscious effort not to use my old name and pronouns.

What are pronouns and why do you want new ones?

- Pronouns are a group of words we use as short versions for nouns. The most common ones in the English language are she/her/ (feminine) and he/him (masculine). The singular form of these that isn’t gendered is usually thought to be “it/it’s” and personally I find this much more jarring in a sentence than they/them. Firstly, because it’s dehumanising. We tend to use the pronoun “it” when describing an inanimate object. “Look at that potato, it’s got eyes growing on it!” Whereas when describing a group of people, or someone whose gender you don’t know, the grammatically correct pronouns to give would be they/them. I don’t really know my gender, so I don’t expect you to figure it out through a complex use of English syntax. They/them, like you would use with any other unknown is fine.

- This is something I want to change because people using she/her in reference to me makes me quite uncomfortable. When I am referred to as female it kind of feels like I’m an imposter or deceiving people in some way, like you’re seeing something that’s not there and that you’ll be cross when you find out I’ve been lying to you. I’d like to change my pronouns as I want to be honest with you all about who I am.

Why “Rowan”?

- Rowan is a Gaelic name which comes from the Rowan tree. (Like the name Willow is after the Willow tree) In Scottish Gaelic it means “little redhead” and has always been a unisex name, although usually these days we see it more for boys than girls. I imagine most of you would immediately think of Rowan Atkinson. (Mr Bean, Blackadder)

- I chose Rowan for a few reasons. Firstly because of its Gaelic origin and my desire to keep some connection to my Celtic roots. Secondly it sounds similar to ******* and has the same number of syllables which should help you when remembering to use it! Thirdly as those of you related to me directly will know, when those of us assigned female at birth (AFAB) reach a certain age our hair reddens before turning grey. As my hair has already started to pick this up, I thought a name meaning “redhead” was appropriate.

- I wanted to change this because my given name is quite feminine and much like being referred to as she/her, being called ‘*******’ makes me feel very uncomfortable. You’d think being called it for 24 years would be enough to get used to it, but apparently not!

Why change this now?

- I’ll admit that this all may be quite shocking or confusing to some of you. Please know that I have given this no small amount of thought. Accepting myself as I am has been a long and arduous process for me, so I understand if it feels like a lot for my loved ones too.

- Looking back, it feels like I’ve had a difficult relationship with gender. As some of you will remember I was always a bit of a tomboy growing up. It took a long time for me to be comfortable wearing dresses.

- As a teenager though, I began to face increasing pressure to be feminine, and was often called a lesbian for the way I chose to present myself. I had short hair and wore many a check shirt with doc martens. I loved it! Although, I did notice on the occasion I didn’t do this and presented in a more feminine way I was praised for this. People told me I looked nicer; people treated me better. The teasing stopped and I lived with less harassment which felt nice. Unfortunately, though I interpreted this feeling nice as enjoying being perceived as female.

- I was still quite uncomfortable and some of my friends and loved ones picked up on this. However, I didn’t think it too important to question.

- BUT NOT FOR LONG! Lockdown had a profound effect on me coming to terms with my gender. Because I wasn’t going anywhere, I no longer had to perform femininity. I just wore what felt good. I cut my hair really short and liked it! I was very comfortable with being at home, both physically and mentally.

- However, when lockdown ended, I got a new job. I had to start performing again and the long hiatus made me realise just how uncomfortable I actually am being seen as a woman. The kids at school call me “miss.” I get called ****** constantly as people are trying to get my attention in the conventional way rather than just throwing things at me or just touching me like Tom does. Honestly, I hate it and it’s profoundly exhausting, which is why I’ve decided I want to live as Rowan.

- Another thing that put all of this into sharp perspective for me was getting engaged. Don’t misunderstand, I love Tom more than anything in the world, and I still want very much to get married to him and for us to spend the rest of our lives together. I’m still very excited about our wedding! However, the language used to talk about weddings and engagements and the expectations surrounding them are very gendered! Words like ‘bride’ or ‘wife’ feel very strange and foreign when applied to me. As mentioned earlier though I don’t want to be a husband or groom either. I’m not sure there are alternatives for these words. I quite like how romantic “betrothed” sounds but I also don’t want to sound like I’ve just walked out of 1655.

- Trying on wedding dresses was another huge hurdle for me. Part of it was my self-esteem issues and lack of confidence but everything I tried on made me feel like a fake, a failure. It being during times of COVID, I wasn’t permitted to take anyone with me to my fitting appointments. As such, I had these strange, unfamiliar saleswomen telling me I’d make a stunning bride and all such other nonsense while I felt just…wrong. At the time, I remember discussing it with my friends after sending them some pictures of me wearing wedding dresses. The words I used were “I felt like an imposter.” This is not just because I’m not used to wearing anything fancy. It’s because I’m not a woman. The clothes you wear on your wedding day are meant to make you feel fantastic, and I didn’t feel even comfortable in any of them, let alone fantastic. I have since purchased a dress to wear on my wedding day. It is simple, and I will style it to make myself as happy as I can be. I will still look like a “bride”. I’m just going to try to be as comfy as I can, reminding myself that clothes have no gender.

What about clothes?

- Typically, clothes are gendered. You walk into a shop and they usually have a men’s range and a women’s range. Because I am neither, I shop in both ranges!

- I do also own a fair few dresses and skirts. This won’t change. Clothes have no gender. Traditionally yes, women wear dresses and skirts. But plenty of people who identify as men wear them and find them comfortable. Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, Harry Styles, Jayden Smith. These are all men, and yet they have all rocked skirts at one point or another. My wearing a dress or a skirt doesn’t make me any less non-binary as much as it didn’t make these guys any less of a man.

- Furthermore, it wasn’t that long ago that trousers were deemed too masculine for women. However most modern women wear trousers, a lot of the time. Some of you are probably wearing trousers right now. Trousers have only recently begun to be considered neutral in our culture. Of course, it depends massively these days on the cut and the fit of them, but trousers can absolutely be masculine or feminine, just like me. I truly believe that one day skirts and dresses will become this neutral. They have been for a long time in Scotland.

- In my mind this also explains why my personal preference for clothing has always been baggy and loose fitting.

Gendered terminology

- As I mentioned previously when I talked about weddings, a lot of family language is heavily gendered. Son/Daughter, Husband/Wife, Niece/Nephew, Mum/Dad, Auntie/Uncle, Brother/Sister ect. Some of these words have gender neutral equivalents, and others don’t really. Where there is a gender-neutral equivalent, I would prefer it. Where there isn’t, I’m okay to be referred to as the female variant. For example, I’m fine being “Auntie Rowan”, “Dawn’s daughter[1]” or “Tom’s wife.[2]” But, I’d rather be Winnie’s parent than her mum, my Auntie’s nibling than her niece and Leanne’s sibling than her sister. If this sounds a little odd in conversation, and I’m sure it will do at first, you can say things like “My daughter uses they/them pronouns.”

So, are you “out, out”?

- This letter is the start of my “social” transition. This is the part where the trans or non-binary person begins to live as themselves. As my close friends and family, I have chosen to share this with you first. As I live authentically, I want you to hear it from me, and have it explained by me rather than just stumbling across the fact I’ve changed my name on social media.

- However, I’m not fully out yet. I’ve not yet informed anyone I work with or anyone in an official capacity, such as my doctor and I’m not using my new name legally just yet.

- Please be mindful when discussing this with others that they may not be accepting. What matters is that you accept me. If you think telling a specific person might put me at risk, then don’t tell them.

- If you want to discuss this with extended family that’s fine!

More information

- If you have questions that I haven’t answered here let me know and I’ll do my best to answer.

- If you don’t feel comfortable asking me or just want more information on non-binary identities: - https://lgbt.foundation/who-we-help/trans-people/non-binary - https://gender.wikia.org/wiki/Non-binary - “A Field Guide to gender-neutral language” Shelley Roth (50p on apple books, or I could smuggle you a copy!)

In conclusion, I hope that you’re able to understand and support me in my coming out and coming to terms with my nonbinary identity, and that this doesn’t ruin, but strengthen our relationship. This has been very hard for me to share, but I’m ready to be my authentic self. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Yours,

*********

[1] Technically yes, Son/Daughter do have the gender-neutral variant of child, but It’d be kind of weird to call a 24 year old a child, so please don’t.

[2] I hate the word “spouse” it just sounds like “spout” and I’d rather be someone’s wife than someone’s spout any day.

#coming out #coming out letter #non-binary #trans #personal #in the closet

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onlyfangz · 5 years

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Due to the new Pokemon game

Since Scottish people and culture seems to be coming into the spotlight recently, here’s a few things you should know (Alternative title: Facts About Scotland):

- We are “Scots”, with one ‘t’, not two, and we’re definitely not “Scotch”, which is considered rude to call someone in most parts, and in others are considered a slur. Scotch refers to Scottish products. See: Scotch Wiskey, Scotch Tablet, etc., Singular is “Scot”. So, “He is a Scot.”

- You don’t need to tell us that you don’t understand our language. It’d be like if I saw a post wrote in Italian and I said, “Lol what does this say”. Like obviously, I don’t speak Italian, no need to comment on it.

- You also don’t need to tell us that you do understand our language. Again, it’d be like me reading a post in German (let’s pretend I can speak more than a few words in German for a sec) and I said, “Oh wow! I understand this!”

- Don’t try and write or speak in our language. Chances are no-one will have any clue of what you’re talking about.

- We don’t say “fockin”. Nobody says fockin.

- Or “fookin”.

- It’s just fucking. Fuckin’ if you must.

- Scots has a lot of intricate rules. Sometimes two words or variations means the same thing, but can only be used in certain contexts. “Ye” and “Ya” mean “You”, but where “Ye cannae dae that, ya dobberhied,” makes sense, “Ya cannae dae that, ye dobberhied” does not.

- We are not brash, rude, crass, uncivilized, barbaric, constantly drunk, angry, unintelligent, etc.,

- Yes we do have TV, it was a Scottish person who invented it.

- In fact, you’ve got Scottish people to thank for for: pedal bikes, the pneumatic tyre, the steam engine, penicillin, the pemalis wave energy converter, the hot blast oven, hollow pipe drainage, the telephone, postage stamps, postcards, universal time, the first ever english book on surgery, sherlock holmes, peter pan, modern economics, modern sociology, hypnotism, modern geology, the discovery of saturn’s rings, the decimal point, the Gregorian telescope, the discoveries of the properties of carbon dioxide, the pyroscope, identifying the nucleus in cells, the ground work for the incandescent lightbulb (thought thomas edison did that on his own, did you?), criminal fingerprinting, the very first cloned mammal, the world’s first tractor beam, the shot put, the hammer throw, curling, ice hockey, the saline drip, the hypodermic syringe, understanding transplant rejection, using the ultrasound to diagnose, identifying the mosquito as the carrier of malaria, the typhoid vaccine, discovering insulin, the HPV vaccine, fire engines, the discovery of TB treatment, the development of beta-blocker drugs, the glasgow coma scale, the glasgow anxiety scale, the glasgow depression scale, the fridge, the toaster, flushing toilets, the waterproof macintosh jackets, the kaleidoscope, the lawnmower, the electric clock, the bank of england and france, the game grand theft auto, forbes magazine, the new york herald, and paintball.

- So the question isn’t does Scotland have (x), it’s do you?

- Glasgow is pronounced “Glass-go” or “Glaz-go”, not “Glass-cow”.

- Edinburgh is pronounced “Ed-in-bruh”.

- Loch is pronounced with a soft “ck” noise, not with a hard “ck.” (It’s not “Lock”.)

- No I haven’t seen the Loch Ness Monster, I don’t even live near Loch Ness.

- Nessie isn’t the only Loch Monster. She has a sister, Morag.

- Now for a round of “Is it true?”

- “Does Scotland hate England?” A lot of us do, some of us don’t.

- “Does Scotland hate Ireland?” A lot of us don’t. I haven’t met anyone who does.

- “Are Scotland and Ireland the same?” No.

- “Do Scottish people type in their accents?” No, we type in our language.

- “Does Haggis taste good?” Depends who you ask. My personal answer - yes, I like it. Chances are you won’t.

- “Is Haggis made out of sheep guts?” No. It’s made out of sheep liver, heart, and lungs. It’s not disgusting, it’s just animal product and you need to chill out about it.

- “Are Celts Scottish?” Celts are Scottish, and also Irish, Welsh, Cornish, Breton, and Manx.

- Celtic and Celtic are two different things in Scotland. One has a hard “Ck” noise at the beginning of it, but the other has a “S” noise (Sell-tic). K-ell-tic refers to people, Sell-tic refers to a football club.

- Not all of Scotland is rough. A lot of it is actually quite nice.

- The Highlands are not mystical. It’s nice scenery if you like a bunch of mountains, but there’s not much going on up there.

- If someone is the King/Queen of Scotland, it means that they’re King/Queen of the land, but if someone is the King/Queen of Scots, it means they’re King/Queen of Scottish People. It’s a very hard distinction, and the reason why you’ll hear “Mary, Queen of Scots”, “Robert The Bruce, King of Scots”, but not “Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Scots”.

- A lot of people don’t like the monarchy, so don’t ask us if we’ve ever had tea with the Queen or whatever you like to ask.

- Even though we’re working on it, we are still British. So if a Scottish person tells you they’re British they know what they’re talking about and do not need you to “correct” them. Britain refers to the four nations: Scotland, England, Wales, and N. Ireland.

- Britain has no culture. You’re thinking of English culture.

- There is a British accent. 43 of them to be exact. None of them are more British than the other.

- The North of England gets treated as badly as all of Scotland by the South of England.

- Scotland did not vote for Brexit, but if all of Scotland voted against something, and all of London voted for something, London would win by an estimated 3 million margin. (And that’s off population alone, numbers would vary due to voter eligibility.)

- Scotland is heavily liberal, with free college, free health care, is the only country in the world to give free sanitary products in schools and other public places, and is the only country in the world where LGBTI+ education is mandatory and part of the curriculum. (Other countries do give LGBTI+ education, but in no country is it mandatory.)

- In conclusion: don’t be an asshole.

#scotland #scottish #scottish facts #pokemon

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barinacraft · 5 years

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The Affinity Cocktail - Scotch Whisky And Vermouth Find True Love

The Affinity Cocktail Pairs Scotch Affection For Vermouth

The Affinity Cocktail is one of only a few truly classic drinks mixed with Scotch whisky which shows the difficulty of pairing it in the perfect marriage. At least in spirit.

Modern versions of the Affinity Cocktail have sort of settled on a sip similar to a perfect Scotch Manhattan with orange or aromatic bitters, although the original drink recipe was hardly perfect (equal parts French and Italian vermouth). Back then it was closer to a sweetened Scottish Rory O'More or a Robert Burns with sugar instead of absinthe.

Either way, like most Scotch whisky cocktails, the character of this drink is greatly effected by how manly the mixture is. Blended may be best to begin with.

History Of The Affinity Cocktail

First Appeared In Print

The New York Sun initially reported on Monday, October 28, 1907 that,*

There's another new cocktail on Broadway. They call it the Affinity. After drinking one, surviving experimenters declare, the horizon takes on a roseate hue; the second brings Wall Street to the front and center proffering to you a quantity of glistening lamb shearings; when you’ve put away the third the green grass grows up all around, birds sing in the fig trees and your affinity appears.

The new ambrosia contains these ingredients...

Original Affinity Cocktail Recipe:

1 jigger (1 ½ oz) Scotch whisky

½ jigger (¾ oz) Italian vermouth

1 (medium) tsp powdered sugar

1 dash orange bitters

Shake in cracked ice, cocktail fashion, until thoroughly blended and cooled, then strain and quickly serve. ( Note: would recommend using superfine sugar though instead of powdered to avoid the corn starch and other anticaking agents which adds cloudiness and can affect the flavor. )

During this time period, many cocktails were created to commemorate the opening of a Broadway play and the reference to Wall Street is in relation to the financial crisis known as the 1907 Banker's Panic which was triggered by a failed attempt to corner the market on United Copper Company stock in October 1907.

Which Broadway play inspired the name for the Affinity cocktail though?

Keep reading below.

Syndication

Syndicated newspaper columns including The Washington Post and others ran the story the following day. The Hartford Courant embellished the details with their own verse which also provided some more clues to the source, writing,†

Well, then the pianola sounds as good as the symphony orchestra. The second one convinces you that trust companies and savings banks are solvent and you want to put your money back. If you take three it seems like Summer, otherwise you’ll buy your wife, or the affinity, a new fur coat. Then it’s time to stop.

“It moved the poet to the following:

In its glistening depth is the light of her eyes,

In its taste is her honey kiss.

There’s a victor’s crown for the man who tries

To build me another like this.

If you put another bright red cherry in the last one you will feel like a Belmont as you ride home in the subway.

Divorcons or Let's Get A Divorce

James Slevin announces on November 8, 1907 a sketch he adopted for vaudeville based on the 1885 book Divorcons! by Emile de Najac and Victorien Sardou may be named Affinity.‡ This does not appear to have happened, although the original title was turned into a play1 which opened at the Playhouse Theatre April 1, 1913 running through May 19, 1913 and was later released as a 40 minute short silent black and white film2 as a comedy drama on December 15, 1915.

His Affinity Is A Miss

His Affinity is released as a black and white short silent film on November 9, 1907.3 This comedy details the adventures of a mild mannered husband, who after deciding to leave his overbearing wife, finds romance with a single girl he meets in the park. Drama ensues.

Good Golly Miss Molly, McGinnity

Good Golly is right when it comes to all the affinity references in popular culture in 1907 and shortly afterwards. Not to be confused with the rock and roll song by Little Richard in 1958, “Molly McGinnity, You're My Affinity” by composer John W. Bratton was released November 23, 1907. However, this humorous Irish folk song, lyrics below, was not featured on Broadway.4

The Billowy Ecstasy Of Neptunian Soul Kisses

The year 1907's affinity for affinity has come to a close and the source for the “newest drink on Broadway” as proclaimed by The New York Sun at the end of October does not seem to exist. Unless an advanced preview of an upcoming show served as inspiration for the Affinity Cocktail.

Enter The Soul Kiss, a Broadway musical created by Florenz Ziegfeld all about the subject, which included the song My Affinity, sung by the sculptor in the show sixth on the song list during Act I. It opened January 28, 1908 at the New York Theater and ran for 122 performances until May 23, 1908.5

The play had a behind the scenes production cast that included many of the same players responsible for The Ziegfeld Follies. Familiar names included producers A.L. Erlanger and Marcus Klaw, music by Maurice Levi (and others) and script / lyrics written by Harry B. Smith, who also wrote the Rob Roy operetta which has a drink named after it.

The soul kiss, a tongue in cheek [sic] expression for a French kiss elevated to exaggerated proportions, was supposedly invented by a romance instructor who was quoted in a newspaper interview as saying, “When I exchange soul kisses with my affinity in the planet Neptune, I close the doors, throw myself on a couch, my soul goes out from my body to meet him and I experience a billowy ecstasy.” By the way, at the time, personal lessons could be purchased for $300.

Her description inspired Smith6 to develop the plot for the play which had J. Lucifer Mephisto (Ralph C. Herz) betting one million dollars that sculptor Ketcham Short (Cecil Lean) would not remain faithful to his fiance, model Suzette (Florence Holbrook), under the temptation of a soul kiss from dancer (Adeline Genee). As a follow up, The Ziegfeld Follies of 1908, which debuted on June 15th of that year, contained a comedy spoof mocking the November elections called The Political Soul Kiss where Miss Columbia (female Uncle Sam) tries to find her affinity among the presidential candidates including William Jennings Bryan, Charles Evans Hughes, William Howard Taft and then 2nd term incumbent president Theodore Roosevelt who was not seeking a third.

The Affinity (Play)

Its probably folly to keep searching for the stimulus behind this sip's sobriquet since The Soul Kiss seems to seal the deal, but there actually was a Broadway play named The Affinity.7 However, in 1907 it was still known as Les Hannetons.

Les Hannetons, which translates to cockchafers (the beetles known as June Bugs), by French playwright Eugene Brieux, was a three act bitter comedy first produced at the Theatre de la Renaissance in Paris, France on February 3, 1906. The controversial play dealt with matrimony and mistresses, treating marriage as a battleground, and gained some infamous notoriety after being banned by censors in both France and England. British stage actor Laurence Irving, who translated Les Hannetons8 into English, performed the play with his wife Mabel Hackney in the United States, first renamed as The Incubus in 1909 and then later renamed again in January 1910 as The Affinity. There were no bureaucratic black outs on Broadway, but the crowds were not amused and the play lasted for only 24 performances at the Comedy Theater on west 41st street.

Behind Your Bar - How To Make An Affinity Cocktail At Home

First Published In A Cocktail Book

Minus the powdered sugar, the Express Cocktail with equal parts Scotch whisky and Italian vermouth plus a dash of orange bitters via Straub's Manual of Mixed Drinks (1913) appears to be the earliest recipe printed in a cocktail book which comes closest to the original 1907 Affinity Cocktail. However, the first one named the Affinity Cocktail published in a bartending book is the one in The Reminder by Jacob A Didier (1909) and it is a different formulation.9

Its this ‘perfect’ combination of Scotch whisky with French and Italian vermouths along with aromatic or orange bitters that has become the modern classic so to speak.10

Affinity Cocktail Drink Recipe (modern classic):

1 oz Scotch whisky (blended)

1 oz French (dry) vermouth

1 oz Italian (sweet) vermouth

2 dashes aromatic or orange bitters

Measure all the ingredients into a mixing glass with ice and stir well. Strain and serve with a twist of lemon peel (or orange rind to match the bitters if chosen). Adjust the manliness to suit.

David Embury, the author of The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks (1948) ratchets up the proportions to a 4:1:1 ratio. When it comes to Scotch though, that's probably too manly for most.

Similar Mixed Drinks

Automobile Cocktail - gin, scotch, sweet vermouth and orange bitters.

Beadlestone Cocktail - equal parts Scotch and dry vermouth.

Borden Chase - an original Affinity Cocktail with pastis instead of powdered sugar.

Emerald Cocktail - half-n-half Irish whiskey and Italian vermouth with a dash of orange bitters.

Highland Cocktail - equal parts Scotch and sweet vermouth.

Thistle Cocktail - Scotch whisky, Italian vermouth and Angostura bitters.

Trilby Variation - a Borden Chase with parfait amour.

York Cocktail - Scotch whisky, French vermouth and orange bitters.

References

* - "Live Topics About Town." New York Sun 28 Oct. 1907: 4. Print.

† - Hartford Courant 29 Oct. 1907: 14. Print.

‡ - "An 'Affinity' Sketch." Variety Magazine Nov. 1907: 6. Print.

1 - Divorcons (the play).

2 - Divorcons (the movie).

3 - His Affinity (the movie).

4 - Molly McGinnity, You're My Affinity song lyrics:

I've been a single man all my life.

I've never wanted to own a wife.

No Wedding Bells was the song for me.

Money my own, and my evenings free.

Now all that's over, those days are through;

You've done the trick with your eyes of blue.

Molly McGinnity don't you see?

You're the affinity meant for me.

Molly McGinnity, You're my affinity, Say that you love me, do.

In this vicinity, No femininity, Is half so sweet as you.

Molly McGinnity, Down at old Trinity, If you will not decline.

There's a doctor of divinity, The Reverend Finnerty, A waiting to make you mine.

“Hold on a minute,” says Molly dear,

“What's this affinity word I hear?

Is it some kind of a breakfast food?

May be its meaning is not so good.”

“Whisper,” says I, “‘tis a brand new word,

‘Tis from the French, and it means a bird.”

“Oh, if that's so” says my Molly dear,

“Say it again, for I like to hear.”

Molly McGinnity, You're my affinity, Say that you love me, do.

In this vicinity, No femininity, Is half so sweet as you.

Molly McGinnity, Down at old Trinity, If you will not decline.

There's a doctor of divinity, The Reverend Finnerty, A waiting to make you mine.

5 - The Soul Kiss (Broadway musical extravaganza).

6 - Harry Bache Smith, First Nights and First Editions - An Autobiography (Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1931). Print.

7 - The Affinity (the play).

8 - Michael Holroyd, A Strange Eventful History: The Dramatic Lives of Ellen Terry, Henry Irving, and Their Remarkable Families (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2008). Print.

9 - That's not really true, but since the first "Affinity cocktail" published in a bartending book was actually a completely separate recipe altogether, we decided to remove it from the main article content. This drink, which later became known to some as the Violet Affinity cocktail was originally listed with instructions to frappe 2/5 French vermouth with 2/5 Italian vermouth and 1/5 crème de violette; serving in a chilled stemmed glasses via William T. (Cocktail) Boothby, The World's Drinks And How To Mix Them (San Francisco: Pacific Buffet, 1908), 143. Print.

10 - Other Affinity cocktail variations have appeared along the way including one with equal measures of whiskey, French and Italian vermouths along with 3 drops of Peychaud bitters and a twist of orange peel on top via Ernest P. Rawling, Rawling's Book of Mixed Drinks - An Up to Date Guide for Mixing and Serving All Kinds of Beverages and Written Expressly for the Man Who Entertains at Home (San Francisco: Guild Press, 1914), 14. Print.

#Cocktails #drinks #scotch #vermouth #bitters #classic #broadway

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samanthachowiln3001 · 3 years

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Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Given that there has been a theatre on the site of the current Theatre Royal Drury Lane for over 350 years, there are bound to be a few ghostly stories to tell. These include the most famous ghost, the Man in Grey, dressed in a powered wig, grey cloak and three-cornered hat. He tends to appear during the day, often crossing from one side of the upper circle to the other and then melting in to the wall. Whole casts of actors have been said to see him. Who the man is remains a mystery although when the theatre was renovated in the 1870’s builders are said to have broken into a secret room behind the wall that the ghost always disappears through. There was a skeleton inside that had been stabbed to death and surrounded by grey cloth. However, it’s not all doom and gloom, the Man in Grey is said to herald a successful run at the theatre, so producers are usually pleased to see him. Other ghosts include Joseph Grimaldi, the father of the modern clown and the whole tradition of British pantomime, who is long associated with the theatre and is said to give a comedy kick to actors and staff at the theatre. He also wished to be buried with his head severed from his body, which would also account for sightings of a clown-white face floating in the wings of the theatre. Other ghosts said to haunt Drury Lane include comedian and pantomime dame Dan Leno.

The Theatre Royal Drury Lane is the oldest working theatre in London, and although the present building dates from 1812, the first theatre on the site was founded in 1663.

In keeping with its antiquity, many phantoms are known to lurk in the wings behind its spectacular cream portico.

There is the ghost of Joseph Grimaldi (1778-1837), who in the course of a long and distinctive theatrical career

almost single-handedly laid the foundations of the pantomime tradition. The character of the white faced innocent rogue that he created became so universally popular that clowns are still known “Joeys” in honour of the father of modern clownery.

But the exertions of his craft exacted a terrible toll on Grimaldi’s health and he was overcome by crippling disease that forced him to give up acting.

By 1818 he was destitute, and so a benefit performance was organised at the Theatre Royal. Despite having to be carried onto the stage, and only able to perform seated, Grimaldi had lost none of his magic, and showed himself able to evoke laughter at will.

Although he died in 1837, his ghost has returned many times to the Theatre Royal and is renowned for administering a mischievous kick, and actors, cleaners, usherettes have all been on the receiving end of his spectral boot as they go about their everyday duties. One of Grimaldi’s final wishes was that his head should be severed from his body prior to burial. This macabre request was, apparently, carried out, and this might account for the disembodied white face, which has been seen floating around the theatre.

Another clown to haunt the Theatre Royal is Dan Leno, who was famed both for his clog dancing routine and his portrayal of a pantomime dame.

But at

the height of his popularity Dan Leno went mad, and he died in 1904 aged just 43.

His ghost, however, refuses to depart from the spotlights and often returns for an encore. Leno suffered badly from incontinence and used to disguise the resultant smell with perfume. Actors on stage might not see his ghost, but often detect his invisible presence as his passage is marked by the smell of Lavender left hanging in the air.

In 1981 during a performance of "The Pirates of Penzance" Nick Bromley, the company manager, was standing in the wings one night watching the performance, when suddenly he was pushed violently from behind. He spun round but found that there was nobody there.

The next night an actress was standing in exactly the same spot when somebody tugged on her wig from behind. She too found no-one behind her when she turned to investigate. People passing what was once Leno’s dressing room have also reported hearing a rhythmic drumming sound emanating from the room. This is believed to be the sound of his ghost rehearsing his famous clog dancing routine over and over again.

But the theatre’s most famous ghost is that of the so-called “Man in Grey”, the limping apparition of a young man in a powdered wig, white- ruffed shirt, grey riding cloak and three-cornered hat.

He invariably appears during the hours of daylight, and seldom digresses from a timeworn route. He materialises on one side of the upper circle, crosses to the other side where he astonishes witnesses by melting into the wall.

In 1939 more than half the cast of "The Dancing Years", who were on stage for a photo call, witnessed his ghost cross the upper circle and disappear in time honoured fashion.

He has been seen by members of the audience, by famous actors too numerous to mention, by firemen, theatre managers and numerous other staff at the Theatre Royal.

He has sometimes also been seen sitting in the end seat of the fourth row by the central gangway of the upper circle. One morning a cleaner who was new to the theatre and had no knowledge of its ghost, encountered him in this seat at 10am. Thinking he was an actor, she set down her equipment to speak with him, whereupon he vanished. As she looked round for an explanation she noticed the same figure disappearing into the wall to the side of the circle.

The identity of the “Man in Grey” remains a mystery, although an intriguing discovery during renovations in the 1870’s may shed some light onto what caused his ghost to haunt the theatre. As workmen went about their business they broke into a hidden room behind the wall into which the ghost always vanishes. Inside they found the skeleton of a man, surrounded by remnants of grey cloth and dagger protruding from its rib cage. It has been speculated that the remains were those of a young man who came up to London during the time of Queen Anne. Having won the affections an actress at the theatre, he was murdered by her actor lover in a fit of jealous rage and his body was subsequently hidden in the secret recess where it lay undiscovered until the Victorian renovation of the theatre.

But whatever the reason behind his haunting the Man in Grey is welcome ghost since it is universally acknowledged that he only ever appears at the beginning of a successful run at the theatre. "The King and I", "South Pacific" and "Oklahoma" are just three of the productions he has endorsed with his presence, and the long running "Miss Saigon" was honoured with an appearance each time there was a change of cast.

He is therefore treated with affection rather than fear and his antics, which include pushing performers to positions from where they can deliver their lines to best advantage, have become the stuff of theatrical legend.

Theatre Royal Drury Lane is the oldest working theatre in London and is also known as London’s most haunted theatre.

The most famous ghost to prowl the Theatre Royal Drury Lane is The Man in Grey. Wearing a riding cloak, a white ruffled shirt and a tricorne hat, he patrols the upper circle and dematerialises through a wall. Famously, in 1939, more than half the cast of The Dancing Years, who were on stage for a photo call saw the ghost cross the upper circle and melt through the wall.

The Man in Grey is said to only appear at the beginning of a successful theatre run. The King and I, Oklahoma and South Pacific are just three of the productions he has appeared for and Miss Saigon was even honoured by an appearance each time the cast changed. His antics include pushing performers into positions from which they can deliver their lines better.

The father of modern clowns, Joseph Grimaldi, is said to haunt the theatre. With a white face painted on, he was a very popular clown, with clowns being named “Joeys” in the theatre world.

Although he died in 1837, his ghost has returned many times to the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane where he performed often. He is known among actors, cleaners and ushers for giving them a mischievous kick as they go about their duties.

When theatregoers see him, it’s in the form of a white, disembodied face floating around the theatre. Oddly, Grimaldi requested that his head should be severed from his body prior to his burial, which might account for these sightings.

Superstitions

Whistling backstage

In the early days of spectacular theatre, a system of whistles was used by the stage crew to communicate with the rigging crew, meaning a misplaced whistle could bring a backdrop flying onto you as you walked across the stage. Whistling is, therefore, seen to be unlucky, and should be avoided around theatre veterans!

Macbeth

The name of the show or the lead character should not be mentioned in a theatre. The play should be referred to as ‘The Scottish Play’.

More on Break A Leg

Peacock Feathers

These are said to feature an image of the ‘evil eye’ and any use of peacock feathers on stage will curse the show.

Mirrors on Stage

As breaking a mirror is said to give 7 years bad luck to the unfortunate soul who commits the act, avoiding mirrors on stage is a good way of reducing the risk. Acrylic mirrors are assumed to be perfectly fine, as A Chorus Line is still doing well!

Bibliography:

YouTube. 2020. Most Haunted Unseen - Drury Lane Theatre - YouTube. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41aIGv2aKyQ. [Accessed 07 November 2020].

EncoreTickets.co.uk. 2020. Ghost stories in London's West End - EncoreTickets.co.uk. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.encoretickets.co.uk/articles/london-theatre-ghost-stories/. [Accessed 07 November 2020].

Dickson, A. (2015). Inside the world’s most haunted theatre. The Guardian. [online] 29 Oct. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2015/oct/29/most-haunted-theatre-ghosts-superstitions-theatre-royal-drury-lane [Accessed 7 Nov. 2020].

‌www.westendtheatre.com. (n.d.). London’s most Haunted Theatres – WestEndTheatre.com – London Theatre Tickets. [online] Available at: https://www.westendtheatre.com/21739/visitinglondon/travel-guide/londons-most-haunted-theatres/ [Accessed 7 Nov. 2020].

‌www.haunted-london.com. (n.d.). Haunted London Theatres. [online] Available at: http://www.haunted-london.com/haunted-london-theatres.html [Accessed 7 Nov. 2020].

Theatrecrafts.com. (n.d.). Theatre Ghosts and Superstitions. [online] Available at: http://www.theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/stage-management/theatre-ghosts-superstitions/ [Accessed 7 Nov. 2020].

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justanothercinemaniac · 7 years

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Epic Movie (Re)Watch #192 - Robin Hood: Men in Tights

Spoilers Below

Have I seen it before: Oh yes

Did I like it then: It’s grown on me.

Do I remember it: Yes.

Did I see it in theaters: No.

Format: DVD (although we watched my brother’s blu-ray copy)

1) Watching this film is a tradition to do on my brother’s birthday (which was in August but I’m behind on my rewatch posts). We’ve been doing it for 9 years (give or take a year) and it kinda grows on you.

2) I’m a sucker for 4th wall breaks in movies, so the numerous ones in this film are appreciated.

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3) Honestly, the rapping which bookends the film feels like a misguided attempt by Mel Brooks to make the film “hip”. It just doesn’t really work and doesn’t feel like it belongs in a Mel Brooks bit.

4) There are actually quite a few clever gags in this film. A lot of them come from the very first scene in Jerusalem’s prison with Robin and Falafel.

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

5) Cary Elwes as Robin Hood.

Elwes was cast in The Princess Bride back in 1987 because of his “Errol Flynn” like quality. Now he plays a role which is one of Flynn’s most iconic. He commits to the part in the grandest of Mel Brooks’ tradition, as set before by Gene Wilder in Young Frankenstein and Bill Pullman in Spaceballs. Elwes’ Robin is wonderfully buffoonish and ridiculous, with most of the humor coming from his lack of self awareness. It would be easy for an insecure actor to give a wink to the audience that lets them know he’s aware they’re stupid, but Elwes isn’t afraid of appearing idiotic. He embraces it. Robin should come across as an idiot. That’s the gag!

6) I relate to Achoo so much.

Robin [while going into a fight]: “Watch my back!”

[Robin gets hit in the back twice.]

Achoo: “You’re back just got hit twice.”

Robin: “Thank you.”

7) Dave Chapelle as Achoo.

Chapelle’s ability to play the straight man in this film is absolutely amazing. A legendary comic, Chapelle basically represents the audience. I mentioned that Robin is blissfully unaware of the foolishness in his life, but Achoo is hysterically aware of it. He’s observations are comedically wonderful and just all around inspired. Chapelle is a wonderful addition to the cast.

8) Blinkin, the blind butler.

The film is able to take an absurd concept that was taken so seriously in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and take it to its naturally funny punchline. While many of Blinkin’s jokes may fall flat, his overall presence is appreciated and does lend to some nice comedy all around.

9) Robin losing everything he loved shouldn’t this funny.

(Screenshot taken of a GIF set originally made by @thorinss)

10) I despise the Home Alone “joke” this film makes. It is the first in a long line which shows that just because you make a pop culture reference doesn’t mean you’re being funny.

11) Roger Rees as the Sheriff of Rottingham

Roger Rees is the definite scene stealer of the show, outshining even Dave Chapelle’s Achoo. He is able to take ownership of every moment he’s in by playing the Sheriff as a bigger idiot than even Robin to a wonderfully hysterical degree. I got a chance to see Rees on stage before his passing (when he played Gomez Addams in The Addams Family) and I could see from that his comedic talent was not only limited to his work with Mel Brooks. All in all, for me, Roger Rees will always be my favorite performance in the film.

12) Amy Yasbeck as Marion.

Yasbeck - like Elwes - commits to the silliness of Marion. Although more of a spoof than a character at times, it’s a damn good spoof. By taking aim at old school “fair maiden” tropes and sort of the humorous daintiness of that, Yasbeck is able to hold her own against Elwes and the insanity of a Brooks’ movie.

13) Richard Lewis as Prince John.

If the Sheriff of Rottingham is the evil version of Elwes’ Robin (in his embracing of the character’s foolishness) then Roger Lewis is the evil version of Achoo. He plays it modern, very aware of kind of the idiocy around him, and casual to the point of funny. He has the ridiculously strong chemistry with Roger Rees which makes all their scenes a treat and all in all totally fun.

14) Tracy Ullman as the witch/cook Prince John goes to in times of need and she’s fine enough in the part. It’s not exactly a fountain of character writing but she’s funny enough and works with the part well.

Prince John [after Latrine says her family changed the name when they came to England]: “You changed it TO Latrine?”

Latrine: “Yeah. Used to be shit house!”

Prince John [after nodding]: “Good change!”

14.1) Also, Latrine promises to make a magic potion that’ll make Robin worthless if Prince John puts in a good word for her with Rottingham. He agrees and then…it never comes up again. At all. It’s like the scene never happened. And I’m just like…

15) Hey, that’s Erik Allan Kramer!

16) The bow staff fight between Robin and Little John is actually pretty clever, primarily because of just how funnily it deteriorates into a slapping game.

17) Remember what I mentioned in note #10? Well, we get these two “jokes” back to back.

Will Scarlett: “My full name is Will Scarlett O’Hara. We’re from Georgia.”

Achoo [after Robin fails to jump on his horse]: “Man, white men can’t jump.”

Repeat after me: making a pop culture reference is not the same as making a joke.

18) However, this is pretty funny.

According to IMDb:

The gag about Robin being able to speak with an English accent is a reference to Kevin Costner's performance in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991). Unfortunately viewers who saw both movies in a dubbed version couldn't get this gag. For the German dubbed version the gag was changed to: "because I - unlike some other Robin Hood - do not cost the producers 5 million". The German word "kosten" (cost) was also pronounced to sound a little bit like Costner. In the French (France) and Italian (Italy) dubbed versions, it is translated as, "Because unlike other Robin Hoods, I do not dance with the wolves", referring to another Kevin Costner movie Dances with Wolves (1990). In Quebec, the translation becomes "Because unlike other Robin Hoods, I accept to wear tights," which refers to the fact that Costner didn't wear tights in the 1991 movie. In the Hungarian version, he says "Because unlike Kevin Costner, I have a shapely bottom," a reference to the infamous fact that Costner used a body double in the nude scene.

19) The castle fight has a number of clever bits but some could’ve been cut in support of pacing. The scene as a whole drags at times and can come across as dull instead of fun like it should be. Tightening it up may have helped.

20) If only for Dave Chapelle’s Malcolm X impression, this is my favorite scene in the entire film.

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I also love the juxtaposition between Robin’s Churchill and (again) Chapelle’s X. It just really works for me.

21) Hey…isn’t that David DeLuise? The dad from “Wizards of Waverly Place?”

22) Ah, the obligatory Mel Brooks cameo.

23) Dom DeLuise as Don Giovani.

Robin Hood: Men in Tights - Don Giovanni - watch more funny videos

Okay, I lied. THIS is my favorite scene in the entire film. DeLuise is absolutely hysterical and why the scene may be a bit too long, I just don’t care. He’s so fucking funny! His Brando impression is a gift from above and I’ve got a feeling most of his shit was improvised. It’s just…it speaks largely to the talent of Dom DeLuise. I love it.

24) This is probably the best Blinkin gag in the film.

[Blinkin falls from a tree, dusts himself off, then starts to look around.]

Blinkin: “I can see!”

[Blinkin walks right into a tree then takes a step back.]

Blinkin: “Nope. I was wrong.”

25) The “Men in Tights” song is a much better fit for this film than the rap. It feels organic to the kind of comedy the film embraces and is just pretty fun.

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26) “The Night is Young” is similarly organic and a better fit than the wrap, but it probably shouldn’t have been put back-to-back with the previous song. We need a little variety.

27) I love this.

(GIFs originally posted by @summercountess)

I love that the filmmakers aren’t even trying to explain why he gets another shot. It’s just, “It’s in the script.” I mentioned I’m a sucker for fourth wall breaks and this one takes the cake for me!

28) There are a lot of gags in this movie which were funnier in other Mel Brooks films.

Prince John’s, “I have a mole?” vs Igor’s, “What hump?” from Young Frankenstein.

“Walk this way!” in this film vs Young Frankenstein.

The hangman in this film vs Blazing Saddles.

etc.

29) The fight scene is actually what the castle fight should’ve been more like. The swashbuckling action is fun and mixed well with gags and slapstick humor.

Rottingham: “En guard!”

Robin: “Thanks for the warning!”

Also they run into a crew member on his break, which continues my love for 4th wall breaks.

30) And a wild Patrick Stewart appears!

He has a Scottish accent because Sean Connery made a similarly random cameo at the end of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves with his natural accent. It’s kinda weird and doesn’t add much but who cares, it’s Patrick Stewart!

While there are other funnier Mel Brooks movies out there and better Robin Hood films out there, Robin Hood: Men in Tights does exactly what it is supposed to do: it gives you a 100 minute distraction with silly comedy and fun performances that can act as a break from your day. Cary Elwes is a delight as Robin, with Roger Rees, Richard Lewis, Dave Chapelle, and Amy Yasbeck all showing off their comedic chops. It’s just fun. Occasionally stupid, yes. Some of the jokes do fall painfully flat (like that Home Alone gag), but by the end of the film you’ll probably have gotten in a few chuckles and feel like it’s time well spent. It’s just silly Mel Brooks fun.

#Robin Hood Men in Tights #Mel Brooks #Cary Elwes #Roger Rees #Dave Chapelle #Richard Lewis #Amy Yasbeck #Patrick Stewart #Erik Allan Krammer #Dom DeLuise #David DeLuise #Epic Movie (Re)Watch #Movie #Film #GIF

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firstfootingscotland · 5 years

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Bogha-frois Conversations: Will Hammond

Early this year during Glasgow’s Celtic Connections Festival I had the pleasure of joining a host of incredible LGBT+ artists for a performance and a panel around the theme of Bogha-frois: LGBT+ Voices in Folk. A brainchild of Pedro Cameron (Man of the Minch), Bogha-frois began as a workshop at the Scottish Storytelling Centre and takes its name from the Gaelic word for “rainbow.” The energy around Bogha-frois has enacted a metamorphosis - far beyond a standalone workshop, panel, or critically-acclaimed gig, Bogha-frois is a movement celebrating gender and sexual diversity within traditional and folk music, song, and dance in Scotland. Following the events in Glasgow, I wanted to continue these conversations and proposed a series of monthly blog posts. It’s hope this series will be a place for dialogue around the intersections of traditional arts, identity, and each artists’ path as a LGBT+ person. This month’s Bogha-frois conversationalist is percussionist Will Hammond!

Tell me a story... what was a moment when you felt both your identity as a traditional musician and your identity as a LGBTQIA+ person were in focus? (1)

Obviously the Bogha-frois workshops and concert were a pretty decisive event for this. During those days it felt most apparent and explicitly like "this is what this is about, this is inextricably part of who we are and what we're doing", which did feel like the first time outside of maybe being at pride or a protest that I've felt quite so "out" and among similar people, and the only time where the musician part of my identity has been equally in focus. I'd had a few conversations with other queer musicians about navigating the world the ways we do prior to those workshops, and each time my thoughts of "I'm sure I'm not the only person" became "oh, wow there are other people experiencing these things!" So, to have so many people gathered for the workshops and concert laid out this confirmation on a scale that was very affirming.

How do you identify? What are the pronouns, descriptors or other words you like to use, if any, to describe yourself in regard to your LGBTQIA+ status.

I'm bisexual, in that I am capable of being attracted to people of more than one gender. My own gender is a total mess and I use he/him pronouns but they/them pronouns are fine, kind of whatever, really. Genderfluid and nonbinary are terms that fit; I don't think I really know what I "identify" as on an that instinctive visceral level. If I introspect on it, I always come out thinking "I don't know what feeling like a man or a woman or anything else feels like, I just feel a bit unpleasant." I find personally trans/cis is a pretty quirky binary in itself. "Do you agree with the doctor who said 'it's a boy' when you were born?", I mean, I guess, yeah sometimes but also sometimes not, right?

(percussionist Will Hammond, photo by Amelia Read)

Talk about your perceptions of LGBTQIA+ identity (both yours and others) within your experience playing traditional music in Scotland.

When I've played in Scotland my own and others' identities have either gone unmentioned and un-talked about or they've been the focus of the event- referring to the Bogha-frois concert, so my experience has either been extremely welcoming and accepting or I haven't had to think about it. Being English and mostly working in England, I don't expect my experiences of this in Scotland to be comprehensive or universal for Scottish musicians.

In what ways do you feel your identity as a LGBTQIA+ person and a traditional musician intersect, overlap, engage?

I am fairly open to talking about my queerness with other people I play music with, and most of these people, if they are not themselves lgbtq in some ways, have usually demonstrated that I can trust them about it. Ever since I first read about it I've enjoyed exploring the idea of music as a verb rather than a noun. I also like the line of thought leading off about how a musician who is just walking down the street, or making a cup of coffee, or trying to get to sleep, is still a musician. Even if what they are doing in those moments is not musicking, their musician-ness has affected how they experience and interact with the world. I think, for myself, I can draw definite parallels to my queerness in here. How applicable that is for other people is totally up to them, of course. At the moment I have "trans rights are human rights" written in block capitals down the side of one of my main instruments, and I don't exactly present as the most obviously straight person in the world, so I suppose I'm not trying particularly hard to keep my queerness and my musician-ness separate.

Talk about your experience connecting with other LGBTQIA+ folks both inside and outside the traditional arts.

I have worked a couple of times with other lgbtq artists in the trad scene and beyond, but prior to the Bogha-frois workshops it was never a specific condition or factor of us working together. It would emerge over the course of us practicing usually, or I already knew about the other(s) going in and would tell them about myself.

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A post shared by The Cusp (@thecuspmusic) on Apr 8, 2019 at 9:08am PDT

(Will’s band The Cusp with fiddler Imogen Bose-Ward and harpist Ada Francis)

If you’re comfortable sharing, talk about any incidents of homophobia or transphobia that you’ve witnessed both inside and outside the traditional arts.

In a performance context I haven't experienced any myself, which has been nice, but on at least two occasions during practices with other musicians, after coming out to them as bi they have immediately asked me about how open my partner and I are to threesomes. Outside of music, just in the last couple of years I've been called slurs in shops multiple times, in the loos at Newcastle railway station a man told me that I'm in the wrong queue and should be in the ladies'. I've been given "that look" by several men for being in public with other queer people. Once, someone I used to work for grabbed my wrist and tried to scrub off my nail varnish with her hand as if she thought that would work and was an acceptable way to treat another adult. I've certainly not had as hard a time as some people I know, but I have plenty of my own evidence for how marriage equality certainly didn't end homophobia, let alone transphobia.

How do you see the traditional arts changing in regard to LGBTQIA+ people? What are the further changes you would like to see?

I'm stuck with being a convert, a backslider, and a reformist with respect to trad music. I didn't get into folk until I was introduced by a friend. I was maybe 17, by which time I'd already been playing music in some form or other for about 9 years. Then playing, listening to, learning about, trad things became a focus until I was maybe 21, when I learned a bit more about abstract expressionism and free improvisation and started enjoying the weirder sides of trad playing more and the "regular" playing a bit less. It was partly burnout from having finished university but getting outside of the folk bubble having spent a short time intensely involved in it was definitely a breath of fresh air. The final project of my studies was a summary of this process in a way, looking at how genres are constructed in the modern age and how occupying the spaces between them can result in some interesting things. I'm fascinated in the ability to use this music to tell stories and preserve memories. I'm also aware of the parallel consequence that allows this music to distort realities and, through entirely benign inaction, forget. I hesitate to speak for the Scottish traditions as I'm only an occasional visitor, and in the words of Leon Rosselson, I'm not suggesting any sort of plot. However, there have been times I find it difficult to look at the amount of lighthearted crossdressing, not so lighthearted crossdressing, "shapeshifting", "enchantment", utter disinterest in marriage, and portrayals of homosocial relationships in traditional songs and not feel concern when these things are overlooked. Even more so when they are explained away in a manner that preserves the current cisheteropatriarchy like it's something that's always been there. The places this music comes from are important, and preserving it and celebrating it definitely is a worthy pursuit. It then follows that to gloss over the parts that don't fit our construction of history is partly what leads us to situations where it takes a whole room of queer musicians simply pointing out that we exist, maybe for ourselves as much as for an audience, to get people thinking about it. As such, and though I recognise that it's difficult to apply current terminology around sexuality and gender to historical time periods, "The Folk", whoever they were, ought to be perceived as less monolithically heterosexual and gender conforming. Applying this way of thinking and looking can go forwards as much as backwards, and achieving a greater diversity of voices in the trad scene is an important goal, I think.

First Footing is a collaboration between dancer and dance researcher Nic Gareiss, the Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland, University of Edinburgh Moray House School of Education, and the School of Scottish Studies with support from Creative Scotland. For engagement opportunities check out the First Footing website.

(1) Following methodology developed by Fiona Buckland in her book Impossible Dance: Club Culture and Queer World-making, I began each conversation asking artists to tell me a story. This, Buckland reminds us, redistributes significance to the voice of the artist, rather than the anthropologist/researcher/interviewer. In Buckland’s words, “the meanings they made from the practices are more crucial than whatever meaning I impose with the theoretical tools in my standard issue doctoral utility belt.” (Buckland 2002, p. 11) This feels incredibly important when collaborating with folks whose voices have so often been underheard or marginalized.

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typhonatemybaby · 7 years

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I stumbled across this article on twitter the other day and IMO it represents simultaneously the worst and most socially positive elements of what a lot of people think about when they think about scottish independence. Im from Scotland and support independence in the current climate, but for a variety of reasons, some of which are identical to the standard pro-indy platform, some wildly divergent. It starts off well enough, by poking a few holes in Ruth Davidsons generally tepid takes on the broad campaign for independence as well as highlighting her hypocrisy as regards her take on nationalism in general ( cue timely reference to the infamous tank photograph). After this the author takes the tack of using this as a platform for arguing for: “ ...the independence movement to challenge her "thinking" (quote marks very much needed) by giving stronger and more coherent meaning to the philosophy of our cause.“

Which in general is a program i support, especially given that the nature of the mainstream lines of the debate have sort of solidified into entrenched positions since indyref 1.0. However Im broadly speaking an anarchist so any chance of my actual views getting into the rhetoric of the independence debate is pretty slim. Regardless we crack on and Mr Mcalpine immediately starts talking about academic theories and conceptions of nationalism, which i would agree is a fair point to start. However this is also where i start to run int trouble with this article. Instead of using the theories he has outlined to help approach the matter materialistically and even state which of these he believes is closer to accuracy ( though to be fair he does do this later), McAlpine immediately simply lays them out as an offering and moves on to his first major calumny. I find it fitting that he does this after making the error that all online anarchos love to point out : “ oooooh you assumed the nation state is a good model at ALL. you FOOL” etc etc

So what is this first major issue? well:

“Because here's the thing – there is more or less no person in the world who is not wholly reliant on and deeply committed to the nation state system. I get deeply irritated by the 'citizen of the world' crowd who, hypocritically, expect someone else's nation state to provide the police to protect their MacBooks as they check into a hotel in someone else's country using someone else's roads paid for by someone else's nation state raising taxes on their population.

If you are a fascist, an anarcho-syndicalist, a theocrat or a believer in undemocratic kingdoms or empires, or of a single world government, then you have taken a legitimate position from which to attack nationalism. Everyone else is some kind of nationalist.”

Fuck me, bad post op.

First of all this is, for someone who just ragged on Ruth Davidson for not knowing about academic theories of nationalism in human society, this guy displays a total absence of knowledge when it comes to literally any of the ideological positions he’s just listed. Secondly, given the way this guy seems to conceive of nationalism i find the ( I assume rhetorical) claim he makes that “everyone is some kind of nationalist” to be somewhat farcical. Some people deliberately extricate themselves form this mode of thinking. some never fall into it at all and others merely drift away. Its either that or he is going for the Orwell argument, in which case, buddy, me and my pal Max have some news for you.

On the other hand if McAlpine is making the argument that “ we all live within political systems pervaded by the importance of the nation-state” or something along those lines, then frankly that’s one hell of a circular point seeing as he proselytizes the idea of Nation States as inherently legitimate, or at least seems to. If this latter argument is being made here then its not wildly different to that time Louise Mensch got up of Have I Got News For You and complained that anti capitalists protesters were idiots because they’d probably consumed capitalist goods. Not least i find this disgusting because of his insistence on the conception of “our roads” as if humans can cut out cubes of the air and trademark them. A criticism of tourist-colonialism is very justified, i agree, and the idea that the colonized nation, repressed by the colonizer is legitimate in resistance is one that many would say carries some water, but here he turns it utterly on its head, not only by arguing that Scotland is in any way similar to being an imperial colony in any significant degree, but also by turning this argument into a complete unconscious capitulation to the essentialism of the republic. Mcalpine worships the citizen, and now because of it anyone can build upon that ideological failure to wring up whatever evolved form of essentialism they may choose. It is from this that the whole failure of much of the self described civic nationalists springs. Their ideology has replaced the old totem with a new one and now the imagined republic forms what they strive for. It will of course never exist, vote or no. I happily voted Yes once and will do so again, but while i described myself as a civic nationalist last time i don’t any longer. I dont think this article really vindicates why anyone should

In that it is treated differently within the UK political landscape by the powers that be it is more akin to a collection of low priority constituencies, safe seats that neither side is compelled to compete over and thus will not invest in. The vestiges of serious English/Scottish violent tension or the post 1707 internal repression are not actually materially important any more. Scots aren’t being brutally oppressed in that way any more. In the Current material conditions it is about austerity over the course of decades, the aftermath of industrial collapse and regrowth, and cutting away from the worst of liberalism and neoliberalism, into a situation where things are merely bad and not catastrophic.

its for this reason that im skeptical of the premise of his next section: that civic, cultural and ethnic nationalism are fundamentally different. Different they are, but not inextricably so. in fact i believe they are merely faces of each other, and because the idea of nationalism does not allow for people to actually escape that loop, are suited to merely melt into each other as the climate requires. If you cant imagine the “ someone elses roads” rhetoric coming out of the mouth of certain other UK political figures mouths. Mcalpine attempts to escape this by stating that he sees the shades of grey and the nuances inherent in the problems of all these theories, but i would argue that the three distinct ideas of nationalism he has outlined do not form separate trends or tendencies, but that they chase each other in a spiral. I believe they have a dialectical relationship.

(Getting wildly off the rails I would liken it to Clausewitz’s “ fascinating trinity”, where three separate components of a concept that at first glance each seem the essential component, each rely on each other and by their own presence force the other aspects to relate to them.* The actual philosophical difference between civic and ethnic nationalism is particularly tenuous for reasons which i should not have to elucidate. These are not separate categories. They are elements in dialectical conversation with each other and each exists in the nationalist ideal, if you look in the right places. Creating a theory of the modern nation state isn't like picking different pokemon at the start of the game)

*I am aware of course that this is obscure as hell. feel free to ignore it Anyway getting back on track: I think that by this point another key error in the Civic nationalist platform should be clear by now: the notion that civic nationalism stands somehow as a desperately radical stance against globalization and modern consumerism, or even that it would materially represent a desperately different way of being from such things. Neither of these things are really expressly mentioned in this article as it isn't really the place for that massive discussion yet i personally get the feeling that we should briefly discuss them nonetheless. The Civic nationalist tendency amongst the main camp of the Independence movement in Scotland frequently effectively offers Scottish nationalism/independence as a bulwark, both materially and ideologically against “ the bad capitalism” presuming their own to be so much better. Again this isn't mentioned in McAlpines article, so its not like its at all his fault but i feel the need, as someone in favor of Independence and as an anti-capitalist who takes a Marxian analysis of capitalist economics to reiterate that this position is blatant nonsense

Anyway Mcalpine then knocks it right out of the park with the inclusion of a joke YouTube video, which to be fair takes a nice swing at BBC British nationalist propaganda, which is to be fair pretty horrendous. This section is a little edgy but whatever. He then moves on to complain that Sturgeon has had to avoid the word “ nationalist” in her rhetoric. Frankly i normally have no problem with the idea of nationalism being unpopular, but his point that it is being made unusable by the deliberate propagandist manipulation of the silent nationalism of the British political landscape (lmao) is an accurate one. Nationalism isn't what those people are arguing against. they are arguing for their own nationalism and their own power. Next up, after this worthwhile insight is a quite positive point, the heart of which i understand but at same time cannot stand alongside: The fixed idea of the citizen and citizenry is again raised. Difference and the validity of such is celebrated. All is Utopian. All is then sacrificed. the preponderance of the nation state over the citizen immediately re-erupts onto the scene, as the citizens become components of the national project. Which is inevitably going to cave to bog standard capitalist exploitation no matter how Utopian you make your Tomorrow-Scotland. Surplus Value is still Surplus Value regardless who the extractor is. McAlpine is not willing to accept this however and states:

“ This means that I believe nationalism is a function of people – that the nation state is explicitly a contract between each of its citizens, and not a contract between individuals and 'the state'. “ ...to which i can only respond with “ yeah right”.

He reiterates his imagined distinction between movement for a nation of citizens and affinity groups and relations, and old school patriotism and rightly criticizes it as a subservience to power, yet fails to reflect on such a notion within a nation. The rest of this article i cant really bring myself to criticize because it is genuinely clearly rather heartfelt in a way which i too have felt and sympathize with: snipe though i may I still sympathize with the general platform and the desires behind it: for a better way of living. Further the general premise of the article is made into a rather useful request at the end, even if i still feel that the author failed to live up to it:

“ If only we could show more courage in defining what our project is about at a fundamental level...”

Well to the author i say this: if that project is independence please count me as, though a critic, an ally. But if it is nationalism then i would encourage you to see which spooks and phantasms still haunt you and to see which wheels turn in your head.

#scottish independence #SNP #scottish national party #indyref2 #scotland

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naturecpw · 3 years

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The James Bond Shower: A Shot of Cold Water for Health and Vitality

As a kid, I was a big James Bond fan. Saw all the movies and read all the books. One thing I noticed about the book version of James Bond was that every time he took a shower, he would start off with the water nice and hot, and then turn it down to cold for the last few minutes. Perhaps this little detail of Bond’s personal bathing regimen was a subtle way for Ian Fleming to illustrate Bond’s Scottish ancestry, as this type of shower is commonly known as a “Scottish Shower.” Who knows.

Being an impressionable kid, I started doing it too. I didn’t know the proper name for this type of shower, so I just called it the “James Bond Shower.” Taking a shower that started hot and ended cold proved to be quite invigorating. It woke me up and added a bit of pep to my step throughout the day. I’ve continued the practice of the James Bond Shower into adulthood. Along the way, I’ve discovered that cold water baths have been used for centuries as a way to treat various ailments and that modern studies lend credence to the health claims associated with this age old treatment.

Below we give a brief rundown on the benefits of the James Bond Shower.

Watch the Video

A Brief History of Cold Water Therapy

“Nothing like sitting in an ice cold bath with nothing but my bare bum in it while reading the latest Dickens novel to invigorate and enliven the senses. Tally ho!”

James Bond wasn’t the first to enjoy the benefits of a shot of cold water. In ancient times, hot water was a luxury. People had to live near a hot springs in order to enjoy the comfort of a hot bath, so for most of human history people bathed in cold water. But even when the Ancient Greeks developed heating systems for their public baths, they continued bathing in cold water for the health benefits.

The Spartans, hard-asses that they were, felt hot water was for the weak and unmanly. When they did take baths (which was, like, once a year) they used only cold water because they thought it tempered the body and made it vigorous for ass kicking.

During the first century, Finnish folks would sweat it out in saunas and then jump into an ice cold lake or stream, a pastime which is referred to as “avantouinti” or “ice hole swimming” and is still enjoyed by modern Finns and others wild and woolly Scandinavians.

Many cultures incorporated a cold water dousing into their religious ceremonies. Some Native American tribes would alternate between sitting in a sweat lodge and jumping into an icy river or snow bank. Ancient Russians also took frequent plunges into ice cold rivers for health and spiritual cleansing. Japanese practitioners of Shinto, both in ancient and modern times, would stand under an icy waterfall as part of a ritual known as Misogi, which was believed to cleanse the spirit.

In the 1820s, a German farmer named Vincenz Priessnitz started touting a new medical treatment called “hydrotherapy,” which used cold water to cure everything from broken bones to erectile dysfunction. He turned his family’s homestead into a sanitarium, and patients flocked to it in the hope that his cold water cure could help them. Among his clientele were dukes, duchesses, counts, countesses, and a few princesses to boot.

Priessnitz’s hydrotherapy soon spread to the rest of Europe and eventually to the United States. Celebrities and other famous folks took to it, like, well, a duck to water and helped popularize the cold water cure with the masses. For example, Charles Darwin (a chronically sick guy and owner of an awesomely manly beard) was a huge proponent of hydrotherapy. The first hydrotherapy facility opened up in the U.S in 1843, right when the sanitarium craze hit America. By the the end of the 19th century, over 200 hydrotherapy/sanitarium resorts existed in the U.S., the most famous being the Battle Creek Sanitarium founded by John Harvey Kellogg. You know. The guy who invented corn flakes. And believed in the awesome power of enemas and a “squeaky clean colon.”

The popularity of hydrotherapy began to decline in the 20th century as many in the medical field moved to drugs to treat illnesses. As doctors concentrated on conventional medicine, more holistic methods began to be seen as quackery. While hydrotherapy was prescribed less and less to cure illnesses, doctors continued to use it to treat injuries such as strained muscles and broken bones. You’ll find athletes today taking ice baths to speed their recovery from injuries and intense workouts.

Benefits of Cold Water Showers

While doctors may no longer instruct their patients to take a cold bath and call them in the morning, a shot of cold water can still impart real health benefits:

1. Improves circulation.

Good blood circulation is vital for overall cardiovascular health. Healthy blood circulation also speeds up recovery time from strenuous exercises and work. Alternating between hot and cold water while you shower is an easy way to improve your circulation. Cold water causes your blood to move to your organs to keep them warm. Warm water reverses the effect by causing the blood to move towards the surface of the skin. Cold shower proponents argue that stimulating the circulatory system in this way keeps them healthier and younger looking than their hot water-loving counterparts.

2. Relieves depression.

Lots of great men from history suffered bouts of depression. Henry David Thoreau is one such man. But perhaps Thoreau’s baths in chilly Walden Pond helped keep his black dog at bay. Research at the Department of Radiation Oncology at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine indicates that short cold showers may stimulate the brain’s “blue spot”– the brain’s primary source of noradrenaline — a chemical that could help mitigate depression. I guess a bout of the blues isn’t so bad after all.

3. Keeps skin and hair healthy.

Hot water dries out skin and hair. If you want to avoid an irritating itch and ashy elbows, turn down the temperature of your showers. Also, cold water can make your manly mane look shinier and your skin look healthier by closing up your cuticles and pores.

4. Strengthens immunity.

According to a study done in 1993 by the Thrombosis Research Institute in England, individuals who took daily cold showers saw an increase in the number of virus fighting white blood cells compared to individuals who took hot showers. Researchers believe that the increased metabolic rate, which results from the body’s attempt to warm itself up, activates the immune system and releases more white blood cells in response.

5. Increases fertility.

Trying to become a dad? Cold showers are good for your little swimmers. Your testes aren’t meant to get too hot; that’s why they hang outside your body. Sperm counts decrease when the temperature of a man’s testes increases. Experiments done in the 1950s showed that hot baths were an effective contraceptive. Men who took a 30 minute hot bath every other day for 3 weeks were infertile for the next six months. More recently, the University of California at San Francisco did a study with men who were exposed to 30 minutes of “wet heat” (hot baths and such) a week. When the men cut this exposure out, their sperm count went up by 491%, and their sperm’s motility improved as well. While switching from a hot to cold shower may not have as dramatic an effect, if you’re trying to create some progeny, it surely won’t hurt.

6. Increases energy and well-being.

Every time I end a shower with cold water, I leave feeling invigorated and energized. Your heart starts pumping, and the rush of blood through your body helps shake off the lethargy of the previous night’s sleep. For me, the spike in energy lasts several hours. It’s almost like drinking a can of Diet Mountain Dew, minus the aspartame. And while it hasn’t been studied, many people swear that cold showers are a surefire stress reducer. I’m a believer.

Getting Started with Cold Water Showers

If you’ve spent most of your life taking hot showers, suddenly turning the dial in the other direction can be a big shock to the system. I took a break from the James Bond Showers for a few months. When I decided to get started again with them, my heart almost jumped out of my chest, and I nearly passed out from hyperventilating when the cold water hit my body. Too much, too soon.

My suggestion (based on personal experience) is to gradually decrease the temp of the water so your body can adjust.

Which reminds me, some people with certain conditions should avoid cold showers because of the shock to the body’s system. If you have the following conditions, you’ll have to harness your inner 007 another way:

Heart disease. If my normal, healthy heart felt like it was about to explode, imagine how a diseased heart will feel.

High blood pressure. The contraction in your blood vessels caused by cold water could cause a stroke. Apparently.

Overheated or feverish. Your blood vessels need to dilate in order to release heat. Cold water causes them to constrict.

Okay. If you’re healthy enough for a James Bond Shower, here’s how it’s done.

1. Start off with the hot water.

2. Wash your hair with some Pinaud Elixir shampoo, just like 007.

3. When you’re ready to rinse, just turn it down to cold. Bond would spend a few minutes under the cold water, meditating about a lost love or on how awesome his job is.

4. As you walk out the shower, kill the hitman that’s been hiding in the closet using nothing but a towel and a Scotch tumbler.

5. Say a pithy one liner; proceed to put on tux.

You’ll start seeing the benefits right after the first shower, and it only gets better as you continue. While cold water showers won’t give you the charm or skills of 007, you’ll feel like a new man.

https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/cold-shower-benefits/

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zakwebbmefan · 4 years

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What is Evil Eye?

The Evil Eye has been around given that the start of time. It just suggests sending out a person an idea that seems intrusive or intrusive or has the power to injure him or her. The bad lot of money that results is taken into consideration to have been triggered by envy. The evil eye is not always taken into consideration to be willful or connected with witchcraft or sorcery. Oddly sufficient, this idea type might actually be free in nature. The beginnings of the Wickedness Eye are Middle-Eastern and also Mediterranean. The idea was presented right into the Americas, South Pacific Islands, Asia, Africa as well as Australia by European explorers. Sending out someone the evil eye comes from the idea that we all have a Pineal eye, situated in the facility of our forehead. Blinding, misting or covering the pineal eye is frequently the intent of the power's sender. Most of us have actually experienced the unusual power of the phenomenon. All it takes is a stare that seems to be unfriendly, indifferent or empty and appears to a couple of seconds also long. We think about it for a few minutes after that or possibly a photo of the person staring at us busies our ideas occasionally for the remainder of the day. Maybe that is why the British as well as Scottish term for the "wicked eye" is "overlooking." It implies that a gaze has actually continued to be too long upon the coveted object, individual or pet. The bad eye is also known as the jealous or invidious eye. In Italian it is called the malocchio and in Spanish the malojo (freely converted as the negative eye) The bad eye is referred to as ayin horeh in Hebrew; ayin harsha in Arabic, droch shuil in Scotland, mauvais oeil in France, bösen Blick in Germany, as well as was known as oculus malus among the classic Romans. The initial belief is that anybody can harm your children, livestock, fruit trees or any other evidence of success simply by checking out the spoils of all your goodwill as well as hard work with envy. Actually, the curse of the evil eye is thought to be prompted by unacceptable display screens of spiritual pride or excessive charm. There is a concept that really popular people and celebrities suffer more personal tragedy than others simply due to the fact that they are subjected to more "ignoring" as well as envy than others. This superstition may have some grounding in evolutionary psychology as usually one pet is believed to control or be aggressive to one more simply by staring at it for as well long. Emotionally talking, gazing or blazing at someone is officially taken into consideration an intrusion into your affairs. Apparently, there is a fine line in between casting a look to casting a spell. In these blog post Celestine Prophecy times, this type of gaze might be contrasted to a type of etheric laser beam of light or amoebic arm that rips open your aura. Others would certainly explain the infliction of the evil eye as the forecast of a picture (such as the image of the individual you have actually upset or hurt) so that you see only that to the exclusion of all other view. Simply put, you see that person wherever you go or really feel that your life's events are constantly colored by your taking care of that individual. Another symptom is the inability to proceed with normal, day-to-day occasions without feeling somehow compelled to make points ri! ght with the person you have actually typically unconsciously offended with your grandiosity. It is common folklore that the evil eye has a drying out effect on its target. It is thought to cause vomiting, diarrhea, the drying up of the milk of nursing mommies and animals, issues with the blood, sight absence of rainfall, the running out of wells, the withering of fruit and also impotence in men. Clumsiness, stomachaches, dry coughs, looseness of the bowels, itching, loss of hair, completely dry skin are all believed to be physical signs and symptoms of an evil eye assault e. On the astral level it is believed to cause the running out of prana, chi, vital force and the very easy flow of success in life. Part of this photo may stem from the suggestion also, of sloppy, murky or poisoned vision that is in some way connected to the victim's third eye. Nearly anywhere that the wicked eye idea exists, it is stated to be triggered mistakenly by envy or appreciation. Therefore the expression "Satisfaction Goeth Before a Loss" In particular Mediterranean and also eastern cultures, one bewares not to applaud a child too much, lest it invite the subconscious harmonizing effect of the wicked eye. A timeless circumstance would be the barren female that praises the newborn of a brand-new child. Such praise would certainly be thought about inappropriate as well as thought to bring the bad youngster. One of the solutions for this would certainly be for the mom to spit, to symbolically "rehydrate" the situation. Likewise, she may speak ill of the kid OT counteract the impacts of the praise, which could have fatal results on the child later. The belief that individuals have the power to cast the bad eye purposefully is extra idiosyncratic to Sicily as well as Southern Italy, although the idea has definitely spread out in other places-- to the Southern USA and also the Latin Americas. Such people are called jettatore (projectors). They are not always taken into consideration evil or envious, just birthed with an unfavorable unpleasant talent that creates others to prevent them. In old societies, if you were thought to be the holder of an evil eye, you were frequently negated by the rest of society and went unrecognized on the street without conference anyone's eyes. Possibly among the most familiar preventative procedures against the wicked eye is the hand motion. The Mano Cornufo or "Horned Hand" involves prolonging the initial and also index fingers from a clenched fist. The Mano Fico or "Fig hand" includes placing the thumb in between very first and second fingers. Historically there have been lots of remedies for the evil eye: In Italy, the wicked eye is detected by leaking olive oil right into a vessel filled with water. If the oil conglomerates into the shape of an eye than the sufferer is taken into consideration formally cursed. Prayers are stated till the droplets of oil no longer create an eye form. In Eastern Europe charcoal, coal or scorched match heads are gone down into a frying pan of water/. If the items float after that the person is taken into consideration to be the victim of a curse. In the Ukraine, a kind of ceromancy or candle reading is used to diagnose the curse. Melted wax is leaked from a candle light right into a frying pan of water. If the wax spits, splatters, or stays with the side of the dish after that the "client" is considered to be under the influence of the malefic eye. Usually the patient is cleansed with Divine Water. He or she is noticable treated when the trickled wax sinks the bottom of the bowl in a rounded ball. In Greece Mexico and also other locations, the official cure is to welcome the perpetrator in charge of the bad eye to spew in a vessel of the divine water that is consumed by the target. In Mexico, rolling a raw egg over the body of the victim is the antidote. Afterwards, it is split open and also if the metaphysician or healer divines the form of an eye in the yolks after that the person is thought about to be cursed. A number of eggs may be consistently surrendered the person's body until an egg without an eye if discovered. Occasionally the egg is put underneath the individual's bed over night as well as broken open in the early morning. In China the remedy for the wicked eye is the Kua mirror, a six-sided mirror that is hung on the front door or positioned in the front home window to reverse poor energy back to the sender. A few of these mirrors are convex to show back the bad "toxin darts" or "arrows" of multiple sick wishers and also some are concave to mirror energy in a guaranteed direction back at, for instance, an intrusive neighbor, whose look may have stuck around on your yard of tulips for as well lengthy. In Feng Shui, mirrors are typically made use of as a remedy all to show negative power back at all examples-- people, bad design, web traffic, next-door neighbors, physical obstructions such as trees or rocks or anything else that may taken into consideration to be a conductor of Har Shui (unfavorable resonances). In India the matching rear of the bad eye takes the form of little mirrors that are attached, braided or crocheted right into garments. This mirroring rear of negative power is also acquainted to experts of Wicca and also Lukumi or Santeria. In India, the human eye is also considered to be a mirror of the spirit. Indian ladies use kohl or hefty black make-up to highlight their eyes not just to shield themselves from bad eye yet additionally to avoid themselves from inadvertently inflicting it on others. In India cords strung with blue grains are placed on newborn babies. When the cord breaks and also the beads are shed the youngster is considered to have a solid sufficient aura to safeguard him or herself from the wicked eye. Red cords used upon the wrist or neck are believed to have a powerful result against eye malevolence. A silver beauty called Eye of Buddha which references the Gautama Buddha is also put on versus astral attack. In Italy, gold, silver or treasures sculpted or cast right into the shape of the Mano Fica or Mano Cornufa are used to fend off the wickedness. One of the most sought after ones are constructed from red coral, however lots of versions exist today constructed from gemstones as well as plastic. They are used by males to protect against the withering of the genital areas thought to be triggered by the poor eye. Also Italian in origin is the Corno or horn or devil's horn amulet that is thought to shield versus the very same dysfunction. The women's version is made from a twig of red coral reefs. In Arab societies, superstitious types put on an eye in the kind of a rock cast in the facility of a hand shaped bone or metal appeal A typical Egyptian appeal is the Clasp of Isis which represents the menstruation pad of the Siren Isis who was the Mother of all living points. Packing a little prayer or spell inside a locket that is spent time the neck is the typical European custom-made for protecting oneself against deadly gazes. A light worker such as myself could recommend you to shield on your own in the following contemporary methods: Constantly maintain the belief that no one has the power to harm you with an appearance. This by itself is a very effective idea kind. Prior to you go out, imagine that your third eye is actually covered by something that resembles a little pocket mirror. If you are a psychic or a therapist then merely close your pineal eye as well as don't open it unless you wish to look. If you are really feeling haunted or upset as the outcome of a "look", push your thumb hard into the center of your forehead as well as visualize your pineal eye swiftly flipping. Flick the energy away with your thumb and also snap your fingers. Constantly remember that what you resist often persists. The expression "Oh, so what!" is among one of the most powerful chemicals in deep space that you can use to dissolve negative energy.

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mysassysophzblog · 5 years

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Psalm 94

13 JANUARY 2019

- misguided assumption that new year will almost always be good (Lam3:22-23) yet who can assure that this is true upon others (total depravity)

- in scripture, there is no promise of prosperity and good health but that death is always there; yet we fully realize that the joy that comes with being the child of God will only be realized in the coming age

- in fact what happens in this world drive us to look upon Christ

- Psalms: a series of comfort that is not all airy-fairy, overly optimistic but rooted in deep pits of pain yet radically focused on God’s promise n His name

- nowhere in our plan anticipates a disaster to occur yet a sober understanding of our sin-marred world necessitates us to expect it

- our bible gives us permission n license to cry out to the Lord in times of need

- Psalm 94 O God who avenges (NIV) = O God of “vengeance” vs Rom 15:33 God of “peace” ~fountain n source of peace; God of “justice”, God of “hope”

- A God intimately in our lives, who cares and casts judgement; does God seem a bit too petty? vengeance (act of justice, legitimate judiciary) is not revenge (act of passion, to personal issues)

- Rom 12:18-19 “Do not take REVENGE, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to AVENGE; I will repay;’ says the Lord”

-Vengeance belongs to God and not humans because our emotions degrade out vengeance into revenge (flawed judgement)

-Rise up: not to call God awake, but a call to ask God to ascend to his judgement seat: a symbol of authority and power, specifically for the judge as he performs his duty

- God’s vengeance is not arbitrary, but to the evil what they deserve

- psalmists know that God is ultimately aware that God sees humanity and will eventual cast justice: the Q is not whether or not God will do this but WHEN he will do this

- who are the wicked? characteristics of the wicked then share a lot of similarities with that in this world today

- “arrogance in speech”: hubris ~blasphemy, as if God is not there; not just satisfied with doing evil but boasting in it (rather than hide in the dark n their guilt)

- when u discard the presence of God, u lose a point of reference, a sense of morality--rid of ideas like guilt n shame, release individuals capable of all sorts of evil

- shame as a product of sin, since Adam n Eve ate the fruit; when Jesus comes, there is no shame but in this world, shame is a gift fr God to guard us from what we are capable of -- laying down a world with no constraint, opening a floodgate of immoral living (indulgence)

- “crush n oppress God’s ppl” ~ persecution on believers: that doesn’t necessarily mean that persecution is a bad thing

- an observation made by a theologian: “church has always thrive at the margin of society rather than bring the centre of power”--Christians are not called to dominate the world thru our influence but thru our humility n love

- not to fight back but as witness to his glory

- not whether the oppression would come but when

- oppression/exploitation of the weak (foreigner, widow, orphans)

- 1, wicked has no regard for God 2, think they can get away with the crimes they committed

- foul acts are no surprise, for as they do not recognise the God of the universe, these things seem to be normal

- we are tempted to ask “do you see this Lord?”

- instead of simply telling us that “yes God hears”, the psalmist uses rhetorical questions to point us to the foolishness and absurdity of the wicked v9

- If you and I who have imperfect eyesight can see and be repulsed by the wicked deeds of their crimes n their tears, how much more will God be able to do that

- and because God sees n hears, we’re sure that He will also act v22-23

- all four letter of the word “Lord” are capitalised = yaweh; psalmist is calling onto the Lord trusting that He would act

- this passage offers us a theology of suffering (of the righteous, not self-brought) which equips us for times of pain

- a suffering that is not immediately explainable, hard to find root cause: accident, illnesses, sudden circumstances: “why do bad things happen to good people?”

- Junior R.C. Sproul (after his wife died of cancer): “What do you mean ‘why do bad things happen to good ppl?’ That only happened once, and He volunteered.”--no one is righteous, no one is good (Rom)

- Rev21:4 speaks of God who wipes away the tears of everyone, an eternity marked by an absence of death, mourning of pain n crying n tears (our joyful hope n anticipation, tho not there yet)

- How do we make sense of all of this (troubles that come our way)? v12-14 blessed is the one you disciplined ... understood as a form of God’s discipline over His ppl

- we struggle to understand this because we put discipline primarily in the -ve category, yet the bible has a radically diff standard: Heb12:4 God is treating you as His children! For what children are not disciplined by their Father?

- The hardship we experienced from Him is in fact a form of discipline, not that He is lashing out at us (not an emotionally unstable father, for the weight of His wrath is already poured out on Christ); it is the tool He uses for our sanctification

- so wrapped around by our culture that God wants us to be happy not holy--Heb 12:10-11 yet it is never God’s plan!

- To be clear, happiness and holiness r not always at odds with each other, not mutually exclusive category--u can be both as a Christian as long as u understand happiness thru the lens of holiness

- God loves us, seen most vividly thru Christ--who is fully righteous yet oppressed, He’s also the one oppressed to make us righteous n good

- in the midst of suffering n pain this coming year, rmb this: if you are in His grip, He will never lose you; if He will never lose you, He will never stop loving you no matter who you are in Christ

- Whenever you are in a trial / suffering, rmb it’s God’s form of discipline for our sanctification--if you are in Christ, Jesus is already punished for you--it happens for God’s glory and our good

- we can be confident of this because God is sovereign over all: you might be surprised in the news of tragedy; here’s a news for you: God is not

- When you feel a sense of hopeless, feel like you’re not in control, rmb that if you’re in Christ, you belong to one who is absolutely in control

- “We might not know what tomorrow holds, but we know who holds tomorrow”

- God’s consolation is diff fr that of other ppl’s: they might be able to offer help or comfort of some sort but God is the one ultimately capable of changing the situation

- In His sovereignty, we know that whatever we’re going thru, it’s an expression of His love

- wounds that would never heal for the things that other ppl have done, at least in this world: The hope we have is this: God is our avenger who would administer perfect justice in the times of injustice

- While everyone focuses on your highlight reels, what really determines your character is what happens in the low lights and in the shadows n darkness

- Spurgeon (A malign n suffering creature -- John Piper): carried multiple thorns in life that reminded him of God’s discipline in love--married to a wife (Susanna) who bore him 2 twin sons but later discovered Susanna is infertile anymore n few years later, she struck with a disability n became invalid --> never heard him preach anymore + cannot participate in his ministry (busy ministry + sickly wife) + diseases eating away his body, public ridicule n slander eating away his soul + many more

- Spurgeon’s commentary on Psalm 94 despite all these: “The righteous need not wonder that they suffer now, for that has been God’s lot for His people all along. The death and the cries of His ppl, remember the martyr age, the cries of His suffering ppl, the Convenanters (Scottish prezzies, hunted as food), you must not wonder if the easy places on earth r not yours, or the sentinel duty to full into your lot. It is so and it must be for God has ordained it”

- How can a man in such affliction said sth like that? He read Psalm 94 and He believed it

- Yes, dream big, pray expectantly yet recognize that we as God’s children are not immune to the effects of sins n fall in this world, yet we remain hopeful because we know that the God sees

- As surely as the dawn -- by Emu Music

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republicstandard · 6 years

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Northern Ireland Is Ripe For Invasion: Police, Media, Politicians Bow To Islam

Considering the bloody history of Northern Ireland when it comes to sectarian violence, one might understand the reticence there to recognize the threat of Islam. On the other hand, given the bloody history of Catholic versus Protestant, one might expect a greater understanding of what turf wars between religious rivals can look like.

It appears that we must again recognize the power of the Cathedral; what the neoractionaries call the sometimes-self-aware social construct of media, education, and government. The narrative that runs through all aspects of this profane artifice is one of tolerance above all else- shattering the wisdom of Karl Popper and setting the stage for destruction.

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Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them. ~ Karl Popper

There is a small pan-Christian identitarian group in Northern Ireland which has adopted the moniker Generation Sparta. One might have imagined a slightly more Celtic influenced name, but in any case, the group is counter-jihad in orientation and have taken it upon themselves to alert their countrymen to the threat posed by Islam to the West. What I am about to describe mirrors almost perfectly both my own experience as a young man growing up in an almost entirely White town in Yorkshire and also that of the YouTuber Millenial Woes in his own White Scottish village.

People in virtual ethnostate conditions have no idea how good they have it. They may look at a pamphlet that bears uncomfortable news and uncritically reject it. We are all, I am sure, guilty of this at some point. We have only people like ourselves to contend with, which becomes boring. Mundane. We might fantasise about the exotic East, or the cosmopolitan cities; far away from the backwards looking troglodytes we are spawned from and fear to become. Islam itself becomes exciting, culturally enriching, and a colorful counter to the dour gloom of the slate-gray Ulster skies.

I will wager good money that I know of someone who feels today as we once felt. So begins the story of Northern Ireland resident 'Meg'.

This insane and terrifying pamphlet was posted through my door yesterday wtf pic.twitter.com/vHWJadJej5

— Meg Brad (@MegMog95) April 3, 2018

Yes indeed, this looks like a scary leaflet to receive if one does not have the prerequisite education -or rather, if one has the requisite indoctrination- to understand the reality of it. It is easy to dismiss as insane and terrifying that which we do not understand. To assist Meg in understanding this matter, let us look at the claims made by Generation Sparta.

CLAIM: Will Britons be a minority in the United Kingdom in 2066?

Yes; at least according to Professor of Demography at Oxford, Peter Coleman and the Migration Observatory.

“On current trends, European populations will become more ethnically diverse, with the possibility that today’s majority ethnic groups will no longer comprise a numerical majority.”

This study does refer specifically to the White British, which as we have written about before are a distinct ethnic group; with a distinct culture and set of values. Generation Sparta are correct in saying that British people were not balloted on immigration- frequently they voted for parties that promised to curb immigration and were ignored. Though I have asked many times myself for a reason why Britain will not become a country where the indigenous population is a minority, I have never received a reasoned answer. Without fail, the question is dismissed as implausible. Without fail, this question is treated as evidence of racism.

The police came round, impressively speedy response from @PoliceServiceNI. They took the pamphlet with them and are gonna investigate

— Meg Brad (@MegMog95) April 4, 2018

Until sufficient evidence is produced that disproves the projections of demographic replacement, we must -if we claim to be living in a somewhat evidence-based shared reality- recognize that replacement migration is real. Generation Sparta are entirely correct to make the claim in their leaflet. We know that the UN itself desires this process.

CLAIM: Nothing is done following terrorist attacks in England.

Can any deny that this is true? The bombing of a pop-concert in Manchester is quickly replaced in the narrative by the tragedy of Grenfell; dealing with terrorism is hard. Blaming Britain for poor constructions that incinerate illegal immigrants is easy. We have seen no steps taken in the United Kingdom to even contend with the difficult questions around Islam as a philosophy. We cannot discuss it, not even in the House of Lords.

youtube

We must agree again that Generation Sparta are correct- in so far as nothing positive is done- we see our civil liberties eroded a little more after every Peace-Stabbing or Peace-Bomb.

With emotive language, Generation Sparta lay the blame for this dire future at the feet of their own politicians. Note that well- there is no mention of violence, or hate towards Muslims- or anyone else. The political elites are whom Generation Sparta blame for the enrichment of Ireland; and if the responses to Meg's original tweet are to go by from Alliance Party members, we must again agree with the pamphlet.

I'd definitely pass that to the police. Goes way beyond opinion to incitement. The fact that it's deranged notwithstanding 🙄

— Naomi Long MLA (@naomi_long) April 3, 2018

I know! And there are a significant amount of Muslim people in this area, I'd hate for them to feel unwelcome because of a few hateful people

— Meg Brad (@MegMog95) April 4, 2018

Alliance's policies also indicate a fatal misunderstanding of human population dynamics; buying in entirely to Lockean blank slate ideas, that all humans are fundamentally interchangeable.

Is the cry of RACIST! unfamiliar? As the Journal reports:

South Belfast DUP MP Emma Little Pengelly and MLA Christopher Stalford have condemned the distribution of the leaflets.

“These leaflets, distributed by an unknown and anonymous group, do not speak for the people who live in that area or the vast majority of people across Northern Ireland,” they said.

“We have seen attempts before to incite racism within Northern Ireland and thankfully they have failed on every occasion.

It is absolutely wrong and dangerous to try and stir up racist sentiment by conflating an entire religion with the vile, violent acts of terrorists, who are just masquerading under the cover of religion."

Once again we are treated to the gloriously myopic bleatings from cuckold politicians who claim to know the minds of religious fundamentalists better than the religious fundamentalists themselves. This, from a hardcore Protestant Unionist party who have campaigned in the past to "save Ulster from sodomy" and advocated for creationism in schools. Let us not pretend that this party is one of tolerance and such fancies- but even the DUP cannot bring itself to say; No- we do not want an Islamic Northern Ireland. Strange then, that over a year ago the atheist community in Northern Ireland submitted a letter to the Home Secretary "raising serious concerns about the UK Government’s ‘independent review’ into Sharia courts in Britain."

Strange that in Northern Ireland the godless will go where the God-fearing fear to tread.

CLAIM: The media tar opponents of multiculturalism as racist

Of course! It's racist to point it out. As predicted in their own pamphlet, Generation Sparta are accurate again. Now, one might say- well, of course, the press will say this pamphlet is racist because it is racist! The counter is simple- there is nothing racist in the pamphlet unless we are to believe that Islam is a race- and therefore immune from critique. This is a fundamental point of contention. If you cannot criticize ideas because it is racist to criticize those ideas, you are living under tyranny. You are living under laws that persecute blasphemy.

I will say that it is wrong to use the image of Fusilier Lee Rigby in this manner. There is no need to politicize his death further- he shall not be forgotten, but sympathy must be shown to his family; who have repeatedly requested that his image is not used by activists. That should be respected- and Generation Sparta should know better. This being said, the words accompanying his image are also accurate- these are the sites of terrorist attacks in England. Far more than 1500 English girls have been raped by predominantly Pakistani men. These facts are not in dispute, surely.

You have seen the pamphlet and read the criticism in the press, but I want to show you the depths to which our media outlets will sink in search of a bias-confirming story. Here are the tweets from the press, begging for a comment from the girl who received the pamphlet.

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Hi Meg, I'm from the @IrishTimes - would it be ok for us to use your pics of the leaflet as part of our coverage?

— David Cochrane (@davidcochrane) April 5, 2018

Can you follow for a DM?

— Arthur Strain (@Fronkenstrain) April 4, 2018

Meg, I'm a reporter with https://t.co/aSXrpCFHE9. Would you mind if we were to share this image with full cred to you?

— Kate Demolder (@katedemolder) April 5, 2018

Hi Meg, my name is Michael and I work for the @BelTel - would it be OK to use these images of the leaflet?

— MichaelSheilsMcnamee (@MichaelOnassis) April 5, 2018

In lockstep, these so-called journalists role out the same talking points with the same downstream thinking. We only ever look at the effect, and never the cause. We may even find out that indeed Generation Sparta are racists or such, but that information will never come from the spineless British press. I have reached out to Generation Sparta myself to obtain a comment, and will update this article should i receive one.

And so we see how a crime is manufactured from the truth.

Chief Inspector David Moore of the Police Service of Northern Ireland said:

"We are treating this as a hate incident at present and we are making a number of enquiries.

"The PSNI continues to make it clear that hate crime, in any form, is unacceptable."

That a pamphlet of relatively uncontroversial statements reveals that Ireland, which spent much of the last century witnessing extreme sectarian violence, can now no longer bear criticism of Islam is truly saddening. It is a hate crime, after all, to say “This is Ireland. This land is of the Irish.” Isn’t that what we were looking for, all those troubled years? Are we so deluded that we ignore that the most likely thing to unite a people is a common foe? I am willing to bet that if this group is bringing Protestants and Catholics together, there might actually be something to be learned; if not from the beliefs of Generation Sparta per se, but surely from how sectarian lines may be bridged.

I suppose as she reported the pamphlets to the police, we should leave the last word to Meg herself. Remember; the pamphlet warns against rape gangs. It is, you might say, an anti-rape leaflet.

If you talk to any woman about rape or sexual assault, the chances are that they will have a story about a time they were raped or almost raped or in fear of being raped. I don't think men realise that.

— Meg Brad (@MegMog95) March 28, 2018

May I suggest that the men of Generation Sparta realize that very well?

It is very easy to just be accepting of everything. To imagine that nothing really matters, and history was backward, dirty. Racist. Homophobic. This way of thinking leads us to value nothing, to preserve nothing of ourselves. The very idea that somewhere a religious person might be offended by a leaflet drives a multi-branch crackdown to root out these evil people who have looked at the world as it is, and not as we would wish it to be.

The establishment is terrified. You can see it in the reaction to wrongthink. It is this lack of thought in the response that will ultimately prove Generation Sparta right, and the media, the police, the political establishment and probably-gender-studies-major-Meg, will all be proven wrong. If you cannot think freely, then you will act as a slave.

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The worst part of that reality is that it is so easily preventable; if we steel ourselves, put our shoulders back, and contend with the problems at hand. All we have to do is take responsibility for our own futures.

Is that really so hard?

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felicia1mallet-blog · 6 years

Text

Test Bank Experiencing the Worlds Religion 6th Edition

For Order This And Any Other Test

Banks And Solutions Manuals, Course,

Assignments, Discussions, Quizzes, Exams,

Chapter 1 – Test Bank

Multiple-Choice Questions

1. Literally, the word religion means

a. meditate on.

b. worship.

c. connect again.

d. rise above.

Answer: c

Page: 6

2. The prophetic orientation in religion emphasizes

a. ceremonies.

b. feelings of oneness with the universe.

c. traditions.

d. beliefs and moral codes.

Answer: d

Page: 17

3. The early anthropologist who saw religion as rooted in a belief in spirits and the worship of them was

a. E. B. Tylor.

b. James Frazer.

c. Sigmund Freud.

d. Carl Jung.

Answer: b

Page: 11

4. Sigmund Freud, when analyzing the origin of religion, emphasized

a. the human need for psychological security.

b. the certainty of an afterlife.

c. his belief that religions were essential to psychological health.

d. the valuable role that religions play in helping people find meaning in their lives.

Answer: a

Page: 11

5. The disciple of Freud who ultimately rebelled against him was

a. Carl Jung.

b. Wilhelm Schmidt.

c. Rudolf Otto.

d. Clifford Geertz.

Answer: a

Page: 12

6. Wilhelm Schmidt, an Austrian philologist, argued that human beings originally believed in

a. one God.

b. two gods of equal importance.

c. multiple gods of nature.

d. no God.

Answer: a

Page: 13

7. Belief in many gods is called

a. polytheism.

b. monotheism.

c. agnosticism.

d. atheism.

Answer: a

Page: 8

8. Belief in one God is called

a. monotheism.

b. polytheism.

c. atheism.

d. agnosticism.

Answer: a

Page: 8

9. A mystical orientation in religion is characterized by

a. an emphasis on mysterious happenings.

b. the seeking of a union with something greater than oneself.

c. the extensive use of holy water and statues.

d. a belief in alien origins of life forms.

Answer: b

Page: 17

10. A sacramental orientation in religion is characterized by

a. daily prayer.

b. the use of silent meditation.

c. the extensive use of bells and powders.

d. a belief that certain rituals and ceremonies help one achieve salvation.

Answer: d

Page: 16

11. Anthropology typically studies religions as

a. cultural creations with multiple aspects.

b. clusters of sacred buildings, rivers, and mountains.

c. systems of philosophical explanation of the universe.

d. artifacts of superior beings.

Answer: a

Page: 21

12. A universal religious symbol that is circular, or that blends a circle and a square, is called a

a. mandala.

b. mudra.

c. mantra.

d. megalith.

Answer: a

Page: 12

13. The prophetic orientation in religion is particularly strong in

a. Protestant Christianity.

b. Tibetan Buddhism.

c. Vedic Hinduism.

d. Taoism.

Answer: a

Page: 17

14. Pantheism is the belief

a. that all reality is divine.

b. in the ancient Greek religion that believed the god Pan was the source of cosmic order.

c. in endless reincarnation.

d. in a timeless realm of happiness at the top of the universe.

Answer: a

Page: 8

15. One religion that particularly values and makes use of silence is

a. Shinto.

b. Judaism.

c. Zen Buddhism.

d. Islam.

Answer: c

Page: 15

16. One name of an early female deity was

a. Wotan.

b. Mercury.

c. Astarte.

d. Izanagi.

Answer: c

Page: 18

17. In religious studies, the word myth means

a. a story that is historically true.

b. a story that is historically untrue.

c. a story that is psychologically meaningful and may be either historically true or not.

d. a story that is found in similar form in many religions.

Answer: c

Page: 7

18. Literally, philosophy in Greek means

a. great system.

b. world study.

c. careful analysis.

d. love of wisdom.

Answer: d

Page: 20

19. A Dutch Reformed Church clergyman left his religious calling for painting. The artist’s name was

a. Pierre Bonnard.

b. Vincent van Gogh.

c. Rosa Bonheur.

d. Claude Monet.

Answer: b

Page: 4

20. Among many reasons for the existence of religions, religions exist to help people

a. deal with the certainty of death.

b. find ways to express themselves in art.

c. select careers that are socially redeeming.

d. have valuable texts to study.

Answer: a

Page: 10

21. The Scottish anthropologist who was the author of the multivolume study of mythology called The Golden Bough was

a. James Frazer.

b. C. G. Jung.

c. Sigmund Freud.

d. E. B. Tylor.

Answer: a

Page: 11

22. The German theologian who held that religions originate in human response to the mysterious side of reality was

a. Rudolf Otto.

b. Carl Jung.

c. Karl Rahner.

d. Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Answer: a

Page: 12

23. The social scientist who argued that religion brought a new vitality to people’s lives was

a. James Frazer.

b. William James.

c. E. B. Tylor.

d. Carl Jung.

Answer: b

Page: 12

24. Literally, psychology means

a. study of nature.

b. internal structure.

c. study of the soul.

d. procession of images.

Answer: c

Page: 20

25. What psychologist saw religion as a way for people to find their fulfillment as unique individuals, a process he called “individuation”?

a. Rudolf Otto

b. E. B. Tylor

c. Sigmund Freud

d. Carl Jung

Answer: d

Page: 12

26. Female imagery in religions may be seen in

a. lightning bolts.

b. spirals and eggs.

c. rocks.

d. mountains.

Answer: b

Page: 18

27. The approach that especially makes use of reason to find answers to religious questions is

a. psychology.

b. mythology.

c. philosophy.

d. anthropology.

Answer: c

Page: 20

28. The conception of time that is found in religions that emphasize a creation and a cosmic purpose is usually

a. cyclical.

b. linear.

c. repetitive

d. psychological.

Answer: b

Page: 15

29. That area of investigation that looks for and interprets religious evidence in ancient sites, buildings, and objects is

a. anthropology.

b. mythology.

c. sociology.

d. archeology.

Answer: d

Page: 21

30. Literally, “theology” means

a. discovery of the soul.

b. structure of society.

c. logic of pattern.

d. study of the divine.

Answer: d

Page: 21

31. The sociologist who emphasized that individual religions arise from and express the values of their societies was

a. Geertz.

b. Durkheim.

c. Malinowski.

d. Firth.

Answer: b

Page: 23

32. The anthropologist who lived in the Sudan among the Nuer and Azande peoples was

a. Boas.

b. Geertz.

c. Evans-Pritchard.

d. Durkheim.

Answer: c

Page: 24

33. The French thinker who recognized extraordinary structural similarities in stories told by tribal peoples of the Americas was

a. Foucault.

b. Sartre.

c. Derrida.

d. Lévi-Strauss.

Answer: d

Page: 24

34. The French thinker who sought to go behind and beyond ordinary interpretations, to in essence “deconstruct” texts and other phenomena in search of fresh ways of seeing, was

a. Foucault.

b. Derrida.

c. Lévi-Strauss.

d. Durkheim.

Answer: b

Page: 24

35. The French thinker who explored types of power in social and religious institutions and systems of thought that oppressed minority and other marginalized groups was

a. Durkheim.

b. Derrida.

c. Foucault.

d. Lévi-Strauss.

Answer: c

Page: 24

36. The analytical approach that carefully investigates individual elements in cultural phenomena, rejecting the quest for universal structures that might under-gird language or religion, is

a. structuralism.

b. existentialism.

c. post-structuralism.

d. linguistics.

Answer: c

Page: 24

37. The analytical approach to language, religions, and mythology that searches for universal underlying frameworks is

a. post-structuralism.

b. linguistics.

c. structuralism.

d. literary theory.

Answer: c

Page: 24

38. The analytical approach that studies written texts of religion and even non-written material as reflections of the cultural values and assumptions that produced them is

a. structuralism.

b. literary theory.

c. linguistics.

d. post-structuralism.

Answer: b

Page: 22

Essay Topics

39. Why do religions exist? Give at least three possible reasons, and defend them with good arguments (and, when appropriate, references to others who offer similar reasons).

40. List, and briefly describe, five characteristics that are typically associated with a “religion.”

41. Explain the difference between transcendent and immanent notions of sacredness. What emphases might we expect in a religion that acknowledges a transcendent god or gods? What emphases might we expect in a religion that emphasizes sacredness that is immanent?

42. Could we use the term religion for a belief system of only one person? Explain your answer.

43. Religions often speak of the sacred or treat people or places as sacred. Is there anything objectively “sacred,” or is this just an imaginative human projection? Defend your answer.

44. List four symbols typically thought of as religious and explain meanings with which each is typically associated.

45. Explain the distinctions among sacramental, prophetic, and mystical orientations of religions.

46. Describe the range of attitudes among religions toward words and special texts.

47. Explain how a continuum with “exclusivity” at one end and “inclusivity” at the other can be used to describe religious views.

48. How do we typically distinguish between religion and philosophy?

49. Offer, with evidence, an explanation for why males and male imagery came to dominate many of the religions of the past few thousand years.

50. Describe at least three contemporary examples of religious devotion to female deities or religious use of female imagery.

51. Describe three different discipline-based approaches to the study of religions, and explain the particular emphasis of each.

52. The term religion seems literally to mean “connect again.” What elements do you see being connected by a religion?

#Test Bank Experiencing the Worlds Religion 6th Edition

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christinaepilzauthor-blog · 7 years

Text

Common Myths of the Wars of the Roses or All you thought you knew about the Wars of the Roses, but didn't… Episode 2

By Derek Birks

Wars of the Roses Myth #3 – Was Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, really a 'Kingmaker'?

Part 1… A month or two ago, I had a bit of a rant on Facebook about the common myths which persist about many aspects of the Wars of the Roses period. I vowed to do something about it, so here's my second offering which seeks to explode the myth that Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, justified the epithet of "kingmaker". History likes important people to have nicknames: Alfred the Great, Ethelred the Unready, William the Conqueror, Edward 'Longshanks', or the 'Hammer of the Scots', 'Good Queen Bess' or 'Gloriana', 'Bloody' Mary and 'Bluff' King Hal. Such nicknames will be familiar but these names are not about history, they are about legend. They are useful handles for us to use to identify a particular figure and they have become part of our collective memory. Unfortunately, they are often wholly, or partly, inaccurate – and frequently based upon the opinions of a few influential early historians. These nicknames are thus the judgement of one society or culture upon another that came before - and they sometimes come with a fierce perspective! Often it's worth finding out, if you can, who first used the term and why. So when was the name 'Kingmaker' first used about the Earl of Warwick? Well, Shakespeare – who else? – gives us a place to start with the character of Warwick in his play Henry VI Part 3. [Please note: Shakespeare wrote fiction!] In Act 2, scene 3, Warwick is described by the bard as: "thou setter up and plucker down of kings."

Courtesy of Wikimedia

But the term 'kingmaker' actually predates Shakespeare. A Scottish philosopher and intellectual, John Major (or Mair), wrote in 1521 of Warwick in his History of Greater Britain: 'Of him, it was said that he made kings and at his pleasure cast them down' and Major used the Latin phrase 'regum creator' to describe the earl.

The first known English reference is: 'That brave Kingmaker, Warwick' which appears in Samuel Daniel's poem, The History of the Civil War written in the reign of Elizabeth I.

However, it was not a term in common use for several hundred years until the eighteenth century historian, David Hume, made it more well-known. And of course, for good or ill, the epithet stuck fast. I have no trouble with using such a tag as an easy handle for recognition purposes. People mostly have some clue to whom you are referring if you say Warwick, the 'Kingmaker', to distinguish him from all other Earls of Warwick that existed before or since – and there have been many! That's fair enough, but when it comes to whether the term is justified, then that's another matter entirely.

There are probably three distinct occasions when it has been claimed that the Earl of Warwick was a kingmaker: 1) for Richard, Duke of York, in 1455 (or 1460 – take your pick!) 2) for Edward, Earl of March, in 1461 3) for Henry VI upon his readeption in 1470. Like most things in the Wars of the Roses, these claims are controversial, but the short answer is that Warwick didn't actually make anyone king! In Part 1, I shall deal with the myth that he intended to replace Henry VI with Richard, Duke of York.

Just how powerful and influential was Warwick? Warwick had immense wealth – he was a 'billionaire' for his time by virtue of his massive land holdings which were the fruits of a succession of advantageous Neville marriages. His large family had intermarried with many other noble families and he could thus build alliances to gain the support of other powerful men.

Warwick from the Rous Rolls via Wikimedia

His wealth gave him a sizeable retinue of men at arms, archers, etc. from these vast estates. He was keen to use the latest technology in warfare such as cannons and firearms - and he understood the importance of such new weapons. In the field he was a courageous warrior, capable of inspiring great loyalty amongst his supporters. Unlike many, he understood the value of sea power and was something of a pioneer in its use. As well as his martial prowess, he had the charm of a smooth-talking diplomat who was able to win many to his banner. Add to that the drive and ruthless determination to succeed and you have a man capable of achieving a great deal. The historian, Michael Hicks, in his recent authoritative book, Warwick the Kingmaker, concludes: "For twenty years he shaped events, his own career, and indeed history itself."

So Warwick probably had the means to 'make' a king, but did he try to put the Duke of York on the throne? The Duke of York possessed an ancient claim to the throne and he was, in the absence of an heir to Henry VI up to 1453, the heir presumptive – the man most likely to succeed. Nevertheless in the early 1450s Richard of York felt slighted and ill-treated, perhaps with some justification, by Henry VI's regime. York ended up with almost no major political allies. Then, during the period 1452 to 1455, he began to form an alliance with the powerful Neville family.

Was the alliance with York the work of Warwick?

Perhaps, but only in part, since his father, the ageing Earl of Salisbury, whose sister, Cicely Neville, was married to York, was the true architect, just as he was the architect of the marriage years earlier that gave Warwick himself such wealth. How then did Warwick come to support Richard of York against King Henry VI? Warwick believed that, as a key figure in the realm, he should position himself and his family as close to the centre of power as possible. Since the source of all patronage and advancement was the king, Warwick expected to serve the king in a major capacity and be amply rewarded for doing so. Nothing unusual about that since it was the aspiration of most noblemen in England. Unfortunately for Warwick, he, and the Neville family in general, had influential rivals at court, notably Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset. They were also embroiled in a bitter feud with the Percy family in their own backyard in the north of England. The usual way to eclipse one's enemies was to harness more power and wealth from the king, for example: grants of more land, appointment to important offices of state or lucrative customs contracts. Such things were the bread and butter of all noble families at that time. The problem was that there was only so much largesse that a king had to give. A prudent king might spread it around a little to create some balance amongst his most powerful subjects, but sadly, Henry VI was not so discriminating. Thus, by the mid-1450s, the Earl of Warwick, despite all his power and wealth, did not have the pre-eminent position in the state that he coveted. But on two occasions in the 1450s, Warwick was given a glimpse of an alternative reality – a world where England was ruled by a Protector of the Realm because of the king's temporary incapacity. That protector was Richard, Duke of York and York did a fair job of ruling. He also rewarded his friends, such as the Nevilles, and punished his enemies, such as Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset. York gave Warwick the prominent seat at the table of state which he wanted. But, after the king's recovery, York had to relinquish his role of protector with the result that the York-Neville faction was once again starved of influence over the king and thus out of power. For a time they tried persuasion but then in 1455, at the first Battle of St Albans, they resorted to force.

So, was St Albans in 1455 the first act of the 'kingmaker' to replace Henry VI?

Definitely not and any such suggestion is pure fantasy. What Warwick wanted to do in 1455 was forcibly remove the king's closest advisers such as Somerset. It was no surprise that the chief casualties at St Albans were the leading noblemen against York and Warwick: dead men can't rule.

York and Warwick also wanted to limit the influence of the Queen, Margaret of Anjou, who was fiercely supportive of her husband and wanted to protect the legacy of her recently born male heir. But St. Albans was a dangerous gamble that sent shock waves through the English nobility. Because some prominent men were killed, several new and bitter feuds were started which would last for decades. The use of violence was condemned by many, and if York was testing the strength of commitment to Henry VI, he found that, despite his brief and bloody victory, the vast majority of nobles and others saw Henry VI as their lawful king, anointed by God and thus to be obeyed.

Even York's own supporters, including the Earl of Warwick, accepted that this was so. When in 1460, York aimed for the throne, Warwick seemed as surprised as most other lords - few of whom showed any enthusiasm for the idea. The best they would accept was the so-called Act of Accord, whereby Henry would live out his life as king but then York would succeed him.

If Warwick played any part at all in this whole episode it was a conciliatory one.

After all, it did not help Warwick's aim of political power to become embroiled in a bloody civil war, the outcome of which was by no means certain. A desperate man might do that but Warwick was not so desperate - at least not yet... Nevertheless, the Act of Accord disinherited the king's legitimate male offspring and Queen Margaret, for one, was unlikely ever to accept that. Her opposition to York and the Nevilles, once born out of suspicion about their motives, became implacable enmity. And she was not going to give up. Marshalling the loyal nobles, who were still the overwhelming majority, she conjured up, at the Battle of Wakefield in late December 1460, the one thing which could put an end to the struggle: the deaths of both Richard, Duke of York and Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury – Warwick's father. Warwick had never intended Richard, Duke of York, to actually take the throne from Henry VI, yet the would-be king and Warwick's father were now dead and, as a result, the York-Neville alliance lay in tatters. York's death was a body blow because Warwick had invested so much in the duke's political success. Not only was Warwick out of power, but he was now at risk of losing everything he had.

Thus early in 1461, Warwick had to decide how he would deal with the fallout from the disaster at Wakefield. But that's the second part of the myth – and a whole other story… If you want to find Episode 1 of Wars of the Roses Myths which is about King Henry VI, click here. ~~~~~~~~~~

Derek Birks was born in Hampshire in England but spent his teenage years in Auckland, New Zealand, where he still has strong family ties. For many years he taught history in a secondary school but took early retirement to concentrate on writing. Apart from his writing, he spends his time gardening, travelling, walking and taking part in archaeological digs at a Roman villa. Derek is interested in a wide range of historical themes but his particular favourite is the late medieval period. He writes action-packed fiction which is rooted in accurate history. His debut historical novel was Feud, which is set in the period of the Wars of the Roses. Feud is the first of a now complete four-book series, entitled Rebels & Brothers, which follows the fortunes of the fictional Elder family from 1459 to 1471. A new series, The Craft of Kings, picks up the story of the Elders in 1481 in its first book, Scars From The Past. Later this year, the violent events of 1483 are played out in the sequel, The Blood of Princes.

Website: www.derekbirks.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Feud_writer

Amazon author sites: amazon.co.uk; amazon.com

Hat Tip To: English Historical Fiction Authors

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