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It never fails to surprise me when Twitter and Facebook explode with people stating that they're watching V for Vendetta on the fifth of November, of course quoting the opening to "Remember, Remember." I don't really blame them, the rest of the poem isn't known outside of England, the last verse usually being omitted for being less than friendly towards Catholics.
Which brings me to the cold, hard truth of what Guy Fawkes Night is about. It's not about standing up to the oppressive government, it's about supporting the English crown and the religious intolerance of early Protestant rule. Which is why I find it inherently funny that Anonymous uses Guy Fawkes as their symbol of resistance. Guy is burned in effigy on Bonfire Night to celebrate the power of the English crown and religious intolerance, which is why the United States, unlike other British colonies, doesn't celebrate November Fifth in some form or another. (Though it's worth noting that both Australia and New Zealand seem to be backing down from celebrating Bonfire Night at all. Give it another couple of years and they probably won't celebrate it at all.)
It's important to remember that when Fawkes was captured, he was tortured and broke, revealing the names of his co conspirators. He then committed suicide before he could be hanged by jumping from the scaffolding and breaking his neck. (So that scene in V for Vendetta showing Fawkes being all strong and immovable going to his death and then his feet dangling? Yeah, again Hollywood gets it wrong.) After that his body was mutilated.
Now maybe Anonymous thinks that they're making a point by choosing Fawkes. However Fawkes wasn't really all about bringing down an evil theocracy (in Anonymous's view that would be the Church of Scientology), but rather about installing Catholic rule back in England following the split caused by Henry VIII. Now it's entirely possible that England would have developed a more egalitarian society with religious tolerance, but given the way the Catholic church rolls, that's highly unlikely.
By the way, this is the poem in full.
( Remember, remember the fifth of November... )
I wonder if Anonymous has actually *read* the full poem or even remotely aware of what their "symbol" even means.
Which brings me to the cold, hard truth of what Guy Fawkes Night is about. It's not about standing up to the oppressive government, it's about supporting the English crown and the religious intolerance of early Protestant rule. Which is why I find it inherently funny that Anonymous uses Guy Fawkes as their symbol of resistance. Guy is burned in effigy on Bonfire Night to celebrate the power of the English crown and religious intolerance, which is why the United States, unlike other British colonies, doesn't celebrate November Fifth in some form or another. (Though it's worth noting that both Australia and New Zealand seem to be backing down from celebrating Bonfire Night at all. Give it another couple of years and they probably won't celebrate it at all.)
It's important to remember that when Fawkes was captured, he was tortured and broke, revealing the names of his co conspirators. He then committed suicide before he could be hanged by jumping from the scaffolding and breaking his neck. (So that scene in V for Vendetta showing Fawkes being all strong and immovable going to his death and then his feet dangling? Yeah, again Hollywood gets it wrong.) After that his body was mutilated.
Now maybe Anonymous thinks that they're making a point by choosing Fawkes. However Fawkes wasn't really all about bringing down an evil theocracy (in Anonymous's view that would be the Church of Scientology), but rather about installing Catholic rule back in England following the split caused by Henry VIII. Now it's entirely possible that England would have developed a more egalitarian society with religious tolerance, but given the way the Catholic church rolls, that's highly unlikely.
By the way, this is the poem in full.
( Remember, remember the fifth of November... )
I wonder if Anonymous has actually *read* the full poem or even remotely aware of what their "symbol" even means.
Writer's Block: Cinqo de Mayo
May. 5th, 2010 08:48 am[Error: unknown template qotd]
You know, this is quite misleading. Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexico's Independence Day. Mexico's Independence Day is on September 16th. Take it from someone who lives in an area with a large immigrant Mexican population and also went through three years of Spanish - which also included learning about Spanish (primarily Mexican, because we were learning Mexican Spanish) holidays. Cinco de Mayo AND Mexico's Independence Day included.
You have failed so hard, it's not even funny.
The Battle of Puebla Day (as Cinco de Mayo is also known) celebrates the victory of the town of Puebla over Napoleon III's forces, who had invaded in order to collect on debts. It took place on May 5th, 1862, after Mexico had declared its independence from Spain.
So Napoleon, thinking that he could strong arm the Mexican's into paying their debts invaded. Puebla was one of the first major skirmishes in the drawn out conflict, which Mexico would ultimately lose. However, there was a brief glimmer of hope with the victory at Puebla and the Mexican people showed that they simply weren't going to bow down to the European forces.
For fuck's sake, people. Before posing such an asinine question, do a little research. You've fallen so hard into the trope of "Didn't Show Their Work" I can't even laugh.
You know, this is quite misleading. Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexico's Independence Day. Mexico's Independence Day is on September 16th. Take it from someone who lives in an area with a large immigrant Mexican population and also went through three years of Spanish - which also included learning about Spanish (primarily Mexican, because we were learning Mexican Spanish) holidays. Cinco de Mayo AND Mexico's Independence Day included.
You have failed so hard, it's not even funny.
The Battle of Puebla Day (as Cinco de Mayo is also known) celebrates the victory of the town of Puebla over Napoleon III's forces, who had invaded in order to collect on debts. It took place on May 5th, 1862, after Mexico had declared its independence from Spain.
So Napoleon, thinking that he could strong arm the Mexican's into paying their debts invaded. Puebla was one of the first major skirmishes in the drawn out conflict, which Mexico would ultimately lose. However, there was a brief glimmer of hope with the victory at Puebla and the Mexican people showed that they simply weren't going to bow down to the European forces.
For fuck's sake, people. Before posing such an asinine question, do a little research. You've fallen so hard into the trope of "Didn't Show Their Work" I can't even laugh.
And so it begins
Sep. 14th, 2009 03:47 pmStill waiting to hear back from the Clarion. They have not called my references (or so my references say) which means that whatever hiring plans they might have had have now been put on hold. I'm also going to see about possibly volunteering at the CREHST Museum, the East Benton County Historical Society Museum, and at the Franklin County Historical Society and Museum. And maybe, if I'm lucky, they'll have a paid position for someone with a history degree. (At the fair last year I talked to the nice folks for the FCHS&M and they seemed interested in a young person with a history degree - it's worth a shot at the very least.)
Also, my husband is officially set to go to Baltimore. He leaves in exactly one week, at 6:00 AM out of the local airport, which means I'll be getting an early start to my day because I'll be taking him to the airport. Though I think it's probably safe to say that we could leave at 4:45 instead of 4:30, unless we're planning to stop at the Road 68 McDonald's to pick up some breakfast for him. I will say that the lucky SOB gets to fly first class the whole way to Baltimore because those were the only seats left, but he has to fly coach on the way home. We're going to discuss his itinerary when he gets home and figure out a plan of attack. So I have two lonely nights without him, and I have to say pillows and stuffed animals are poor substitutes to someone who cuddles back and puts off heat.
Which means I may need to borrow someone's kitty. Anyone have a whore-cat they're willing to lend out?
Other than that, I've been slowly working on my steampunk character. Sophia is developing nicely, though I need to finish the long, official biography. Personally, I subscribe to the Third Gunner's logic behind the demise of the cook, pushing Sophia into that roll from rigger with a fear of heights.
(According to the rumors, the Third Gunner grew tired of the constant indigestion and heart burn, and finally fired him from one of the guns. Now, this may be true, or she merely USED the gun to run him overboard. Nobody is sure which, and she's not saying. At any rate, after the demise of the cook, the entire crew played the game of," Not it!" which Sophia lost - because she had no idea that it was happening. At first she had to deal with some intense ragging from Darcy and Maggie (one of the few times they've ever been on the same side of anything), but after the first meal, both Darcy and Maggie decided to lay off and now defend the greenhorn when she comes under attack from Bert because she insists that they half-way decent food on board and not whatever was cheapest. The plus side of her being a naturalist means that if they ever end up in an exotic location, she can hunt for herbs and spices so they don't have to buy them.)
That, and she lacks any real athletic ability so she did the job because it had to be done, and not because she was suited to it. I'm currently combing my Illustrated History of the Civil War: Images of an American Tragedy because it is a great reference for weapons and dress of the Victorian era. If anyone from the group would like to borrow said book, you certainly may - though keep in mind it weighs nearly five pounds. Whether or not it's worth it to haul it around is completely up to you, as you can drop by at any time to to give it a looksie. Though a little warning would be nice. :3
Also, my husband is officially set to go to Baltimore. He leaves in exactly one week, at 6:00 AM out of the local airport, which means I'll be getting an early start to my day because I'll be taking him to the airport. Though I think it's probably safe to say that we could leave at 4:45 instead of 4:30, unless we're planning to stop at the Road 68 McDonald's to pick up some breakfast for him. I will say that the lucky SOB gets to fly first class the whole way to Baltimore because those were the only seats left, but he has to fly coach on the way home. We're going to discuss his itinerary when he gets home and figure out a plan of attack. So I have two lonely nights without him, and I have to say pillows and stuffed animals are poor substitutes to someone who cuddles back and puts off heat.
Which means I may need to borrow someone's kitty. Anyone have a whore-cat they're willing to lend out?
Other than that, I've been slowly working on my steampunk character. Sophia is developing nicely, though I need to finish the long, official biography. Personally, I subscribe to the Third Gunner's logic behind the demise of the cook, pushing Sophia into that roll from rigger with a fear of heights.
(According to the rumors, the Third Gunner grew tired of the constant indigestion and heart burn, and finally fired him from one of the guns. Now, this may be true, or she merely USED the gun to run him overboard. Nobody is sure which, and she's not saying. At any rate, after the demise of the cook, the entire crew played the game of," Not it!" which Sophia lost - because she had no idea that it was happening. At first she had to deal with some intense ragging from Darcy and Maggie (one of the few times they've ever been on the same side of anything), but after the first meal, both Darcy and Maggie decided to lay off and now defend the greenhorn when she comes under attack from Bert because she insists that they half-way decent food on board and not whatever was cheapest. The plus side of her being a naturalist means that if they ever end up in an exotic location, she can hunt for herbs and spices so they don't have to buy them.)
That, and she lacks any real athletic ability so she did the job because it had to be done, and not because she was suited to it. I'm currently combing my Illustrated History of the Civil War: Images of an American Tragedy because it is a great reference for weapons and dress of the Victorian era. If anyone from the group would like to borrow said book, you certainly may - though keep in mind it weighs nearly five pounds. Whether or not it's worth it to haul it around is completely up to you, as you can drop by at any time to to give it a looksie. Though a little warning would be nice. :3
You Fail Me, Ghost Hunters
Sep. 7th, 2009 02:45 pmI like watching Ghost Hunters. They amuse me. And sometimes they end up capturing some interesting phenomenon that really can't be explained. Mostly they disprove hauntings - electro-magnetic fields known as "fear cages" put off by wiring, houses settling, cars driving by - while occasionally coming across evidence that can only be explained by "paranormal activity." This does not necessarily equal "haunted," which is something they greatly stress.
In the first episode of season five, the TAPS team travels to the Betsy Ross house in Philadelphia, where popular legend proclaims that Betsy Ross made the first American flag of the "stars and stripes" design. This is something that has been reported by the Ross family since the centennial celebration of 1876, when Ross' grandson approached the Historical Society of Pennsylvania with a paper that "proved" that the Continental Congress approached her to make the very first American flag. This is something that has been taught to school children across the country - Betsy Ross made the very first American flag.
What they fail to mention is that there were several other seamstresses who were also recruited to make flags, and while Betsy Ross most likely DID make an American flag, the chances of her making the FIRST American flag are slim. This is not to say that she should be discounted from history. If anything, she was a remarkable woman who owned her own business after her husband died, and continued to run her business even AFTER she remarried. For a woman during the American revolution, this was a remarkable feat.
My gripe comes from the fact that so many children are taught folklore and popular historical myths and not the facts and that it's further reinforced by popular media. It's like saying Sacagawea was hired as a guide for the Lewis and Clark expedition.
In the first episode of season five, the TAPS team travels to the Betsy Ross house in Philadelphia, where popular legend proclaims that Betsy Ross made the first American flag of the "stars and stripes" design. This is something that has been reported by the Ross family since the centennial celebration of 1876, when Ross' grandson approached the Historical Society of Pennsylvania with a paper that "proved" that the Continental Congress approached her to make the very first American flag. This is something that has been taught to school children across the country - Betsy Ross made the very first American flag.
What they fail to mention is that there were several other seamstresses who were also recruited to make flags, and while Betsy Ross most likely DID make an American flag, the chances of her making the FIRST American flag are slim. This is not to say that she should be discounted from history. If anything, she was a remarkable woman who owned her own business after her husband died, and continued to run her business even AFTER she remarried. For a woman during the American revolution, this was a remarkable feat.
My gripe comes from the fact that so many children are taught folklore and popular historical myths and not the facts and that it's further reinforced by popular media. It's like saying Sacagawea was hired as a guide for the Lewis and Clark expedition.
