Personal and Public

No matter what you think of the monarchy or of the person being remembered, his widow has to live through this very personal loss in public. Just as she did when she lost her father and became Queen, her personal and private life are very intertwined.

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33 thoughts on “Personal and Public”

  1. only a bird in a gilded cage?

    last week in dailymail:

    The Archbishop of Canterbury last night sparked a major backlash after he said being a royal is like serving ‘life without parole’ amid the fallout from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s exit from the Firm.
    Justin Welby, the outspoken head of the Church of England, was accused of being ‘singularly inappropriate’ and ‘jumping on a woke bandwagon’ after appearing to throw his weight behind the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who quit royal duties and moved to California last year to strike out on their own.
    In a wide-ranging interview with the Financial Times, the 65-year-old Anglican suggested the British public have unrealistic expectations when it comes to the royals, claiming: ‘We expect them to be superhuman.’
    […]
    Royal commentator Rob Jobson accused the outspoken Archbishop of Canterbury of being ‘a little clumsy with his words’ and ‘sure to irritate’ senior royals.
    ‘I think he was trying to emphasise what being Queen and royal involves,’ Mr Jobson said. ‘But coming on the back of Harry saying Charles and William are ‘trapped’ by the system, Welby’s remarks are sure to irritate’.

  2. LP about yesterday

    Today marks 100 days since the events of January 6th and the Capitol Insurrection. Republicans want you to forget about what happened that day. We cannot look away from this moment. #TheBigLie​ #Jan6NeverAgain

  3. bill about the present and other groundhog days

    Bill recaps the top stories of the week, including America’s exit from Afghanistan, President Biden’s approval ratings, and new allegations of misconduct for Rep. Matt Gaetz.

     

  4. jamie, a story for you from the guardian:

    The northern spotted owl’s territory stretches from old growth forests in southern British Columbia, through Washington, Oregon and into northern California.
    The northern spotted owl’s territory stretches from old growth forests in southern British Columbia, through Washington, Oregon and into northern California. Photograph: Robin Loznak/Zuma Wire/Rex/Shutterstock

    There are only three known northern spotted owls left in the wild in Canada, including just one breeding pair. Their chicks have on occasion been taken for a captive breeding program, to try and boost the species’ prospects.
    Now Canada and British Columbia have announced a more full-throated response to the potential extinction of the owl within the country’s borders. In tandem with the breeding scheme, the province will enforce a one-year halt to logging in the few remaining old-growth forests that the owl favors, until more permanent protections can be instituted.

    [continues]

  5. Here’s a quote from Liz Cheney in response to the reported organization of the House America First Caucus by Marjorie Taylor Green, wholeheartedly endorsed (the caucus, that is) by none other than Matt Gaetz.

     
    “Republicans believe in equal opportunity, freedom, and justice for all. We teach our children the values of tolerance, decency and moral courage,” she wrote. “Racism, nativism, and anti-Semitism are evil. History teaches we all have an obligation to confront & reject such malicious hate.”

    Umm, really?  What Republicans?  I don’t know where Liz has been for the past 12 or so years, but it apparently wasn’t in Washington.

  6. snopes fact check on “america first” phrase as used by the former guy in 2018:

    The photo of KKK members marching with an “America first” banner dates from the 1920s and can be found in the Getty Images archive. The Ku Klux Klan “coin” (actually a token) bearing the slogans “America First” and “Preserve Racial Purity” on one face and “The Invisible Empire” on the other was struck in 1965 to celebrate the centennial of the KKK’s founding, numismatists say, although it was never officially endorsed by the organization.
    The phrase “America first” also appears in Klan literature as part of a longer credo, “America first, last and forever,” or its variant “America first, last and always,” as uttered by a KKK speaker quoted in the Binghamton, New York Press and Sun-Bulletin in 1923
    […]
    Another variant is enshrined in an “Imperial Proclamation” submitted as evidence during a Congressional hearing on the Klan’s activities in 1921
    [… here article refers to 4 past prez who used phrase…]
    In sum, the political slogan “America First” has a pedigree stretching back more than a hundred years, with connotations ranging from anti-expansionism and trade protectionism to outright racism and anti-Semitism. Although it has been trumpeted over time by hate groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, its use does not automatically confer the most heinous of those attitudes on the user — although given its less savory associations, one wonders why any informed person would embrace it today.

  8. Pat

    Thank you for the post on the owls.  It hasn’t been a good year for the birds.  Despite being outlawed in many states, rodenticides are still in heavy use as well as lead poisoning.  Another species that could do well without human beings.

     

  9. don’t know for sure but I may have gotten myself in trouble with Twitter again.  Is anyone else having service problems.

    Marjory Taylor Twitt posted about the America First caucus group in support of “Anglo Savon” values.  I asked if she planned to wear her Nazi uniform to work.  Now I can’t log in to Twitter.

     

  10. QEII will once again live up to her original promise:

    I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.

    Despite all too well reported problems in the early stages of their marriage, Philip has been her stalwart supporter.  It is said that even after more than 70 years, her eyes lit up when he entered the room.  Like it not, her private grief must now be lived in public; this time without him by her side.

     

  11. can we get a trail mix copyright for

    “America 1st KauKus Klan”

    if so, i hereby plant the flag and claim it for mixers

  12.  CNN Politics

    A Miami woman has been charged for allegedly threatening to kill Vice President Kamala Harris, according to a criminal complaint filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
    “Niviane Petit Phelps knowingly and willfully made threats to kill and inflict bodily harm upon the Vice President of the United States in violation of Title 18, United States Code Section 871,” from February 13 through February 18, according to the complaint.
    On March 3, Special Agent David Ballenger was notified of a threat to kill Harris, according to the complaint. The threats were sent by Phelps to her incarcerated spouse in Wakulla Correctional Institution via JPay, a computer application that allows for sharing of media between non-incarcerated and incarcerated people.
    A Secret Service special agent assigned to the case obtained the videos and photographs that were sent by Phelps to her spouse.
    “The videos (that are of relevance to this investigation) generally depict Phelps complaining and speaking angrily to the camera about her hatred for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, among others,” read the complaint. “However, in these videos, Phelps also made statements about killing Vice President Harris.”
    [… tells of her seeking concealed weapon permit and rants…]
    According to the complaint, Phelps said, “She was angry at the time about Kamala Harris becoming Vice President but that she is ‘over it now.’ Phelps expressed how she believes Kamala Harris not actually ‘black’ and how during inauguration Kamala Harris disrespectfully put her hand on her clutch purse instead of the bible. Phelps continued saying that somebody told her that America is going to choose who they choose, so Phelps had put her rage about the Vice President aside. Phelps stated that she is now ‘past it.”

  14. Pogo – MGT and company are into some straight-up, nazi doo-doo.

    Also, none of them seems even to have studied European history, let alone architecture or engineering and their origins.   As for aesthetics, there is no beauty to be found in any of these ideas nor in those who are promoting them. 

    “In a section describing its position on infrastructure, the caucus says it will “work towards an infrastructure that reflects the architectural, engineering and aesthetic value that befits the progeny of European architecture.”

    Jamie – A worthy reason to get banned from Twitter, again.

    Expect the return of Confederate statues if the KauKus Klan has their way, despite having lost the Civil War.

    The insurrectionists and all those supporting this fascist non-nonsense should have to take a DNA test. Let’s just see how many are as “pure” as they think.

  15. The acoustics for the small choir and soloist…the music really carries this morning. It’s a beautiful space. 

  18. When these “American First” types discuss Anglo/Saxon traditions,, you can pretty well bet none of them have even tried to read the Harvard Classics much less The Great Books of the Western World.  

    There is a canon dating from BC that has in recent years faced some controversy as more authors representing other ethnicities (not to mention women) are included, but those are an inclusion for the better not a subtraction from existing works.

     

     

  21. you can imagine the effect on the listeners within the church of the diminishing sound of the bagpipe as the piper walked out the door.  must have sent quite a chill up the spines as though witnessing his spirit leave the room.

  23. It was sad to see the Queen sitting alone.  Even she adhered to covid pod protocol.

    Think of how many families had funerals that were also made small and isolated affairs because of covid, as well as all of the folks lost to the virus. 

    That’s a lovely picture of the two of them in Scotland. 
     

  25. https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/17/politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-america-first-caucus/index.html

    “The Congresswoman wants to make clear that she is not launching anything. This was an early planning proposal and nothing was agreed to or approved,” he said in an email to CNN, referring to a flier promoting the caucus, obtained by Punchbowl News, that used inflammatory rhetoric.“

    “This is a reversal from Friday, when her office said she would launch the caucus “very soon.”

  26. Air travel is back.  This is the first Saturday, or other day, in a year where aircraft are arriving to Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI).  The sounds of jets turning and going into final approach is constant, all day long too.  It is possible these are a mix of freighters, Amazon in particular, and aircraft being brought back into service and being positioned for summer travel season.  But the number has not been overhead since January 2020.
     
    I live in alignment to BWI so a lot of aircraft fly over, about a half mile above me.  They are getting in line to land and are a minute or two from dropping landing gear.  A few minutes ago a 737 went directly over me.  I should set up a camera to take pictures of the belly of those. 
     
    Truth is I am torn on the number of flights.  I think it is too early for air travel, not enough people are totally vaccinated.  But, like others, I want to travel.  Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands are high on my list right now.

  27. “Anglo-Saxon” values, eh?  So, Republicans want to take us all the way back to the 12th century, now?

    …maybe she meant 5th century post-Roman Britain? Hard to tell.

    Is it possible she just meant “white”?🤔

  28. Do you think they’re just talking in racist code?
     
    Do you think they might have been talking in racist code the WHOLE TIME?!?!🤯

  29. Bink – like a lot of the other stupid things they do, I think they think the rest of us do not recognize they are white supremacists and KKK monsters.

  30. DC goes to the dogs — Major and Champ, that is | TheHill

    DC goes to the dogs — Major and Champ, that is

    Major and Champ Biden are proving everything in Washington is political, even presidential pets.
    From starring roles on the official White House Easter eggs to being featured in a fundraising pitch from the Democratic National Committee (DNC), President Biden‘s pair of German shepherds have amassed quite a following — and some rolled-up newspaper headlines over misbehavior — since charging into 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. earlier this year.
    Countless products inspired by the furry first family members — including $20 “Shepherds of Change” mugs, a “From Wags to Riches” sticker and $15 crew socks with the stitched images of Biden and one of his dogs — are popping up for sale on sites such as Etsy. An account dedicated to all things Champ and Major, @TheFirstDogs, has gained more than 117,000 followers on Twitter.
    [continues]

  31. Ben Franklin died today in 1790. The only man to sign the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Paris and the constitution. His last public act was to urge abolition of slavery. Congress ignored him.

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