April Foolin'

Here. Let me end your trust in
humanity.

As we look to April, we get our annual tradition of April Fools Day.

Here's a little history for those interested in origins and international traditions you may not know of.

Tradition and all. Still doesn't stop pranking annoying. Sure there is the occasional brilliant piece of work, a masterwork in social experimentation. But most of the time it is just a matter of confusing everyone. And when news media gets in the game...they help no one.




So John Oliver has a good idea. A No-Pranking Pledge.

"Hey. You're being a dick right now. Stop being a dick."

You know, St Patrick's Day is...Nevermind...

Well. It seems to have been a while since I've posted. I know I planned to slow down, but damn.

I was going to do a Friday the 13th post last month, but...eh. Still there will be one shortly.

Still, did want to look at St Patrick's Day anew this year. Afterall, it is a Catholic holiday tied to a story about a guy driving snakes off an island. And what do people do? It doesn't seem to follow.

Sure. There is no indication that snakes have ever been indigenous to Ireland. And it's all a metaphor for driving out the old religion (which naturally must be evil).

But it's all an Irish celebration. And what do places like the U.S. do? Party. Get drunk. Wear green. Do questionable impersonations of Irish caricatures. (Really, If the Irish weren't considered white for the last century, this would all be offensive.)

I mean just look at how the very Catholic Irish revere their tradition...

Oh, and Sainted Patrick...

Photo by Cyril Byrne/The Irish Times

,,,Oh, nevermind. Ireland is a silly place anyway.


Still, the whole snake side of things is too much fun to just let go. ...And it did make me think up a horror movie that would be fun to watch in this time of year. So look forward to the tale of a snake...which isn't really a snake...

But, hey, no snakes in Ireland either.


Coming soon. Lair of the White Worm.

More Bats!

Bats!

Sure, bringing this up gives me excuse to point to my post on how interesting and misunderstood bats are. Or, the other post that points to further facts on bats.

But that's not why we're here.

Now enjoy some of the work from the people (including Emily Graslie of The Brain Scoop) the Field Museum of Chicago. The team headed out to Kenya to meet with local researchers to see the regional bat population.

Part 1

Part 2

What you should know about Ebola.

A lot of bad information and a lot of panic has swirled around the topic of Ebola. News media has largely been seeking BREAKING NEWS. And some governors have been aching to engage in some overkill, to look more like Alpha Males.

Here's a nice, calm and humorous look at what Ebola is and isn't.

Better than being scared is to be informed. And then we can help.

Return of the Misplaced Horror Of Bats

Detective Comics # 27 by Bill Finger and Bob Kane

Here's a partial repost on...

Bats.

"Creature of the Night. Black. Terrible...A bat!"

Wow! Bats sound horrible. Terrifying! They must be terrible things, a blight on us! What will we do ?! How can we hope to fight back?!


PANIC!!!


...No. The reality of bats is far less scary. But, come on. Look at them. You shouldn't be surprised.

They are upside down puppies!


Like many lifeforms that people misunderstand, the bat receives a good deal of fearful hate. They get presented as evil creatures. Creature that are out to get you.

As a result, they don't get the respect or understanding that they deserve.

So let's get to know a little about the bat.

First, the legends. In the history of legends and folk tales, we have a far better track record with the bat.

• In China, bats have long been a symbol of good luck through history.
• In Ancient Egypt, bat talisman were hung over doors to keep illness away.
• In Navajo folklore the bat is an ancient being from early in time, when all was dark, who mentored the night. 
• One Ojibwa legend tells of the bat coming into being do to it's efforts to save the sun.
• Among the Bakairi of Brazil, the bat is a form the goddess of night takes.
• In many pre-Columbian tribes the bat held important symbolism for the sky and/or the underworld.
• In some cultures the bat was a symbol of change and upheaval in one's life (not necessarily bad, but changes to your life).
• Of course, in the European medieval period the bat was tied to witchcraft and witches, and were much reviled.
• Of course there are the tales of the trickster to. Like in one Nigerian tale where the bat tricks a rat he's jealous of into boiling itself. (The fact the bat is an animal of the night lends itself to tales of a thief or one that is hiding. Aesop even uses this idea. Also the fact it flies, but isn't a bird, lends to the idea that it is an outsider in some tales. Sometimes it's existence was treated as a punishment.)

Now, let's get to the modern age and the science.

Trailers in Short - Bit Of Horror With Your Coffee Edition

Time for some horror, right? Good. Plenty of horror movies are coming out, in the US and around the world. From Blood Glaciers to Camp Dread to Goal of the Dead to My Fair Zombie. 6 horror trailers to sate you for the day.

...I got to be honest. Maybe it's some of these movie trailers, or maybe it's me. But rewatching and looking at some of them, you can see why you'll likely never fear about some of them again. ...It is me, isn't it. Grump. Grump.

A Dog's Duty Is Never Done, And For Once Not A Pun.

This is a cute little video from KLM in Amsterdam. It's about their service for returning lost items to owners, via cute doggies. I don't know if this is mostly for humor and promotion, or if it's actually something they have working. But I do know it is too cute to not watch.

Always another lost doll to return to a little kid. But when the day is done they need a little nap and a light snack.

Hello, I may be having to maybe be going. The Scottish Referendum

Original Photo: Andrew Milligan/PA

Tonight the votes are in on a major question in United Kingdom History.

Should Scotland stay within the U.K.? Or should it go it alone?

There has always been a dislike with being part of the British experience up North. The history has been martial, brutal, and bloody. (Ah, England.) But, for the most part, it has seemed the rank and file of Scotland have accepted their position, and had their impact on the U.K. Some have chaffed at being in the union, but most have embraced it.
At this point in the night it seems that, barring a surprise showing in the last 15 declarations, the answer from Scotland should be No. But it looks like it won't be a clear refusal of leaving the United Kingdom. Likely it will be in the 50% range. Close.

That isn't a resounding call for union. More a disgruntled call.

From all I've heard, up to a year or so ago, this wasn't even a concern. But the last years of conservative governance in the United Kingdom have been damaging. Damaging to the Scottish ties, and damaging to the nation's infrastructure.

Austerity. You may heard mention of the term here in the United States, but I first heard this buzzword from the likes of Prime Minister David Cameron. It's meant slashes the National Health Service (NHS). It's meant the privatizing of mail service. It's meant cutting and cutting of service. Cameron has gone with a gusto after social support and government services.

This has ticked off many in England. It's damn well pissed off many in Scotland. Scotland has long since set up it's own parliament for certain matters. But the Westminster set has been of value. Cameron has been dismantling that value. Some have made it clear that when the NHS was slashed, it was a breaking point.

In the last year the support for independence rose.

As a result Cameron, and other politicians, began an offensive. They were like jilted lover. Flowers. Sweet words.

But, as we all love, Scotland wanted presents. So promises of change have been made. More support. More power for the Scottish Parliament. The power to tax. Protection for the NHS in Scotland.

There have also been threats. Like a promise that the British Pound would be withdrawn from Scotland.


Over the last months the polling has been moving to balance out as a split. Perhaps these promises will make the difference. Perhaps it was always going to come down to a close No.

A historic schism of the U.K. is not likely now. But, if promises are kept, a historically more independent and empowered Scotland will continue within the U.K.

And if changes aren't coming for Scotland and national services, there can always be another referendum.

Hobbits on a Plane

In case you've never seen the Air New Zealand safety video, using Middle Earth as a theme, here we are. Enjoy.



"Flight Attendant! Gollum is kicking my seat back."

100 years since the start of WWI. Lessons learned?

In past I've touched on the Remembrance Day, which was derived from Armistice Day. It was the day used to remember Great Britain's entrance into World War I.

With the advent of World War II we often gloss over the first Great War. The War to End All Wars.

Source

Meeting of Minds: John Oliver and Pepe Julian Onziema

John Oliver had a sober and sarcastic look at Uganda and it's anti-gay laws. In the US many of us have been interested in what has been called the Kill The Gays law. But, as we do, we got bored with all of that. And then most of us deleted most of our anger, opinions, and facts of the law from our heads. John Oliver nicely reintroduces us to the matters.

For instance, while Uganda had some social and legal issues with gay people, the last several years has seen a significant and hateful uptick. What started with uptight British colonials is now a matter of American Conservative intervention. The Religious Right has worked to motivate the local religious communities hate, and pushed them to make changes to the law.

And then we had those freaking politicians. Another topic you may have decided to forget about is C Street and The Family. People like Jeff Sharlet did solid work bringing out the truth of this group of politicians who were tied by their religious zeal and interest in making hateful law. They've screwed people over in this country, but always have time for other countries.

So preachers and politicians have worked to bring about their dream of a hateful and homogeneous society. Not to leave out the elements of Uganda society eager to embrace hate and fear.

If you've followed news and conversations in Uganda, you've seen the fear, hate, and ignorance spread about being gay. (Stephen Fry spent some time their and showed the outright ignorance of the anti-gay advocates in his Out There documentary.) They repeatedly claim all gay people are "converting straight people. And, on having sex...You have to doubt they even understand sex between males and females.

But for a mix of stuff that will make you laugh, scream, curse, and try to hope, have some John Oliver. Also, get to know the fascinating and brace Pepe Julian Onziema, an open LGBT advocate in Uganda. He's quite a remarkable man.


From Last Week Tonight with John Oliver:



And in addition to the show, some more of their conversation presented online.

Dracula Rises from the News

It seems Dracula just can't keep out of the news. As good a time as any, I suppose.

For Sale By Owner, Crypt Newly Refurnished.

Dallas and John Heaton/Free Agents Limited/Corbis

Word is that Castle Dracula is for sale. It's a nice deal at around $80,000,000.

Granted, it's not the actual Castle Dracula, or rather we are talking about the very human Vlad Tepes. Also, it isn't the caste from which he ruled. Rather it's a castle where he was kept prisoner...allegedly.

Still, nice deal, especially as a surprise birthday present....Of course renovation and heating would kill you. So it'd actually be a horrible gift.


Dracula slept here, because this is where we buried him.

It also seems that they've found the final resting place of Drac...Vlad. It's in Naples at Santa Maria La Nova. Apparently the hypothesis is that while Vlad was imprisoned by the Turks, his daughter (a secret one) in Naples paid a ransom for his freedom. He then lived out his final years in Naples.

Trouble is, there's no actual evidence that this is true. Just speculation and interpretation. The historically accepted version of Vlad's fate is that he died fighting to retake his land of Wallachia.


This is all an issue with Dracula, or any notorious figure from history. So many tales emerge. So many claims. So many opportunities to make a tidy sum.

And Bran Castle is one of many spots in Romania that have become tourist spots. They've even tried and failed to get a Dracula Theme Park open. And now, Santa Maria in Naples is drawing in tourist.

It's enough to make Dracula roll over in his sarcophagus.

The Horror Of...Dracula Through the Ages - All of the Posts

"Hey! ...You aren't sleeping are you? I'm bored. Wanna
talk?"

With a finish to the extended cursory overview trek into Dracula and his progenitors...that's a lot of words...I thought it would be nice to put them altogether in one post.

"Well I thought it was a good idea!"

From legends to Penny Dreadfuls to novel to Bela.

"How are you getting 4G here?"

• From Folklore and History

• The Literature That Came Before

• Stoker's Tale

• Beyond Books

I won't be updating this for the movies as I look at various Dracula movies. Of course that's why there's the Dracula label. This is also part of the look at Universal Monsters overall, started here.

"Damn it! Get to my movie already!"

The Horror Of...Dracula through the Ages - Beyond Books

Stoker's Dracula novel had it's day in the light, but it did not cement Stoker's place among writer's of his day. People shifted to other stories soon enough. While much of the public moved on from Dracula, it did stick in some people's head. It latched on. Dracula would not rest.

Dracula did not make the Stoker's economically comfortable. They struggled. Late in life Stoker had to try for grants to support his family. It wouldn't be until after Bram Stoker's death that the Stoker family would see real returns from Dracula.

It would take a new medium. Theater.

The World Cup and FIFA 2014...Not the video game.

The World Cup is about to start!

What's the World Cup? The greatest sports spectacle in the world. The meeting of national teams of football/soccer players who compete until one nation stands victorious!

It's the big time...outside the United States. ...Come on, America!

Still, it isn't without issues. It's run by FIFA, a massive multinational institution. And it pulls in a lot of cash.Some of it legit, some of it far from legit. (A lot of these issues are the same problems the IOC has.)

And they are showcased right now in Brazil. Around 3-4 miles around each stadium is more or less under the direct control and authority of FIFA; they are Fifalands.

In Brazil it's illegal to sell or have alcohol at a stadium. In Fifaland, it's encouraged and branded. Will that be happening in Qatar to in 2018?

In Brazil there are a lot of street merchants selling food and other items. In Fifaland, they are barred for miles around each stadium. So much for that financial return to those further down the Brazilian economic ladder. Not to worry those at the top are making a bundle.

In the 2014 South African World Cup a certain company produced a massive number of bright orange overalls for Holland fans, and the fans loved the garish representation for going to games. But that company was not one that paid to be present, so all the overall were banned and taken away.

Presidebt Rousseff defends Cup and
FIFA.

And this year in Brazil there has been a lot of unrest among people angry that in the midst of poverty and need in the country vast amounts of money are being spent for this spectacle. It is contentious. It's to the point that the Brazilian president, Dilma Rousseff, had to come out and ask Brazilians to unite and support the World Cup.

It's a flawed and troubling process all around. It needs reform. It needs changes.

But...It's the freaking World Cup!!! And I want to watch! I want to celebrate the sport. I want to enjoy it.

And the Ents march.

Still, while I will watch, I want to be aware of the severe problems and injustice tied to it. We shouldn't hide from the problems in the things we enjoy. I want things to get better.


So if you want to laugh some, learn some, and get a little revved up...\

From Last Week Tonight with John Oliver:

Adolfo Suarez, Democratic post-Franco leader of Spain, dies at 81

Photo by Gerard Julien/AFP/Getty Images

The nation of Spain has mourned for the last three days. On Sunday, Adolfo Suarez, former Prime Minister, was taken to hospital, suffering from respiratory issues. Even before this he'd been suffering from Alzheimer for nearly a decade, it had been years since he remembered his time in power. At hospital, he passed, age 81.

Alfonso Suarez - Photo by AFP

38 years had passed since he'd risen from more regional prominence to national prominence. In the wake of Francisco Franco's death (the longtime dictator of Spain), King Juan Carlos had chosen Suarez to act as Prime Minister and lead efforts to restore the electoral process. While he had served in Franco's government, he proved to be an honest broker in bringing about elections for Spain, and seeing democracy reestablished in the country.

During his efforts he worked to bring all the factions into the process, including those that had long been ostracized and demonized. He worked to restore trade unions, and convinced the Communist Party to engage in the elections. It was not popular with conservatives or the military, but it set the first steps to reviving the democratic process that continues operating to this day.

In the first elections his party won a majority in the parliament and he was properly elected Prime Minister (the first elected since before Franco). But controversy over some of his stands, and economic and social issues, led to him resigning at the next elections. 

Suarez and his Deputy Prime Minister arguing with
military officers - Photo by Manuel Hernandez
de Leon/European Pressphoto Agency

But before he could see the swearing in of a new Prime Minister, the military attempted to retake power. A group of officers marched into the parliament and opened fire. Suarez was among a few that didn't drop to the floor. He later said that as Prime Minister he should never go on bended knee. He helped keep the piece in the parliament as the king and others sorted out the military. He then left power. But he was remembered.

In the years since his time in power, he's become more and more respected for what he accomplished. It was a scary time post-Franco and Suarez acted honestly to do his duty in reasserting elections, and leading the country out of the state Franco had left it in.

Today, following the three days of mourning, Suarez was taken from the Parliament and to the city of Avila, north of Madrid. There he was interred in the Avila Cathedral. His wife, who died, more than 10 years ago of cancer, will be laid to rest beside him.

Saint Patrick's Day: The Céilidh Has Started! *UPDATED*

Cribbing again from last March 17th...You know what that means...

Sniff my butt, I'm Irish.

It's that Saint Patrick's Day season yet again.

So get yourselves up and get to work aping Irish culture. You know, wearing green, wearing funny hats, talking in a funny accents, and... getting plastered on watery American beer?

And that's the feast day of St. Patrick!

Okay, okay. I know I have been one to point out that holidays grow and change, and break out of cultures or religions. And St. Patrick's has done that to an extent. But it is also odd to me that it's a national holiday as well. All so people can act out certain stereotypes.  I'm not fond of perpetuating stereotypes. 

Of course, it's also become a day that the Irish like to promote cultural awareness. Like Italians and other cultures that settled in the United States, the Irish struggled on for years to even be considered white. Yes, American culture and politics of that day refused to see many Europeans as white. There were places where the Irish and other cultures (like black and Hispanic people) were denied entrance, living spaces, or use of facilities. (But the Irish and Italians were eventually welcomed as equals ( unlike other groups). So getting people to join in to your celebration can be a point of merging with the greater culture. 

As well, like Mardi Gras and Christmas, this day is also just an excuse to have a party, do some dancing, and, maybe, wear some green. ...And I do love green.


But let's get back to it's origins. (Now YOU Must Learn. HAHAHAHAHA!)


March 17th is deemed to be the date of St. Patrick of Ireland's death. It's said he was then buried at Down Cathedral in Downpatrick, Down County. Common for the day, St. Patrick, patron saint of Ireland, was never officially canonized by a pope and church. It was more a regional decision. But from that start his sainthood has been embraced by the Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopal  and Orthodox churches. It took time for him to gain acceptance, but more and more he was acknowledged in the church. So, he got a feast day, and became a rallying point in Irish culture. But that's the end of the his tale.

Looking at the start is a little trickier. He is considered to be a Romano-Brit, of noble birth. His family had been in the religion business at that point for generations. Early in his life he was captured by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland as a slave. He later was able to return to Britain. He entered the Church then, and after rising to bishop was sent back to Ireland to convert the island to Catholicism (and fight crime as a proto-Zorro -- But that may just be my own head canon. Or I may be confusing the Green Bishop with the Green Hornet.). And with that he descends into legend.

The trouble with stories and writing of Patrick's time in Ireland is that it is not necessarily clear what is him and what is others that were evangelizing before and after him in Ireland. As often happens when cobbling together history, legends, or parables, the names may be changed and events altered to protect the innocent...or just make a better/easier to understand story.

Before Patrick was sent to Ireland, Palladius was sent to Ireland on the same mission, becoming the first bishop in Ireland. So some of his writings, words, and actions likely were blended in to the activities of Patrick.

But Patrick is remember for the overall effort to bring Christianity to dominance in Ireland. Which did occur. (And once the Magdalene Asylums were set up, it was smooth sailing for Ireland. We will be taking no questions.) That is where the imagery of St. Patrick driving the snakes out comes from, the conversion of people from Druidic faith to his own (We'll hope it was just converting.). It may be similar to the story of St. George and his "dragon".

It's like the story of his walking stick which would become a tree. The story goes he would plant it in the ground and preach. Then when he found it had taken root in the place, he would move on. Get it! It's alluding to something. It's cute...kinda.

Then their is the embrace of the shamrock, three-leafed clover. It is said that Patrick used it to describe the concept of a Holy Trinity (Insert your own sex act joke here. Whoa hey!), and then carried and wore them as a symbol to people. They say that.

Trouble is, can you actually tie the shamrock to any of his direct teachings. Because it seems to only arise as tied to him more than 1,000 years after his death. So, like with so many tales and legends, St. Patrick may have been rebooted and upgraded. Perhaps shamrocks had started to be used as a symbol of trinity or the crucifix, perhaps it had become more significant to people, and it was decided to go back and tie it to this significant religious figure.

Going back long before Patrick, the shamrock was a revered image in Ireland. It was green, which was an important symbol to them. And it represented the number three, also significant to the early peoples of Ireland. So it is not hard to imagine, like in other lands and times, Christian proselytizers taking advantage of the symbol and it's parallels to further sell the faith. It's just a question of if it was a practice predating Patrick, of his making (but no records survived), or just adopted later on. I could not say. Still, no one cares, and here we are, with a shamrock. And people seem to love them.

But what about the vaunted four-leaf clover then? If the three-leafer represents the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, what's the fourth one for then? This...

Finally! A positive image of Ireland.

Yes, yes, their is a corny explanation:

"The first is for faith, the second is for hope, the third is for love, and the fourth is for luck."

But, come on! Leprechauns. Leprechauns! That's where it's at. It's always the answer.

At least it's better than faith, hope, love, and luck...Yeesch.


So, a millennia later all the pieces were falling in place for St. Patrick's Day.

• We have the snakes. 

Though I think most of us forget about them. They aren't dragons.

• We have our shamrocks.

Good for shakes, pendents, and easily recognizable Irish logos.

• We also have parades.

...Which aren't an Irish or Patricky idea at all... It's an American thing. But the Irish have taken to it...after 200 years. I'll be honest, and say I'm not big on parades. But if you like them, it's your lucky day.

• And there's the beer.

Beer. As I noted in looking at Mardi Gras, we are in Lent now. So I wondered how a St. Patrick feast day would work. And even in Ireland their are times during which bars were required to be closed on the 17th. Apparently, most Catholic churches give dispensation for people to eat and drink on the 17th. A loophole to fasting in the in the Catholic Church, I don't believe it! Still, any out on fasting is a good one. So enjoy!

...Unless your gay, apparently.

Many of the parades around the United States are happy to specifically ban gay people and groups from being included. Is this really what those in charge want to represent about their culture? It does not make Irishness or Catholicism look good. Not at all.

At least we know that the mayors of Chicago and New York are boycotting. Also the beer makers, Heineken and Guinness are no longer supporting these parades. If you don't have Guinness approving of your St. Pat's parade, you must be doing something very wrong.

________
UPDATE:

Sometimes people say that Rupert Murdoch is actually liberal, but hides it for the sake of profits.

But then you have times like today. Seems that in the wake of Guinness pulling out support for the New York City St. Patrick's Day parade, Murdoch has gone to Twitter to denounce Guinness, and call for it to be boycotted.

Apparently Guinness is cruelly not supporting a "religious parade". Also, the gays are all bullies.

...So gay people are the ones victimizing? ...And Guinness is obliged to fund religious events that it doesn't want to fund? Is that because of FREEDOM, AND STUFF? And that parade is not religious. It's visited largely by non-Catholics, and is a chance to party. So, please!

Still, if anyone wants to tell you that Murdoch is really secretly a sweetie, you know more surely now that's bunk.

And I do love that he's calling for all Irish to boycott Guinness. Yeah, an Australian who lives in London and New York is lecturing the Irish about their own beloved national drink. HA!

REBLOGGING: Veterans Day / Remembrance Day - What's it all about?

Let's look back and remember a post about why we pause to look back and remember veterans and those lost in war.

Later today, I look at some of the ways that veterans and those in service are "remembered" this year.

Veterans Day / Remembrance Day - What's it all about?

November 11th is almost upon us. In the United States we talk about Veterans Day, come November. In the United Kingdom, and it's commonwealth, they talk about Remembrance Day.

Now on programs and at many events people often say, when talking to veterans, that "they honor their service." Which is a thoughtful and good thing to say, but it seems to have become a rote response. A formality before moving on. Say the magic words and think no more on it.

Veterans Day in the US can be the same, have the day out, go to a parade, and move on with little thought. Though hopefully for those of us with family still serving, or having finished, we think on it more.

So, while we do have many large issues to deal with, it is important to understand why we have this day set aside. To remember, and to not ignore lessons and obligations we have as a nation and as a people.

This day of remembrance comes out of the end of World War I. Then it was called Armistice Day. To celebrate the Armistice, an end of hostilities, that was agreed to in 1918. It would fall on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of that year (Someone was in love with some symbolism.).

So a peace was struck. It came in the wake of a global war. It came after the deaths of around 20 million. The war, unsurprisingly shook many. It was a maddening experience. And then there was peace.

In November of 1919, the year after Armistice, President Woodrow Wilson declared the first Armistice Day. And in 1938 Congress to passed law to make every November 11th Armistice Day, to promote world peace. And this, in 1954, was rename Veterans Day to expand those remembered to all veterans, including those that had just served in World War II.

And the tradition continued on from there. Date has shifted back and forth. Laws and proclamations were made. But from the start, this has been an act of remembering those that lost their lives fighting for their country, and those that return home.

REUTERS/Chris Roussakis

In the United Kingdom the traditions hold more to the original Armistice Day. King George V in November of 1919, like it was in the United States. England has taken on a number of continuing traditions to this day. Among those most notable is the image of the poppy. The red poppy is commonly worn, as a lead up to Remembrance Sunday, which was set as the 2nd Sunday of November (This was meant to prevent disrupting the war time services during World War II.). The poppy use is tied to the poem, by John McCrae:

In Flanders fields the poppies blow 

Between the crosses, row on row, 

That mark our place; and in the sky 

The larks, still bravely singing, fly 

Scarce heard amid the guns below. 

We are the Dead. Short days ago 

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, 

Loved and were loved, and now we lie 

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe: 

To you from failing hands we throw 

The torch; be yours to hold it high. 

If ye break faith with us who die 

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow 

In Flanders fields.

The image conjures the image of the dead across the battlefield. The image of blood. The image of the cost paid in war. A cost that must be remembered, and learned from.

So at 11 AM on Remembrance Sunday, their are two minutes of silence through the country, to remember the costs of war. This is initiated by the of a field gun firing on the Horse Guard Parade, then ended by firing again. Then the Royal Marines have buglers play out "Last Post."

And at Cenotaph in London a ritual of laying flowers:

Wreaths are laid by Queen Elizabeth, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, the Princess Royal, the Duke of Kent, the Earl of Wessex, the Duke of Cambridge, the Prime Minister, leaders of major political parties and former Prime Ministers, the Foreign Secretary, the Commonwealth High Commissioners and representatives from the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force, the Merchant Navy and fishing fleets and the civilian services....After the ceremony, a parade of veterans, organised by the Royal British Legion, marches past the Cenotaph, each section of which lays a wreath as it passes.

This procession means a lot to those that have served and suffered for their countries. Also for those that mourn family and friends that have passed.

These rituals can be important to supporting us to remembering what has come to past. WWI was a horrible scaring event. It was an event that should leave anyone with a loathing of going to war. But we still have seen war come, and those who to eagerly call for it. And those that returned from WWI, and other conflicts, have many times not gotten the treatment or respect they deserve from government (The GI Bill was a major change to the treatment veterans received for service.).

So I can only hope as we go into Veterans Day and Remembrance Sunday tomorrow, we think about why we do have veterans, what has been asked from them, and how we look at them (How we really look at them, not what we say for appearance.) and how we treat them (How many think about the Veterans Administration or the related services much?).

And also learn. Stats and facts to think on for Veterans Day:

• Veterans are 50% more likely to be homeless than other Americans.
• 75,000 veterans are homeless on any various night in the years.
• 1% of Americans serve in the military, and 20% of all US suicides are veterans.

Get more informed:

• Department of Veteran's Affairs
• VA - Veteran's Day Information
• VA - Homeless Veterans
• National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
• National Alliance on Mental Illness - Veterans and Military Resource Center

REBLOGGING: Remember, remember, the 5th of November: Folklore and History

I posted about Guy Fawkes Day and it’s history last year. So, here we are again.

And, this still seems a strange celebration. A look back at a barbaric fight between religious rivals.

Still, any excuse for fireworks?

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Remember, remember, the 5th of November: Folklore and History

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,the Gunpowder Treason and Plot, 

I see no reason why Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot.Guy Fawkes, t’was his intent to blow up King and Parliament. 

Three score barrels were laid below to prove old England’s overthrow;By God’s mercy he was catch’d with a dark lantern and lighted match. 

Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring. Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King! 

Hip hip hoorah!

This is a pretty well-known poem detailing the events of the Gunpowder Plot,  and remembered every November 5^th in England, on Guy Fawkes Day. (There is a second verse to this poem, not as popular these days, that goes into killing and mutilating the Pope. Music and poetry is full of so many forgotten verses like that.) Guy Fawkes day has become a time to have an excuse for some fireworks, a bonfire, and some fun. 

But that's not how it all began.

The Gunpowder Plot was an attempt by a group of Catholics intent on unseating King James I from the English throne, so that his daughter, Elizabeth, could be put on in his place, and usher in a return to Catholic power in England.

Going back to King Henry VIII, there was a back and forth struggle on whether the state religion would be Anglican or Catholic. And after years of Anglicanism under Elizabeth I and James I, some catholic leaders were eager to revert back. 

So, on the day of the State Opening of Parliament, in 1605, when the nobles and king all came to the House of Lords to have their bit of pomp, outside their lives of pomp, barrels of gunpowder were secreted under the parliament.

36 barrels were placed. It was enough to destroy the House of Lords, at least. So have theorized how much more of the area around would have been destroyed as well, and how many more would have died that day.

George Cruikshank's illustration of Guy Fawkes
, published in William Harrison Ainsworth's 1840 novel

Guy Fawkes was the member of the conspiracy tasked to oversee the barrels under the streets. And when information was passed of the threat to parliament and king, a search was made, and Fawkes was caught, sitting on the evidence. 

Fawkes was an English Catholic who had gone on to served Spain as a soldier in war. He returned to England eager to overthrow the government. His efforts led him to join this plot. And that led him to be hung, then drawn and quartered.

The focus on Fawkes seems to come from his being caught in the act, drug from beneath parliament. It must have caught the imagination. Others fled London, and died fighting. 7 others survived to be tried along with Fawkes, and suffered the same fate. 

But Fawkes became the focus, with a holiday, a poem, and a level of praise and infamy that has lasted 4 centuries.

But the audacious plot he was involved in, a massive bomb to wipe out the monarchy and government of a major nation, seems to have gotten the historic blur. 
It's like people talking about raping and pillaging. It sounds all old timey. But it means women were raped, people were murdered, homes were burned down, crops destroyed, and valuables and goods stolen. Their is nothing nice, fun, or funny in the term. But it's old timey, so...What the hell!

So consider Fawkes and King James. 

Guy Fawkes was clearly a amazingly pious person. After his mother married a Catholic man, he converted to the faith. And he left the country to fight for the strongest of Catholic nations against Protestant ones. Then he embraced the idea that his homeland needed to be brought back into the True Faith by any mean. The result of this was his agreement to a plan in which the government, the king, the queen, the princes, their servants, and anyone within range would die. It was a holy duty, to kill the Protestant king, and anyone who got in his way.

That is horrific. Magnitude of the slaughter. Not hard to feel how people were stirred to rage at the very idea of this destruction. The assault on the state, to wipe it out, and install a new ruler and a new religion. Not hard to appreciate the horror at how close they were able to get to destroying one's state and leaders. This was a monstrous plan.

But what of James? King James is a piece of work. If you've heard of or read the King James Bible, you know a small bit about this man. He was a very pious and worried man. He faced repeated attempts on his life as king, not just the Gunpowder Plot. And before that, all that back and forth plotting in Scotland, lead to his mother, Mary, being exiled, and his father, Darnley, suffering a suspicious death. He was treated as a pawn, to be shaped to act as a King of Scotland. And then, he was made the English King. 

Through his study of his Protestant faith he was drawn to become increasingly concerned of the threat of the Devil, and witches. He became convinced witches were acting to murder him, and was at one trial of a woman accused of such an attempt. He also personally oversaw the torture of women believed to be witches. In this time he wrote a book on witches for people to use, Daemonologie. It explained witches and advised on the hunting of them. These ideas also made it into his version of the bible, with a change to one passage to say, "Thou shall not suffer a witch." 

As King of England, James was interested in fully joining his Scotland and England. He also wanted to bring peace to England and Spain. Though he still maintained a religious and legal hostility to Catholicism. Still, in 1604, the war between the 2 nations ended. Then the plot came in the following year.

James can be a troubling figure, in how he was drawn into fear and paranoia of witches. His engaging personally in the torture of women is disturbing. His work has gone on to be used to bring a lot of suffering. 

But in the end what Guy Fawkes was doing was not to free England, it was a Mission from God, it was for the sake of God's Will, and that of the Church.


November 5th celebrates an almost successful mass murder and regicide by a group of religious fanatics.