wishing for a dentist
Vikings had a lot of toothaches, and sinus infections.
So much for a life of adventure.
Yum! Durian. Yecch what's that smell?
Durians are banned from planes and some areas.
why? explains the UKGuardian:
The infamous durian – regarded the king of fruit in much of south-east Asia – is best known for its pungent smell, variously compared to sewage, rotting flesh or, at best, ripe cheese. The green, spiky durian is an awkward travel companion: it is banned on Singapore's rail network, as well as many in airports and hotels in south-east Asia. Durians polarise people. Fans say if you can get past the stink, the flesh has an ambrosial taste.
LOL. Frozen durian doesn't smell. The best of both worlds. https://t.co/1rHh8WUOvP
— tioedong (@tioedong) February 20, 2025
Musketeers
Canadian essayist David Warren has a sardonic essay observing the kerfuffle going on in the USA, and I noticed this sentence:
The reader who has made himself aware of only the USAID payments will understand what may, or rather will, be revealed as the Musketeers survey the remaining ninety-nine-one-hundredths of the U.S. government
Musketeers? Hmm: that is the second time I have read that term used.
it is a reference of course to the novels and later the many films about the Three Musketeers .
Wikipedia writes: It is in the swashbuckler genre, which has heroic, chivalrous swordsmen who fight for justice.
The original Musketeers of course were called that because they shot muskets, an early form of a rifle. Again, Wikipedia notes
...the Musketeers were open to the lower classes of French nobility or younger sons from noble families whose oldest sons served in the more prestigious Garde du Corps and Chevau-legers (Light Horse). The Musketeers, many of them still teenagers, soon gained a reputation for fighting spirit and unruly behaviour
...................................
trivia note: the father of Alexander Dumas was born a black slave in what is now Haiti, and was later taken by his white father to France where he became a general in Napoleon's army.
Nimrod variations
Wikipedia has a post about the entire musical score, and the people who inspired each section.
Variation IX (Adagio) "Nimrod" The name of the variation refers to Augustus J. Jaeger, who was employed as a music editor by the London publisher Novello & Co. He was a close friend of Elgar's, giving him useful advice but also severe criticism, something Elgar greatly appreciated. Elgar later related how Jaeger had encouraged him as an artist and had stimulated him to continue composing despite setbacks. Nimrod is described in the Old Testament as "a mighty hunter before the Lord", Jäger (which can also be spelt Jaeger) being German for hunter.... In 1904 Elgar told Dora Penny ("Dorabella") that this variation is not really a portrait, but "the story of something that happened".[8] Once, when Elgar had been very depressed and was about to give it all up and write no more music, Jaeger had visited him and encouraged him to continue composing. He referred to Ludwig van Beethoven, who had a lot of worries, but wrote more and more beautiful music. "And that is what you must do", Jaeger said, and he sang the theme of the second movement of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 8 Pathétique. Elgar disclosed to Dora that the opening bars of "Nimrod" were made to suggest that theme. "Can't you hear it at the beginning? Only a hint, not a quotation."
This variation has become popular in its own right and is sometimes used at British funerals, memorial services, and other solemn occasions. It is always played at the Cenotaph, Whitehall in London at the National Service of Remembrance. A version was also played during the Hong Kong handover ceremony in 1997, at the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, and during the 2022 BBC Proms after the season was cut short due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
St Maurice: and the Blackhead League
from AnnBarnhardt:
St. Maurice was the leader of the elite Roman Theban Legion headquartered in Egypt. The Theban Legion was comprised of 6,666 men, who all converted, with their commander Maurice, to Christianity en masse late in the Third Century.
Emperor Maximian ordered the Theban Legion from Egypt to France in order to put down a peasant revolt. When the Theban Legion arrived in France, Maximian ordered them to start persecuting Christians. The Theban Legion, led by Maurice, REFUSED TO OBEY MAXIMIAN’S ORDERS,,,. Under Maurice’s ,,,inspiring leadership, the Theban Legion stood firm and still refused Maximian’s orders, even though it meant certain death. ... Maximian ordered the entire remaining Theban Legion killed to the last man in what is now present-day St. Maurice-en-Valais, Switzerland.
And today's Medievalist has a post about the Blackheads of the Hanseatic league in Eastern Europe.
The Brotherhood’s dual nature as both a military organisation and a commercial association is unique in European history. Its military aspect can be attributed to its founding during the last great anti-Christian revolts of indigenous Northern Europeans following the Northern Crusades. Meanwhile, its commercial aspect reflects its emergence during the early days of the Hanseatic League,
... As an organisation of young merchants, the Brotherhood played a crucial role in Baltic trade, facilitating exchanges between Hanseatic cities and neighbouring regions. Members were involved in the import and export of a variety of goods, including grain, spices, and textiles.,,Some traditions of the Blackheads survive today in the customs of Baltic-German Corps and Estonian and Latvian student corporations.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)