<![CDATA[The Forums of Glennain - All Forums]]> http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/ Sat, 31 Jul 2010 01:53:14 -0600 MyBB <![CDATA[Design on a Dime]]> http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5922 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:29:28 -0600 The Marquess of Mountcastle http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5922
This essay caused me to wonder how I would redesign things if the US Mint were interested in hearing my two cents on the matter. For my part, I would return to the days of having classically-inspired mythical figures and personifications of Liberty grace the coin of the realm. But if I had to stick to US Presidents and other notable Americans, I suppose my choices would go something like this:

The Penny

Lincoln's portrait remains, but the image is redesigned to include only the head and neck, in keeping with the more classic approach to coinage portraiture. Furthermore, Lincoln is depicted wearing a laurel wreath.

I like the reverse of the 2010 redesign with the shield, and that remains as is.

The Nickel

Jefferson's portrait on the obverse is retreated as above, including the laurel wreath embellishment.

The image of Monticello on the reverse is replaced with the American bison: the "Buffalo Nickel" returns, permanently.

The Dime

FDR's portrait on the obverse is replaced with that of Alexander Hamilton (wearing laurel wreath, as with the others).

The torch of liberty remains on the reverse, but all that foliage around it gets cut down and cleared away.

The Quarter

Washington remains on the front, but gets crowned with laurel.

The thirteen stars arranged in a circle, ala the "Betsy Ross" flag, feature on the reverse.

The Fifty Cent Piece

James Monroe (crowned with laurel) replaces JFK, on the obverse.

On the reverse, the Liberty Bell, hovering over the Americas.

The "Silver Dollar" (One Dollar Coin)

Eisenhower's profile is replaced by that of Theodore Roosevelt (crowned with laurel, of course).

The reverse features the bald eagle in flight before a rising sun.


As for paper currency...

The Dollar Bill

Gillbert Stuart's famous portrait of Washington remains (how could that ever be replaced?). Conspiracy theorists around the nation will rejoice (or have their worlds collapse around them) when I replace the images of the Great Seal and the word "ONE" with an image of President Washington taking the Oath of Office at Federal Hall in New York.

The Two Dollar Note

In a reversal of history, John Adams replaces Thomas Jefferson. The image of the signing of the Declaration of Independence remains on the reverse of the note.

The Five Dollar Note

Same president: different portrait. The portrait of Abraham Lincoln on the current five dollar bill is horrendous; I'd readopt the portrait that graced the five before the redesigns. I would, furthermore, replace the image of the Lincoln Memorial on the reverse with a landscape of either the Grand Canyon or the Giant Sequoias.

The Ten Dollar Note

I like Hamilton but I think I'll replace him with James Madison. I do believe that the Father of the Constitution deserves a place on our paper currency. The Treasury Department building on the reverse would be replaced by a view of Niagara Falls.

The Twenty Dollar Note

Say farewell to Old Hickory and hello to the Rough Rider. Theodore Roosevelt's likeness replaces Andrew Jackson's. The image of the White House on the reverse is replaced by an image of American bison roaming the Great Plains.

The Fifty Dollar Note

Ulysses S. Grant says goodbye and Thomas Jefferson advances from the Two, but I've selected the 1805 Rembrandt Peale portrait of Jefferson to replace the portrait currently seen on the Two. The image of the Capitol is replaced by a landscaped image of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

The One Hundred Dollar Note

I suppose at this point Franklin's portrait is inexorable from "The Benjamin", so it stays. I'm not fond of having "portraits" of buildings on our currency the way we do, today, but I'd like Independence Hall to remain. So I think I would replace the current image with a broader view of 1776 Philadelphia, using Independence Hall as the focal point of the cityscape.

$

No, Ronald Reagan doesn't make any appearances on any of my redesigns. Sorry. But neither do FDR or JFK. In my opinion, you've got to be on America's Mt. Olympus to have the honour of being immortalized on coin or currency. You can't be just a grand old president or an assassinated president: you've got to be an undisputed giant. And you shouldn't be a partisan symbol, either, but a symbol of national unity: someone all Americans look up to and take pride in. FDR, JFK and Ronald Reagan are all very partisan symbols and do not fill the bill, I'm afraid.

The two great unworthies--Andrew Jackson and Ulysses S. Grant--take a hike and are replaced by two far worthier American luminaries: John Adams and Theodore Roosevelt. Both Jackson and Grant were great generals, but less than stellar presidents, in my opinion. President Jackson was a genocidal tyrant; and the Grant administration was beset with scandal. Neither, in my opinion, deserves to be represented on America's currency.

For many decades the Mint has been in the habit of featuring pictures of government buildings on the reverse sides of coins and currency notes. I have always found that to be a less than elegant treatment, particularly with respect to coins; the reverses of the penny and the nickel with their images of the Lincoln Memorial and Monticello are both utterly devoid of charm or imagination. I'm glad to see that they've redesigned the reverse of the penny, now, replacing the image of the memorial with an attractive representation of the American shield. The denomination, "One Cent," is unfurled before the shield on a scroll. A very nice treatment hearkening back, perhaps, to the more fanciful design cues of an earlier era.

America has so much natural beauty, and it's a shame to ruin our notes, therefore, with bland and rigid pictures of government buildings when we could be showing off our national treasures, instead: the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, the Rocky Mountains, the Great Sequoias, the Mississippi River, &c, &c, &c. And in each case, I imagine the notes to be embellished with typical American imagery, cleverly and artistically arranged and superimposed over the central themes and images.

I don't know who was responsible for the current designs of America's currency, but in my opinion, just about anybody could have done a better job. The designs are dull and uninspiring, rigid and unremarkable. It would be nice to see all the buildings demolished one day (so to speak) and some of the names and faces replaced with worthier ones.

Better yet, look to the artistry of yesteryear, when each denomination of United States currency was a genuine work of art.

For example: http://www.cointalk.com/attachments/6913...ricity.jpg]]>
This essay caused me to wonder how I would redesign things if the US Mint were interested in hearing my two cents on the matter. For my part, I would return to the days of having classically-inspired mythical figures and personifications of Liberty grace the coin of the realm. But if I had to stick to US Presidents and other notable Americans, I suppose my choices would go something like this:

The Penny

Lincoln's portrait remains, but the image is redesigned to include only the head and neck, in keeping with the more classic approach to coinage portraiture. Furthermore, Lincoln is depicted wearing a laurel wreath.

I like the reverse of the 2010 redesign with the shield, and that remains as is.

The Nickel

Jefferson's portrait on the obverse is retreated as above, including the laurel wreath embellishment.

The image of Monticello on the reverse is replaced with the American bison: the "Buffalo Nickel" returns, permanently.

The Dime

FDR's portrait on the obverse is replaced with that of Alexander Hamilton (wearing laurel wreath, as with the others).

The torch of liberty remains on the reverse, but all that foliage around it gets cut down and cleared away.

The Quarter

Washington remains on the front, but gets crowned with laurel.

The thirteen stars arranged in a circle, ala the "Betsy Ross" flag, feature on the reverse.

The Fifty Cent Piece

James Monroe (crowned with laurel) replaces JFK, on the obverse.

On the reverse, the Liberty Bell, hovering over the Americas.

The "Silver Dollar" (One Dollar Coin)

Eisenhower's profile is replaced by that of Theodore Roosevelt (crowned with laurel, of course).

The reverse features the bald eagle in flight before a rising sun.


As for paper currency...

The Dollar Bill

Gillbert Stuart's famous portrait of Washington remains (how could that ever be replaced?). Conspiracy theorists around the nation will rejoice (or have their worlds collapse around them) when I replace the images of the Great Seal and the word "ONE" with an image of President Washington taking the Oath of Office at Federal Hall in New York.

The Two Dollar Note

In a reversal of history, John Adams replaces Thomas Jefferson. The image of the signing of the Declaration of Independence remains on the reverse of the note.

The Five Dollar Note

Same president: different portrait. The portrait of Abraham Lincoln on the current five dollar bill is horrendous; I'd readopt the portrait that graced the five before the redesigns. I would, furthermore, replace the image of the Lincoln Memorial on the reverse with a landscape of either the Grand Canyon or the Giant Sequoias.

The Ten Dollar Note

I like Hamilton but I think I'll replace him with James Madison. I do believe that the Father of the Constitution deserves a place on our paper currency. The Treasury Department building on the reverse would be replaced by a view of Niagara Falls.

The Twenty Dollar Note

Say farewell to Old Hickory and hello to the Rough Rider. Theodore Roosevelt's likeness replaces Andrew Jackson's. The image of the White House on the reverse is replaced by an image of American bison roaming the Great Plains.

The Fifty Dollar Note

Ulysses S. Grant says goodbye and Thomas Jefferson advances from the Two, but I've selected the 1805 Rembrandt Peale portrait of Jefferson to replace the portrait currently seen on the Two. The image of the Capitol is replaced by a landscaped image of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

The One Hundred Dollar Note

I suppose at this point Franklin's portrait is inexorable from "The Benjamin", so it stays. I'm not fond of having "portraits" of buildings on our currency the way we do, today, but I'd like Independence Hall to remain. So I think I would replace the current image with a broader view of 1776 Philadelphia, using Independence Hall as the focal point of the cityscape.

$

No, Ronald Reagan doesn't make any appearances on any of my redesigns. Sorry. But neither do FDR or JFK. In my opinion, you've got to be on America's Mt. Olympus to have the honour of being immortalized on coin or currency. You can't be just a grand old president or an assassinated president: you've got to be an undisputed giant. And you shouldn't be a partisan symbol, either, but a symbol of national unity: someone all Americans look up to and take pride in. FDR, JFK and Ronald Reagan are all very partisan symbols and do not fill the bill, I'm afraid.

The two great unworthies--Andrew Jackson and Ulysses S. Grant--take a hike and are replaced by two far worthier American luminaries: John Adams and Theodore Roosevelt. Both Jackson and Grant were great generals, but less than stellar presidents, in my opinion. President Jackson was a genocidal tyrant; and the Grant administration was beset with scandal. Neither, in my opinion, deserves to be represented on America's currency.

For many decades the Mint has been in the habit of featuring pictures of government buildings on the reverse sides of coins and currency notes. I have always found that to be a less than elegant treatment, particularly with respect to coins; the reverses of the penny and the nickel with their images of the Lincoln Memorial and Monticello are both utterly devoid of charm or imagination. I'm glad to see that they've redesigned the reverse of the penny, now, replacing the image of the memorial with an attractive representation of the American shield. The denomination, "One Cent," is unfurled before the shield on a scroll. A very nice treatment hearkening back, perhaps, to the more fanciful design cues of an earlier era.

America has so much natural beauty, and it's a shame to ruin our notes, therefore, with bland and rigid pictures of government buildings when we could be showing off our national treasures, instead: the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, the Rocky Mountains, the Great Sequoias, the Mississippi River, &c, &c, &c. And in each case, I imagine the notes to be embellished with typical American imagery, cleverly and artistically arranged and superimposed over the central themes and images.

I don't know who was responsible for the current designs of America's currency, but in my opinion, just about anybody could have done a better job. The designs are dull and uninspiring, rigid and unremarkable. It would be nice to see all the buildings demolished one day (so to speak) and some of the names and faces replaced with worthier ones.

Better yet, look to the artistry of yesteryear, when each denomination of United States currency was a genuine work of art.

For example: http://www.cointalk.com/attachments/6913...ricity.jpg]]> <![CDATA[Hill Cumorah]]> http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5921 Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:25:38 -0600 The Marquess of Mountcastle http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5921 The Mormon Pageant at Hill Cumorah: Encountering the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Over the years, I've had the opportunity to encounter the public worship services of a number of different Christian denominations other than my own. I've witnessed liturgies and services in the Anglican, Greek Orthodox, Lutheran, and Baptist traditions, and have also observed services in various "non-denominational" Christian churches. I enjoy watching what other people do in church; it satisfies a perpetual curiosity I have with respect to people who believe differently than I do. I like to see how they arrange and decorate their sacred spaces, and how they structure their ceremonies and rituals. I find the differences endlessly fascinating.

One denomination I had never before encountered in any way--until yesterday, that is--was the Latter Day Saints, commonly known as the Mormons. Actually, allow me to correct myself, there, as not all the adherents of the Latter Day movement are "Mormons". Only the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are properly considered "Mormons", apparently. There have been various schisms and break-aways since the time of Joseph Smith, and there are several churches which adhere to the Latter Day teachings, but which are not affiliated with the LDS Church. One of those churches actually calls itself "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints," to make matters utterly confusing; the difference with the more famous Mormon Church of the same name being the fact that they do not hyphentate the words "Latter Day", and that they capitalize the word "Day", whereas the LDS Church does not.

At any rate, a friend of mine mentioned a couple of weeks ago that he wanted to go and see a pageant in Palmyra, New York, that the LDS Church puts on every year. Palmyra is the place where Joseph Smith lived, and where he allegedly experienced an apparition in a wood on his parents' farm, now called the "Sacred Grove" by Mormons. Interestingly, Palmyra is one of the few towns in all the world which has an intersection featuring a church on each of its four corners. Naturally, we just had to drive through the intersection and sure enough, there they were: an Episcopalian church, a Presbyterian church, a Lutheran church and a Methodist church. No Mormon churches, though.

The Mormon temple, erected in the year 2000, is located a few miles outside of the village, near the Smith farm. It is a smallish, single-story structure made of a greyish-white stone. Atop the structure is a tall pedestal featuring a gold-leafed statue of the "Angel Moroni" blowing his trumpet. All LDS temples feature this statue. The design is standard: 41 other LDS temples around the world have the exact same design, all built by the same contractor. Odd, if you ask me. The design is a pleasing one, however, if somewhat androgynistic in character: it is at once sacred and profane, looking something like a house of worship, and something like a Federal Reserve branch. The grounds were beautifully landscaped and maintained. The doors were locked. People emerged from time-to-time, but nobody went in.

After walking around the locked-up temple, we drove the short distance to the Smith Farm and experienced the "Sacred Grove", where Smith alleged he saw an angel, but later in life changed his story to say that he had actually seen God the Father and God the Son (whom he called "Elohim" and "Jehovah"). Whatever he saw, the grove in which he saw it was lovely, with well-maintained paths leading reverent Mormons through the area to contemplate the foundations of their faith. The precise spot of the alleged vision is unknown, according to one of the guides I spoke with. He had a "feeling" though, that he knew where it was, but refused to share his thoughts explicitly, only making oblique suggestions with a wink of the eye.

Finally, we made our way to "Hill Cumorah" where the pageant was held. This was the hill where the golden tablets were supposedly buried that Joseph Smith was ordered to translate into English by the angel Moroni (or Nephi, depending upon which of the many contradictory accounts of the story one reads). The plates were engraved by some guy named Mormon, an "ancient" American.

These ancient Americans came from Jerusalem in Old Testament times, according to the story. They all crossed the ocean at God's command in a ship that was miraculously built in one day, landing in America. Mormon engraved on the sacred tablets the history of the ancient peoples of America from the exodus from Jerusalem up to about 600 years (something like that) after Christ's appearance in the New World. Yes, you read that right. Following his crucifixion, death, and resurrection, Jesus Christ came to America and personally interacted with his American followers, who had been told all about him by the American prophets long before he was ever born. They were even baptized in his name long before he was ever born!

Long story short: the ancient Americans all died-out...or became our Indians (it seems this is open to interpretation) and the Church wasn't "restored" until the angel (Moroni or Nephi...take your pick), revealed Mormon's tablets to Smith, whom God (or the angel) commissioned to restore the true Church of Jesus Christ (never mind that the Church never died out in the Old World, and was brought to America by missionaries, long before that moment...but I quibble).

Before the pageant began, we stopped into the visitor center at the foot of the hill. Upon entering, we were directed to enter the "Christus Room": a circular room with a wall of windows composing one half and a mural of the Sacred Grove composing the other half. The ceiling was painted like the sky and softly illuminated. As we entered, the sheer curtains covering the wall of windows automatically opened, retracting into the walls, as soothing harp music played. The room was dominated by a large, white statue of Jesus Christ: "The Christus", as the Mormon sister referred to it repeatedly. I assumed the "Christus" must be some Mormon thing, but it turns out that the original "Christus" (in full "Christus Consolator") was sculpted in Rome for the Church of Our Lady in Copenhagen. For whatever reason, the LDS Church has made something of an icon of this particular work, which they have copied and recopied, displaying their "Christuses" in their various centers around the country.

We all sat on settees arranged around the Christus as sister welcomed us and bade us listen to a few recorded words of Jesus, which she played on the sound system as we all sat and stared at the Christus statue. Then she asked what touched us about Jesus' pre-recorded messages. Nobody was touched, apparently, so she told us what touched her. I can't recall what she said, only that after she said it, somebody asked the following question: "are we allowed to leave?"

They left. The rest of us proceeded onward to watch a short movie about the experience of Joseph Smith in the Sacred Grove. After the movie, we were ushered into the "Resource Room", part library, part exhibit. Nobody lingered. Everyone darted right out the door. Poor sister.

The pageant itself began after dark: it's all about lighting effects. It was brilliant, saccharin, captivating, and laughable all at once. It told the whole story of the ancient Americans (lots of wars), showed Jesus descending from heaven and landing in America, and culminated with the angel showing Joseph Smith where the tablets of Mormon were buried on the hill.

During the entire performance, several angry men with bull horns professing to be "Christians" were shouting at all those of us in attendance. They wanted all of us to get the message that the Mormons were evil, not true Christians, polygamists, &c. The litany of hate went on and on. The only message I got from that is that fundamentalist Christians who do that sort of thing are a bunch of rude, ill-mannered assholes who need to get a life, I'm afraid.

The Mormons, on the other hand, could not have been friendlier, more pleasant, or more welcoming. There was no hard-sell proselytizing going on, no annoying witnessing, nobody shoving the Book of Mormon in your face. Just alot of young missionaries (most in costume for the pageant) wanting to be of any assistance they might be to you, and offering to answer any questions one might have. And if you told them you were fine, thank you, they simply thanked you for coming and said "enjoy the pageant". Their teachings might be a bunch of nonsense, but at least they have good manners and know how to make a visitor feel welcome, which is more than I can say for the "true" Christians shouting at and shoving tracts and pamphlets at everyone.

So that was my experience with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I doubt that I would ever be interested in repeating the experience, but now I can cross the Mormons off my list of other religions to encounter.

.

Image of the LDS Temple at Palmyra, New York:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/sYx...RRxMfQ8uZQ

.]]> The Mormon Pageant at Hill Cumorah: Encountering the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Over the years, I've had the opportunity to encounter the public worship services of a number of different Christian denominations other than my own. I've witnessed liturgies and services in the Anglican, Greek Orthodox, Lutheran, and Baptist traditions, and have also observed services in various "non-denominational" Christian churches. I enjoy watching what other people do in church; it satisfies a perpetual curiosity I have with respect to people who believe differently than I do. I like to see how they arrange and decorate their sacred spaces, and how they structure their ceremonies and rituals. I find the differences endlessly fascinating.

One denomination I had never before encountered in any way--until yesterday, that is--was the Latter Day Saints, commonly known as the Mormons. Actually, allow me to correct myself, there, as not all the adherents of the Latter Day movement are "Mormons". Only the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are properly considered "Mormons", apparently. There have been various schisms and break-aways since the time of Joseph Smith, and there are several churches which adhere to the Latter Day teachings, but which are not affiliated with the LDS Church. One of those churches actually calls itself "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints," to make matters utterly confusing; the difference with the more famous Mormon Church of the same name being the fact that they do not hyphentate the words "Latter Day", and that they capitalize the word "Day", whereas the LDS Church does not.

At any rate, a friend of mine mentioned a couple of weeks ago that he wanted to go and see a pageant in Palmyra, New York, that the LDS Church puts on every year. Palmyra is the place where Joseph Smith lived, and where he allegedly experienced an apparition in a wood on his parents' farm, now called the "Sacred Grove" by Mormons. Interestingly, Palmyra is one of the few towns in all the world which has an intersection featuring a church on each of its four corners. Naturally, we just had to drive through the intersection and sure enough, there they were: an Episcopalian church, a Presbyterian church, a Lutheran church and a Methodist church. No Mormon churches, though.

The Mormon temple, erected in the year 2000, is located a few miles outside of the village, near the Smith farm. It is a smallish, single-story structure made of a greyish-white stone. Atop the structure is a tall pedestal featuring a gold-leafed statue of the "Angel Moroni" blowing his trumpet. All LDS temples feature this statue. The design is standard: 41 other LDS temples around the world have the exact same design, all built by the same contractor. Odd, if you ask me. The design is a pleasing one, however, if somewhat androgynistic in character: it is at once sacred and profane, looking something like a house of worship, and something like a Federal Reserve branch. The grounds were beautifully landscaped and maintained. The doors were locked. People emerged from time-to-time, but nobody went in.

After walking around the locked-up temple, we drove the short distance to the Smith Farm and experienced the "Sacred Grove", where Smith alleged he saw an angel, but later in life changed his story to say that he had actually seen God the Father and God the Son (whom he called "Elohim" and "Jehovah"). Whatever he saw, the grove in which he saw it was lovely, with well-maintained paths leading reverent Mormons through the area to contemplate the foundations of their faith. The precise spot of the alleged vision is unknown, according to one of the guides I spoke with. He had a "feeling" though, that he knew where it was, but refused to share his thoughts explicitly, only making oblique suggestions with a wink of the eye.

Finally, we made our way to "Hill Cumorah" where the pageant was held. This was the hill where the golden tablets were supposedly buried that Joseph Smith was ordered to translate into English by the angel Moroni (or Nephi, depending upon which of the many contradictory accounts of the story one reads). The plates were engraved by some guy named Mormon, an "ancient" American.

These ancient Americans came from Jerusalem in Old Testament times, according to the story. They all crossed the ocean at God's command in a ship that was miraculously built in one day, landing in America. Mormon engraved on the sacred tablets the history of the ancient peoples of America from the exodus from Jerusalem up to about 600 years (something like that) after Christ's appearance in the New World. Yes, you read that right. Following his crucifixion, death, and resurrection, Jesus Christ came to America and personally interacted with his American followers, who had been told all about him by the American prophets long before he was ever born. They were even baptized in his name long before he was ever born!

Long story short: the ancient Americans all died-out...or became our Indians (it seems this is open to interpretation) and the Church wasn't "restored" until the angel (Moroni or Nephi...take your pick), revealed Mormon's tablets to Smith, whom God (or the angel) commissioned to restore the true Church of Jesus Christ (never mind that the Church never died out in the Old World, and was brought to America by missionaries, long before that moment...but I quibble).

Before the pageant began, we stopped into the visitor center at the foot of the hill. Upon entering, we were directed to enter the "Christus Room": a circular room with a wall of windows composing one half and a mural of the Sacred Grove composing the other half. The ceiling was painted like the sky and softly illuminated. As we entered, the sheer curtains covering the wall of windows automatically opened, retracting into the walls, as soothing harp music played. The room was dominated by a large, white statue of Jesus Christ: "The Christus", as the Mormon sister referred to it repeatedly. I assumed the "Christus" must be some Mormon thing, but it turns out that the original "Christus" (in full "Christus Consolator") was sculpted in Rome for the Church of Our Lady in Copenhagen. For whatever reason, the LDS Church has made something of an icon of this particular work, which they have copied and recopied, displaying their "Christuses" in their various centers around the country.

We all sat on settees arranged around the Christus as sister welcomed us and bade us listen to a few recorded words of Jesus, which she played on the sound system as we all sat and stared at the Christus statue. Then she asked what touched us about Jesus' pre-recorded messages. Nobody was touched, apparently, so she told us what touched her. I can't recall what she said, only that after she said it, somebody asked the following question: "are we allowed to leave?"

They left. The rest of us proceeded onward to watch a short movie about the experience of Joseph Smith in the Sacred Grove. After the movie, we were ushered into the "Resource Room", part library, part exhibit. Nobody lingered. Everyone darted right out the door. Poor sister.

The pageant itself began after dark: it's all about lighting effects. It was brilliant, saccharin, captivating, and laughable all at once. It told the whole story of the ancient Americans (lots of wars), showed Jesus descending from heaven and landing in America, and culminated with the angel showing Joseph Smith where the tablets of Mormon were buried on the hill.

During the entire performance, several angry men with bull horns professing to be "Christians" were shouting at all those of us in attendance. They wanted all of us to get the message that the Mormons were evil, not true Christians, polygamists, &c. The litany of hate went on and on. The only message I got from that is that fundamentalist Christians who do that sort of thing are a bunch of rude, ill-mannered assholes who need to get a life, I'm afraid.

The Mormons, on the other hand, could not have been friendlier, more pleasant, or more welcoming. There was no hard-sell proselytizing going on, no annoying witnessing, nobody shoving the Book of Mormon in your face. Just alot of young missionaries (most in costume for the pageant) wanting to be of any assistance they might be to you, and offering to answer any questions one might have. And if you told them you were fine, thank you, they simply thanked you for coming and said "enjoy the pageant". Their teachings might be a bunch of nonsense, but at least they have good manners and know how to make a visitor feel welcome, which is more than I can say for the "true" Christians shouting at and shoving tracts and pamphlets at everyone.

So that was my experience with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I doubt that I would ever be interested in repeating the experience, but now I can cross the Mormons off my list of other religions to encounter.

.

Image of the LDS Temple at Palmyra, New York:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/sYx...RRxMfQ8uZQ

.]]> <![CDATA[When I was a kid]]> http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5920 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:00:01 -0600 Duke of Gottingen http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5920
And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way in hell I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on my kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it! But now that I'm over the ripe old age of thirty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today. You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a damn Utopia!
And I hate to say it, but you kids today, you don't know how good you've got it!

I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have the Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the damn library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalog!!

There was no email!! We had to actually write somebody a letter - with a pen! Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox, and it would take like a week to get there! Stamps were 10 cents!

Child Protective Services didn't care if our parents beat us. As a matter of fact, the parents of all my friends also had permission to kick our ass! Nowhere was safe!

There were no MP3's or Napsters or iTunes! If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself!

Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio, and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and @#*% it all up! There were no CD players! We had tape decks in our car.. We'd play our favorite tape and "eject" it when finished, and then the tape would come undone rendering it useless. Cause, hey, that's how we rolled, Baby! Dig?

We didn't have fancy crap like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called, they got a busy signal, that's it!

There weren't any freakin' cell phones either. If you left the house, you just didn't make a damn call or receive one. You actually had to be out of touch with your "friends". OH MY GOD !!! Think of the horror... not being in touch with someone 24/7!!! And then there's TEXTING. Yeah, right. Please! You kids have no idea how annoying you are.

And we didn't have fancy Caller ID either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your parents, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, the collection agent... you just didn't know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!

We didn't have any fancy PlayStation or Xbox video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'Asteroids'. Your screen guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination!!! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen... Forever! And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!

You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! You were screwed when it came to channel surfing! You had to get off your ass and walk over to the TV to change the channel!!! NO REMOTES!!! Oh, no, what's the world coming to?!?!

There was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning. Do you hear what I'm saying? We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little rat-finks!

And we didn't have microwaves. If we wanted to heat something up, we had to use the stove! Imagine that!
And our parents told us to stay outside and play... all day long. Oh, no, no electronics to soothe and comfort. And if you came back inside... you were doing chores!
And car seats - oh, please! Mom t hr ew you in the back seat and you hung on. If you were luckily, you got the "safety arm" across the chest at the last moment if she had to stop suddenly, and if your head hit the dashboard, well that was your fault for calling "shot gun" in the first place!
See! That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled rotten! You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1980 or any time before!]]>
And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way in hell I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on my kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it! But now that I'm over the ripe old age of thirty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today. You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a damn Utopia!
And I hate to say it, but you kids today, you don't know how good you've got it!

I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have the Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the damn library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalog!!

There was no email!! We had to actually write somebody a letter - with a pen! Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox, and it would take like a week to get there! Stamps were 10 cents!

Child Protective Services didn't care if our parents beat us. As a matter of fact, the parents of all my friends also had permission to kick our ass! Nowhere was safe!

There were no MP3's or Napsters or iTunes! If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself!

Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio, and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and @#*% it all up! There were no CD players! We had tape decks in our car.. We'd play our favorite tape and "eject" it when finished, and then the tape would come undone rendering it useless. Cause, hey, that's how we rolled, Baby! Dig?

We didn't have fancy crap like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called, they got a busy signal, that's it!

There weren't any freakin' cell phones either. If you left the house, you just didn't make a damn call or receive one. You actually had to be out of touch with your "friends". OH MY GOD !!! Think of the horror... not being in touch with someone 24/7!!! And then there's TEXTING. Yeah, right. Please! You kids have no idea how annoying you are.

And we didn't have fancy Caller ID either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your parents, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, the collection agent... you just didn't know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!

We didn't have any fancy PlayStation or Xbox video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'Asteroids'. Your screen guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination!!! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen... Forever! And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!

You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! You were screwed when it came to channel surfing! You had to get off your ass and walk over to the TV to change the channel!!! NO REMOTES!!! Oh, no, what's the world coming to?!?!

There was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning. Do you hear what I'm saying? We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little rat-finks!

And we didn't have microwaves. If we wanted to heat something up, we had to use the stove! Imagine that!
And our parents told us to stay outside and play... all day long. Oh, no, no electronics to soothe and comfort. And if you came back inside... you were doing chores!
And car seats - oh, please! Mom t hr ew you in the back seat and you hung on. If you were luckily, you got the "safety arm" across the chest at the last moment if she had to stop suddenly, and if your head hit the dashboard, well that was your fault for calling "shot gun" in the first place!
See! That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled rotten! You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1980 or any time before!]]> <![CDATA[Great-Grandma'am]]> http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5919 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 10:42:32 -0600 The Marquess of Mountcastle http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5919

QUEEN ELIZABETH TO BECOME GREAT-GRANDMOTHER


LONDON – Buckingham Palace says Peter Phillips and his wife, Autumn, are expecting their first child in December, a baby who will be Queen Elizabeth II's first great-grandchild.

A statement issued Friday by the palace said "the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, as well as Autumn's family, have been informed and are delighted with the news."

Peter Phillips, the son of Princess Anne, is the queen's oldest grandchild. He is 11th in line to the throne, and married Montreal-born Autumn in May 2008 at Windsor Castle.

Phillips, 32, is among the most low-profile members of the royal family, and he and his younger sister, Zara, are the only ones among the queen's eight grandchildren not to hold royal titles. Princess Anne turned down her mother's offer of the honors for her children.]]>

QUEEN ELIZABETH TO BECOME GREAT-GRANDMOTHER


LONDON – Buckingham Palace says Peter Phillips and his wife, Autumn, are expecting their first child in December, a baby who will be Queen Elizabeth II's first great-grandchild.

A statement issued Friday by the palace said "the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, as well as Autumn's family, have been informed and are delighted with the news."

Peter Phillips, the son of Princess Anne, is the queen's oldest grandchild. He is 11th in line to the throne, and married Montreal-born Autumn in May 2008 at Windsor Castle.

Phillips, 32, is among the most low-profile members of the royal family, and he and his younger sister, Zara, are the only ones among the queen's eight grandchildren not to hold royal titles. Princess Anne turned down her mother's offer of the honors for her children.]]> <![CDATA[Kings Gone Wild]]> http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5918 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 22:43:32 -0600 The Marquess of Mountcastle http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5918 History's favourite monarchs as entertainers...


King George IV sings "Couldn't Stand My Wife":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHmn5pqQu...re=related

MTV's "Cribs" with King Louis XVI:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_Y_-1mAKLk

Queen Victoria sings "British Things":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUO28XfORgM

The Four King Georges Boy Band sing "Born to Rule":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPtYmq5qFVA

King Charles II raps "King of Bling":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=War-7M9Nv3A

"Queen" Camilla Drinks Herself Silly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxpjlAxJY...re=related

Prince Charles, King of Late Night, hosts "The Rather Late Programme"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjwUdWJ-H48&feature=fvw

Queen Elizabeth I and King Henry VIII sing "The Tudors Song":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCmogoGpn...re=related

Napoleon dances and attempts to mount his throne:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irgMjZG__...1&index=14

The Sun King sings for his crown:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU5mOgxy8...re=related]]> History's favourite monarchs as entertainers...


King George IV sings "Couldn't Stand My Wife":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHmn5pqQu...re=related

MTV's "Cribs" with King Louis XVI:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_Y_-1mAKLk

Queen Victoria sings "British Things":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUO28XfORgM

The Four King Georges Boy Band sing "Born to Rule":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPtYmq5qFVA

King Charles II raps "King of Bling":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=War-7M9Nv3A

"Queen" Camilla Drinks Herself Silly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxpjlAxJY...re=related

Prince Charles, King of Late Night, hosts "The Rather Late Programme"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjwUdWJ-H48&feature=fvw

Queen Elizabeth I and King Henry VIII sing "The Tudors Song":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCmogoGpn...re=related

Napoleon dances and attempts to mount his throne:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irgMjZG__...1&index=14

The Sun King sings for his crown:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU5mOgxy8...re=related]]> <![CDATA[The Ponies Are Coming!]]> http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5917 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 21:22:57 -0600 The Marquess of Mountcastle http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5917
The Most Terrifying Movie of the Summer


MY LITTLE PONY


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXoYK4b_q24&feature=fvw

.]]>
The Most Terrifying Movie of the Summer


MY LITTLE PONY


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXoYK4b_q24&feature=fvw

.]]> <![CDATA[Conspiracy.]]> http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5916 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:25:17 -0600 The Marquess of Mountcastle http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5916 Psychology Today


Field Guide to the Conspiracy Theorist: Dark Minds

When does incredulity become paranoia? Radio personality and filmmaker Alex Jones believes an evil cabal of bankers rules the world.

By John Gartner, published on September 01, 2009 - last reviewed on October 04, 2009


Alex Jones is trying to warn us about an evil syndicate of bankers who control most of the world's governments and stand poised to unite the planet under their totalitarian reign, a "New World Order." While we might be tempted to dismiss Jones as a nut, the "king of conspiracy" is a popular radio show host. The part-time filmmaker's latest movie, The Obama Deception, in which he argues that Obama is a puppet of the criminal bankers, has been viewed millions of times on YouTube.

When we spoke, Jones ranted for two hours about FEMA concentration camps, Halliburton child kidnappers, government eugenics programs—and more. When I stopped him to ask for evidence the government is practicing eugenics, he pointed to a national security memorandum. But I found the document to be a bland policy report.

Jones "cherry picks not just facts but phrases, which, once interpreted his way, become facts in his mind," says Louis Black, editor of the Austin Chronicle, who knows Jones, a fellow Austin resident. When I confronted Jones with my reading of the report, he became pugnacious, launching into a diatribe against psychologists as agents of social control.

Conspiracy thinking is embraced by a surprisingly large proportion of the population. Sixty-nine percent of Americans believe President John F. Kennedy was killed by a conspiracy, and 42 percent believe the government is covering up evidence of flying saucers, finds Ted Goertzel, a professor of psychology at Rutgers University at Camden. Thirty-six percent of respondents to a 2006 Scripps News/Ohio University poll at least suspected that the U.S. government played a role in 9/11.

We're all conspiracy theorists to some degree. We're all hardwired to find patterns in our environment, particularly those that might represent a threat to us. And when things go wrong, we find ourselves searching for what, or who, is behind it.

In his 1954 classic, The Paranoid Style in American Politics, historian Richard Hofstadter hypothesized that conspiracy thinking is fueled by underlying feelings of alienation and helplessness. Research supports his theory. New Mexico State University psychologist Marina Abalakina-Paap has found that people who endorse conspiracy theories are especially likely to feel angry, mistrustful, alienated from society, and helpless over larger forces controlling their lives.

Jones insists he had a "Leave It to Beaver childhood." I couldn't confirm such an idyllic past. When I asked if I could interview his family or childhood friends, he insisted his family was very "private" and he had not kept in touch with a single friend. When I asked if I might look them up, he became irritated. He doubted he could "still spell their names," and besides, I'd already taken up enough of his time. "I turned down 50 or 60 requests for interviews this week," he wanted me to know.

The number sounded wildly inflated. Conspiracy theorists have a grandiose view of themselves as heroes "manning the barricades of civilization" at an urgent "turning point" in history, Hofstadter held. Jones has a "messiah complex," Black contends. Grandiosity is often a defense against underlying feelings of powerlessness.

Even well-grounded skeptics are prone to connect disparate dots when they feel disempowered. In a series of studies, Jennifer Whitson of the University of Texas and Adam Galinsky of Northwestern demonstrated that people primed to feel out of control are particularly likely to see patterns in random stimuli.

Might people be especially responsive to Jones' message in today's America, marked by economic uncertainty and concerns about terrorism and government scandals? "There is a war on for your mind," Jones insists on his Web site, infowars.com. He calls his listeners "infowarriors."

Information is the conspiracy theorists' weapon of choice because if there's one thing they all agree on, it's that all the rest of us have been brainwashed. The "facts" will plainly reveal the existence of the conspiracy, they believe. And while all of us tend to bend information to fit our pre-existing cognitive schema, conspiracy theorists are more extreme. They are "immune to evidence," discounting contradictory information or seeing it as "proof of how clever the enemy is at covering things up," Goertzel says.

Conspiracy theories exist on a spectrum from mild suspicion to full-on paranoia, and brain chemistry may play a role. Dopamine rewards us for noting patterns and finding meaning in sometimes-insignificant events. It's long been known that schizophrenics overproduce dopamine. "The earliest stages of delusion are characterized by an overabundance of meaningful coincidences," explain Paul D. Morrison and R.M. Murray of the Institute of Psychiatry at Kings College London. "Jumping to conclusions" is a common reasoning style among the paranoid, find Daniel Freeman and his colleagues, also at the Institute of Psychiatry.

Indeed, there are no coincidences in Jones' world. In a scene from The Obama Deception, Jones dives "into the belly of the beast," the hotel where purported conspirators will be meeting. As he begins a telephone interview, the fire alarm goes off. "The bastards have set us up," he says.

Jones says that he has been visited by the FBI and the Secret Service but can't discuss the interviews. It may be that federal agents, in fact, wanted to evaluate whether he is a threat to the president. There's no reason to believe he is—but the same can't be said of his listeners. In 2002, Richard McCaslin, carrying an arsenal of weapons, entered the Bohemian Grove, a campground in California that annually hosts a meeting of the political and business elite. He told authorities he had been planning his commando raid for a year, after (he says) hearing Jones claim that ritual infant sacrifice was taking place there.

The "war"continues. In a video promoting The Obama Deception, Jones urges, "We know who they are. We know what they are. We know what has to be done."

John Gartner is an author and PT blogger. Read his blog now: The Roving Psychologist.

Connect the Dots
How susceptible are you to conspiracy beliefs? Rate your agreement with the statements below, from 1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree.

1. For the most part, government serves the interests of a few organized groups, such as business, and isn't very concerned about the needs of people like myself.
2. I have trouble doing what I want to do in the world today.
3. It is difficult for people like myself to have much influence in public affairs.
4. We seem to live in a pretty irrational and disordered world.
5. I don't trust that my closest friends would not lie to me.

Answer key: 5-11: weakly, 12-18: moderately, 19-25: strongly (Adapted from a scale developed by Patrick Leman)

.]]> Psychology Today


Field Guide to the Conspiracy Theorist: Dark Minds

When does incredulity become paranoia? Radio personality and filmmaker Alex Jones believes an evil cabal of bankers rules the world.

By John Gartner, published on September 01, 2009 - last reviewed on October 04, 2009


Alex Jones is trying to warn us about an evil syndicate of bankers who control most of the world's governments and stand poised to unite the planet under their totalitarian reign, a "New World Order." While we might be tempted to dismiss Jones as a nut, the "king of conspiracy" is a popular radio show host. The part-time filmmaker's latest movie, The Obama Deception, in which he argues that Obama is a puppet of the criminal bankers, has been viewed millions of times on YouTube.

When we spoke, Jones ranted for two hours about FEMA concentration camps, Halliburton child kidnappers, government eugenics programs—and more. When I stopped him to ask for evidence the government is practicing eugenics, he pointed to a national security memorandum. But I found the document to be a bland policy report.

Jones "cherry picks not just facts but phrases, which, once interpreted his way, become facts in his mind," says Louis Black, editor of the Austin Chronicle, who knows Jones, a fellow Austin resident. When I confronted Jones with my reading of the report, he became pugnacious, launching into a diatribe against psychologists as agents of social control.

Conspiracy thinking is embraced by a surprisingly large proportion of the population. Sixty-nine percent of Americans believe President John F. Kennedy was killed by a conspiracy, and 42 percent believe the government is covering up evidence of flying saucers, finds Ted Goertzel, a professor of psychology at Rutgers University at Camden. Thirty-six percent of respondents to a 2006 Scripps News/Ohio University poll at least suspected that the U.S. government played a role in 9/11.

We're all conspiracy theorists to some degree. We're all hardwired to find patterns in our environment, particularly those that might represent a threat to us. And when things go wrong, we find ourselves searching for what, or who, is behind it.

In his 1954 classic, The Paranoid Style in American Politics, historian Richard Hofstadter hypothesized that conspiracy thinking is fueled by underlying feelings of alienation and helplessness. Research supports his theory. New Mexico State University psychologist Marina Abalakina-Paap has found that people who endorse conspiracy theories are especially likely to feel angry, mistrustful, alienated from society, and helpless over larger forces controlling their lives.

Jones insists he had a "Leave It to Beaver childhood." I couldn't confirm such an idyllic past. When I asked if I could interview his family or childhood friends, he insisted his family was very "private" and he had not kept in touch with a single friend. When I asked if I might look them up, he became irritated. He doubted he could "still spell their names," and besides, I'd already taken up enough of his time. "I turned down 50 or 60 requests for interviews this week," he wanted me to know.

The number sounded wildly inflated. Conspiracy theorists have a grandiose view of themselves as heroes "manning the barricades of civilization" at an urgent "turning point" in history, Hofstadter held. Jones has a "messiah complex," Black contends. Grandiosity is often a defense against underlying feelings of powerlessness.

Even well-grounded skeptics are prone to connect disparate dots when they feel disempowered. In a series of studies, Jennifer Whitson of the University of Texas and Adam Galinsky of Northwestern demonstrated that people primed to feel out of control are particularly likely to see patterns in random stimuli.

Might people be especially responsive to Jones' message in today's America, marked by economic uncertainty and concerns about terrorism and government scandals? "There is a war on for your mind," Jones insists on his Web site, infowars.com. He calls his listeners "infowarriors."

Information is the conspiracy theorists' weapon of choice because if there's one thing they all agree on, it's that all the rest of us have been brainwashed. The "facts" will plainly reveal the existence of the conspiracy, they believe. And while all of us tend to bend information to fit our pre-existing cognitive schema, conspiracy theorists are more extreme. They are "immune to evidence," discounting contradictory information or seeing it as "proof of how clever the enemy is at covering things up," Goertzel says.

Conspiracy theories exist on a spectrum from mild suspicion to full-on paranoia, and brain chemistry may play a role. Dopamine rewards us for noting patterns and finding meaning in sometimes-insignificant events. It's long been known that schizophrenics overproduce dopamine. "The earliest stages of delusion are characterized by an overabundance of meaningful coincidences," explain Paul D. Morrison and R.M. Murray of the Institute of Psychiatry at Kings College London. "Jumping to conclusions" is a common reasoning style among the paranoid, find Daniel Freeman and his colleagues, also at the Institute of Psychiatry.

Indeed, there are no coincidences in Jones' world. In a scene from The Obama Deception, Jones dives "into the belly of the beast," the hotel where purported conspirators will be meeting. As he begins a telephone interview, the fire alarm goes off. "The bastards have set us up," he says.

Jones says that he has been visited by the FBI and the Secret Service but can't discuss the interviews. It may be that federal agents, in fact, wanted to evaluate whether he is a threat to the president. There's no reason to believe he is—but the same can't be said of his listeners. In 2002, Richard McCaslin, carrying an arsenal of weapons, entered the Bohemian Grove, a campground in California that annually hosts a meeting of the political and business elite. He told authorities he had been planning his commando raid for a year, after (he says) hearing Jones claim that ritual infant sacrifice was taking place there.

The "war"continues. In a video promoting The Obama Deception, Jones urges, "We know who they are. We know what they are. We know what has to be done."

John Gartner is an author and PT blogger. Read his blog now: The Roving Psychologist.

Connect the Dots
How susceptible are you to conspiracy beliefs? Rate your agreement with the statements below, from 1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree.

1. For the most part, government serves the interests of a few organized groups, such as business, and isn't very concerned about the needs of people like myself.
2. I have trouble doing what I want to do in the world today.
3. It is difficult for people like myself to have much influence in public affairs.
4. We seem to live in a pretty irrational and disordered world.
5. I don't trust that my closest friends would not lie to me.

Answer key: 5-11: weakly, 12-18: moderately, 19-25: strongly (Adapted from a scale developed by Patrick Leman)

.]]> <![CDATA[Americans Love the Queen]]> http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5914 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 09:45:36 -0600 The Marquess of Mountcastle http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5914 Christian Science Monitor article by Cheryl Sullivan, on the topic of Her Majesty the Queen's visit to New York, today:


Though Americans just celebrated their Declaration of Independence 234 years ago from the British monarchy, they seem to hold a soft spot in their hearts for this particular royal. Since 1948, Queen Elizabeth II has appeared on Gallup’s annual Top 10 list of most admired women more often than any other – 42 times.

In the most recent poll, in December 2009, the queen was the American public’s sixth most-admired woman, behind Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, talk-show diva Oprah Winfrey, first lady Michelle Obama, and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

“At a time when monarchies are not in fashion she has preserved Britain's own particular brand for future generations by adroitly adapting and modernising the institution to the times,” observes Britannia.com.

Americans, it would seem, agree.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/312453

.

Very interesting. I believe we Americans regard Her Majesty so highly because she has, all her life, embodied a moral uprightness and a devotion to duty so rarely seen today. Everything the world admires about England, in fact, is personified by the Queen; and her performance of the role that fate has summoned her to has been entirely flawless. She represents a finer sort of person from a grander era.

The fact that the Queen's name consistently appears on the list of the top ten women whom Americans most admire says alot about what Americans value. The fact that her name appears below that of Sarah Palin, however, also speaks volumes, unfortunately.

At any rate, welcome to New York, Ma'am. We love you and we hope you and the Duke of Edinburgh enjoy your visit!]]> Christian Science Monitor article by Cheryl Sullivan, on the topic of Her Majesty the Queen's visit to New York, today:


Though Americans just celebrated their Declaration of Independence 234 years ago from the British monarchy, they seem to hold a soft spot in their hearts for this particular royal. Since 1948, Queen Elizabeth II has appeared on Gallup’s annual Top 10 list of most admired women more often than any other – 42 times.

In the most recent poll, in December 2009, the queen was the American public’s sixth most-admired woman, behind Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, talk-show diva Oprah Winfrey, first lady Michelle Obama, and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

“At a time when monarchies are not in fashion she has preserved Britain's own particular brand for future generations by adroitly adapting and modernising the institution to the times,” observes Britannia.com.

Americans, it would seem, agree.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/312453

.

Very interesting. I believe we Americans regard Her Majesty so highly because she has, all her life, embodied a moral uprightness and a devotion to duty so rarely seen today. Everything the world admires about England, in fact, is personified by the Queen; and her performance of the role that fate has summoned her to has been entirely flawless. She represents a finer sort of person from a grander era.

The fact that the Queen's name consistently appears on the list of the top ten women whom Americans most admire says alot about what Americans value. The fact that her name appears below that of Sarah Palin, however, also speaks volumes, unfortunately.

At any rate, welcome to New York, Ma'am. We love you and we hope you and the Duke of Edinburgh enjoy your visit!]]> <![CDATA[Dinner in Lewiston]]> http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5913 Fri, 02 Jul 2010 11:58:19 -0600 The Marquess of Mountcastle http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5913
As it happens, despite a visiting sister and brother-in-law, I am free. Mr. Garrett and HRH Princess Shannon Alexandra, Mrs. Garrett, have made plans to attend the ball game tonight with our parents. I respectfully declined the invitation to join them. Sitting in a ballpark just isn't my cup of tea, I'm afraid.

And so I suggested to my friend that we drive up the river to the quaint Village of Lewiston: there are any number of charming outdoor cafes along Center Street (the main drag), and a couple of places overlooking the Niagara Gorge.

Lewiston has been called "enchanted" by many. Every other house and public building seems to have a ghost story. In fact each October there are very well-attended "ghost tours" of Lewiston led by experts in the fields of "paranormal" research.

According to the "ghosties", Lewiston is a hotbed of other-worldy activity because it has paranormally supercharged properties to it. It is located next to one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World (Niagara Falls), it sits upon an ancient escarpment, it has a rich Native American history, and it was a focal point of the War of 1812: Fort Niagara is about five minutes north, in neighboring Youngstown. For all these reasons and others, ghost hunters think the place is some sort of portal to another world.

In the Summer, however, Lewiston is mostly haunted with Western New Yorkers and Southern Ontarians descending upon the village for concerts, festivals, shows...and for dinner, of course. There are no bad choices, there. There used to be a McDonald's on Center Street. It was located on the first floor of an old manse called the Frontier House: a building reported to be one of the most haunted buildings in all of Lewiston. For that reason, it was always referred to as "The Haunted McDonald's" by visitors.

Residents of Lewiston, on the other hand, had another word for McDonald's: "goodbye". Lewistonians, proud of their community's antiquarian charm, never warmed to the idea of having a fast food chain in their midst. So they took a vote one day, and sent Roy Croc, Inc. packing for good. Now the Frontier House is called "The Haunted McDonald's That Used to Be There" by vistors. Despite having been the Frontier House for something like 180 years, I think it will forever be known as "The Haunted McDonald's".

Haunted, open, closed, or otherwise, however, in a place like Lewiston, there is absolutely no need for a McDonald's when so many other lovely choices abound. And if it's fast food you crave, there's the Silo: a much better alternative to McDonald's, in any case.

As the name implies, it was once a silo (although it looks more like a lighthouse; don't picture a typical farm silo). It is located on the Gorge and seating is on a wonderful "patio" that stretches around the upper level of the tower, providing magnificent views.

I think Paul and I may opt for Carmello's, however. It's an Italian place on Center that's to die for.

Enough about my dinner plans, though. What about you? Where do other Hanoverians (or visitors) go to dine in their own communities in the Summer?]]>
As it happens, despite a visiting sister and brother-in-law, I am free. Mr. Garrett and HRH Princess Shannon Alexandra, Mrs. Garrett, have made plans to attend the ball game tonight with our parents. I respectfully declined the invitation to join them. Sitting in a ballpark just isn't my cup of tea, I'm afraid.

And so I suggested to my friend that we drive up the river to the quaint Village of Lewiston: there are any number of charming outdoor cafes along Center Street (the main drag), and a couple of places overlooking the Niagara Gorge.

Lewiston has been called "enchanted" by many. Every other house and public building seems to have a ghost story. In fact each October there are very well-attended "ghost tours" of Lewiston led by experts in the fields of "paranormal" research.

According to the "ghosties", Lewiston is a hotbed of other-worldy activity because it has paranormally supercharged properties to it. It is located next to one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World (Niagara Falls), it sits upon an ancient escarpment, it has a rich Native American history, and it was a focal point of the War of 1812: Fort Niagara is about five minutes north, in neighboring Youngstown. For all these reasons and others, ghost hunters think the place is some sort of portal to another world.

In the Summer, however, Lewiston is mostly haunted with Western New Yorkers and Southern Ontarians descending upon the village for concerts, festivals, shows...and for dinner, of course. There are no bad choices, there. There used to be a McDonald's on Center Street. It was located on the first floor of an old manse called the Frontier House: a building reported to be one of the most haunted buildings in all of Lewiston. For that reason, it was always referred to as "The Haunted McDonald's" by visitors.

Residents of Lewiston, on the other hand, had another word for McDonald's: "goodbye". Lewistonians, proud of their community's antiquarian charm, never warmed to the idea of having a fast food chain in their midst. So they took a vote one day, and sent Roy Croc, Inc. packing for good. Now the Frontier House is called "The Haunted McDonald's That Used to Be There" by vistors. Despite having been the Frontier House for something like 180 years, I think it will forever be known as "The Haunted McDonald's".

Haunted, open, closed, or otherwise, however, in a place like Lewiston, there is absolutely no need for a McDonald's when so many other lovely choices abound. And if it's fast food you crave, there's the Silo: a much better alternative to McDonald's, in any case.

As the name implies, it was once a silo (although it looks more like a lighthouse; don't picture a typical farm silo). It is located on the Gorge and seating is on a wonderful "patio" that stretches around the upper level of the tower, providing magnificent views.

I think Paul and I may opt for Carmello's, however. It's an Italian place on Center that's to die for.

Enough about my dinner plans, though. What about you? Where do other Hanoverians (or visitors) go to dine in their own communities in the Summer?]]> <![CDATA[Soccer or Football?]]> http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5912 Fri, 02 Jul 2010 07:22:16 -0600 The Marquess of Mountcastle http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5912 It's Football to you, soccer to me

Martin Rogers, Yahoo Sports

JOHANNESBURG – No matter how much the United States continues to emerge as a competitive World Cup nation, there is little doubt that the international perception of American soccer will always be doused with suspicion.

Why? Because Americans don’t even call the sport by its proper name, of course. They don’t call it “football.” They call it “soccer.”

In the USA, football is that game that dominates winter Sundays and features Lycra, helmets and men so large they should come with their own zip code.

Elsewhere, football is football. The round-ball sport, the beautiful game, with its biggest prize to be handed out here on July 11.

Soccer? Pah, a silly American term created by a nation that has its own national obsession.

No country has been snootier toward the USA’s use of the term “soccer” than England. Before the Group C opener between the two sides in Rustenburg, the Sun newspaper even ran a spoof front page urging Fabio Capello’s side to win the “soccerball world series.”

But let’s take a halftime break here.

Coupled with their team’s humiliating exit from the World Cup it might be another rude awakening to the Brits that soccer isn’t an American term, it is actually an English one. And it isn’t some modern fad that shows disrespect to the world’s most popular sport, it dates back to the earliest days of the game’s professional history.

Indeed, until the last few decades, even Englishmen would routinely refer to their favorite pastime as soccer, just as often as they would say football.

Clive Toye, an Englishman who moved to the U.S. and became known as the father of modern American soccer, bringing Brazilian legend Pele to play for the New York Cosmos, takes up the story.

“Soccer is a synonym for football,” said Toye, who helped launch the North American Soccer League in the late 1960s. “And it has been used as such for more years than I can count. When I was a kid in England and grabbed a ball to go out and play … I would just as easily have said: ‘Let’s have a game of soccer’ as I would use the word ‘football’ instead. And I didn’t start it.”

To trace the origin of “soccer” we must go all the way back to 1863, and a meeting of gentlemen at a London pub, who congregated with the purpose of standardizing the rules of “football,” which was in its infant years as an organized sport but was growing rapidly in popularity.

Those assembled became the founding members of the Football Association (which still oversees the game in England to this day). And they decided to call their code Association Football, to differentiate it from Rugby Football.

A quirk of British culture is the permanent need to familiarize names by shortening them. “My friend Brian Johnston was Johnners,” said Toye. “They took the third, fourth and fifth letters of Association and called it SOCcer. So there you are.”

So forget that English condescension and carry on calling it soccer, safe in the knowledge that you’re more in tune with the roots of the sport than those mocking Brits.

http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/world-c...70110.html]]> It's Football to you, soccer to me

Martin Rogers, Yahoo Sports

JOHANNESBURG – No matter how much the United States continues to emerge as a competitive World Cup nation, there is little doubt that the international perception of American soccer will always be doused with suspicion.

Why? Because Americans don’t even call the sport by its proper name, of course. They don’t call it “football.” They call it “soccer.”

In the USA, football is that game that dominates winter Sundays and features Lycra, helmets and men so large they should come with their own zip code.

Elsewhere, football is football. The round-ball sport, the beautiful game, with its biggest prize to be handed out here on July 11.

Soccer? Pah, a silly American term created by a nation that has its own national obsession.

No country has been snootier toward the USA’s use of the term “soccer” than England. Before the Group C opener between the two sides in Rustenburg, the Sun newspaper even ran a spoof front page urging Fabio Capello’s side to win the “soccerball world series.”

But let’s take a halftime break here.

Coupled with their team’s humiliating exit from the World Cup it might be another rude awakening to the Brits that soccer isn’t an American term, it is actually an English one. And it isn’t some modern fad that shows disrespect to the world’s most popular sport, it dates back to the earliest days of the game’s professional history.

Indeed, until the last few decades, even Englishmen would routinely refer to their favorite pastime as soccer, just as often as they would say football.

Clive Toye, an Englishman who moved to the U.S. and became known as the father of modern American soccer, bringing Brazilian legend Pele to play for the New York Cosmos, takes up the story.

“Soccer is a synonym for football,” said Toye, who helped launch the North American Soccer League in the late 1960s. “And it has been used as such for more years than I can count. When I was a kid in England and grabbed a ball to go out and play … I would just as easily have said: ‘Let’s have a game of soccer’ as I would use the word ‘football’ instead. And I didn’t start it.”

To trace the origin of “soccer” we must go all the way back to 1863, and a meeting of gentlemen at a London pub, who congregated with the purpose of standardizing the rules of “football,” which was in its infant years as an organized sport but was growing rapidly in popularity.

Those assembled became the founding members of the Football Association (which still oversees the game in England to this day). And they decided to call their code Association Football, to differentiate it from Rugby Football.

A quirk of British culture is the permanent need to familiarize names by shortening them. “My friend Brian Johnston was Johnners,” said Toye. “They took the third, fourth and fifth letters of Association and called it SOCcer. So there you are.”

So forget that English condescension and carry on calling it soccer, safe in the knowledge that you’re more in tune with the roots of the sport than those mocking Brits.

http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/world-c...70110.html]]> <![CDATA[A pleasant occupation for...]]> http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5910 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:41:12 -0600 The Marquess of Mountcastle http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5910

Seems I've been here once before.


Look out all you wards, therefore...



The Law is the true embodiment
Of everything that's excellent.
It has no kind of fault or flaw,
And I, my Lords, embody the Law.
The constitutional guardian I
Of pretty young Wards in Chancery,
All very agreeable boys — and none
Are over the age of tw...thirty-one.

A pleasant occupation for
A rather susceptible Chancellor!

Chorus.

A pleasant occupation for
A rather susceptible Chancellor!


But though the compliment implied
Inflates me with legitimate pride,
It nevertheless can't be denied
That it has its inconvenient side.
For I'm not so old, and not so plain,
And I'm quite prepared to marry again,
But there'd be the deuce to pay in the Lords
If I fell in love with one of my Wards!

Which rather tries my temper, for
I'm such a susceptible Chancellor!

Chorus.

Which rather tries his temper, for
He's such a susceptible Chancellor!


And every one who'd marry a Ward
Must come to me for my accord,
And in my court I sit all day,
Giving agreeable guys away,
With one for him — and one for he —
And one for you — and one for ye —
And one for thou — and one for thee —
But never, oh, never a one for me!

Which is exasperating for
A highly susceptible Chancellor!

Chorus.

Which is exasperating for
A highly susceptible Chancellor!


The Law is the True Embodiment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdY3Qp2F5BY

From Gilbert & Sullivan's Iolanthe.

.]]>

Seems I've been here once before.


Look out all you wards, therefore...



The Law is the true embodiment
Of everything that's excellent.
It has no kind of fault or flaw,
And I, my Lords, embody the Law.
The constitutional guardian I
Of pretty young Wards in Chancery,
All very agreeable boys — and none
Are over the age of tw...thirty-one.

A pleasant occupation for
A rather susceptible Chancellor!

Chorus.

A pleasant occupation for
A rather susceptible Chancellor!


But though the compliment implied
Inflates me with legitimate pride,
It nevertheless can't be denied
That it has its inconvenient side.
For I'm not so old, and not so plain,
And I'm quite prepared to marry again,
But there'd be the deuce to pay in the Lords
If I fell in love with one of my Wards!

Which rather tries my temper, for
I'm such a susceptible Chancellor!

Chorus.

Which rather tries his temper, for
He's such a susceptible Chancellor!


And every one who'd marry a Ward
Must come to me for my accord,
And in my court I sit all day,
Giving agreeable guys away,
With one for him — and one for he —
And one for you — and one for ye —
And one for thou — and one for thee —
But never, oh, never a one for me!

Which is exasperating for
A highly susceptible Chancellor!

Chorus.

Which is exasperating for
A highly susceptible Chancellor!


The Law is the True Embodiment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdY3Qp2F5BY

From Gilbert & Sullivan's Iolanthe.

.]]> <![CDATA[Gazette Entry: 1 July 2010]]> http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5909 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:07:02 -0600 The Marquess of Mountcastle http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5909
THE OXBRIDGE GAZETTE

Registered as a Newspaper

Published by Authority

Established 2002







__________________________________________________________



Wakelaw, 1 July, 2010


The KING has been graciously pleased at St. George's the 1st instant to appoint the Most Honourable James Richard Edward George, JC, PC, Marquess of Mountcastle, &c, Lord High Chancellor of Hanover and Sconeland, to the office of King's Remembrancer.


.]]>
THE OXBRIDGE GAZETTE

Registered as a Newspaper

Published by Authority

Established 2002







__________________________________________________________



Wakelaw, 1 July, 2010


The KING has been graciously pleased at St. George's the 1st instant to appoint the Most Honourable James Richard Edward George, JC, PC, Marquess of Mountcastle, &c, Lord High Chancellor of Hanover and Sconeland, to the office of King's Remembrancer.


.]]> <![CDATA[Canada Day 2010]]> http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5906 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 11:50:37 -0600 The Marquess of Mountcastle http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5906 Happy Canada Day to all our Canadian visitors!

From CBC.ca

Queen Elizabeth II has arrived on Parliament Hill to celebrate her first Canada Day in Ottawa since 1997.

Dressed in red with a white wide-brimmed hat, the Queen was greeted Thursday by a 21-gun salute and the strains of "God Save the Queen" as she stood alongside Prime Minister Stephen Harper, his wife, Laureen, and their children, Ben and Rachel.

It was expected the Queen's presence at Canada's 143rd birthday celebrations would draw a record crowd, and early estimates said at least 70,000 people had gathered in the nation's capital.

Some arrived as early as 5 a.m. ET to get a front-row seat to see, and perhaps meet, the Queen during her walkabout scheduled for later in the day.

The 84-year-old British monarch spent the night at her official residence in Canada, Rideau Hall, then sat for an official portrait in the morning.

With her personal Canadian flag flying from the Peace Tower, the Queen was honoured with a flypast by CF-18 jetfighters and another by the aerobatic Snowbirds, as well as a march-past by the Guard of Honour.

The Queen was serenaded by Canadian artists, including Quebec pop star Isabelle Boulay, bagpipers the Campbell Brothers, the Barenaked Ladies and the Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir.

She was also lauded by a host of luminaries, including Harper, actor Christopher Plummer and figure skater Joannie Rochette.

The Queen addressed Canada Day celebrants and was expected to take a walk-about among the thousands of party-goers before departing at about 1:40 p.m.

Canada Day Celebrated Abroad

In England, thousands of people flocked to Trafalgar Square in London for Canada Day.

"Every year we have had 30,000 to 50,000 people that come to the square over the course of the day," said Canadian High Commissioner James Wright. "It's a showcase of what's best about Canada."

The festivities opened with a performance by the Canadian Tenors and included street hockey competitions. Visitors got to meet Mounties and see a totem pole being carved.

Food was also a big part of the celebration, with Canadian wine, beer and Tim Hortons coffee on tap. Canadian music played all day, and the festivities will culminate in a huge concert in the evening.

Governor General Michaëlle Jean celebrated Canada Day far from home.

Her Excellency was at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, China, where she made a speech, led a Maple Leaf flag-raising ceremony and enjoyed some beef from back home at the Canadian Pavilion.

Canadian troops in Afghanistan celebrated the nation's birthday by munching on hamburgers and hotdogs. Many wore red and white and listened to Bryan Adams tunes.



Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/07/0...z0sSDKbuSa]]> Happy Canada Day to all our Canadian visitors!

From CBC.ca

Queen Elizabeth II has arrived on Parliament Hill to celebrate her first Canada Day in Ottawa since 1997.

Dressed in red with a white wide-brimmed hat, the Queen was greeted Thursday by a 21-gun salute and the strains of "God Save the Queen" as she stood alongside Prime Minister Stephen Harper, his wife, Laureen, and their children, Ben and Rachel.

It was expected the Queen's presence at Canada's 143rd birthday celebrations would draw a record crowd, and early estimates said at least 70,000 people had gathered in the nation's capital.

Some arrived as early as 5 a.m. ET to get a front-row seat to see, and perhaps meet, the Queen during her walkabout scheduled for later in the day.

The 84-year-old British monarch spent the night at her official residence in Canada, Rideau Hall, then sat for an official portrait in the morning.

With her personal Canadian flag flying from the Peace Tower, the Queen was honoured with a flypast by CF-18 jetfighters and another by the aerobatic Snowbirds, as well as a march-past by the Guard of Honour.

The Queen was serenaded by Canadian artists, including Quebec pop star Isabelle Boulay, bagpipers the Campbell Brothers, the Barenaked Ladies and the Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir.

She was also lauded by a host of luminaries, including Harper, actor Christopher Plummer and figure skater Joannie Rochette.

The Queen addressed Canada Day celebrants and was expected to take a walk-about among the thousands of party-goers before departing at about 1:40 p.m.

Canada Day Celebrated Abroad

In England, thousands of people flocked to Trafalgar Square in London for Canada Day.

"Every year we have had 30,000 to 50,000 people that come to the square over the course of the day," said Canadian High Commissioner James Wright. "It's a showcase of what's best about Canada."

The festivities opened with a performance by the Canadian Tenors and included street hockey competitions. Visitors got to meet Mounties and see a totem pole being carved.

Food was also a big part of the celebration, with Canadian wine, beer and Tim Hortons coffee on tap. Canadian music played all day, and the festivities will culminate in a huge concert in the evening.

Governor General Michaëlle Jean celebrated Canada Day far from home.

Her Excellency was at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, China, where she made a speech, led a Maple Leaf flag-raising ceremony and enjoyed some beef from back home at the Canadian Pavilion.

Canadian troops in Afghanistan celebrated the nation's birthday by munching on hamburgers and hotdogs. Many wore red and white and listened to Bryan Adams tunes.



Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/07/0...z0sSDKbuSa]]> <![CDATA[Gazette Entry: 30 June 2010]]> http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5902 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 10:52:19 -0600 The Marquess of Mountcastle http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5902
THE OXBRIDGE GAZETTE

Registered as a Newspaper

Published by Authority

Established 2002







__________________________________________________________



Wakelaw, 30 June, 2010

The KING has been graciously pleased by Royal instrument, bearing date the 30th of June, to repeal the Ministers of the Crown Act 2008; to reconstitute the Great Officers of State of Hanover; and to constitute the Great Officers of State of Sconeland.


The KING has been graciously pleased at St. George's the 30th instant to deliver the Great Seals of Hanover and Sconeland to the Most Honourable James Richard Edward George Marchmain, JC, Marquess of Mountcastle, &c, whereupon the Oath of Office as Lord High Chancellor of Hanover and Sconeland was, by His Majesty's command, administered to him, and he took his place at the Board accordingly.


The KING has been graciously pleased at St. George's the 30th instant to administer the Oath of a Privy Counsellor to the Most Honourable James Richard Edward George, JC, PC, Marquess of Mountcastle, &c, Lord High Chancellor of Hanover and Sconeland, and he took his seat in Council, accordingly.


.]]>
THE OXBRIDGE GAZETTE

Registered as a Newspaper

Published by Authority

Established 2002







__________________________________________________________



Wakelaw, 30 June, 2010

The KING has been graciously pleased by Royal instrument, bearing date the 30th of June, to repeal the Ministers of the Crown Act 2008; to reconstitute the Great Officers of State of Hanover; and to constitute the Great Officers of State of Sconeland.


The KING has been graciously pleased at St. George's the 30th instant to deliver the Great Seals of Hanover and Sconeland to the Most Honourable James Richard Edward George Marchmain, JC, Marquess of Mountcastle, &c, whereupon the Oath of Office as Lord High Chancellor of Hanover and Sconeland was, by His Majesty's command, administered to him, and he took his place at the Board accordingly.


The KING has been graciously pleased at St. George's the 30th instant to administer the Oath of a Privy Counsellor to the Most Honourable James Richard Edward George, JC, PC, Marquess of Mountcastle, &c, Lord High Chancellor of Hanover and Sconeland, and he took his seat in Council, accordingly.


.]]> <![CDATA[The Unimportance of Being Ernest]]> http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5899 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 01:27:17 -0600 The Marquess of Mountcastle http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5899
You know the network I'm talking about: the women all sport the signature Jiffy Pop hairdo, are drowning in costume jewelery, have perma-smiles bolted on to their heavily painted faces and, generally speaking, look more like drag queens than drag queens do. Picture, if you will, Divine meets...nah...leave it at Divine.

Together, with their fat white-washed male cast members, they carry their ever-present Donny & Marie microphones with them as they sway about on a stage littered with tacky gilded furniture and fake stained glass windows. They sing awful renditions of the lowest of low-church hymns and do their worst to perform various "Christian Rock" selections before compelling you to run to the phone.

Why? Why, to give them your credit card numbers of course. Because without your pledge, they won't be able to continue offending the airwaves with their disgusting travesty of a mockery of the Christian religion.

So anyway, out comes good ol' Ernest Angely to heal us! Hallelujah! In order to heal us, Ernest has decided to buck immemorial televangelical custom (because he's more saved than the others) by donning not a white toupee, but a black one (despite the fact that he's 130 years old). Still has the white coat and white shoes, though: but with red slacks. I say "slacks" rather than "pants" because they're definitely the type of pants that need to be referred to as "slacks". Oh...white belt, too, by the way. Black hair. smilie

When I was just a kid, my cousin David and I used to watch "Davey & Goliath" on Sunday mornings, along with other childrens' shows, but we always made a point to find good ol' Ernest Angely on the dial, because he was funnier to us than anything else on TV.

"Brother, do ya suffer from dimensia? Sister, is uncontrollable menstruation taking your focus off the Lord? Momma, is that hip troubling you again? Well, put your hand up against the television set and be...HEEEEEALLL-DUH! Demons, come out! The power of Christ compells you!"

Well, anyway, it was good seeing you again after so long, Brother Ernest. You made me laugh all over again.

Amen, and again I say...Amen.]]>
You know the network I'm talking about: the women all sport the signature Jiffy Pop hairdo, are drowning in costume jewelery, have perma-smiles bolted on to their heavily painted faces and, generally speaking, look more like drag queens than drag queens do. Picture, if you will, Divine meets...nah...leave it at Divine.

Together, with their fat white-washed male cast members, they carry their ever-present Donny & Marie microphones with them as they sway about on a stage littered with tacky gilded furniture and fake stained glass windows. They sing awful renditions of the lowest of low-church hymns and do their worst to perform various "Christian Rock" selections before compelling you to run to the phone.

Why? Why, to give them your credit card numbers of course. Because without your pledge, they won't be able to continue offending the airwaves with their disgusting travesty of a mockery of the Christian religion.

So anyway, out comes good ol' Ernest Angely to heal us! Hallelujah! In order to heal us, Ernest has decided to buck immemorial televangelical custom (because he's more saved than the others) by donning not a white toupee, but a black one (despite the fact that he's 130 years old). Still has the white coat and white shoes, though: but with red slacks. I say "slacks" rather than "pants" because they're definitely the type of pants that need to be referred to as "slacks". Oh...white belt, too, by the way. Black hair. smilie

When I was just a kid, my cousin David and I used to watch "Davey & Goliath" on Sunday mornings, along with other childrens' shows, but we always made a point to find good ol' Ernest Angely on the dial, because he was funnier to us than anything else on TV.

"Brother, do ya suffer from dimensia? Sister, is uncontrollable menstruation taking your focus off the Lord? Momma, is that hip troubling you again? Well, put your hand up against the television set and be...HEEEEEALLL-DUH! Demons, come out! The power of Christ compells you!"

Well, anyway, it was good seeing you again after so long, Brother Ernest. You made me laugh all over again.

Amen, and again I say...Amen.]]> <![CDATA[Letters Patent: Great Officers of State]]> http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5898 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 22:21:37 -0600 The Marquess of Mountcastle http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5898
INSTRUMENT RECONSTITUTING THE GREAT OFFICERS OF STATE OF HANOVER AND CONSTITUTING THE GREAT OFFICERS OF STATE OF SCONELAND



JAMES THE SECOND by the Grace of God of Hanover, Sconeland, and Cambria King, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, to all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting:

Whereas on Twenty-first May Two Thousand and Eight the Great Officers of State of Our Kingdom of Hanover were by an Act of Our Parliament (called the "Ministers of the Crown Act 2008") constituted along with various other ministers and secretaries of state:

Whereas We for divers good causes and considerations Us thereunto moving are graciously pleased to reconstitute Our Great Officers of State of Our Kingdom of Hanover according to their traditional names, duties, and order of precedence:

Whereas We furthermore in consideration of Section IX of the Charter of Sconeland granted by Us on Twenty-fifth May, Two Thousand and Ten, the said section providing for the constituting of the Great Officers of State of Our said Kingdom of Sconeland by instrument under the Great Seal, do desire that such Great Officers shall by this instrument now be constituted:

Therefore Know Ye that We of Our especial grace and favour and mere motion do by these Presents ordain, declare, and direct that the aforesaid Ministers of the Crown Act 2008 be by this instrument now abrogated, repealed, and nullified, and that Our Great Officers of State of Our Kingdom of Hanover be reconstituted with regard to their names, their principal duties, and order of precedence as follows:

1. The Lord High Steward shall be appointed as We or Our Heirs and Successors shall think fit upon the accession to the Throne of the Sovereign for the purpose of presiding over and generally directing the ceremonies surrounding the coronation of the Sovereign. The Lord High Steward shall furthermore be appointed from time to time to preside at trials of Peers of the Realm, but at all other times the Lord High Stewardship shall be held in abeyance by Us, Our Heirs and Successors.

2. The Lord High Chancellor of Hanover and Sconeland shall be the custodian of the Great Seals of Our Kingdoms of Hanover and Sconeland; shall have the general superintendence over the Chancery of Our Kingdoms of Hanover and Sconeland; and shall preside over Our High Court of Chancery for as often as the same shall sit. He shall act as prolocutor within the House of Peers for as often as the Peers of the Realm shall sit together in their own chamber apart from the Commons; but for as often as the Peers and Commons shall sit together within a single chamber, he shall be the Speaker of the whole of Our Parliament. When no Parliament sits, he shall be our principal minister. He shall advise Us on all appointments to judicial office; shall preside over all trials in Our High Court of Parliament; and shall generally advise Us on all matters relevant to Our judiciary. He shall be visitor, in right of Us, of all hospitals and colleges of Our foundation. He shall be the ordinary guardian of all wards in Chancery, and the general guardian of all infants, idiots and chronic lunatics; and shall have the general superintendence of all charitable uses.

3. The Lord High Treasurer shall be the head of Our Treasury and shall enjoy general superintendence over Our Exchequer.

4. The Lord President of the Council shall preside over Our Most Honourable Privy Council, and if a Peer, shall serve as Leader of the House of Peers for as often as the Peers shall sit in Parliament apart from the Commons.

5. The Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal shall have custody over Our Privy Seal and, if a Commoner, shall serve as Leader of the House of Commons for as often as the Commons shall sit in Parliament apart from the Peers. He shall serve as Leader of Parliament when the Peers and Commons shall sit together in the same chamber.

6. The Lord Great Chamberlain shall have charge over Our Palace of Wealdstonbury, and over the House of Peers; he shall be the custodian of Our Sword of State. He shall be visitor in right of Us of all universities not of Our foundation.

7. The Lord High Constable shall be appointed on the occasion of the Coronation of the Sovereign and at all other times the said office shall be held in abeyance by Us, Our Heirs and Successors.

8. The Earl Marshal shall be the Head of the College of Arms of Our Kingdom of Hanover and shall preside over the Court of Chivalry. He shall have power to order, judge, and determine all matters touching arms, ensigns of nobility, honour, and chivalry; to make laws, ordinances, and statutes for the good government of the Officers of Arms; to nominate Officers to fill vacancies in the College of Arms; to punish and correct Officers of Arms for misbehaviour in the execution of their places.

9. The Lord High Admiral shall have the command over and general superintendence of Our Royal Navy.

And We do furthermore ordain, declare, and direct that there be constituted the Great Officers of State of Our Kingdom of Sconeland which are herewith constituted and given precedence as follows:

1. The Lord High Constable of Sconeland shall have general superintendence over the officers and divisions of Our Royal Army within Our Kingdom of Sconeland. He shall have immediate superintendence over Our Royal Lifeguards within Sconeland; and shall judge all cases of rioting, disorder, bloodshed and murder when such crimes shall occur within four miles of Our person.

2. The Lord Justice General shall be Our principal justice within Our Kingdom of Sconeland and shall have general superintendence over the Sconnish judiciary; but he shall be subject to the supervision and direction of Our Lord High Chancellor of Hanover and Sconeland. He shall be given the presidency of the highest court peculiar to jurisdiction over Our said Kingdom of Sconeland such as may be erected by subsequent statute.

3. The Great Marischal of Sconeland shall be the keeper and guardian of the Honours of Sconeland.

4. The Lord Hart King of Arms shall be the Head of the College of Arms of Our Kingdom of Sconeland and shall preside over the Court of the Lord Hart. He shall have power to order, judge, and determine all matters touching arms, ensigns of nobility, honour, and chivalry; to make laws, ordinances, and statutes for the good government of the Officers of Arms; to nominate Officers to fill vacancies in the College of Arms; to punish and correct Officers of Arms for misbehaviour in the execution of their places.

And for the greater validity and testimony thereof, we do command that there be affixed hereto the Great Seals of Our Kingdoms of Hanover and of Sconeland:

And We desire that these Presents be effective now and in the future; that what is decreed by these Presents be scrupulously observed by those whom they concern and that these Presents attain the purpose for which they are issued:

And that the efficacy of these Presents may not be obstructed by contrary prescriptions of any kind, We herewith abrogate all such prescriptions:

Therefore, if anyone, no matter what his authority, shall either knowingly or unknowingly act contrary to what We have by these Presents ordained and decreed, We command that such acts be considered entirely null and void. Moreover, no one may lawfully efface or destroy these documents of Our will; indeed, to copies of these Presents and extracts therefrom, which bear the seal of an Officer of the Crown and the signature of a public notary, there is to be accorded the very same credence that would be given to these Presents themselves if they were exhibited:

And should anyone contemn or in any manner whatsoever detract from these Presents, let him know that he thereby subjects himself to the penalties established by law for those who do not fulfill the commands of the Sovereign.

IN WITNESS whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent.

WITNESS Ourself at Wealdstonbury this Thirtieth Day of June in the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Ten, the Second Year of Our Reign.

James R.

BY WARRANT UNDER THE KING'S SIGN MANUAL

MOUNTCASTLE]]>
INSTRUMENT RECONSTITUTING THE GREAT OFFICERS OF STATE OF HANOVER AND CONSTITUTING THE GREAT OFFICERS OF STATE OF SCONELAND



JAMES THE SECOND by the Grace of God of Hanover, Sconeland, and Cambria King, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, to all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting:

Whereas on Twenty-first May Two Thousand and Eight the Great Officers of State of Our Kingdom of Hanover were by an Act of Our Parliament (called the "Ministers of the Crown Act 2008") constituted along with various other ministers and secretaries of state:

Whereas We for divers good causes and considerations Us thereunto moving are graciously pleased to reconstitute Our Great Officers of State of Our Kingdom of Hanover according to their traditional names, duties, and order of precedence:

Whereas We furthermore in consideration of Section IX of the Charter of Sconeland granted by Us on Twenty-fifth May, Two Thousand and Ten, the said section providing for the constituting of the Great Officers of State of Our said Kingdom of Sconeland by instrument under the Great Seal, do desire that such Great Officers shall by this instrument now be constituted:

Therefore Know Ye that We of Our especial grace and favour and mere motion do by these Presents ordain, declare, and direct that the aforesaid Ministers of the Crown Act 2008 be by this instrument now abrogated, repealed, and nullified, and that Our Great Officers of State of Our Kingdom of Hanover be reconstituted with regard to their names, their principal duties, and order of precedence as follows:

1. The Lord High Steward shall be appointed as We or Our Heirs and Successors shall think fit upon the accession to the Throne of the Sovereign for the purpose of presiding over and generally directing the ceremonies surrounding the coronation of the Sovereign. The Lord High Steward shall furthermore be appointed from time to time to preside at trials of Peers of the Realm, but at all other times the Lord High Stewardship shall be held in abeyance by Us, Our Heirs and Successors.

2. The Lord High Chancellor of Hanover and Sconeland shall be the custodian of the Great Seals of Our Kingdoms of Hanover and Sconeland; shall have the general superintendence over the Chancery of Our Kingdoms of Hanover and Sconeland; and shall preside over Our High Court of Chancery for as often as the same shall sit. He shall act as prolocutor within the House of Peers for as often as the Peers of the Realm shall sit together in their own chamber apart from the Commons; but for as often as the Peers and Commons shall sit together within a single chamber, he shall be the Speaker of the whole of Our Parliament. When no Parliament sits, he shall be our principal minister. He shall advise Us on all appointments to judicial office; shall preside over all trials in Our High Court of Parliament; and shall generally advise Us on all matters relevant to Our judiciary. He shall be visitor, in right of Us, of all hospitals and colleges of Our foundation. He shall be the ordinary guardian of all wards in Chancery, and the general guardian of all infants, idiots and chronic lunatics; and shall have the general superintendence of all charitable uses.

3. The Lord High Treasurer shall be the head of Our Treasury and shall enjoy general superintendence over Our Exchequer.

4. The Lord President of the Council shall preside over Our Most Honourable Privy Council, and if a Peer, shall serve as Leader of the House of Peers for as often as the Peers shall sit in Parliament apart from the Commons.

5. The Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal shall have custody over Our Privy Seal and, if a Commoner, shall serve as Leader of the House of Commons for as often as the Commons shall sit in Parliament apart from the Peers. He shall serve as Leader of Parliament when the Peers and Commons shall sit together in the same chamber.

6. The Lord Great Chamberlain shall have charge over Our Palace of Wealdstonbury, and over the House of Peers; he shall be the custodian of Our Sword of State. He shall be visitor in right of Us of all universities not of Our foundation.

7. The Lord High Constable shall be appointed on the occasion of the Coronation of the Sovereign and at all other times the said office shall be held in abeyance by Us, Our Heirs and Successors.

8. The Earl Marshal shall be the Head of the College of Arms of Our Kingdom of Hanover and shall preside over the Court of Chivalry. He shall have power to order, judge, and determine all matters touching arms, ensigns of nobility, honour, and chivalry; to make laws, ordinances, and statutes for the good government of the Officers of Arms; to nominate Officers to fill vacancies in the College of Arms; to punish and correct Officers of Arms for misbehaviour in the execution of their places.

9. The Lord High Admiral shall have the command over and general superintendence of Our Royal Navy.

And We do furthermore ordain, declare, and direct that there be constituted the Great Officers of State of Our Kingdom of Sconeland which are herewith constituted and given precedence as follows:

1. The Lord High Constable of Sconeland shall have general superintendence over the officers and divisions of Our Royal Army within Our Kingdom of Sconeland. He shall have immediate superintendence over Our Royal Lifeguards within Sconeland; and shall judge all cases of rioting, disorder, bloodshed and murder when such crimes shall occur within four miles of Our person.

2. The Lord Justice General shall be Our principal justice within Our Kingdom of Sconeland and shall have general superintendence over the Sconnish judiciary; but he shall be subject to the supervision and direction of Our Lord High Chancellor of Hanover and Sconeland. He shall be given the presidency of the highest court peculiar to jurisdiction over Our said Kingdom of Sconeland such as may be erected by subsequent statute.

3. The Great Marischal of Sconeland shall be the keeper and guardian of the Honours of Sconeland.

4. The Lord Hart King of Arms shall be the Head of the College of Arms of Our Kingdom of Sconeland and shall preside over the Court of the Lord Hart. He shall have power to order, judge, and determine all matters touching arms, ensigns of nobility, honour, and chivalry; to make laws, ordinances, and statutes for the good government of the Officers of Arms; to nominate Officers to fill vacancies in the College of Arms; to punish and correct Officers of Arms for misbehaviour in the execution of their places.

And for the greater validity and testimony thereof, we do command that there be affixed hereto the Great Seals of Our Kingdoms of Hanover and of Sconeland:

And We desire that these Presents be effective now and in the future; that what is decreed by these Presents be scrupulously observed by those whom they concern and that these Presents attain the purpose for which they are issued:

And that the efficacy of these Presents may not be obstructed by contrary prescriptions of any kind, We herewith abrogate all such prescriptions:

Therefore, if anyone, no matter what his authority, shall either knowingly or unknowingly act contrary to what We have by these Presents ordained and decreed, We command that such acts be considered entirely null and void. Moreover, no one may lawfully efface or destroy these documents of Our will; indeed, to copies of these Presents and extracts therefrom, which bear the seal of an Officer of the Crown and the signature of a public notary, there is to be accorded the very same credence that would be given to these Presents themselves if they were exhibited:

And should anyone contemn or in any manner whatsoever detract from these Presents, let him know that he thereby subjects himself to the penalties established by law for those who do not fulfill the commands of the Sovereign.

IN WITNESS whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent.

WITNESS Ourself at Wealdstonbury this Thirtieth Day of June in the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Ten, the Second Year of Our Reign.

James R.

BY WARRANT UNDER THE KING'S SIGN MANUAL

MOUNTCASTLE]]> <![CDATA[The Hood]]> http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5897 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 11:13:39 -0600 The Marquess of Mountcastle http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5897 Thoughts on the Use of the Capuce at the Divine Office

By an anonymous Friar

Some friars that I know have either begun using their capuce (monastic hood) at Office or are wondering about the proper etiquette for this practice. Those interested in the rules for raising and lowering the capuce in the traditional Dominican Rite may find them in nn. 730-740 of the Caeremoniale iuxta Ritum S. Ordinis Praedicatorum of 1869 (the last ceremonial of the order); an English version of these rubrics was published by the Eastern Province as Rubric Pamplet I: Choir in 1907. Both books are available at Dominican Liturgy on the left sidebar in PDF format for download. To your right you can see friars with their capuces raised during a vestition with the habit in the Western Dominican Province

I have already done a post on the pre-Vatican-II reform rubrics. In 1963 those traditional rubrics were suppressed, and the capuce was raised only when friars were seated listening to readings. Even this practice fell out of use by the time the Order adopted the new Roman Liturgy of the Hours in 1972. Although occasionally, especially in cold weather, or when meditating, individual friars occasionally put up their hoods in choir even today.

Assuming there might be a desire to revive use of the capuce in choir, here are my suggestions as to how this would be done in continuity with the older practice.

1) The capuce would be raised and kept up at Office following the Gloria Patri and Alleluia at the beginning of each hour. In the traditional rubrics, the bow at this Gloria Patri was profound, which meant the capuce was down until it was over. The following would be exceptions to this rule:

a ) The capuce would be raised after the verse "Lord, open my lips" and its response before the Invitatory of the first Office of the day. This verse and response used to be followed by a Gloria Patri, and the capuce was not raised until it was over. As the Invitatory Antiphon now follows immediately, one would raise the capuce after the response to the verse.

b ) At Compline, the capuce would be down until the hymn. The verse, response, and Gloria Patri at Compline are today followed by the Examination of Conscience, which the Dominican Proper of 1983 directs to be said kneeling (not bowed as in the old rite) or even prostrate on the forms. As the old rubrics required that those kneeling or prostrate lower the capuce, it would be left down for the Examination of Conscience. The older rubrics required that the capuce be lowered for the Salve Regina and O Lumen processions, so the capuce should be lowered at the intoning of the Hail Holy Queen and remain down for the rest of Compline.

2. At Lauds and Vespers, the capuce would be lowered at the antiphon of the Gospel Canticle. This was the traditional rubric. The capuce would remain down for the rest of those Offices. This follows the old rubrics, which required that it be lowered for the Preces when these were said, as well as for collects; so the capuce would remain down during the modern Intercessions and Our Father, and for the Collect and dismissal.

3. At the Little or Day Hours, the capuce would be lowered for the Collect and Benedicamus Domino. The same practice would be followed at Office of Readings, should it be separated from Laudes.

4. Readers at Office would, as was traditional, lower the capuce while reading. Should, for some reason (e.g. a "Protracted Vigil") the Gospel is read at Office, all would uncover their heads along with the reader.

5. It was the practice in the old rubrics not to cover the head during devotions and traditional prayers after or before the Office. So if the Sacra Convivium is said before or the Angelus after, the capuce would be left down.

6. Finally, although it was the Dominican practice to make a profound bow in Office at the names of Jesus, Mary, and Dominic, the capuce was not lowered for those bows at Office. I mention this because of the secular practice of tipping the biretta at the Holy Names. I see no reason that we should adopt this Roman rubric, which gets messy with a capuce. Something might be said for restoring the profound bow at the Holy Names, especially during the Salve Regina and O Lumen processions--custom still preserved those bows when I was at the Western Dominican House of Studies in Oakland CA during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

These are, of course, merely suggestions. As no rubrics on the capuce exist in the modern (1982 and 1996) editions of the Dominican Propers, houses are, of course, free to establish their own customs.]]> Thoughts on the Use of the Capuce at the Divine Office

By an anonymous Friar

Some friars that I know have either begun using their capuce (monastic hood) at Office or are wondering about the proper etiquette for this practice. Those interested in the rules for raising and lowering the capuce in the traditional Dominican Rite may find them in nn. 730-740 of the Caeremoniale iuxta Ritum S. Ordinis Praedicatorum of 1869 (the last ceremonial of the order); an English version of these rubrics was published by the Eastern Province as Rubric Pamplet I: Choir in 1907. Both books are available at Dominican Liturgy on the left sidebar in PDF format for download. To your right you can see friars with their capuces raised during a vestition with the habit in the Western Dominican Province

I have already done a post on the pre-Vatican-II reform rubrics. In 1963 those traditional rubrics were suppressed, and the capuce was raised only when friars were seated listening to readings. Even this practice fell out of use by the time the Order adopted the new Roman Liturgy of the Hours in 1972. Although occasionally, especially in cold weather, or when meditating, individual friars occasionally put up their hoods in choir even today.

Assuming there might be a desire to revive use of the capuce in choir, here are my suggestions as to how this would be done in continuity with the older practice.

1) The capuce would be raised and kept up at Office following the Gloria Patri and Alleluia at the beginning of each hour. In the traditional rubrics, the bow at this Gloria Patri was profound, which meant the capuce was down until it was over. The following would be exceptions to this rule:

a ) The capuce would be raised after the verse "Lord, open my lips" and its response before the Invitatory of the first Office of the day. This verse and response used to be followed by a Gloria Patri, and the capuce was not raised until it was over. As the Invitatory Antiphon now follows immediately, one would raise the capuce after the response to the verse.

b ) At Compline, the capuce would be down until the hymn. The verse, response, and Gloria Patri at Compline are today followed by the Examination of Conscience, which the Dominican Proper of 1983 directs to be said kneeling (not bowed as in the old rite) or even prostrate on the forms. As the old rubrics required that those kneeling or prostrate lower the capuce, it would be left down for the Examination of Conscience. The older rubrics required that the capuce be lowered for the Salve Regina and O Lumen processions, so the capuce should be lowered at the intoning of the Hail Holy Queen and remain down for the rest of Compline.

2. At Lauds and Vespers, the capuce would be lowered at the antiphon of the Gospel Canticle. This was the traditional rubric. The capuce would remain down for the rest of those Offices. This follows the old rubrics, which required that it be lowered for the Preces when these were said, as well as for collects; so the capuce would remain down during the modern Intercessions and Our Father, and for the Collect and dismissal.

3. At the Little or Day Hours, the capuce would be lowered for the Collect and Benedicamus Domino. The same practice would be followed at Office of Readings, should it be separated from Laudes.

4. Readers at Office would, as was traditional, lower the capuce while reading. Should, for some reason (e.g. a "Protracted Vigil") the Gospel is read at Office, all would uncover their heads along with the reader.

5. It was the practice in the old rubrics not to cover the head during devotions and traditional prayers after or before the Office. So if the Sacra Convivium is said before or the Angelus after, the capuce would be left down.

6. Finally, although it was the Dominican practice to make a profound bow in Office at the names of Jesus, Mary, and Dominic, the capuce was not lowered for those bows at Office. I mention this because of the secular practice of tipping the biretta at the Holy Names. I see no reason that we should adopt this Roman rubric, which gets messy with a capuce. Something might be said for restoring the profound bow at the Holy Names, especially during the Salve Regina and O Lumen processions--custom still preserved those bows when I was at the Western Dominican House of Studies in Oakland CA during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

These are, of course, merely suggestions. As no rubrics on the capuce exist in the modern (1982 and 1996) editions of the Dominican Propers, houses are, of course, free to establish their own customs.]]> <![CDATA[World Cup 2010: Anthems]]> http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5896 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 00:14:47 -0600 The Marquess of Mountcastle http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5896 National Anthems Produced in Honour of the 2010 World Cup:


England:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-4WOrxM7...re=channel

The United States of America:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVrNhsImr...re=related

France:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHInYlR8s...re=channel

Japan:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlsKhC1TP...re=channel

Germany:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILmqukN-D...re=channel

Italy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhiQ0W2_4...re=related

Mexico:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chMfe5nGc...re=related

Greece:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFaHnkSHR...re=channel

New Zealand:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd8iirZjE...re=related

The 2010 FIFA World Cup Anthem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6X2iTUYc...re=related]]> National Anthems Produced in Honour of the 2010 World Cup:


England:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-4WOrxM7...re=channel

The United States of America:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVrNhsImr...re=related

France:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHInYlR8s...re=channel

Japan:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlsKhC1TP...re=channel

Germany:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILmqukN-D...re=channel

Italy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhiQ0W2_4...re=related

Mexico:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chMfe5nGc...re=related

Greece:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFaHnkSHR...re=channel

New Zealand:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd8iirZjE...re=related

The 2010 FIFA World Cup Anthem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6X2iTUYc...re=related]]> <![CDATA[Te Deum: Gibbons]]> http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5895 Sun, 27 Jun 2010 15:28:12 -0600 The Marquess of Mountcastle http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5895 TE DEVM LAVDAMVS


Translayted into the Kynge's English Tongue


Orlando Gibbons

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSl9ZtdOWpc]]> TE DEVM LAVDAMVS


Translayted into the Kynge's English Tongue


Orlando Gibbons

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSl9ZtdOWpc]]> <![CDATA[A Saskatchewan farmer]]> http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5890 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 18:31:25 -0600 Duke of Gottingen http://www.kingdomofhanover.com/tot/showthread.php?tid=5890 "Is your Dad home?"
"No sir, he isn't; he went to town."
"Well, is your Mother here?"
"No sir, she went to town with Dad."
"How about your brother, Howard? Is he here?"
"No sir, He went with Mom and Dad."
The rancher stood there for a few minutes, shifting from one foot to the other,and mumbling to himself.
"Is there anything I can do for you?" the boy asked. I know where all the tools are, if you want to borrow one, or I can give dad a message."
"Well," said the rancher uncomfortably, "I really wanted to talk to your Dad. It's about your brother Howard getting my daughter, Suzie, pregnant."'
The boy thought for a moment. "You would have to talk to Dad about that. I know he charges $500 for the bull and $50 for the boar, but I don't know how much he charges for Howard."]]> "Is your Dad home?"
"No sir, he isn't; he went to town."
"Well, is your Mother here?"
"No sir, she went to town with Dad."
"How about your brother, Howard? Is he here?"
"No sir, He went with Mom and Dad."
The rancher stood there for a few minutes, shifting from one foot to the other,and mumbling to himself.
"Is there anything I can do for you?" the boy asked. I know where all the tools are, if you want to borrow one, or I can give dad a message."
"Well," said the rancher uncomfortably, "I really wanted to talk to your Dad. It's about your brother Howard getting my daughter, Suzie, pregnant."'
The boy thought for a moment. "You would have to talk to Dad about that. I know he charges $500 for the bull and $50 for the boar, but I don't know how much he charges for Howard."]]>