And I’m finally home.
I’m not going to think about my grades. Ignorance is bliss~
I must catch up on Game of Thrones before tomorrow’s episode. Also, my dad ended up recording all of season 3 for me on the DVR so I can watch GoT legally. I am so happy.
May 15, 1536: Anne Boleyn is found guilty of treason.
Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s second wife after Catharine of Aragon and the wife for whom the king broke away from the Catholic Church, was arrested in May of 1536 and charged with adultery, incest, and treason. Her arrest took place only three years after her marriage to Henry, which had so far produced no male heirs and only one healthy child; the king had meanwhile taken Jane Seymour, who was to become his third wife just weeks after Anne Boleyn’s execution, as a mistress. Anne was, according to contemporary accounts, intelligent, witty, and anything but submissive. all traits that Henry found desirable, even exciting, in a mistress, but not in a wife; her confrontational nature combined with her failure to bear male heirs healthy enough to survive past infancy caused their marriage to crumble.
Anne Boleyn’s arrest was based on accusations of her illicit sexual relationships with a court musician, several aristocrats, and Anne’s own brother George; she was charged with both adultery (a form of treason when committed by a queen) and plotting the death of the king (another form of treason). Of her accused lovers, five were found guilty of treason, including George Boleyn, and executed by decapitation on May 17, 1536. Anne was held in the Tower of London and remained there until her own execution on May 19, 1536; her final words were reportedly a prayer:
To Jesus Christ I commend my soul; Lord Jesus receive my soul.
Anne Boleyn was survived by one child, who was the only one of her siblings to survive birth and infancy, who was declared illegitimate and deprived of her birthright not long after her mother’s execution in order to clear the way for her father’s male heirs, and who eventually became one of England’s most famous, most influential monarchs.
Whoa do you know how much this reminds me of Cersei from A Song of Ice and Fire?
I’ve always associated her with Margaery - the list of false lovers (including both court singers and noblemen), a conspiracy engineered by political rivals, confessions obtained from the accused under torture, really vaguely implied suspected incest, and charges of adultery/treason, not to mention her personality…
It’s funny how Natalie Dormer, the woman who plays Margaery Tyrell in Game of Thrones, also acted in the role of Anne Boelyn in the tv show, The Tudors. No wonder she’s so good as Margaery.
Seeing all my friends done with finals and coming back home is pure torture… especially since I have three finals left.
Song of the Day 5.14.13
And in the streets the children screamed,
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed.
Done with US History~~
This is great. They all sing/play so well. And they’re hot. Like can this be anymore awesome? I don’t think so.
Agreed! They all sound so amazing. Also, beat boxing and playing a cello at the same time? Phenomenal.
“There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one’s safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn’t, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn’t have to; but if he didn’t want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle.
“That’s some catch, that Catch-22,” he observed.
“It’s the best there is,” Doc Daneeka agreed.”
― Joseph Heller
(Source: bound-bliss)
“Young and Beautiful” - Lana Del Rey
Every single song on The Great Gatsby soundtrack is amazing, but I will boycott the Oscars/Grammy’s if this song doesn’t get an award.
The “Johnson Treatment” and the “Daisy Ad.”
LBJ was freaking intense.
It is utterly fascinating how twisted the social justice blogging community has become. The “check your privilege” movement is, unfortunately, at the heart of the matter.
To be honest, being accused of some kind of “privilege” doesn’t make any sense to me. It’s funny how as a female PoC, I’ve never been on the receiving end of that phrase, but I probably have more privilege than a good percentage of the country. I’m “privileged” to have parents, to be able to afford a wonderful public university education, to have the resources to succeed in life, and much, much more.
Don’t get me wrong; we clearly live in an unequal society. Incarceration rates are much higher among African-Americans and Chicanos than among white Americans. Poverty rates are higher with those two minority groups as well.
But you know what’s interesting? African-Americans and Chicanos may be more likely to be in poverty based on proportions, but nearly half of those under the poverty line are white. The majority of the poor are white. Do you really think that any of these people would appreciate being told that they have some sort of privilege when they’ve been living off of food stamps for years?
Of course it might be easier for these impoverished whites to pull themselves out of poverty than it is for impoverished minorities. Of course there’s still institutional racism. Of course we haven’t achieved equality.
But I’m starting to think that the people part of the “check your privilege” movement really and truly do not care about the actual fight against inequality. If they did, they would realize that accusing someone of possessing privilege isn’t making much of a difference at all. And why would it? How can you expect anyone to change their views by alienating them from your cause? How could you possibly think that by highlighting differences that they cannot control (you can’t fault someone for being born into a minority group, just like you can’t fault someone for being born white), they would magically “check their privilege,” understand that you personally are being victimized, and become your ally? No. Instead, you’re belittling any other problems that they might have (disabilities, illnesses, poverty, etc.) by stating that they have “privilege.” And everyone has their own problems. It’s silly and naive of anyone to think that accusing each other of being oppressors will make any difference.
The one Republican senator who recently announced his support for gay marriage didn’t do so because someone yelled, “CHECK YOUR STRAIGHT PRIVILEGE, YOU HOMOPHOBIC BASTARD.” No, he empathized with and understood his son, and thus changed his views. That’s how change occurs. Instead of highlighting the differences between groups, why not find a common ground? Get them to empathize, to understand, and to care. No one will do any of those things if you insist that they have some sort of inherent privilege that they can’t control.
If you tell me that as a straight person, I couldn’t possibly understand the struggles queers face in this society, then you certainly wouldn’t be warming me to your cause. If you think that I truly don’t understand because of my inherent “straight privilege,” then make me understand. Believe it or not, the majority of people are all moderates willing to open their minds to new ideas. Instead of accusing people of being something that they can’t control, why not help them empathize with you and understand that we’re all human beings with our own problems and struggles?
The first step in fighting inequality is to acknowledge the differences between white supremacy and racism, male supremacy and sexism, straight supremacy and homophobia, and more. We’re all human, we’ve all got our own issues, so why not just acknowledge that we’re really not that different from each other after all and stop the hate?
DPE Banquet and after-party.
You guys have no idea how thankful I am to the people in this organization. From my pledge class to my big, these people continue to impress me with their dedication, passion, intelligence, and awesomeness. My big in particular has been incredibly supportive (she gave me the travel book on England), and I am devastated that she’s graduating. I am so proud to finally call myself an active member of Delta Phi Epsilon, Epsilon chapter at UC Berkeley.
Thank you so much for an amazing semester!
