Richard III discussion

Hi all,
I was thinking that maybe we could start a place for some of our off-topic conversations?

And I'm wondering who moved in with Misfit?

Is anyone ready to start gardening? I'm ready but the weather here is back to winter today. Yesterday is was spring and the day before that was more like summer.

Barb wrote: "Is anyone ready to start gardening? I'm ready but the weather here is back to winter today. Yesterday is was spring and the day before that was more like summer."

Barb: If I had a garden, I would love to be in it. But, yesterday brought Winter back - hail, thunderstorms, lightning and then cold. Where is my friend, Spring?

No garden for me, I'm a condo girl.

Barb, I just adopted a six year old Chartreux who currently goes by the name Tater Tot (I might change that). His family in Idaho had to move and couldn't take him with him. Just picked him up Saturday afternoon. Misfit the kitty cat is not a happy camper. Here's some fun pics,

http://misfitandmom.livejournal.com/8...

Video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2JN0R...

It seemed some progress had been made in the kitty wars while I was gone today they seemed so relaxed when I first got home. Then Tater got in Misfit's face whilst she was in the litter box. Bad form.

Misfit wrote: "No garden for me, I'm a condo girl.

Barb, I just adopted a six year old Chartreux who currently goes by the name Tater Tot (I might change that). His family in Idaho had to move and couldn't ta..."

Congratulations on the new addition! He has the most beautiful fur - you just want to get lost in it.

Wanda wrote: "Misfit wrote: "No garden for me, I'm a condo girl.

Barb, I just adopted a six year old Chartreux who currently goes by the name Tater Tot (I might change that). His family in Idaho had to move ..."

Yeah, everyone says that until its spring shedding time :)

I swear that fur of their's sheds water like wool does.

Misfit,
If you are taking a vote as to name change or no, I have to vote please do! The poor guy is going to develop a complex if he hasn't already. It's clear that his previous owners named him Tater Tot because of his shape!

Glad you are all getting settled in.

Barb, believe it or not my understanding is Tater came from his childhood before the now former owners fattened him up. He's on a strict diet and hopefully chasing Misfit the kitty cat around the house will burn some more calories.

Its funny, I get home and it seems like all's well and we've been getting along and then the hissing and growling starts up again. Maybe its just for me?

It would be fun to have a nanny/kitty cam and see what goes on whle you are gone.
:0)
Maybe the former owners really liked Tatter Tots?

I like the new picture of Misfit and she looks totally ticked off!

She was pissed when I took that pic, trust me. I had another cute one I snapped of the flip video - but it doesn't display well at GR. I've got it on my Amazon profile page though.

I'll have to ask where they came up with the name. I swear kitty war almost broke out on the bed this morning with me caught in the middle of it.

I love the look of Chartreuxs. I have a 15 year old American Shorthair named Mishka that looks just like your other cat...with that exact expression when we brought Tygre (late sweet kitty) and then brought the Italian Greyhounds home.

Gardening:
My earth boxes and heirloom seeds (no genetic alterations and most stock comes from plants that existed pre-1800s) arrived. My husband and I started a porch garden. We have an array of interesting plants that we're looking forward to sampling at the dinner table:

Red carrots
White carrots
Parsnips
Italian broccoli
Two different types of French melons
Italian onions
Spinache
Cabbage
Belgian Peppers
Basil
Thyme

Must also start working the horses back into condition. They had the winter off and are very lazy.

Jenn, Chartreux are as adorable and sweet natured as they look. I wish I could have a vegetable garden. I'm not one for puttering around flowers but to have fresh veggies...I'd be in heaven.

Uh, I have a spider plant.

...Yeah, that's all I got. I live on the third floor of a complex. So no ability to have a garden, a dog, and I could have a cat but I enjoy my furniture without scratches. Also I'd be totally irresponsible. I'm amazed I've kept the spider plant alive, and they're practically indestructible.

I kill any indoor plants I touch - gave them up years ago. Dogs, forget it. Too much work. At least cats can go by themselves.

We are down to 'going' every two and a half hours now instead of every hour when Moses first arrived!
:0)

Wanda wrote: "Barb wrote: "Is anyone ready to start gardening? I'm ready but the weather here is back to winter today. Yesterday is was spring and the day before that was more like summer."

Barb: If I had a ..."

Back to winter here too at 8,000 feet in CO!

MAP wrote: "
Uh, I have a spider plant.

...Yeah, that's all I got. I live on the third floor of a complex. So no ability to have a garden, a dog, and I could have a cat but I enjoy my furniture without scra..."

I have about 12 houseplants and my first orchid which I got about 2 years ago. I belong to two yahoo gardening groups which are not active right now except the roses group is starting up some.

So....I'm bracing for impact over in Tudor History Lovers. Someone asked for an honest opinion of something, and I stupidly gave it. We'll see if I'm run out of the group.

The beginning of the new season on SHO seems to have livened up interest. Just yesterday over at Democratic Underground I ran across a very long thread discussing why H8 couldn't seem to father a healthy son. The discussion ranged from syphilis to broken chromosomes - with complex Mendelian diagrams explaining why a defect in in a given chromosome would produce robust daughters and sickly sons. On toward the end of this scholarly and complicated argument was a three word explanation which covered everything: "God hated him."

Honesty may not be the best but it is the most amusing policy. ;)

Hahahaha. Could it just be that women in those days had a harder time carrying healthy babies to full term? (And actually, despite how we all think of him, Edward VI was very healthy, not sickly and frail at all, for most of his life. He preferred studying and literature to his father's more athletic personality, which I think played into the myth that he was frail. But actually, his illness and death as a teenager were not expected and were not the culmination of a lifelong struggle with health.)

I just went over to THL and read your opinion. To which I can only say - *Huzza! hooray! More, more!* Someone needed to say that and you did it well. I particularly liked the last part where you slammed her on her pseudo-psychological babble. There is far too much false blathering passing for history and analysis these days. I blame Alison Weir and the cult of the romance novel. Heh!

MAP wrote: "So....I'm bracing for impact over in Tudor History Lovers. Someone asked for an honest opinion of something, and I stupidly gave it. We'll see if I'm run out of the group. "

I saw the post but it was still early and I decided to keep my mouth shut, or at least not be the first. I'm off to see....

"my first orchid which I got about 2 years ago."

I have a small greenhouse out back in which we used to keep orchids. We had quite a good collection at one time. They are a much hardier plant than most people believe. I loved my butter-yellow cattleyas.

I think the Rh factor theory is fascinating (abstracted here): http://pediatrics.aappublications.org...

I guess we're really talking about Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, and Jane Seymour, right? Because I would imagine he'd have trouble even, err, doing the deed by the time he got to Katherine Howard and Katherine Parr and he never touched Anne of Cleves. So it's possible that Henry was Rh-negative and the first three wives were Rh positive (more common?)

I think Rh was mentioned in the DU thread. Heaven alone knows what was not mentioned in that discussion.

I saw the post but it was still early and I decided to keep my mouth shut, or at least not be the first. I'm off to see....




Oh, fine, fine. Just let the idiot, brash, idealistic grad student charge in and do all the dirty work. ;)

MAP wrote: "I saw the post but it was still early and I decided to keep my mouth shut, or at least not be the first. I'm off to see....




Oh, fine, fine. Just let the idiot, brash, idealistic grad stu..."


Hey, I added to your comment don't worry.

Dear MAP: Why would you be run out of a group for expressing your honest opinion? I don't understand why someone asks for an opinion and then attacks everyone who does not feel the same way or think the same thoughts as she does. Honesty is the best policy no matter what - unless, of course, your best friend asks you if you like her boyfriend and you don't and you don't really want to get into the reasons why. My response has always been, "Well, as long as you like him." But, really, why do people attack others just because of differing opinions? I don't get it. And besides, PG just flat out stinks! Flowers, birds, fabrics out of place, I would not notice; but a blatant misrepresentation of history, I do notice and I am only a high school graduate.

For one thing: Some PG fans (usually younger teenagers, who really don't hang out on Goodreads, thank goodness) are incredibly defensive of the author and her standing as a historian, and will pretty much have a nervous breakdown if anyone disagrees. I haven't seen this on Goodreads, but I have seen it on Amazon.com and Facebook. And I do tend to make such reactions worse because I have a fairly abrasive way of putting things.

Second: Because people never enjoy hearing that something they really love is outright hated by someone else, even if it's for a good reason, and I understand that. I'm always a tad hurt when, say, a book or movie I recommend to a friend is disliked by that friend.

Who is PG?

Phillapa Gregory.

I agree, some people can get real hot and bothered by differing opinions. I really enjoy Goodreads (at least the groups I'm in). Everyone can express their opinion and I've yet to see a flame war.

Misfit wrote: "Phillapa Gregory.


Aaaah! I quite enjoy her books as trashy fun dressed up in costume :D

To be perfectly honest, the voyeur in me will be very interested to see how PG holds up against the Ricardians. So far, she's been dealing with Tudor enthusiasts, but I lurk on the Richard III society yahoo forum (I get daily e-mails of their discussions) and you do NOT want to publish a book claiming to be historically accurate about Richard III and not be dead sure of yourself. I don't think PG knows what she's getting into by delving into the Plantagenets. Ricardians aren't like Tudor fans. Ricardians have spent too many years battling bad press and propagated myths. They know their stuff, and they'll call you out -- publicly -- if you get something wrong, and especially if you get something wrong and then go into an interview and claim to have written a historically accurate novel.

Oh oh oh.

MAP, you are sounding like you are anticipating the blood sport. Do you think it will be more like bear baiting or like bull fighting? I confess, I am eager to see the fun myself.

Ole!

It depends on what she gets wrong. If she errs on the side of Richard, she'll be left alone--at least on the Yahoo group in question. Since she seems to be going for a witchy Elizabeth Woodville, she'll probably be just fine.

Then I guess it will be up to you to point out all the faults, Susan. ;) You do write great blog posts, and I've seen people link to them from the oddest of places. People really follow what you write and take it seriously.

(And for the record, I will not be thrilled if PG makes Richard look like a saint but does so by twisting all the history and making stuff up that never happened, and then going on TV and proclaiming that she's written about the "real, historical" Richard or some nonsense. I believe that if someone deserves to be vindicated, then no embellishment is necessary upon the truth in order to make it happen. [whether Richard truly deserves to be vindicated of all he's accused of is up for debate, but I'm just saying in general.:] But considering I already have a bias against her, my anger at the thought of her pouring inaccuracies about the Plantagenets into people's heads may not be as righteous as I'd like to think they are!)

Thanks, MAP!

I did enjoy The Boleyn Inheritance, though the bits about Anne of Cleves being accused of witchcraft made me raise my eyebrows (if I'm remembering correctly). The other books didn't do much for me, and I decided not to bother with the last one after seeing the reviews.

Philippa Gregory is considered little short of a goddess in some circles. (Someone did explain why once, but I've forgotten.) I have enjoyed some of her books, others I have wall banged. I recall particularly one about the young Elizabeth (Tudor)that annoyed me so much I wanted it burnt by the public hangman, as mere wall banging seemed insufficient.

So I look forward to her Plantagenet books with some anticipation, wondering who the incest will be between. (There usually is one in PG.) Elizabeth and Anthony perhaps?

Although I am in the sphere of moderate Ricardians, veering towards strong, I am also sick of novelists treating Elizabeth like she was the devil incarnate when very definitely she wasn't. So if PG goes down that road I shall only be slightly less cross than Susan.

Brian wrote: "Philippa Gregory is considered little short of a goddess in some circles. (Someone did explain why once, but I've forgotten.) I have enjoyed some of her books, others I have wall banged. I recall p..."

:)

There is always the incest factor in her books aren't there? Even in her forward to Seton's Devil Water she had to try to stir the incest pot that wasn't even there.

I enjoyed the Boleyn Inheritance also but I'm very glad I skipped The Other Queen. Not even worth getting from the library.

Heh! OK, so I'm entertained by the idea that the PG books are called The White Queen and The Red Queen (is this a joke on Wikipedia?) because it reminds me of nothing so much as Alice in Wonderland. Is someone going to speak harshly to her little boy and slap him when he sneezes? :P

It's interesting to me that she actually has a doctorate in history, because I don't see that reflected in her novels so much!! (I recently read Sophie Gee's Scandal of the Season and that had, IMO, much more verisimilitude as far as tone and character interaction were concerned.)

Richard III and Elizabeth of York would be a likely choice for the incest, but that might be too obvious. So I do fear that Elizabeth W and Anthony will be forced to oblige.

Gregory, however, may not be able to match the novel by Alan Savage that has Margaret of Anjou taking Elizabeth Woodville as one of her many lovers. That's in my "The Wars of the Roses Were Fought For This?" Hall of Fame.

Oh, that Alan Savage novel is priceless, if you're not easily shocked! But it's not really serious HF, is it? I think I laughed my head off reading it, wondering who Margaret was going to 'engage' next!

I was gravely disappointed that Margaret of Anjou never had a go with the Duke of Gloucester. Think of what a splendid scene that could have been in Savage's hands.

"That's in my "The Wars of the Roses Were Fought For This?" Hall of Fame."

Is that really on your blog? You must share. You guys are making me want to read the Savage book but only if I get it cheap. What's the title?

Sadly, the Hall of Fame is only in my mind as of yet. It does sound like a worthy blog entry, though.

The Alan Savage book is called Queen of Lions. The prim cover illustration of a pretty lady in a pointy hennin gazing out toward the distance belies the novel's racy content. The sex itself is rather tamely described compared to modern-day romance novels, but what Savage lacks in description is more than made up for in the sheer variety of the people Margaret bonks, and the locations she manages it in.

Damn, library doesn't have it and its a bit spendy used. Too bad, might have been fun for a group read.

We'll be looking for the Hall of Fame coming soon. Finish the book first though.

Keep watching! It shows up cheap from time to time.

Might try for an ILL, although I hate to waste the county's time and money for something like that :o

Alan Savage is an 'interesting' writer in that I'm not sure what to make of him. He's very tongue-in-cheek, and that stops it being erotica/pornography, given that the first rule of those genres is that they have to be deadly serious. It ain't standard HF either.

I read another of his books about Joanna, Queen of Naples, who was a real 14th century person. This is also tongue-in-cheek and full of unusual sex scenes. I can't recall the title but it is a very, very strange book.