[Tiste Simeon]

For those who said they don't "get" the family or the line of succession, this is quite a handy guide:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23272491

[Mezla PigDog]

Mourning fatigue has kicked in already. Everything everywhere seems to be telling me to feel sad but I'm happily over it already. She was a tough old bird and seemed to do her best with the life handed to her. She also lead a life of immense privilege - everyone saying how much she loved Balmoral, well she did own half of bloody Scotland it seems, I would love going to a massive estate I had inherited too. Although watching clips of her being sent in to console relatives and responders almost immediately after terrible events like bombings and shootings must have been rotten. Swings and roundabouts I guess but inherited privilege can do one, as far as I'm concerned.

Despite that, I'm enjoying the pomp. What do all the people with jobs when a new monarch is needed do the rest of the time? Like the royal trumpeters - what do they do with their time and taxpayer funded salary when there isn't a wedding, jubilee, funeral or coronation happening? And they are at the bottom of a very long list of people showing up to do stuff in fancy gear.

The mourning thing is bonkers though. We had a work virtual quiz lined up for my team on Friday. Nothing raucous, just a bit of a team bonding moment as we have a bunch of newbies. A colleague got in touch in the morning and asked me if it was going ahead 'under the circumstances'. I had not even nearly connected the two events and the team member who asked wasn't even bothered himself but had thought it might look bad. I decided it would go ahead (would be bonkers not to!) but I would send a message saying anyone not in the mood was free to not attend. Then I asked the chap who put the quiz together to check for any royal stuff that might be in bad taste - of course there was none. It makes you realise how all of this 'sombre reflection' is so many people acting how they think they should act in fear of doing the wrong thing and so not behaving how they really feel - which is probably "She seemed like an alright sort and she had a good innings, now back to my own life?"

UK government could really do with getting on with governing given they haven't done anything useful all summer. Not that they will do anything useful with their time if they do but at least pretend.

[Tiste Simeon]

Hmm your last sentence, Mez... I'm not sure they won't try to sneak a few pernicious things through while everyone is focused on the Queen. It would be absolutely in character to do that.

On the plus side, extra day off next Monday!

[Aptorian]

Are you guys all going to have to wear black for a year?

[Mezla PigDog]

Aptorian, on 11 September 2022 - 03:56 PM, said:

Are you guys all going to have to wear black for a year?

I think so. And walk with head bowed and speak in hushed tones and not have fun. The last part won't be hard in the political circumstances.

I just read a tweet that said they turned off the bleeps at the self-service checkouts in one supermarket chain. That has to be a joke. Allegedly some republic minded folk peacefully protesting at Charlie's accession speeches were arrested, too.

To be fair, I'll accept any old crap given we get a day off work for the funeral. Fingers crossed for another when they get around to the coronation too.

[Malankazooie]

The king's sausage fingers. What up wit dat?

[Maark Abbott]

Malankazooie, on 12 September 2022 - 08:12 PM, said:

The king's sausage fingers. What up wit dat?

To wave away the poors whilst pretending to sympathise with them, given smartprice sausages are more meat than most of us will be able to get going forward.

Subject of which, Truss was saying something about a 2.5k per year energy cap for households and yet a friend just had her forward direct debit statement come in at 432pcm. Which is around 5.2k per year. So either Truss was lying, or the energy companies are going to ignore the cap and try and charge what they like anyway. My gut feeling is both because you cannot ever trust a Tory, especially not one who defected from the Lib Dems. My only hope is that people en masse actually take a stand and say 'no more' because otherwise it will just get worse and worse and worse.

[QuickTidal]

It's Oedema.

A condition where the body starts to retain fluids in the limbs, normally the legs and ankles but also in the fingers, which causes them to swell.

A frequent cause of this is arthritis, but there can be many other reasons for it as you age.

[Mezla PigDog]

Malankazooie, on 12 September 2022 - 08:12 PM, said:

The king's sausage fingers. What up wit dat?

Evidence of underlying age related conditions that increase the likelihood of more crown changeover related public holidays in the relatively near future!!!

/bad taste.

[Tiste Simeon]

Imagine getting a wet willy from one of those bad boys!

[Macros]

Surely a set up for a bad taste comment about the royal men's bad actions, rumoured and actual over the years

[Mezla PigDog]

Macros, on 14 September 2022 - 01:13 PM, said:

Surely a set up for a bad taste comment about the royal men's bad actions, rumoured and actual over the years

Less bad taste and more "rarely acknowledged fact" surely?

[Aptorian]

Is that hand envy I'm detecting Macros?

[Macros]

Of Prince Andrew and his Ilk?
No, I'm insulted you would even suggest it

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

A three mile long queue has to be the unlocking of some sort of peak level of stereotypical Britishness, right?

[Macros]

I think the blindly accepting the largest inheritance transfer in British history should go untaxed.... Because..... Is up there for most British thing ever.

Fuck the idea of royalty

[QuickTidal]

Chuck has already let his "mask" slip twice....in one video where he slapped on an irritated face that someone DARED to not remove the pen case from in front of him as he wrote or signed something....and a worse one where he fucks up the days date on some document, is corrected by both the man standing behind him and Camilla...then has a leaky pen, and stomps around a bit acting like a toddler about it.

This guy is ALREADY a train wreck...you guys should just abolish the monarchy at this point. This man will add nothing to it.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

QuickTidal, on 15 September 2022 - 01:06 PM, said:

Chuck has already let his "mask" slip twice....in one video where he slapped on an irritated face that someone DARED to not remove the pen case from in front of him as he wrote or signed something....and a worse one where he fucks up the days date on some document, is corrected by both the man standing behind him and Camilla...then has a leaky pen, and stomps around a bit acting like a toddler about it.

This guy is ALREADY a train wreck...you guys should just abolish the monarchy at this point. This man will add nothing to it.

'King Charles Is a Passionate Supporter of Fake Science

[...] has been pushing bunk homeopathic medicine for four decades. This isn't just silly, it's dangerous.

What type of king will Charles III be?

This is a question I have been asked many times during recent days. As a scientist, I might be good at establishing facts, but I have to admit I am lousy at reading tea leaves. The best answer I can offer is one based on Charles' track record in my area of expertise.

[...] he once even stated that he is proud of being an enemy of the enlightenment. [...]

Homeopathic remedies can be based on plants or any other material; a famously ridiculous remedy, for example, is made of the Berlin Wall. [...]

[...] one drop of the starting material is dissolved in 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 drops of diluent—which equates to less than one molecule of the original substance per all the molecules of the universe. [...]

[...] They also believe that the process of diluting—homeopaths call it "potentization"—renders their remedies not less, but more potent.

Homeopathy follows the "like cures like" principle: if, for instance, a patient suffers from runny eyes, a homeopath might prescribe a remedy made of onion, because onion makes our eyes water. If you suffer from sleeplessness, you might get a prescription of coffea arabica because coffee keeps us awake.

[...] Even the widespread notion that homeopathy can do no harm is not true. Whenever homeopaths advise patients to forgo effective conventional treatments, they are likely to cause significant harm. [...]

[...] he will have to stop making public proclamations, but his new influence as the head of state will enable him to pull strings behind the scenes.'

King Charles Is a Passionate Supporter of Fake Science

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 15 September 2022 - 03:00 PM

[Malankazooie]

King Chuck's behavior is why I find the whole notion of the British Monarchy creepy as hell and it baffles me why there are countries across the planet who not only acknowledge, but support it. His behavior is just one glaring example. There were subtlety awkward behaviors involving the queen throughout the years (what's the deal with all that greeting protocol anyway?). And just as a simple example, listening to the two princes talking about the messages left by children for their grandmum was cringey af. I don't think there are anyone that are more out of touch with common people.

[Mezla PigDog]

On one hand I want him to behave badly. It will hasten the demise of the monarchy. I have seen speculation that it won't be long before the right wing press turn on him as his climate views don't chime with their agenda. They will push for him to abdicate for William because he and his family are more photogenic and vanilla. And all with the desired result of taking the country's focus off what really needs doing so more right wing shit can go unnoticed.

On the other hand given the egregious moral vacuum created by politicians in charge who are only serving their own agenda, the country is going through enough.