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We Americans like to think of ourselves as a generous, pluralistic society, welcoming and friendly, but xenophobia runs strong here -- and this is not a new phenomenon.
Marian Mesrobian MacCurdy, Contributor
Writer, professor, singer, author of three books--Sacred Justice, The Mind's Eye, and Writing and Healing--and essays,articles, and poems.
02/15/2016 09:55am EST | Updated February 15, 2017
This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.
On February 19, 1942 Franklin Delano Roosevelt issued an executive order to give military commanders the right to declare certain parts of the United States military areas, allowing them to deport and incarcerate anyone they so chose. Over 120,000 Japanese-American citizens living on the west coast were rounded up, removed from their homes, and placed in internment camps. In 1944 the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of this order. In 1980 President Jimmy Carter appointed the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians to study this decision, which concluded that little evidence existed to warrant such a wholesale action, instead pointing to racism, war hysteria, and a lack of political leadership as the cause, and ordered reparations payments of $20,000 per individual incarcerated. Although the Supreme Court decision still stands, standards of decency do too.
With the hindsight of history we recognize that these actions were wrong, but could this kind of sweeping racism occur today? We have clear evidence that we are not far from this mentality 74 years later. Some Republican presidential candidates are shouting over each other that if elected they would prevent Syrian refugees from entering the United States--no exceptions for families with small children or single mothers. The United States helped to create the Syrian crisis in the Middle East by destabilizing Iraq, but that responsibility is not acknowledged in this fear calculus. After the Paris attacks at the end of 2015 Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz argued that they would only allow in Christian immigrants, and Ben Carson and Donald Trump said no Syrians should be admitted into the United States.
Who are these potentially dangerous people? The destabilization of Syria has produced 12.8 million Syrians that need humanitarian assistance. More than 50% of Syria's population has been displaced; 4 million have left Syria. Of the refugees referred by the United Nations to the United States 67% have been women and children. These people are attempting to leave Syria to escape the constant fighting and decimated infrastructure--schools have been destroyed, hospitals bombed, children recruited or forced to fight. Families have no food, no clothing; children are dying of starvation. The world has not seen a refugee crisis of this magnitude since World War II.
Thousands of these displaced people are Armenians, many the descendants of those who managed to survive the Armenian Genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Turks in 1915-23 in which one and a half million old men, women, and children (the able-bodied men were murdered first) were sent on forced marches across historic Armenia. A few who survived bayonets, swords, drowning, beheading, starvation, disease, and other atrocities created homes for themselves in cities such as Kessab, a town near the border with Turkey. In 2014 Kessab was attacked, according to witnesses, from the Turkish side. The inhabitants escaped with only the clothes on their backs. The city is now deserted, its 2,500 Armenian residents gone, their homes and their belongings abandoned to their attackers. Once again in another generation Armenian families are threatened, uprooted, and forced to run for their lives.
We Americans like to think of ourselves as a generous, pluralistic society, welcoming and friendly, but xenophobia runs strong here--and this is not a new phenomenon. When my grandmother, an Armenian refugee from Turkish oppression, arrived in Syracuse in 1920, she went to a neighbor to ask for a glass of water to give her small daughter, my mother, a drink since their water had not yet been turned on. The neighbor asked her to go around to the back, opened the back door just enough to allow her hand to fit through with a jelly glass of water and said, "Don't bother to return the glass." But Eliza, my grandmother, was not so easily intimidated. Once when she was traveling on a trolley with her husband and their children, a woman stared disapprovingly at the family, saying to her female companion, "Italians!" My grandmother looked at my grandfather and with a haughty gesture pointed to the two women and said, "Irish!" I grew up as an ethnic kid in a white neighborhood in central New York. I've been asked if I am Spanish, Italian, east Indian, native American, Jewish, even Irish but never Armenian because no one had heard of Armenia. When I was a kid, everyone wanted to be tall and blond, but somewhere around college age I noticed that looking "ethnic" brought attention, some of it unwanted. One evening when I was a sophomore in college, I was walking down South Crouse Avenue to my apartment from the Syracuse University campus when two tall light-haired young men approached me, one sliding in on my left and one my right. Immediately the game started: "Hey, you, with the long dark hair, wanna go somewhere and talk?" as if any woman wouldn't be weirded out being corralled by two men on a dark street at 7:30 at night. I was terrified into silence, then anger. I began to put my four years of French to work, hoping to confuse them into leaving me alone: "Je ne parle pas l'anglais. Parlez vous francais, s'il vous plait?" My fourth year of French ended disastrously in my only C + in college because I stopped working after my very short male teacher called out to me and to the other 4 foot 10 1/2 inch girl in the class as we walked into French IV a minute late one day, "Hey class, the pygmies have arrived." But I remembered what I needed this night. "Pardon, je ne comprend pas." The guy on my right said, "Do you think she really doesn't understand us?" Their armor chink encouraged me, and I kept it up. They soon slid off into the darkness.
I have no idea if this was racial profiling or if anyone short, female, and defenseless would have fit the bill, but I did wonder if it was easier for those two guys to imagine harassing someone who didn't look like their sisters.
Of course TSA agents get to racially profile daily. I had taken my mother to Washington, DC to see her brother who was dying of cancer. We were at post 9/11 Washington National Airport waiting to board. The aircraft, one of those loud four-engine prop planes was ready, and passengers were being called to embark. My aged mother leaned on me and on her cane as we walked together to the airport door. She was allowed through it; I was not. I was taken into a back room, and while everyone else was on the plane, I was thoroughly searched and interrogated by three agents. "Why are you here? Where are you going? Why are you traveling? Who are you traveling with?" They looked grim, like they were sure, absolutely sure, that I had a bomb somewhere on my person. Of course, no reason was given for their behavior. I thought of my elderly mother on the plane. If they don't let me go, how would she get home? Will the plane wait for these agents to decide that I am not a terrorist? Were they convinced I was a danger to self and others because I look Middle Eastern? Is this what my black colleagues face every day of their lives?
In late 2015 thirty-one United States governors opposed allowing Syrian refugees into their states, knowing full well that only the federal government can legislate refugee placement. Between 2011 and December 2015 the United States had admitted under 2000 Syrian refugees into our country, and the great majority of those referred to us by the UN have been women and children under 12. Canada has admitted 36,300. President Obama has proposed that the US take in 10,000 Syrian refugees this year, but Congress, responsible for approving funding, has voted to pass a bill that would require that the government certify that no refugee admitted would pose a security risk to the United States, which would slow the process nearly to a standstill. Of course, politicians are responding to their constituents: 53% of Americans do not want to take in Syrian refugees. This is consistent with the past: in 1948 a Gallup poll demonstrated that 57% of Americans did not want to admit 10,000 European immigrants in their state, and the disapproval ratings for taking in Vietnamese and Cuban immigrants were even higher. Cedrick Argueta, a child of immigrants from the heavily Latino Lincoln High School in LA, is one of only 12 students in the country who got a perfect score on his calculus AP exam this year. Yes, he is talented in math, but he attributes his score to his hard work studying two hours a day. Immigrants are hungry to succeed. That's why they are here. They provide the fresh thinking and energy countries need to innovate. I know from my family and those of other Armenians who saw the United States as their savior from certain death that immigrants work hard. They take nothing for granted. And these are the people we want to build a wall to keep out. These are the people one Republican would "carpet bomb until the sands are glowing" because, of course, bombs kill all in their path, small Syrian children as well as ISIS leaders. These are the people we want to condemn to lives in perennial limbo in squalid camps because we our fear is greater than our compassion. An entire generation of children will not become educated as a result. Who will they be when they grow up? Will they be the doctors that save their people, the lawyers that help find legal solutions to territorial disputes, the teachers that help children to grow out of poverty or will they grow up to act out on us the rage that our oppression and ignorance helped create?
When will we learn? As we sow so shall we reap.
syrian refugeesRacismarmenian genocide
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This is why Tradition tells us we must go beyond our earthly experiences and memories of fatherhood when we pray, "Our Father." For though He is a provider, begetter, and protector, God is more unlike than like any human father, patriarch, or paternal figure. The Catechism puts it this way: "God our Father transcends the categories of the created world. To impose our own ideas in this area 'upon him' would be to fabricate idols to adore or pull down. To pray to the Father is to enter into his mystery as he is and as the Son has revealed him to us" (no. 2779).
How has Jesus, God the Son, revealed the Father to us? As "[o]ur Father who art in heaven" (Mt. 6:9). By adding that prepositional phrase "in heaven," Jesus emphasizes the difference in God's fatherhood. The Father to Whom we pray is not an earthly father. He is "above" us; He is the One we profess in the creed as "Father Almighty"—that is, all powerful. Though we are weak, limited, and prone to mistakes, nothing is impossible for God (cf. Lk. 1:37).
God's power, then, sets His fatherhood apart from any fatherhood we have known or imagined. His "fatherhood and power shed light on one another" (Catechism, no. 270). Unlike earthly fathers, He always has the best intentions for His children, and He always has the ability to carry them out. Jesus wanted us to know this, so that we could always approach our heavenly Father with childlike trust and confidence: "[W]hatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith" (Mt. 21:22).
Earthly fatherhood sometimes reflects these characteristics, as do those offices that assume fatherly roles in society: the priesthood, for example, and the government. Yet earthly fathers can perfect their fatherhood only by purifying themselves of earthly motives—such as greed, envy, pride, and the desire to control. They can become true fathers only by conforming themselves to the image of their heavenly Father, and that Image is His firstborn Son, Jesus Christ.
In governing, in parenting, or in priesthood, we come to exercise a more perfect fatherly role as we "grow up" in the Family of God: "[W]e are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ" (Rom. 8:16–17). This process is a divine corrective to the world's distorted notions of patriarchy and hierarchy.
An ancient Christian writer, Dionysius the Areopagite, described hierarchy as something that originates in heaven, where divine light passes through the angels and the saints as if all were transparent.2 God's gifts, then, are passed from one person to the next, undiluted. Those who are closest to God—and so higher in the hierarchy—serve those who are lower. At each stage, they give as God gives, keeping nothing to themselves.
Notice, here, how spiritual goods differ from material goods. If I have sole ownership of something—say, a sport coat or a tie—someone else can't own it and use it at the same time. The higher goods, however, are spiritual; and spiritual goods—such as faith, hope, love, liturgy, the merits of the saints—can be shared and owned completely by all. That's how the hierarchy works with the angels and saints in heaven.
 Hahn, S. (2002). Understanding "Our Father": Biblical Reflections on the Lord's Prayer, pp. 14–15. Steubenville, OH: Emmaus Road Publishing.
Tonight just stats and a video. I hope your Holy Week has been a blessed one. Thank you for reading. God bless you!
Word count goal for the month: 50K. Nightly: 1,667. Tonight: Under 2K. Total: 44,650. Woohoo!
Just found this to share with you. Romans: The Gospel According to St. Paul: A Nine Lesson Audio Bible Study Course from the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, SalvationHistory.com.
Read more and download the audio: Romans: The Gospel According to St. Paul.
More free Catholic audio in the Resources pages.
I posted a brief version of my conversion story on the About Me page a while back. But during a conversation here on the blog someone (Hi, Lauretta!) asked me what drew me to Catholicism. I don't know if she knew what she was letting herself in for, but I wrote a few paragraphs by way of reply and thought I'd share that reply in a post of its own (slightly edited because I can't ever just copy/paste anything without editing it and because it's a post now and not a reply). Bear in mind that even though this goes into more detail than the About Me page does, I'm still leaving out a lot. I didn't go into all the various false paths and blind alleys and dead ends I wandered into along the way before I found Him Who is The Way, the Truth and the Life. So without further ado, here's the story of my conversion, take two.
Scott Hahn played a large part in my conversion (and I got to tell him that when I met him at Samford University a while back). His conversion story was out on cassette tape then and somebody gave me a copy of it or we had it at the Catholic bookstore where I was working. While I was a Buddhist, I might add. Yes, you heard that right. While I was still a Buddhist. Had been for many years, though I was raised Methodist. But I had many questions as a child and young adult and I never heard answers that were satisfying to my heart or my mind, so I went on a long journey of exploration and experimentation. And when I say long, I mean long! Forty years (counting my whole life up until I finally heard the call) of searching for truth and finding glimmers and tantalizing hints here and there and yet I knew that I had not found IT and I didn't even know what IT was, only that I had not found it.
In the meantime a close friend of mine had decided to get serious about her faith or, rather, the faith of her grandfather who was Catholic. She went through the RCIA and got very active in the Church. And since we did everything together back then, I got very active in the Church right along with her, helping with the music side of things, playing guitar for the youth group when they sang at Mass, washing dishes and cleaning up after Lenten meals, things like that.
On the way home from work one day I happened to spot a little Catholic bookstore. Aha, I thought, I'll have to tell my friend! I dropped in to explore a few days later and fell headlong into an entire world that I had not even suspected existed.
I started working there as a volunteer without any thought of converting, mind you. But I had volunteered to put the books in order (they were just placed any old way on the shelves and that drove me crazy!), and to put the books in order I had to at least read a little bit of them to see what kind of books they were. So I read a little of this kind of theology and that (who knew there were different kinds?), a little Church history, the lives of a few saints, a few of the great spiritual writers, some Fathers of the Church, some apologists and some Bible studies. Then I discovered Scott Hahn's tape sets. I was hooked! Fascinated! When I became the buyer for the store, I started stocking every tape set of his I could get hold of. And listening to them over and over. Thrilling stuff!
And then my friend and I got into an argument. She said that I should be Catholic and I was perfectly happy as a Buddhist. Even though I was still searching for the ultimate truth and was beginning to suspect that the Church might have at least some of that truth. (Oy, how hard-headed could I be?) Then the new Catechism was published and we started carrying stacks of them at the store. Couldn't keep them in stock. And everywhere study groups were popping up and my friend mentioned that her parish was holding study classes on the Catechism. And I shocked her by asking if I could attend the classes with her. Well, why not, I said, I'll just collect another religion if nothing else. That was what I was thinking but God had different plans.
The class was led by a facilitator who somehow somewhere sustained an injury early on and the parish priest took up where she left off. And the class really took off, too. How mysterious are the ways of the Lord! The priest was from Ireland and had been in this country for many years, a good faithful devout knowledgeable priest. And he made Catholicism come alive for us! That was one of the best summers of my life and by summer's end I went to the priest to ask for instruction. Our instruction class only had four people in it, we didn't do the RCIA, just a simple talking about the teachings of the Church and what it means to be, to live as a Catholic.
I was received into Holy Mother Church at the Easter Vigil in 1996. I was on fire then. I'm on fire now. I have my struggles but the good Lord and His Church help me through them. My struggles are not with the Church but with myself. I accept all that the Church teaches and I wouldn't change a thing even if I could. Would that more Catholics would embrace their faith and live it! But I know many who do. Sometimes I wish I had grown up Catholic but I realize that God can use even the stupid things I did to bring good out of them.
So, in answer to the question, what drew me to Catholicism, I'd have to say: Truth. And He Who is the Truth. In Catholicism I discovered the Church and the Church led me to Christ. I also discovered the Blessed Mother and she also led me to Christ. I discovered the Catholic interpretation of Scripture and Scripture, read in the Church at Mass and interpreted by the Church, also led me to Christ. The Rosary led me to Christ. The Divine Mercy devotion and teachings led me to Christ. Devout Catholics led me to Christ. Thanks be to God! May nothing ever separate me from Him or His Holy Church as long as I live! Amen!
Catholic Cross Reference: Catholic Study Tools by Jeffrey Pinyan. This resource is developing into something marvelous. And hard to categorize since it already has a Catechism of the Catholic Church Search Engine, a Summa Theologiae Search Engine, a Church Fathers Search Engine, and there are plans for more in the works. Also see Read the Catechism in a Year, a project of Jeffrey Pinyan (CatechismAPI) and Matthew Warner (Flocknote).


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Yerkes researchers identify language feature unique to human brain
Researchers have identified a language feature unique to the human brain that is shedding light on how human language evolved.
Therapeutic cloning treats Parkinson's disease in mice
Research led by investigators at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center has shown that therapeutic cloning, also known as somatic-cell nuclear transfer, can be used to treat Parkinson's disease in mice.
Protein protects embryonic stem cells' versatility and self-renewal
The protein REST protects the pluripotentiality and self-renewal of embryonic stem cells by suppressing a specific microRNA.
UC Davis researchers discover how HIV turns food-poisoning into lethal infection
Nearly half of all HIV-positive African adults who become infected with Salmonella die from what otherwise would be a seven-day bout of diarrhea.
Promising new drug targets identified for Huntington's disease
Research funded by the Wellcome Trust has provided a number of promising new drug targets for Huntington's disease, a neurodegenerative disease.
K-State contributions to red flour beetle genome sequencing featured in March 27 issue of Nature
The red flour beetle, a pest of stored grain and grain products, is the best organism for studying genetics.
UM physicists show electrons can travel over 100 times faster in graphene than in silicon
University of Maryland physicists have shown that in graphene the intrinsic limit to the mobility, a measure of how well a material conducts electricity, is higher than any other known material at room temperature.
Study finds pitching mound height affects throwing motion, injury risk
A study involving several Major League Baseball pitchers indicates that the height of the pitcher's mound can affect the athlete's throwing arm motion, which may lead to potential injuries because of stress on the shoulder and elbow.
A switch that controls whether cells pass point of no return
Investigators at the Duke Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy have revealed the hidden properties of an on-off switch that governs cell growth.
Black carbon pollution emerges as major player in global warming
Black carbon, a form of particulate air pollution most often produced from biomass burning, cooking with solid fuels and diesel exhaust, has a warming effect in the atmosphere three to four times greater than prevailing estimates, according to scientists in an upcoming review article in the journal Nature Geoscience.
Coral's addiction to 'junk food'
Over two hundred million humans depend for their subsistence on the fact that coral has an addiction to

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Carrier Infinity Gas Furnace Series.
Whether you live in the cold North and need the high-efficiency of a condensing gas furnace or the moderate South and can do just fine with a little less efficiency, you'll still enjoy ultimate comfort with these Infinity series furnaces. Variable-speed blower technology and a two-stage gas valve help make them very quiet, not to mention efficient. If that's not enough, Comfort FanTM technology and other Infinity level features are sure to please. Models include condensing and non-condensing furnaces.
American Standard Platinum Series Furnace – The Ultimate In Comfort.
When your home is filled with even, continuous warmth both day and night, that's when you experience the ultimate in comfort. And that's just what you can expect from the Platinum Series Variable Speed Gas Furnace. You can also expect lower heating bills because the Platinum Series is over 95% efficient.
Why does variable speed make a difference? The Platinum Series variable speed blower and draft-inducer motor is a "smart" motor, which means it varies its speed depending upon your home's heating requirements. And the Integrally Controlled Motor (ICM) operates quietly, particularly during first stage or low heat operation. During continuous fan operation, the blower operates at 50% of cooling airflow, so sound is minimized. And here's another variable speed feature you'll love. Because a variable speed furnace operates at slower speeds, your indoor air quality will greatly improve. A slower fan speed means more unwanted particles cling to the filter, allowing cleaner air to flow into your home.
Outstanding craftsmanship and dependable performance have always made an AirEase heating system an investment you and your family can feel comfortable with. Now, with its leadership in ultra-high-efficiency heating technology, AirEase gives you more to feel good about: significant energy savings that result in lower heating bills.


It's an awesome thing to see before school starts!
*For all classes, students should look at their google classroom for posted notes, worksheets, and homework answers. I also post regularly in Remind--where both parents and students can see what is happening in class.


The Protomen are an American rock band, who started their career and are perhaps most widely known for composing concept albums loosely based on the video game series Mega Man.
Little is known about The Protomen, other than that the band is based in Nashville, Tennessee. Their stage names are largely references to pop culture films, song titles, and fictional characters. The group members refer to themselves as storytellers, creating a "rock and roll fable"; they are not characters in their stories.
The band is composed mostly of MTSU recording program graduates and first came to be so that they could meet class deadlines and the need to record for their grades. Their first live performance was in April 2004. Most of the band had graduated and moved to Nashville by 2005.


This leather bracelet includes the 925 Sterling Silver Evil Eye charm in Blue and the King Solomon Seal amulet. The Evil Eye Solomon Seal Amulet offers protection for the wearer from the influences and ill will of strangers. Believed to strengthen ones will power.
The Solomon Seal Amulet is approximately 0.5" in diameter.


Internet 1996 vs 2011: What Does It Mean for Education?
There's much to say about the changed nature of the Internet circa 1996 and that of Internet 2011, and this infographic from Online University captures several aspects. In this blog, I've talked about a few of these aspects quite a bit, such as access, global usage and its role in composing practices in the 21st century. What struck me in this infographic was in the bottom portion labeled: "Websites Then & Now," which displays the differences in design and inherent logic apparent when setting websites from 1996 next to those from 2011.
Reading the World Wide Web circa 1996 was much like reading pieces of paper—the 8×11 kind—on a screen. Not many people were writing the web, really only those with programming knowledge and server access. The GoDaddy.com site displays this well: In 1996, the site was basically it's catalog on the screen.
I remember using the 6 Traits approach to writing evaluation and instruction. Suddenly one year there was a change to 6+1 and the 1 was "formatting." I felt at that time that "formatting" was fluff. Color, borders, font, and the such were decoration—not inherent to the meaning being communicated! That was Me circa 1999-ish. Me circa 2011 has evolved much like the Internet. Never has the five-paragraph essay been sufficient for preparing students for life outside of school, but like never before, designing is becoming tantamount to writing. (Disagree? I'd love to hear what I'm missing here!) I explored the necessity of understanding design for myself in an earlier post about my experience in the #teachread project.
So what do students need to know about design in the 21st Century? In an alternative college prep program I run called EXCEL Academy @ NYU, I teach an alternative Freshman Composition course, which includes instruction in the traditional essay form, but also instruction in composing for the 21st Century. Below are snapshots of some of the concepts we discuss, put into practice, and critique. What other design elements do you think should be on our list?
One of the first things I noticed about this infographic was that it doesn't look like most of the infographics I see out there (such as those posted on the Infographic Archive—check out this one on the benefits of napping!). Ironically, the makers of this one, Online University, used the visual design elements of Internet 1996 to create an infographic—a text type surging in popularity in Internet 2011. This clashing of timescale points out perfectly how the changes of the Internet have been far more than technological.


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Mary, Queen of Scots had a good start: she was wearing the crown early and upgraded it at a young age under the watchful eye of many an interested party but once she started making decisions for herself? Ah, that's when her life took dramatic twists and turns that ultimately took the crown off her head. Actually, those decisions got her whole head taken off, but let's start at the beginning, shall we?
Mary Stuart about age 16 before her life turned quite contrary.
(François Clouet – Royal Collection via Wikimedia Commons)
Once upon a time in a rugged Renaissance land lived a king and a queen…
Linlithgow Palace in Scotland where Mary was born, looks very storybookish…maybe Brothers Grimm but a storybook nonetheless. (credit:Alex Sanz via Flckr)
Papa King, James V, Mama Queen Marie de Guise– he was out of the picture pretty quickly.
(unknown artist, wikimedia commons)
The fair Princess, Mary Stewart, quickly became the Fair Queen when her papa died right after her birth (which was pretty much following in the family business of baby rulers.)
Mary Stuart about age 13 by Francois Clouet (wickimedia commons)
Baby then toddler Mary was whisked from castle to castle by her mother who was trying to keep her safe (mostly from the English who would like nothing more than for her to NOT be Queen). In a spiffy piece of bargaining five year-old Mary and her four friends…the Marys (can't make this up, People, fact is often cooler than fiction) were sent off to France where she was promised to the Dauphin, Francis.
Stirling Castle, one of the Keep-Mary-Safe places
The Coterie of Marys had a fairly decent next few years in France. Mary–now frenchified to Stuart— was treated very well and raised with Francis. She was educated, spent a great deal of time with her mother's family and lived about ten years of princessy bliss cared for by Francis' mother, Catherine Di Medici and regularly doted on by King Henri II. Okay, so Catherine was concerned because Mary would be the NEXT Queen of France and Henri was interested because he thought Mary was the rightful heir to the English throne.
What? We go over all this in detail during the podcast (or listen to our Tudor episodes numbers 22, 24, 43 and 44) but basically Catholics thought that any of Henry VIII's marriages AFTER Catherine of Aragon –wife number one, mother of Queen Mary I of England– were null and void. Any children produced, they believed, were illegitimate. Mary Stuart was a direct and legitimate descendant of a Tudor (Henry VIII's sister was her grandmother)…badda bing- she should be Queen of England after Mary I not Elizabeth who was the daughter of Henry's second wife, Anne Boleyn.
Clear? Good. Now back to Mary…
Francis and Mary wed, then Papa Henri died in a jousting accident making Francis and Mary King and Queen (well there was a bit more to it, just listen to the podcast).
Francis and Mary about the age that they got married, Francois Clouet
Great! They will rule happily ever after!
Not exactly. After a year and a half of their reign Mama Marie back in Scotland was dead and no one was guarding the roosters there anymore; Francis was dead, and Mary, not having gotten pregnant wasn't really necessary in France. Several potential marriages were discussed but Mary decided it was time she went back to Scotland.
At first she was doing a decent job of balancing the Protestant and Catholic struggles, brought a little class to the joint and was doing a fair job of telling Queen Elizabeth I she wasn't just her cousin but also her friend. No rivals here, 'Cuz.
And then a man. *sigh* A man by the name of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. He was her 2nd cousin by marriage and she was smitten…or she thought it was a wise political move to marry him- so she did.
Mary Stuart and James Darnley, quite a fetching pair, right? He looks full of himself, doesn't he?
This bad decision quickly turned sour. Darnley was, well, the best word is petulant. And greedy, greedy is good, too. His attempts to usurp Mary's power quickly put them at odds. To complicate matters: Mary was pregnant. HIGH drama ensued: there was a plot by Darnley that landed one man dead, Baby James was born and then another foiled plot led to a very curious murder of yet another man: Lord Darnley himself. *cue dramatic music*
Twice widowed and single mother Mary made a few more poor choices- she ignored pressure from both the public and Queen Elizabeth to bring the obvious suspect in the murder to trial. In fact in the most dramatic move yet- she married him mere weeks after he kidnapped HER. (Seriously, go listen to the episode.)
Husband number three: James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell- swarmy, mean and an emotional abuser. Mary sure can pick 'em.
Pretty much this. (oh please. You can Google Bothwell)
credit: J.J. at English Language Wikipedia
This is when the Nobility, who were in a power struggle with Mary since the beginning of her life, had enough. She quickly fell out of favor, Bothwell was run off and Mary was imprisoned. She then made yet another really bad decision: she misinterpreted Queen Elizabeth's intentions, fled to England for protection by her cousin and soon was imprisoned again…
…for the next 19 years.
Elizabeth could hardly let this woman who was next in line for her crown and who had so much support from Catholics to be wearing said crown party across the land. Elizabeth debated what to do with Mary and ultimately several more bad decisions of trusting the wrong people sealed Mary's fate. Evidence real, tricked or fabricated of a plot to kill the Queen will do that.
Mary stood trial and was convicted of treason. On February 8, 1587 44 year-old Mary's life decisions were made for her and she was executed.
Mother and Son…that never happened because he was an infant the last time she saw him.
16 years later the son she never really knew succeeded Queen Elizabeth to become King James VI. He had his mothers body moved so that she could be buried in Westminster Abbey.
Fit for a Queen. (credit: flickr user Lisby)
First: CORRECTION!!! All you wise arborists (or arborist-wannabes) caught that Susan said the wrong tree when describing a family tree. Harry Lauder Walking Stick is the correct name. Here it is, and here you can read more about it at Missouri Botanical Garden.
You want more, yes, yes we know…here is all the media that we referenced in this episode (we took notes so you don't have to!)
Papa King James V…was very paternally prolific. Here is a post from Unusual Historicals about his many illegitimate children including the Favorite turned Adversary, James Stewart, Earl of Moray.
Cybervisit Stirling Castle, one of Mary's residences in Scotland, or if you happen to be in the neighborhood, visit her birthcastle (it's a word) (well, now it is), Linlithgow Palace or visit in person (lucky!) or online (the rest of us) The National Museum of Scotland.
The podcast we recommended that has the episodes about pregnancy and childbirth (and a lot more great content) is…
Renaissance English History Podcast
GET THIS ONE! We both liked it, lots of info but lots of photos and paintings, too. It's lovely.
Mary Queen of Scots, by Susan Watkins and Mark Fiennes
Also good:
Kids book! Fiona MacDonald and David Antram
A couple historical fictions for you….
And for an easy to digest view of all things Tudor as well as amazingly charming illustrations by our friend and favorite History Witch, Lisa Graves (actually she's the only History Witch we know)
Movies!
1936 with Katherine Hepburn
1971 with Vanessa Redgrave
Or how about the 2013 Swiss version? Yes, how about it? We couldn't get our hands on it so we can't recommend it but Susan was on such a failed quest she needs to know how it is!
How is it?!
The meta referential, The Mirror Cracked
Television!
Can you pick out the historically correct Mary, Queen of Scots from the Reign Mary, Queen of Scots? And that's all you need to know about Reign.(Which Susan didn't hate once she could overlook the inaccuracies and stopped moaning, "They could have done so much more with this show!")
Here is the Last Days of Mary, Queen of Scots documentary that we talked about. Go get yourself a snack, it's about 45 minutes long.
What about the Nursery Rhyme? Is it about Mary, Queen of Scots? Disney sure thinks so (from 3:22)…
We know, you really want to see the 1895 silent film version of The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots: The 40 seconds that will traumatize any young child. If you are a young child, ask your parents before you click play. Actually, although the special effects aren't all that special to our modern eye, it still might creep you out.
You have been warned.
QUICK! Get that image out of your head with this incomprehensible Monty Python sketch,
This episode is brought to you by the fine and generous people from Audible.com (the internet's leading provider of audio books…BACKSLASH CHICKS, you know the drill) and The Message (a creepy audio drama with a pretty nifty website by GE Podcast Theater )
…And a super special shout-out to all the wonderful people we have partnered with at Panoply!
« Episode 57: Q & A and Random Bits Show
Episode 59: Lillian Gilbreth »
One Response to Episode 58: Mary, Queen of Scots
Hey there! This is Moenokori from Twitter – just wanted to say how much I love today's podcast. I feel your pain on the historical inaccuracies, of Reign, but I can't get over the amazing acting of Megan Follows, so I'll keep watching it religiously. 🙂
Keep up the great work, ladies!!


We still need people to take the new Data Operations (DBA) exam. The free beta period for this exam has been extended until September 30, 2010. This new data exam is aligned with the DAMA-DMBOK.
If you like your score, you can convert this exam towards the CDMP at a cost of $195 USD. If you already have a CDMP, you can use this exam for conversion ($195 USD) to recertification / professional development credits. For example, if you score 70% or higher on a beta exam, you can convert it to 60 recertification / professional development credits. A score of 60 – 69% earns 30 recertification credits; a score of 50 – 59% earns 20 credits and less than 50% earns no credit.
There are new exam requirements in 2010: IS Core (mandatory), Data Management Core (mandatory) and one data exam of your choice, e.g. Data Development, Data Operations (DBA), Data and Information Quality, Data Warehousing, Business Intelligence and Analytics, or Zachman Enterprise Architecture Framework2. All exams (other than the Data Operations exam) are currently available at a cost of $285 USD per exam.
Determine when and where to hold the exam session. Some chapters will host exams as part of the chapter's meeting. Others hold sessions at night or on Saturdays.
Note: there is no profit-sharing arrangement for beta exams or payment for proctoring. The profit-sharing arrangement between DAMA Chapters and ICCP applies to paid exams only.
If the laptop is a corporate laptop, the proctor needs to ask if it encrypts when saving files. If it does, then the exam taker needs to obtain another laptop to use or let the ICCP office know the password (if known). Otherwise, the ICCP office will not be able to read encrypted files.
Remote internet proctoring requires a webcam, headset with microphone and identification to show.
If there is no DAMA Chapter near you, remote proctoring is available through the ICCP office (office@iccp.org). Since the beta exams are free exams, you must start your exam between 9:00 am – 2:30 pm Central Time (US). The ICCP office requires two weeks notice for remote proctoring appointments. If you are taking a regular (non beta) exam at $285 each, you have more flexibility in scheduling.
Unadjusted scores are immediately available after the exam has been completed. Official scores will be available after the DAMA / ICCP team meets again – which is sometime after the beta exam period ends on September 30, 2010.
Further information can be obtained from the DAMA website (www.dama.org), the ICCP website (www.iccp.org), or by contacting the DAMA ICCP Directors at ICCP_Liaison@DAMA.org. Additional exam outlines are available at http://www.iccp.org/iccpnew/outlines.html#21. The DAMA-DMBOK can be ordered through www.amazon.com.


Design duo Phillipe and David Blond have always mesmerized us with their fabulous creations. This season the Blonds paid homage to directors Alejandro Jodorowsky and Stanley Kubrick. But it was Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange" references that really caught our eye as the collection opened with strong black and white looks. Staples included their beautiful embellished bodysuits and catsuits accessorized with glamorous furs by Helen Yarmak (the bright orange one with multiple tails had us on the floor), as well as the most stupendous Christian Louboutin boots. We must note a dazzling "camouflage" jacket and pant comprised of amoebic shaped foil pieces, reminiscent of the great Paco Rabanne. Of course, no Blonds show goes without their trademark over-the-top big hair. And this season was no different, with beautiful 60's inspired, waist length, back combed hair by Klen Hoang for Oribe. Makeup was once again provided by the genius of Kabuki for M.A.C. Pro Team, characterized by a sensational winged black and white eye and a soft pale pink lip. These frocks could never be considered ready-to-wear, but rather "in-your-face" stage wear for glittery superstars. And we're just fine with that! Photography Alexander Thompson.


(LAISSEZ UN MESSAGE SI JE SUIS OCCUPEE, JE VOUS RAPPELLERAI DES QUE POSSIBLE ).
JE ME CHARGE DE TROUVER LE PRESTATAIRE (TRANSPORTEUR OU AUTRES MOYENS ) ET DE L' ADMINISTRATIF.
MAIS NE SERAI EN AUCUN CAS RESPONSABLE DE CE QUI ARRIVERAIT AU CHIOT UNE FOIS QUITTE L'ELEVAGE.
LE CHIOT OU LE CHIEN RESTE LA PROPRIETE DE L' ELEVAGE ET DE SON PRODUCTEUR JUSQU' AU PAIEMENT INTEGRAL .DES PENALITES DE RETARD SERONT APPLIQUEES POUR TOUT PAIEMENT TARDIF.
SE RETRACTE ET QUELQUE SOIT LA RAISON,LA SOMME VERSEE LORS DE LA RESERVATION ET ENCAISSEE , RESTERA ACQUISE A L' ELEVAGE" OF SILVER COAST "
AU TITRE DE DOMMAGES ET INTERÊTS D' IMMOBILISATION DE l' ANIMAL.
REMBOURSE A L' ACHETEUR POUR SOLDE DE TOUT COMPTE.A MOINS QUE CELUI- CI SOUHAITE FAIRE UNE RESERVATION SUR UNE PORTEE FUTURE .
POURRAIT EN AUCUN CAS REINTEGRER L' ELEVAGE NI VOUS ÊTRE REMBOURSE EN RAISON DES RISQUES SANITAIRES ENCOURUS .


On Sunday, the fam and I visited Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Usually when we go there it's almost always on a whim, a spur of the moment thing.
As if its spirit overcomes us and compels us to visit.
But on Sunday, we wanted to go knowing that Veteran's Day was forthcoming.
And we wanted to put ourselves in the presence of the most honorable of veterans.
True heroes fighting for the truest of causes.
But we also went knowing that it wasn't just a reflection for today, the day my country honors all who serve and have served in defense of Freedom & Liberty.
We went knowing that Sunday was Remembrance Day. A day which our good friends in the United Kingdom reserve for reflecting on the sacrifices of their heroes.
During my years of service, I was fortunate enough, honored, to be able to serve closely with many fine soldiers and sailors, veterans in defense of Freedom & Liberty, from the United Kingdom. I made many good friends.
I also served closely with those from Canada, Australia, Japan, and other countries. I made many more good friends.
It's not much, but to honor all veterans around the globe who serve in defense of Freedom & Liberty, I offer my novel THE SEA TRIALS OF AN UNFORTUNATE SAILOR and LEAVE: A SHORT STORY to all for free. The novel will be available for free until Midnight tonight (PST) and the short story will be available until Midnight tomorrow night (PST).


Located on the banks of Krishna River, Vijayawada is the third largest city of Andhra Pradesh. Vijayawada is named as 'business capital of Andhra Pradesh' because of its prominence as a major trading and business centre. The town of Vijayawada is known for temples and ancient rock cave architecture.
Vijayawada is bounded by the Indrakiladri Hills on the West and Budameru River on the North. The word Vijayawada literally suggests 'the place of victory'. Situated along the Chennai-Howrah and Chennai-Delhi Railway route, this is the 3rd largest railway junction in the world.
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