avi@pegasus.UUCP (02/14/84)
By now, no doubt, the entire world has heard that (Lady?) Di is with child again. Is anyone else as irritated as I am by the way the press keeps harping on such useless news. Why do we Americans care about British Royalty? There is already a successor to the imaginary throne in the British Isles. I wonder whether our coverage of the British nobility exceeds the coverage of our current President in their newspapers. It definitely seems (to me) that I hear less about Margaret Thatcher than about the wife of "Prince" Charles and her son. I admire the former for her ambition and drive. Should I admire the latter for anything but her fertility? Are there any other skeptics out there who wonder about this nobility craze? Why does a civilized society continue to maintain the upkeep of people with no perceptible use to society -- other than to attend dedications of new ships? I am submitting this to net.misc, becausethis is the place to discuss really interesting topics -- such as why people in England drive on the left. Perhaps the Royal Family has the Right of Way. :-) P.S. I also am not a fan of astrology, ESP, creationism and the tooth fairy. -- -=> Avi E. Gross @ AT&T Information Systems Laboratories (201) 576-6241 suggested paths: [ihnp4, allegra, cbosg, hogpc, ...]!pegasus!avi
sdo@u1100a.UUCP (Scott Orshan) (02/16/84)
So, avi, you don't like to hear news about British royalty. Now you know how the European sites on the net feel when we send them our trash. Scott Orshan ihnp4!u1100a!sdo
wetcw@pyuxa.UUCP (T C Wheeler) (02/16/84)
Avi! Avi! If it weren't for the "Di" or other somesuch trivia on the news, how would we know when to get up to scarf another wedge of pie from the kitchen? I can hardly wait for the "Prince Charles fell off his horse again today" reports. I go to the can then. :-) (Is that the right usage of the wink?) T. C. Wheeler
richard@sequent.UUCP (02/17/84)
For a good dose of reality of the above subject, listen to: Buckingham Blues by "Weird" Al Yankovic - in the humor section of your local record store. _________________________________________________________________________ The preceding is not to be construed as the statement or opinion of the employers or associates of the author. It is solely the responsiblity... from the confused and bleeding fingertips of ...!sequent!richard
rlr@pyuxn.UUCP (Rich Rosen) (02/17/84)
It sure beats the American love affair with its own surrogate royalty, namely showbiz "personalities". Ever wonder why Princess Di and Loni Anderson are treated about equally in the National Star-Enquirer-Globe? (If it's printed in a newspaper, it must be the truth.) -- Pardon me for breathing, which I never do anyway oh, god, I'm so depressed... Rich Rosen pyuxn!rlr
avi@pegasus.UUCP (02/17/84)
> So, avi, you don't like to hear news about British royalty. Now you know > how the European sites on the net feel when we send them our trash. > Scott Orshan (ihnp4!u1100a!sdo) I agree! Europe does not deserve our trash. Until people use the distribution feature properly, they will keep getting it -- along with good stuff. I stand by my comments about the British Royalty and our news media. I have received quite a few supportive letters on the issue. I still haven't figured out what the purpose of Scott's message was? Are you agreeing, and trying to make a second point, or are you suggesting that I am wasting bandwidth by sending this to Europe as well? I am curious if other European countries (outside of Britain) spend as much time on this frivolity as we do? An interesting (to me) add on: I heard on some show that they are expecting a baby boom in England because good old Di has made it fashionable to have children again? I find this somewhat preposterous! Until now I considered her harmless, but if she causes a population explosion, she could ultimately cause WWIII!!! :-) -- -=> Avi E. Gross @ AT&T Information Systems Laboratories (201) 576-6241 suggested paths: [ihnp4, allegra, cbosg, hogpc, ...]!pegasus!avi
ags@pucc-i (Seaman) (02/17/84)
>> P.S. I also am not a fan of astrology, ESP, creationism and the tooth fairy.
How do you feel about God? %-) <-- devilish grin
--
Dave Seaman
..!pur-ee!pucc-i:ags
"Against people who give vent to their loquacity
by extraneous bombastic circumlocution."norskog@fortune.UUCP (Lance Norskog) (02/18/84)
I don't know if I prefer the American news media drooling over British royal sex, or Great Panda sex in American zoos.
mmt@dciem.UUCP (Martin Taylor) (02/18/84)
===========
Perhaps the Royal Family has the Right of Way. :-)
===========
Actually, my failing memory tells me that they do. So does the Royal Mail.
I am sometimes puzzled by the failure of people in republics to see the
benefits of having a Royal family (which really implies that there should
also be a nobility). It's a great way to split loyalty to the country
from loyalty to a political party or regime. Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition
is the "official" name of the minority in Parliament, and one shouldn't
forget the "Loyal". A second function of Royalty is precisely to provide
the pageantry that people seem to need as a symbol of patriotism. Many
US Presidents have had problems with both needing and needing to avoid
this kind of pageantry. It also helps a little in preventing the
development of political "cults of personality".
Another valid reason for having a Monarch is that there exists a person
who cannot be suspected of ulterior political motives, but who is able
by training and by position to advise the politicians in power. With
luck, the advice may help in maintaining sane policies. Do you think
King Juan Carlos of Spain has had nothing to do with the return of
democracy and political stability after Franco? Could he have done it
as a politician?
--
Martin Taylor
{allegra,linus,ihnp4,uw-beaver,floyd,ubc-vision}!utzoo!dciem!mmtrjk@mgweed.UUCP (Randy King) (02/18/84)
Given the option of 100% "40 soldiers get heads blown off" and "9000 die in suicide-bomb blast" and all the other gory, disgusting sensationalism that the press feeds on, I think that I'd gladly take the 10% pleasant "royalty with child" news now and again. Say what you want about royalty, but it is there, it works, and many people need and love it. It fufills a human emotional need somewhere. Not everything in this world need be practical... Besides, I enjoy seeing pictures of "Di" - she's a beautiful woman and quite charming. It's easy to see how a nation could love her. Randy King AT&T/CP-MG ihnp4!mgweed!rjk
decot@cwruecmp.UUCP (Dave Decot) (02/19/84)
Randy King:
Given the option of 100% "40 soldiers get heads blown off" and "9000 die
in suicide-bomb blast" and all the other gory, disgusting sensationalism
that the press feeds on...
I dislike bad news as much as anyone else, but most everything respectable
media report is TRUE, and maybe waving it in our face will make us more likely
to DO something about it. I would be happier if the most important thing
to be reported was "Another royal outing; how jolly!", but it isn't.
But you're right, don't do away with pomp entirely; it gives us something
to take our minds off tragedy. I think the recent advances in medicine
have received far too little coverage, though.
Dave Decot "Queen Elizabeth is a person, too."
decvax!cwruecmp!decot (Decot.Case@rand-relay)avi@pegasus.UUCP (02/20/84)
Dave Seaman replied to my quote with:
----Dave----
>> P.S. I also am not a fan of astrology, ESP, creationism and the tooth fairy.
How do you feel about God? %-) <-- devilish grin
--
Dave Seaman (..!pur-ee!pucc-i:ags)
"Against people who give vent to their loquacity
by extraneous bombastic circumlocution."
--------Back to me------
I assume you are being sarcastic. Some of my views on "God", have been
outlined in numerous articles in net.religion -- where such discussions
belong. I am not going to lutter net.misc with it. The creationist/evolution
debate is bad enough. :-)
P.S. I also don't believe in Santa Claus, the Democrats, the Republicans, ...
--
-=> Avi E. Gross @ AT&T Information Systems Laboratories (201) 576-6241
suggested paths: [ihnp4, allegra, cbosg, hogpc, ...]!pegasus!avi