#Richard Herman

[horizon-verizon]

Anne Boleyn wasn’t exactly a Protestant as is often said but she was a Reformist. She still held on to some of the Catholic beliefs such as the doctrine of transubstantiation but rejected papal authority, promoted erastianism and worked on getting the Bible translated into vernacular English so the common people of England could read it and understand it (The Bible was released shortly after her death, with the dedication page hastily changed to Queen Jane’s name). She wanted to purify the Catholic church of things she saw as abuses (such as the extreme wealth of the Catholic Church, and excessive accumulation of wealth in general, selling salvation — literally!) and superstitions. She’s the one who introduced Henry VIII to the idea of becoming Head of the Church of England by giving him a book written by William Tyndale, Obedience of a Christian Man, with certain passages marked by the impression of her fingernail. It was a bold move because the book was banned and had been seized by the Church when they found it in her possession. Anne asked Henry to get it back for her and read it. (Anne’s brother, George Boleyn, smuggled banned religious texts for her, purchasing them on his travels to the Continent.)

Anne sheltered religious dissidents. She saved the life of the French reformer Nicolas Bourbon as she had appealed to the French royal family to spare his life as a favor to the English Queen. Nicolas Bourbon would later refer to Anne as “the queen whom God loves.” She restored Richard Herman to the membership of the English Society of Merchants, from which Cardinal Wolsey had expelled him for his involvement in translating the New Testament into English. Anne also offered safe passage to England to French humanist reformers. She paid for scholarships so Reformist scholars could attend the universities. (Many of them stayed after they graduated to teach the next generation and spread Reformist ideas.) She personally selected six of the nine bishops appointed during her reign. She was extremely charitable and generous and sew shirts for the poor. When monasteries were dissolved, Anne advocated the redistribution of their resources and wanted to use the money to fund educational programs and other charitable causes. On the other hand, Thomas Cromwell, Henry’s chief minister, wanted to transfer these funds to the king’s coffers.

In short, religious issues were the primary focus of the work she did during her reign. Her goal for the advancement of a more tolerant religious point of view was unusual in an age that favored rigid religious practice. It’s one of the reasons she was so deeply unpopular — she was seeding “heresy” in so many areas. Eustace Chapuys, the Imperial ambassador in England, regularly complained to his home government of “the concubine” being “the cause and nurse of the spread of Lutheranism in this country”. They were right to be alarmed; Anne Boleyn’s work helped lay the foundations of the Anglican church. It would later be expanded upon by Queen Kateryn Parr, who appointed two of Anne’s scholarship students to be the tutors of Edward VI, the first Protestant monarch.

Wow. Yeah, this is displays a lot more devotion to a certain mission and a desire to change a society or a generosity that some people tried to say Alicent displays--which was never actually spelled out or claimed even in F&B, btw!--as reason for them to believe that Alicent was a good Queen or just a good person. The whole Queens-as-leads-of-charity-and-alms thing. Can't find the post.

[acmeoop]

If He Doesn’t, He’s Going Back To The Science Lab “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” (1988)

[devilfokke]

I'll follow him around the Horn, and around the Norway maelstrom, and around perdition's flames before I give him up.

Moby Dick - John Huston (1956)

[blondebrainpowered]

Pee-Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special, 1988

Pee-Wee Herman’s Official Youtube Channel

Full Episode

[chernobog13]

Just another day at the office for Hellboy and Roger the homunculus, by the late Richard Corben.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

When Sorolla painted 'Niña en mar plateado,' in 1909, it was amongst the most luminous, brilliant, and freely handled works he had produced; he was on the threshold of becoming one of Spain's most celebrated artists. The newspaper 'La Nación' reported in 1906 that 'Sorolla is one of the glories of Valencia...one of the glories of modern Spain.'

Richard Morris @ahistoryinart

* * * *

“Take almost any path you please, and ten to one it carries you down in a dale, and leaves you there by a pool in the stream. There is magic in it. Let the most absent-minded of men be plunged in his deepest reveries--stand that man on his legs, set his feet a-going, and he will infallibly lead you to water, if water there be in all that region. Should you ever be athirst in the great American desert, try this experiment, if your caravan happen to be supplied with a metaphysical professor. Yes, as every one knows, meditation and water are wedded for ever.” ― Herman Melville, Moby Dick

[strathshepard]

Herman Rarebell: Nip In The Bud, 1981, by Hipgnosis and Richard Manning

[newx-menfan]

This is freaking adorable!!

[the-golden-vanity]

Two Years Before The Mast reading update: Herman Melville really read the chapter where Hope decides Dana is his aikane and thought, "hmmmm... I can make this gayer," huh?

[thenhc]

[lil-doodles]

So I just rewatched the 1988 Christmas at Pee-Wee’s Playhouse special for the first time since it aired and I seriously didn’t remember it being so….well, gay. I wonder how all of those really obvious nods to the LGBTQ+ community were overlooked by Reagan America. Remember, this was a time of mass censorship and anything even remotely out of the norm was punished. The show starts out with a group of young manly Marines in their finest uniforms dancing and singing as Pee-Wee prances around them. It has an all-star cast of gay icons including Little Richard, Cher, Grace Jones, KD Lang, and Charo all in full camp mode. It’s a gay spectacular for sure and I’m here for it. There’s a woman named Mrs. Rene who, while played by a woman, is in full drag attire. Don’t overlook the fact that this character replaced a similar character on the show called Mrs. Steve. There’s two shirtless construction workers building a new wing onto the playhouse out of fruitcakes. And, my personal favorite moment, Ms. Yvonne has a mistletoe hat on and all of the playhouse creatures want her to kiss them. Who does she choose? Floory, an anthropomorphic floor. He asks to give her a kiss and she runs over without haste! Wait, a kiss from the floor wouldn’t reach her FACE…. Anyway, it’s a good campy romp for sure and good for them for slipping this all by the censors to infect the Reagan youth. Also, just on a side note, can we talk about Dirty Dog, the leader of the puppet band? He looks like he’s been through a few things….

[acmeoop]

Happy 36th Anniversary! Who Framed Roger Rabbit was Released on June 22nd, 1988 in North America

[frantastichenrik]

If The Raven Cycle had an international cast:

Herman Tommeraas/Gansey

Aron Piper/Ronan

Tashi Rodriguez/Blue

Louis Hofmann/Adam

Lucas Lynggaard Tonnesen/Noah

Sang Heon Lee/Henry

(*my opinion/**ignore their ages)

[lizallanosborn]

Whose up with heart pain thinking about sketches they probably won't draw later

[adamwatchesmovies]

Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special (1988)

I’d never seen any of Paul Reubens’ Pee-wee or the show that introduced him to the world. If you’re like me, you happen to be at a friend’s Christmas movie get-together, someone suggests watching Pee-wee’s Christmas Special (also known as Christmas at Pee-wee’s Playhouse) and you’re worried you won’t understand what’s going on, don’t. This special (which is available on its own on home video so I’m reviewing it as if it were a movie) serves as a great introduction. It’s filled with laughs, fun wackiness and memorable characters - along with more than a few exciting guest stars.

Childlike Pee-wee Herman (Paul Reubens) has a large wish list for Santa and needs to get his things ready for the big day. Amid the Secret Word of the day, a special thematic cartoon and guests appearances by Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, Charo, Grace Jones, k.d. lang, Dinah Shore, Little Richard, Cher, the Del Rubio Triplets, Magic Johnson, Princess Zsa Zsa, Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Joan Rivers & the UCLA Men's Choir, there’s a lesson to be learned about what’s really important during the holidays.

It took only a fraction of the 49-minute running time for me to “get” the appeal of Pee-wee Herman and his Playhouse. Filled with imagination, lots of laughs and a performance by Paul Reubens that could never be equaled, it’s weird, charming and hilarious. It’s sweet, but not so sweet that you’d roll your eyes at it because Pee-wee leans a little towards the bratty side. Just a little. You like him and his weirdo friends - the kind of people that could only exist in a children’s television series where people live side-by-side with puppets.

It’s hard for me to say what could make this a “special” but I have to assume it's the sleighful of guests, all of whom are having a great time. Many are poking fun at themselves and while you might think “Aww, was that all the screentime given to Whoopi Goldberg?” someone else is right around the corner so there's always something to look forward to. Sometimes, it’s more big names. Or it could be someone that makes you go “Were these people really famous? Why?” Like the Del Rubio Triplets, who perform a song that I'll admit, endeared me to them.

Any episode or special that makes the non-indoctrinated instantly call themselves fans is a rousing success in my book. Filled to the brim with creativity, it's unpredictable and thoroughly charming. Even if you’ve never seen the series, I’ll wager you’ll enjoy Pee-wee’s Christmas Special. (On Blu-ray, December 19, 2021)

[chernobog13]

Hellboy and Roger the homunculus battle Herman von Klempt and whatever eldritch horror he’s unleashed.

Art by the late, great Richard Corben.