… I played computer games, read a book (I’m working my way through the Jack Reacher series) and went for a walk.
A like-minded friend e-mailed me to say she:
- painted one wall and watched it dry
- washed her hair
(We’re both in the UK if that matters.)
I’m not in the UK, but I didn’t watch either. It’s hard for me to say what I would have done were I in the UK. A king is a weird thing to me. The Prime Minister is the head of the Government, right? Royalty- all of the money, none of the lawmaking. It’s just so weird.
Yes, the Prime Minister is in charge.
The Monarch is Head of State, but in practice it’s purely cermonial.
It’s like the Vatican, in a way, to me. As a Catholic raised American. In Catholic school I had to participate in all kinds of fundraising this and that. They never had any money. But the Vatican has more money than god.
Those royals, is there an accounting of how much money they have?
Well, there’s this:
You know, in addition to their ‘legitimate’ holdings of land, the Triangle Trade, and their yield from the Opium Wars.
Stranger
I started to watch it. I was thinking, man I don’t remember The Return of the King being this boring. Then I realized it was something else.
It was, in fact, pretty fucking boring. Kind of like what they say about flying a plane: hours of boredom punctuated by brief moments of stark terror.
The movie, I mean. No idea about this other thing. Someone said that a 74-y/o dude landed his first job. Someone else said that Chuck put on a hat.
I was doing anything else and not really even aware of it, other than a few seconds where someone else was channel surfing and caught a glimpse of something.
I’m in the U.S., and slept through it.
And he had no qualifications either.
Mind you the only requirements are:
- be related to previous holder (essential nepotism)
- ability to produce heir (essential)
- ability to ask the peasants questions (“Have you come far?” What do you do?")
He did both !
I successfully avoided the whole thing. G/f found a channel showing Midsomer Murders
all day !
I watched some of it. Those pretty horses and all the soldiers (I like band music). The religious bit was not for me, but my wife wanted to see it. I read a book.
I am not a rabid royalist, but what’s a better alternative? Elected president? Look what happened (and could happen again) in the USA. People talk about the cost, but surely presidents don’t come cheap either and all that pomp and ceremony (not to mention the brass bands and pretty horses) are part of what makes us British.
Here in the UK, after Mrs T had caught a bus to go to a friend’s house for a coronation party, I read the physiotherapy stuff I got sent after my recent appointment and worked out how to do the Achilles strengthening exercises. Then I watched YouTube videos about how to make imam bayaldi.
After the coronation was over I drove over to eat some party food and pick her up. Then we drove back and I bought some eggplants.
j
Coronation? What coronation?
Would have had to seek it out. I know it took place on the 6th. No idea when that was in my time zone. Chuck seems a fine enough chap, but ceremony is inherently boring & uninteresting. There’s no functional difference between “Chuck will be crowned tomorrow” & “Chuck was crowned yesterday”.
I’m in the UK, and I had plenty of other things to do that were far more important. Like going to the gym, and getting lunch from the good Chinese place in town. I have no time for that family of overprivileged underachievers.
I’m in the US. I’m not sure how long it was on. I noticed it being on when I left to walk the dogs. I was bummed because I kind of wanted to see it. I love all of the tradition, the regalia, the pomp, the horses, etc. By the time I got back home I was on to other things and just assumed it was over. I have watched a lot of clips and highlights, so I guess I saw what I wanted to see.
I went for a bike ride. For seventeen hours.