Thursday, May 17, 2007

Victoria's Day


We're about to enjoy a holiday in honour of Queen Victoria. Tallying up her vestigial influence on Canada is an inexhaustible pastime -- Victoria, Alberta, Prince Albert, New Westminster, Regina were all named in her honour, for a start.

I came across this oblique & tendentious article in the Telegraph on the predominance of women at the political head of England following on from Victoria's eminent sixty-four year regnancy:
Have you noticed that modern Britain is the most matriarchal society in the history of the world? The four most famous figures in the public service since the war have been women - the Queen Mother, the Queen, Diana, Princess of Wales and Margaret Thatcher.

5 comments:

Adam Nowek said...

It's amazing people actually trust the Telegraph as a news source.

Dr. Stephen Ogden said...

Polemicism in action, I see, Mr Nowek!

Far more amazing to me that people actually trust any organ of any ideology as a news source over any other ....

Opinion-pieces, on the other hand, such as the one linked here, are a cross between comfort food and addictive stimulant, and the range of the wide board of ideas is inducement to gluttony of the mind

Adam Nowek said...

...that said, gluttony of the mind generally only works for me if I'm somewhat in agreement with the opinion in question. ;-)

Dr. Stephen Ogden said...

Ah yes, but (and read this as written with a smile), recall the quotation given in lecture from William Blake, quoted à propos Phillip Pullman's appropriation of that towering genius: "the man who never alters his opinion is like standing water/ & breeds reptiles of the mind." ;--)

Adam Nowek said...

Touché, sir.