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I was feeling down due to my ongoing ulnar neuropathy, so EB sent me this to cheer me up: A Portrait of James I’s ‘Husband’ Has Reappeared in Glasgow. Many of you may know my interest in, as I have joked, “hot historical homosexuals”*, and I’ve been particularly intrigued by the odd relationship between James I and the first Duke of Buckingham. (Indeed, this Buckingham — the Buckingham of The Three Musketeers — is in part the inspiration for the character of Bizel in Lioness).
So yes, seeing this lovely Rubens of him — which I’d seen before, but like everyone else, had assumed was the work of a different artist — fills me with glee 🙂
Also, fun fact! The article mentions that the King referred to Buckingham as “Steenie” after St. Stephen, who was said to have the face of an angel. True, that! But more specifically, he was comparing him to a painting of St. Stephen that was once in his home. If that strikes you as a little odd, keep in mind James was prooooobably getting a little senile by the time he met Buckingham…
(I maintain there was probably syphilis running through the Stuarts. Blame Lord Darnley).
(Also while James I is not my favorite Stuart king, he is up there in my estimation. I like to imagine him loping around Whitehall, being eccentric and aggressively Scottish at things).
*Well, bisexual; and sexual orientation is a thoroughly 20th-century concept, anyway. But that isn’t nearly so euphonic.
Accomplishments
Reading
– Read Fluent Forever by Gabriel Wyner
Other Media
– Watched RiffTrax of Psychotronic Man
– Watched Penny Dreadful S1E1
– Listened to Stuff Mom Never Told You, “The Problem With a Pinterest-Perfect Life”
– Listened to Stuff Mom Never Told You, “Baby Powder is Killing Black Women”
– Listened to Stuff to Blow Your Mind, “Bicameralism, Part 1: The Voice of God”
– Listened to Food Stuff, “Expiration Dates: Best if Listened By”
– Listened to Food Stuff, “You Butter Believe It’s a Two-Parter: Part 1”
LARP
– NPCed for Madrigal 3. Borderline, this, since the event ended on Sunday, but I’ll allow it 😉
Health
– Did Zombies Run! S1E20 (1.85mi in 30:16)
– Did Zombies Run! S1E21 (1.73mi in 27:44)
– Did Ninja Fitness Endurance workout #4, Agility #2, Zen #4, as well as some freeform core exercises (crunches, dead bugs, alternate heel touchers)
– Had a whole slew of medical stuff done (blood work, an appointment with an orthopedist/hand specialist, and a nerve conduction study/EMG. The latter I highly ANTI-recommend)
Picture of the Week
Again borderline, since it’s from Sunday of Madrigal. But I already know what you’re getting as next week’s pic, so here, I am, orcing it up for the final field fight of the weekend:
As you’ll recall, I made this costume for the first event of Mad3 — and aside from fifteen minutes at the campaign opener, I haven’t gotten to use it since. So when Griff approached me on Sunday and asked if I had the costume with me, I was all HELLZ YEAH.
It was also my first time really being a lieutenant/boss in a field fight! And my first time getting to throw Death effects. (Luckily for the PCs, the one I threw missed).
Pro-tip: orc skirts need a proper belt to them, or they may end up around your feet, showing off the latest in orc lingerie.
Oh, and a reminder: I’m still doing my social media hiatus, so if you want to discuss anything in this post with me, drop a comment below.
