I don’t think being a concubine was a very desirable situation in most places.
I’ve lived in a couple of places where being a lower-class woman was pretty rough.
I can’t imagine that Chinese eunuchs had enjoyable lives either: “In China, castration included the removal of the penis and the testicles (emasculation). A knife removed both organs at the same time. Eunuchs have existed in China since about 146 AD, during the reign of Emperor Huan of Han and were common as civil servants by the Qin dynasty. . . . Eunuchs were employed as high-ranking civil servants because they could not have children, so they were not tempted to seize power and begin a dynasty. In addition, many in the palace considered eunuchs more reliable than scholar-officials. . . . The number of eunuchs in imperial employment fell to 470 by 1912. The Chinese government abolished the eunuch system on November 5, 1924. The last imperial eunuch, Sun Yaoting, died in December 1996.”
Of course there is the Western Italian tradition of castrating boys before puberty in order to produce a classical singing voice in the soprano or contralto range. This practice was made illegal in Italy following the country’s reunification in 1861.
Details of the history of Italian castrati at the link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castrato
Mozart’s famous “Alleluia” from his 1773 motet Exsultate, jubilate was written for a famous castrato of the time, Venanzio Rauzzini. It is sung nowadays either by a boy soprano, as in the following example, or by an adult female: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwQKhqZ8t1g&ab_channel=AkselRykkvin
I saw a video of Joe Biden descending from a plane this morning, and right behind him was, I think, Hunter. With this massive Hunter Biden scandal ongoing, why on earth is he so visible right next to “the Big Guy?” Is Hunter making sure Joe doesn’t say anything wrong, or is it the other way around?
He knows he’s untouchable.
Kate…
You didn’t see that big up-raised middle finger?
That’s all there is from now on from the Bidens.
And this failed society is now flying spy balloons over us.
We’ve hit bottom under the Dems.
An F-22 from Langley AFB shot the Chinese balloon down with one Sidewinder missile. Debris fell into the Atlantic about six miles offshore. Water depth reported as about 47 feet. Recovery operations are under way.
Questions:
Did the balloon collect high quality data about our nuclear facilities?
Will NORAD formulate plans to avoid a recurrence?
Will the Biden administration take a tougher stance with China?
My guess is that the answers are: Maybe, no, and no.
Cornhead on February 4, 2023 at 3:54 pm said:
“And this failed society is now flying spy balloons over us.”
Leah on February 4, 2023 at 11:43 am said:
“The book of Esther.”
Her selection story was, indeed, very similar to the process in China.
However, Esther was in the competition for empress – the chief wife – and not just another concubine.
Contemporary readers, and those for many years afterward, would be aware of what that meant.
Holy crap, this is hilarious.
Even if you’re not a fan of PJ Watson, it’s still pretty good.
American Realism in the Russo-Ukrainian War with Rebeccah Heinrichs – on Midrats podcast
Podcast airs 15:00 PST.
She has been interviewed before on Midrats, a few months ago IIRC. I found her to be a bit slippery and hard to pin down. It should be an interesting session nonetheless.
The Biblical book of Esther is interesting in that God is never specifically named, yet there is implied in the story the idea that a person could be placed in a certain position by God to effect a specific purpose.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson with a brain twister (emphasis mine):
I don’t think being a concubine was a very desirable situation in most places.
I’ve lived in a couple of places where being a lower-class woman was pretty rough.
I can’t imagine that Chinese eunuchs had enjoyable lives either: “In China, castration included the removal of the penis and the testicles (emasculation). A knife removed both organs at the same time. Eunuchs have existed in China since about 146 AD, during the reign of Emperor Huan of Han and were common as civil servants by the Qin dynasty. . . . Eunuchs were employed as high-ranking civil servants because they could not have children, so they were not tempted to seize power and begin a dynasty. In addition, many in the palace considered eunuchs more reliable than scholar-officials. . . . The number of eunuchs in imperial employment fell to 470 by 1912. The Chinese government abolished the eunuch system on November 5, 1924. The last imperial eunuch, Sun Yaoting, died in December 1996.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eunuchs_in_China
Of course there is the Western Italian tradition of castrating boys before puberty in order to produce a classical singing voice in the soprano or contralto range. This practice was made illegal in Italy following the country’s reunification in 1861.
Details of the history of Italian castrati at the link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castrato
Mozart’s famous “Alleluia” from his 1773 motet Exsultate, jubilate was written for a famous castrato of the time, Venanzio Rauzzini. It is sung nowadays either by a boy soprano, as in the following example, or by an adult female:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwQKhqZ8t1g&ab_channel=AkselRykkvin
The book of Esther.
Noblesse oblige
https://twitter.com/Amy_K_Nelson/status/1621886056818688000?cxt=HHwWgICyrdGxjIItAAAA
I saw a video of Joe Biden descending from a plane this morning, and right behind him was, I think, Hunter. With this massive Hunter Biden scandal ongoing, why on earth is he so visible right next to “the Big Guy?” Is Hunter making sure Joe doesn’t say anything wrong, or is it the other way around?
He knows he’s untouchable.
Kate…
You didn’t see that big up-raised middle finger?
That’s all there is from now on from the Bidens.
Their demeanor had they not been a concubine of the Emperor.
https://twitter.com/TracyBorman/status/1385547279701057541/photo/1
From gas ovens/stoves to the Digital Dollar Project (DDP).
Inexorable?
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/warning-shot-fired
And this failed society is now flying spy balloons over us.
We’ve hit bottom under the Dems.
An F-22 from Langley AFB shot the Chinese balloon down with one Sidewinder missile. Debris fell into the Atlantic about six miles offshore. Water depth reported as about 47 feet. Recovery operations are under way.
Questions:
Did the balloon collect high quality data about our nuclear facilities?
Will NORAD formulate plans to avoid a recurrence?
Will the Biden administration take a tougher stance with China?
My guess is that the answers are: Maybe, no, and no.
Cornhead on February 4, 2023 at 3:54 pm said:
“And this failed society is now flying spy balloons over us.”
It’s very funny, but kind of sad – still, this is my favorite snarky GIF about Brandon’s Balloons.
https://twitter.com/EGaraad_/status/1622000287824203777
Don’t miss this if you want to keep expanding the balloon crisis.
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2023/02/the-week-in-pictures-hot-air-balloon-edition.php
Leah on February 4, 2023 at 11:43 am said:
“The book of Esther.”
Her selection story was, indeed, very similar to the process in China.
However, Esther was in the competition for empress – the chief wife – and not just another concubine.
Contemporary readers, and those for many years afterward, would be aware of what that meant.
Holy crap, this is hilarious.
Even if you’re not a fan of PJ Watson, it’s still pretty good.
https://youtu.be/DWzprRWPI68
Of course they do….
‘ Iranian Regime Criticizes Removal of Ilhan Omar From Foreign Affairs Committee’—
https://legalinsurrection.com/2023/02/iranian-regime-criticizes-removal-of-ilhan-omar-from-foreign-affairs-committee/
Allies gotta stick up for each other…
Open Thread, Sunday, so Ukrainian war:
Resupplying Ukraine: Arms, Aid & Escalation – What, Who, & What might be next? – Perun
Link to Perun YouTube video regarding resupplying Ukraine:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj9HD8MdAFs
More on the (undeniable) excess death rate:
https://simplescience.substack.com/p/fact-or-myth-record-number-of-humans
Open Thread: Sunday, Ukrainian war bonus
https://cdrsalamander.blogspot.com/2023/02/american-realism-in-russo-ukrainian-war.html?m=1
American Realism in the Russo-Ukrainian War with Rebeccah Heinrichs – on Midrats podcast
Podcast airs 15:00 PST.
She has been interviewed before on Midrats, a few months ago IIRC. I found her to be a bit slippery and hard to pin down. It should be an interesting session nonetheless.
The Biblical book of Esther is interesting in that God is never specifically named, yet there is implied in the story the idea that a person could be placed in a certain position by God to effect a specific purpose.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson with a brain twister (emphasis mine):
I tested positive for COVID this morning and will isolate at home per CDC protocols.
Thankfully, I am fully vaccinated and boosted…
Thanks, Your Honor, for throwing that in. Vax status is an important piece of the puzzle.
well it is austin, so magical thinking is their watchword,
Those concubines had it pretty easy compared to average Chinese. Didn’t really see anything horrific about free food, housing, healthcare, clothing.
Biggest complaint seemed to be boredom and (assumed) celibacy.
In ancient times, they would sodomize boys and girls to force them to take a knee, beg.
In modern times, they practice human rites for social, redistributive, clinical, political, criminal, and fair weather progress.
We’ve come along way, baby.
UNM calls its students and sports teams “Lobos” as in wolf, therefore the happy UNM family is a “wolfpack.”
Hence, I keep getting emails, twice a week, from “vaxthepack” that I should get get vaxxed ASAP lest my registration be put on hold.
However, that’s not until some future semester. Apparently they are going to keep dunning me with these emails until I get vaxxed.
I do get tired of all the Prog Think nudging I get these days.