Let's hope the USA does as well

As Europe turns right, UK voters reject Conservative populism

How sad

A 200- to 300-year-old tree along Hadrian's Wall in Britain, which in and of itself was a landmark, has been cut down, apparently by two vandals, a 16-year-old and 60-year-old.

Despair flows after England's Sycamore Gap tree is cut down. Could it regrow?

2 arrested after ‘world-renowned landmark’ tree is cut down in England

A fitting memorial

It is a great little film

I cry at this point every time...

This is wonderful moment from an excellent film we watched today

one that I had picked out from Netflix on DVD for its sheer novelty (gay and lesbian British activists support striking Welsh miners, and the two groups forge amazing ties during the Thatcher years). It was well-acted, moving, and captured the 80s, the gay culture, and the prejudices of the time very well.

This is kind of sad, don't you think?

Brits Scramble to Google “What is the EU?” Hours After Voting to Leave It

A bit late, don’t you think? A report from Google shows the British are madly searching to figure out what the European Union is.

According to Google, “What is the EU?” is the second most searched term about the EU since the announcement of the historic Brexit referendum this morning. Oh, and in the hours prior to the vote, Google says one of the top questions was “What is Brexit?”

Which only serves to remind us that a democracy only works well if the people voting educated themselves on the issues before casting that vote (and hopefully more than a few hours before, especially on such a complex issue). It's easy for the rest of us to be snarky, but look at what's looming in our own general election. People, take note.

I did find a good overview on what will happen as a result of the Brexit referendum on the BBC: The UK's EU referendum: All you need to know. It makes for an interesting read.

Okay, I'd expect it from the Americans, but really you would think the Brits would know better than

to include an Irish singer in their list of British sensations....

AN ENGLISH WEBSITE INCLUDED HOZIER AS A BRITISH ARTIST IN THEIR ‘BRITS BLITZ’ LIST

Hozier has become one of the most famous faces in music after his debut album went stratospheric, so he should be pretty well known at this stage.

The writer of the piece below even acknowledges that Hozier is, in fact, Irish, but she still claims that her publication are "happy to take him to our British bosom".

Um...no. He's Irish, from Wicklow, not from Northern Ireland, not from Britain, not British. What, if I were a famous musician, would she claim me because I happen to have genetic roots in Britain, even though I'm American? Doubtful. What about an Indian singer, since they 'used to be part of the British Empire'. I'm sure that would go over really well, too.

Did you see this?

Why Did Elle Magazine Pull An Ad Featuring A Skinny Model?

The pose was more than a little disconcerting, with rib cage obvious and legs about the same width as the young girl's ankles. The picture wasn't of a death camp survivor, but an ad for Yves Saint Laurent, one of fashion's premier houses. When The Advertising Standards Authority, a U.K. watchdog for the advertising world, banned the ad from publication, the fashion world was stunned. But they instead should have been stunned that the fashion world has not recognized the worsening trend for unhealthily skinny models. Isn't it time for the United States to follow Europe's lead in striking down the use of these scarecrow models?

Took a test on which British city I should move to....

Yay, I got Cardiff, in Wales!

Everything about Cardiff is a little bit magical. They won't thank you for saying it, of course, but you can't fail to be charmed by a city in which all of the signs are written in two languages, and one of them closely resembles elvish.

Also, if you hang about in Cardiff long enough, Doctor Who will start filming around you. And there's the Doctor Who Experience nearby, and sometimes you see Daleks on the streets.

Plus they have a Millennium Stadium. Do you have a Millennium Stadium? You will when you move there.

Take the quiz: http://share.snacktools.com/5F6A8F86AED/q7n5wcpz

I was really hoping the cable people had come today, but no

Instead I got a notice that they were to be here today, tomorrow, and Monday (the original notice didn't mention Friday). I was really hoping they had come, worked, and finished, and that I could get things back together before the weekend, but alas, that will probably not be the case.

So now I'm home, eating black bean soup and a Parmesan bagel, and considering taking a nap because I worked very hard today and I'm a bit pooped. I'm finally making some progress about catching up on things there. I got The Blues Brothers in the mail today; maybe we can watch it at my friends' house instead. I also got the latest Victoria magazine and an entertaining catalogue called Alberene Royal Mail (http://www.albarene.com), which has all sorts of great gifts from Britain and Ireland inside, whether it be green men, illuminated manuscript ties, train station clocks, clan tartans, tea cakes, jewelry, and glass reproductions of famous window panels. They even have my phone booth toffee tin bank that I got years ago, along with others, including one of Big Ben and another of a thatched cottage. You can even get a replica of the Magna Carta should you wish. :) I should show this to YWKWIA and Brenda.

Okay, about that nap....

Reading

Life Below Stairs: True Lives of Edwardian Servants by Alison Maloney. What can I say, it's a library book I have on my Kindle that piqued my interest because of my watching 'Downton Abbey'. :) It didn't get great reviews on Amazon, mainly because it has supposedly drawn largely on secondary sources rather than original research, but it is interesting so far and lays out the hierarchy of house servants and their domains very well. It has gotten me interested in a book that is older but does contain a lot of original work, Frank Dawes' Not in Front of the Servants: A True Portrait of English Upstairs/Downstairs Life, which is available on Abebooks.com at several sellers for a reasonable price. Keep in mind, although my focus of study in history was European history prior to 1789, it was also especially in social history, so I find this an interesting subject.

:(

The Belfast City Council has confirmed that Lennox has been killed. They denied the request by the Barnes family to see the dog beforehand, but will reportedly send them the ashes by mail. How thoughtful. They also asserted the dog was unpredictable and showing unacceptable behaviour.

I wonder how they'd behave after being taken away from a loving family and being kept in a kennel for two years by people who they didn't know and who planned to kill them? Yet they say the family was in denial as to the dangerous nature of their pet, despite a lack of complaint or incident when the dog was in the hands of the family. And of course, they refused to allow the dog to be sent (all expenses paid by a celebrity) to the United States to a sanctuary.

Heartless bastards.

Lennox, dog condemned as pitbull, is put to death in Belfast

Heartbreak as death row dog Lennox destroyed by Belfast council

This is heartbreaking

Protesters in New York, Belfast try to save Lennox, condemned dog

Lennox, of Belfast, Northern Ireland, didn't bite anyone. There were no complaints about him. But he was seized based on his looks as a possible 'pit bull type' despite his owners' assertion that he is a Labrador-American Bull Dog cross. They assert they did everything to be responsible pet owners, yet their family pet was seized and held for two years without them being able to see him or assure themselves of his care. Lennox is slated to be euthanised this week. Regardless of the well-meaning thoughts behind the legislation in Britain that allows this to happen, this is a nightmare for pet owners whose dogs are arbitrarily labelled potentially dangerous. Also, an offer to 'rehome' Lennox in America has not apparently been answered. It seems to me that before killing a dog not for its actions or personality but for its measurements, the Belfast authorities could at least respond.



Update: Here is a more in-depth look at the situation:

World makes last desperate plea to the City of Belfast, "Save Lennox!"

In a last effort to save Lennox’s life “A formal request for a royal prerogative of mercy has been made to the Queen who has the power to grant a reprieve or pardon. In a significant move, Peter Robinson, current First Minister of Northern Ireland and leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has indicated that he has asked Michelle O’Neill, minister of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs asking her to review the Lennox case as a "matter of urgency".

Meanwhile, somewhere in Belfast, Lennox waits to die. Alone, in a dank, concrete cell, a dog who has done nothing wrong waits to be killed simply because he looks “of type”. Lennox is a victim of Belfast’s misguided policy and a few stubborn people who would rather take an innocent life, than admit a mistake.

The Barnes family has one final, heartbreaking request for Belfast: "…We will fight for our right to say goodbye. We cannot bear the thought that Lennox will die without being reminded of the hearts and hands that love him."

Very sweet and moving spot for marriage equality

Those in Britain may want to check out: http://www.c4em.org.uk/ and sign their petition or e-mail your MP. They even have posters in Welsh. :) Thanks to George Takei for sharing it on Facebook.

I had one of these when I was a kid, too

My mother gave it to me when she broke the news that my beloved rabbit, Freckles, had died. Apparently they're all the rage again.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

A nice write up about the importance of libraries

The secret life of libraries

They have always had a dusty image – and never more so than now – but libraries are at the heart of our communities. With the axe about to fall, Bella Bathurst reveals just what we're about to lose.

Via Steven at Library Stuff.

Um, really?

An American stereotype of the British is that they have bad teeth (I can't say much, having never had braces, but then I do have mostly British genes). But as Hermione Granger's parents have taught us, the UK has dentists, and I think the stereotype is fading anyway. Well, this is apparently what a dentist will do for you for £1,000 and six hours of work on the eve of the royal wedding.

Royally obsessed: Man gets Will and Kate tattooed on teeth

(Notice that the teeth themselves are straight.) He did it to win a contest, but I don't think there was a monetary prize. The images on his teeth should last about 3 months. Hard to believe in this oeconomy anyone would pay that much for the future king and queen on their teeth--for a short time. Although, I'm sure he'll get lots of attention. I wonder if they just fade away with brushing or come off in bits? Ugh.

:) I love the idea of a 'kiss-in' as a form of protest

Gay couple say kiss got them kicked out of pub: 'To be made to feel so dirty and cheap over something like that – it’s just wrong'

Two gay men say their first-date kiss got them thrown out of a London pub — and turned them into a Twitter sensation.

Jonathan Williams says he and his date, James Bull, were asked to leave after sharing what they described as a "hands-on-the-table" kiss at the John Snow pub in London's Soho, normally known as one of London's gay-friendliest neighborhoods.

Anger snowballed after Williams tweeted about the incident late Wednesday, and within 24 hours, the story was on the front page of British newspapers and the pair were describing their ordeal on national radio.

Hundreds signed up for a kiss-in protest on Facebook, and about 300 mostly gay men showed up to embrace and kiss outside the pub, which had closed in response to the event.

Remember folks--social media sites are about more than 'I had macaroni and cheese for lunch today.' They've helped toppled governments, and with the ubiquitous cell phones, you never know when an action will be tweeted or posted on YouTube within minutes. Don't let your prejudice (or anything that's going to be hard to live down, for that matter), go viral. The fifteen minutes of fame is not worth it.

If you're an Anglophile like me

and you get BBCAmerica, you should watch 'Law & Order|UK' on Friday nights. It's a great programme. Here's an humourous advertisement to get you up to speed:

Glad I'm not a staffer during all this

Oxford students evicted after Bodleian Library sit-in

The university said it supported "freedom of expression" and "the right to peaceful protest".

"However, this was an unlawful occupation and one that caused considerable inconvenience and disruption for students wishing to pursue their studies and for staff of some of the university's most important library facilities," a spokesman explained.

"Those occupying the building were repeatedly asked to leave quietly and peacefully but chose not to do so. Attempts to negotiate an amicable resolution had failed.

"A significant proportion of those occupying the Radcliffe Camera were not Oxford University students and their intentions were unclear."

The Bodleian Library stores all books published in the UK.

Of course, the fact that it's the Bodleian would make me put up with just about anything. :) I understand where they're coming from--I have a lot of student debt. I wonder what they'd think of tuition paid here in the US, even at public universities?