Paranormal Telly: Vikings

Show: Vikings
Seasons: 1
Run Time: 45 mins
Air Dates & Time: Sundays @ 10pm EST
Reruns can be seen: Hulu | History Channel
Synopsis:

The HISTORY® original series Vikings transports us to the brutal and mysterious world of Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel), a Viking warrior and farmer who yearns to explore—and raid—the distant shores across the ocean. His ambition puts him at odds with local chieftain Earl Haraldson (Gabriel Byrne), who insists on sending his raiders to the impoverished east rather than the uncharted west. When Ragnar teams up with his boat builder friend Floki (Gustaf Skarsgard) to craft a new generation of intrepid ships capable of conquering the rough northern seas, the stage is set for conflict. But for all its warfare and bloodshed, Vikings is also a story of family and brotherhood, capturing the love and affection between Ragnar and his wife, Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick), a respected warrior in her own right. It is the tale of Ragnar’s brother Rollo (Clive Standen), a fierce fighter who simmers with jealously; of Earl Haraldson’s wife Siggy (Jessalyn Gilsig), a dutiful beauty who may be less than loyal; and of the monk Athelstan (George Blagden), whose Christian morals clash with the Vikings’ pagan society. As ambition and innovation rattle a civilization, these characters will be put to the test—and their way of life will never be the same again. Vikings was created and written by Michael Hirst (Elizabeth, The Tudors).

The show is based on the Sagas of Ragnar Lodbrok, a legend in the Old Norse. It is an amazing show. I'm not a Norse follower, I do know enough to know they have done an excellent job capturing as much as possible, sharing great historical details about the housing, the methods of war, even the system of hierarchy within the Norse communities.

Each week we are introduced to something new going on within the community under the Jarl's protection and we see the very beginning of the tradition of Norse raids in Britain   I LOVE this show, from the wild Floki to the hot Rollo, we are immersed in a world of politics, violence and just straight craziness.

I really love that they're showing the Shield Maidens and that they Norsemen allowed women to go to war with them. I like Lagertha, Ragnar's wife, she's pretty freaking kick a**. I highly recommend this show, especially because they show how integral the Gods are to the Norse way of life.

Nerdy moment:  I just however wish they would point out that being called a viking is actually incorrect, "a viking" is the name given to raiding/ or going on an expedition, the Norsemen were actually going 'a viking' when they travelled to England, they actually aren't "vikings" but the term had become synonymous with them and has stuck.

It's still a good show however. I highly suggest you tune in.
Happy Viewing

Febuary Lovers: Mr & Mrs. Loving

Welcome to episode 1 of the February Lovers of 2012.

Have you ever seen a couple she beautiful, him handsome walking down the street, nothing about them is truly particularity different other than they are a interracial couple, maybe one is Caucasian & the other Black, maybe they are Asian & Black; whatever they ethnicity it's the love that shines through. You yourself (like me) maybe involved with a interracial relationship, I am a product of an interracial relationship, I like many of you have the right to these relationships due to those who came before us and fought for those rights.

Let’s be real the mixing of races here in America has not always been for love, or by choice. Many times it was the way to survive to make sure you progeny got a better life than you did, sometimes it was due to rape.

There are instances however that show us that it does happen for love, that there are people who would willingly stand up and fight for their heart’s true desire, and such is the case of Mr and Mrs, Loving. the couple from Virginia fled to Washington DC to get married due to the law on the books in Virginia which prevented the intermarrying of Caucasian and Blacks, this law called the “Racial Integrity Act” made it a criminal offence to knowingly have sex with another race, & a federal offence to marry another race. 

Arrested, tried and found guilty in Virgina they were sentenced to 1 year in jail or a suspended sentence if they left the state for 25 years; they took the suspended sentence and fled to DC, there they met with lawyers from the ACLU and on November 6, 1965, filed a lawsuit against the state of Virginia for violation of the 14th Amendment. As noted by the fact that you and I can date, have sex with and marry whomever we wish (I’m not discussing the LGBT community at the moment) you can tell they won.

On January 22, 1965  the case went before the Virginia Supreme Court, the judges upheld the Virginia Law.  The people who actually helped the ACLU team were the churches, the Presbyterian Church, then UU Association, & the Roman Catholic Church stepped into say

"laws which prohibit, inhibit or hamper marriage or cohabitation between persons because of different races, religions, or national origins should be nullified or repealed."^{[ (wikipedia/loving v Virginia)}

Prior to the Loving case, there were a few others that challenged the law including Pace v Alabama, Perez v Sharp, each laid the groundwork which allowed the Loving case to proceed to the Supreme Court; on June 12, 1967 the court ruled in favour of the Lovings with this statement: 

“Marriage is one of the "basic civil rights of man," fundamental to our very existence and survival.... To deny this fundamental freedom on so unsupportable a basis as the racial classifications embodied in these statutes, classifications so directly subversive of the principle of equality at the heart of the Fourteenth Amendment, is surely to deprive all the State's citizens of liberty without due process of law. The Fourteenth Amendment requires that the freedom of choice to marry not be restricted by invidious racial discrimination. Under our Constitution, the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual and cannot be infringed by the State”

Despite the ruling, many of these laws remained on the books although un~ enforceable until Alabama repealed the law in 2000.

Yes you read that right, until 2000.  Now I didn’t mean to give you a history lesson, but every time I look at my partner, every time I look at my siblings & my Grandmere (or her pictures, since she has passed) I see the descendants of interracial love, and I am grateful everyday for these people.

Now to make this story even more personal, my favourite place to be during high school was the library, I volunteered there during my free periods and during my senior year when I only had homeroom & 1 other class, I was there all the time. My school librarian, one of the coolest women I knew and was very into discussing Black history with me, her name was Ms. Loving, as in the granddaughter of Mr & Mrs. Loving. When I saw the movie and went to school that Monday, she laughed when I walked in and said yes she had seen the show, she gave a talk during Black History Month and brought along family pictures, and shared those with us.
Talk about touching history, this is the story of a love that took on a state and went to bat for all those who couldn’t, This was a love that lasted until Mr Richard Loving preceded his wife into death in June 1975, and she later passed on May 2, 2008

Officially Loving Day is the day the courts overturned the rule, June 12th, but every Valentine’s Day, when my partners & I are enjoying this day for Lovers I always stop to light a candle for the ones who helped to make this love possible.

Even if your aren’t in an interracial romance, can you please light a candle today for all the lovers past and present who are in need of passion, comfort, Love and romance.

**If your in NYC they have a display of pictures from the Loving family, intimate portraits, why not take a look and see. Link is above with their names.**

Be Blessed, be happy, Be Love

Farewell to an Icon

How do we say goodbye to someone who has become so intrinsic to our culture?? For a generation, especially for women, Oprah became a image of success, she was a woman who like us struggled with her weight, she lived her life full tilt, and did it all while without falling to societal pressures of becoming a wife, or a mother.  She showed many that success can come from walking their own path, and how to do it while being unapologetic, for these choices.  She stuck to her guns; talked about what made her tick, what made her curious, and took us along on the journey with her.


Yesterday, I managed to catch the show, including the ending with Rascal Flatts, who sang their song "I Won't Let Go" and I was in tears.  


You see, for me there are many memories of Oprah, her show came on when I was just four years old, and I remember much of her rise and becoming the woman we know today. I remember catching brief glimpses of the show, as I was growing up, and going from sneaking to watch Sally Jessy, to Ricki Lake, and then finally being allowed into the inner sanctum of the women's group and being invited in the afternoon, to tea, and Oprah.  I remember when I was younger, when my mother and her friends, would have their little meetings in the afternoon to watch Oprah and her show, especially after she had become really established, and had some really great shows highlighting many of the things going on in the world.  I remember the book clubs that got launched, at church, in the neighbourhood, and even watching people I would never think of as readers picking up a book simply because Oprah had talked about it on her show.


She has woven herself into the fabric of the American, nay the world's cultural context for many a generation.  It's scary to think she won't be there for the next generation to listen to, talk about, learn from, and yes even make fun of.  Oprah launched many a career, and yes even ruined one in particular (but then again would you really want to be known as the man who lied to Oprah Winfrey O_o).  


Although after those afternoon teas had moved onto other things, and I grew up I didn't really watch Oprah as religiously then, but her show is one of those touchstones of life that we can drift back to depending on what she was talking about and what her season was about.  I know personally there were many episodes I couldn't wait to watch, many episodes I couldn't believed I had watched (like the Bush interview), and yes many episodes that we all made fun of  I mean really Tom,

( Kate must be doing something right to make that man lose his mind); and there are many which will stay with me for a long time (the episode with the men who had been assaulted as children).  Oprah made it ok to talk about something that happened to many people, she made it less 'dirty' and made it something people wanted to confront, all because she spoke about her childhood assaults, and the power of parents who advocate for their children, she owed a lot of her rise and her success to her father, and she spoke on it often.


Many people have made fun of the way her audience reacts, and even how Oprah herself  acts on her "favourite things' episodes; considering there is a whole industry out there about getting on Oprah, even CNBC has a show called the Oprah Effect, discussing what going on her show has done for hundreds of people's careers.  I mean who can forget the "You get a car, You get a car"
She also did something special for the Black community, she made it ok to be successful without being a 'typical' star. She made a lot of people see that just because the ghetto is where you start it isn't where you have to stay. She once said to a guest, that she had earned every penny and she enjoyed spending it because she grew up Black in south, and that really stuck with me.
I'm glad she was on the air for so long, and much like the song says, although we are sad to see her go, we are all just a little better because of her show. 


I wish her all the best (although she really doesn't need it) and I thank her for being an amazing roll model for many young women, and especially to me.  What about ya'll any fun Oprah memories??
Be Blessed

Lover of Food and History??

Well in Britain there is a food critic names Giles who has made it his decision to run through the dining habits of the last 500 years. It's like a Supersize me for the last few centuries of diets.

The first show is hilarious as he and a friend Sue Perkins makes their lives for a week all about eating and living in the times. They talk to about us what they are eating and what it does to their bodies. If you live in the British Isles you can check it out on BBC, but for those like me who can't get this on the telly, check it out here on YT.

Not only do they highlight the many different diet  ,and how many popular meals came to be, they also discuss the role of women at the time and their lack of options during these different ages. Many different things are also discussed like the beginnings of coffee house and where the women of the Suffragist movement would have met and even the many different fads about diet through the ages.

Here is a look at the first video:



There are several more episodes do check them out if you can.
Happy Eating and Happy Ostara