The Blog Is Dead

7 Comments

1. 

   Shotts (Post author)

   July 6, 2009 at 9:38 am

   And now fully at three months and counting…

   God rest ye.
2. 

   Ned

   July 6, 2009 at 5:50 pm

   I guess I’ll fix that.
3. 

   Tobias

   July 6, 2009 at 10:50 pm

   The old blog is dead…LONG LIVE THE BLOG!
4. 

   Pete

   July 19, 2009 at 6:34 pm

   Nice Coldplay reference, Tob, old chap. I, too have been re-awakened. We could all talk about the new Potter movie!
5. 

   Shotts (Post author)

   July 19, 2009 at 9:26 pm

   Peters–While yes it is true that Coldplay uses the lyric “the old king is dead, long live the king” in their song “Viva la Vida,” it is actually a much older reference to Restoration England, in the seventeenth century, as rules of succession were much discussed in the wake of the death of Charles I, the rise and subsequent fall of Cromwell, and then the restoration of the monarchy with Charles II. “The king is dead, long live the king” (which is how the phrasing originally was used, as I understand) suggests that the position of king is not the sole power of one person because it passes to the next at the moment of the death of the previous king. In a sense the position is beyond the person. The phrase also suggests the bitter irony of what it meant to restore the monarchy after the experiment of Cromwell went so wrong.

   Sorry for the lecture. Had to be said.
6. 

   Shotts (Post author)

   July 19, 2009 at 9:28 pm

   I haven’t seen the new Harry Potter movie, but by all means, Peters, get us started. I hope to see it. I also suggest The Hangover, for those of you who like a good summer comedy of the R-rated sort.
7. 

   Pete

   July 22, 2009 at 10:32 pm

   Obviously. I guess I assumed that I was more accurate in assuming that Tob was referencing Coldplay referencing the historical quote. Sort of like when someone does an impression of Phil Hartman doing an impression of Bill Clinton. My statement was more of a poke at Tob and his affinity for CP. I realize that he is also probably aware of the historical relevence of the quote, but I figured this might provoke a response, perhaps leading to a dialogue about something completely unrelated. hmmm.