Swords of El Cid

 From Murrey and Blue:

Like the legendary King Arthur, El Cid also had a special sword – in fact more than one. These swords were named ‘Colada’ and ‘Tizona’ and one (possibly actually ‘Colada’ but labelled ‘Tizona’) still survives and is displayed in the Museum of Burgos. In 1999 it was tested and confirmed to be made in the eleventh century in Moorish Cordoba and contained Damascus steel (which is made by a special process that is no longer known today). It is 36.8 inches long and weighs 2.5 lb and the hilt is a later edition as is also the inscription which reads:

‘Yo soy la Tizona [que] fue hecha en la era de mil e quarenta’ (I am the Tizona, who was made in the year 1040). And on the reverse side:

‘Ave Maria gratia plena; dominus mecum [sic]’ (Hail Mary, full of grace; the Lord be with me). (Read more.)

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New Biography of James I

 There is a new biography of James I by Gareth Russell, reviewed by Andrea Zuvich at The Seventeenth Century Lady:

The book contains many, many different historical figures, and there is a handy ‘Dramatis Personae’ at the end, which can help those less well-acquainted with these to get back on track. The two sections of colour images are well-chosen and vibrant. There are maps, family trees, notes, a bibliography, and an index. The Epilogue contained a concise yet surprisingly full summary of the history of the rest of the Stuart dynasty, at least as far as Queen Anne is concerned. It was also a thrill and honour to have my reference book, Sex and Sexuality in Stuart Britain, cited and listed in the bibliography.

Although eminently readable and gripping, Queen James is a hefty tome, and it certainly gave me much to consider. I often reflect upon how one can have preconceived notions about historical figures based on peripheral reading and whatnot and then have these notions tested and sometimes altered by more exposure to primary sources. In my case, I didn’t have a favourable view of James, especially with his dealings with witch-hunting and some aspects of his personality (even his sons, Henry and Charles, thought him rather vulgar, etc); but I pitied him particularly for his lamentably sad childhood and the paranoia he developed about being assassinated (with good reason).

I liked how Russell didn’t just launch straight into James’s sexuality, but spent a considerable time on his backstory – the tragic lives of his parents, the formidable (and terrifying!) impact of his time under the tutelage of George Buchanan, whom I now despise, and the various political complexities, horrors, and intrigues which plagued his life. (Read more.)

 

The American edition, called The Six Loves of James I, will be released in December but is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.

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The Bishops’ Legal Setback

 News from Christine Niles.

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The Epstein Rerun

We know Pam and Kash are doing their job. From The Reactionary:

 After Attorney General Pam Bondi’s appearance on Jesse Watters Primetime last night, it looked like that the DOJ was set to release new information related to Jeffrey Epstein: more information about the victims, more information on potential co-conspirators, etc.

Instead, there was a release of a 200 page binder of old materials - mainly flight logs and Epstein’s contacts, and a completely redacted list of Epstein’s masseuses. The highly anticipated “Phase 1” is a rerun. Even the DOJ admits “the first phase of declassified files largely contains documents that have been previously leaked but never released in a formal capacity by the U.S. Government.” Some of it is more redacted than what is already in the public domain.

[...]

We’re confident Director Kash Patel will do his part. But we suspect those assisting Bondi with compiling these records is, to put it bluntly, is unfamiliar with the Epstein cases and isn’t well versed on both the DOJ and FBI’s history with Epstein. We reported on Epstein’s 2002 interview regarding financial fraud with the FBI back in May 2023 (we posted it on Twitter today) - it wasn’t in the binder. Maybe part of the issue is the persistence of her staff.

In any event, Bondi can’t stop with the FBI. She must also look within the DOJ.

In 2018, we named the officials at Main Justice in Washington, DC who oversaw and approved the Epstein plea deal. What about their communications and emails? Their memos and letters?

What do DOJ records say about DC dragging its feet in approving an Epstein grand jury? (Read more.)

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Inside Audrey Hepburn's 'La Paisible'

 From Country Life:

‘Le Paisible, nestled in the tranquil village of Tolochenaz, offers an ideal balance of privacy and accessibility. Just a short drive from Lausanne — a dynamic alternative to Geneva with excellent schools — this charming country home provides a vast flat plot, exceptional seclusion, and ample space for a large family,’ says selling agent Alex Koch de Gooreynd. ‘With property prices nearly 40% lower than Geneva and the airport just 35 minutes away, Lausanne is an increasingly attractive option for international buyers.’

 ‘The home’s timeless architecture, a sought-after feature among Ultra-High-Net-Worth families, only adds to its appeal. It’s easy to see why Audrey Hepburn adored the environment, where she enjoyed both complete privacy and breathtaking surroundings.’ (Read more.)

More HERE.
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Deal with the Cartel

 From Sharyl Attkisson:

President Trump has named eight killer drug cartels to the list of foreign terrorist organizations. That’s part of his effort to secure the US southern border and cut down on trafficking of fentanyl and other illegal drugs that have been distributed in record proportions in the past four years.

Trump’s executive order names the infamous Tren de Aragua in Venezuela; Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) based in El Salvaor; and Cártel de Sinaloa, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, Cártel del Noreste (formerly Los Zetas), La Nueva Familia Michoacana, Cártel de Golfo (Gulf Cartel), and Cárteles Unidos, all in Mexico, as terrorist organizations. That designation opens up a host of new enforcement actions and penalties for those dealing with the criminal groups.

But you might be surprised to know that the US admits having a signed cooperation agreement with at least one of these groups: Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel.

I was surprised this story didn’t receive more attention when I first reported it in 2011.

At the time, I was breaking shocking news on the “Fast and Furious” controversy where the US was actually engaged in secret operations to facilitate the delivery of assault rifles and other weapons into the hands of Mexican cartels.

Many sources and law enforcement officials were telling me that it was an open secret in their corners that the US cooperated with the Sinaloa cartel in order to supposedly get information on other cartels that we considered worse, such as the Zetas. We were even allowing the Sinaloa cartel to traffic drugs in America— or so the story was told.

While it sounds unbelievable, there seemed to be confirmation that came in a court case in Chicago against a key Sinaloa cartel member, the son of a top Sinaloa leader. (Read more.)

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Queen Mary's Bath House

 From Exploring GB:

The building consists of a small tower like structure with two storeys with a tile roof that stands within the grounds of Holyrood Palace. It was thought to have been built as a summer house or Tudor tennis pavilion. Many people believe that this is the oldest tennis pavilion in the world!  There are also theories, however, that this was used as a dovecot and an intimate banqueting house. The truth is, very little is known about the true purpose of the building as most of the stories surrounding its existence can only be attributed to urban myths. (Read more.)

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Pius VI: Quare Lacrymae

Louis XVI by Johann Heinrich Schmidt

The Sovereign Pontiff explains why both Louis XVI and his ancestress Mary Queen of Scots can be considered Catholic martyrs, for ultimately they were killed out of hatred for the Faith. From The Josias:

Quare Lacrymae is mainly concerned with showing that King Louis XVI’s death was a martyrdom. Pius VI can appeal to Louis XVI’s moving last will and testament, but in order to prove the point he has to show that the cause of his death was odium fidei. In order to prove this, Pope Pius argues that the main thrust of the revolution was against the Catholic religion. In the course of his argument he makes a bold claim about the connection between Calvinism and Enlightenment philosophy—anticipating in certain respects recent arguments by the likes of Brad Gregory. (Read more.)

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Checkmate: The Hunters Become the Hunted

 Mel K and James Kunstler.

 

 

From James Kunstler:

The key to understanding how the Democratic Party works is how it uses federal grants to redistribute taxpayer money into jobs programs for its rank-and-file. As seen in the recent USAID scandal, the action revolves around the creation of countless NGOs (non-governmental orgs). They are easily created, poorly supervised, and assembled into large networks of self-serving, inter-dependent organisms whose main mission is paying staffers — and secondarily pretending to do good works, as suggested by a given group’s name is. These staffers make up the matrix of Democratic Party activists, well-paid foot-soldiers in do-nothing jobs who can be called upon to cheer-lead for the party, organize street protests and, most critically, harvest ballots when the time comes. (Read more.)

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