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Monthly Archives: January 2013

Superbowl Tea Party

31 Thursday Jan 2013

Posted by Katherine in Tea, Tea Parties

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Superbowl tea party, tea parties Superbowl party

This weekend, Heather and I are faced with an ethical dilemma…Superbowl or Downton Abbey?  Perhaps you find yourself in the same quandary.  Perhaps you are thinking, “Heck no, I don’t care about the stinkin’ Superbowl.”  Perhaps there are other members of your household who are interested in one or the other, putting you in conflict.  The Vicky A’s have the perfect solution – a Superbowl Tea Party – a harmonious blending of scores and scones, overtime and oolong.

Instead of dainty finger sandwiches, please the pigskin fans with something a little more substantial, like these pork sliders from Cooking Light.

Next, instead of fruit or sweet tartlets, try these incredibly delicious (and warning: decadent AND addictive) sausage wonton cups.  Heather makes these every year, and I eat a million.

Finally, for the dessert, it’s go big or go back to Downton Place.  No delicate petits fours here.  This is your one chance for the most ridiculous, indulgent dessert ever to be served on a doily.  Try these oreo cookie brownies from kevinandamanda.com.  These have been all over Pinterest for a long time, and I have no idea who posted the recipe originally, but these guys have a good one.  Be mindful of the cook time, though.  I made these for Superbowl last year and majorly overcooked the cookie trying to get the brownie done through.

Load up your three-tiered tray with these goodies and you might be able to convince the football fans to change over every once in a while to see if Matthew and Mary are still arguing about something stupid.

The Great Moon Hoax of 1835

29 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by Katherine in Historical Events

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Great Moon Hoax, hoaxes, Victorian journalism

NBC News had a list of the “Greatest Hoaxes of All Time” the other day.  It was CLEARLY biased to the 20th century, but they did mention one that intrigued me – the Great Moon Hoax of 1835.  Curiosity piqued, I did a little investigation.  I found Historybuff.com, which has a great recounting with a lot of detail from the actual articles.

If you think journalists go too far to attract readers today, this is a doozy.  In 1835, the New York Sun published a series of six articles describing the discoveries of Sir John Herschel (an eminent British astronomer of the time) using a new type of very powerful telescope.  According to the articles, Herschel had seen an array of spectacular things on the Moon, including forests, oceans, buildings, and best of all, winged batlike men!

The Sapphire Temple, from the original articles, http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/archive/permalink/the_great_moon_hoax#dayfive

The Sapphire Temple, from the original articles, http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/archive/permalink/the_great_moon_hoax#dayfive

Ruby Colosseum on the Moon, from the original articles, http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/archive/permalink/the_great_moon_hoax#dayfive

Ruby Colosseum on the Moon, from the original articles, http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/archive/permalink/the_great_moon_hoax#dayfive

The Sun claimed that the articles came from the (actually defunct) Edinburgh Journal of Science but were in fact entirely fabricated having no relation to the actual Herschel.  As the articles came out, Sun readership soared, so other newspapers began reprinting the stories claiming to have their own copies of the original sources – sources that the Sun refused to show anyone, including a team from Yale who came down from New Haven to investigate their authenticity.  The killer is how the Sun closed the story, by claiming in the last article that the telescope was left out all day, and sunlight, focused backwards through the telescope, burned down a wall of the observatory.  Alright, NOW it’s getting ridiculous.  When the editor of the Sun finally admitted the hoax, rather than being indignant, the public found it amusing and the Sun retained its ill-gotten readership.  It’s nice to know that the American public at least used to have a sense of humor.

Museum of Hoaxes has the full articles, if you are interested in the loony <rimshot!> details.

Everyday Victorian

25 Friday Jan 2013

Posted by Katherine in Fashion/Design

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modern victorian, Victorian fashion

Here’s a lovely Victorian-inspired ensemble for any occasion, even the office!  Maybe take the hat off at your desk, though.
The Introduction to Business Skirt and the Print Journalist Top in Wintergreen are from ModCloth.  The earrings are from one of my favorite budget-friendly fashion jewelry brands, 1928.  The beautiful cloche hat is from Alli Cat Crafts on Etsy.  The shoes are Nine West from DSW Shoe Warehouse.

A Study in Scarlet: On Ripperology and the Fascination of the Historical Murder Subject

23 Wednesday Jan 2013

Posted by Heather in Historical Events

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from hell, history, jack the ripper, murder mystery, ripper street, ripperology, whitechapel murders

“I keep on hearing the police have caught me but they wont fix me just yet. I
have laughed when they look so clever and talk about being on the right
track. That joke about Leather Apron gave me real fits.”  ~’Dear Boss’ letter, 1888

As much as the Victorian Age was full of light and progressive innovation, it had its fair share of darkness as well.  In addition to the super-creepy photographic trend of mortuary photos (which we’ll address in a later post), it gave us Jack the Ripper. I doubt he needs much introduction to you, Dear Readers.

Why does this case fascinate us to this day, more than 120 years after the fact? Is it because he was never caught, despite the heinous nature of his crimes? Is it because he had the audacity to taunt the police with chilling letters and body parts? Is it because the list of suspects included Vicky’s grandson, Prince Albert Victor, and had other tenuous links to the Royal Family? For whatever macabre reason, Ripperology as a point of study is alive and well and continues to produce theory after theory as to who he was and why he did what he did, to say nothing of the detective and historical fiction this crime has inspired in the imaginations of writers and producers everywhere.

Modern media continues its obsession with the murderer “From Hell“. Two recent and ongoing series related to Jack the Ripper have caught my attention on BBC America: Whitechapel and Ripper Street (I totally scored an 80% on their Ripper quiz. Dubious honor?).  I’ve enjoyed what I’ve seen of the first two series of Whitechapel, the first of which involved a Ripper copycat in modern times following Jack’s timing and M.O to the letter (which makes you wonder, with some trepidation, why there haven’t been more Ripper copycats. Hopefully, they lack the stomach for such involved butchery.). Ripper Street takes place in 1889, during the aftermath of the Ripper case.  I hope to see what this series brings to an already overflowing Ripper table, like deeper insight into the workings and methodology of the Metropolitan police force of the time or the greater effect that Jack had on Whitechapel or London itself.

I consider myself a Ripperologist in the most informal sense.  I enjoy online research into the topic (I recommend Casebook.org as a starting point, which I’ve linked to extensively throughout this post), I’ve seen the mortuary photos (brace yourself), and I’ve felt the frisson of walking through modern Whitechapel, which has changed street names over the years in an effort to remove the lingering stain on the neighborhood from Jacks’ crimes.  The horror and extremity of the crime intrigues me as does the cunning and adept, if seemingly psychotic, mentality that was required in order to pull off something this nature and completely baffle police and experts for hundreds of years. Who else has been able to do that but Jack? And why?

Every year more Ripper books and articles are published. Conferences are held for enthusiastic Ripperologists can come together to discuss their theories of the case. I suppose it is this enthusiasm, if we may call it that, for the case that is the true point of fascination. On the Casebook’s FAQ, someone asks the question: “Why did you create a site which glamorizes a serial killer? You sicken me.” Are we, in the midst of our fascination with this murderer, glorifying him a bit? Are we romanticizing the gas-lit mystery of the time as we often romanticize the time itself? It is difficult not to feel the prurient interest of the macabre voyeur as we gaze upon the murder victims in various states of mutilation and fret about motive and potential mental disease of a case that cannot possibly be solved with any certainty in our lifetimes. Does the notoriety and infamy of a case like this have any effect or influence on murders to come? Are we, researchers, historians, enthusiasts, and modern media, complicit in the myth-making of such a man?

In the 120 or so years since the murders, there has been exponential improvement in the technology available to analyze what criminal forensic evidence we have, and a great deal of knowledge on the victims and suspects has been obtained even within the last 50 or so years. Are we busy playing CSI: Whitechapel, working to re-open the coldest of cold cases as a crime lab-equipped Sherlock Holmes? Are we in it for the historical, geographical, and sociological implications of the time? Or, are we, as the Casebook’s mission statement indicates, attempting to find justice for these abused women hundreds of years after the fact? Regardless of reason, I would argue that most Ripperologists do not, in fact, celebrate the man, but rather seek to understand and perhaps solve one of the most notorious cases of the age. Perhaps, in so doing, we could rectify the wrongs of an age gone by and find some peace in the knowing.

I hope to provide reviews of Ripper Street and perhaps Whitechapel in the future. I would be very interested in your take, Dear Reader, on this polarizing topic. To the comments! No kidneys or blood samples, please.

Great Quote of the Day: Ambrose Bierce

23 Wednesday Jan 2013

Posted by Katherine in Literature, Politics and Society, Victorian Celebrities

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Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary

File:Abierce.jpg

Image from Wikipedia

“War is God’s way of teaching Americans geography.” 

From The Devil’s Dictionary, 1906

I am now considering naming my firstborn Ambrose because this quote is that good.  Can you believe this was said 100 years ago?  I had always assumed that this country’s geographic ignorance was a relatively modern problem.  Apparently, it has always been this bad.

Happy Sherlock Day!!

22 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by Heather in Literature, Sherlock Holmes, Victorian Celebrities

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of course dates can mean random things, sherlock holmes, stop that that's silly

From Mouthless-Mutters on Tumblr. Happy Sherlock Day, Lovelies!

A Day Married to Mr. Knightley

20 Sunday Jan 2013

Posted by Katherine in Literature, Parody

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A Day Married To, a day with, Jane Austen, Jane Austen's Emma, Mr. Knightley

Ah, Mr. Knightley, the love of Jane Austen’s Emma.  He’s been portrayed on the screen by the handsome likes of Mark Strong (dreamy sigh), Jeremy Northam (who?) and Jonny Lee Miller (meh), and of course the adorable Paul Rudd in my generation’s timeless adaptation of the story, Clueless.  This guy is supposed to be a dreamboat, right?  Some might say he’s “challenging,” or “he holds Emma to high standards.”  Hmm, his charming name notwithstanding (is it still a metaphor if his name is actually the object of the metaphor itself?), let’s take a minute to consider whether or not we’d truly want to be married to this rather judgmental and critical man.

Strike 1 against:  He’s your dad’s BFF.

You:  Honey, come to bed!  I’d like to spend some time with you, if you know what I mean.

Knightley: Hey babe, your dad and I are having a really great conversation here.  I’ll catch you later.

Your dad: Don’t worry, I’ll send him up in a few minutes and you two lovebirds can go crazy!

He’s known you since you were a child and was kind of into you even then.

You: Oh no!  I think I see a gray hair on my head.

Knightley: Ugh, I much preferred you as a nubile tween.  I think it’s time for me to trade down.  Do you have any younger sisters?  How about kids you babysit for?

He’s super-critical…

You:  Knightley, what do you think of this dress?

Knightley:  Seriously?  You look like a manatee in that.  Which is strange, because you don’t eat like a manatee.  All they eat is vegetables, and you’ve been pounding tea cakes all day.

…and judgmental.

You:  I think I’d like to go see my friend Laura today.

Knightley:  Oh you would huh?  You’re probably going to try and talk to her about some aspect of her life and then give her some kind of advice, right?  Zeus, you are so selfish and manipulative. 

Hmm, doesn’t sound so great to me.  I think I’ll pass, Ms. Austen.

Downton Discussion Poll

17 Thursday Jan 2013

Posted by Heather in Movies/Television

≈ 6 Comments

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downton abbey, poll

Katherine and I, as lovers and watchers of Downton Abbey, were wondering on how best to incorporate our Downton viewing into the blog.  Therefore, Democracy!  Check out our poll and/or tell us in the comments how you’d like to share Downton with us, fellow viewers! How would you all like us to review Downton Abbey?

Just Kiss Already! Why do we love lovers kept apart?

15 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by Katherine in Literature

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Parade's End, Victorian romance

The Vicky A’s have certainly read our share of Victorian romance novels.  It is interesting to observe that the basic romantic storyline has not changed very much since then.  Man and woman meet and sparks fly, but circumstances more or less believable keep them apart for some period of time before they finally either get together or end the relationship permanently.  The most wonderful and frustrating thing about Victorian romance is the sheer amount of time the lovers must wait for their denouement and the unbelievable restraint and self-control they show in the presence of the lover they cannot have, for one reason or another.  Why are these particular stories, the ones where the protagonists are kept apart unbearably long, the most engaging and dramatic?  Why is it that the story of a couple who meet for a weekend, fall instantly in love, and then spend the next 10 years struggling to get together seems so much more romantic than the story of a couple who have a really great first date, see each other regularly for a couple of years, become increasingly intimate, and then get married?  Why do we want our lovers torn asunder?

Maybe it is because this scenario is foreign to most of us today.  In the age of instant gratification, it is enchanting to consider wanting something so much that it is all you can think about, and having to wait patiently for it for an indefinite amount of time.  Isn’t the old saying still true that anything that is worth having is worth waiting for?  The virtues of patience and perseverance are deeply ingrained in Western (and particularly American) culture even if those virtues seem to be slipping away as technology progresses, so perhaps there is some part of the soul of the iPad generation that longs for the opportunity to really want something and to have to wait for it – to earn it.

Three episodes into the new BBC miniseries “Parade’s End,” I found myself shouting at the television, “For goodness’s sake, would someone please just give someone a HUG?!”  While the romantic tension in the lead characters’ relationships was titillating, I was confused and a bit frustrated – “Why won’t she just kiss him?  Why doesn’t he hold her hand?  Why won’t SOMEONE SAY THEY LOVE SOMEONE!!!”    It seems so strange for someone truly in love to let social mores and fear bind them so tightly.  But perhaps the same fears that keep the characters in Victorian times from realizing a loving relationship are those that keep us from doing the same in modernity.  In these Victorian and turn-of-the-century stories, the relationship is an emotionally committed one with both parties afraid to follow through with physical consummation because of possible social and personal ramifications.  Today, many people freely engage in acts of physical consummation, but it’s the desire for emotional commitment that we are often afraid to admit.  A Victorian might face scandal and humiliation in his or her local town or parish, but a modern lover who takes a chance and is rebuffed could face humiliation in front of everyone they’ve ever friended within seconds.  Perhaps we are just as tightly bound as they.

Wilde Friday #2 – On Temptation

11 Friday Jan 2013

Posted by Heather in Victorian Celebrities

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

oscar wilde, quotes, wilde friday

“I can resist anything but temptation.” ~ Wilde, Lady Windermere’s Fan, 1892, Act I

Oh, Oscar. We never can resist you. Happy Temptation Friday, everyone!

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