Helen Snubs Da Queen

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ken123
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Helen Snubs Da Queen

Post by ken123 »

British tabloids are reporting that Helen Mirren, who won an Oscar for portraying Queen Elizabeth 2, has kindly refused an invite to have dinner with Her Highness. Ms Mirren citing a scheduling conflict, she is making a film is South Dakota, as the reason that she can't meet The Royal Family on the date the Queen desired. The RF is said to be anrgy at the "disrespectful " Ms Mirren. The last GOP Mayor of Chicago, William Hale " Big Bill " Thompson ( 1915 - 23. 27 - 31 ) used to campaign in Irish neighborhoods of Chicago with a pair of rats in a cage and called them
" the King and Queen of England ". I would NEVER think of such a comparison. :roll:
klondike

Re: Helen Snubs Da Queen

Post by klondike »

ken123 wrote:British tabloids are reporting that Helen Mirren, who won an Oscar for portraying Queen Elizabeth 2, has kindly refused an invite to have dinner with Her Highness. Ms Mirren citing a scheduling conflict, she is making a film is South Dakota, as the reason that she can't meet The Royal Family on the date the Queen desired. The RF is said to be anrgy at the "disrespectful " Ms Mirren. The last GOP Mayor of Chicago, William Hale " Big Bill " Thompson ( 1915 - 23. 27 - 31 ) used to campaign in Irish neighborhoods of Chicago with a pair of rats in a cage and called them
" the King and Queen of England ". I would NEVER think of such a comparison. :roll:
As the second most rabidly Celtic member of this site, I have nothing (that I dare) to say in response to this!

Klondike
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Post by Sue Sue Applegate »

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moira finnie
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Post by moira finnie »

Well, Ken, you've done it again. As my father, who was fully Irish used to observe, if the Irish didn't have the English to berate, they'd just pick on each other. He maintained that the Limeys gave the Micks the impetus to get up, get out and make something of themselves, which they've certainly done--in spades, on a worldwide basis.

Btw, I loved the movie The Queen. Helen Mirren, in addition to being pretty busy and contractually obligated, probably doesn't want her image of the real Elizabeth II sullied by reality. I also wouldn't trust the weather report in any British tabloid, much less their comments on the Queen's moods, motives or reactions to anything.

Oh, and it's nice to know that politicians in Chicago during Big Bill Thompson's time appealed to the "better angels" of the citizens' natures.
:wink:
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ken123
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Post by ken123 »

Moira,
I thought the " Big Bill " Thompson "quote was an insult to the rats. :wink:
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Rusty
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Post by Rusty »

I don't know...I kind of feel sorry for The Queen. I know...the royal family has big incomes and castles and estates and manicured gardens and servants and jewels and nice clothes and top of the heap educations.

Thinking about The Queen, I am forced to think...what would it be like to go your entire life acting as if you had never gone to the bathroom?

Mister lowest common denominator...Rusty
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A Monarchist

Post by Vecchiolarry »

Hi Ken and Rusty,

I am a monarchist and I love The Queen. Even though my mother's family came from Ireland and were Irish Catholic.

The Queen herself is exemplary but I'm not so enamoured by her kids. After her, what comes next; I may not be so monarchical then......

Actually, Rusty, whenever she travels I know they need to fix up a nice lavoratory (loo) for her. So, I think she has a good tinkle once in a while.
There once was a cute cartoon of her reviewing the troops (carrying her handbag) and saying to Philip out of the side of her mouth, "Philip, what should I do? I have to pee??"
He looks at her handbag and says, "I don't know, Lilibet, what's in there?"........

Larry
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Post by Rusty »

Larry,

I'm going off topic here, but I've wondered for the longest time...

I remember hearing a news item several years ago...one or two west Canada provinces, probably British Columbia and Yukon, wanted to secede from Canada. The folks living in western Canada were so fed up with the government in Ottawa ignoring their needs, they wanted independence from the country and...I don't know, join the United States? Whatever happened with the "secede from Canada" deal? Ottawa send out the RCMP and put down the western rebellion?

Rusty
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Post by Vecchiolarry »

Hey Rusty,

No, the RCMP didn't intervene. No need, as they are situated out West in Regina, Saskatchewan; that's their Headquarters......

Actually, it is Alberta (my province) that wanted to secede when the Liberals (Democrats in US) were in power. Alberta is oil rich and gas rich and water rich as well as agriculture, mines and forestry too.
Ottawa socked us with a National Energy Program to overtax our resources and give the money to themselves and some poorer provinces. So, we started a new political party (Reform) and they were voted in last year, when they amalgomated with the Conservatives (Republicans in US).
British Columbia and Yukon also had problems along the same line but now everybody seems smiley and happy except for Quebec, which is always bitching!!

Larry
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"Let's All Hate Toronto" Movie at Hot Docs Film Fe

Post by moira finnie »

On a similar note vis a vis Canada, whenever I'm out and about in the car, I listen to a wonderful classical music station out of Toronto, since I live near the Canadian border. Recently they ran a review of what sounds like a pretty amusing new documentary that is causing some hubbub in that country called Let's All Hate Toronto. Apparently the most vehement comments made about the people in that (to me) glorious city, (i.e. Toronto residents are "soulless, one-eyed corporate zombies"), were from citizens of the Western provinces. When this movie ran at the Hot Docs Film Fest in Toronto a couple of residents walked out, and some burst into applause at hearing their condemnation and others laughed their tails off. I was sort of surprised that the biggest anti-Toronto people weren't found in Quebec, since my experiences there lead me to believe that there is a simmering, centuries old resentment toward the English Canadians found in Ottawa and particularly in Toronto.

As Canada's financial center and the cultural capital of English Canada, Toronto has always seemed to me to be like an American city wished it could be in many instances. I admit that I've always been smitten with the whole country, especially Toronto, Ontario, Montreal and Nova Scotia, and I haven't had the pleasure (yet) of going to Western Canada, but wonder if Larry or anyone else like to comment on this film, which you can read more about here
Last edited by moira finnie on May 7th, 2007, 7:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Vecchiolarry »

Hi Moira,

I haven't seen that film but I've heard about it. I haven't been to Toronto for years except to change planes at Pearson Airport, either to get to New York or Europe.
But now, we have direct flights from Calgary, so Toronto isn't important to me.

Most cultural shows that play Toronto now come out west also and Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver all have concert halls, art galleries, opera and ballet companies and big sports arenas, so Toronto isn't looked upon as 'the cultural capital of Canada' now, if ever.
Also, many head offices quit Toronto and Montreal and are now in Calgary (Canada's boom town). Most American business people now come to Calgary.
If you plunked Calgary down in the middle of Houston or Denver, we'd be right at home. And, there's no pollution here; clear blue sunny skies usually!!

Come for a visit and I'll take you all around to Banff and lake Louise in the Rockies and Drumheller in the Badlands, where the dinosaurs once roamed but now Beethoven plays, well his music, every June... "Beethoven in the Badlands" is one of my babies for the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. We also have "Mozart in the Mountains" (Rockies) in August/September and "Playing in the Plaza" (Calgary's Olympic Plaza - movie & show tunes) in July.

Larry
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Post by Vecchiolarry »

Hi,

Did you hear "Bushbaby" in his speech to The Queen comment on 'The Magner Carter'?? I had a good laugh over that.....

I wonder if King John went 'nucular' over that or just had a "hissey-fit"??

Larry
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Post by moira finnie »

Did you hear "Bushbaby" in his speech to The Queen comment on 'The Magner Carter'?? I had a good laugh over that.....

I wonder if King John went 'nucular' over that or just had a "hissey-fit"??

Larry
No, Larry, I must have missed that sterling bit of rhetoric, but I just watched part of the C-span coverage of the state dinner and George kept sneaking looks at Laura to see if he was doing okay. Fortunately, the Queen just smiled gently, (and I'm sure drew her own conclusions about our living embodiment of the Peter Principle). The good news is that someone had the sense to invite the winning jockey from The Kentucky Derby to the dinner. Hope that means that ol' Lilibet got to talk horses with someone knowledgeable.

Now about that visit to Alberta...if I start hitchhiking now do you think I could get there by July 7th for the Calgary Stampede? Please advise & check out unposed picture of me and a fellow road warrior on my last road trip below:
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Post by moira finnie »

In trying to fall asleep last night, I continued to watch the C-Span coverage of the Queen's arrival in Washington yesterday, (C-Span is better than warm milk for insomniacs, though I'm a geek & admit that I like it sometimes).

Dubya greeted her with a brief speech, during which he reminisced about one of her previous visits,mentioning that "she had helped America 'celebrate its bicentennial in 17 ...'
Bush caught himself - just in time - and corrected the date to 1976. He paused as if to see if the Queen had taken offence, winked at her then said shamefacedly to the huge gathering: 'She gave me a look that only a mother could give a child.' After that initial icy grimace the Queen laughed, too."

Whew, another international incident rescued by humor. Now, if they could just keep Mickey Rooney from trying to kiss her--again!
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ken123
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Post by ken123 »

Because he kissed the Queen, Mickey Rooney membership in the Celtic Hall of Fame has been revoked, he is now an ex - Irishman. :oops:
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