Tags
1914, Archduke, Austria, Austro-Hungarian Empire, backwater shithole, Balkans, death by gun, Dulce Et Decorum Est, famous Austrians, First World War, Franz Ferdinand, Gavrilo Princip, June 28, places that suck, Sarajevo, smooth move Ex-Lax, The War To End All Wars, this day in history, Wilfred Owen, WWI
On which, in an unlikely Balkan backwater, a Serbian crazyman formally inaugurates the 20th Century with a bang.
The Assassination Of The Austro-Hungarian Crown Prince Would Later Exert A Measure Of Influence Upon The Course Of World History When, In The Early Years Of The 21st Century, A Bunch Of Scottish Dudes Decided ‘Franz Ferdinand’ Would Be A Really Sweet Name For A Band.
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If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est
Pro patria mori.
Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)
***
Promethean Times 
Owen’s depiction of war is unsurpassed.
Well, it’s hard to get a more first-hand account.
Speaking of which, I hope to send those New Guinea photos today and I expect it will get done. However, as task management is not always a strength for me, feel free to remind me tomorrow if you haven’t received them.
I’m looking forward to seeing them.
That crazy Serbian is the reason Ana Anderson was a fake. I hate that guy. If it weren’t for him, we’d still have a Czar. Malcontent twat.
Your comment made me spit coffee, Anastasia. Good one!!
Word. Fortunately, I had no coffee to spit. I coughed up a lungful of smoke, which is sort of my equivalent.
Sexy!
Well, I try to live every moment as if an ex-girlfriend were watching!
You know she SO wants you back.
Well, that goes without saying. I just wanna twist the knife a little.
cheers (curtseys)
Bing! Bing! Bing! Bing!
Smart + Funny = One of the best comments ever.
thangyew..thangyewverymuch.(bows)(with a flourish).. I LOVE that I made you two spit coffee and smoke! As you can see from my alias, this issue is dear to my heart. 🙂
I’m surprised riots haven’t started over Franz Ferdinand. Blech.
Great historical note, Smak.
Who could possibly have guessed that this one freakshow would start one of the most heinous wars ever? Asshole.
Yeah. What makes it worse is that Franz Ferdiand, had he become regent (and Emperor Franz Josef only lived for a few more years) might have been more accommodating to the Serbs. Gavrilo Princip was indeed a dolt. I do like the name of their secret organization, though–I believe it was “the Black Hand.” Creepy. If you’re gonna be in a secret organization, at least give it a cool name, right?
Totally.
Can we name ours now? like.. the slimy anvil of ra, or somesuch?
Great name, although the nerd in me (which is such a huge part of who I am, sadly) compels the observation that, as the Sun God, Ra’s anvil would most likely not be slimy, as mold favors a dark, moist environment. So if Snooki were a god…
napalm is slimy…
And funny! That is, if you’re a wicked, wicked human being like myself.
I do have to say that Franz Ferdinand (the band) does score some creative points for filming part of their video in the shitter. Even so, I don’t know of any great rock (or whatever it is they call themselves?) coming out of Scotland. These guys are about a 1 1/2 out of 10, and I’m being generous in that assessment. Perhaps the shitter background was intended to give the listener/viewer a sneak peek of what to expect from this band.
Probably the best book written on WWI and its impact on history is “The Guns of August” by Barbara W. Tuchman. As in most other cataclysmic wars and conflicts, the assassination of the Archduke was simply the tipping point, but I have to agree that Princip, like most assassins, was not terribly bright in the head.
I liked that poem by Wilfred Owen. I agree about Guns of August. The outright stupidity on the political level that is behind all the carnage is also a gruesome tale.
So let me get this straight… you’re saying that horrible history makes for awesome indie rock band names?
Just ask Joy Division.