Wednesday 13 February 2013

Short Notices



Sometimes I come across Richards who deserve recognition but about whom I really don’t have much to say (or care to say much). Here are a couple of those Richards.

Richard Monckton Milnes

I first stumbled across this Richard when researching Richard Burton (the explorer). I had written down that I should check Milnes out, but when I initially read his Oxford Dictionary of National Biography entry I thought, “this guy is boring.” He was a gentleman who became a baron in 1863, wrote poetry of indifferent quality, and served as a member of Parliament. Then Wikipedia reminded me of why I had written down this man’s name:

“His apparently almost unsurpassed collection of erotic literature*, now in the British Library, was known to few in his lifetime."

*Hyde, Harford Montgomery (1965). A history of pornography. Heinemann. p. 14.

Now we’re talking! But that the extent of it, really, Follow this link (oscholars) for more on Richard and erotic literature.




Richard Dragon

Richard Dragon is a fictional character who appears in DC comics. I’m a little sad he’s fictional because Dick Dragon would be an awesome name to have in real life. Richard Dragon, as one might guess from his last name and stereotypes within our culture, is a martial arts expert. He used to be a thief, but he straightened out and became a fighter. He’s reportedly one of the best martial artists in the DC Universe. He trained Batman!

Also, in the 1970s Richard had his own comic called “Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter.” That’s just awesome (and so very 1970s).



Sir Richard Branson

I’m sure you’ve heard of Richard Branson. He’s an obscenely rich British businessman (4th richest in the UK, apparently) who uses sexual double entendres as often as possible. His main ventures are named Virgin [insert whatever here] and his business books all have rather lewd titles. He’s made several world record attempts (many of them successful), which usually involve quickly crossing bodies of water in various vehicles. Like any good rich person, he’s also involved in a variety of humanitarian works. All in all, he’s a rather brash, colorful  character.


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