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ZooeyModeratorThe Story of Julie d’Aubigny: the French Opera-Singing Sword Fighter
Jade Cuttle
8 August 2018‘La Maupin’ (Julie d’Aubigny) was a French bisexual opera-singing sword fighter from 17th-century France. Known as one of history’s greatest rascals, she led a life so wild – complete with duels, grave-robbing and burning convents – that she had to be pardoned by the king of France not once, but twice.
Julie d’Aubigny was born in France around 1673. She was the only child to a secretary to King Louis XIV’s Master of Horse, Count d’Armagnac, one of France’s great nobles.
After first living in the riding school at the Tuileries Palace in Paris, she then moved with the court to the opulent Palace of Versailles in 1682.
While her father worked in King Louis XIV’s luxurious court, Julie d’Aubigny grew up in less-glamorous quarters, namely, the Great Stables (Grande Écurie).
Julie d’Aubigny’s extraordinary talent for sword fighting ran in her blood, as her father was an accomplished swordsman who trained the court pages at Versailles.
Julie excelled at fencing from a very early age and her father chose to educate his only child alongside the young boys. It was while training alongside the court pages that her love for dressing up as a boy first began.
Notorious for embarking on romantic escapades, she soon ran away to Marseille with her fencing instructor, Séranne. After scraping a living between them from performing fencing demonstrations at fairs and in taverns, the love affair quickly fizzled out. But d’Aubigny’s love of fencing was a passion that would burn throughout her whole life.
Julie d’Aubigny had to be pardoned by the king of France twice
Julie d’Aubigny loved nothing better than a duel and she killed – or at least wounded – more than 10 men in doing so. The anti-duelling laws in France were becoming much more strict at the time, but d’Aubigny managed to win royal pardon on the grounds that the law at the time governed only men. These laws didn’t say anything about women, as the nation assumed women couldn’t possibly know how to fight. Julie d’Aubigny, however, continued to prove them wrong.D’Aubigny’s most notorious run-in with the law sounds so absurd that you could easily mistake it for a legend. But there’s a shocking truth to the seemingly unbelievable tale. After seducing a local merchant’s daughter, who was then sent to a convent to keep the pair apart, Julie d’Aubigny forged an incredible plan.
It just so happened that a nun had passed away and so, d’Aubigny stole the dead body and placed it in her lover’s room before setting the whole convent on fire. This provided the necessary chaos to elope, though she was later charged with kidnapping, body snatching and arson, and was sentenced to death by fire.
Not only was Julie d’Aubigny incredibly talented at sword fighting, but also at opera singing. She moved to Paris and used these opera skills to worm her way out of her death sentence.
Julie enjoyed an affair with Gabriel-Vincent Thévenard, another singer, who auditioned for the Paris Opéra and was hired right away. Infatuated with his new love, he insisted that Julie be allowed to audition, to which the Opéra reluctantly obliged.
After realizing just how talented she was, the Opéra helped persuade the king to lift the death sentence so that she could join them. One critic credited her with having ‘the most beautiful voice in the world’ and so naturally, the king agreed that her talent was worth saving.
D’Aubigny’s performances on stage were hugely admired. She had a brilliant memory for music, performing under the stage name La Maupin from 1690 to 1694, and became quite a star.
La Maupin may have been pardoned twice, but she didn’t stay out of trouble for long. She threatened to shoot the Duchess of Luxembourg, found herself in court for attacking her landlord and humiliated the popular Countess Marino to whom she was a maid by adorning the back of her hair with radishes before a ‘grand ball’.
A later lover, the Elector of Bavaria, soon found d’Aubigny too intense after she stabbed herself on stage with a real dagger, offering her 40,000 francs on the condition that she leave him alone.
Julie d’Aubigny ended her days heartbroken for Madame la Marquise de Florensac, the ‘most beautiful woman in France’, who died of a fever in 1705 when Julie was 31. D’Aubigny died in a convent in 1707 at the age of 33, according to some historical sources.
However, there’s so much mystery surrounding this incredible life that we can’t know for sure which parts of the story are true. Even d’Aubigny’s birth date and place of birth are subject to speculation, as well as her real name.
While her professional name was Mademoiselle Maupin, cheered by crowds as La Maupin, acquaintances addressed her as Émilie in their letters, while Thévenard called her Julia. She’s also been known as Madame de Maupin and Madeleine, though she is best known as Julie d’Aubigny.
The Story of Julie d’Aubigny: the French Opera-Singing Sword Fighter
ZooeyModeratorThat is the first time I’ve enjoyed listening to Skip.
ZooeyModeratorRams are favored by a point I see.
In Green Bay
After coming off two consecutive losses in which the o-line got abused and Stafford looked lost.
Huh.
Aaron Donald has healthy ribs, and Aaron Rodgers is a shit biscuit.
ZooeyModeratorZooey,
Is the intro yours, or Gabbard’s comment on the quote?
I hope she didn’t actually say it’s some kind of “proof” that American isn’t racist, and the system works.
As you can tell, I’m not on twitter.
I wrote the intro. She is the one who said that the outcome of the case shows that America is not a racist country.
ZooeyModeratorI knew it. I knew that the convictions of the Arbery killers would lead to people citing it as proof that the judicial system works. Of course it would.

ZooeyModerator
ZooeyModerator
ZooeyModeratorI was talking to somebody whose takeaway was that it’s legal to show up armed, and offer defensive help to property owners, even without security guard training as long as they are an “independent militia member.” Which means…anybody with a gun, of course.
So…yeah. Looks to a lot of people like a civil war just got a green light from the judicial system.
It doesn’t look like Arbery’s killers will get off the hook, though, so all the white supremacists are going to be able to declare that the system works, and that racial discrimination doesn’t exist, etc.
November 20, 2021 at 12:44 am in reply to: comics, jokes, one-shot memes, funny tweets, etc. #134060
ZooeyModerator
ZooeyModeratorStafford’s has come back to the pack the last couple weeks, but by any statistical measure he’s still one of the top three QB’s in the league.
Neither INT against the 9’ers was his fault. The first one was picked because OBJ quit on the route, and the second one bounced out of Higbee’s hands.
======
Did OBJ ‘quit on the route’ or was he running a
different/shallower route than stafford expected?I dunno.
w
vOne of the blabber guys on TV said he quit, but I just don’t think that’s nearly as likely as the explanation that those two guys aren’t on the same page yet.
And like you said, it was a punt. They were back inside their 10-yard line after that, and for them to turn that TO into 7 points is on the defense, ffs. The 9ers have 5 90-yard drives this season, and 2 of those were against the Rams. I mean… it was just disgusting.
I don’t know how much it’s fair to blame Morris, but as of now, he reminds me more of Larry Marmie than Brandon Staley.
ZooeyModeratorI gave Goff 5 or 6 years.
I’ll give Stafford a couple.
I will say that I am less impressed than I hoped to be. Like Goff, he makes some WTF throws, and misses reads. And he has not “risen to the occasion” at any time. But I’m not ready to write him off, either. I think he’s better than Goff, but that margin of difference is more slender – so -far – than I expected.
ZooeyModeratorI am just disgusted.
This is the most disgusted I’ve been since – I don’t know when.
That beat down should have been the other way around, and I just don’t think there is an excuse for that. That game was over when the Rams botched the fake field goal. The Rams were done by HALFTIME in a game they HAD to have, against an opponent they should not have taken lightly, and which entered the game on its heels. And the Rams just got their asses kicked for the second week in a row.
Just no excuse.
ZooeyModeratorIt’s been found to be okay…
“Other people in this community have shot somebody seven times and it’s been found to be ok. My client did it four times…” pic.twitter.com/wPas5JwKq1
— Acyn (@Acyn) November 15, 2021
ZooeyModeratorWTF does “Modern Throwback” even mean? Is that last week’s jersey or something?
ZooeyModeratorWho does the actual work of making cars Tesla profits from? How much would Tesla be worth if it was just Elon putting together one car at a time without a labor force to exploit? Billionaire bosses aren't "makers." They're "takers" who steal nearly everything from their workers. https://t.co/hGY5ybDnXv
— Harpreet Chima for Congress (@HarpreetChima) November 15, 2021
ZooeyModerator
November 15, 2021 at 1:48 am in reply to: Wonder where the Rams new signee is going to play? #133961
ZooeyModeratorWell…the Rams could maybe use a team doctor.
ZooeyModeratorI’ve thought about this a lot, and the only thing acceptable to me now is that each Rams’ opponent, and every playoff-bound team, must suffer two major injuries between now and the time the Rams play them. It’s only right.
ZooeyModerator
ZooeyModeratorI don’t think these guys are right. I don’t think OBJ needs 8 catches for 112 yds and a TD or two in order to land a big package after the season. I think if he comes in and makes some key plays at the right time, that’s enough.
.
ZooeyModerator
ZooeyModeratorThis Just In: #Packers front office is the main reason why they failed to land Odell Beckham, Jr., per sources. I’m told HC Matt LaFleur wanted OBJ, believing his acquisition would be both seamless/positive for GB offense. FO lowballed Beckham, while the #Rams believed in him.
So… the Rams offered a $500K signing bonus, and the Packers didn’t?
ZooeyModeratorThis, however, is the worst uniform ever to step on an NFL field.

ZooeyModeratorI still like the dark Ferragamos.
I prefer the blue and white, but the 80s blue and yellows are very good.
I dislike the current pale blues more than the blue and gold in St. Louis. The current uniforms are the worst.
Though the color rush banana uniforms were pretty terrible.
ZooeyModeratorI’m putting the Rams on notice. I cannot be held responsible for my actions if they lose this week. I will not suffer another loss to the 9ers. I just won’t.
I am with you there. If the Rams are serious…they have to take everything out on the 49ers. The loss to the Titans, and the “howmanyever” consecutive losses in a row to the 49ers.
A complete game, both sides of the ball, with the 9ers’ season effectively dead at the final gun. This is my expectation. This is my demand. It doesn’t have to be 52-0, although it can be, if they want. I want the 49ers outplayed from the opening drive to the final whistle. That is all.
And OBJ can watch from the sideline.
ZooeyModeratorWell, as long as there is no negative impact on the locker room, I’m fine with it. I don’t care if he doesn’t contribute anything. I just don’t want him doing damage. Of course, they could cut him, I guess.
If he’s any good…he does create more pressure on the secondary. And is an insurance policy against injury to any of the top trio.
And I will say that the Rams having him means the Packers and Saints don’t have him. And that’s good because I think he would be a bigger difference-maker to those teams than he will be to the Rams. With those teams – again, if he’s any good – he would add more value because they have a bigger need for a very good WR. So if paying him the vet minimum achieves nothing but removing a target for a potential playoff opponent, well…that’s fine by me.
Maybe somebody knows…I thought I read somewhere that there is a maximum number of compensatory picks a team can receive, and the Rams are already at that ceiling. If true, they don’t get another pick for OBJ.
ZooeyModeratorI am surprised, mystified, and wary.
ZooeyModeratorThe San Francisco 49ers are not who people thought they would be. And probing questions are being asked of the head coach. For good reason.
The Kyle Shanahan regime is not halfway through its fifth season, and, alas, things are not going well. It’s, frankly, looking far too much like Year 1, or Year 2, only he’s not the youngest head coach in the NFL anymore and the feeling-out process is long in the past. The adjustment phase ended years ago. And, to this point, that wistful season of 2019 — with the 13-3 record and the Super Bowl loss — feels like an awful long time ago.
The defense has been horrible, and trending decidedly in the wrong direction since Shanahan (make no mistake — he has been and always will be running the show there until/unless he’s fired) decided not to make stud interior defensive lineman DeForest Buckner a $20M/year man. The run game is a shell of what it used to be. The pop-gun offense isn’t scaring anyone. All of their elaborate smokescreens and spy-novel levels of offseason intrigue about which quarterback they were mortgaging their future to move up and draft seems a little too cute, especially since Trey Lance has barely played for the sputtering outfit. And what seems to be resonating most loudly in the Bay Area right now is Shanahan’s 32-44 career record (.444) and the fact he is 9-15 since the 49ers blew their lead to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
Ultimately, you are what your record says you are. And that ain’t good. And no amount of play-calling wizardry can change that overnight. This ain’t a post-Super Bowl hangover. This isn’t a blip. That’s a nearly 25-game sample size since the big collapse against KC, and, well, the 24 games preceding that glorious 2019 season weren’t special, either (10-14).
The reality here is that roughly a third of Shanahan’s wins (10) came in September-November of 2019, and we can point to quarterback play and injuries and whatever other mitigating factors you want to include, but keep in mind all of those players (and bad quarterbacks) were there in the first place because Shanahan wanted them there. Again, this is his show. GM John Lynch was a curious choice at the time — coming straight out of the broadcast booth — and he was there at Shanahan’s behest. No revisionist history here.
Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals (backup quarterback included) was not professional grade, and they have allowed 83 points in three games since their bye and don’t have much to rely on on offensive, either. Sunday’s effort looked like a team in distress, turning what could have been a reboot to their season into the greatest SOS to date. It was inexcusable. They continually put on dire displays at home. And the second-half schedule doesn’t appear to be especially kind on paper, either.
Owner Jed York already doubled down on this management team by extending their already lengthy deals by another six years in 2020. His offense has never finished above 18th in points during his time there save for the magical 2019 ride (second), they’ve been a middling team running the ball the last two years, and one would think Shanahan would turn his focus decidedly to developing Lance ASAP.
It’s pretty clear if they have any chance of salvaging this season, Shanahan is going to have conjure his offense to much higher heights. If he is, indeed, a wizard with the play sheet and quarterbacks, well, now would be the ideal time to show it. Because time is running out on another 49ers season, they are clearly the most disappointing team in the NFL (Miami was always fools gold), and this wreaks of the kind of six-win campaigns that have come all too frequently in San Francisco.
ZooeyModeratorHe will be the Lions #1 WR by the end of the year.
ZooeyModeratorIf the Rams lose this game, there will be trouble.
I don’t see it. While the Rams are a flawed team, they have been consistently better all year than the 9ers, who seem to have more serious flaws than anyone expected. I don’t think the Shanahan spell lasts another game. I’m pretty sure the Rams are paying attention to this game, and I expect to see their most complete game of the season.
That’s all a hunch, obviously. But I think the Rams are better, and I think they are motivated. If they lose, I’m going to ask questions about the coaching. Is my guess.
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