Owner: Eclectic Commons URL:www.eclecticcommons.com Join Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2007 16:52:03 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: The most important outlook on life is to remain curious. Curiosity is the key to all knowledge and wisdom.
This Blog provides a starting point to bring to light and discuss relevant issues from eclectic subjects that we encounter in the course of our l Site statistics:Click here
Congratulations Al Gore, Jr., Winner Of The 2007 Nobel Peace Prize 2007-10-12 12:23:19 Today it was announced that the 2007 NobelPeace
Prize was jointly awarded to The UN’s International Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) jointly with Al Gore, former Vice President of the United States under Bill Clinton. This is the very same Al Gore who should have become the forty-third president of the US, had it not been for the disastrously bad partisan (5-4) vote by the Supreme Court in its 2000 decision to anoint the Presidency to whom historians now call “ The worst President in US history, George Walker Bush.
According to BBC News, “By choosing Al Gore and the IPCC for the award in 2007, the Nobel Committee have rightly brought to our attention that climate change is the single biggest threat to world peace we have ever faced.”
Mr. Gore has been a champion for bringing awareness of climate change with his 2006 Oscar-winning documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth”, and numerous books over the years on the the importance of ecology.
The IPCC, a UN body whic Read more:Congratulations
The worst Star Trek The Next Generation Episodes 2007-10-11 10:00:41 Considering all the good commentary I have bestowed upon Star Trek
- The Next Generation
, there are a number of episodes that I considered “Klinkers“. They were so bad that I’ve considered banishing them to the neutral zone or perhaps “the phantom zone” - that nebulous invisible existence that Kryptonian criminals were transported till the end of time. They were so bad, I wondered if the writing staff of the next generation were possessed by some lapse of “creative potential” or whether they were taken over by the pods in “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” and lost all their cerebral capacity and emotional sensibilities. In any case, these have my vote for being the unfortunate result of some sort of transporter malfunction. Could this be the reason why Chief O’Brien was sent to Deep Space Nine? Or perhaps account for the dismal failure of the last series in the Star Trek saga, “Enterprise.” Is it possibly a result o
Who Fathered the late Contessa Llwaxanna Loveless Von Bralispth? 2007-10-10 11:09:07 In his book “Notable Movers and Shakers of Midevil Times“, Viscount Erasmas-Haul Von Stubbenboorg makes what he claimed was a compelling case for who the Contessa’s father was. Although her mother identified him as “a traveling merchant who parked his horse and wagon ” outside a local tavern where she lived, Esmeralda Lucinda Goochie Von Bogg-Stuppor never identified him by name. It is likely that the Contessa never knew who he was.
Although Von Stubbenboorg never provides concrete evidence to support his claim that the Contessa’s father was in fact William Shakespeare, he does provide some circumstantial evidence. He says in his book: “Although the Bard’s date of birth is not known, his baptism on St. George Day, April 26th, 1564, is used as his date of birth by scholars.” His argument refers to the “the lost years” of Shakespeare that scholars generally acknowledge between 1585-1592, when Shakespeare fled London for so Read more:Loveless
Cate Blanchett - An Actress Of Note 2007-10-10 11:00:19
With the October twelfth release of Elizabeth, The Golden Age, Cate Blanchett
returns to a role she played almost a decade ago portraying the early reign of the Queen in Elizabeth (1998).
As a Lead Character Actor, she comes to Elizabeth’s crown full circle with a synthesis of strong and memorable portrayals which should add texture to her performance as Elizabeth I in her latter years.
Transforming into Galadriel ( the Morning Star) , Lady of Lothlorien, guardian of Nenya, the ring of Adamant, one of the three given to the elves she earned screen immortality by bringing to the epic film, The Lord Of The Rings, a continual regal, ethereal presence with a short but pivotal performance that needed her luminosity to give a mythical character life. As with other actors of this film, her role might prove to be the key by which future generations will first come to know her.
When she took the daunting task to give a sensitive portrayal of Katherine Hepbu Read more:Cate Blanchett
The Chosen One – A story of Sacrifice and Buffy’s Unrequited love 2007-10-08 11:04:15 From the moment I saw the first episode of Buffy
The Vampire Slayer, I was hooked. Whedon created a world that symbolically told the story
of the universal passage into maturity. He imagined an alternate reality filled with demons, half demons and vampires. Then there was the “chosen one”, passionately played by Sarah Michelle Geller, born to be the one who as an awakened “valley girl “, with the power of a Shiva (destroyer). A growing up saga with an exaggerated view of various arch-type struggles we all experience. With her for the ride is ever faithful friend Willow (Rosenberg), played by Allison Hannigan. Xander, played by Nicholas Brendon, and her watcher, teacher and father figure, Reupert Childs, played by Anthony Stewart Head.
The grappling with burden, uncertainty and its impact on adolescence is something many people identified with. The First season (13 episodes) established her at the time she learns that she is the chosen one at 16. What it means, t
A Soldier’s Cry - A Poem 2007-10-06 11:06:33 The juncture set, with company ready,
While director’s plan, their act and play.
Before breaths fuse, intention masked,
Ever reflecting, the innermost eye,
While souls affiance, in thoughtful mood,
Air so taut, affect, skin deep.
The belly’s knot, expectant,
That recall thought and deed,
of things long past and yet to be perceived.
As hope and dream, resolve its peace,
Before the dance, destiny’s play,
The shout of stillness, a soldier’s cry.
The Official Bush Countdown Clock 2007-10-05 19:55:35 Now that summer has past, Thanksgiving’s around the corner and Christmas is fast approaching, have you thought of what the perfect gift would be? Although the Hillary 2008 Presidential Nutcracker is the gift for your favorite lobbyist, the Justice Anthony Scalia roll of toilet paper with the justice’s profile imprinted on every sheet with his very own interpretation of the Constitution in ten words or less etched in raised sandpaper selling for an astounding $9.99 per roll . A perfect present for the neo-conservatives now occupying the white house.
Another wonderful gift, that one can leave under the tree is The Clarence Thomas Toilet bowl plunger to unclog the septic tank as it fills with the Supreme Court excremental decisions this year, especially for those new high powered bowls that fail to work in the solar powered “outhouse construction.” It also comes with a very special reminder for all those fanatical conservatives who love Justices Thomas andScalia Read more:Official
, Countdown
, Clock
A most “forecasting” gadget - The Thunderbolt PRO 2007-10-05 11:00:27 Here it is, for the person who has everything but needs just a little bit more to get the “attention” of your object of affection in the early days of Autumn . The scenario that is hoped for is as follows:
You drive to the country to see the beauty of the autumn leaves, with its mix of bright colors. You park the car, lay the forest green cashmere quilt on the ground with edibles such as fried chicken breasts, those small, perfectly round potatoes roasted to perfection to nibble, perhaps some red wine. You think, “if only there was a late afternoon storm”, so you both get soaking wet, laughing with your paramour, as you hold hands running for cover from the heavenly droplets. An idyllic fantasy until you realize weather prediction, especially without a radio or TV weather forecast , is out of reach. There is, of course, the iPod, or your still overpriced iPhone at $399? Not Anymore. There may be something better.
The THUNDERBOLT PRO. “It’s a 75-mi Read more:Thunderbolt
On the Late Contessa Llwaxanna Loveless Von Bralispth 2007-10-04 11:00:22 The late Contessa Llwaxanna Loveless
Von Bralispth, born in 1587 somewhere on the Carpathian Mountains in the principality of Moldavia, now part of Romania died at the ripe age of 108 on October 31st, 1695, her birthday. She was surrounded by her family and friends, the numerous books she authored and her pet cat Peanut (r. aluna), who is rumored to have been the longest living feline ever in recorded history (over fifty). She first found Peanut as a kitten while on an archaeological expedition in the aboriginal region of Northern Taiwan (people known as goan-chu-bin, “original inhabitants”) in a burlap bag slated to be thrown into what is now known as “The Taiwan Straight” by a peasant farmer “who loved cats”, but was superstitious because it was born with 3 eyes. The young Llwaxanna knew then that her calling was special.
She was the only child of Esmeralda Lucinda Goochie Von Bogg-Stupor and some unknown merchant who had parked his horse and w
Deborah Kerr – A Woman Of Substance (1921-2007) 2007-10-19 00:00:46 Although she never won an Oscar for any of the performances she was nominated for (6), Hollywood knows this actress well. It was learned today (Oct 18th 07) that Deborah Kerr, the long time star, had died in Suffolk England at the age of 86. She had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Her legacy includes an acting resume of such memorable films as An Affair To Remember (1956), The King And I (1956), Black Narcissus (1946), King Solomon’s Mines (1950), Quo Vadis (1951) and The Prisoner of Zenda (1952).
Her leading men included such legends as Burt Lancaster, Cary Grant, David Niven, Clark Gable, Stuart Granger, Robert Mitchum, a long list of so many more in a tapestry of work that earned her a permanent place in the cinema history with a career that can be compared to “a great ocean liner with smooth sailing, occasional rough storms, otherwise solid and filled with substance.”
One of the top lead actors of the Fifties, her most memorable scene other than th Read more:Substance
The Fourteenth Dalai Lama Awarded Congressional Gold Medal 2007-10-17 16:54:21 “World Peace Must Develop From Inner Peace,
Peace Is Not The Absence Of Violence
Peace Is The Manifestation Of Human Compassion”
The Dalai
Lama, Tenzin Gyatso
Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth Dalai Lama was in Washington DC to receive the highest civilian honour given by the US government: The Congressional
Gold Medal
(see image below). In a ceremony attended by Speaker Of The House Nancy Pelosi and representatives of Congress, President Bush became the first sitting US president to meet publicly with the leader to present him with the medal.
The Medal is designed and struck individually to honor each specific recipient. Past honorees have included the first recipient: George Washington, Pope John Paul II, Rosa Parks, Winston Churchill, Jackie Robinson and John Wayne, the actor.
The Dalai Lama has been in a long political struggle with China over the status of Tibet, his homeland, since he fled the country for India in 1959 to escape capture and probable imprisonmen
Stock Market Philosophy 2007-10-16 11:00:47 From a strictly philosophical standpoint, it is safe to assume that from any venture, whether familiar, vague or completely unknown, something unexpected will appear during any stage making it more difficult to understand or control. Leading me to the conclusion that it is not possible to prepare for all options, only to come to terms that the thing needed is a reliance on my own ability to tap into some kind of instantaneous confidence that helps me deal more effectively and successfully with an uncertain situation.
Certain about uncertainty is the same as being uncertain about what I think I’m certain about. It is about questioning faith in what I was brought up to believe is a truth that also contains inherent elements of implicit uncertainty. Knowledge isn’t about what I know, but my recognition that I exist within this zone navigating with a mixture of experience and instantaneous instinct, hoping the outcome will be something I can live with, or at th Read more:Stock
, Market
, Philosophy
, Stock Market
On Peanut, The Three-Eyed Cat 2007-10-15 11:00:10 As I have been preparing numerous essays on the late Contessa Llwaxanna Loveless Von Bralispth, I have been receiving numerous comments and emails requesting to know more about Peanut
, the Contessa’s beloved feline, said to be the longest living cat in recorded history. She writes in her autobiography, “Ever my dearest as mine own child, with love and devotion. Always here when I am in deepest despair, for my comfort. He layeth beside me as I weep for my beloved husband, the day Igor died and was no more. How faithful doth be Peanut whilst I felt as life held naught but emptiness.” She continues, “As I stroke his coat whilst his sound doeth purr in the night, two eyes closed, while the third erst roaming, moving from side to side, open, eying me, my hand stroking his belly, tail doth moving. How I love thee, my faithful Peanut (r. Aluna)”
The Contessa first encountered this amazing feline while in Northern Taiwan (see map of Taiwan), a place inhabited by Read more:Three
Is This True, Not, Or Just A Crock? 2007-10-23 13:59:01 It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride’s father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which today is known today as the honeymoon.
Read more:Crock
On Mystical Amulets And The Guardians Of The Universe 2007-10-22 11:00:28 In Brightest Day, In Blackest Night
No Evil Shall Escape My Sight
Let those Who Worship Evil’s Might
Beware The Power…. Of Superhero’s Light
A central theme to any superhero is that they are guardians of the sphere they are designated to watch. Like Buffy, the most human of superheroes struggle over conflict and sacrifice of personal desire for that of the greater good.
The Light Of The Green Lantern is the Order Of Superhero’s, chosen by the Guardians of the Universe
to wield the ring and the lantern, taking an oath to protect and defend their planet. I was always fascinated by the diversity of Green Lanterns, but always wondered on what finger do you place the ring of the fish green lantern?
In Marvel’s Pantheon, Dr. Strange was Sorcerer Supreme Of The Planet Earth, a status he inherited from his teacher, the Ancient One, who initiated the surgeon Steven Strange as his disciple when he lost the surgical skill of his hands in an accident and goes on a &ldquo
Sister Mary Florence Of The Order Of Hopeless Lost Cause 2007-10-20 11:00:09 When Esmeralda Lucinda Goochie Von Bogg-Stuppor gave birth to her only daughter, Llwaxanna, on October 31st, 1587, in a cave of the Carpathian Mountains, only one person was with her.
She was known in Romania as Gussie Van Eldir-Gottenburg, in England as Elizabeth Barrington, and the Vatican as Sister Mary Florence, a nun of the Order
Of Hopeless
Lost Cause
. As I have researched the archives during my last trip in Turin and Rome, I found some references dating from the time of Pope Julius II (1503-13). Very little is known where she came from. Some of the parchments are time worn and fragile. It was difficult to tell with any certainty, when or where she was born. There are some entries by Pope Julius II and his successor Leo X of a friend called Gussie. Much of the text was in Romanian, and if it hadn’t been for the translator, Father Brian McBryan, I never could have found the little information I have uncovered. He speaks 16 languages and claims to dream in every single one of
Dealing With Resistant Strain Bacteria 2007-10-27 11:00:41
At the turn of the Twentieth Century, the most common cause of death was from infectious diseases, such as Pneumonia, Tuberculosis and Influenza. Infant mortality was high worldwide and the treatment for sexually transmitted diseases such as Syphilis was almost non-existent. With the development of Penicillin, subsequent antibiotics and vaccinations for diseases such as Polio, in the early part of the century, everything changed. Life span increased and the “mechanical diseases”, such as Heart Disease and Cancer, became the leading cause of death.
Currently, we have come full circle to infectious diseases as a leading cause of death, not only in the Third World but in industrialized countries that benefited most by the development of, and access to, antibiotics. These very same products whose overuse is now causing emergent antibiotic resistant strains of commonly seen bacteria such as Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus (MRSA) . Staph Aureus exists everywhere, the house, t Read more:Strain
, Bacteria
The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award 2007-10-26 14:06:46 According to custom, “the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award
is given periodically at the Academy Award ceremonies for outstanding contributions to humanitarian causes. It is named after screen actor Jean Hersholt, who served as the president of the Motion Picture Relief Fund for eighteen years. The award trophy is an ‘Oscar’ statuette. Past recipients have included producers, directors, writers and actors.”
This year, come Oscar time, no person is more deserving of finally being bestowed the humanitarian award as actor, comedian director, writer Jerry Lewis.
In a career that has spanned seven decades, from his first days as part of the Martin & Lewis comedy team (1946-1957), he has worked consistently and passionately for the Muscular Dystrophy Foundation, which he founded in 1966, and continues in his yearly Labor Day telethons aired for decades as well as off camera despite his advancing age. He has raised over two billion dollars that have been used to fu
An Introduction To The Sexual Mores Of The Bud-Hadnu Tribe 2007-10-25 11:00:55 I have been searching for an authentic copy of The Sexual
Mores Of The Bud-Hadnu Tribe
translated and edited by Sir Leslie Smythe. Lord Smythe attended numerous meetings of the “Inklings”, a group of literary scholars who met weekly to discuss their works. Members included JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis, the founders and close friends. Most of the time, they met at Lewis’ dorm room on Magdalen College, England, or a local pub (1). Sir Smyth has been known to attend the meetings for two years during the time he was translating the Sexual Mores of the Bud-Hadnu Tribe. His version retains the original old English translation of the text, no doubt influenced by the expertise of JRR Tolkien who was an authority of Chaucer and old English. Tolkien studied Finnish and was also fluent in Romanian.
The only version I could locate was translated by Father Brian McBryan (2) who published it with a more contemporary syntax rather than old English. The dedication reads:
To My Husband, Read more:Introduction
On October 31st, 1750 2007-10-31 11:00:53 It had been five years since great grand mama L’wanna had passed at the age of 108. As I gazed out the window, an incessant tapping as if a message or call to come forth. I thought it was a bird’s beak, ever tapping, but it was a birch branch hitting the window as the wind howled from an oncoming storm.
Peanut was now very old, perhaps over 60. Great grand mama had asked on her deathbed that he be well cared for. Now listless, often moving wobbly on his paws, his sire-lings ever present to guard him as he slept. Peanut had been gifted with unusual long life. The length of which was rumored to have been witchcraft, but that was nonsense. All who know him and my ancestor, the Contessa, beloved L’wanna knew better.
As the tapping continued into the night, I saw out of the corner of my eye, Peanut’s head rise and turn toward the door. As if with new life and rigorous strength, he moved slowly toward it. I hesitated before turning the door knob, as I knew he was fee Read more:October
Halloween’s Dance - A Poem 2007-10-30 00:00:50
Rivers cross, at forest dark
A deafening howl, on wind does ride
Of moaning creatures of the night
Hungry to feast and souls to take
The headless horseman, a traitor’s curse
Doomed on galloping steed in haste
A graveyard’s hero aglow, with spirit’s dance
Faceless forms of long dead lives
Emerging from unholy ground
Unmarked graves of powdered bones
Creatures foretold to haunt the wood
Like sirens call to rudderless ship
Hearkening to the yearn, lights last glimmer
Berserk with madness, to escape ground’s prison
The play of death, Halloween
’s dance
Free, but for a night, haunting deathly hallows
Awaiting the sign of sun’s first light
To order them back to earth’s embrace.
Read more:Dance
The Old Lady of the Tree 2007-10-29 11:00:58 Mother had taken me to a green field, with the scent of lavender. I went to play near the forest. It was dark and foreboding as I gazed at the trees and a small path that led between them, beneath the green leaves where the light dimmed as if a roof has been created from the arching branches. The earth was dark green as if night had come. I turned to go back, but I was utterly lost. I searched for what seemed like hours but with no success.
As the day drew on, I became hungry and by chance noticed some berries and mushrooms. I had been taught by mother to tell the difference between the ones I could consume as I searched for some water and came to a small stream. As the water hit the rocks, a foam of white bubbles rose to the surface, in a mist of wet cool rain as I knelt down and drank. I felt exhilarated yet afraid that I would never find my home. I heard a bird in the midst of two very old trees as I walked toward the sound. It was a humming bird. It’s rapid movement spoke to
One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) - A Most Illuminating Project 2007-11-03 11:00:48 The Concept:
“Imagine the potential that could be unlocked by giving every child in the world the tools they need to learn, no matter who they are, no matter where they live, no matter how little they may have.” - www.laptopgiving.org
Although all sectors of society agree that education, in its broadest sense, answers most problems by increasing the potential resolutions, there is disagreement how to achieve opportunity. This program addresses accessibility.
“Our mission is to provide a means for learning, self-expression and exploration to the nearly two billion children of the developing world with little or no access to education.”
A donation of $200 will pay and deliver a X0 laptop to a child in a developing country.
“Starting November 12, One Laptop
Per Child will be offering a ‘Give 1 Get 1 Program’ for a brief window of time in North America. For $399, you will be purchasing twoXO laptops-one that will be sent to empower a child to learn Read more:Illuminating
, Project
The Skyscout Planetarium - A Gadget for Space fans 2007-11-02 11:00:49 Although it looks like those lunch boxes parents give their child as they go out the door on their way to school, this gizmo is actually a portable planetarium, retailing for only $400. The Skyscout Personal Planetarium
by Celestron “will get you acquainted with the night objects, including the mythology and history behind them, in addition to their name and distance from Earth. Just point and shoot, text and audio will tell you what you see.”
Useful for sailors’ “lost” trying to find their way on the high seas, but they could use a wood or perhaps Melmac bowl, some water and a weak magnet, especially if they want to go due North, or South.
An Astronomer would use more complex instruments that would be far more accurate than Star Gazer. Nor is this product for those looking for the famous stars that glitter Beverly Hills. Let’s leave them to the paparazzi.
This product is most useful to those who love to look at the sky, towards Venus and “dis Read more:Gadget
, Space
The Red Coat and the Hummingbird 2007-11-09 10:00:19 Although this letter, The Red Coat And The Hummingbird
, reminded me of the popular version of the Grimm Brothers’ Little Red Riding Hood, the brothers were born a century after the Contessa’s writings. The original version is said to be similar to an Aame-Thompson type 3333 called, “The Glutton/Red Riding Hood”. One can only wonder how the writings of the Late Contessa Llwaxanna Loveless Von Bralispth could have impacted on this tale.
I initially quoted from her diary how young Llwaxanna Goochie Von Bogg- Stuppor found her Red Coat. In this letter she talks about her second adventure as a child.
“Mother asked me to take some food to Aunt Isabella’s for the feast on Pastele (Romanian for the traditional 3 day Easter Celebration). She had carefully packed some chicken, pork and bread in a basket and told me that Aunt Isabella was expecting me before sundown. She helped me put my red coat on as I past through the doorway. This was the first time mother
Flash! Marvel Superheroes Honored By USPO 2007-11-08 10:00:54 Marvel at Marvel “Karmic’s” just due by the US Post Office with a special commemorative series of the fabled Superheroes
. (read more below)
Congratulations, but hey, where is Dr. Strange, Sorcerer Supreme Of The Planet Earth, his ascended Master, the Ancient One, the Dreaded Dormammu, the inter-dimensional demon we all love? Where is Galactus , the planetary scavenger who almost destroyed Earth, or The Watcher (no, not Buffy’s watcher), but one of the Supreme Beings sworn to observe without interfering in cosmic events? What happened to Thor, his famous Hammer, Odin or Asgard? Perhaps they are invisible…
Don’t attempt mailing a letter with one of those “stamps”, unless you are Sue Richards, the invisible girl, have an invisible envelope and plan on using an invisible or inter-dimensional mailbox.
Is it inter-dimensional? or Multi-Dimensional? Will someone from “Strange” Tales or www.neilalien.com help me out, here? Where ar Read more:Flash
, Marvel
What It Means To Be A “Dip” 2007-11-07 15:14:00 Regardless of what one thinks of a “dip” , they continue to remain the center of attention. Wherever one goes, especially in a crowd of people, “dips” can have personality . Oddly unique, colorful, usually the subject of some kind of special attention. What would life be without them , especially speculating on their character, or questioning their taste.
What makes a “dip” different from others we encounter in life? Why are they interesting to some while distasteful to others, especially if one acknowledges uniqueness as part of originality, being an odd kind of “dip” than one usually encounters requires that special touch. Perhaps a mix of different elements blended in a way unique only to them allows a particular “dips” transformation into the life of the party.
They vary in nature, drippy and amenable for those carrying a chip as opposed to those consistently “thick” and more resilient to anyone who may penetrate, stalking them Read more:Means
Societal Structure Of The Bud-Hadnu 2007-11-06 10:00:13
“Although there are many examples of ‘matri-focal’ societies, matriarchies are hypothetical. None that exist can be found, past or present except in some insects, spiders ants and elephants. No reason for its existence can be found other than women replacing roles of men lost to war.”
Von Bralispth
According to Father Brian McBryan’s contemporary interpretation of Contessa’s diary, Llwaxanna Loveless Von Bralispth lived with the Bud-Hadnu for two years, becoming a confidant of Queen Phylodahda as part of the Queen’s council, an honorary member. The Queen was the great great granddaughter of Feenohadnah, the unifier who had been instrumental in mediating a fair and just peace between the Kazagna and the Zee-Zee.
Feenohadnah’s reign was said to be over 100 years, outliving her daughter, granddaughter and great-granddaughter. Phylodahda inherited the throne at the age of 15 from Fennohadnah who was 117 years old at the time of her death. She ha Read more:Structure
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