Songs about singing, Art about art, and mirrors

This was a Lyrics Game entry in 2007, for the word "mirror," and I wanted to bring it here as it's being retired there.

I've made a songlist for Songs about Singing.

Here are two other links people here might like: Polyphony and Horses, or Art about Art

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After that date, I started a page called Reflections on Mirrors.

Anniversary of the death of the first Queen Elizabeth

Mar 24, 1603 Queen Elizabeth I died. She as nearly 70, and had been queen of England since she was 25.

From the Death of Queen Elizabeth I:

In March 1603 Queen Elizabeth was clearly unwell and seemed depressed. She retired to one of her favourite homes - Richmond Palace. Stubborn as ever she refused to allow her doctors to examine her. She also refused to rest in bed - she stood for hours on end, occasionally just sitting in a chair. Her condition became worse and her ladies-in-waiting spread cushions across the floor. Queen Elizabeth eventually lay down on the cushions. She lay on the floor for nearly four days - mostly in complete silence. She eventually grew so weak that when her servants insisted on making her more comfortable in her bed she was unable to argue with them. The end was clearly near for the great old Queen. Her Councillors gathered around her. Soft music was played to soothe her. She had still not named James as her successor but she made a sign to Robert Cecil and it was interpreted that this was her wish.

(More details)

The funeral wasn't until April 28. The body was in a lead coffin, which I guess can keep Superman safe from kryptonite, and England safe from a month-old body.

In the middle of the site linked above are advertisements for wrongful death claims (just in case anyone wants to sue, about Elizabeth's death, I guess. As she was childless, though, and others benefitted from the death, I don't guess there needs to be a claim.

If she WAS childless, that is...
There are hints and suggestions that she had a son, and a very bright one, too. Sir Francis Bacon.

There's a recent book out (2001-recent), not so much serious history, claiming that the plays of Shakespeare were written by a son of Elizabeth, Edward de Vere, the Earl of Oxford. That he wrote the plays, and William Shakespeare was used as a cover, kind of the opposite of ghost writing. A scholar wrote of the believers of that theory: “Oxfordians are the sub-literary equivalent of the sub-religious Scientologists. You don’t want to argue with them, as they are dogmatic and abusive.”

But women aren't having children as they're dying, though they might be thinking of their children. If they had any.


The images above and many others, including the funeral procession, effigy and tomb (though those weren't until 407 years and some weeks later) are here: http://www.tudorplace.com.ar/Documents/queen_elizabeth_gallery.htm

So what's the big connection?

Besides just everything in the 16th and early 17th century? Shakespeare? (Even way apart from the odd theory that the they might be related indirectly by contract.) Francis Bacon? (Even if they weren't related, they did correspond in a very intimate tone, and he was some kind of genius.) Exploration of the New World and victory over the Spanish Armada?

Elizabeth I reigned for 44 years 4 months and 5 days. Five other monarchs have ruled longer. Henry III in the 13th century, Edward III in the fourteenth (and so she died with the third longest reign) and since then, George III (160-1820), Victoria in the 19th Century, and Queen Elizabeth II, 1952 to still-counting. If Elizabeth II passes George III and Queen Victoria, she will be #1, but Elizabeth I will be #6 in any case.

[Elizabeth II] will have to reign until 2012 to reign longer than George III, 59 years from 1760-1820, and until 9th Sept 2015 when she will be 89 years old to better Victoria's record and become the longest reigning monarch.

History found in playing cards

A brief look at the symbolism behind a deck of playing cards by 16th C. German artist Jost Amman.



Posted to the medieval trivia list at yahoo (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MedievalTrivia/)

I recently found an interesting article about the symbolism on early
German playing cards, so I put together a little video about a deck we
have by the German artist Jost Amman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTBUygN8fOk

Chas
--
MacGregor Historic Games
http://historicgames.com

The "card spots" common in one place might not be the same as in another! In the U.S. I grew up with spades, hearts, clubs and diamonds. In Spain their club is an actual wooden club, and they have gold, cups and swords. Their playing card art can look like our tarot card art.

I don't know which kind they use in Mexico; anyone know?

The illustration of the Spanish cards from wikipedia:

Deaf Unschooling Comic Strip

updated a bit July 2019






These are by Adrean Clark and are on her Deviant Art page.


I'll need to ask for new links or images.

Meanwhile, years have passed and there are other links for Adrean's art and activities!

See (maybe buy!) graphic art in various forms
Adrean Clark dot com webpage


Comixpedia.org said (in early 2010; might still)

Adrean Clark is a deaf cartoonist currently based in St. Paul, MN. Former comics/webcomics she authored are My Hands Full, The Significance of Reality, and The Dark Side of the Moon.

As a strong advocate of American Sign Language, she often deals with signing community themes in her work. Her work has appeared in publications such as SIGNews and Deaf Rochester News.

Clark is the Visual Editor of Clerc Scar, where her current comic work appears.

As Adreanaline, Adrean posts on unschooling discussions sometimes, and is in the Monday and Friday unschooling chats when she's not too busy. Adrean created an image of clear singing, following one of the discussions. It is here: SandraDodd.com/clarity

Her husband is John Lee Clark, the editor of Deaf American Poetry.

They're unschoolers.

Metals

Hema Bharadwaj wrote on her blog

Raghu asked me to open a packet of salted peanuts which led to him requesting some salted, roasted cashews and then he started to say something about airplanes (which is where the salted peanut packet came from).. which then led to this question: "amma, which is heavier... metal or aluminium?" I replied that metal is like fish... a group word... so aluminum, iron, steel etc are metals... i was unable to remember more metals and he added tin and steel. then he said tin is lighter than iron... and that he got that observation from Iron Man... which led to a discussion of the suit the guy built for himself in the movie etc.

This entire conversation must have lasted about 10 minutes. It was so satisfying and amusing and interesting to see the connections, path of conversation topics etc. This morning i'm able to write it out... but these conversations happen often and by the time i get to write at the comp... i've forgotten the exact thread/topics and connections.

I added:

Those burst-of-learning sessions are my favorite things!

If it comes up again, tell him some metals are elements and some are alloys (combos) and that the U.S. coin "a nickel" is named because of what the coin is made of. And they use nickel in stainless steel.

Maybe someday "bronze age" and "iron age" will come up and that could be a part of that discussion too!

Cravings

What's known of cravings? Pregnant women have them (I did), but what's the current belief of people who are scientific? What are some of the folk beliefs about cravings?

The reason I ask is that I'm making pork for the third time in one week. Never in my life have I had a pork craving, but it seems I'm having one now. Could be coincidence, but I thought someone might come by here with some knowledge or theories or humorous speculations.

Once when Kirby was feverishly delirious, and was three or four, he kept saying he wanted "red food." We tried, guessed, asked, called friends he had visited to see if they'd fed him something red. When he was well he couldn't remember.

With the slightest little google search I found this:

Explains what food cravings mean and how to curb cravings naturally...

Should food cravings be curbed rather than indulged? Should people listen to their bodies just enough to say "no"?

Pork is a weird one for me. It's browned and in the crock pot with green chile and tomatoes, and it smells like cumin, which I love.

Same but different

Except that I scooted the top leaf over a bit, the only difference in these scans is that for the first one I put a solid cardboard box over the top of the scanner table, and for the other one I put the scanner lid down, "the right way."

These are from the fruitless mulberry tree right out my back door, the same tree from which this odd leaf came a few years ago:

I like scanner art. I have other things in a couple of places. Click for more: