Goddesschess FRandom Roundup

The one and only perennial chessnuts joke...

Cooking is what made us human, says expert - London: Richard Wrangham, professor of anthropology at Harvard University, argues that cooking is the major factor in human evolution. In his book, 'Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human', he shows that the shift from raw to cooked foods is what makes us human.

The Feast of Fools Perhaps a medieval Christmas was more serious than the commercial celebration many of us have come to know.In medieval times, most Europeans adopted the Roman taste for a good time by electing a Lord of Misrule, or King of Fools. This harlequin king went by many names: King of the Bean in England, the Abbot of Unreason in Scotland, the Abbe de la Malgouveme in France.

That's Mr. King of the Bean to you!

The Trickster, in Amerindian tradition, is the one who, subject to basic instinct, puts upheaval in the all-too rational set-up of life and forces one to stoop and listen to repressed areas of vital impulses which, if not heeded, become destructive.

Sacred Fools and Clowns Clowns Names for clowns are heyoka, chifone, koshare, “banana ripener,” kwirana, and “blue jay”. There are both humorous and serious clowns.Sacred Fools and Clowns Clowns Names for clowns are heyoka, chifone, koshare, “banana ripener,” kwirana, and “blue jay”. There are both humorous and serious clowns.

The word Heyók?a refers to the Lakota concept of a contrarian, jester, satirist or sacred clown. Heyók?a are thought of as being backwards-forwards, upside-down, or contrary in nature. This spirit is often manifest by doing things backwards or unconventionally -- riding a horse backwards, wearing clothes inside-out, or speaking in a backwards language.

Home is Where You Put Your Stuff A Christmas Story by Judith Moriarty "In Manhattan the income gap between the rich and poor is greater than in Guatemala, and within the U.S. is surpassed only by a group of 70 households near a former leper colony in Hawaii". NY Times.

Video: Kids' Christmas Chess Party 08' - Happy, happy, joy, joy...a charming bit of video...

Play the classic game of chess --- only with a Christmas twist. Santa is the King and Mrs. Claus is his Queen.

Alexandra Kosteniuk's special Christmas comic - See the full page and discover what Santa and the reigning Queen of Chess have been up to - even as we slept...

The Chicago Video - Shira Evans' Computer Labs for Kids did Christmas a little early this year! The video is another rare treat...

Watching the video brought back so many wonderful memories. It was a lot of work, and very tiring, but great fun and so rewarding - I can hardly put it into words. And I really didn't do all that much. I did some blogging, and made some contacts, and volunteered a day in Chicago. Shira bore the brunt of the work --

Have a Merry Chess Christmas The Ramsey Lewis Trio (Artist), The Salem Travelers (Artist), Rotary Connection w/Minnie Riperton (Artist)

Orff Carl - Carmina Burana - O, Fortuna (Sky)
A beautiful video representation of Orff's masterpiece.

Latin and translated text of lyrics from Carl Orff's "O Fortuna"

"O Fortune,
like the moon
you are changeable,
ever waxing
and waning;..."

Wilson's Almanac - New Year's facts, myths and the ongoing search for the perfect cure for hangovers...

The very best of the holiday season and a Happy New Year
to all from the Heyoka people of Goddesschess!

December 13, 2009

Coping with Copenhagen

IceNews – Daily News Archaeologists celebrate ancient Scandinavian settlement find - By Alfonso on Dec 3, 2009 - An important new find by a team of Swedish archaeologists indicates that the Finland-Sweden border area around the Torne River Valley was inhabited up to 11,000 years ago.

Ancient city of Pompeii added to Google Street View - Google has added Pompeii to its Street View application, allowing internet users to take a 360-degree virtual tour of the ancient Roman city.

Ancient Volcano's Devastating Effects Confirmed- A massive volcanic eruption that occurred in the distant past killed off much of central India's forests and may have pushed humans to the brink of extinction, according to a new study that adds evidence to a controversial topic.

It's official - the moon affects mood - A study published in the Medical Journal of Australia finds patients with violent and acute behavioural disturbances are twice as likely to present during a full moon as in any of the seven other lunar phases.

Top Ten Archaeology Finds: Most Viewed of 2009 National Geographic News December 7, 2009 - Vampires, pirates, ghost ships, skeletons—if it isn't Halloween, it can only be one thing: National Geographic News's annual lineup of our most popular archaeology coverage.

Top 10 Discoveries of 2009 Volume 63 Number 1, January/February 2010 ARCHAEOLOGY's annual list of the year's most exciting discoveries--from North America's earliest canals to evidence for chemical warfare at a Roman outpost in Syria--highlights sites, artifacts, and scientific studies we feel most enrich our knowledge of the past.

Archeological analysis proves Hasmonean rule extended to Negev highlands 10 Dec 2009 Dr. Tali Erickson-Gini of the Israel Antiquities Authority: “The Hasmonean king Alexander Jannaeus conquered Gaza and the Negev and for decades prevented the Nabataeans from using the Incense Road.”

Archaeology's Hoaxes, Fakes, and Strange Sites December 4, 2009 Bogus! An Introduction to Dubious Discoveries - Eight Classic Cases by Brittany Jackson and Mark Rose. Why do fakes get made? Why do people fall for hoaxes? Greed, pride, revenge, nationalism, pranks, and gullibility mix in an archaeological setting.

Crofter finds a 'Viking' anchor on the Isle of Skye A crofter has uncovered what is believed to be a Viking anchor while digging a drain on the Isle of Skye.

Bankers 'whacked' in arcade game Players have to hit pop-up bankers with a mallet... An arcade game that allows people to vent their anger at bankers has proved so popular the owner keeps having to replace worn out mallets.

Scientists find way to block fearful memories By Julie Steenhuysen - 2009/12/09 CHICAGO, Dec. 9, 2009 (Reuters) — U.S. researchers have found a drug-free way to block fearful memories, opening up the possibility of new treatment approaches for problems such as post traumatic stress disorder, they reported on Wednesday. (Bankers may want to invest in this therapy...)

Researchers finds hidden sensory system in the skin December 15, 2009 -- (Albany, N.Y., USA) The human sensory experience is far more complex and nuanced than previously thought, according to a groundbreaking new study published in the December 15 issue of the journal Pain.

The Temple as Canon of Egypt’s Religious Literature: A New Long-term research Project at the University of Tübingen - 07 December 2009 Universitaet Tuebingen Prof. Dr. Christian Leitz has been awarded with a prestigious research grant for a long-term research project entitled ‘The Temple as Canon of Egypt's Religious Literature'. At the University of Tübingen he will direct a group of researchers whose aim is to explore the hieroglyphic inscriptions of Egyptian temples dating to the Hellenistic and Roman periods.

Celebrating 5000 Years of Astronomy 11 December 2009 - Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) In a fitting finale for the International Year of Astronomy (IYA 2009), astronomers and archaeologists will celebrate the five millennia of astronomical heritage at Stonehenge, the most sophisticated stone circle in the world and amongst Europe’s most important Neolithic sites. The attractions include a free public astronomy exhibition and expert-led tours of the site and surrounding landscape.

7 Awesome Geographic Dresses By Elisabeth Lecourt Women's dresses or men's shirts, created from the geographical cards - an idea occurred to Frenchwoman Elisabeth Lecourt and she tried to embody it. In the course went world map, as well as maps of New York, Paris, London and Chelsea.

The girdle of the Amazon queen The Scirra Amazon (Roman, 30 Bc - 500 Ad) The ninth labour can be described in two ways; there’s a rather short version (the one I will present here) and there’s a longer one with innumerable additions that can be put in and out of the myth as the story teller wishes.

Turkish Delights Volume 63 Number 1, January/February 2010 by Marco Merola Spectacular Byzantine mosaics revealed.

Detail of Artemis, here depicted as the Potnia Theron (Lady of the Beasts), from the Francois Vase. The goddess is winged, and grasps a panther (or lioness) and stag by the neck.

December 6, 2009

Chockmate?

A Tastier Terracotta Warrior at China's Chocolate Museum Sean Williams, 09/30/2009 Beijing officials have announced plans to build the 'World Chocolate Dream Park', a Willy Wonka-style attraction aimed at the Chinese people's love of, well, chocolate. The full-size tasty Terracotta Warriors will be one of the theme park's main attractions, alongside a chocolate Great Wall and a number of famous Chinese artworks.

The Edible Rubik’s Cube Author: Brian Boone - That’s pastrami, kielbasa, pork fat, salami, cheddar, and white cheddar. Yum - "heart attack in a cube"... or "nitrites for nerds"... ?!

A Rubik's Cube Pepper Mill? Why not?

Edible Board Games The latest trend in food is edible classic board games. Monopoly, the chocolate edition, features a paper board, a spinner replaces the dice, and the properties are chocolates. You can also get a chocolate version of Trivial Pursuit, which comes with 96 bite size chocolate questions.

Food + Games = Edible Board Games An endless variety from Board Game Geek - including a version of 9 - err... 8 yummm... (make that 7) Man's Morris...

Play your chess and eat it too!

The Jack Daniel’s Chess Set (pictured below) encourages drunken chess tournaments, which can never end good. What experience I have playing chess under the influence ended with one broken chess set and a trip to the hospital for an emergency extraction procedure.

? ¿ ? brain - food ¿ ? ¿ Now, here comes the ultimate SUDOKU link, just for you and others who thinks it's about calculating, math or figures....

Brain Food "One cannot think well, love well or sleep well if one has not dined well."(Virginia Woolfe) The foods you eat directly affects the performance of your brain. It has been proven that by eating the right food, you can boost your IQ, improve your mood, be more emotionally stable, sharpen your memory and keep your mind young.

Puzzles For the Brain To Gnaw On Welcome to Brain Food! Give your mind a work out on our devious collection of puzzles. There are hundreds, ranging from word games to logic problems to riddles. Some are tricky. Some require innovation. All require thinking power. Good luck.

Zen Pawn - Chess Food And The Archives staying in shape and eating well for chess success

Mini Chess Tarts "I only eat the top parts of pop tarts..."

Pawned - Chess, Food Network, and Cheesburger in a Can After reading Chessloser’s post about chess being a lot like cooking (or maybe not so much), I decided that this might be a food that would inspire me to eat healthier.

Chess piece chocolates from Theebroma "I found ponies. Delicious ponies."

Chess Bars A chess bar is also called by some a gooey butter cake. This is a unique form of pastry using a cake like base that forms a crust to hold a luscious, creamy filling.

The Chocoloate King - among other interesting varieties...

If Willy Wonka designed a hotel suite, it would look a lot like this A candelabra made of chocolate. Furniture made of chocolate. A chess set made of chocolate. This is all part of the Godiva Decadence Suite.

Godiva Chocolate Unwraps Sweet Hotel Suite By Joshua Philipp Epoch Times Staff: Jan 29, 2009 NEW YORK—Godiva Chocolatier unveiled a chocolate paradise in Manhattan on Wednesday. On the 21st floor of the Bryant Park Hotel is a room filled with the makings of a chocolate-lover’s dream.

Get fat on strategy with chocolate chess I wonder how many more kids would have come to chess club at school if they’d been able to eat the pieces at the end of the game? Actually, scratch that — they’d probably just eat the pieces mid-game.

There are chocolate editions of all the most popular board games, including monopoly, scrabble and even a poker set. The monopoly game is particularly intriguing with wrapped chocolates taking the place of houses and hotels.

Chocolate Chess Pieces August 30, 2007 at 12:35 pm (chess)
(Due to popular demand…) In chess with chocolate pieces, the aim is to eat your opponent’s pieces before he eats yours.

Video - UB40 Food For Thought 1980 "Ivory madonna dying in the dust, Waiting for the manna coming from the west..."

Video - Nelson Eddy & Rise Stevens THE CHOCOLATE SOLDIER (1941) FINALE "My Hero" and "Forgive" - Nelson Eddy and Met Opera star Rise Stevens in the finale from "The Chocolate Soldier".

Goddesschess' own popular brand of caloric intake... (with free carbon credits inside every box!)