Zeus and Antiope

Zeus, the top manager of the gods of Mount Olympus, is married to the goddess Hera in most legends. Metis, Themis and Dione are also considered to have been his wives. His family life was characterized by a variety of affairs he had, especially with Leda, Io, Europa and Antiope. Zeus’s oracles were listened mainly in the temples of Siva and Dodona.

Zeus, dirigente máximo dos deuses do monte Olimpo, casou com a deusa Hera na maior parte das lendas. Atribuem-lhe ainda como esposas Métis, Témis e Dione. A sua vida familiar caracterizou-se pela variedade de casos amorosos que manteve, sobretudo com Leda, Io, Europa e Antíope. Os oráculos de Zeus eram escutados, entre outros, nos templos de Dodona e Siva.

Jean-Baptiste-Marie Pierre (1714-1789)-'Zeus and Antiope'-oil on canvas-ca 1762 Madrid-Museo del Prado

Antonio Allegri called Correggio (ca 1489-1534)-'Zeus and Antiope'-oil on canvas-ca 1528 Paris-Musée du Louvre

Jean-Antoine Watteau (1684-1721)-'Zeus and Antiope'-oil on canvas-(1714-1719) Paris-Musée du Louvre

Tiziano Vecellio (1473/1490-1576)-'Zeus and Antiope'-oil on canvas-1540 Paris-Musée du Louvre

Hendrick Goltzius (1558-1617)-'Zeus and Antiope'-oil on canvas-1612 Haarlem-Frans Hals Museum

Quantum Leap: The Curse of Ptah-Hotep

I love Quantum Leap. It's the perfect blend of fantasy, character drama and humour and like Doctor Who, it has the great advantage that if you don't like one week's story, you've still a good chance of liking the next one, which will be completely different. It's such a sweet show, I can't really imagine anyone actively disliking it!

The show's premise was a combination of soft science fiction and ideological fantasy. In each episode, Dr Sam Beckett 'leaps' into a person (oddly enough, usually an American) living sometime between 1950 and 1990 (although the show was theoretically set in 1999, since it was filmed in the late '80s and early '90s, he never leaped into anyone from the 1990s). Taking the other person's place, he 'sets right what once went wrong', repairing relationships, solving mysteries, saving orphanages and that sort of thing, often saving the leapee or someone close to them from death by crime/accident/wrongful execution/illness that he can cure with his 1990s knowledge of medicine.

This episode plays with the themes of mummy movies, as Sam leaps into an archaeologist who disappeared, together with everyone else with him, while excavating the tomb of King Ptah-Hotep II (not, as far as I know, a real Egyptian king, but it is a real Egyptian name, deriving from the god Ptah and 'hotep', often used as a suffix in Egyptian names and meaning, in context, 'Ptah is content'). This gives the writers a chance to play with some tropes that aren't usually part of their toolkit.

Usually, the only science fiction/fantasy element of the show was the leaping itself. As the series went on, and particularly in Season 5, other elements started to creep in (a possible vampire, aliens, a leap outside Sam's lifetime that wan't ususally possible according to the show's internal logic, and most notably an opposite 'evil' leaper). This episode appeared late in Season 4, before the vampires and aliens, but after an early episode playing with horror themes and the works of Stephen King ('The Boogieman') and more particularly, after 'It's a Wonderful Leap', which featured an actual angel. The great thing about this is that the audience isn't quite sure what to expect. Al suggests that the mysterious deaths that start to occur are murders, carried out by someone who's after the treasure for themselves, and that would be the sort of solution you would anticipate from Quantum Leap at this point. However, there's just enough doubt in the audience's minds to add a really nice layer to the mystery - not only, who is doing the killing, but is it a living human being at all?!

In the end, it turns out that there is a murder plot, of sorts - but there is also a mummy, and we see his hand, though thankfully not any more of him. I'm never quite sure how I feel about Quantum Leap doing these more overtly fantasy/science fiction stories, as it doesn't quite fit the tone of most of the show, but on the other hand, it does provide a nice change of pace and it wouldn't be a proper mummy movie without an actual mummy.

Another nice thing about this episode is we get to see a bit more of Sam as a character, in a way that isn't always possible. A while back, I wrote about how TV and film archaeologists are always ridiculously over-qualified and somehow manage to be experts in just about everything, never restricted to their own field like normal people. Well, Dr Sam Beckett really takes the biscuit here. He ought to be Dr.Dr.Dr.Dr.Dr.Dr.Dr. Beckett, at least, as he has seven degrees that come with the title 'Dr' (six PhDs and an MD), though his qualifications, along with his life story, can be changed sometimes if he affects his own past while leaping. It was established way back in Season 1 that one of his PhDs was 'Ancient Languages', including ancient Egyptian (an unusual subject - Classics, Egyptology or Ancient History would be more normal - but plausible. Ish.) and apparently it still is, as he can still read hieroglyphics. He also gets very excited about being in Egypt, about working with fellow archaeologist Ginny - with whom, refreshingly, he develops no romantic attachement and has an entirely professional relationship, despite the tiny tiny shorts she's wearing - and about their discovery, because he's genuinely interested in Egyptology and ancient history. It's fun to see Sam enjoying one of his own areas, rather than having to throw himself into someone else's, and of course it means the episode avoids the usual issues of how he can fit in and convince people there's nothing wrong with him, as he knows what he's talking about.

An episode with a mummy in it can't take itself too seriously, and there are some great moments of humour in here (like Al's assessement of a camel as an ugly horse - he's quite wrong of course, camels are beautiful). Other attempts work a bit less well; Ginny notes that claustrophobia is 'hardly a good trait for an archaeologist', but most archaeologists don't work in tiny underground tombs, they work in the open air! (Though some work in cellars and trenches, which looks even more claustrophobic). If she'd said 'Egyptologist', which is what her character actually is, that could have worked.

This isn't one of Quantum Leap's finest hours - the best episodes of Quantum Leap tend to be those which deal with serious subject matter in a dramatic way, or the romantic episodes, or those which are really broad comedy and involve Sam wearing women's clothing. It is also indicative of the slide into more and more 'out there' episodes in Season 5 that would culminate in the show finishing at the end of that season. It's good fun though, and it's nice to see that old Ancient Languages PhD brought out again - even I have to admit, that's not one that he needs to use terribly often in the course of leaping.

Berlin Gemäldegalerie-mythology collection

Its name is der Gemäldegalerie Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. It was recently installed near the Potsdamer Platz. The collection, which is being gathered since 1830, includes about 900 of the best works of European masters of the 13th to 18th centuries.

De seu nome completo Gemäldegalerie der Staatliches Museen zu Berlin, encontra-se recentemente instalada perto da Potsdamer Platz. Da sua colecção, reunida a partir de 1830, fazem parte cerca de 900 obras dos melhores mestres europeus dos séculos XIII a XVIII.

Albrecht Altdorfer (1480-1538)-'landscape with Satyr family'-oil on panel-1507

Hans Baldung Grien (1484-1545)-'Pyramis and Thisbe'-oil on wood-ca 1530

Piero di Cosimo (1462-1521)-'Venus, Mars, Cupid'-oil on wood-(1486-1510)

Tiziano Vecellio (1490-1576)-'Venus, organist, Cupid and dog'-oil on canvas-ca 1550

Jean François de Troy (1679-1752)-'Bacchus and Ariadne'-oil on canvas-1717

Ballasox ~ Corso Como ~ Flats ~ GIVEAWAY!!! ~ Ends 7/13

Ballasox - the mix between a Ballerina slipper & a sock. Comfy and cute as can be.

They come is a wee little box, inside a cute little pouch, which makes it really easy to pack them in your purse for relief from those shoes who are not a mix of Ballerina slipper & socks. I'm thinking a wedding - you show in heels and you pull out your Ballasox for the reception. Or starting out in your impressive shoes on a girls night out dancing and deciding it's more important to be comfortable and have fun really cutting a rug.

If you're anything like me these days, cute comes second to comfort. A very close second, but I have to feel good in my shoes. Ballasox are that shoe.

I love mine - I chose silver. I have an affection for silver shoes. They go with the colors I wear and shiny feet make me feel happy :)

There are lots of colors to choose from - you're sure to find a shade to make your feet happy too! Heck they'd be happy in any color - they're super comfy!

BUY IT:

You can purchase a rainbow of Ballasox online at http://www.corsocomoshoes.com/

WIN IT!!!

One lucky winner will receive a pair of Ballasox in their choice of size & color :))

MAIN ENTRY:

Visit Ballasox and tell me which color you like best & become a friend at Wishing Penny via Google Friend Connect. Both parts mandatory to win - thanks :)


EXTRAS:

*Like/Fan Corso Como Shoes @ Facebook ( 3 bonus entries )

*Like/Fan me @ Facebook ( 2 bonus entries )

*Follow @ Corso Como Shoes at Twitter ( 2 bonus entries )

*Follow me @jamaise at Twitter & Tweet this :  RT @jamaise #GIVEAWAY #WIN  Ballasox ~ Corso Como ~ Flats ~ http://bit.ly/jT5fpw Ends 7/13 tweet each day for one entry each !

*Subscribe to Wishing Penny via email and or reader ( 2 bonus entries each )

*Blog about this giveaway & leave me the link ( 5 bonus entries)

*Grab my button & tell me where to find it ( 2 bonus entries )

*Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect ( 2 bonus entries )

*Enter any other giveaway here for one entry each


That's 10 entry methods with tons of bonus & a chance for unlimited entries with daily tweets!


Giveaway will end on July 13th at 12 pm EST. Winner will be selected using Random .org. I will email the winner & you will have 48 hours to reply back before I draw a new winner . Please remember to leave me your email address if it is not visible on your profile so that I can contact you if you win. Good luck to everyone :)


Disclaimer: Ballasox/Corso Como provided me with all information and product to review. I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for free product.

Buy them here! ~ If you need them :)

For anyone who cloth diapers, or knows anyone who cloth diapers, you can purchase GroVia diapers here at Wishing Penny through the button on the top right. From each purchase, I make a commission towards more diapers for my little one and as she grows,  more is a good thing :)

There are two brands of diapers that I LOVE and GroVia is one of them. Always sturdy, dependable, and trim fitting.

JPL-Developed Clean Energy Technology Moves Forward

A team of scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., in partnership with the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, developed a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell technology for future Department of Defense and commercial applications. Recently, USC and the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, which manages JPL for NASA, awarded a license to SFC Energy, Inc., the U.S. affiliate of SFC Energy AG. The non-exclusive license for the technology will facilitate the expansion of the company's methanol fuel cell products into the U.S. market.

This novel fuel cell technology uses liquid methanol as a fuel to produce electrical energy, and does not require any fuel processing. Pure water and carbon dioxide are the only byproducts of the fuel cell, and no pollutants are emitted. Direct Methanol Fuel Cells offer several advantages over other current fuel cell systems, especially with regard to simplicity of design and higher energy density. Current systems rely on hydrogen gas, a substance that is more difficult to transport and store.

"JPL invented the Direct Methanol Fuel Cell concept and also made significant contributions to all the facets of the technology. These contributions include: development of advanced catalyst materials, high-performance fuel cell membrane electrode assemblies, compact fuel cell stacks, and system designs," said JPL Power Technology Program Manager Rao Surampudi. He explained that USC worked with JPL in the development and advancement of this technology for defense and commercial applications.

Over the years, those applications have expanded from the original defense applications to include such uses as battery chargers for consumer electronics, electric vehicles, stand-alone power systems, and uninterrupted/emergency power supplies.

"We are looking forward to working closely with the fuel cell industry to further develop this technology to meet future market needs," said Erik Brandon, current Electrochemical Technologies group supervisor at JPL.

From 1989 to 1998, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) funded JPL and USC to develop direct methanol fuel cells for future defense applications. Inventors on the JPL team include Surampudi, Sri. R. Narayanan, Harvey Frank, Thomas Valdez, Andrew Kindler, Eugene Vamos and Gerald Halpert. The USC inventor team includes G.K. Surya Prakash, Marshall Smart and Nobel Laureate George Olah.

More information is available at: http://www.ott.caltech.edu/

"This fuel cell may well become the power source of choice for energy-efficient, non-polluting military and consumer applications," said Gerald Halpert, former Electrochemical Technologies group supervisor at JPL.

The Caltech and NASA technology transfer programs are designed to help U.S. companies improve their competitive positions in the global economy by transferring JPL technology into the marketplace.

For more information visit http://www.nasa.gov/topics/technology/features/methanol20110526.html

Slaves (escravos)

The material evidence of the existence of slaves is present in sculptures of Greek origin which inspired artists of later centuries.

A existência de escravos encontra provas materiais em esculturas de origem grega inspiradoras de artistas de séculos posteriores.

Anonymus (3th century BC)-'Gaul or gladiator dying'-sculpture-roman copy Roma-Musei Capitolini

Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564)-'dying slave'-sculpture Paris-Musée du Louvre

Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564)-'rebellious slave'-sculpture Paris-Musée du Louvre

Hiram Powers (1805-1873)-'the Greek slave'-sculpture New Haven-Yale University Art Gallery

William Dean Kilpatrick (20th century)-'an escaping slave family'-sculpture-1999 New Jersey-Morris Canal Monument

Timmy Time ~ Picture Day ~ DVD ~ GIVEAWAY!!! ~ Ends 7/12

Come along for a picture perfect day of fun with your preschool pal Timmy™! From the Oscar®-winning creators of “Wallace and Gromit™” and “Shaun the Sheep™” Timmy makes you smile, with fun-loving adventures with his nursery friends. From good, clean fun during school photo day to drumming up music lessons, these wonderful stories filled with surprises will have you laughing in a flash. So snap up these five adorable tales with a big focus on fun!


Not a whole lot is said, but everyone understands and has a good time :)) In fact, not one single word is spoken. Except a lot of baaaa's.

We always like Timmy Time. I like that it's silent and the kids actually have to sit and watch to follow along with the story :) Very calming :)))

WIN IT!!!

One Lucky winner will receive a copy for themselves!

MAIN ENTRY:

Just tell me what little person in your life would like to sit calmly and watch Timmy Time & become a friend @ Wishing Penny via Google Friend Connect. Both parts mandatory to win - thanks :)

EXTRAS:

*Like/Fan Timmy Time @ Facebook ( 3 bonus entries )

*Like/Fan Me @ Facebook ( 2 bonus entries )

*Follow me @jamaise at Twitter & Tweet this :  RT @jamaise #GIVEAWAY #WIN  Timmy Time ~ Picture Day ~ DVD ~ GIVEAWAY!!! ~  http://bit.ly/lUUsay   Ends  7/12  tweet each day for one entry each !

*Subscribe to Wishing Penny via email and or reader ( 2 bonus entries each )

*Blog about this giveaway & leave me the link ( 5 bonus entries)

*Grab my button & tell me where to find it ( 2 bonus entries )

*Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect ( 2 bonus entries )

*Enter any other giveaway here for one entry each


That's 9 entry methods with tons of bonus & a chance for unlimited entries with daily tweets!


Giveaway will end on July 12 at 12 pm EST. Winner will be selected using Random .org. I will email the winner & you will have 48 hours to reply back before I draw a new winner . Please remember to leave me your email address if it is not visible on your profile so that I can contact you if you win. Good luck to everyone :)


Disclaimer: Lionsgate provided me with all information and product to review. I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.
`

Italian rural life by Raffaello Sorbi (1844-1931)

The simple life of people in rural central Italy inspired the painter Raffaello Sorbi (1844-1931) to create the following works.

A vida simples das pessoas do meio rural da Itália central inspirou estas obras do pintor Raffaello Sorbi (1844-1931).

Raffaello Sorbi (1844-1931)-'a game of leapfrog (saltarello cavallucio)'-1887

Raffaello Sorbi (1844-1931)-'huntsmen's lunch'-1903

Raffaello Sorbi (1844-1931)-'traveling'

Raffaello Sorbi (1844-1931)-'a sunlit osteria'-1913

Raffaello Sorbi (1844-1931)-'a game of morra'

Laundry Tarts ~ Eco Friendly Laundry Soap ~ GIVEAWAY!!! ~ Ends 7/12

You can tell this is good just by looking, can't you?

Anything to make laundry more fun & I'll take it. Before I go into my experience with the Laundry Tarts, I'm going to take some info from the site that I think is pretty important.

The Laundry Tarts is formulated by two Registered Nutritionists, both with extensive backgrounds and formal educations in Natural Medicine, Holistic Healing and Natural Health Products. Both have hosted seminars, taught nutritional classes, provided meal plans for weight loss centers, gyms, medical clinics and have consulted for some of the largest Natural Health Food companies in Canada.


Hard and Soft water:


Hard water means it is water that has minerals like calcium, magnesium, sodium and fluoride usually from city water where they add minerals for health and bacterial purposes. The directions on our label is for hard water washing. Soft water is usually well water or unmineralized water used in rural areas or lake water cottages. With soft water-use half the amount. Because of the lack of minerals in the water-the soap doesn't need to work as hard to dissolve minerals and get to odors and stains.


Cloth Diapers:

Our detergents are quite safe for cloth diapers. Use the same amounts on the directions labels except for heavy stains and whites. For poopy stains and bright whites stained with baby messes, soak for 1 hour in warm water. For more information on how to use our detergent, see our cloth diaper blog.


Sensitive Skin:


We've had amazing success stories with people suffering from eczema, psoriasis, acne, yeast and plain sensitive skin. Simply because our formula is very pure and does not contain ingredient that would cause reactions, many people find skin relief simply from changing laundry products with cleaner, greener ingredients for the entire family.


Directions for Energy Efficient machines and front loaders:

Energy efficient machines use 1/3 the amount of water than traditional top loaders making them better for the environment and uses less energy. This means specifically for cloth diaper detergent, less detergent is needed as well. However, less water means that powdered detergents are harder to dissolve and for that reason we suggest mixing our detergent with ¼ cup of warm water to help it along the way. Because most modern washing machines use much less water, this can also unfortunately lead to the common problem of clothing not being properly rinsed and can leave residues. These residues can cause rash, allergic reaction and can aggravate skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. Most health websites recommend doing a double rinse, which surprisingly still uses less water than older machines. Use 1 tablespoon for small load and 2 tbsp for a large load.

And, these ladies are sharing their knowledge with you - not just in their laundry soaps, but they have blogs that are jam packed with healthy alternatives for everyday problems that are normally treated in not so healthy ways. You can read about cloth diapering, toothpaste, menstrual relief, greens, proteins, facial care, cleaning products, & no GMO's.Take a look - you'll be glad you did! Good stuff.

Now, on to my time with Laundry Tarts. First of all let me tell you about the scent choices. I chose -
MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP, CINNAMON BUNS, ROOTBEER FLOAT, GINGERBREAD COOKIES, LEMON MERINGUE PIE,  & BIRTHDAY CAKE! Yeah! Now the scents are very subtle, but they're in there. I wish they were more heavily scented but the laundry soap does such a great job, who cares what it smells like.

Yes, it works amazingly. I do my diapers on a cold rinse first with a big glug of vinegar. Next a hot wash and I added half a bag to the load. I received 6 sample bags - each bag was good for two washes.

Diapers came out fresh and clean every time. Our diapers were also more soft than when I didn't use Laundry Tarts.

The best part of all?  Being completely worry free. I don't have to worry about what is going on my baby's skin, and i don't have to worry about what is flowing down my drains and into the environment. No yucky chemicals, no optical brighteners. Just fresh and clean.

Now for the fun part :)

BUY IT:

You can purchase Laundry Tarts online @ http://www.thelaundrytarts.com/

WIN IT!!!

One lucky winner ( US & Canada ) will receive 12 samples of the favorite scents they offer :)

MAIN ENTRY:

Visit The Laundry Tarts and tell me something you learned & become a friend @ Wishing Penny via Google Friends Connect (right side). Both parts mandatory to win - thanks :))

EXTRAS:

*Like/Fan Laundry Tarts @ Facebook ( 3 bonus entries )

*Like/Fan me @ Facebook ( 2 bonus entries )

*Follow @TheLaundryTarts at Twitter ( 2 bonus entries )

*Follow me @jamaise at Twitter & Tweet this :  RT @jamaise #GIVEAWAY #WIN Laundry Tarts ~ Eco Friendly Laundry Soap ~ http://bit.ly/k2y1R4  Ends 7/12 tweet each day for one entry each !

*Subscribe to Wishing Penny via email and or reader ( 2 bonus entries each )

*Blog about this giveaway & leave me the link ( 5 bonus entries)

*Grab my button & tell me where to find it ( 2 bonus entries )

*Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect ( 2 bonus entries )

*Enter any other giveaway here for one entry each


That's 10 entry methods with tons of bonus & a chance for unlimited entries with daily tweets!


Giveaway will end on July 12th at 12 pm EST. Winner will be selected using Random .org. I will email the winner & you will have 48 hours to reply back before I draw a new winner . Please remember to leave me your email address if it is not visible on your profile so that I can contact you if you win. Good luck to everyone :)


Disclaimer: The Laundry Tarts provided me with all information and product to review. I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for free product.

NASA Will Host 150 People for Tweetup at Launch of Jupiter-Bound Mission

NASA will host a two-day launch Tweetup for 150 of its Twitter followers on Aug. 4-5 at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Tweetup is expected to culminate in the launch of the Jupiter-bound Juno spacecraft aboard an Atlas V rocket.

The launch window opens at 8:39 a.m. PDT (11:39 a.m. EDT) on Aug. 5. The spacecraft is expected to arrive at Jupiter in 2016. The mission will investigate the gas giant's origins, structure, atmosphere and magnetosphere. Juno's color camera will provide close-up images of Jupiter, including the first detailed glimpse of the planet's poles.

The Tweetup will provide @NASA Twitter followers with the opportunity to tour the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex; speak with scientists and engineers from the Juno and other upcoming missions; and, if all goes as scheduled, view the spacecraft launch. The event also will provide participants the opportunity to meet fellow tweeps and members of NASA's social media team.

Juno is the second of four space missions launching this year, making 2011 one of the busiest ever in planetary exploration. Aquarius was launched June 10 to study ocean salinity; Grail will launch Sept. 8 to study the moon's gravity field; and the Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity rover will head to the Red Planet no earlier than Nov. 25.

Tweetup registration opens at noon PDT (3 p.m. EDT) on Friday, June 24, and closes at noon PDT (3 p.m. EDT) on Monday, June 27. NASA will randomly select 150 participants from online registrations. For more information about the Tweetup and registration, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/connect/tweetup/tweetup_jpl_08-04-2011.html .

For information about connecting and collaborating with NASA, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/connect .

Juno's principal investigator is Scott Bolton of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., manages the mission.

For more information visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/juno/news/juno20110624.html

Asterix the Gaul: Asterix and the Banquet

It's been years since I read any Asterix the Gaul, which my parents sometimes used to buy for my brother (in English) when we went to France on holiday. What I'd remembered most was the wonderfully punny names - the old man Geriatrix, Poisonus Fungus, Getafix the druid and so on (there are lots of jokes about drugs around, a clear sign of Asterix's '60s origins!*). Asterix and Obelix themselves, of course, are designed as literal 'footnotes in history', asterisk and obelisk, an idea I love, since I always enjoy stories about the minor characters and side stories of history, even entirely fictional ones like these two.

For those unfamilir with the comics, Asterix and Obelix live in a Gaulish village that has held out alone against the Romans following the conquest of Gaul by Julius Caesar. This is largely thanks to the magic potion brewed by Getafix, which allows our two heroes to beat up entire legions without breaking a sweat (though Obelix doesn't need to take any, as he fell into a cauldron-full of the stuff as a child). The village is in northern Brittany, and Obelix has a regular job as a menhir delivery man. The translations are excellent, mostly successfully translating the puns and Christmas-cracker level jokes into something appropriate (you only occasionally find something that isn't quite as effective as English).

In this story, Astrix and Obelix travel all over France collecting regional delicacies to win a bet with the new centurion who has blockaded the village. Apparently inspired by the Tour de France, the story provides a chance to see them travel all over France, and each Latin or Celtic name is accompanied by a footnote explaining which modern town or city they're in. This provides the chance for a few regional jokes - my favourite is the joke about the traffic jams on the way to Nice in the summer. Although I haven't ever been to Nice, I have been to Devon by car and lived in Bristol for a year, so I'm very familiar with the inevitable traffic jams caused by the summer getaway!

The plot provides a nice opportunity for the French authors to revel in two of the things the French are most proud of - their cuisine, and the Resistance. There is an attempt to stick vaguely to the period with the specialities by not naming champagne and calling white Bordeaux, white Burdigala, but since the whole point of the Asterix comics is to satirise modern Europe in the guise of an ancient-set story, this is largely a celebration of modern French cuisine, and thoroughly mouth-watering it is too. Other elements of the story, meanwhile, are pure Word War Two, with various helpful townspeople sabotaging Roman transport to help our heroes get away, while a couple of traitors get their comeuppance.

The Romans here tend to come across as rather inept and not very bright, though several are presented fairly sympathetically. Plus, of course, no one actually dies, as this is a children's comic - they just get knocked out and see the obligatory stars floating above their heads. It's nice to see some Latin included as well, though readers would probably prefer it to be accompanied by a translation rather than left by itself.

I love France, so I really enjoyed this story, though the Romans featured were really too stupid to provide an effective enemy for our heroes. I'll have to get hold of one of the books featuring Caesar or Cleopatra who, while losing in the end, might give the main characters more of a run for their money!

A Breton menhir, as delivered by Obelix

*Yes, I know the first comic was written in 1959. That was a joke.

Family in the 19th century

It is believed that the term "family" derives from the Latin 'famulus' which means 'domestic slave'. Family means a primary social grouping made ​​up with people linked by kinship: father, mother, children. It started with marriage (originally Christian, and civil after the French Revolution), which enclosed different levels of power, protection, interests and duties.

Atribui-se a origem do termo ao latim 'famulus' que significa 'escravo doméstico’. Por família entende-se um agrupamento social primário constituído com pessoas ligadas por parentesco: pai, mãe, filhos. Iniciada com o casamento (inicialmente cristão, civil após a Revolução Francesa) nela existiam diferentes níveis de poder, protecção, interesses e funções.

Giovanni Battista Torriglia (1858-1937)-'amidst the Florentine Hills'-oil on canvas

Giovanni Battista Torriglia (1858-1937)-'a happy family-the thread of life'-oil on canvas

Giovanni Battista Torriglia (1858-1937)-'the web of life'-oil on canvas

Giovanni Battista Torriglia (1858-1937)-'the spinning wheel'-oil on canvas

Giovanni Battista Torriglia (1858-1937)-'family games'-oil on canvas

　

Blog Awards

I've been away all weekend at a marking standardisation meeting (which meant I spent the hottest day of the year in a windowless room, shivering in the air conditioning - typical!). I got back late because when I tried to return to Oxford from Cambridge, I accidentally headed for Ipswich - for those unfamiliar with the geography, This Was Not Right (thank you to the nice hotel receptionist who pointed me back in the right direction!).

Anyway, the point is, I didn't even have time to finish the Asterix the Gaul comic I was reading, so a proper blog post will follow next week. In the meantime, however, the lovely Ali B from Fantastic Reads has kindly given me an award!

Thank you Ali!

The award comes with some rules:

1. Send a thank you to the person who nominated you and include their link. 

2. Share seven random facts about yourself.

3. Pass the award along to at least 8 deserving bloggers.

4. Contact those bloggers to congratulate them.

I'm going to list my eight deserving bloggers first:

Caroline Lawrence, author of the Roman Mysteries and the Western Mysteries 

Cris at Here, There and Everywhere (general awesomeness, travel, marine biology)

Hasan at Three Pipe Problem (art history)

Billygean at Billygean (life in general, sometimes CFS) 

Billie Doux at Billie Doux (TV and film reviews)

Elizabeth Spann Craig at Mystery Writing is Murder, author of various southern-set mysteries

Amalia at Good to Begin Well, Better to End Well (writing and myth)

Terri Windling at The Drawing Board (art, myth and folklore)

Also, it brings it up to more than eight, but Vicky Alvear Shectar's Friday Funnies are always entertaining.

This whole thing is creepily like a chain letter really, but a nice one!

Anyway, seven facts about me:

1. I have attended a Star Trek convention, in costume. It was a very cheap costume though. No uniform.

2. When I was a teenager I wanted to be a priest, and the only reason I didn't was that I'm the wrong gender. Maybe someday.

3. I love single malt whisky, peaty, like Laphroig - neat. There will be no polluting my whisky. Also mugs.

4. Until I was about 13, I thought the Romans were really boring. I refused to take Latin in school because, as I told my mother, it's a dead language and would never be any use to me whatsoever (this was before the priest thing).

5. I love to watch Sex and the City in French. It sounds good in French. (And in English as well, of course).

6. I have slept in a school library.

7. I have eaten dinner in Liverpool Cathedral.

I shall return with Asterix as soon as I've had time to read it!

Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen-statues (19th century)

"Glyptothek" is usually understood as a collection of sculptural art which includes small fine engraved stones.

Por gliptoteca entende-se normalmente um acervo de arte escultórica onde se incluem pequenas pedras finas gravadas.

Stephan Sinding (1846-1922)-'night'-1914

Jens Adolph Jerichau (1816-1883)-'the panther hunter'-1846

Herman Ernst Freund (1786-1840)-'Odin'-(1825-1829)

Jean Gautherin (1840-1890)-'Paradise lost'

François-Raoul Larché (1860-1812)-'the meadow and the brook'

The Work Shirt ~ It's Dynamite

Check out the fun Work Shirt @ http://www.theworkshirt.com/ Whether you're working, at the club, or just doing what you do, the Work Shirt will work with you. Always lots of looks and complements. Guys love the work shirt, but hey so do the ladies!

Cute concept huh? As long as you've got it on, you're working! Maybe I'll do a giveaway in the near future :))

Illuminations (Iluminuras)

This type of medieval painting intended to illustrate all sorts of manuscripts became a source of study of the history and customs of the time.

Este tipo de pintura medieval destinado a ilustrar toda a espécie de manuscritos tornou-se fonte de estudo da história e dos costumes da época.

Unknown (15th century)-'the French King at court'-tempera colors and gold paints on parchment-(1460-1470) Malibu-J. Paul Getty Museum (the story of two lovers, French Ms 68, fol. 1)

Unknown (15th century)-'the destruction of Jerusalem (Titus)'- tempera colors and gold leaf on parchment ca 1415 Malibu-J. Paul Getty Museum (concerning the fates of illustrous men and women, French Ms 63, fol. 237)

Unknown (13th century)-'the forest'-ca 1230 München-Staatbibliothek (Codex Latinus Monacensis Ms 4660 Carmina Burana)

Unknown (15th century)-'Chaucer reading to Richard II Troilus and Cressida'-ca 1415 Cambridge-Corpus Christi College (Ms 61, fol. 1v)

Unknown (14th century)-'bloodletting'-miniature Lisboa-Biblioteca da Ajuda (Aldebrande of Florence in Medical Treatise, 1353, folio 19r)