Chess, Goddess and Everything

2012 Tradewise Gibraltal Chess Festival

2012-01-28T21:13:00.000-06:00

Top ladies after R5: Well, GM Hou Yifan isn't in first place anymore. Boo hiss boo. Keep in mind, the ladies are competing head to head with some of the top male players in the world, and all those spaces in-between the rankings are held by male players. There are 256 players competing in the Masters Event! 4GMDzagnidze NanaGEO25354.52760.0 8GMPolgar JuditHUN27104.02769.0

2012 Tata Steel

2012-01-28T20:52:00.000-06:00

Ladies' standings afer R12: Group B: 1.Harikrishna, P.8½ 2.L'Ami, E. Motylev, A.8 4.Bruzon, L.7½ 5.Reinderman, D. Tiviakov, S.7 7.Nyzhnik, I.6½ 8.Potkin, V. Timman, J.5½ 10.Ernst, S.5 11.Cmilyte, V. Lahno, K. Vocaturo, D.4 14.Harika, D.3½ Group C: 1.Tikkanen, H.Turov, M.9½ 3.Adhiban, B.Brandenburg, D.7½ 5.Grover, S.Sadler, M.6½ 7.Paehtz, E.6 8.Tania, S.5½ 9.Goudriaan, E.5 10.Danielian,

Holy Hathor! Where'd The Time Go?

2012-01-28T19:57:00.000-06:00

Hola darlings! Normally this time of year I'm totally bonkers, scratching around the back 1/12th acre looking for grass and treasure underneath a couple feet of snow. Except, this year, we never got any 60 below zero temperatures nor tons of snow either, so my brain is all confused. So far for January, a measley 12 inches or so, and that's on top of about ZERO measureable snow in December, 2011

2012 Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival

2012-01-27T20:21:00.000-06:00

GM Hou Yifan is currently in first place after R4! Hooray for the ladies! Top female standings after R4: 1GMHou YifanCHN26053.52900.0 11GMDzagnidze NanaGEO25353.52654.0 14GMKoneru HumpyIND25893.02729.0 15GMPolgar JuditHUN27103.02727.0 33GMKosintseva NadezhdaRUS25373.02459.0 45IMMuzychuk AnnaSLO25802.52585.0 52IMMuzychuk MariyaUKR24832.52535.0 56GMZhu

2012 Tata Steel

2012-01-27T19:31:00.001-06:00

Where the ladies are after R11. Group B ladies aren't doing very well, period. Group C - two ladies (Elizabeth Paetz and Tania Sachdev) are at 50%. The final round will be on Sunday, January 29th. Group B 1.Harikrishna, P.8 2.L'Ami, E. Motylev, A.7½ 4.Bruzon, L.6½ 5.Reinderman, D. Tiviakov, S.6 7.Nyzhnik, I.5½ 8.Ernst, S. Potkin, V. Timman, J.5 11.Lahno, K. Vocaturo, D.4 13.Cmilyte, V.

2012 Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival

2012-01-26T19:18:00.000-06:00

Top female standings in the Masters Group after R3 (256 players): 3 GMHou YifanCHN26053.03311.0 8 GMPolgar JuditHUN27102.52789.0 14GMKoneru HumpyIND25892.52751.0 18IMMuzychuk AnnaSLO25802.52693.0 20IMZatonskih AnnaUSA25062.52625.0 25GMDzagnidze NanaGEO25352.52496.0 34GMCramling PiaSWE24912.02632.0 39IMKrush IrinaUSA24672.02604.0 50GMStefanova

Naughty, Naughty Cross!

2012-01-25T22:19:00.000-06:00

Were some of the carvings Sheela na-gigs? Did Old Satan's Daughter do a number on Father Blake the way she did to "Reverend Lee" as sung by the fabulous Roberta Flack? And what an oxymoron - a "pagan cross." LOL! Archaeologists uncover mystery of over-zealous priest, fairies and a buried pagan cross Search is on for legendary Wicklow cross which vanished 60 years ago By KERRY O'SHEA,

2012 Tata Steel

2012-01-25T20:35:00.002-06:00

I'm watching an excellent Nova special on PBS right now, "Masterpiece," about the painting that might be a previously unknown Leonardo DaVinci drawing! Absolutely fascinating... I'm learning a lot about the world of art experts and fraudulent works of art -- how people try to sniff out frauds and how the fraudsters try to fool the experts. Excited -- my purchases have started to arrive.

2012 Tata Steel

2012-01-24T21:20:00.000-06:00

Chess femme standings in Groups B and C: Standings after round 9 (Group B): 1.Harikrishna, P.7 2.Bruzon, L. L'Ami, E. Motylev, A.6 5.Nyzhnik, I. Tiviakov, S.4½ 7.Ernst, S. Reinderman, D. Vocaturo, D.4 10.Cmilyte, V. Lahno, K. Potkin, V. Timman, J.3½ 14.Harika, D.3 Standings after round 9 (Group C): 1.Tikkanen, H.Turov, M.7½ 3.Adhiban, B.6½ 4.Brandenburg, D.Grover, S.Sadler, M.5 7.Goudriaan,

Review: Multiple Origins for Domesticated Dogs

2012-01-24T20:50:00.000-06:00

From Science Daily Ancient Domesticated Dog Skull Found in Siberian Cave: 33,000 Years Old Jan. 23, 2012) — A 33,000-year-old dog skull unearthed in a Siberian mountain cave presents some of the oldest known evidence of dog domestication and, together with an equally ancient find in a cave in Belgium, indicates that modern dogs may be descended from multiple ancestors. If you think a Chihuahua

China Institute Lecture Series

2012-01-24T20:02:00.000-06:00

In conjunction with a new exhibition: The Afterlife, Architecture, and Drama: Jin-Yuan Tombs in Southern Shanxi Renowned scholar and leading architectural historian Nancy Steinhardt is Professor of East Asian Art in the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations and Curator of Chinese Art at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. She is author of Chinese Traditional

World Chess Hall of Fame and Museum: Anatomy is Destiny

2012-01-24T19:34:00.000-06:00

Really? No wonder we're in so much trouble these days - too much testerone at loose in the world. If you're in St. Louis and haven't dropped by the museum yet, I highly recommend it. It's a lovely building and a great neighborhood (I know, I walked around all of it in September!) The staff at Chi Chi LLC is great, too - I can tell you from personal experience.

2012: The Year of the Dragon

2012-01-24T19:06:00.000-06:00

The Chinese New Year begins on the new moon, Janury 23, 2012. I thought this "greeting card" from The China Institute was beautiful and wanted to share it with you.

2012 Tata Steel

2012-01-23T19:03:00.000-06:00

Must have been a rest day for the A and B Group today - and maybe for C Group too, only yesterday when I updated results C Group's weren't ready yet: 1.Tikkanen, H. Turov, M.6½ 3.Adhiban, B.5½ 4.Grover, S.5 5.Brandenburg, D. Sadler, M.4½ 7.Goudriaan, E. Paehtz, E.Schut, L. Tania, S.3½ 11.Ootes, L.3 12.Danielian, E.2½ 13.Haast, A.Hopman, P.2 The action picks up again tomorrow and runs

Hitler HATES Bret Favre...

2012-01-23T18:54:00.000-06:00

It was too painful, just too damn painful, to write anything about the Packers' loss to those cheating bitches from New York. Prepare for one of the lowest-rated Superbowls in history, folks. Three-fourths of the country will definitely be tuned out for this one. Here is Hitler expressing what every red-blooded Wisconsinite has been feeling since January 15, 2012, including deep hatred of that

Etta James Dies

2012-01-22T18:48:00.001-06:00

The fabulous voice of Etta James has been silenced by death. I love Etta James' music, have for years, even when I was a teenager and didn't know anything about anything. I have made references to Ms. Etta over the years at this blog, and posted this back in 2008: Chess Records January 26, 2008 Beyonce to play Etta James in new movie... Ms. Etta died on January 20, 2012. Here is an article

Treasure Seekers Destroy Archaeological Site

2012-01-22T18:06:00.000-06:00

I would like to be posting more, but today Blogger has been particularly uncooperative - constantly freezing up! Those 3 posts I did earlier today took HOURS to do. Darlings, I just don't have the time to screw around with Blogger's fits and starts! I'm still deconstructing the Christmas Tree! Gold diggers ravage archeological site Two Bedouins from Dimona destroy 2,000-year-old well in

Oldest Known Astrology Board Discovered

2012-01-22T14:58:00.000-06:00

From Discovery News Oldest-Known Astrologer's Board Discovered The 2,000 year-old ivory fragments feature engravings of signs of the zodiac. Tue Jan 17, 2012 10:15 AM ET Content provided by Owen Jarus, LiveScience A research team has discovered what may be the oldest astrologer's board, engraved with zodiac signs and used to determine a person's horoscope. Dating back more than 2,000

2012 Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival

2012-01-22T13:57:00.001-06:00

(a/k/a Gibraltar) Since its inception, the organizers of this grand event have made a concerted effort to invite more top-level female players and give them excellent conditions. 2012 is the best yet, according to tournament spokesman Stuart Conquest: Largest concentration of women 22.01.12 - Stuart Conquest Director of the 2012 Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, scheduled to begin this

2012 Tata Steel

2012-01-22T12:46:00.003-06:00

How are the ladies doing? Group B - all of the ladies are near the bottom of the ranks with 3.0 (standings after R8): 1.Harikrishna, P.6 2.Motylev, A.5½ 3.Bruzon, L.L'Ami, E.5 5.Nyzhnik, I.4½ 6.Ernst, S.Reinderman, D.4 8.Potkin, V.Tiviakov, S.3½ 10.Cmilyte, V.Harika, D.Lahno, K.Timman, J.Vocaturo, D.3 Group C - Lisa Schut is at 50%; the other ladies are in the lower ranks (standings after

This Is Not A Decorating Blog -- But...

2012-01-21T20:16:00.001-06:00

I know, I know! Perhaps this is jut premature Cabin Fever, even though I just got back from beautiful and "warm" Madrid. Whatever it is, the Christmas Tree is still in the process of being deconstructed and I spent most of today puttering around writing lists about all the things I want to do around the house (not including replacing the roof, carpeting and flooring!) I want new faucets for

Deconstructing Christmas

2012-01-21T11:28:00.001-06:00

Hola! It's nice and bright here today, and a balmy 13 17 degrees F - much warmer than yesterday! There's a snow cover now. In addition to the recent snow yesterday I'd say I got another 3-4 inches. Good thing I had just got the driveway shoveled out the night before... My footprints from last evening and critter prints in driveway this morning. Seriously, this stuff is the fine gritty

Our Last Day in Spain: January 9, 2012 Part II

2012-01-19T20:44:00.000-06:00

Now that I see the videos DO download (although it takes forever), here are more of Mr. Don's videos! Video above taken from the garden of Sculptor Macho's residence. It's views from the old city out over the escarpment of the River Targus, including a view of St. Martin's Bridge. Video above is a Toledo video, but not sure of what! Video above this is from Sculptor

Side Note: Music That Reminds Me Of Madrid!

2012-01-19T19:22:00.000-06:00

First of all, the one, the only, Marc Antoine and his wonderful acoutstic guitar, playing smooth jazz mega-hit MADRID: A personal favorite, a quirky version of J.M. Serrat's MEDITTERANEO: Another smooth jazz mega-hit by The Rippingtons, SPANISH GIRL:

2012 Tata Steel

2012-01-19T18:37:00.000-06:00

Chess femme standings after R5: Group B: 1.Harikrishna, P.4 2.Motylev, A.3½ 3.L'Ami, E. Timman, J.3 5.Bruzon, L. Nyzhnik, I. Reinderman, D. Tiviakov, S. Vocaturo, D.2½ 10.Cmilyte, V.Lahno, K. Potkin, V.2 13.Ernst, S. Harika, D.1½ Group C: 1.Turov, M.5 2.Tikkanen, H.4 3.Adhiban, B.3½ 4.Grover, S.Sadler, M.3 6.Brandenburg, D.Goudriaan, E.Schut, L.2½ 9.Ootes, L.Paehtz, E.Tania, S.2 12.

Our Last Full Day in Spain, January 9, 2012

2012-01-19T14:32:00.000-06:00

"Looking up" while walking down a narrow sidestreet in Toledo, Spain. Taken by Mr. Don. As a kid, I lived in old neighborhoods in Milwaukee where the houses were reach-out-and-touch-someone close. Perhaps we didn't "know thyself" but we sure got to know our neighbors :) I hope this turns out okay. I've been having problems uploading video, don't know why. If this works, it is

Around the Blogosphere: Chess Femme News

2012-01-18T13:45:00.002-06:00

Time to check the other chess blogs run by chess femmes and see what's up with them: Susan Polgar Interview with Judit Polgar January 18, 2012 Thornhill Sisters are National Junior Chess Champions January 18, 2012 GM Viktorija Cmilyte manages to draw a game in which she had 2 queens, hmmm... Tata Steel Chess 2012 "En Passant" Round 4 Interview January 18, 2012 Alexandra Kosteniuk's "Chess

More Photos from Toledo, Spain

2012-01-17T21:27:00.000-06:00

I'm nearly to the end of the - first round of photographs! Photo by Don: A look back toward one of the gates on St. Martin's Bridge (the gate old-city side) Photo by Don: Looking out across the St. Martin's Bridge from the old city gate. My photo: St. Martin's Bridge from the far side of the river. The tour buses line up alone this winding road and if you lose your group, you

Tomb of Nehmes Bastet, Singer, Found in Egypt

2012-01-17T19:52:00.000-06:00

I love her name! Here's the story from the BBC: 16 January 2012 Last updated at 11:08 ET Egyptian tomb holds singer Nehmes Bastet's remains Archaeologists working in Egypt have discovered the tomb of a female singer in the Valley of the Kings. The tomb was found by a team from the University of Basel in Switzerland who came across it by chance. The woman, Nehmes Bastet, was a

2012 Tata Steel

2012-01-17T19:19:00.000-06:00

Standings after R4: Chess femmes in Group B: 1.Harikrishna, P.3½ 2.L'Ami, E. Motylev, A.2½ 4.Lahno, K.Nyzhnik, I. Reinderman, D. Timman, J. Tiviakov, S. Vocaturo, D.2 10.Bruzon, L. Cmilyte, V. Ernst, S. Harika, D. Potkin, V.1½ Chess femmes in Group C: 1.Turov, M.4 2.Adhiban, B.Tikkanen, H.3 4.Goudriaan, E.Sadler, M.2½ 6.Brandenburg, D.Grover, S.Ootes, L.2 9.Paehtz, E.Schut, L.Tania, S

2012 Tata Steel Chess

2012-01-16T19:50:00.000-06:00

Hola! Nope, I haven't forgotten all about chess, just been distracted by other things :) Here's the link to the official website. Here are standings after R3 for the chess femmes! The B Group is hosting three: 1.Harikrishna, P.3 2.L'Ami, E.2½ 3.Tiviakov, S.2 4.Lahno, K. Motylev, A. Nyzhnik, I. Reinderman, D. Timman, J. Vocaturo, D.1½ 10.Bruzon, L. Cmilyte, V. Harika, D. Potkin, V.1 14.Ernst

Scenes from Toledo, Spain Part VIII

2012-01-15T17:20:00.000-06:00

The House (now a Museum) of Sculptor/Artist Victorio Macho This beautiful former private residence provides, perhaps, some of the best views of Toledo, its cliffs, hills, the ancient walls (Roman, Visigoth, Arab, Spanish) and, of course, the winding river Tagus. The terrace garden area overlooks an incredible vista. I, and no doubt millions of other visitors, wish they could live there for

Scenes from Toledo, Spain Part VII

2012-01-15T16:31:00.001-06:00

Monasterio de San Juan de Los Reyes This church and attached monastery were constructed under the auspices of Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella in the 15th century, as a future burial place. As it turned out, they opted to be buried in Granada after the later conquest of that city. But the Church remains in Toledo, and it is a stunning one! The courtyard area (cloister?) of the

Scenes from Toledo, Spain Part VI

2012-01-15T15:18:00.000-06:00

Synagogue of the White Virgin This is what our guide called it; online sites call it the Synagogue of St. Mary the White. See Sacred Destinations website for further information. Cf. Mary in Our Life: Atlas of the Names and Titles of Mary, the Mother of Jesus (book excerpt at Google). Our guide told us that the site was originally used as a mosque, then converted to a synagogue, and after

Scenes from Toledo, Spain Part V

2012-01-14T23:08:00.000-06:00

Continuation of photographs from the Cathedral of Toledo: A view of the ceiling in the Refrectory - the priests' private domain. Unfortunately, my photo did not come out very clear, it is blurry. Our guide told us this is the room where they changed into their robes to perform their priestly duties in the Cathedral. I do not recall the name of the artist who painted the ceiling, but I

Goddesschess in 'Echec Magazine, by FQE

2012-01-14T21:48:00.000-06:00

Hola Everyone! It was hard to leave the beautiful city of Madrid and it's equally beautiful weather and kind people, but I won't lie, it's good to be back home in my own soft bed with my own soft down pillows and down blanket! Both Mr. Don and I are attempting to fight off some kind of viral invasion affecting our throats and sinuses. Ach! And I was so careful this trip, too, to wash my

More on the "Haunted Lewis Chess Pieces"

2012-01-14T12:58:00.001-06:00

See original post from November 30, 2011, from information forwarded to me by Judith Weingarten of the Xenobia, Empress of the East blog. Geoff Chandler provides much information that is new to me about the background of the Lewis chess pieces. One note: Chandler mentions a Captain Pyrie, while the information I published in my prior blog post came directly from H.J.R. Murray's A History of

Scenes from Toledo, Spain Part IV

2012-01-13T22:22:00.002-06:00

The Cathedral: Working from memory here. Construction of the cathedral was begun approximately 1250 CE and completed about 240-250 years later, but thereafter, subsequent monarchs of Spain added internal improvements and new "chapels" so construction never really stopped. I don't know if the pictures can give you the sense of space inside this structure. It's incredible. I could hardly tilt

Scenes from Toledo, Spain Part III

2012-01-13T15:13:00.000-06:00

I had my camera out nearly the entire tour and snapped shots as we scampered up and down the streets, lanes, and alleys of Toledo, going to and coming from the various monuments and stops on the tour: No wonder there aren't any fat residents in Toledo... Through the maze our group goes... The steel poles are to keep the buildngs from leaning further into the street and

Scenes from Toledo Spain Part II

2012-01-13T14:45:00.000-06:00

People! Our tour group at the Church of St. Tomas and attached Monastery. The lady who took our photo wasn't very familiar with such things as light and shadow... I also look very fat in this photo. Blech! Honestly, I have three layers on! Our group walking down one of the many twisty-turny cobblestone side streets. Fortunately in this photo, we were all walking downhill!

Scenes from Toledo, Spain

2012-01-13T14:00:00.000-06:00

We were a small group that set out with Julia Tours on Monday, January 9th, to visit Toledo. The price was right (70 euros each) for a English/Spanish language tour and the online advertisement wasn't kidding that this was a true "walking tour." Up, down, all around, clamoring and rattling over cobblestone streets and tiny alleys and endless stairways, we got a workout, and some fantastic

Snow, Snow Go Away!

2012-01-13T10:18:00.005-06:00

Incredible as it seems, less than 48 hours ago Mr. D and I were coatless, sitting on lawn chairs on the back deck sipping wine coolers in the warm January sun! Mr. D left yesterday morning for home and fortunately his flights were not delayed by the weather. They went smoothly. However, once he got home, he had a very long commute, snarled by SNOW! He writes that it took three times as long

A Sunday in Madrid

2012-01-12T20:39:00.000-06:00

Sunday was another beautiful day in Madrid. We had originally planned to have a leisurely day and stroll up (down?) the Gran Via, in keeping with the Madrid tradition of taking it slow and easy on Sunday, when many businesses are closed and families flood the city streets in the late afternoon. One of our original plans upon arrival in Spain was to take a day trip to Toledo. Saturday evening

The James Joyce Irish Pub in Madrid, Spain

2012-01-12T17:05:00.001-06:00

Prepare for culture shock when you walk into the James Joyce Irish Pub on Calle Acala in Madrid. Here is a blurb from the Pub's website (the English-language version): Located beside Plaza de la Cibeles, The James Joyce offers an authentic Irish atmosphere with Irish staff. The cuisine is a combination of the best that both Ireland and Spain have to offer.To add to the "craíc", we have live

Arguments and Never Having to Say You're Sorry

2012-01-08T09:42:00.000-06:00

The day (Saturday) started out promising and on a lovely note. The night before (another practically sleepless one - my body clock issues again...) I had done some research on "where to get an American style breakfast in Madrid" and lo and behold, discovered the VIPS chain of restaurants. There was one just a few blocks from Hostal Gonzalo, where we were staying. We had a lovely breakfast - no

And Still Marching to the Temple De Bod

2012-01-06T22:14:00.000-06:00

Here is the Temple. It's hard to take a bad photo of this beautiful spot. If you look closely, you can just make out two figures on the right side. The reflecting pool at the back part of the temple grounds. You can see that the plaza and park in which the temple sits is quite elevated from the street. In the distance, you can see the mountains. Looking

Still Marching to the Temple De Bod

2012-01-06T21:36:00.000-06:00

Don wanted to go inside the cathedral. I said absolutely not. He wanted to see what was inside. Pagan iconography, without a doubt. Once you've seen the inside of one church, you've seen them all, unless a Black Madonna was lurking about somewhere (doubtful, we'd have heard about her, I think). I'm sure the Judeo-Christian god who lives inside this church would have hurled a

Marching to Temple De Bod

2012-01-06T14:13:00.000-06:00

Plaza del Sol. Many of the shops were closed today for the Feast of the Three Kings. By Madrid standards, we were out early (i.e., before 3:00 p.m.). Later in the day when we walked through the plaza again headed back to our hotel, it was much more crowded. There were lots of families out today with their children, and many couples strolling. People in Madrid stroll, they don't march.

Prada and Old City Walls

2012-01-06T13:48:00.001-06:00

For whatever reason, Mr. Don continues to call the Museo Prado the "Prada" and has asked for directions to the "Prada" from a police officer, amongst others innocent standers-by because he does not believe me when I say "it is in this direction." Actually, he doesn't believe anything I say, that is - when he listens at all. Take a look on this map and click on the Prado Museum - that will give

Feast of the Three Kings Parade, Madrid - More Video

2012-01-06T12:13:00.000-06:00

Taken on the evening of January 5th during the Feast of the Three Kings parade in Madrid, Spain, by Don McLean: These are some of the sights and sounds that we strained our travel-weary, elderly bods for (standing to hold our places from about 3:40 p.m. until I just couldn't stand up anymore and we left about 8:15 p.m. - I was amazed I could even walk at that point -- perhaps a

Atocha Station

2012-01-06T12:07:00.000-06:00

Atocha is cloaked partly in scaffolding right now, unfortunately, and what I imagine would ordinarily be a lovely approach to the station from a grand plaza is all shuttered all with stupid walls and construction crapola. Oh well. The inside of the station is magnificent! We didn't get "down" to this end of the Paseo del Prado to see Atocha Station when we were last here in October, 2002,

From the Feast of Three Kings, Madrid

2012-01-05T18:10:00.000-06:00

Video shot earlier this evening (January 5, 2012): Beginning of parade (if I can get this to work) The Feast of the Three Kings in Madrid is celebrated as a Holy Day and National Holiday on January 6th, but the parade is traditionally held on the night before. Don had read about this parade and wanted to see it, so we made a point. Little did we know! We ventured out toward the spot

Some Photos from First Day

2012-01-05T06:05:00.001-06:00

Our flight was long and bumpy - lots of turbulance - but uneventful. Iberia Airlines fed us well; the entertainment wasn't anything to write home about, a movie about a fighting robot or something - I didn't watch it, I tried to sleep (not very successfully). Our flight touched down at 7:20 a.m. Madrid time and it was pitch black outside - no daylight savings time here. Waiting for

In Spain!

2012-01-05T03:10:00.000-06:00

Twilight video from outside the former Stock Exchange building (near Prado Museum and the Ritz Hotel):

The Naos of the Decades

2012-01-02T18:58:00.003-06:00

One of the star pieces of Cleopatra, the Search for the Last Queen of Egypt exhibit was the Naos of the Decades. Here is a scan of a photograph from the exhibit program: It's impossible to describe the impact this artifact has when seeing it in person and up close. It was not enclosed in glass and so you were able to get your nose very close in to look at the heiroglyphic inscriptions --

More Museum Photos from New Year's Eve 2011

2012-01-02T14:20:00.000-06:00

Two photos of a bottom portion of a totem - I did not photograph the plaque describing it in detail, but it's from the U.S. Pacific Northwest and welcomes people into the Native American section on the second floor. This exhibit is from "Indian games" -- beautifully carved ivory dominoes, playing cards, and in the next photo, a carved walrus tusk cribbage board. At the

Saudi Law Makers: Women Can Sell Underwear to Women

2012-01-02T11:19:00.000-06:00

You aren't going to believe this story! From JS Online Jan 2, 10:33 AM EST Saudi Arabia to enforce law allowing only women to sell lingerie, despite cleric's disapproval RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) -- Saudi Arabia said Monday it will begin enforcing a law that allows only females to work in women's lingerie and apparel stores, despite disapproval from the country's top cleric. The 2006

Research Group Claims No Ancient Immigrants from the East

2012-01-01T17:27:00.000-06:00

The researchers further conclude that this finding “definitively dismisses the controversial hypothesis of an Atlantic glacial entry route into North America.” [Emphasis added.] Oh, really??? You can judge for yourself if these researchers were too quick in the draw... The title of the article itself usesw the word "MAY" - darlings, I don't know what schools you went to but when I went to

I LOVE MY GREEN BAY PACKERS :) :) :)

2012-01-01T16:27:00.000-06:00

Oh Mr. Don, Mr. Don, ye of little faith. You are very knowledgeable about football, but you aren't that familiar with Wisconsin's beloved Green Bay Packers under the leadership of QB Aaron Rodgers -- and QB Matt Flynn!!!!!! GB 45: DT 41. It was a shoot-out, folks, no question. In fact, when the Packers went down 9 zip in the first few minutes, Mr. Don shook his head and thought it might be

A New Year's Eve Collage

2012-01-01T16:02:00.001-06:00

Hope you will enjoy it! A collage of photos we took yesterday at the Milwaukee Public Museum. Another digital slideshow by Smilebox

Day at the Museum!

2012-01-01T11:51:00.001-06:00

The Cleopatra exhibit at the Milwaukee Public Museum was fantastic! Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photographs, but in my opinion the exhibit lived up to all its positive press coverage! Cleopatra, the Search for the Last Queen of Egypt October 8, 2011 Cleo Is Coming to Milwaukee July 16, 2011 We arrived at the Milwaukee Public Museum for a 10:30 a.m. entry to the exhibit. The

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T11:43:00.001-06:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! May the Goddess bless all of your endeavors and you and your families this new year. The word for today is - WINDY! Like triple windy! Early this morning a front came through and with it strong winds and some mixed rain/snow. The snow will not amount to anything, barely a measureable trace. However, the winds have only gotten stronger as the day has gone on and

Interesting Artifact from Irikaitz (Basque Country, Spain)

2011-12-29T19:18:00.000-06:00

From basqueresearch.com 2011/12/27 Irikaitz archaeological site: only for the tenacious The recent discovery of a pendant at the Irikaitz archaeological site in Zestoa (in the Basque province of Gipuzkoa) has given rise to intense debate: it may be as old as 25,000 years, which would make it the oldest found to date at open-air excavations throughout the whole of the Iberian Peninsula.

Pushing Back the First Americans, a Thousand or Two Years at a Time

2011-12-29T19:01:00.000-06:00

From the Tennesseean.comFranklin dig evidence reveals mastodon was butchered by ancient humans12,000-year-old butchering marks, tools show ancient Cool Springs cuisine 1:51 AM, Dec. 27, 2011 FRANKLIN — A Cool Springs archaeological dig keeps yielding details about Paleolithic man and the big game he hunted. State archaeologists say discoveries unearthed in 2010 at a long-studied

Shamans in Action

2011-12-29T18:55:00.000-06:00

I happened across this very interesting photograph taken today in Lima Peru, of shamans conducting a "good luck" ceremony over two posters - one is the Prime Minister of Spain; the other is the new Fearless Leader of North Korea. Is he out of diapers??? I wonder why they did this???

2011 FIDE Women's World Team Chess Championship

2011-12-28T22:32:00.000-06:00

India fininished OUT OF THE MEDALS? WHAT? My first reaction is - what kind of fix was in? My second reaction is - it's not polite to put in writing. If you want to accept these final standings, here they are, for what they're worth: RankTeamGam.+=-MPPts.Res.SB.BT 1CHINA98 11627½0131,502550 2RUSSIA95311321½0103,001991 3GEORGIA95221221½090,752005 4INDIA95131123076,002154

Cleaning Bathrooms and Miscellaneous...

2011-12-28T22:24:00.002-06:00

Mr. Don is due in town tomorrow evening, if all goes according to plan. So far, the weather is cooperating from this end, but up in Montreal, there's lots of snow and wind. It should be clear and still by morning, so he says, but hey, shit happens... We have both been frenetically taking care of all of those "last minute" details that one has to deal with when one is travelling abroad. What a

Volunteers Clear Indian Mounds in Quincy, Illinois

2011-12-26T21:04:00.001-06:00

Article from The Quincy Herald-Whig - what a fabulous name for a newspaper! Volunteers clear the way for better view of Indian mounds Posted: Dec 24, 2011 9:49 AM CSTSaturday, December 24, 2011 10:49 AM EST Updated: Dec 26, 2011 2:12 PM CST By DEBORAH GERTZ HUSAR Herald-Whig Staff Writer Removing decades of dense overgrowth has

Mayan Ruins in Georgia (USA)???

2011-12-26T18:53:00.000-06:00

How could I have possibly missed this story? But I did not see it until today. Has an 1100 year old Mayan site been discovered in the Georgia mountains?Gary Daniels, Atlanta Road Trip Travel Examiner December 23, 2011 Gary Daniels examines the evidence put forth by architect and researcher Richard Thornton regarding this site being Mayan, and concludes that he is correct. Thornton's article

2011 FIDE Women's World Team Chess Championship

2011-12-26T18:40:00.000-06:00

According to the official website, China has cinched the team gold medal with one round to go, so the battle is now on for silver and bronze. India now finds itself in 3rd, not a good position seeing as it will be facing China tomorrow, while Russia faces Armenia. Individual board medals are also up for grabs. Take a look at who's up for gold on Board 1: GM Koneru Humpy and GM Hou Yifan. If

All About Holly...and Ivy...

2011-12-25T15:47:00.000-06:00

Holly and ivy, "Winter in Elmstead Woods, U.K." Wikepedia. From Barbara G. Walker's The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets: Holly To the druids, holly was the plant of death and regeneration, sacred to Mother Holle, or Hel, the underworld Goddess.(1) Germanic witches who worshipped her favored holly wood for magic wands. Red holly berries showed the female blood-of-life color,

Home Alone! Ho Ho Ho!

2011-12-25T12:33:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas everyone! It's starting to cloud over now but it's still 41 degrees F outside and the day dawned sunny and bright. And windy, whew! It feels more like a late March day than a late December day. But I'll take it! Sure beats 20 below zero! I sure hope this weather holds for Mr. Don's visit and our departure to Spain. The Packers are the Sunday Night Game of the Week and

2011 FIDE Women's World Team Chess Championship

2011-12-25T12:31:00.000-06:00

There are three more rounds to go. The Chinese and Indian teams (currently numbers 1 and 2) will meet each other in the final round! Standings after R6: RankTeamGames+=-MPTGPResultSB.BT 1CHINA66001220½053,001900 2INDIA6411918041,501683 3GEORGIA6321814½033,751358 4RUSSIA6321812½053,751155 5UKRAINE6222614023,251289 6ARMENIA6303613½015,501252 7VIETNAM6303611½029,001076 8TURKEY620448½015,00803

How I Spend My Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T19:03:00.000-06:00

Hola darlings! It's not over yet. Right now I'm at 5:41 p.m. Daylight Savings Time for the Midwest, whatever that means. I've got a Shepherd's pie in the oven and it's got about 12 more minutes to go. I decided to make a suitably humble meal for myself this evening (and left-overs tomorrow), in keeping with one of the traditional Christmas stories from the Bible, about how the shepherds were

All About Mistletoe!

2011-12-24T13:44:00.000-06:00

From Barbara G. Walker's The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets, all about Mistletoe!!! I confess I was surprised (how about shocked, even) by some of this information. All the years I've been reading about the Goddess, myths and customs around the world and I do not recall coming across some of this information before, I'm sure I would have remembered it! Mistletoe, image from How

The Ancient Pre-Christian Origins of Christmas

2011-12-24T12:37:00.001-06:00

I may have posted this in the past, but just in case, here it is again. From Barbara G. Walker's The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets: Christmas For its first three centuries, the Christian church knew no birthday for its savior. During the 4th century there was much argument about adoption of a date. Some favored the popular date of the Koreion, when the divine Virgin gave birth

2011 FIDE Women's World Team Chess Championship

2011-12-24T12:10:00.000-06:00

From The Times of India Indian women look for podium finish in World Chess Championships The writer has posted comments on this article PTI | Dec 24, 2011, 07.40PM IST MARDIN (Turkey): Having done all the hard work with spectacular results, Indian players would look to hold their nerves in the final dash to finish at the podium in the World Women Chess Team Championships. Led by

An Ode to Inspired Christmas Decorating

2011-12-23T23:16:00.000-06:00

Hola darlings! I'm pooped! I had off today. Today is our office equivalent of "Christmas Eve." Back to work on Monday and the final push is on to December 31st at midnight, pant pant pant... In tax and estate planning, this is our busiest time of year, even busier, if that's possible, than income tax season, gasp! Anyway, I slept in this morning. Ahhhhhh, the wonder of not having to rise

2011 FIDE Women's World Team Chess Championship

2011-12-23T20:41:00.000-06:00

Hola! Today was a rest day for the teams. Here are some photos: Turkish Women's team members at Dara, where the players visited on their day off. Group shot of the men's and women's teams at Dara. The teams splitting up! Check out some of these beautiful ladies.

3,300 Year Old Cuneiform Text Found in Malta Temple

2011-12-23T20:13:00.000-06:00

See if you're satisfied with the explanation for how the cuneiform inscription got to the Temple. I'm not - and perhaps we'll never know... One other point: the article keeps referring to Mesopotamia being to the west of Malta. If that was the case, it would be located beyond the "Pillars of Hercules" out in the Atlantic Ocean! Mesopotamia is to the east of Malta. From Popular Archaeology

"The Golden Chiefs" Civilization of Panama

2011-12-23T19:50:00.000-06:00

A re-visit to a previously excavated site reveals amazing treasures and new knowledge of a fabulous but unnamed civilization in Panama. From National Geogrpahic Online "Golden Chief" Tomb Treasure Yields Clues to Unnamed Civilization "Spectacular find" includes gold, jewels, and a small army of likely sacrifices. James Owen for National Geographic News Published December 21, 2011