Achmed el terrorista muerto

Achmed the Dead Terrorist

La edad del mundo

A Idade do Mundo
Texto: Hernán Casciari
Li uma vez que a Argentina não é nem melhor, nem pior que a Espanha, só que mais jovem. Gostei dessa teoria e aí inventei um truque para descobrir a idade dos países baseando-me no 'sistema cão'.
Desde meninos nos explicam que para saber se um cão é jovem ou velho, deveríamos multiplicar a sua idade biológica por 7. No caso de países temos que dividir a sua idade histórica por 14 para conhecer a sua correspondência humana.Confuso? Neste artigo exponho alguns exemplares reveladores.
Argentina nasceu em 1816, assim sendo, já tem 190 anos. Se dividimos estes anos por 14, a Argentina tem 'humanamente' cerca de 13 anos e meio, ou seja, está na pré-adolescência. É rebelde, se masturba, não tem memória, responde sem pensar e está cheia de acne.
Quase todos os países da América Latina têm a mesma idade, e como acontece nesses casos, eles formam gangues. A gangue do Mercosul é formada por quatro adolescentes que tem um conjunto de rock. Ensaiam em uma garagem, fazem muito barulho, e jamais gravaram um disco.

A Venezuela, que já tem peitinhos, está querendo unir-se a eles para fazer o coro. Em realidade, como a maioria das mocinhas da sua idade, quer é sexo, neste caso com Brasi,l que tem 14 anos e um membro grande.
O México também é adolescente, mas com ascendente indígena. Por isso, ri pouco e não fuma nem um inofensivo baseado, como o resto dos seus amiguinhos. Mastiga coca, e se junta com os Estados Unidos, um retardado mental de 17 anos, que se dedica a atacar os meninos famintos de 6 anos em outros continentes.

No outro extremo, está a China milenária. Se dividirmos os seus 1.200 anos por 14 obtemos uma senhora de 85, conservadora, com cheiro a xixi de gato, que passa o dia comendo arroz porque não tem - ainda - dinheiro para comprar uma dentadura postiça.A China tem um neto de 8 anos, Taiwan, que lhe faz a vida impossível. Está divorciada faz tempo de Japão, um velho chato, que se juntou às Filipinas, uma jovem pirada, que sempre está disposta a qualquer aberração em troca de grana.

Depois, estão os países que são maiores de idade e saem com o BMW do pai. Por exemplo, Austrália e Canadá. Típicos países que cresceram ao amparo de papai Inglaterra e mamãe França, tiveram uma educação restrita e antiquada e agora se fingem de loucos. A Austrália é uma babaca de pouco mais de 18 anos, que faz topless e sexo com a África do Sul. O Canadá é um mocinho gay emancipado, que a qualquer momento pode adotar o bebê Groenlândia para formar uma dessas famílias alternativas que estão de moda.

A França é uma separada de 36 anos, mais puta que uma galinha, mas muito respeitada no âmbito profissional. Tem um filho de apenas 6 anos: Mônaco, que vai acabar virando puto ou bailarino... ou ambas coisas. É a amante esporádica da Alemanha, um caminhoneiro rico que está casado com Áustria,que sabe que é chifruda, mas que não se importa.

A Itália é viúva faz muito tempo. Vive cuidando de São Marino e do Vaticano, dois filhos católicos gêmeos idênticos. Esteve casada em segundas núpcias com Alemanha (por pouco tempo e tiveram a Suíça), mas agora não quer saber mais de homens. A Itália gostaria de ser uma mulher como a Bélgica: advogada, executiva independente, que usa calças e fala de política de igual para igual com os homens (A Bélgica também fantasia de vez em quando que sabe preparar espaguete).
A Espanha é a mulher mais linda de Europa (possivelmente a França se iguale a ela, mas perde espontaneidade por usar tanto perfume). É muito tetuda e quase sempre está bêbada. Geralmente se deixa foder pela Inglaterra e depois a denuncia. A Espanha tem filhos por todas as partes (quase todos de 13 anos), que moram longe. Gosta muito deles, mas a perturbam quando têm fome, passam uma temporada na sua casa e assaltam sua geladeira.
Outro que tem filhos espalhados no mundo é a Inglaterra. Sai de barco de noite, transa com alguns babacas e nove meses depois, aparece uma nova ilha em alguma parte do mundo. Mas não fica de mal com ela. Em geral, as ilhas vivem com a mãe, mas a Inglaterra as alimenta.
A Escócia e a Irlanda, os irmãos de Inglaterra que moram no andar de cima, passam a vida inteira bêbados e nem sequer sabem jogar futebol. São a vergonha da família.
A Suécia e a Noruega são duas lésbicas de quase 40 anos, que estão bem de corpo, apesar da idade, mas não ligam para ninguém. Transam e trabalham, pois são formadas em alguma coisa. Às vezes, fazem trio com a Holanda (quando necessitam maconha); outras vezes cutucam a Finlândia, que é um cara meio andrógino de 30 anos, que vive só em um apartamento sem mobília e passa o tempo falando pelo celular com Coréia.
A Coréia (a do sul) vive de olho na sua irmã esquizóide. São gêmeas, mas a do Norte tomou líquido amniótico quando saiu do útero e ficou estúpida. Passou a infância usando pistolas e agora, que vive só, é capaz de qualquer coisa. Estados Unidos, o retardadinho de 17 anos, a vigia muito, não por medo, mas porque quer pegar as suas pistolas.
Israel é um intelectual de 62 anos que teve uma vida de merda. Faz alguns anos, Alemanha, o caminhoneiro, não a viu e a atropelou. Desde esse dia, Israel ficou que nem louco. Agora, em vez de ler livros, passa o dia na sacada jogando pedras na Palestina, que é uma mocinha que está lavando a roupa na casa do lado.
Irã e Iraque eram dois primos de 16 que roubavam motos e vendiam as peças, até que um dia roubaram uma peça da motoca dos Estados Unidos e acabou o negócio para eles. Agora estão comendo lixo.
O mundo estava bem assim até que, um dia, a Rússia se juntou (sem casar) com a Perestroika e tiveram uma dúzia e meia de filhos. Todos esquisitos, alguns mongolóides, outros esquizofrênicos

Faz uma semana, e por causa de um conflito com tiros e mortos, os habitantes sérios do mundo descobrimos que há um país que se chama Kabardino-Balkaria. É um país com bandeira, presidente, hino, flora, fauna... e até gente!

Eu fico com medo quando aparecem países de pouca idade, assim de repente. Que saibamos deles por ter ouvido falar e ainda temos que fingir que sabíamos, para não passar por ignorantes.
Mas aí, eu pergunto: por que continuam nascendo países, se os que já existem ainda não funcionam?

No me importa lo que refiera el libro!

Source

1940s: IVORY BATH SOAP.

We move to a higher level of sophistication with this mass consumer campaign from Procter & Gamble. The setting is suburban middle-class -- mother stays at home all day doing "chores", with leisure enough to wallow in the bath all afternoon, and father wears a suit with a breast-pocket handkerchief.

She spanks her son when he comes home from school purely because she is stressed out through not using Ivory Bath Soap. The (surprisingly modern) implication is that one really ought not to spank one's son at all.

This is backed up by the headline, "I don't care WHAT the book says" -- probably a reference to Dr Spock's bestselling Baby and Child Care, which first appeared in 1946.

More...

Glamour Girl No. 1

Source
The fast lane is littered with the wreckage of eager beavers ready to rev their engines in High Society.  A few make it to the finish line relatively unscathed like Betsey Whitney. Then, there are those like Ann Woodward who find themselves without a helmet at crucial moments.  And some, in particular, Brenda Frazier, experience engine trouble for the entire ride.
Rollin’ along on champagne and a smile, America’s Favorite Debutante made international headlines in 1938 with her much-ballyhooed debut.  By 1978, Brenda Frazier was drowning in champagne and doing everything she could to maintain her reign as Glamour Girl No. 1.  Her driving skills were erratic, a life filled with pit stops.

Bildung. Alles, was man wissen muß

Quelle

ein Buch von Dietrich Schwanitz aus dem Jahr 1999. Es bietet einen Streifzug durch Geschichte, Literatur, Philosophie, Kunst und Musik und stellt dar, was nach der Meinung des Autors zum Bildungskanon in Deutschland gehören sollte. Des Weiteren enthält das Buch Anregungen, wie man im Bereich der Bildung selbst vorankommen kann.

...

2,500 year celebration of Iran's monarchy

The 2,500 year celebration of the Persian Empire (Persian جشن‌های ۲۵۰۰ سالۀ شاهنشاهی ایران) consisted of an elaborate set of festivities that took place October 12-25, 1971 on the occasion of the 2,500th anniversary of the founding of the Iranian monarchy (Persian Empire) by Cyrus the Great. The intent of the celebration was to demonstrate Iran's long and magnificent history and to showcase its contemporary advancements under Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran.

Nos, las mujeres

Source posted by Leticia

"We women have, if I am not to lie,
In this love matter, a quaint fantasy;
Look out a thing we may not lightly have,
And after that we'll cry all day and crave.
Forbid a thing, and that thing covet we;
Press hard upon us, then we turn and flee.
Sparingly offer we our goods, when fair;
Great crowds at market for dearer ware,
And what's too common brings but little price;
All this knows every woman who is wise."
(From the Canterbury Tales, as translated on Librarius)

Belle de jour (primera entrada)

Belle di Jour, la autora del blog que ha hecho perder la cabeza a los internautas británicos con sus encuentros sexuales, la escritora del bestseller 'Diario de una prostituta' ha decidido revelar su verdadera identidad. "Soy yo, Belle di Jour, Nome: Doctora Brooke Mangnanti. Primera profesión: Escort, chica de compañía. ¿Cuántos clientes? Cientos, trescientos esterlinas la noche".

La doctora Brooke Magnanti, famosa por el personaje 'Belle di Jour', la escort que contó en la Red sus encuentros sexuales. Foto 'The Times'

Ha sido este domingo, cuando la respetable investigadora ha decidido romper su anonimato y contar la verdad de su vida. Detrás de aquella mujer que se inspiró en la película de Luis Buñuel para narrar en la Red su pasado de prostituta cuando no investigaba el cáncer y los efectos de los pesticidas.
Sus 'post' eróticos escritos como Belle di Jour, después de las largas jornadas en el laboratorio donde es la profesora Magnanti. La ex acompañante de hombres de negocios contó aquel pasado como si todavía su cuerpo fuera en venta, levantando escalpor entre los internautas que leían excitados sus historias de morbo y conquista.
El misterio ha terminado, tras los tantos rumores de la prensa británica que llegaron a decir que era un hombre.
Belle di Jour, una rubia de bata blanca, contó sus historias e inspiró hasta una exitosa serie televisiva que vieron millones de personas, ha decidido mostrar su verdadero rostro.
Ni siquiera la periodista del 'Sunday Times' podía creer que esta respetable mujer era quién decía ser, hasta que al final ha terminado por escribirlo en la edición del domingo y todos los han leído en el papel y también en su blog, contado en primera persona.
"Siempre he pensado que la parte de mi vida sobre la que he escrito se iba a evaporar un día. Que la habría tirado en una lata, completamente separada de mi verdadero yo, de mi ser real".
Así lo escribió y lo contó Brooke Magnanti, alias 'Belle di Jour'.
¿Cómo comenzó todo? Por aburrimiento, por provocar, por dinero. Era una buena estudiante universitaria terminando la carrera, pero Brooke, de buena familia quería mantenerse por sí misma.
Así que contactó la agencia Barbarella, especialista en buscarle compañía a hombres solos y de buena posición. Y nació 'Belle di Jour' a punto de licenciarse y escort.
Su carrera de prostituta de nivel duró hasta que la doctora Magnanti llegó al laboratorio Bristol Ini­ziative for Research of Child He­alth.
No se sabe si echaba de menos aquella adrenalina o quizá buscaba compartir aquellas experiencias, pero un día tuvo la idea y abrió un blog, después el libro y la serie de televisión.

belledejour-uk.blogspot.com/1 (first post and the old rest)
belledejour-uk.blogspot.com/2 (second old posts group)
First post
vendredi, octobre 24

Located what sounded like an excellent, small, discreet agency (word of mouth, as they say). After email contact and sending my photos, I finally arranged to meet the manager at the dining room of a central London hotel. She sounded very young and had a very strong Eastern European accent. Polish, maybe? Should I ask? Oy vey.
"How will I know you?" I asked. "What do you look like?"
"When I was younger everyone used to say I looked like Brooke Shields," she said.
"Ah, you must be very beautiful then."
"No, I am old and decrepit. Now people say I look like Daryl Hannah."

Posted by Belle at 3:50 PM

Bella de día

belledejour-uk.blogspot.com

Now I'm not anonymous... dimanche, novembre 15 2009
Looking back over my diaries is sometimes embarrassing, sometimes hilarious (often unintentionally so). After a page or two I'm right back there – living in London, keeping up a double life, with all the effort that entails...
Which is just too difficult to do long-term. I suppose I always thought that the part of my life I wrote about would fade away, that I could stick it in a box and move on. Totally separate it from the ‘real me’.
What it took me years to realise is that while I've changed a lot since writing these diaries – my life has moved on so much, in part thanks to the things that happened then – Belle will always be a part of me. She doesn't belong in a little box, but as a fully acknowledged side of a real person. The non-Belle part of my life isn't the only ‘real’ bit, it’s ALL real.
Belle and the person who wrote her had been apart too long. I had to bring them back together.
So a perfect storm of feelings and circumstances drew me out of hiding. And do you know what? It feels so much better on this side. Not to have to tell lies, hide things from the people I care about. To be able to defend what my experience of sex work is like to all the sceptics and doubters.
Anonymity had a purpose then – it will always have a reason to exist, for writers whose work is too damaging or too controversial to put their names on. But for me, it became important to acknowledge that aspect of my life and my personality to the world at large.
I am a woman. I lived in London. I was a call girl.
The people, the places, the actions and feelings are as true now as they were then, and I stand behind every word with pride. Thank you for reading and following my adventures.
Love, Belle

<hr />
Dr Brooke Magnanti is a research scientist, blogger and writer, who until November 2009 was simply known by the pen name Belle de Jour.^[1] While completing her doctoral studies, between 2003 and 2004, Magnanti supported her income by working as a London call girl. Her diary, published as the anonymous blog Belle de Jour: Diary of a London Call Girl became increasingly popular, as speculation surrounded the identity of Belle de Jour, and whether the diary was even real. Remaining anonymous, Magnanti went on to have her experiences published, as The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl in 2005 and The Further Adventures of a London Call Girl in 2006. In 2007, Belle's blogs and books were adapted into a television series Secret Diary of a Call Girl, starring Billie Piper as Belle, with the real name Hannah Baxter. Having also written as a newspaper columnist, Belle also moved into fiction publishing. In November 2009, reportedly fearing an ex-boyfriend was about to reveal her real identity, Magnanti revealed to a newspaper her real name and current occupation as a researcher in child health at Bristol University.
...
A spokesperson for Bristol University stated "This aspect of Dr Magnanti's past is not relevant to her current role at the university", while her publisher said "It's a courageous decision for Belle de Jour to come forward with her true identity and we support her decision to do so".
...
Nota bene
Investigadora en cáncer y trabajando en un proyecto de salud de niños?

O sea que si yo, para pagar mis estudios, hubiera sido un call boy, luego escribiera bajo un pseudónimo [por ejemplo: puto... día y noche] mi vida sexual en un blog, escribiera un par de libros sobre el tema, hicieran una película sobre mi desaforada vida sexual donde cobro extra, etc. Y luego pudiera trabajar como pediatra en la investigación con niños y niñas sin problema con nadie por mi puto pasado sexual? Buena cosa!

Una puta fina de 600.- US$/h... obligada a dar su verdadera identidad, después de ganar lo suficiente con las obras y los derechos de autor de la serie de televisión y todo el resto. Y todo en orden. Si pagó sus impuestos sobre el trabajo sexual. Muy bien.
Hasta será una venerable ama de casa y madre. Bien por ella.
La entrevista
La moral de la mujer y sobre todo, la aplicada a ella, tiene ribetes interesantes.

Diary of a London Call Girl
Magnanti says she worked for 14 months as a £300-an-hour prostitute for a London escort agency in 2003, while she was writing her PhD thesis.^[9][5][2] She did so due to lack of funds during her studies at Sheffield University in 2003.^[2]
Her story found its way onto a blog,^[5] having previously been a science blogger.^[5] Diary of a London Call Girl was voted Blog of the Year by The Guardian newspaper in 2003.^[10]
Later work
Belle has always maintained that she is who she claims to be and her publisher, Orion Books, continues to print her first two books as part of its "Non Fiction/Memoir" line.^[11] Her third book, however, has been classified as fiction and purports to represent a fictional continuation from the first two. From November 2005 until May 2006, Belle contributed a regular column in The Sunday Telegraph.^[12]

Bueno, por lo visto por dinero se puede tener todo. La fama viene a veces extra.
Solicito nacer de nuevo... para dedicarme a hacer dinero, nada más!
No como caballero o si como tal, que me gusten sólo las brutas (lindas) y las putas (escorts, "damas" de compañía, bellas de noche o de día o como se autodenominen)
No como pseudo-intelectual o intelectualoide, mejor si sin cultura y con un solo interés: Lujo, autos, juego, casas, yates, follar por placer y para desperdigar mis genes, nada más... es lo adecuado.
O reencarnar como rato (rata macho) venerado en algún templo hindú . Me basta.
Las dos opciones se complementan.
Que el mundo se acomode a mi karma, o es al revés?
Debo escribir la versión pornográfica de Cenicienta, la bella de noche.

500 jovencitas para Gaddafi

Gaddafi auf dem Uno-Gipfel: 500 Mädchen gesucht und fast eingeschlafen

Él pidió a una agencia 500 italianas bellas y jóvenes, se animaron 104  a aceptar la invitación asumiendo que era una fiesta demasiado seria a pesar que mostrar escotes, muslos, pezones y otros atributos femeninos no era deseable,  pues no sabían ni quiién invitaba.Pues bien, las valientes y de piel bien cubiertas no recibieron ni de beber ni de comer, les charló durante una hora de las maravillas que ofrece el Islam a la mujer (y quizá alguna que otra recibió la propuesta de vivir en un harém libio).
Las que aguantaron recibieron un ejemplar del Corán y 50.- € por la molestia de atender el mensaje de amor islámico de boca propia del peor terrorista de la liga árabe...

Gaddafi recibe al que hizo el atentado que logró la explosión del avión lleno de pasajeros sobre Lockebie.
El terrorista tirano de Libia busca bellas jovencitas con mínimo de 170 cm de estatura  para "convertirlas al Islam".
Hmm, quiere este sátrapa de mirada torva llenar su harem de ragazzas?
Berlusconi paga mínimo 1000.- € por fiesta donde hay música, banquete y champán  a toda linda nena y de todo tamaño que guste ir a mostrar todos sus atuendos con máximo de piel. Si se desnudan en la piscina, tienen libertad de culto.
Este mundo es puro contrastes.
Sí, yo también buscaba secretaria (s) para convertirla(s) y  no me hubiera quejado si hubieran pasado por mi oficina un centenar de novicias.  Claro que ellas podrían usar escote hasta el pubis y super-mini sin calzones ... o desnudarse para sentirse cómodas en la entrevista personal!
No  soy  tan hipócrita!
Soy cristiano ferviente defensor del amor, sobre todo a la mujer de moral distraída (algo típico en cambalandesas catolicangas)

Allah Akbar!

Sex beyond reproduction

Health benefits

Sex has been claimed to produce health benefits as varied as improved sense of smell,^[28] weight loss, stress reduction, increased immunity, and decreased risk of prostate cancer.^[29]

Sex between cohabiting partners lowers blood pressure and reduces stress, according to Stuart Brody, professor of psychology at the University of the West of Scotland. Brody's team monitored 24 women and 22 men who were exposed to stressful situations, such as speaking in public and doing verbal arithmetic, and kept records of their sexual activity. The men and women who had penile-vaginal intercourse responded more positively to stress "than those who engaged in other sexual behaviors or abstained".^[29][30] A study by Keith Light of the University of North Carolina went as far as to find a link between "partner hug" and lower blood pressure in women.^[29][31]

Frequent sexual intercourse was held to reduce the risk of the common cold by Carl Charnetski and Francis X. Brennan of Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. These scientists linked frequent sexual intercourse (once or twice a week) to increased production of the antibody called Immunoglobulin A or IgA, which can protect the body from getting colds and other infections. They took samples of saliva, which contain IgA, from 112 college students who reported the frequency of sex they had. The students in the "frequent" group had higher levels of IgA than those in the other three groups, consisting of people who were celibate, had sex less than once a week, or had it "very often" (three or more times weekly). The other three groups had comparable IgA levels.^[29][32] Charnetski and Brennan had previously shown that exposure to elevator music has a similar effect on IgA levels.^[33]

"Sex is a great mode of exercise," according to Patti Britton, PhD, past president of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) and currently host of the website "Your Sex Coach". She notes that thirty minutes of sex burns 85 calories or more. She concludes that 42 half-hour sessions, or 21 hour-long sessions, will burn 3,570 calories - sufficient to lose one pound.^[29]

"Boosting self-esteem" was one of 237 reasons people have sex, collected byUniversity of Texas researchers and published in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior. Some subjects who already had high self-esteem said they sometimes have sex to "feel even better".^[29]

Sexual intimacy, as well as orgasms, increases levels of the hormone oxytocin, also known as "the love hormone" which helps people bond and build trust. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hillevaluated 59 premenopausal women before and after warm contact with their husbands and partners ending with hugs. They found that the more contact, the higher the oxytocin levels. Oxytocin allows people to feel the urge to nurture and to bond. Generosity has also been credited and linked to a higher level of oxytocin. In addition, as the hormone oxytocin surges, endorphins increase, and pain declines. In a study published in the Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 48 volunteers who inhaled oxytocin vapor and then had their fingers pricked lowered their pain threshold by more than half. The oxytocin released during orgasm also promotes sleep.^[29]

Men who have frequent ejaculations, especially men in their 20s, may reduce their risks of prostate cancer later in life. Australian researchers reported in the British Journal of Urology International that they followed men diagnosed with prostate cancer and those without. They found no association of prostate cancer with the number of sexual partners as the men reached their 30s, 40s, and 50s, but men who had five or more ejaculations weekly while in their 20s reduced their risk of getting prostate cancer later by a third. Another study, reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, "found that frequent ejaculations, 21 or more a month, were linked to lower prostate cancer risk in older men, as well, compared with less frequent ejaculations of four to seven monthly".^[29]

During sex, pelvic floor muscle exercises known as Kegels offer benefits for women. More sexual pleasure is expected to result, strengthening of the area, and help to minimize the risk of incontinence later in life.^[29]

An art history timeline

smarthistory.org/timeline.html
Smarthistory's Timeline on Dipity

Barbarian Art

Source
In historical context it is very important to keep in mind that the word “barbarian” did not originally carry the same connotations as it does today. It comes from the Greek word “barbaros,” meaning simply “foreign.” So for our purposes “barbarian” will be used here as a blanket term for non-Roman, nomadic, and illiterate groups traveling throughout Europe during the middle ages. The cultural exchange that occurred in Europe after antiquity can be seen through artwork, among other things; Romans borrowed from “Barbarian” aesthetic, and vice versa.
The Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus wrote about different Barbarian tribes he encountered during the 4th century in his Roman History. He admired their military prowess and fierceness: something all the barbarians had in common. While he complimented the Gauls on their cleanliness, and the Alans on their beauty, he held contempt for the nomadic and horse-loving Huns. The general trend is that when an outside group was more different (called “less civilized”), the members of that group were more likely to be hated and feared. The barbarians, being humans, had vices and virtues just like the Romans did. It is also important to keep in mind that the Roman empire contained many different ethnic groups, and people of “barbarian” descent sometimes considered themselves Roman.

Ammianus did not have kind words for the actual inhabitants of Rome after his visit in 400, stating, “Those few mansions which were once celebrated for the serious cultivation of liberal studies, now are filled with ridiculous amusements of torpid indolence, reechoing with the sound of singing, and the tinkle of flutes and lyres” (XIV.16: The Luxury of the Rich in Rome, c. 400 C). Much to Ammianus’s dismay, the grand reputation that Rome held during antiquity no longer had a foundation. His writings demonstrate that the early middle ages were a time of barbarian conquest and Roman decline. Luckily for us, the political unrest of the period makes studying medieval artwork and history so fascinating!

Fibulae

Source Text by Rebecca Mir (Share this article)
smarthistory.org

Fibulae (singular: fibula) are brooches that were made popular by Roman military campaigns. They all consist of a body, a pin, and a catch. Ornate fibulae became all the rage in the early middle ages, and are one of the most commonly found objects in barbarian grave sites. Grave goods like fibulae provide the most concrete cultural information about barbarians, due to the sparse amount of written documentation about them. The diverse ethnic groups were constantly borrowing from one another, while putting their own spin on things.

Byzantine Fibula, c.a. 430, Metropolitan Museum of Art

This was a very popular style of fibula, and is called a “crossbow” fibula because of its resemblance to the weapon. Unscrewing the left knob at the end of this “crossbow” would release the pin, which is visible in this photograph. The detailed incising on the body is called pierced openwork, and bears a Christian cross amongst a circular leaf motif. The Byzantines were a part of the eastern Roman empire, their capital being Constantinople. Their empire was a continuation of the Roman empire during the middle ages, while the majority of modern-day Italy was overtaken by barbarian tribes. Although precious and intricate, it is a relatively simple design, indicative of the Byzantine/Roman fibulae style.

Lombardic Fibula, Mid 6th Century, National Museum of Slovenia

This Lombardic piece provides a good comparison, because it is a stylized variation of the crossbow fibula. It is gilded and inlaid with niello, a black metal alloy. The incisions are hatched lines, a popular decoration technique in Lombardic fibulae. The Lombards (or Langobards, from the Latin Langobardi) are thought to be of Germanic origin, although their background is still contested. They established their kingdom in Italy in 558 by conquering Byzantine land, and were defeated themselves by Charlemagne, king of the Franks, in 774. Over these centuries they assimilated into Roman culture, adopting Catholicism, and left their own administrative legal procedures behind. This piece shows the adoption of the crossbow fibula style, but with a small Lombardic “twist.”

Frankish Fibulae, Middle of the 6th century, Musee des Antiquities Nationales, Saint-Germain-en-Laye

This pair of Frankish fibulae is a great example of cloisonné, a technique that was popular in barbarian art. This technique is characterized by inlaid semi-precious gems. The artisan would solder together partitions for the gems, then carefully place the gems inside them. In fact, the word cloisonné literally means “partitioned” in French. This example also shows a popular motif in barbaric art of the middle ages: eagles! The eagle, originally a pagan symbol of the sun, was used by Imperial Rome, and would later become an emblem to St. John. The end of these fibulae are in the shape of Eagle heads, and little fish are shown on the main body of the brooches. Garnets were used to decorate the eyes of the eagles, and a wide range of gems were used to decorate the rest of the fibulae. These stunning pieces demonstrate the proficiency of barbarian metal workers during the middle ages.

Visigothic Pair of Eagle Fibulae, 6th Century, Walters Art Museum

This pair of Visigothic fibulae is another great example of barbarian metalwork and cloisonné. These were decorated with garnets, amethyst, and colored glass. Pendants could have been hung from the small loops on the bottom on each fibulae. It is easy to see how these ornate fibulae are different from the Byzantine example discussed earlier. This pair was found at a Visigothic grave site in Spain, and were made over a century later than the Byzantine crossbow fibula. While both examples are fibulae and had the same functional purpose, the way in which they were decorated differed because of the culture producing them.

After all, when commissioning such expensive objects, the owners are going to want an object that resonates with their identity. For such a widespread object as the fibula, it is normal for similar groups to have similar artistic styles, and for more diverse groups to have less in common. These extraordinary examples of fibulae are proof of the diverse and distinct cultures living within larger empires and kingdoms, a social situation that was common during the middle ages.

Modelo de príncipe de cambalandesas

Sacha Baron Cohen as Ali G

And in mankini as Borat



via The Insider

Marido y matrimonio

"Il marito è una cosa appiccicata - un figlio é una cosa creata"
[El marido es una cosa apegada - un niño es una cosa creada]

"Il bene del matrimonio dura tre die - il male dura fino a la morte"
[Lo bueno del matrimonio dura tres días - lo malo dura hasta la muerte]

Suma de las sumas

Source

Summa Summarum

Wilhem Busch

---

Sag, wie wär es, alter Schragen,
Wenn du mal die Brille putztest,
Um ein wenig nachzuschlagen,
Wie du deine Zeit benutztest.

Oft wohl hätten dich so gerne
Weiche Arme weich gebettet;
Doch du standest kühl von ferne,
Unbewegt, wie angekettet.

Oft wohl kams, dass du die schöne
Zeit vergrimmtest und vergrolltest,
Nur weil diese oder jene
Nicht gewollt, so wie du wolltest.

Demnach hast du dich vergebens
Meistenteils herumgetrieben;
Denn die Summe unsres Lebens
Sind die Stunden, wo wir lieben.

Wilhelm Busch

Tell how it was, you silly old fool,
When you wipe off your filthy lenses,
And think a little more clearly now
That in youth you had lost your senses.

Often you could have quite happily
Found yourself sweetly bedded,
But you stood off sullen, apart and cold,
Unmoved and chained, but not wedded.

Often it seems you threw life away,
Detached from the loveliest of hours.
Only because you would not dare love
And turned love into pain which devours.

Accordingly, and wholly in vain
Has all been so deeply repressed;
The sum and the end of living, old fool,
Is love, not a life time depressed.

Paraphrase by GB

This "sum of sums" is a dark review from the perspective of age -- being old and perhaps wiser -- that a life was spent without profiting from love, from affection and from the succor of a worthy relationship. For this the snap rhythms punctuate the lower sevenths in these harmonic minor chords, F sharp coloring G minor tonic and C sharp coloring the dominant. The augmented triads as at measures 5-6 yield a sense of unease and the marcato gestures a sense of displeasure. Over this the vocal line cries out in a despairing retrospective to capture the text.