Friday, April 17, 2009

Doing Da Vinci On The Discovery Channel

Doing Da Vinci On The Discovery Channel

Amanda MacArthur

There is no disputing that Leonardo Da Vinci was a man before his time. He is well known for his paintings and sculptures, and most people have seen the sketches he did for inventions that he had imagined creating.

Sadly, Leo was never able to pull the inventions from the pages into reality. And, we don’t know if it was because he lacked the materials, or if there was a conspiracy by the Pope, or what. The Discovery Channel and producer Craig Piligian are teaming up to create a show based on the genius of Leonardo, and if all goes right, they are going to bring those inventions to life. The show is set to be titled Doing Da Vinci, and while it seems a little sexual for the title of a show about a guy who's been dead for over 500 years, I guess it will do.

According to Hollywood Reporter , “The "Da Vinci" design team will include a rocket scientist, a Hollywood special effects expert and an everyday in-the-garage inventor. Although the team will use modern tools, the building materials will all be re-creations of what was available during Da Vinci's era. The series is expected to debut some time next year.”

I think this sounds like a really great idea for a show. I love history, I love Leo (Da Vinci and Dicaprio – hey, maybe they should get him in on this somehow), and those sketches should get a chance to be created.

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'Doing Da Vinci' is set to debut on Monday evening at 10 PM (E/P), on the Discovery Channel. Visit the interactive Doing Da Vinci link on the Discovery Channel website.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Lynx Mythology

The lynx goes back very deeply into our roots. We would like to subtly adopt it as a symbol, as so many other groups use the wolf as a symbol.


From Wikipedia webpage "Lynx (mythology):

"The Lynx is an elusive, ghost-like animal that sees without being seen. Often called "the keeper of secrets of the forest", its magical appearance stems from the mystery that such a creature's secrecy can also be its strength. The Lynx teaches us that even the smallest can succeed in life, and that the world can unfold itself to those who stop and listen.


"Roles of the Lynx

"The lynx is not a guardian of secrets so much as the one who knows them, especially when it comes to those secrets that are either obscured by time and space or are completely lost to the world. The lynx is therefore associated with divination and clairvoyance. Those who seek the lynx may find difficulty in getting it to cooperate. Just because the lynx knows secrets does not mean it wishes to share them. Only by respecting the lynx's behavior and listening carefully may one begin to receive an answer.

"This power and ability to remain unseen attracted ancient warriors to adopt the lynx and, thus, they believed, its nature. Cunning, solitary hunters, lynx have large eyes and a keen sense of hearing which enables them to hunt at night.

"Those who have been touched by the lynx's presence may be given a boon and bane. A lynx may guide the listener to a secret, whether it be a lost object or a hidden truth that is somehow relevant at the present time. On the other hand, the lynx may be an omen to warn those who have somehow betrayed the confidentiality of oneself or others.

"The lynx was chosen as the emblem of the Accademia dei Lincei ("Academy of the Lynxes"), one of the world's oldest scientific societies. Its piercing vision was invoked symbolically as characteristic of those dedicated to science.


"Associations and attributes

"The lynx is associated with Dionysus and Lugh. Though lynx are undoubtedly of keen eyesight, this quality of the lynx may have been conflated with the attributes of the near homophonic Lynceus.


"In Medieval Mythology

"In medieval times, the lynx was said to produce a gem. According to many bestiaries, the Lynx would urinate in a hole that it had dug in ground, and then cover it with dirt. The urine would form a gem after so many days. Forcing the Lynx to produce the gem was believed to be a devilish act. Many Medieval naturalists identified the gem as a carbuncle, which is an archaic term for the garnet. The typical feline behavior was interpreted as being somewhat "miserly" according to Medieval observers."