Here's a trustworthy saying: "An hour spent in the dark, listening to Beethoven, is an hour well spent." See? I didn't even make it about bears, or the most beloved of ursine composers, Bearthooven. Just simple, straightforward advice that you could all follow. I suppose I could add a "poo" in there for good measure, but I think I'll leave it. (In truth I can't take credit for this revelation, as it was gabrielle's idea to shut off all the lights and sit quietly listening to Ludwig.) Too few people take advantage of an opportunity to contemplate and reflect. It's a discipline and an art, really.
Here are some of the insights I arrived at today (you should listen to the Pastorale while reading these):
1. Medusa is pretty creepy with her snakey hair but I would be way more scared of a Gorgon with spiders for hands.
2. I think China discovered the Americas and its indigenous peoples before even the Vikings did. This theory is not unique to me, but as far as I know it has never been confirmed. There are tantalizing and intriguing not-quite-clues that you find every now and then in the literature, however. I have this book that is a collection of readings about China and there was a statement that caught my interest, from Liang Qi Qao, written in 1900. He almost seems to be quoting an accepted truism, like "30 days has September . . . " when he says, "Of old, there were five States: China, India, Persia, Egypt and Mexico." The great Mayan and Aztec empires were not contemporary with the zenith of the Persian and Egyptian dynasties, so perhaps they knew the Olmecs or another race? The Chinese historically were never all that interested in the other countries of the world, so they may have known all about them and never bothered to write one single thing about them. Or perhaps we just haven't discovered anything yet. Although Admiral Zheng He's mighty fleet of 300 ships sailed the world between 1405 and 1433, so it is conceivable they met some Aztecs. And look at what I just found as I was researching a little on Zheng He- Nicholas D. Kristof writes "historians have found evidence that when China's Shang Dynasty was overthrown in about 1045 B.C., Chinese refugees may have sailed to the Americas and settled among the Olmec people of Mexico . . ." (from Thunder from the East, by Kristof and WuDunn). Interesting, eh?
3. I don't understand why Isaac Asimov's Nightfall is considered one of the most important sci-fi stories of all time. It's kind of boring. I guess it was innovative and all, dealing with social issues rather than just being pulp fiction, so it is respected for that, but if you want a kickass story about a planet with three suns that only gets darkness once every 22 years, you should really watch Pitch Black.