November 11, 2009

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Hi friends – welcome to a mid-week make-up for missing last week’s Spotlight.  Though I sat and sat at the keyboard, no flashes of brilliance came my way, and thus, no post.

I recently took one of those magazine quizzes telling me what I should do with my life.  I know, I know.  I’m a sucker for them.  The result?  Pursue a career in writing or some other creative endeavor where I can work independently and further my knowledge of the world.  Well, hot damn, I’m already doing that!  Thank you for the positive reinforcement.

To be quite honest, I am a knowledge junkie.  I love learning about all manner of  things – people, birds, flowers, bees, history, geography, you name it.  Well, maybe not sports (this is always the hardest category in Trivial Pursuit), except tennis.  I like tennis, other sports are beyond my capacity for understanding and enjoyment; though I do admire anyone who is really good at a particular sport, born for it, so to speak, like Babe Ruth, Wayne Gretzky, or Michael Jordan – these people make me cry with admiration.  This is also true of people being born for their time, like all of the fellas of World War II: Patton, Churchill, Roosevelt (his wife was pretty terrific, too), and even the wicked ones, Rommel and Hitler, for without them, we would not have known the superior logic and strengths of the former (and our brave countrymen), would we?

So to knowledge, made even more lovely when it is fun.  That’s what I’m finally getting at – fun facts.  It can be in the form of trivia, tongue twisters, or Isabella Rossellini.  If you’ve seen what I’m getting at, you already know.  But let me digress for a moment.  Isabella Rossellini.  I’ve had a girl-crush on her for ages.  She’s so fascinating, has a divine voice (I could listen to it all day), and beautiful features – eyes, skin, and lovely lips with  just the right shade of lipstick, always (see above photo).  Not to mention that certain je ne sais quoi that her mother had as well.  Lucky lady.

Now we are the lucky ones to benefit from her love of learning and film making.  Have you ever wondered about the mating habits of bees, starfish, shrimp, or maybe even a preying mantis?  Do you have two minutes?  Isabella delves into the lives of all of these creatures and more via very short films, “becoming” each creature and showing how they live (sometimes die) and reproduce.  They are funny, fact-filled, and lively jaunts, but not for the squeamish, easily offended, or children.  It’s not called Green Porno for nothing.  If I were a knowledge seeker, I would watch and learn.  Watch for yourself: Green Porno.

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