Why is This a Mystery and Not Common Sense?

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...In 2010 the Smithsonian Channel did a Mystery Files special on Leonardo Da Vinci.  It received about 3 1/2 stars around the web when I looked it up, and had 2 on Netflix. I thought it was informative and well put together, though there was no real "mystery" to it. The narrator was making a big point of the fact that Leonardo most likely didn't "invent" any of the technological "innovations" and engineering "feats" found in his published notebooks after his death.

Well duh! These were private notebooks, like his artist's sketchbooks were he sketched and scribbled and generated ideas and kept journal entries. They were THOUGHTS. I keep various notebooks around with notes from other sources in them and ideas expounded in them and links and notes and generate ideas and add and subtract and I'm not even particularly a genius, or am I?

My point is, the narrators were making this big point about Leonardo as if he was defrauding history. LOL And the historians were very carefully saying that he was a genius man of his times who was a member of a select glitterati and had exposure to educated and talented minds and so had the opportunity to expand upon their thinking, that's all. This wouldn't be considered strange at all today; we would still consider him a learned and wise man with far ranging interests and a "Renaissance Man", to the narrators, it seemed a shock. It disappointed me a bit in the quality of writing from an institution of the caliber of the Smithsonian. I felt that they had dumbed down the presentation with narration for a fifth or sixth grade audience when it wasn't necessary. On the other hand, the quality of their renaissance experts were wonderful and the information that THEY imparted was well worth watching the show to see and hear. That alone was worth a solid 4 stars.
from a puzzled goddess mystifying on the history

This is not the knife you are looking for...but it IS the spoon

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

I got into an interesting conversation with the daughter. I was joking around in the kitchen and spouted off with, "This is not the knife you are looking for..." No hand gestures, no funny voice, just kinda talking to myself, and, thought-provoking child that she is, she piped up with, "It is amazing how much of a cultural reference, "Star Wars," really IS.

I had to stop and think. So many movies have become cultural references for our generation. I'm not sure if it's admirable, or sad. What happened to books as a cultural reference? I still think in terms of he's very like Heathcliff, or "My dear Watson," or talking about, "The road less travelled," and "marching to your own drummer." And there are always the biblical favorites and stories of the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, and the Good Shepherd.

I think that our parents and the current older generation though are the ones who pass the movie references on. I remember the WWII movies from when I was a kid. The, "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead." There is always the "go ahead, make my day."

My friends, strangely enough, are more into, "bring out your dead," "Solyent Green is really people!" and "beam me up Scottie." Somehow, I don't think these will stick for long with our children. Even though adults remember, "Rosebud," I think my children will be remembering, "there is no spoon," and "Red pill... or blue pill."

With the proliferation of books, movies, songs, and video games I have to wonder what our culture will latch on to next. Maybe, "Boom, headshot," as my son would say, or "Go for the eyes, Boo, go for the eyes!"

wishing you many cultural conundrums from a puzzled goddess

Reality, schmality and who took my religion...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

I really couldn't believe anyone would be that tacky when I read it in a Pagan blog I follow. I mean, how can something so personal be spread out on reality tv...oh, right, I forgot Flavor Faves (or whatever) and the Bachelor...hmmm

This is just more out to lunch then I believed any show would get. Why do I even wonder? I never watch TV for a reason. Movies, Discovery and History channel with the occassional CSI. The way I'm feeling about this was expressed really well by one of the columnists, Charlie Brooker, at The Guardian in the UK. This is just insane.

But, for reality TV, the more insane the better, right? The guy heading this show up sounds like the most insane of all....anything for a headline.

I have no clue why the people that are on this would volunteer for this kind of insanity. I just don't get it. People fling religion in your face often enough whether you want it or not. Why go out looking for the hassle?

I had some hope for a balanced world someday....why do I keep reading or watching the Christian media and losing it?

from a head shaking puzzled goddess wishing I had the excuse of drugs making me see it ...