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Can you imagine the chaos that might ensue if we found out that we are truly not alone? As Carl Sagan use to say; We are not alone. What if you woke up one day and the headlines read; Intelligent Off Planet Life Found. What then or Now What?

Perhaps we need a plan in place to prevent chaos in human societies or civilization for this inevitable future potential eventuality. A plan which is well thought out could work said a member of the Online Think Tank. Is this something you believe we should discuss?

A plan to prevent utter chaos when the concept of God or Religion is literally “Myth Busted.” That might be a very good idea to have a contingency plan in case SETI, or Science finds or proves there is a much bigger picture to life in the Universe or even in our own solar system or some species shows up and says; “Okay Hi, you are ready now to be contacted and join the whole of life in the Galaxy.”

Some might say there will be riots in the streets, chaos, and yet I believe it would not be such a huge issue at all. Just give me the microphone and we calm everyone down, use philosophy and people will say; “Okay that makes sense” now what? And we say, now we plot the future and forward progression of mankind.

Do you think it is easier said than done? I think it is possible with only a little preparation and advanced planning. I certainly hope this article is of interest and that is has propelled thought. The goal is simple; to help you in your quest to be the best in 2007. I thank you for reading my many articles on diverse subjects, which interest you.

“Lance Winslow” - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; WorldThinkTank.net/ WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for ourspokanemagazine.com/ Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

Calvin and Hobbes has been one of the most popular comic strips for quite some time now. The story details the adventures of an imaginative young boy named Calvin, and his pet tiger, Hobbes. The comic strip was run in papers from 1985 to 1996 and was printed in over 2400 papers all over the world. Within a year of syndication, the article was being printed in over 250 newspapers, and really took off after it was featured in the Los Angeles Times newspaper in 1987, just 16 months after it was first printed. The cartoon strip earned its cartoonist, Bill Watterson, two Reuben Awards that are given out annually by the National Cartoonists Society, in the category of “Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year” in both 1986 and 1988. In total, 3,160 total strips were created and printed up until 1995 when Watterson retired from printing more Calvin and Hobbes cartoon strips. The strips have been complied and printed in a series of 18 books that have sold 30 million copies. There are no more new cartoon strips and Calvin and Hobbes cartoons can only be enjoyed in the books featuring hundreds of cartoon strips.

The Calvin and Hobbes cartoon strips have been enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of fans throughout the world. The strips feature the entertaining adventures of a six your old boy and a pet Tiger, which is actually a stuffed animal. The strips feature sledding rides and trips to the beach as well as hundreds of comical jokes that are played on all characters featured in the strips. Most of the strips feature just Calvin and Hobbes; however, there are a number of strips that feature other characters such as Calvin’s parents and Susie Derkins, one of Calvin’s classmates, Moe, a bully at Calvin’s school, Miss Wormwood, Calvin’s teacher, as well as Rosalyn, Calvin’s babysitter. For the most part the strips are realistic; however, there are a few cartoon strips which feature the trip of Calvin and Hobbes into outer space and back to prehistoric times. The Calvin and Hobbes cartoon is one of the most famous in the world and has captivated hundreds of thousands of readers.

Calvin and Hobbes: The Characters

As the title suggests, the Calvin and Hobbes cartoon strip features two main characters, Calvin and Hobbes. Calvin is a young six year old imaginative and curious boy who quite often, can be a bit selfish. The story details his adventures with his pet tiger, known as Hobbes. (In reality, Hobbes is just a stuffed animal which resembles a tiger). Hobbes is a more responsible and rational figure in the cartoon; however, he goes along with all of Calvin’s troublemaking schemes and plots. Hobbes can best be described as Calvin’s sidekick in all the adventures presented in the cartoon strip.

Although the bulk of the strips revolve around Calvin and Hobbes, Calvin’s parents, teacher, babysitter, as well as a classmate and the class bully are all present in some scenes. Calvin’s parents are unnamed and referred to only as “Mom” and “Dad”. They resemble the typical American parent, allowing Calvin to use his imagination and play with Hobbes, while still expressing concerns of the safety of their son as well as trying to teach him responsibility and the importance of performing well in school. Calvin’s Teacher is known as Miss. Wormwood and is Calvin’s first grade teacher in every comic strip. She is old and strict and is a heavy smoker just waiting to retire. Calvin’s babysitter, known as Rosalyn, is the only baby sitter who puts up with Calvin’s mischievous behaviour and thus uses the grief of having to deal with these antics as justification for raises in pay. Susie Derkins is one of Calvin’s first grade classmates and a close neighbour. She is a very intelligent girl who gets perfect grades. Calvin and Susie are traditional first grade boy-girl enemies and Calvin plays many practical jokes on Susie. Underneath this relationship, it is suspected that Calvin may have a crush on Susie. Finally, the last character which is presented in this comic strip is Moe, the class bully who is often regarded as the only first grader who has to shave. He is the traditional school bully taking Calvin’s money and lunches and constantly shoving him and dropping his books.

Find more information at calvinandhobbes.co.uk www.calvinandhobbes.co.uk

If you want to win consistently the way to do it is to use a blackjack card counting strategy. It’s guaranteed to put the odds in your favor and it is NOT difficult anyone can do it

Let’s look at why if applied correctly you can win consistently and simple method that works.

Why blackjack card counting strategy works

Blackjack card counting strategy is based on the fact that mathematically certain cards are favorable to the player and others are favor the dealer.

Depending upon the cards that have been dealt from the deck a player can determine what cards remain and this affects how the player should play his hand.

For example, if more cards are left that favor the player, the player has the odds on their side and can increase the bet size to take advantage of this edge.

Card counting in blackjack helps the player make choices; the dealer does not have choices and herein is
the reason card counting works – The player therefore can change strategy when the odds are in their favor

Blackjack Card Counting Strategy Myths

Two common myths on blackjack card counting strategy are.

1. Card counters do not have to remember every card that they have seen dealt out of a deck.

2. Card counting also does not allow a player to predict with certainty what card will be dealt out the deck next.

Blackjack card counting strategy is only a probability theory that will put the odds in your favor over the long term.

Short-term results vary enormously. To win with a blackjack card counting strategy you need to focus on the long haul.

Logic of Card Counting

Many different techniques have been researched and practiced. Here we will look at a simple one any player can use

All card counting is based upon blackjack basic strategy.

It’s easy to learn, and is soon committed to memory with a little practice. For those who don’t want to rely on memory printed charts are available free on the net.

Basic strategy lets you play at just under even odds with the casino, but card counting takes the advantage further and allows you to have the edge over the casino.

The method below is easy and simple and you will be ready to play with the odds in your favor quickly

You can then move on to more complicated strategies that may increase your edge further, however this is a great place to start.

The Lazy Way to Count

Lazy card counting is a way to count that does not require much effort on behalf of the player, so here it is:

In blackjack card counting strategy face cards coming out of the deck are an advantage to the player.
All you need to do with this method is observe the cards coming out of the deck.

For example, if you are playing and after a few hands, you note that very few face cards or aces were played, then you have an increase in the odds that means the next hand may be good for you the player, and you increase your bet size to take advantage of these odds.

Looking for Extremes

The key to success with this method to is ONLY to always look for extremes.

The absence or predominance of high cards is easy to spot by any player.

You will often play and see the mix of face cards and low value cards are relatively even.

As soon as you see an absence of exposed high value cards, bet size can be increased

The odds of a face card being dealt are now increased which favors you the player.

It’s simple but effective blackjack card counting strategy for putting the odds in your favor and is perfect way to play with an edge over the casino that requires very little effort.

By all means try more blackjack card counting strategies after you have tried this one but this gives you an edge and the perfect introduction.

For more FREE info on how to use

To many, Jean Shepherd was a radio genius, magnificent storyteller and more.
He has often been referred to as “a Mark Twain for our time.” At the same
time, he was a unique and unusual individual who meant different things to
different people. However, most will universally agree that Jean Shepherd was a
Great American Humorist.

Shepherd was born in Chicago on July 26, 1921 and divided his youth between
Chicago’s south side and Hammond, Indiana. In the years when Dwight D.
Eisenhower was the United States President, Shepherd was the radical voice of
pop culture in the best sense of the word. But in the purest sense Jean
Shepherd was a humorist, in the classic comic tradition taken from the adages
that “truth is often found in humor” and also that “pain is often found in
truth“.

Jean Shepherd was a very popular cult radio and cabaret personality in New York
during the 1950’s and 1960’s. One thing that makes Shepherd’s appeal so
universal is the fact that his stories ring true and nostalgic for listener
whether or not they lived in the era he usually wrote and spoke about.

A renowned PBS and talk radio personality, Shepherd was responsible for
creating many nostalgic humorous pieces of Americana storytelling, which later
led to his being compared to the likes of Garrison Keilor. Earlier, from
1950-1954, Jean Shepherd was a radio DJ on WSAI Radio and also appeared on a
nightly comedy show, “Rear Bumpers,” on WLW, in Cincinnati.

Jean Shepherd’s most notable and well known achievement was perhaps the
creation of the indefatigable Ralphie Parker and his quest for a BB gun in the
holiday classic “A Christmas Story“.

In the transition from the “Leave It To Beaver 1950s” to the brave new world
of the volatile Sixties, Jean Shepherd was an influential guide into a realm
of rebellion, non-conformity, art, music and humor.

Well known books by Shepherd include “In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash” and
“Wanda Hickey’s Night of Golden Memories”. But most will remember him best for
his wonderful stories narrated in his own voice via the magic of talk radio.

When it comes to Jean Shepherd radio show stories there is a great legacy left
behind and hundreds of hours of entertainment available. Whether you are an
established self proclaimed fan of Jean Shepherd or not, these old radio
stories are a “must listen” for anyone who loves humor, great stories, and the
history of humor.

Luckily, due to the resurgence of interest in nostalgic radio shows hundreds of
great Jean Shepherd episodes are readily available online. The best source for
these (that I have found) is Bookzap. There you can find over
seven hundred episodes of Jean Shepherd radio shows on both CD and DVD disks
with crystalline clear sound quality. I highly recommend that you check Bookzap
out!

Of course Mark Twain and Garrison Keilor will always get their due respect as
two of America’s greatest story tellers ever, while Jean Shepherd rarely gets a
mention. But consider this, Jean Shepherd was probably the greatest kazoo
player of the past 50 years, and an ardent defender of its use. Who else can
say that?

O. M. Wakefield is active in the Old Time Radio Community as a Collector and
Reviewer. He advises folks to visit Bookzap’s
Giant OTR Collections and radiotreasury.com Radio
Treasury OTR Online Catalogs for wonderful values and information regarding
the Old Time Radio Show possibilities.

O.M. Wakefield, Old Time Radio Show, OTR Website Reviewer recommendations. bookzap.com Bookzap’s Giant Collections and radiotreasury.com Giant OTR Catalogs

I’m a bit of a fan of the hardboiled, wizard-detective novels of Jim Butcher in his Dresden Files novels. He writes them fast, they’re short and fun, and the protagonist is a believable, supernatural detective. It’s a great idea that makes for compelling little mysteries, good for reading in a long, relaxed weekend.

So, when I heard they were bringing Butcher’s books to the small screen on the Sci-Fi channel, I was a bit excited as well as apprehensive. It’s a great idea. A perfect chance to mix CSI with Harry Potter and see what happens. You get the smarmy detective, a tough as nails female detective with her job on the line, and a whole host of creatures from the beyond constantly trying to tear apart and rework the underpinnings of Chicago (and the mundane world at large). But would they ruin the books by trying too hard to emulate the formula, or stray too far from what makes Harry Dresden such a likable detective-wizard.

I’m happy to say the result is pretty damn good. The pilot episode of The Dresden Files aired last night on Sci-Fi and the end product is about as much as I could hope for. As with any novel turned into television, liberties were taken with plotlines and developing characters, for the sake of serialization and syndication. You can’t have a full linear plot in a television show based on 8 novels with self-contained (though overlapping) plotlines. But the basics are intact. Harry Dresden is there in all his gruff, smart ass glory (though a bit younger than I’d pictured) with little to no money, trouble with just about anything mechanical, and the uncanny ability to get thrown into interrealm wars between men, wizards, and everything in between.

The first episode tells the story of a young boy who believes he’s being stalked by monsters. He offers Harry $5000 dollars to help him, and Harry quickly brushes him off, in part because of his own parallel childhood memories of similar treatment. This is a flashback episode already, and pulls in a lot of characters from different times and involvement in Harry’s life that those unfamiliar with the novels wouldn’t necessarily know. It’s problematic in a small way, if only because it doesn’t feel like the first episode but a mid season episode.

But the pieces are all there, from probably future proteges to long time (and familial) nemeses, to dark pasts with undisclosed secrets, and love interests with multiple routes to implosion. I have to say, I’m very impressed and can’t wait for the next episode. It was fun, it was compelling, and the detective meets wizard aspect worked perfectly. Part of the time it felt like CSI, part of the time like Buffy, and if there’s anything that could work on TV, I think it’s that. And I’ve gotta say, if Sci-Fi keeps pumping out these kind of fun, engaging shows along with Battlestar Galactica and some of the other shows on the horizon (Painkiller Jane, and Flash Gordon) they’re going to finally pull themselves out of that funk they’ve been wallowing in since they canceled MST3K.

I’m a self avowed unemployed writer, working on semi-constant basis to try and overcome the need to go and work a real job. I’ve written more than 200 articles and reviews and am constantly scouring the internet for any and all excuses and methods to make myself less dependent on corporate pay days. Visit my website at thechatfield.com TheChatfield.com

Those of us planning to have a party or event that makes use of glowing lights and other cheerfully bright items can certainly benefit from a little information on the many glow products available to use and implement. The glow sticks party for example is becoming very popular, while also including lots of glow products that aren’t glow sticks.

Glow sticks are also known as light sticks and come in varied forms since their creation. Original glow sticks were tubes about six inches long containing two chemicals that when combined caused a chemoluminescent reaction that gave off light. The chemicals are kept separate by very simple means. One chemical called Cyalume is mixed is a fluorescent dye that adds the color to the light stick when activated and is present inside the plastic tube. Also inside this tube is a glass vial containing an amount of hydrogen peroxide in concentrated form. To activate the glow stick one needs only to bend it to break the glass vial and release the hydrogen peroxide. Now there are many kinds of glow sticks products such as necklaces, bracelets and tubes which can be strung together to form light ropes.

LED lights are also used in glow sticks parties. They originally named, lighted electronic display, were used in display consoles and are even found on your digital watches. LED’s provide light through the use of electricity or batteries and can be reused over and over again. They come in many colors and forms. Some popular LED lights for use at parties are lighted plastic ice cubes which float in punch bowls, and lights for the bottoms of cups, glasses and bottles to give off an eerie glow.

Phosphorescent products are the original glow-in-the-dark items. These come in the form of glow-in-the-dark stickers, logos, and even nail polish. The products are usually coated in or contain a phosphorescent chemical which, when exposed to light can be charged up with energy that is visible in the dark when it produces photons.

Mrs. Party… Gail Leino is the internet’s leading authority on selecting the best possible partysupplieshut.com party supplies, using proper etiquette and manners while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. Huge selection of glowsticksshop.com Glow Sticks, free party games, and party planning ideas.

8-ball pool is one of the most popular games in America. It is played in pool halls, restaurants, private billiard rooms and on personal computers everywhere throughout the nation, as well as in other parts of the world. While the origins of billiards - the general name used to describe all indoor games played on a rectangular covered with felt table with a stick and a set of balls - stretches back to the 15th century, it was not until the late 18th century that the game we refer to as 8-ball pool, or simply pool had become a legitimate recreation.

First there was billiards. Actually, first there was the outdoor game called croquet used to be played the French upper classes during the 14th century. At this time, billiards was introduced as an indoor version of croquet. The green felt that covered the table meant to evoke the lawn on which it was played.

The billiard game was brought to America by the middle of the 19th century, no one knows exactly how. Back then, one pocket was the most popular billiard game followed by a game called four-ball. Later on, a game called straight, similar to the popular European billiard game was carombole game and played on a table with no pockets, was the favorite billiard game in America.

The most ancient version of modern pool game can be tracked back to the end of the 18th century. The game fifteen-ball pool used to be played with a set of 15 balls in poolrooms, which mainly acted as horse betting parlors. Fifteen-ball pool, which was later called straight pool, continuous pool or 14.1 continuous, was the most popular pool game for a long time. That, until the game of 8-ball was invented.

Michael Phelan, a legendary billiard player, the first American billiard author and the ancestor of American billiards, is the one who brought the pool games from the underground poolrooms into the light of day. By establishing the first billiard championship in America (and winning it too) as well as publishing the first set of billiard rules and pool table etiquette, Phelan made the pool and billiards the popular sports they are today.

Josephine Thunder is a professional writer who focuses on the online gaming industry including online billiards, online backgammon, chess and other games. Josephine commonly writes reviews of online gaming sites including pool sites such as play89.com play89.com for example articles on history of games and more.

A Clockwork Orange is a movie directed by Stanley Kubrick. It’s an adoption of Anthony Burgess’ satiric grotesque novel of the same name. The book was published in 1962 and the movie was made in 1971. Written by Anthony Burgess A Clockwork Orange is one of the most experimental, original, and controversial novels of the twentieth century. The basic questions of the freedom of will and choice are hidden in the dark satire of the violent tale. The main themes spotlighted in the film are violence in a police state, teen delinquency, technological control, and dehumanization. The film was prohibited in the beginning because of the violence scenes and Kubrick had to replace several scenes to get it R-rating mark. The question of the free will got the central place and passes as a red line through all the plot of the movie. Even take place in the near future. The story is told by the main character Alex who is a leader of a small group of teenagers who entertain themselves stealing, fighting, breaking into houses, killing and raping. Alex is described not only like a young gangster but also like a big music judge. He’s fond of classical music and Ludwig von Beethoven with his 9th Symphony is among his preferences. Violence and classical music make a very frightening mixture and make remember about the evil geniuses who preferred to torture and kill people listening to the music. The robe and beat not for money as they have enough of them. Like Alex says himself:

“The Korova Milk Bar sold milkplus, milk plus vellocet or synthemesc or drencrom which is what we were drinking. This would sharpen you up and make you ready for a bit of the old ultra-violence. Our pockets were full of money so there was no need on that score, but, as they say, money isn’t everything.”

But Alex is not cruel to others only but to his own “droogs” also. One day tired of his bad attitude friends decided to betray Alex and leave his without conscious in the house of one of their victims. Alex is caught by the police and becomes the participant of the experiment meant to get read of the social vices and evil in the society. By watching the violence scenes combined with the drug which causes death-like nausea as a part of the behavioral theory of conditioned-reflex therapy Alex is inoculated the firm hostility to violence. The scenes of violence were demonstrated accompanied by the Beethoven’s music and now Alex is not able to listen to his favorite composer. But the positive habits have negative side. Alex is totally deprived of his free will and can not choose his behavior and reactions to the situations any more. Very soon he’s let out of prison and becomes a free man. But left defenseless, Alex gets at once into trouble. Now he becomes a victim of violence himself, totally unprepared to cope with the real world when he is returned to society which is not cured of all social vices as he is. He’s beaten by his friends and left in the forest alone and when he manages to get to the house to save himself he finds himself in the house of one of his victims. He’s locked in the upper room of the houses and drops himself out not being able to stand the Beethoven’s music playing. Finally he gets to the hospital. The failure of the governmental experiment with the Alex’s treatment makes his a strategic weapon in the hands of their opponents.
MINISTER:

“I can tell you that I… and the Government of which I am a member are deeply sorry about this, my boy. Deeply sorry. We tried to help you. We followed recommendations had been made to us that turned out to be wrong.”

Finally the minister proposes Alex the way back by canceling the results of treatment. But Alex doesn’t want that. The last scene of the movie shows the hypocrisy of the society driven to absurd as we see Alex making love to a woman on the piles of snow while two rows of ladies and gentlemen applauding them. “I was cured all right” – his last words sound triumphantly and sardonically. But the watchers get another opinion and a feeling that Alex still is a programmed mechanism without free will but with another kind of program this time.

The movie is very symbolic. The names of the heroes, the name of the movie and a lot of artistic details help us to receive the author’s message. Everything serves to make us think about the moral questions and our role in solving them. How can evil be deleted in the modern society? How far can go the influence of the society on the individual, his free will and choice? If the state can deprive an individual of his free will using higher objectives and principles of good for everyone? These are the question the authors of the book and movie would wish to provoke in our minds by the violent and provoking images. These are the words told by the author of the book put in the basement of the movie Anthony Burgess concerning the title of the book “…I do not think so because, by definition, a human being is endowed with free will. He can use this to choose between good and evil. If he can only perform good or only perform evil, then he is a clockwork orange–meaning that he has the appearance of an organism lovely with colour and juice but is in fact only a clockwork toy to be wound by God or the Devil or (since this is increasingly replacing both) the Almighty State. It is as inhuman to be totally good as it is to be totally evil.” The opinion of the authors of the movie and the book is clear and I fully agree with it. God and Evil always existed in the society but their existence given the opportunities to realize the free choice and free will of an individual. If the free choice between good and evil is one of the main characteristics of the human, the effort to deprive the individual of this choice can be regarded as an effort to deprive an individual of humanity. The ability to think, to make conscious decision and free will are among main characteristics which differentiate the people from the animals. Human model of reactions and behavior is consisted of something more than just natural and behavioral instincts and this something makes us humans.

Conscious and motivated bad deeds can be turned into good ones till the time the person has will and can perceive the arguments. Both book and movie express the idea that man can not be completely good or completely bad. We can judge our good deeds only in comparison to bad ones and each moment of life we make the moral choice for good and bad decisions. Era is human nature said the philosopher. And the correction of these mistakes is another moral choice makes people more and more human. The importance of good and evil realizations of human nature is a main idea of the movie. The authors try to prove us that causing a lot of evil the main character Alex stayed more human than after the treatment which has demolished all the evil sides of his personality and left him not moral choice. Choosing good or evil pattern of behavior we can become good or bad for the society or surrounding but still stay human creatures. Deprived of this choice and following blind instincts even if they bring only good to the society we lose our human nature, our free will and freedom of choice. The mixture of good and bad sides of the personality is very typical for Kubrick’s movies. He doesn’t want to separate them as they are both closely connected in our minds, behavior and actions. Dark side is present in every personality and in the movie we could see two variants the way it can influence. In the beginning we can see the result of the total control of the behavior by the black side on the example of Alex and his friends and we can see the life of the main character totally deprived of his evil side. Both extremes are dangerous for both – the person and the society. The truth is as always somewhere in between. We can not demolish all the evil in the world and in our minds but it’s in our power to control it and to work on turning all the impulses and thoughts to good. The problems arise when the freedom of moral choice of individual is opposed to the social good for everyone. The question put on the center of the movie is if the freedom of choice is a justified sacrifice for the comfort of all the citizens. In the movie the state tried to take the control on the behavior, thoughts and even natural instincts of the main character Alex in the name of creating the ideal society where no violence and evil exists. But the result was lamentable and even the government had to confess the absurdness of the idea of the artificial control on the free choice. Te thesis of the movie is that deprivation of the freedom of choice is equal to moral death of the individual and we also could see that it has almost led the physical death also. The idea of the authors is that there is no such a social good that could justify the limitations of the moral freedom and will. Evil, chosen consciously is better than the forced good. And even more. Good can not be regarded as good unless it’s a deep person’s conviction.

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PART ONE: TIME

First thing a writer must understand is that the concept of “show vs. tell” is different for poetry than it is for short stories or novels. Not so much that they become totally different concepts, but enough to say they are like two different species of dog. Sure, they’re both dogs, but a Great Dane needs different care than a Jack Russell Terrier.

Time in one’s life

Several years ago I was in a creative writing class that had a difficult time thinking in metaphors. I was, in turn, having a hard time sharing my thoughts on the subject. It was when I was listening to the radio on the way to class that a spark hit my brain, like it did Frankenstein’s monster.

I was listening to Billy Joel’s “Piano Man”, which is full of imagery, and I was inspired by how he showed age. Instead of saying he was in his twenties or some other such generality or even a specific age, he wrote: “When I wore a younger man’s clothes”

Here’s the difference. Telling is saying an age or age category, like 22 or in his twenties. Showing is giving us this image of a man in his youth.

I toyed with this idea for a while and came up with this line, “When she first learned the difference between noun and pronoun” – which gives the impression of early school-age.

Then I also came up with this line (which is from the same poem): “As she became armed with driver’s license, keys and immortality” – leads the reader to a teenage image.

Passage of time

Remember I said I was inspired? After having tried those two images, I decided to try something a bit different within the realm of time. I wanted to show the passage of time as well as showing age and I came up with this line (also from the same poem): “One day she woke to find the pages of forty calendars littering the floor at her feet, like confetti.”

This line not only indicates the approximate age of the woman but also shows some time has passed since the last stanza.

Other examples of time images

I was exploring further to find more examples and found these in Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing by Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs. (The poem’s page location will be found in parenthesis after the excerpt.)

Passage of time

Sonnets from the Portuguese: Number 14 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

“A creature might forget to weep, who bore thy comfort long,” (704)

A Time Past by Denise Levertov

“those wooden steps are gone now, decayed” (713)

Time of day

Preludes by T.S. Elliot

“Burnt-out ends of smoky days.” (707)

This is not to say that any time you want to indicate time in your poetry you need to use an image instead of just stating it. As with most things, this will depend on your own unique style and the poem you happen to be working on at the time.

© 2006 Holly Bliss. All Rights Reserved. This document may be freely redistributed in its unedited form and on the condition that all copyright references are kept intact along with the hyperlinked URLs.

About the Author: Using her writing as paint on the canvas of her life, Holly Bliss is an eclectic writer, newsletter editor and an author on Writing.Com/ Writing.Com/ which is a site for Writing.Com/ Poetry.

Few men have lived life so full as late Italian Renaissance mannerist artist, Benvenuto Cellini. Born in 1500, Cellini would be thrilled that we still talk about his life five hundred years after his birth. After all, that is what he intended. That is why he began his autobiography at the age of fifty-eight, confident that history would remember him. And remember him we do, not only as a master goldsmith and sculptor, but as an author who wrote one of the most significant documents of the sixteenth century.

Cellini began his riveting tale by advising other potential authors on how to write their own autobiographies, first by informing their readers that they come from worthy stock and ancient origin. While most of us cannot claim to know our maternal grandparents twice removed, Cellini claimed descent from an Italian man from a nearby town, Fioreno of Cellino, a captain in the guard of Julius Caesar sixteen hundred years past. This Fioreno, Cellini claimed, camped his troops on the site of Florence with its fields of flowers, so Caesar named the place Florence partly for the flowers and partly to honor his captain. Most historians believe Florence, Florentia in Roman times, was named after the Roman festival of Floralia or Ludi Florales to honor Flora, the goddess of flowers. However, neither Caesar nor Flora was present to contradict the account of Cellini, so his version stands, at least in his own mind.

Commenting further on how pleased God was at his birth, Cellini told how his father named him Benvenuto which means ‘welcome’ in Italian. While the musical name Benvenuto Cellini flows off the tongue with a satisfying feeling, Cellini rejected the career advice of his father that he become a great musician and composer. Unmindful that his flute playing sent his doting father into sighing, tearful ecstasy at his mastery of the instrument, Cellini forsook the hated flute to study as a goldsmith–and thus his adventures began. Angered by his father at the age of sixteen, Cellini left Florence for Rome, stopping by way of Lucca and Pisa. In Pisa he found a goldsmith willing to take him in as an apprentice. Returning to Florence for a brief visit, he met Italian sculptor, Piero Torrigiano. Showing a sketch he had drawn when copying the work of Michelangelo for the Florentine Signoria (The Battle of Cascina), he confided to Torrigiano that while the divine Michel Agnolo [sic] finished the Sistine Chapel ceiling, his genius never returned to its previous level in later life. Looking at the sketch Torrigiano told Cellini the story of how he had broken the nose of Michelangelo as a boy. Cellini already idolized Michelangelo by this time and disliked Torrigiano thereafter, but it is from the autobiography of Cellini that we know this story.

The exploits of Cellini are too numerous to relate. If the papal and civil authorities who encountered the arrogant and explosive artist kept rap sheets, Cellini would have a long one. He finally made it to Rome, where he engaged in an altercation with a young man whom he struck. The punishment being less stringent for delivering a slap rather than a blow, Cellini told the magistrates he only gave a slap. He was, however, the only one punished in this incident and ordered to pay a fine. Angered by this turn of events, Cellini went that night to the home of his tormentor where he stabbed him with a knife. Fleeing the scene, he encountered twelve family members of the young man who, according to Cellini, set upon him with an iron shovel, an iron pipe, an anvil, hammers and cudgels. A mighty battle ensued with Cellini wielding his knife, and afterward, the twelve searched among their dead and wounded only to find that, strangely, there were no dead and wounded. No one sustained any injuries except for the first man Cellini stabbed in the house. After such a story, it is not surprising then that Cellini claimed full credit for his single-handed defense of Castel Sant’Angelo during the sack of Rome in 1526 as though no other defenders were needed. Doubtless a brave man, Cellini was perhaps prone to exaggeration.

Kings, dukes, and popes sought Cellini for his exquisite craftsmanship, while villains, thieves, and necromancers knew him for far less noble reasons. The colorful exploits of Cellini chronicle the flavor of Italian Renaissance life with his unique perspective. If his account is true, it is surprising that Cellini had time for art. He died in Florence in 1571 at the age of 71 leaving behind a magnificent legacy of work. Still in the news, Cellini’s grandiose gold and enamel masterpiece, the Saltcellar of Franceis I, executed in 1540 for the King of France and valued today at $60,000,000, was recovered recently after being stolen from a museum in Vienna. Cellini claimed to have bad luck, so perhaps that carried over to his works. The art world continues to appreciate the work of Cellini, even if he does laud himself with his own greatness. No one blows his own horn louder than Benvenuto Cellini.

Brenda Harness is an art historian and former university lecturer writing about a variety of topics pertaining to art and art history. She owns Fine Art Touch, a website devoted to the exploration of Italian Renaissance art, featuring articles on works from Renaissance giants such as Michelangelo and Leonardo to lesser-known artists such as Verrocchio and Perugino. The articles include images of the artwork to help the reader better understand the work being discussed.

“I hope that readers will find this website to be educational and inspire them to learn more about the art and artists who have so profoundly influenced our own aesthetic sensibilities,” said Mrs. Harness.

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