What Is Not Luminous - Can Still Be Luculent!

Luculent And Succulent...!
Okay - maybe that is pushing it a little bit now...

The latin luculentus was not made up by us here at the TLB Prime Network - we assure thee! It has its deep root in the well-known lux and is all about what is bright, what is clear, what is of the Light...!

And thus, as such, this blog will contain nothing obtuse, nothing dark as not to obfuscate - and only things that are indeed both light, in content, and of The Light in spirit!

Let us start off on the right (if not righteous) note immediately with this obviously de-light-ful entry, straight from the bright lights of Bollywood:



Why Bollywood, you may ask?
Because its future is brighter than Hollywood - of course!

NOTA BENE:
for those in doubt, the preceding falls in the category "light - in content" indeed!
AQ would be proud! (Some of you may call him AC or AM... It's all A-OK.)
Entries of 'The Light - in spirit' will be forthcoming!
Thank you!
;-)

Sempre Por O Melhor
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40th Anniversary - and not a word about it, anywhere...?

It was forty long years ago, this past November 30th (to be exact!) that it took place... 40 YEARS - a lifetime ago, verily. And it had all begun with a most dubious of a joke, an anachronism in thought and would-be venture, for it was launched upon a premise that would have desecrated any other place of worship, desacralized holy ground, dishonored the Church and Faith overall...

And yet... And yet... It was a project that met with approval almost instantly, from the congregation that administers the shrine involved here - and the Roman Catholic Church overall, or so it has to be implied.

What in blue blazes are we talking about here - yeah, of all places, of all blogs part of the vast and vitreous TLB Prime Network - on this day?  Well, dog-nabbit, we are talking about the 1972 concert that made no sense: the Offenbach concert at the Oratory! Pierre Harel, the living link between two key bands of the 70s and 80s in Quebec rock (Offenbach - and Corbeau) had this idea of a ''messe des morts à l'Oratoire'' (a mass for the dead) blending musical genres; ranging from Gregorian to alternative rock, evidently. Hence the presence of a musical piece titled Requiem in there, somewhere... Only the idea was launched with another variant of that phrasing, not quite the same at all: it was launched as this instead - ''une messe NOIRE à l'ORATOIRE!'' (Put the emphasis and proper intonation onto the ''-oire'' endings for the full Québécois feeling there!) And we can imagine the whole gang having quite the laugh with that one - until it became a reality, involving even the collaboration of a priest who sang with the band too - but his own lyrics, in fact chants, in latin!

Let's pause now and listen to an excerpt or two of it right here:

The society was in revolution, even the church was supposed to be in revolution (or it was already feeling a sharp decline in attendance -and it would get worse- so it was trying to reach out to the masses by letting everyone into its hallowed halls, by reaching out especially to those who wouldn't even think of coming over, not even for a second...) 

They did repeat the experience in 2002 - for the landmark 30th anniversary - which actually makes it even more bizarre that no one would even make a tiny little mention of the 40th anniversary of this purported-to-be 'legendary event'...

What makes this is so special would be the UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE 

of the ecclesiastical environment for this most... ah... 

unorthodox (no denominational pun intended) style of music. 

However... What can we really think of certain choices made by this band of 

hairy misfits that took over the Oratory, a shrine with an international reputation 

for being the biggest of its kind devoted to the earthly father figure for Our Lord, 

and patron saint of workers, the afflicted, Canada and so on... 

And that is said while taking aside that entire ''messe noire à l'Oratoire'' nonsense! 

One choice stands out above all: the song Rirolarma. 

Listen to it, here and now:

Isn't this a most peculiar choice indeed... 

Doesn't it sound like some most unwanted and certainly uninvited guest 

just crashed that party of love, acceptance, and ''quiet and-or rocking revolution'' 

they had going on there, in the timeless Basilica of the sanctimonious Oratoire...? 

In a word - yes! 

That laughter - is it to represent the devil himself, laughing in the face of all 

believers (five thousand of them, that day - mostly rock'n'roll fans who'd come 

to listen to the recording of a most eclectic of rock albums) as he 

(I'd rather say ''... as it...'' right here) 

successfully immersed itself into the workings of the Church 

- yet again!!! 

It is, indeed, enough to roll on the floor laughing, 

to the point of tears... 

And we all know that the devil loves a good laugh! 

He... It... has had plenty of opportunities to laugh 

over the decades, centuries, eras... 

At the inept side of Christianity - 

that which divides it and makes it unable 

to stand united in Faith. 

And then there are those attempts at unification 

and making bridges between various strata of society 

in either ecumenismal ways 

or this way - through the arts 

or so-called arts. 

And it all is ephemeral at best 

and not unifying in truth, not for one iota. 

Having said all that - or, rather, blogged all that indeed - 

an 'A' for effort must be awarded - 

back in 1972 and then, again, in 2002...

But, by the same token, an 'F' must be given out 

in 2012 - for having omitted a mere mention of this 

through all the notable media outlets 

that the Church is so eager to exploit, now, 

as it attempts one (last?) time 

to reach out and regain 

the masses...

And maybe... maybe... 

if the august Oratory allowed Offenbach 

to take over its Basilica twice rather than just once 

and a certain Pierre Harel to get away
with his claims of having gone forth
with his dream of presiding 

or participating in 

a black mass there... 

Then, maybe... just maybe... 

I can indeed gather up 

a few TRUE BELIEVERS 

and truly 

*Occupy The Oratory* 

- as I, also, have been heard 

to be joking around, 

lately...!

(All I need is four more guys -

we'd sing Take That's 

hit song 

''Love, Love''

(We Don't Have Too Much Time Here) 

accompanied by the Great Organ 

up in the Basilica -

and there'd be no encore!)

Sempre Por O Melhor 

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If Only Humans Could Get Along Like... Cat & Fox?

There once was a cat that liked to play and spend time with 

its greatest friend in the whole wild world - the fox! 

If that sounds like a psychedelic twist on a fairytale 

that you recite to the kids when you want them to shut up 

and go to sleep already - well, you couldn't be more wrong! 

Some have tried to dismiss this extraordinary and most unorthodox alliance between two animals that have very little in common (aside from their taste for scraps, that is) and the most persistent theory is that these two are not wild animals at all; the fox, especially, would have been domesticated early in life and led to accept kitty as a buddy through some mild form of training... The basis for this theory rests entirely on the animals' rather well-proportioned figures: neither one appears to have been starving for great lengths of time at all.  Perhaps it is due to their being noticed as unlikely and exceptional friends; that has had a direct impact on their health and dietary habits as well, huh? Maybe they are being fed so that such pictures (and videos!) as the ones that follow can be taken, in order to chronicle this, to serve as evidence that this isn't a fairytale at all, but truly happening indeed...!  Duh! And to all of those who will e-mail and say that I should have included this rather on this blog, as one of my token ''lethargic couples'' doomed from the very start - I say thee nay! Have a look, disbelievers and skeptics that you are - for this is not like that old Sofrimento & Polar Critter combo cartoon odd couple that time forgot (or, rather, pop history failed to record...!) at all:

And don't forget to CLICK on the pictures above - for more! 

Including a short video of these two...

The Fox and The Cat of Lake Van, Turkey... 

What a heart-warming example for us all 

to finally shut our yaps 

and try and get along with one another...! 

Because... if they can, so can we! 

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Lumière

Indubitably!

When you live in such luminous surroundings 

you can only have a luculent time! 

Especially if you are in the company 

of your sweetest half, 

most important supporter, 

loving soulmate, 

love of your life, 

one and only...

For...

For thee, 

my dearest queen...!

xxx 

Luminous... Ah... Luculent Connections!

Have you seen the latest publicity barrage
worked around the latest Madagascar extravaganza?
The video below is a clever and amusing usage
of YouTube as it is - but on their actual YT page
it gets even funkier, shall we say!
You can click after viewing this one here though:

 

Only penguins and people can drive...

Right.

Hence the PwO: 

 the once and future 

 Penguin World Order 

(not associated with the book publisher 

by the same name - 

but wouldn't it be cool if it was?
But that's for another blog - again!)

Henceforth, 

Penguins and People -

all across the world -

UNITE! 

Aww... Kind makes me think 

of the purported-to-be greatest 

speech of all-time now: 

Great job, Charlie -
great Anti-Adolf twist!
If it isn't quite exactly "luminous"
it sure is luculent enough!

That "Private Penguin" dude
bears an uncanny resemblance to you -
does he not?

Surely all but an homage type of thing -
after all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
and why not a penguin now
when a duck sort of did it first
- hmm?

Maybe a Puffin Bin Laden is next?

;-)

Luminous Origamis!

Today, Akira Yoshizawa would have been 101. And Joâo Jacinto Borges Pimentel would have been 78. The former got a nod on Google via one of their increasingly famous Google Doodles. The latter got a nod on... the luminous blog, courtesy of a Google service (your host, Blogger!) and moi (your other host!)  So all is fine and dandy, in this chaotic world: somehow, order is present, too. Such is the conclusion one has to come to when faced with such evidence as this: for, against all odds, despite everything going against it and possibly making such a thing impossible, the genuinely good guys, far from being the ''greats of this world'' are still remembered... somewhere, somehow, by someone...

R.I.P Akira

R.I.P. Joâo 

This is for both of them: 

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Brilliant Beantown - Luculent Lore!

Going To Boston... Boston... Boston, Massachusetts...
Ohh, I'm going to Boston...
Oh yeah baby - I'm telling you like it is; I'm going to Boston!
The City of Champions - yeah baby!
(Singing this to the rhythms of Paul Simon's old tune about some other place that he visited - wherever that was...! Oh yeah: I'll be singing these lyrics I spontaneously cooked up on my way to... BOSTON!)


And I will be going there a mere few weeks after I went to... CUBA!

Is it to antagonize Americans in general, that I get to go where they cannot go, due to their own embargo and associated imbroglios...? (As for the latter, sing it to the tune of Guantanamera like I do...! But that's another story - back to our questioning here!)

Is it to partake of the ambiance that permeates the entire Boston area, ever since they defeated seven annoying adversaries in roughly a decade (give or take 12 months) and were therefore crowned seven times in that short span, effectively becoming the city of champions, hoping some of that will rub off on me and extend my very own lucky streak (hopefully make it reach ever higher, greater heights too!) and consecrate me as a champion, too?

Or is it simply to bask in the merriment of March Break *and* upcoming St-Patrick's Day festivities in a city that truly appreciates the Green... The Red... The Silver... And the Black and the Gold! But we're getting sidetracked here, now...!

Let's say that it is, quite simply, all of the above!

(After all, I am a history buff -formally trained in the field too but, alas, with the least interesting subject there was- and I may just be in the midst of a Revolutionary Tour -instead of, say, an umpteenth Luminous Tour?- so certainly Cuba and America had to be the first two stops there! In that order. Just to antagonize Americana - indeed! After all, the latter's revolution was done and over with by the late 1780s while, in Cuba, it's 53 years of Revoluciòn - and counting! They had to be first. Next stop: I think I'll simply go back to Bulgaria then...? But let's leave all that revolutionary talk at that, for now...)

And let's just explore the luminous city of... Boston!












Truth be told, we didn't have time to truly roam all the historical sites, streets, nooks and crannies of the great city of BOSTON - but we saw enough and we WILL RETURN...! And, next time, we'll shoot for certain true blue Bostonian standards as far as the choice of our lodgings are concerned - not that we were poorly set up at all, mind you, but then again we were not in Boston per say: we were in one of its suburbs' hotels!


On our way there, though, we know what to expect now for we had to go through the harshest territories there are or that there could possibly be (you know the drill: New Hampshire, Maine... Vermont! Brrrrr - it's so damn cold there! But then again - we were coming from the darndest, grimiest cold town there is: murky Montréal - yerck!) and we had the fortune of stopping by The Eastside Restaurant & Pub - if we had not, we would have surely died!

And to think that the American customs guy sent us, originally, to Hoagie's! It was a chance encounter at the gas station that made us discover The Eastside, guiding us there! You can eat as unhealthily as cops and other boogers do, customs guy - but we sure won't!

The Eastside is described as a fine establishment and its slogan sums up its attributes well; it reads like this - "fine family dining on the water." The menu does have lots of seafood on it - but not exclusively that, fear not! Fine dining on or by the water is just fine with me though: I love the water!  And that means that dirty water too! And, so it is here, The Eastside, by the sea, with an atmosphere of nautical paradise (complete with washrooms for mates and mermaids) that most certainly can be more convincing once it is summertime again! We gotta drop by once more - the very next time that we'll be going to BOSTON!

;-)

Luminous Lumineers

And speaking of smiling...
Remember when I told you guys that, much like not all that glitters is most certainly gold, not everything that is luculent is in fact luminous?

Well here is another glowing example of that:

Although, if you do find the above ad in your filtered e-mail, you will find something else at the other end of it. You will actually find this upon clicking on that lumineers ad... And that is most certainly not what you were bargaining for, now is it?

You see, now, this saddens my heart, really; for the Lumineer name has already been used, branded and affixed - and it could have been something so much more noble than what it has become. It could have been on par with the Musketeer

Granted, the black eye on the Lumineer otherwise stainless, porcelain-immaculate image comes from a third party, really: some malicious, insidious spam e-mailer who dared to lure his victims through shameless usage and abuse of the Lumineers brand and name. (Anyway, that is how I got the invitation to play freelotto - in a bit of shameless spam promising me the above sizeable rebate on the crystalline white pureness of Lumineer veneer - which anyone in their right mind would be damned for, right, RIGHT? Right...)

What happened here is not Lumineer's fault, of course.

Hence the title of this luculent post...!

Smile on, Lumineers - smile on!
;-)

♫ ❤ (｡◕‿◕｡) ❤ (｡◕‿◕｡) ❤♫

'Tis St. Valentine's Day and what better way to celebrate it than by spreading the love with all manners of love symbols that are readily available and at our disposal, hmm?

As we used to paraphrase on another blog, at another time, right here on the TLB Prime Network, our very own mortality is one of the chief indicators that we have but NOW to say to one another that we love each other - for our time is short and wasting it in hatred is simply not the way to go.

The chiefest indicator of all though is another entirely: it is one that cannot be seen but only felt, for it is on the inside, it is within us, within us all...

Our hearts contain that sparkle of luminescence, the gift of divine essence that was given to us by God, and that hint can only spark love, an universal love as God Is Love and so are we when we are at our finest and closest to His Image indeed.

So spread the love today: with all manners of symbols such as these (hope you see them): ❤ (｡◕‿◕｡) ☆ ☺ ☮ ♫ (｡◕‿◕｡) ❤
❤ (｡◕‿◕｡) ❤ ☆ ☺ ♫ ❁ ☀ ❤ (｡◕‿◕｡) ❤

Spread the love with gifts, hugs, high fives, handshakes, handkisses, pecks on the cheeks, pats, long embraces and not so long ones...!

Spread the love with a smile.

Show off that spark of the Divine that is within you today!

Not every smile is appropriate. of course... 

Isto é que é...
Sempre Por O Melhor!
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