VampireS Sumo

As the great Captain Renault said near the end of Casablanca: “I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!” whereupon a croupier hands him a wad of cash and says, “Your winnings, sir.”

Barry Bonds (to bury the lead) reportedly tested positive for amphetamine use during the 2006 season. After his weasel, err, agent Jeff Borris has made a cottage industry out of insisting that Bonds has never failed any kind of drug test, ever, in his entire life, this must come as quite a blow. Apparently, now that he’s off the BALCO special sauce, ol’ Barry needed a little pick-me-up to hit .270. Under baseball’s ever-so-generous new drug policy, a player is suspended for nearly two months for his first positive steroid test, but only gets a warning, and a few additional opportunities to pee in a cup, when he first tests positive for greenies.

To make things even more delicious, the New York Daily News reports that Bonds has blamed his positive test during the ‘06 season on something teammate Mark Sweeney gave him. Apparently, player-rep toady Gene Orza was so concerned about the allegation, he phoned Sweeney and told him he’d better clean out his locker, and remove whatever controversial substances he might have therein. But Sweeney maintains he has no idea what Orza was talking about, and he didn′t have any amphetamines in his locker. Which means, if Sweeney′s to be believed, Bonds was lying.

Shocking!

While the schadenfreude contact high we′re getting off this incident is truly a mellow buzz, I’m sad about one thing. Now that the alleged positive amphetamine test has been made public, Bonds is probably less likely to test positive for speed again (he hates us media types that much), which means he probably won’t get suspended for 25 games, the duration of purgatory players who test positive for greenies a second time have to serve. Ah, well. I guess we′ll just have to hope those names of players who tested positive for steroids a few years ago that MLB leaked to the media includes Bonds. Hey, a guy can dream, can’t he?

Barry? I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Wow. Didn′t see a Florida blowout over Ohio State coming. What did that unexpected result mean for the books?

BoDog Bookmakers, BoDog.ws : Actually, we had lots of SEC bettors. Even though the action was about 3-to-2 in favor of Ohio State on the Spread, we had a lot of bettors take the Florida moneyline, which opened at 245 and was 230 by game time.

Meanwhile, the chalk held up in the AFC and NFC Wild Card games. For you, what were the biggest stories of the Wild Card weekend?

BDB, BoDog.ws : The first is obviously Tony Romo’s butterfingers, and the subsequent controversy over the “K” balls. Did the Seattle ballboys give the Cowboys the slickest ball for the final play? Second-biggest story: home teams going four-for-four straight up. Thirdly, the emergence of Joseph Addai, who rushed for 122 yards and helped Peyton Manning overcome his typical lackluster playoff performance. And finally, the great story in Philly. Everyone had written the Eagles off after Donovan McNabb went down, but the team has rallied behind Jeff Garcia and new team leader Brian Westbrook, who I hear is taking on a bigger role in the locker room.

In the AFC Divisional games, we′ll see San Diego favored by 4.5 hosting New England, and Baltimore favored by 4 hosting Indianapolis. Where do you expect to see the public come down in those two games? And which visitor do you think has the better chance of pulling off an upset?

BDB, BoDog.ws : In both games, you have two people that have huge playoff monkeys on their backs. Peyton has to prove he can win more than one game in the playoffs. On the west coast, Marty Schottenheimer has to prove he won’t cost his team the game by being too conservative. I believe the public will be behind Peyton this game. This could be the year he answers his critics and wins it all. Meanwhile, it’s very hard for anyone to bet against Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in a playoff game. They always find a way to get it done. If you combine that with Martyball, I don’t see this year being much different. The public knows this, and I believe they will be strongly behind the Pats.

In the NFC Divisional round, it’ll be Chicago favored by 8.5 over Seattle, and New Orleans favored by 6 over Philadelphia. Same questions here: do you expect the public to back the home or away teams in these two games? And again, which visitor do you think has the better chance of springing the surprise?

BDB, BoDog.ws : I think the betting public will support one of each. In Chicago, the Bears have given up an average of 26.25 points over the last four games, and the Seahawks are on an upswing. If you remember back before Alexander and Hasselbeck were injured, this match-up was supposed to be for the NFC title. Give the Seahawks 8.5 points and I think the public will take that. The Seahawks are playing the Bears at the right time. In the Saints/Eagles match-up, it’s one of those games where you want both sides to win. Both have overcome so much adversity to get to where they are, but the Saints have been America’s team all year. And that’s to say nothing of the fact that this will be the first playoff game in the rebuilt Superdome. The public should be strongly behind Drew, Reggie and the rest of the Saints.

Christopher Harris is a featured writer for the Professional Handicappers League.
Read all of his articles at procappers.com/ procappers.com

We must protect Washington DC from floods and International Terrorists. We must protect the great men and women and our noble leaders. We must protect the heart of our nation from the Bird Flu. We must protect our nations Capital from corrupt lobbyists, sex workers and bribes.

We must protect the American People and we need a strong government to do all of that. Washington DC is the wrong place for our nations capital and we need to move it to a safer location. I propose we move Washington DC to Dodge City Kansas.

It is perfect in every way and when the wind is blowing just right you will know why and totally agree with everything I am saying here. The center of the nation is a much safer place to put the capital safe from harm our leadership will be.

Plus there is a major bonus in Dodge City Kansas and that is if the politicians are caught for corruption they can easily get out of Dodge on any of the lonely two-way highways leading straight out of town. Plus the place smells like cow manure and cowshit for miles away. And it will be perfect and all of our wonderful and noble podium politicians will feel right at home together.

It is the perfect place for Washington DC in every regard and it is already full of cow manure and the cows will not even notice, neither will the locals. Please consider all this in 2006. You are darn right I am serious! Vote for Lance lets run this government our way for the People and by the People.

“Lance Winslow” - Online WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/ Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance in the Online Think Tank and solve the problems of the World; WorldThinkTank.net www.WorldThinkTank.net/

They’re on magazine covers, catalogues, newspaper ads and inserts, billboards, posters, brochures and even on packages in grocery stores. “They” are models. But these models are not famous like supermodels, but they can entice you to buy everything from food to shampoo, jeans to health insurance, and can earn between $25-$250 an hour across North America. These models can be drop dead gorgeous, or can look like your next door neighbor or your best friend—and the best part is, unlike fashion modeling, there are no height, weight or age restrictions to your typical modeling assignment. The opportunity is available to just about everyone.

old, had the “perfect” height, weight, look, or if you had the time? Stopped pursuing modeling because you weren’t getting the opportunities or the work you desired?

The first step to realizing your dream of modeling or acting is to find yourself a good agent. Your agent is going to be the link between you and the modeling or acting audition information that you need, so having a good agent can mean the life or death of your career.

How Do I Get A Good Agent?

1. Go to a local theater. After the performance, ask the actors for the names of the agents who represent them.

2. Call local photographers and find out which agents they use when hiring models.

3. Call your local SAG (Screen Actors Guild) or AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) office for the names of signatory agents in your area. These are agents who have signed contracts and have agreed to abide by union rules. SAG or AFTRA will give you the list of names for free.

4. Call the agent(s) of your choice, and schedule an appointment to meet with him/her. Make your appointment during working hours and meet the agent at his or her office. Avoid meeting with an unfamiliar agent anywhere else.

5. Call models who work with the agent before your interview, if possible. Do they like the agent? Do they get work through the agent? Does the agent treat them well? Are they paid on time?

6. Look around the office. Do you see pictures of ads the agent has booked for his or her models? Are the phones ringing? You should see a busy office.

7. Decide whether or not you feel comfortable with the agent. If you’re not sure, call the local SAG or AFTRA office, which might have some information about the agency.

A few things to watch for:

• Agents make their living by earning a percentage of each job they book for a model or actor. Fees paid to Photographers for photos, comp cards etc., are normal. Any fees that you pay, should not be fees that you’re paying to the agent. Do not pay any up-front fees to an agent.

• If the agent lies to you, makes outrageous promises or asks for up-front money (to cover phone calls or mailing expenses on your behalf), keep looking. Legitimate agents do not ask for expense money.

• If you′re not happy with the number of auditions or bookings you are getting, set up an appointment with your agent and discuss what you can do to generate more jobs.

Copyright 2006 Alexandra Warner All Rights Reserved

Alexandra Warner has been a successful Talent Scout for 8 years, and regularly advises hopeful models and actors on the pros and cons of the business. Look for more information on the industry at new-faces.biz new-faces.biz

In his foremost occupation as a musician, he has risen in ranks to become one of the hottest hip hop artist’s on the planet with already four best-selling albums to his name. He is also one of the most promising talents in Hollywood with remarkable performances in some of the most influential movies and TV shows.

His own fashion line is making millions of dollars in profit every year and furthermore, he is a talented basketball player primed for the biggest stage. All these are the achievements of one mere human, and a very young one too.

Lil’ Romeo was born Percy Romeo Miller, Jr. on the 19th of August, 1989. He is the son of millionaire rapper and producer Master P. His debut release “Romeo” was an immediate hit with teenagers and the hit single “My Baby” became the number one song on the US charts for ten whole weeks. Within the next five years, Lil’ Romeo released three other successful solo albums and made his mark as one of the most popular hip hop artist’s in the world.

In 2001, Lil’ Romeo marked his official entry into the American music scene with an explosive teenage hip hop album of great popular influence.

This self-titled debut release raced to a top ten position on the US charts and established the talented musician as the youngest ever recording artist to have a number one hit for ten consecutive weeks.

The following year, he returned to thrill his fans with a second solo album “Game Time”, which expectedly sold platinum numbers and surpassed his previous effort on the charts.

Encouraged by the support of his fans, Lil’ Romeo continued to find form in expression and demonstrated tremendous maturity both as a growing adolescent and musician in his subsequent albums, “Romeoland” and “God’s Gift”.

As an actor, Lil Romeo had his first big break around 2003 when he was offered the lead role in the Nickelodeon TV show “Romeo”. This teenage series became a national hit and major producers began approaching Lil’ Romeo to star in their upcoming productions.

This resulted in five movies within the next three years in which he delivered some of the most convincing performances known to the silver screen.

From his early years as a child performer to his present status as a teenage idol, Lil’ Romeo has remained faithful to his fans, as they collectively explored the ups and downs of teenage life. Now with adulthood fast approaching, you can expect this favorite son of hip hop to bring you to greater heights of entertainment.

With a profound interest for entrepreneurship, Lil’ Romeo extended his parameters to the fashion business. The apparel line raked in $50 million in sales the first year and is regarded as a major trend-setter for teenage fashion today. Also, his passion for basketball has brought him many opportunities to play at the highest level, including a stint with the National Junior squad and a call-up for the top training program in the US.

Whether in performance or in life, it is beyond the shadow of a doubt that Lil’ Romeo is indeed born for success.

Greg Lucas is a small business owner and an on-line marketing expert who owns and operates a large network of informative and educational websites. for more information please visit:

Day By Day is the latest release from Pop Artist Yolanda Adams, and is another winner by this talented musician.

Unfortunately, it’s not everyday that I get a CD from an artist that I can just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. There is usually a song or two that I just can’t force myself to get through. Not at all the case with Day By Day. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.

One of the refreshingly nice things about this CD is the way all of the participating artists seem to be really enjoying themselves. Combine that with the overall presentation and you’ve got one of Yolanda Adams’s most impressive releases ever.

If you’re a Yolanda Adams fan, or just a fan of Pop music this is a CD your collection simply should not be without.

While the entire album is outstanding some of my favorites are track 3, Someone Watching Over You, track 5, Day By Day, and track 11, I’m Grateful.

My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 9, Better Than Gold. Good stuff!

Day By Day Release Notes:

Yolanda Adams originally released Day By Day on Aug 30, 2005 on the Atlantic label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Victory
2. Tonight
3. Someone Watching Over You
4. Alwaysness
5. Day By Day
6. Lift Him Up - (featuring Donnie McClurkin/Mary Mary)
7. It’s Gon Be Nice
8. Be Blessed
9. Better Than Gold
10. Show Me
11. I’m Grateful
12. This Too Shall Pass

Personnel include: Yolanda Adams (vocals); Donnie McClurkin, Mary Mary (vocals); Gregory Curtis (various instruments, background vocals); Paul Jackson Jr., Philip Hamilton, Todd Parsnow (guitar); Bobby Sparks (keyboards, mini-Moog synthesizer, programming); Barry J. Eastmond (keyboards, bass guitar, programming); Keith Taylor (bass guitar); IZ, Luis Conte (percussion); Chris Godbey (programming); Gordon Chambers, Keith Allen, Sharon Bryant, Lisa Curtis, Demeka Jackson (background vocals). Recording information: Eastwing, New York, NY The Hit Factory, New York, New York.

Get the information you want on your favorite smooth jazz songs and artists at

One of the greatest books ever written about military strategy was by a man named Sun Tzu called The Art of War. This book is considered the bible of battle tactics to many military folks, but I have found it just as useful in my own battlefield, my living room. Let me walk you through a few examples.

A wonderful quote from Sun Tzu found in the book is “So it is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will win hundred times in hundred battles. If you only know yourself, but not your opponent, you win one and lose the next. If you do not know yourself or your enemy, you will always lose.”

I’m not sure what this means during a military campaign but what it means in my house is that you better know what your wife is driving at when you get home from work and she immediately asks you where you went for lunch. At this point you have either spent too much money on lunch and she already checked the bank account online, eaten somewhere that she’s been asking you to take her, eaten with someone she doesn’t like or all of the above. As Sun Tzu tells us you must know which of these traps your wife has most likely set and be able to use your strengths to come up with a quick excuse. Above all don’t lie. If she’s asking where you went for lunch she already knows!

Another section of the book that obviously applies to marriage goes like this, “All warfare is based on deception. If your enemy is superior, evade him. If angry, irritate him. If equally matched, fight and if not: split and re-evaluate”.

Evade a superior enemy. I do this one on a weekly basis. During the week if I’ve screwed up and I know it I evade my wife constantly. I’ve been known to take three hours just to bring the trash down to the garage. One time I bought a new cordless drill on the credit card and knew she was going to flip because it was so expensive. I actually drove home from work at lunch every day just to check the mail and get the credit card statement before her.

“If angry, irritate”. This is genius. I’ve only tried this once because it’s a risky venture. The next time your spouse is upset with you try adding just a little gas to the fire. It knocks them off balance and they lose their train of thought. They may end up throwing a lamp or other heavy object your way so be prepared to side step.

“If equally matched, fight and if not: split and re-evaluate”. I usually choose the latter. Husbands are never equally matched to argue with their wives because wives remember everything. I can’t tell you what we had for dinner last night but my wife remembers what I ordered when we had lunch the Grand Canyon six years ago. Split and re-evaluate is the safest approach if you can see defeat on its way. You’re not really giving up, just taking a break to gather your thoughts before she throws the knock out punch. After you collect yourself and come up with some healthy witticisms you can return for another round.

Although this book has been a classic warfare strategy text for generations I think that maybe it was written by a guy who just knew how to handle his wife and wanted to pass on the information to his buddies. He probably got sick of having to explain to his friends over and over why his wife was so cool. I bet he didn’t even have to get rid of the extra refrigerator in his garage or buy a car more conducive to having child passengers in the back.

Sun Tzu lived during the sixth century so he didn’t have Monday Night Football or HBO to keep his sanity. I’d have to research it but I doubt he even had TiVO. I wish he was still around today so he could write a text called “The Art of Surviving Two Daughters”. That’s one book I could really use right about now. I wonder how he would have handled the first boyfriend coming to pick up his little girl.

My name is Artie Leary. I am a humor columnist based out of a small New England town. You may not have heard of me before so let me introduce myself by telling you four things about me that you probably couldn’t guess. 1. My parents wanted a girl when I was born and they were going to name her Stephanie. This lovely little anecdote is told by my dear old mother annually at my birthday party. 2. When I was seven years old I stole a zucchini from Mr. Chalke’s garden and brought it home to my parents for dinner. It was that night as I cried myself to sleep after my dad slapped me on the head and called me an idiot that I decided I didn’t have what it takes for a life of crime.
3. I cut my own hair and shave my own back and it isn’t easy. 4. I once told my Great Aunt Alice who was suffering from Alzheimer’s that my name was Charlie Manson and she was part of my “family”. My mother grounded me for two weeks for that “misunderstanding″.

A great movie about the vampire slayer Blade appeared in the 1998. Wesley Snipes did a really great job there and the movie quickly became a blockbuster.

The story of Blade is a combination of vampire horror movies with kung fu action movies. Also the urban setting makes the reference Blaxploitation movies quite clear. Blade (played by Wesley Snipes) is a vampire hunter, who is half vampire himself. Shortly before his birth his mother was bitten by a vampire, mixing his blood. Blade’s biggest enemy is the white yuppie vampire called Frost (played by Stephen Dorff). Frost needs Blade to perform an ancient ritual, which will cause vampires to rule the world. In his fight against Frost, Blade is aided by a young black female doctor, Karen, and an old, bitter, white sidekick.

The movie uses a lot of action, violence and an outrageous, almost ridiculous plot, which relates it very clear to the low-budget Blaxploitation movies of the 70s. Blade is represented as a strong, ruthless macho that fights evil outside of the law (like Shaft). He is also trapped between good and evil (like Priest in Superfly), because he is half man, half vampire. The only thing that suppresses his vampire urges, is a serum that Kristofferson makes for him. Later it turns out that Blade’s mother was turned into a vampire by Frost, which makes him Blade’s ‘father’ in some way. In the end Blade kills Frost by using a deadly serum made by Karen.
Blade is a movie that relates to the 70s Blaxploitation genre, but combines it with modern action and horror movies. Blade is a classical Blaxploitation hero in the tradition of Shaft and Priest and has to battle a white evil, which also happened a lot in the old movies. The movie also plays with the creation of black masculinity by making Blade ridiculously cool en macho. But at the same time he is represented as weak and dependable. Also the female lead is not degraded to a sexy looking scream queen, but is a strong black female who actually helps Blade numerous times and can kick ass if necessary. Most other new commercial Blaxploitation movies do not have such a strong female character.

Blade has more to do with the 70s Blaxploitation than Shaft 2000, (even though the latter refers to it more clearly), especially because Blade is more outrageous and deliberately camp at some times. This connects it to the b-movie and pulp qualities many of the Blaxploitation movies of the 70s had. They too combined blackness with all kind of outrageous action and different genres (even kung-fu, which is featured very prominently in Blade). Blade is also a more ruthless black hero than Shaft 2000 is, and the movie is also prepared to look at his darker side, trying to define what makes the him ‘savage’. In doing so it again relates to the more radical side of Blaxploitation pictures of the 70s. Also de violence is more clearly aimed at a white menace (Frost and his vampires), that represents white supremacy and the white system. Shaft 2000 fails to do this; most of the violence is directed towards the Latino gang of Peoples. Next to that, Shaft 2000 does not direct much anger towards the system. Shaft is frustrated about it and rejects it, but in the end, we do not know if the system would have prevailed or not (because Christian Bale is shot before his trial). Even Shaft remains dependable on the system and in the end even returns to it. In Blade the system is automatically rejected by our hero, because he never was part of it anyway (When he encounters cops, the first thing they do is shoot at him). Authority is also represented as clearly corrupt, because vampires have infested politics and the police force, having spies and collaborators everywhere. This gives a more paranoid and ‘who the hell can I trust’ feeling, than Shaft 2000. For example the two corrupt cops in Shaft 2000 are exposed quite quickly and than killed by our hero. In Blade it is impossible for our hero to catch all the corrupt cops. He also is far more cynical about it (in that way he can also be related to Shaft from the 70s).
The fact that Blade is more radical in it’s attitude is quite striking, when you realize that it was made by a white director and that Shaft 2000 was made by the director of the quite radical Boyz ‘N the Hood. This indicates that most black directors who where once radical, but now work in Hollywood are kept on a tighter leach than white directors. Or it has to do with the fact that Paramount is a bigger studio than NewLine, and takes less risks.

Mary Anne has been writing for essaycapital.com/ custom essay writing service for 5 years.You can ask her about essaycapital.com/college_essays.php college esays or ma-dissertations.com/ dissertation writing service.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are a band that has transcended the scope of pop culture , adapting to new trends while still maintaining their original funk-based style. Playing music for nearly two decades, the Chili Peppers show an unrepentant strength on their new album.

Dubbed “Stadium Arcadium”, the new Red Hot Chili Peppers release is a double-disc powerhouse that fully showcases the range of this classic band. Totaling 28 tracks, there is something for every Peppers fan, from those who rocked to One Hot Minute in the early 90s to the new fan-base they have gained through such recent releases as By The Way. You can get a sense of the hormone-fueled music that was a Chili Peppers trademark in their formative years in such tracks as Warlocks and Storm In A Teacup. The bass lines laid out by Flea help to form cohesion to the CD, with John Frusciante fully tuned in and never disappointing with the guitar work. Anthony Kiedis’ vocals remain on-point and can evoke powerful emotions, even though the stereotypical Chili Peppers non-sensical lyrics are as prevalent as ever. More recent Chili Peppers fans will be happy to know that the CD has plenty of the mellow, laid back Californication-esque tracks. Dani California, Tell Me Baby, and Wet Sand are some of the songs on this album that we will be hearing for years to come.

Are there any problems with the CD? Sure. There isn′t too much of a coherent flow amongst the discs, and you may find yourself skipping around between tracks to satisfy what mood you are in. While tracks like Snow are upbeat and energetic, the album drags you through melancholy in some of the slower songs such as Strip My Mind. You can tell that the band is dabbling outside of their comfort zone at several points in the CD, with songs such as Snow having an almost foreign feel, while still unmistakably being a Chili Peppers tune.

All in all, I would highly recommend purchasing the new album. It has something for everyone, and with 28 tracks you’ll be hard pressed to not find at least 3 or 4 songs that will stay with you. Aside from some slight problems with the flow of the CD and the fact that a few tracks that could’ve been best saved for a B-side, Stadium Arcadium is a record that will not be soon forgotten.

Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles on many topics including moviestelevisionandmore.com/ Arts, livingtheoutdoorslife.com/ Outdoors, and 1stconsumerinfo.com/ Consumer Information

Bingo is accessible to many different people. It is a very safe game that is fun to play, and the necessary supplies are affordable and easy to use. Bingo can be played just for fun, or it can be played for prizes or cash in a gambling situation (where allowed). They can be for private parties, or you can also have bingo sets custom-made for your company or organization.

A good supply kit for beginners is the Safety Bingo Starter Kit, which provides you with all the requisites. It includes a Safety Incentive Bingo program which jump-starts your bingo program. This includes a comprehensive safety incentive bingo program manual to get you started fast and to maximize success, a dry-erase master board, a dry-erase game status board, a bingo cage with balls and a master board for picking the numbers, and 1,500 special bingo cards. All these can be personalized with your company’s logo and colors.

You can also order custom-made bingo cards designed with your company logo, crest or anything you wish. Custom cards like Bud Light, American Express, Growlers and Clockstop are made in different formats and colors to add more spirit to the game. Bingo papers are available in the form of separate sheets or books. They are available in different colors, sizes and patterns too.

There are many other forms of bingo supplies available in the market, such as hard cards, bingo games, bingo balls, bingo chips, bingo cages, cushions, bags, bingo for the visually impaired, daubers and more.

z-Bingo.com Bingo provides detailed information on Bingo, Bingo Equipment, Bingo Supplies, Bingo Games and more. Bingo is affiliated with e-FreeBingo.com Free Online Bingo.

A Book of Verses underneath the Bough,
A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread—and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness—
Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow!

The quatrain above comes from Edward Fitzgerald’s second edition of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, 1868. Fitzgerald’s treatments of Omar Khayyam’s poems brought the Persian poet to the attention of the western world more than 700 years after the poems were written.

Omar Khayyam

Omar Khayyam (1048-1123) was born in Nishapur, the capital city of Khurasan, Persia, now Iran. He was born Ghiyath al-Din Abul Fateh Omar Ibn Ibrahim al-Khayyam. Little is know of his early life but the name Khayyam means “tentmaker″ and signifies that either Omar or his father Ibrahim may have practiced that trade.

Omar was educated locally and completed a treatise on algebra as a youth. He came to the attention of Sultan Malik Shah who offered Omar presence in the royal court. The Vizier Nizam al-Mulk gave Omar a pension which enabled him to devote himself to research in his favorite subjects of mathematics and astronomy. He was commissioned to build an observatory in Isfahan, and he was later assigned with eight other scholars to revise the Muslim calendar. Omar published several books on astronomy and algebra which rivaled the studies of contemporary Europeans.

Though noted as a mathematician and astronomer, Omar wrote poems throughout his life. His preferred style was to write four line quatrains, and it is thought that he wrote about one thousand of them during his life. Not all of the manuscripts survived but about 600 poems have been attributed to him, though most critics agree that not all of those were written by Omar Khayyam.

The word rubaiyat is a plural noun referring to the four line quatrains that Omar wrote. Each quatrain can correctly be called a rubai. In modern convention rubaiyat now refers to a four line poem with a rhyme scheme of aaba where each line expresses a complete thought.

The major themes in Omar’s rubaiyat are the mortality of the human spirit and the fragile nature of human existence. The tone of his poems is often pessimistic. Omar writes vividly about the impossibility of understanding the universe. As a counterpoint he also writes about the wisdom of living in the moment, sharing friendship, and the conviviality of enjoying wine in the tavern.

Not surprisingly, Omar’s poems were viewed with suspicion by orthodox Muslims. Since wine and drunkenness were prohibited by Islamic law, effort was made to interpret his poems about wine metaphorically, as in spiritual or romantic intoxication.

Omar said to a student near the end of his life, “My tomb shall be in a spot where the north wind may scatter roses over it.” Omar Khayyam died in Nishapur in 1131. According to the biography by Ali ibn Azidu’l-Baihaqi, Omar called his family to hear his last wishes and said, “Oh Lord, I have known You according to the sum of my ability. Pardon me since verily my knowledge is my recommendation to You.”

Edward Fitzgerald’s Treatment

The world knew very little about Omar Khayyam’s poetry until Edward Fitzgerald’s second edition of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam in 1868. The first edition of 250 copies was published in 1859 anonymously and unnoticed. However the 1868 edition was surprisingly well received. The edition treated 101 of Omar Khayyam’s quatrains as one long poem. Many critics believed that it was an English poem with Persian allusions.

Fitzgerald did not translate Omar’s poems literally. He freely reinterpreted them and even combined some of the poems to make a whole new poem. However his translation was inspired and skillful, faithful to the soul of Omar Khayyam’s poems if not to his words.

In fact, Fitzgerald spoke of his work not as a translation but as a transmogrification. Fortunately, Fitzgerald’s work is so good that few in the western world mind the fact that some of the work is Fitzgerald’s own creation.

Fitzgerald created quatrains with iambic pentameter. That is, the meter of each line contains five feet, and each foot is iambic with an unaccented syllable followed by an accented syllable. The rhyme pattern for the four lines is aaba.

Notice the last line of “A Book of Verses underneath the Bough” where Fitzgerald chose the word enow in order to produce the final iambic foot.

Other Translations

There are numerous sources to view and read Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat in the original Farsi language.

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam has been translated into many languages worldwide. Many English translations have followed Fitzgerald’s. For interest and the sake of comparison, here are a few additional translations of the “A Book of Verses underneath the Bough” quatrain.

From the first edition by Fitzgerald, still in iambic pentameter:

Here with a Loaf of Bread beneath the Bough,
A Flask of Wine, a Book of Verse – and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness –
And Wilderness is Paradise enow.

From the 1882 edition by Edward Henry Whinfield:

In the sweet spring a grassy bank I sought
And thither wine and a fair Houri brought;
And, though the people called me graceless dog,
Gave not to Paradise another thought!

From the 1888 translation by John Leslie Garner:

Yes, Loved One, when the Laughing Spring is blowing,
With Thee beside me and the Cup o’erflowing,
I pass the day upon this Waving Meadow,
And dream the while, no thought on Heaven bestowing.

From the 1898 prose translation by Edward Heron-Allen:

I desire a little ruby wine and a book of verses,
Just enough to keep me alive, and half a loaf is needful;
And then, that I and thou should sit in a desolate place
Is better than the kingdom of a sultan.

Lastly, just for fun, here is Wendy Cope’s transcription of the struggling South London amateur poet, a character she created, Jason Strugnell’s translation:

Here with a Bag of Crisps beneath the Bough,
A Can of Beer, a Radio – and Thou
Beside me half asleep in Brockwell Park
And Brockwell Park is Paradise enow.

At least he got the enow part right.

Garry Gamber is a public school teacher and entrepreneur. He writes articles about politics, real estate, health and nutrition, and internet dating services. He is the owner of anchoragehomes.inetusanow.net Anchorage-Homes.com and thedatingadvisor.com TheDatingAdvisor.com.