words and the moon...

I love words. Here are a couple I have only recently come in contact with, and thought to share. It’s also a hint to coming attractions. No, I haven’t developed any sudden urges to dance to excess; I’m talking location. Stay with me people.

tarantism |ˈtarənˌtizəm|
noun
a psychological illness characterized by an extreme impulse to dance, prevalent in southern Italy from the 15th to the 17th century, and widely believed at the time to have been caused by the bite of a tarantula.

ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: from Italian tarantismo, from the name of the seaport Taranto , after which the tarantula is also named. Compare with tarantella .

tarantella |ˌtarənˈtelə| (also tarantelle |-ˈtel|)
noun
a rapid whirling dance originating in southern Italy.
• a piece of music written in fast 6/8 time in the style of this dance.
ORIGIN late 18th cent.: Italian, from the name of the seaport Taranto ; so named because it was thought to be a cure for tarantism, the victim dancing the tarantella until exhausted. See also tarantula .

Think azure seas, brilliant wine, food that only be called luscious, a setting right out of Versailles or Hampton Court, and romance worthy of “An Affair to Remember” or “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” (without the ordnance)… And, there was a tango. Um huh.

I have to rest up a bit, and then I will tell you.

Meanwhile..
Total lunar eclipse in Morocco on Wednesday
Rabat, Feb. 18 - Moroccans will have the chance to appreciate a rare total lunar eclipse this Wednesday night (00h30), the last of its kind until 2010.


A total lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, Earth and moon line up with the Earth in the middle. The Earth throws a shadow across the moon, so no sunlight illuminates the moon's face.
The total eclipse portion begins just after midnight. That's when the moon completely enters the Earth's dark (umbra) shadow, taking on a dark red or rusty appearance.
Although no direct sunlight reaches the Moon during an umbral eclipse, a small amount of long-wavelength (red) sunlight bending through the Earth's thin atmosphere gives it some illumination.
After the total lunar eclipse ends, the Moon will pass through the penumbral shadow, where a slight darkening of the Moon may be noticed.
No special filters or optical instruments are necessary to view this phenomenon, and, unlike a solar eclipse, it is entirely safe to watch.

Ciao.