Friday Snippets and Soundbites

• The inspiration for the “Mona Lisa” was identified this week. German academics announced that Lisa Gherardini, the 16th century wife of a Florentine merchant long thought to be the model for Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting, was indeed da Vinci's muse.

• The U.S. House of Representatives is going green. Well, at least the cafeterias are. Fatty, pre-made foods have been replaced with healthier choices. Congressional employees are now drinking their coffee out of cups made from corn starch, sorting and recycling their garbage, and making salads at a salad bar constructed from "green materials." Nearly everything—from plates to utensils to straws—is biodegradable. Read more about the newer, greener Congress here. Discuss taking care of the environment more at ec's Facebook page.

• Does something sound familiar on some of those commercials for the new season of "American Idol"? If you're a fan of the Robbie Seay Band, you'll probably recognize their song "Rise" from "American Idol's" current ad campaign."I've always been passionate about 'Rise,'" says Robbie Seay. "It's a song written from my own frustration of living a life so centered on me that it becomes too busy and distracted. It's about slowing down enough to see the great need of people both near and far and acting on that need."

• A songwriters' retreat involving well-known Christian songwriters such as Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael W. Smith, Martin Smith (Delirious?), Darlene Zschech, and Mat Redman (of "Heart of Worship" fame) concluded this week in Scotland. The group came together for the Compassionart songwriters' retreat in an effort to complete 10-12 new songs. All of the proceeds from the songs will be used to create ongoing global relief for those living in poverty. The writers completed 22 songs and recorded them at the house in Scotland. Check out journalist Christa Banister's blogs about the event.

• Former chess world champion Bobby Fischer died yesterday. He was 64. Fischer received recognition for his chess skills as a teen in the 1950s. He was a U.S. chess champion at 14 and a grand master by age 15. He became the world chess champion in 1972. His later years are characterized by odd behavior, anti-American rhetoric, and sometimes, anti-Semitism. Read more about Bobby Fischer here.