Daily Entries for the week of
Sunday, February 23
through
Saturday, February 29, 2020
It’s Friday, February 28, 2020
Welcome to the 694th consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
Christian Fleetwood
Library of Congress exhibit
Sgt. Major Christain Fleetwood, Medal of Honor recipient in the American Civil War for having "Saved the regimental colors after eleven of the twelve color guards had been shot down around it." Sgt. Major was the top rank allowed to a colored soldier at that time.
Photograph credit: unknown; restored by Adam Cuerden
2.0 Commentary
Saturday and Sunday will be 38* and then temperatures will soar into the high forties and fifties, including a 60* day.
That takes us to March 6.
Winter coming to a quick end?
This guy hopes so.
While the insomnia rules it extracts time and energy from its victim.
Sluggish.
That’s me.
Getting the blog out, writing, researching, and everything else is in slow motion.
But it doesn’t slow down time.
Time marches to its own drum, familiar, predictable.
By virtue of reduced productivity, it seems to pick up spped.
A curse.
Over these last four weeks, Gary and I have been collaborating over ideas he has to enhance the natural abilities of the deaf-blind, the blind, and the impaired vision.
It’s been eye opening and a lot of fun.
For the last two weeks we’ve shared our meetings with a blind woman, Lindsay, who brings a lot to the table.
Will keep you informed.
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4.0 Chuckles/Thoughts
Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.
~Oscar Wilde
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5.0 Mail
We love getting mail.
Send comments to domcapossela@hotmail.com
Different ideas have come in for auto-substitutes, this from Ann H:
Hi,
Would it be cheaper to Uber over and back vs on line?
Blog Meister responds: It might be. But that basically implies a single destination.
I had been thinking of multiple stops.
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6.0 Dinner/Food/Recipes
Have been dabbling with crostini.
I bought the great baguettes that Tatte makes and sliced the loaf into 1” slices, freezing the slices.
Wanted one crostini for myself.
Fetched a frozen crostini.
Brushed it with garlic oil.
Set a 1” thick slice of mozzarella on it,
a 1” slice of heirloom tomato on that,
two anchovies on that,
a sprinkle of oregano.
Into the toasted oven for 5 minutes.
Amazing.
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11.0 Thumbnails
Christian Fleetwood (1840–1914) was an African-American non-commissioned officer who enlisted in the Union Army in 1863, during the American Civil War.
He was given the rank of sergeant upon enlistment, and was later promoted to sergeant major. The following year, his unit, the 4th United States Colored Infantry Regiment, took part in the Battle of Chaffin's Farm, suffering heavy casualties. When the flag-bearer was wounded, Fleetwood, along with private Charles Veale, each grabbed a flag before the colors could touch the ground, and continued through heavy enemy fire. For their actions during the battle, each man received the Medal of Honor. After the war, he worked as a bookkeeper and served in the District of Columbia National Guard.
Photograph credit: unknown; restored by Adam Cuerden
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It’s Thursday, February 27, 2020
Welcome to the 693rd consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
________________
1.0 Lead Picture
Theatrical release poster of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Atelier Ledl Bernhard (Life time: n/a) - Original publication: 1920 Immediate source: http://blackholereviews.blogspot.fr/2012/05/cabinet-of-dr-caligari-1920-fundamental.html
English: Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari poster; French: Affiche du film Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari
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2.0 Commentary
Without a car, getting to Market Basket and Costco once every other week to buy bottles and cans and cleaning products is a problem.
So, what about buying these products on line?
I checked out some prices.
Gasp!
Ordering off the Internet makes you gasp.
Dollar items picked up at the economy markets became three to five dollar items when ordered online and delivered ‘free.’
And since we typically order multiple bottles, we are paying 300% to 500% more than going ourselves.
Order product normally costing $50.00 becomes a $200.00 purchase.
My oh! My.
Who can afford that?
Very different when ordering online from established market websites.
I opened the Whole Foods website and discovered that
it will take me some time to acclimate myself to the specifics of that world.
But the prices seem fair and delivery for Prime members is free if the order is over $25.00.
Definitely worth investigation.
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April 4, 2020 will be the 730th post.
On that date, existentialautotrip.com will be two years old.
Must have a fitting party.
_____________________________
4.0 Chuckles/Thoughts
If you cannot prove a man wrong, don't panic.
You can always call him names.
~Oscar Wilde
____________________
5.0 Mail
We love getting mail.
Send comments to domcapossela@hotmail.com
This from Dom C, my beautiful son:
Hi Dad,
I just want to second that recommendation for Seafood Sam’s! I have been there multiple times with both Mino and Dick, and it’s flawless. Also, very close to the bridge so the drive is quite doable 😉
Blog Meister responds: Delighted. It’s entered onto my bucket list.
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11.0 Thumbnails
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (German: Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari) is a 1920 German silent horror film, directed by Robert Wiene and written by Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer.
Considered the quintessential work of German Expressionist cinema, it tells the story of an insane hypnotist (Werner Krauss) who uses a somnambulist (Conrad Veidt) to commit murders.
The film features a dark and twisted visual style, with sharp-pointed forms, oblique and curving lines, structures and landscapes that lean and twist in unusual angles, and shadows and streaks of light painted directly onto the sets.
The script was inspired by various experiences from the lives of Janowitz and Mayer, both pacifists who were left distrustful of authority after their experiences with the military during World War I.
The film makes use of a frame story, with a prologue and epilogue which, in a twist ending, reveals the main narrative is actually the delusion of a madman.
Janowitz has claimed this device was forced upon the writers against their will.
The film's design was handled by Hermann Warm, Walter Reimann and Walter Röhrig, who recommended a fantastic, graphic style over a naturalistic one.
The film thematizes brutal and irrational authority; Caligari represents the German war government, and Cesare is symbolic of the common man conditioned, like soldiers, to kill.
Writers and scholars have argued the film reflects a subconscious need in German society for a tyrant, and is an example of Germany's obedience to authority and unwillingness to rebel against deranged authority.
Other themes of the film include the destabilized contrast between insanity and sanity, the subjective perception of reality, and the duality of human nature.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari was released just as foreign film industries were easing restrictions on the import of German films following World War I, so it was screened internationally.
Accounts differ as to its financial and critical success upon release, but modern film critics and historians have largely praised it as a revolutionary film.
Critic Roger Ebert called it arguably "the first true horror film", and film reviewer Danny Peary called it cinema's first cult film and a precursor for arthouse films.
Considered a classic, it helped draw worldwide attention to the artistic merit of German cinema and had a major influence on American films, particularly in the genres of horror and film noir.
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It’s Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Welcome to the 692nd consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
________________
1.0 Lead Picture
The different geographical zones of the world.
The temperate zones span from either north or south of the subtropics (north of the yellow dotted line, at 40 degrees north) to the polar circles.
Maulucioni - Own work, according File:World map torrid.svg & File:World map indicating tropics and subtropics.png
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2.0 Commentary
No question that an entire Trazodone capsule puts me to sleep.
Last night I tried ½ and, to a large degree, that worked.
Not sure of it, however and the reason for that is too boring to explain in detail.
Will try the ½ again tonight.
Woke groggy although, obviously, not as groggy as the night before when
I didn’t snap out if it until my workout at Planet Fitness.
Goal is to move away from this addictive pharmaceutical as quickly as possible.
Boston sports fans are very lucky to have two terrific championship contending teams in the Celtics and the Bruins.
And, tick-tock, February slipping past without an important snowfall.
When we are gifted with a truly mild day (say, in the fifties and no wind) visiting us in the winter season, we experience an extravagant feeling of wellness brought on by a simple walk outdoors.
This occasional event, one brilliant aspect of living in a temperate zone.
Realizing that the loss of such joy will go unnoticed amid the catastrophes that global warming will bring on is saddening.
_____________________
4.0 Chuckles/Thoughts
Religion is like a blind man looking in a black room for a black cat that isn't there, and finding it.
~Oscar Wilde
__________________
5.0 Mail
We love getting mail.
Send comments to domcapossela@hotmail.com
Hi Dom,
If you ever venture to the Cape--go to Seafood Sam's in Yarmouth on Route 28. For so long I took it for granted that my parents always brought us there for the Fisherman's platter (fried). Thinking every fried seafood joint must be as good (maybe better) we've branched out--but none are better, in our opinion. Quality and bang for your buck--it's the best:) There are two others with the same name, but go to the Yarmouth one.
Cheers,
Colleen
Blog Meister responds: Love the anecdotal. Thanks for sharing, my dear.
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6.0 Dinner/Food/Recipes
So I made a fried fisherman’s platter on Monday afternoon.
The most interesting takeaway was an amended tartar sauce.
Using a high-quality real mayonnaise, I added commercial relish, chopped red onion, andtobasco sauce.
Turned out vibrant.
Delicious.
_____________________
11.0 Thumbnails
In geography, the temperate or tepid climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes, which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth.
In most climate classifications, temperate climates refer to the climate zone between 35 and 50 north and south latitudes (between the subarctic and subtropical climates).
These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout the year and more distinct seasonal changes compared to tropical climates, where such variations are often small.
They typically feature four distinct seasons, Summer the warmest, Autumn the transitioning season to Winter, the colder season, and Spring the transitioning season from winter back into summer.
In the northern hemisphere, the year starts with winter, transitions in the first half year through spring into summer, which is in mid-year, then at the second half year through autumn into winter at year-end. In the southern hemisphere, the seasons are swapped, with summer between years and winter in mid-year.
The temperate zones (latitudes from 23.5° to the polar circles at about 66.5°, north and south) are where the widest seasonal changes occur, with most climates found in it having some influence from both the tropics and the poles.
The subtropics (latitudes from about 23.5° to 35°, north and south) have temperate climates that have the least seasonal change and the warmest in winter, while at the other end, Boreal climates located from 55 to 65 north latitude have the most seasonal changes and long and severe winters.
In temperate climates, not only do latitudinal positions influence temperature changes, but sea currents, prevailing wind direction, continentality (how large a landmass is), and altitude also shape temperate climates.
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It’s Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Welcome to the 691st consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
________________
1.0 Lead Picture
Bing Crosby
CBS Radio - eBay front back
Photo of Bing Crosby.
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2.0 Commentary
Tuesday I woke after my first ‘normal’ sleep in four weeks.
In bed at 11.30pm Monday, awake at 4.30am to morning coffee and
to regular chores.
This after taking 12mg of melatonin and 1 tablet of Trazodone.
Stayed a little groggy however until I got to the club and worked out.
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I’ve been on this quest for a satisfying fisherman’s platter, not even finding one at Legal Seafood. There, I had to order an extra plate of fried clams to get the balance I wanted.
But none of what I ate was knockout.
I’ll have to drive out to the North Shore and retry the Clam Shack and Woodman’s.
But then I asked, “Try the fried clams Dom’s used to make for the rock groups who asked. Word got around. Many did ask.
At Dom’s we used little neck clams and, after battering them, fried them in butter. I’ll do that, I said. I also bought some fresh baby shrimp and large wild scallops, a nice selection. I wanted to add chicken drumsticks but I forgot Eataly’s doesn’t carry chicken parts and will have to do without.
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While we will be getting some 30* days over the weekend, February will slip past without a major snowstorm.
For a while, and for selected locations, global warming will bring some benefits.
But even we in the Northeast who can do without harsh winters realize that we are at the beginning of the disastrous effects brought on by our quest for a ‘better life.’
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4.0 Chuckles/Thoughts
Everyone may not be good, but there's always something good in everyone.
Never judge anyone shortly because every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.
~Oscar Wilde
__________________
5.0 Mail
We love getting mail.
Send comments to domcapossela@hotmail.com
This from Sally C:
It is highly evident that you all had a grand time. I often say that Colleen is a peach; it's clear that all the rest of them are fruit from the same branch.
What fun!
Sally
Blog Meister responds: It was just that.
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11.0 Thumbnails
Billboard published its first popular albums chart, at the time known as Best-Selling Popular Record Albums, in 1945. The chart was first published in the magazine dated March 24 and included ten positions, "based on reports received from more than 200 dealers" throughout the United States.
In the 40 weeks that followed, eight albums by five different artists reached the top.
The first number-one album on the chart was the King Cole Trio's self-titled debut released by Capitol. It topped the charts for three weeks until it was replaced by the soundtrack of Song of Norway, an operetta, written by Robert Wright and George Forrest.
The soundtrack reached number one for one more week in May. Glenn Miller, a compilation album recorded by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra released posthumously by Victor, topped the charts for two weeks in May and later in summer for an additional six weeks. The album was certified gold 23 years after its release by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of 500,000 or more unit
The second album credited to an original cast to top the chart was Carousel, released by Decca. The musical was composed by Rodgers and Hammerstein and was atop for six consecutive weeks in August and September.[6][7] Bing Crosby was the only artist to have two albums atop the chart: Selections from Going My Way for six weeks and Merry Christmas for four weeks.[8][9][10] The latter album was certified gold by the RIAA in November 1970.[11] King Cole Trio was the longest reigning album of the year with 12 weeks at number one, followed by Glenn Miller with seven weeks. Albums released by Decca topped the charts for a total of 18 weeks, followed by Capitol at 17 weeks and Victor for 9 weeks.
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It’s Monday, February 24, 2020
Welcome to the 690th consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
________________
1.0 Lead Picture
The Gettys at Dom’s for dinner and a movie.
See 2.0 Commentary, immediately below, for some more words.
For some excellent action photos, scroll down to 11.0 Thumbnails in this section.
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2.0 Commentary
Reported on the dinner party I hosted Friday night and what a ball it was.
Today I received photos from my dear friend, Colleen G, that bring back the flavor of that night.
Visiting with children stressful for parents who their kids will be well-behaved; will eat well; will not be bored.
The photos show just how hands-on the lids were, from dressing the salad to adding the ramiolis to the hot water to carving the meat.
And they a lot.
That’s an understatement.
And they were all fully into the movie, including several discussions to make sure all of them, including very young Charlie, always knew what was unfolding, especially the more subtle details.
They were fascinated.
A lovely Friday.
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And that followed by an equally lovely Saturday with Gary Batos, wife-college teacher, Micky, and their six-year-old, Y Y.
We had a multi-course dinner, Slow-Roasted Duck being the feature, with attendant wines.
Micky brought some Tripe made in a Chinese style which I have saved to eat today.
_______________________________________
So sleep continues odd.
I took a full tablet of the prescribed Trazodone 30 minutes before bedtime.
After a mere 1-hour sleep the night before, felt certain sleep would come easily.
And sleep did come almost immediately.
But I woke at 1.00am.
Knew that trying to immediately fall back to sleep would be tense and frustrating and futile, I got up and had my breakfast: an egg on a small piece of toast with a quality mayonnaise, a half a jelly, and 1 ½ cups of coffee.
I shaved.
Not otherwise productive the three hours I stayed awake, I returned to bed and fell instantly to sleep.
This time I slept until 9.00am.
A wonderful event.
I did feel a little groggy, a 3 on a 10 scale.
I assumed it was the aftereffects of the Trazonoe.
Work status:
The back-to-back multi-course dinner parties may well result in a second delay of my podcast posting.
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4.0 Chuckles/Thoughts
A positive thinker does not refuse to recognize the negative; he refuses to dwell on it.
Positive thinking is a form of thought which habitually looks for the best results from the worst conditions
~Norman Vincent Peale
__________________
5.0 Mail
We love getting mail.
Send comments to domcapossela@hotmail.com
This from Gary B of Echobatix:
Hi, Dom,
Thanks so much for a lovely evening.
We're all well fed, and now our fridge is stuffed, too.
And wow! that was some mighty fine duck.
Micky was talking about it on the way home in the taxi.
And those were absolutely delightful wines.
I remembered mentioning savory: I use it in scrambled eggs in place of pepper. Michael Dulock has used it in sausage for similar reasons; he and I had a conversation about savory maybe a year or two ago. I first read about savory in a book about European cuisine of the Middle Ages. At the time I was researching a story I was writing.
Blog Meister responds: So much fun for me. Y Y is special. Takes after his parents.
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It’s Sunday, February 23, 2020
Welcome to the 690th consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
Tarvasjõgi at Kõrvemaa Nature Park in Estonia.
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4.0 Chuckles/Thoughts
Life is short, Break the Rules.
Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly.
Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably And
never regret ANYTHING That makes you smile.
~Mark Twain
__________________
5.0 Mail
We love getting mail.
Send comments to domcapossela@hotmail.com
This from Sally C:
Dear Dom,
My recently deceased friend Annmarie was blind from birth.
We became fast friends when she joined my church several years ago.
She was feisty, independent, and loads of fun.
She taught me more than I will ever realize, as I learned how best to accommodate her needs, which were pretty minimal, when we did things together.
A few years ago, she had retired from her profession as a medical transcriptionist, and I came to call her "Old Eagle Eye" for her unfailing ability to proofread stuff I wrote.
Most of all I miss her wicked, often naughty, and quirky sense of humor. (She used to tell the children at our church that she was afraid of the dark.)
As much as I miss her, I always laugh when she comes to mind.
No doubt your new friend will enrich your life similarly, partly because of who she is and partly because of who you are.
Sally
Blog Meister responds: Lovely thoughts my dear. I do hope to see Lindsay regularly as we embark on our venture.
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6.0 Dinner/Food/Recipes
I have a recipe for Clam Soup that I’ll be trying one of these days.
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11.0 Thumbnails
The Tarvasjõgi is a 30-kilometre-long (19 mi) river in Estonia.
It is a tributary of the Jäneda, which in turn flows into the Jägala and thence to the Baltic Sea, and has a 64.7-square-kilometre (25.0 sq mi) drainage basin.
The lead picture shows the Tarvasjõgi flowing through a forested landscape in the Põhja-Kõrvemaa Nature Reserve.
The area was scoured by glaciers, the most recent one retreating 12,000 years ago, and displays diverse features, including eskers, sand and gravel kames, fens, sandy heaths, bogs, and more than thirty lakes.
Almost half of the reserve is covered by bog and riparian forests, with a forest cover of 40 percent consisting mostly of coniferous trees.
Wolves, Eurasian lynxes and brown bears can be found here, as well as protected birds such as black storks, golden eagles, western capercaillies and common cranes.
It’s Thursday, February 27, 2020
Welcome to the 693rd consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
Theatrical release poster of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Atelier Ledl Bernhard (Life time: n/a) - Original publication: 1920 Immediate source: http://blackholereviews.blogspot.fr/2012/05/cabinet-of-dr-caligari-1920-fundamental.html
English: Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari poster; French: Affiche du film Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari
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2.0 Commentary
Without a car, getting to Market Basket and Costco once every other week to buy bottles and cans and cleaning products is a problem.
So, what about buying these products on line?
I checked out some prices.
Gasp!
Ordering off the Internet makes you gasp.
Dollar items picked up at the economy markets became three to five dollar items when ordered online and delivered ‘free.’
And since we typically order multiple bottles, we are paying 300% to 500% more than going ourselves.
Order product normally costing $50.00 becomes a $200.00 purchase.
My oh! My.
Who can afford that?
Very different when ordering online from established market websites.
I opened the Whole Foods website and discovered that
it will take me some time to acclimate myself to the specifics of that world.
But the prices seem fair and delivery for Prime members is free if the order is over $25.00.
Definitely worth investigation.
_________________________________________________
April 4, 2020 will be the 730th post.
On that date, existentialautotrip.com will be two years old.
Must have a fitting party.
_____________________________
4.0 Chuckles/Thoughts
If you cannot prove a man wrong, don't panic.
You can always call him names.
~Oscar Wilde
____________________
5.0 Mail
We love getting mail.
Send comments to domcapossela@hotmail.com
This from Dom C, my beautiful son:
Hi Dad,
I just want to second that recommendation for Seafood Sam’s! I have been there multiple times with both Mino and Dick, and it’s flawless. Also, very close to the bridge so the drive is quite doable 😉
Blog Meister responds: Delighted. It’s entered onto my bucket list.
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11.0 Thumbnails
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (German: Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari) is a 1920 German silent horror film, directed by Robert Wiene and written by Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer.
Considered the quintessential work of German Expressionist cinema, it tells the story of an insane hypnotist (Werner Krauss) who uses a somnambulist (Conrad Veidt) to commit murders.
The film features a dark and twisted visual style, with sharp-pointed forms, oblique and curving lines, structures and landscapes that lean and twist in unusual angles, and shadows and streaks of light painted directly onto the sets.
The script was inspired by various experiences from the lives of Janowitz and Mayer, both pacifists who were left distrustful of authority after their experiences with the military during World War I.
The film makes use of a frame story, with a prologue and epilogue which, in a twist ending, reveals the main narrative is actually the delusion of a madman.
Janowitz has claimed this device was forced upon the writers against their will.
The film's design was handled by Hermann Warm, Walter Reimann and Walter Röhrig, who recommended a fantastic, graphic style over a naturalistic one.
The film thematizes brutal and irrational authority; Caligari represents the German war government, and Cesare is symbolic of the common man conditioned, like soldiers, to kill.
Writers and scholars have argued the film reflects a subconscious need in German society for a tyrant, and is an example of Germany's obedience to authority and unwillingness to rebel against deranged authority.
Other themes of the film include the destabilized contrast between insanity and sanity, the subjective perception of reality, and the duality of human nature.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari was released just as foreign film industries were easing restrictions on the import of German films following World War I, so it was screened internationally.
Accounts differ as to its financial and critical success upon release, but modern film critics and historians have largely praised it as a revolutionary film.
Critic Roger Ebert called it arguably "the first true horror film", and film reviewer Danny Peary called it cinema's first cult film and a precursor for arthouse films.
Considered a classic, it helped draw worldwide attention to the artistic merit of German cinema and had a major influence on American films, particularly in the genres of horror and film noir.
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It’s Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Welcome to the 692nd consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
The different geographical zones of the world.
The temperate zones span from either north or south of the subtropics (north of the yellow dotted line, at 40 degrees north) to the polar circles.
Maulucioni - Own work, according File:World map torrid.svg & File:World map indicating tropics and subtropics.png
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2.0 Commentary
No question that an entire Trazodone capsule puts me to sleep.
Last night I tried ½ and, to a large degree, that worked.
Not sure of it, however and the reason for that is too boring to explain in detail.
Will try the ½ again tonight.
Woke groggy although, obviously, not as groggy as the night before when
I didn’t snap out if it until my workout at Planet Fitness.
Goal is to move away from this addictive pharmaceutical as quickly as possible.
Boston sports fans are very lucky to have two terrific championship contending teams in the Celtics and the Bruins.
And, tick-tock, February slipping past without an important snowfall.
When we are gifted with a truly mild day (say, in the fifties and no wind) visiting us in the winter season, we experience an extravagant feeling of wellness brought on by a simple walk outdoors.
This occasional event, one brilliant aspect of living in a temperate zone.
Realizing that the loss of such joy will go unnoticed amid the catastrophes that global warming will bring on is saddening.
_____________________
4.0 Chuckles/Thoughts
Religion is like a blind man looking in a black room for a black cat that isn't there, and finding it.
~Oscar Wilde
__________________
5.0 Mail
We love getting mail.
Send comments to domcapossela@hotmail.com
Hi Dom,
If you ever venture to the Cape--go to Seafood Sam's in Yarmouth on Route 28. For so long I took it for granted that my parents always brought us there for the Fisherman's platter (fried). Thinking every fried seafood joint must be as good (maybe better) we've branched out--but none are better, in our opinion. Quality and bang for your buck--it's the best:) There are two others with the same name, but go to the Yarmouth one.
Cheers,
Colleen
Blog Meister responds: Love the anecdotal. Thanks for sharing, my dear.
___________________________
6.0 Dinner/Food/Recipes
So I made a fried fisherman’s platter on Monday afternoon.
The most interesting takeaway was an amended tartar sauce.
Using a high-quality real mayonnaise, I added commercial relish, chopped red onion, andtobasco sauce.
Turned out vibrant.
Delicious.
_____________________
11.0 Thumbnails
In geography, the temperate or tepid climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes, which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth.
In most climate classifications, temperate climates refer to the climate zone between 35 and 50 north and south latitudes (between the subarctic and subtropical climates).
These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout the year and more distinct seasonal changes compared to tropical climates, where such variations are often small.
They typically feature four distinct seasons, Summer the warmest, Autumn the transitioning season to Winter, the colder season, and Spring the transitioning season from winter back into summer.
In the northern hemisphere, the year starts with winter, transitions in the first half year through spring into summer, which is in mid-year, then at the second half year through autumn into winter at year-end. In the southern hemisphere, the seasons are swapped, with summer between years and winter in mid-year.
The temperate zones (latitudes from 23.5° to the polar circles at about 66.5°, north and south) are where the widest seasonal changes occur, with most climates found in it having some influence from both the tropics and the poles.
The subtropics (latitudes from about 23.5° to 35°, north and south) have temperate climates that have the least seasonal change and the warmest in winter, while at the other end, Boreal climates located from 55 to 65 north latitude have the most seasonal changes and long and severe winters.
In temperate climates, not only do latitudinal positions influence temperature changes, but sea currents, prevailing wind direction, continentality (how large a landmass is), and altitude also shape temperate climates.
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It’s Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Welcome to the 691st consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
Bing Crosby
CBS Radio - eBay front back
Photo of Bing Crosby.
Bing Crosby
CBS Radio - eBay front back
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2.0 Commentary
Tuesday I woke after my first ‘normal’ sleep in four weeks.
In bed at 11.30pm Monday, awake at 4.30am to morning coffee and
to regular chores.
This after taking 12mg of melatonin and 1 tablet of Trazodone.
Stayed a little groggy however until I got to the club and worked out.
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I’ve been on this quest for a satisfying fisherman’s platter, not even finding one at Legal Seafood. There, I had to order an extra plate of fried clams to get the balance I wanted.
But none of what I ate was knockout.
I’ll have to drive out to the North Shore and retry the Clam Shack and Woodman’s.
But then I asked, “Try the fried clams Dom’s used to make for the rock groups who asked. Word got around. Many did ask.
At Dom’s we used little neck clams and, after battering them, fried them in butter. I’ll do that, I said. I also bought some fresh baby shrimp and large wild scallops, a nice selection. I wanted to add chicken drumsticks but I forgot Eataly’s doesn’t carry chicken parts and will have to do without.
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While we will be getting some 30* days over the weekend, February will slip past without a major snowstorm.
For a while, and for selected locations, global warming will bring some benefits.
But even we in the Northeast who can do without harsh winters realize that we are at the beginning of the disastrous effects brought on by our quest for a ‘better life.’
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4.0 Chuckles/Thoughts
Everyone may not be good, but there's always something good in everyone.
Never judge anyone shortly because every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.
~Oscar Wilde
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5.0 Mail
We love getting mail.
Send comments to domcapossela@hotmail.com
This from Sally C:
It is highly evident that you all had a grand time. I often say that Colleen is a peach; it's clear that all the rest of them are fruit from the same branch.
What fun!
Sally
Blog Meister responds: It was just that.
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11.0 Thumbnails
Billboard published its first popular albums chart, at the time known as Best-Selling Popular Record Albums, in 1945. The chart was first published in the magazine dated March 24 and included ten positions, "based on reports received from more than 200 dealers" throughout the United States.
In the 40 weeks that followed, eight albums by five different artists reached the top.
The first number-one album on the chart was the King Cole Trio's self-titled debut released by Capitol. It topped the charts for three weeks until it was replaced by the soundtrack of Song of Norway, an operetta, written by Robert Wright and George Forrest.
The soundtrack reached number one for one more week in May. Glenn Miller, a compilation album recorded by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra released posthumously by Victor, topped the charts for two weeks in May and later in summer for an additional six weeks. The album was certified gold 23 years after its release by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of 500,000 or more unit
The second album credited to an original cast to top the chart was Carousel, released by Decca. The musical was composed by Rodgers and Hammerstein and was atop for six consecutive weeks in August and September.[6][7] Bing Crosby was the only artist to have two albums atop the chart: Selections from Going My Way for six weeks and Merry Christmas for four weeks.[8][9][10] The latter album was certified gold by the RIAA in November 1970.[11] King Cole Trio was the longest reigning album of the year with 12 weeks at number one, followed by Glenn Miller with seven weeks. Albums released by Decca topped the charts for a total of 18 weeks, followed by Capitol at 17 weeks and Victor for 9 weeks.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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It’s Monday, February 24, 2020
Welcome to the 690th consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
She not only bakes cookies for the chef, she also sits him down while she prepares dinner.
I’ll take two of those.
See 2.0 Commentary, immediately below, for some more words.
For some excellent action photos, scroll down to 11.0 Thumbnails in this section.
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2.0 Commentary
Reported on the dinner party I hosted Friday night and what a ball it was.
Today I received photos from my dear friend, Colleen G, that bring back the flavor of that night.
Visiting with children stressful for parents who hope their kids will be well-behaved; will eat well; will not be bored.
The photos show just how hands-on the kids were, from dressing the salad to adding the raviolis to the hot water to carving the meat.
And they ate a lot.
That’s an understatement.
And they were all fully into the movie, including several discussions to make sure all of them, including very young Charlie, always knew what was unfolding, especially the more subtle details.
They were fascinated.
A lovely Friday.
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And that followed by an equally lovely Saturday with Gary Batos, wife-college teacher, Micky, and their six-year-old, Y Y.
We had a multi-course dinner, Slow-Roasted Duck being the feature, with attendant wines.
Micky brought some Tripe made in a Chinese style which I have saved to eat today.
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So sleep continues odd.
I took a full tablet of the prescribed Trazodone 30 minutes before bedtime.
After a mere 1-hour sleep the night before, felt certain sleep would come easily.
And sleep did come almost immediately.
But I woke at 1.00am.
Knew that trying to immediately fall back to sleep would be tense and frustrating and futile, I got up and had my breakfast: an egg on a small piece of toast with a quality mayonnaise, a half a jelly, and 1 ½ cups of coffee.
I shaved.
Not otherwise productive the three hours I stayed awake, I returned to bed and fell instantly to sleep.
This time I slept until 9.00am.
A wonderful event.
I did feel a little groggy, a 3 on a 10 scale.
I assumed it was the aftereffects of the Trazodone.
Work status:
The back-to-back multi-course dinner parties may well result in a second delay of my podcast posting.
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4.0 Chuckles/Thoughts
A positive thinker does not refuse to recognize the negative; he refuses to dwell on it.
Positive thinking is a form of thought which habitually looks for the best results from the worst conditions
~Norman Vincent Peale
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5.0 Mail
We love getting mail.
Send comments to domcapossela@hotmail.com
This from Gary B of Echobatix:
Hi, Dom,
Thanks so much for a lovely evening.
We're all well fed, and now our fridge is stuffed, too.
And wow! that was some mighty fine duck.
Micky was talking about it on the way home in the taxi.
And those were absolutely delightful wines.
I remembered mentioning savory: I use it in scrambled eggs in place of pepper. Michael Dulock has used it in sausage for similar reasons; he and I had a conversation about savory maybe a year or two ago. I first read about savory in a book about European cuisine of the Middle Ages. At the time I was researching a story I was writing.
Blog Meister responds: So much fun for me. Y Y is special. Takes after his parents.
11.0 Thumbnails
Dressing the Salad
Mad Madeline: she’s a carver
The full catastrophe
Add salt carefully
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It’s Sunday, February 23, 2020
Welcome to the 690th consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
Tarvasjõgi at Kõrvemaa Nature Park in Estonia.
Ireen Trummer - Own work
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2.0 Commentary
The Getty family, four children, ages 4 to 12, permitted me to participate with their family idiom, sharing a meal and movie with me.
First I should say, that as much as I admire Colleen as a mother, I believe she put her family on a liquids-only diet for the last two weeks, as evidenced by the vast quantities of food consumed, led by the youngest and tiniest, Charlie, who got up for three additional helpings.
I acknowledge that I cook well but good taste could not account for their prodigious appetites.
:}
They were a pleasure.
Their enthusiasms made me glow.
And then we all watched “Fly Away Home,” perfect for the age group.
The movie fascinated them.
Their company mesmerized me.
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690 posts today.
Reminding me that @ 730 posts we have our second anniversary.
Celebration time.
Just have to figure the exact date.
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So sleep continues a problem.
Tonight must try a full tablet of the prescribed Trazodone.
Unfortunately, today’s functionality is impaired and I am almost certain I will not stay on schedule with today’s podcast.
I’ll be a day late.
I’m sorry I will disappoint so many people.
On the other hand, I’m edified so many people follow the book.
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4.0 Chuckles/Thoughts
Life is short, Break the Rules.
Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly.
Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably And
never regret ANYTHING That makes you smile.
~Mark Twain
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5.0 Mail
We love getting mail.
Send comments to domcapossela@hotmail.com
This from Sally C:
Dear Dom,
My recently deceased friend Annmarie was blind from birth.
We became fast friends when she joined my church several years ago.
She was feisty, independent, and loads of fun.
She taught me more than I will ever realize, as I learned how best to accommodate her needs, which were pretty minimal, when we did things together.
A few years ago, she had retired from her profession as a medical transcriptionist, and I came to call her "Old Eagle Eye" for her unfailing ability to proofread stuff I wrote.
Most of all I miss her wicked, often naughty, and quirky sense of humor. (She used to tell the children at our church that she was afraid of the dark.)
As much as I miss her, I always laugh when she comes to mind.
No doubt your new friend will enrich your life similarly, partly because of who she is and partly because of who you are.
Sally
Blog Meister responds: Lovely thoughts my dear. I do hope to see Lindsay regularly as we embark on our venture.
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6.0 Dinner/Food/Recipes
I have a recipe for Clam Soup that I’ll be trying one of these days.
What attracts me is the layers of complexity that add interest to simply clams stramed open in a clear broth.
I like, for example, our clam chowder that adds celery, for example. It’s a perfect complement to the traditional recipe.
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11.0 Thumbnails
The Tarvasjõgi is a 30-kilometre-long (19 mi) river in Estonia.
It is a tributary of the Jäneda, which in turn flows into the Jägala and thence to the Baltic Sea, and has a 64.7-square-kilometre (25.0 sq mi) drainage basin.
The lead picture shows the Tarvasjõgi flowing through a forested landscape in the Põhja-Kõrvemaa Nature Reserve.
The area was scoured by glaciers, the most recent one retreating 12,000 years ago, and displays diverse features, including eskers, sand and gravel kames, fens, sandy heaths, bogs, and more than thirty lakes.
Almost half of the reserve is covered by bog and riparian forests, with a forest cover of 40 percent consisting mostly of coniferous trees.
Wolves, Eurasian lynxes and brown bears can be found here, as well as protected birds such as black storks, golden eagles, western capercaillies and common cranes.