Daily Entries for the week of
Sunday, October 4, 2020
through
Saturday, October 10, 2020
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It’s Saturday, October 10, 2020
Welcome to the 903rd consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
Gretchen Whitmer, Governor of Michigan
Julia Pickett - Own work
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer at round table with High School students
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2.0 Commentary
Some are using the outrageous comments coming from the President as cause to invoke the 25th Amendment. For myself, comparing statements made by candidate Trump to post-virus Trump, I don’t see much difference is the level of sanity.
Tuesday is barely more than this weekend away and
Tuesday will mark three weeks before the election.
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3.0 Tuscany, extracting an essence
Continue to work on the first day we wake in Tuscany.
This day will divide up equally among museum visits, a leisurely drive through gorgeous countryside, and a lovely dinner.
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4.0 Chuckles and Thoughts
A child reminds us that playtime is an essential part of our daily routine.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
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5.0 Conversation
We love getting mail, email, or texts.
Send comments to domcapossela@hotmail.com
or text to 617.852.7192
At the café today, an informal meeting occurred among several of us regulars.
The cold is driving all café patrons inside,
while inside only half the tables that were available last year are available now,
creating an uneasy competition.
Because we arrive at different times, one of us regulars always finds a table.
By easy agreement, we, hitherto so protective of our space,
but aware that one of us regulars arriving later may not find a table,
invited each other who may walk into the café and not find one, to share our table.
Feeling like a conspirator in a price-fixing scheme.
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6.0 Dinner/Food/Recipes
Thursday night we ate a large pasta, Tufoli, with a delicious Gravy made of meatballs, pork ribs, and short ribs.
Beginning dinner with a turkey soup.
The food and the company were terrific.
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7. “Conflicted” podcast
Conflicted, by Dom Capossela, is a spiritual/fantasy story about a sixteen-year-old mystic-warrior conflicted internally by her self-imposed alienation from God, her spiritual wellspring, and, externally, by the forces of darkness seeking her death or ruination.
https://soundcloud.com/user-449713331/sets/conflicted-dom-capossela
The podcasts are also available on Sound Cloud, iTunes, Stitcher, Pinterest, Pocket Cast, and Facebook.
Search: dom capossela or conflicted or both
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On October 8, 2020, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced the arrests of 13 armed militia members who plotted to kidnap Gretchen Whitmer, Governor of Michigan.
Six of the suspects were charged with federal crimes, while the other seven were charged with state crimes.
Preceding the 2020 United States elections, law enforcement officials, members of Congress, and groups tracking extremism in the country have warned about the increasing threat potential from militia and far-right groups.
The Anti-Defamation League identified Michigan as a state where the modern militia movement found its roots and where a number of militia groups remain active.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the main target of the plot, had been a target of criticism from far-right groups for her response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan, in which she enacted strict mitigation measures, including a lockdown of the state.
These measures triggered protests in April and May, including one in which armed protesters stormed the Michigan State Capitol.
President Donald Trump had offered his support for the protests, once tweeting on April 17: "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!"
There had been reports earlier in the year about private Facebook groups making threatening posts about Whitmer.
In April, a Detroit man was charged with threatening to kill Whitmer and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.
In March 2020, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) became aware of the plot through social media chats concerning the violent overthrow of state governments and law enforcement.[20] The FBI started infiltrating the group online and in person with informants in June, according to a criminal complaint.
The plot was reportedly hatched on June 6, during one of the group's meetings in Dublin, Ohio, a suburb located northwest of Columbus.
During a "field training event" on June 14, the plotters reportedly discussed recruiting up to 200 people to "storm" the Michigan State Capitol, take Whitmer and others as hostages, and use Molotov cocktails to keep police at bay.
There were also discussions of attacking a Michigan State Police station.
They bought weapons such as an 800,000-volt taser and held training and planning meetings.
They also brought in a member of another militia, who later became an informant for the FBI in the investigation, but the second militia's involvement in the plot was kept minimal.
At some point, the plan shifted to kidnapping Whitmer at her private vacation home north of Elk Rapids[a] and taking her to a location in Wisconsin while attacking a highway with improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to divert police attention or slow law enforcement response. The group purportedly rehearsed their plans and plotted for months ahead of time, discussing hiring a real estate agent to find the home and get advance knowledge of the surrounding area. In August and September, they conducted surveillance on the home. They also tested two IEDs, but both of them failed. The suspects planned to try Whitmer for treason before November 3, the day of the election, and "unite others in their cause and take violent action against multiple state governments that they believe are violating the U.S. Constitution."
They also discussed starting a second civil war "leading to societal collapse", and creating a new society that adhered to the U.S. Bill of Rights.
The plot was thwarted with the arrests of all the members involved on the night of October 7, with charges being laid against them the next day. Search warrants and arrests were executed all across Michigan. The arrests were reportedly part of a planned effort between federal and state authorities, and not in response to an imminent threat. At least seven FBI field offices, along with the operational divisions at the J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington, D.C., were reportedly involved in coordinating the arrests.
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It’s Friday, October 9, 20, 2020
Welcome to the 902nd consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
Vice President Michael Pence
poses for his official portrait at The White House, in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, October 24, 2017. (Official White House Photo by D. Myles Cullen)
D. Myles Cullen - White House
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2.0 Commentary
Trump continues to trail badly in the polls.
Kamala Harris and Mike Pence held their debate.
Snap polls had Kamala ‘winning’ by 59% to 38%.
My own feelings were a closer result.
The debate had little impact on either campaign.
The next debate between President Trump and Joseph R. Biden Jr. will be held virtually, rather than in person, because of health concerns about the coronavirus, the Commission on Presidential Debates said on Thursday.
Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden had been scheduled to debate on the same stage in Miami on Oct. 15.
President Trump’s immediate response was to say that he will not do it.
That response is probably precipitous, perhaps because of his medication.
The President needs dramatic events to close the huge polling gap he is suffering from.
One of his objections to the virtual format, “They cut you off whenever they want.”
The Biden campaign said they will participate.
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3.0 Tuscany, extracting an essence
After the letdown caused by discovering that our two most impactful museum visits in the countryside portion will be severely restricted as to time spent in front of the two sets f frescoes, our attention turned to we refocused our first day from a museum morning and afternoon to a pleasant drive through the Tuscan countryside.
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4.0 Chuckles and Thoughts
Men succeed when they realize that their failures are the preparation for their victories.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
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5.0 Mail and other Conversation
We love getting mail, email, or texts.
We watched the debate.
Both of the women at the event declared Kamala the winner.
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6.0 Dinner/Food/Recipes
Here is the method we use to create a cold cut sandwich:
Sandwich meats:
prosciutto
salami
cheese
mortadella
pheasant, leftover from roast, sliced thinly
Hot dog, cooked and then thinly-sliced lengthways
Aromatics chopped fine:
red onion
heirloom tomatoes
olives
vinegar peppers
Spread for bread:
avocado and mustard mixed together
Make Sandwich
Spread the avocado/mustard over the bottom of the baguette
Layer the cold cuts and cheese into the baguette
Spread a generous layer of the Aromatics over the cold cuts
Final Touch
extra virgin olive oil squirted over the cold cuts
Final Final Touch:
Make a big, cold, powerful gin and tonic.
Or a coke.
Beer.
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7. “Conflicted” podcast
Conflicted, by Dom Capossela, is a spiritual/fantasy story about a sixteen-year-old mystic-warrior conflicted internally by her self-imposed alienation from God, her spiritual wellspring, and, externally, by the forces of darkness seeking her death or ruination.
https://soundcloud.com/user-449713331/sets/conflicted-dom-capossela
The podcasts are also available on Sound Cloud, iTunes, Stitcher, Pinterest, Pocket Cast, and Facebook.
Search: dom capossela or conflicted or both
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Michael Richard Pence (born June 7, 1959) is an American politician and attorney serving as the 48th and current vice president of the United States, since 2017.
He previously was the 50th governor of Indiana from 2013 to 2017 and a member of the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013.
Pence was born and raised in Columbus, Indiana, and is the younger brother of U.S. representative Greg Pence. He graduated from Hanover College and earned a law degree from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law before entering private practice.
After losing two bids for a congressional seat in 1988 and 1990, he became a conservative radio and television talk show host from 1994 to 1999.
Pence was elected to the United States Congress in 2000 and represented Indiana’s 2nd and 6th congressional districts in the House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013.
He served as the chairman of the House Republican Conference from 2009 to 2011. Pence described himself as a "principled conservative" and supporter of the Tea Party movement, stating that he was "a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order.”
Pence successfully sought the Republican nomination for the 2012 Indiana gubernatorial election when term-limited Mitch Daniels retired. He defeated former Indiana House speaker John R. Gregg in the closest gubernatorial election in 50 years.
Upon becoming governor in January 2013, Pence initiated the largest tax cut in Indiana's history and pushed for more funding for education initiatives. Pence signed bills intended to restrict abortions, including one that prohibited abortions if the reason for the procedure was the fetus's race, gender, or disability. After Pence signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), he encountered fierce resistance from moderate members of his party, the business community, and LGBT advocates. The backlash against the RFRA led Pence to amend the bill to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and other criteria.
Pence withdrew his gubernatorial reelection campaign in July 2016 to become the running mate of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who went on to win the 2016 presidential election. He was inaugurated as vice president of the United States on January 20, 2017. In February 2020, Pence was appointed chairman of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, which was established in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.
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It’s Thursday, October 8, 20, 2020
Welcome to the 901st consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
Multivitamins
contain multiple micro-nutrients, such as vitamins and dietary minerals.
Ragesoss - Own work
Sustained Release High Potency B "50" Dietary Supplement, B vitamin dietary supplement tablets branded "Trader Darwin's" (sold at Trader Joe's).
The tablets each contain 50 mg of thiamin, 50 mg of riboflavin, 50 mg of niacin, 50 mg of vitamin B6, 400 mcg of folate, 50 mcg of biotin, 50 mg of pantothenic acid, and 90 mg of calcium, as well a "Proprietary Blend" of inositol, choline bitartrate, alfalfa powder, parsley powder, rice bran, and watercress powder, in a base of cellulose, vegetable oil powder, stearic acid, and magnesium stearate.
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2.0 Commentary
People selling supplements say these things about zinc:
Zinc supplements significantly reduce the risk of infections and promote immune response in older adults.
A review of seven studies demonstrated that 80–92 mg per day of zinc may reduce the length of the common cold by up to 33%.
Zinc is commonly used in hospitals as a treatment for burns, certain ulcers and other skin injuries.
Because zinc plays critical roles in collagen synthesis, immune function and inflammatory response, it is necessary for proper healing.
While a zinc deficiency can slow wound healing, supplementing with zinc can speed recovery in people with wounds.
Zinc may significantly reduce your risk of age-related diseases, such as pneumonia, infection and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
In order to avoid overconsumption, stay away from high-dose zinc supplements unless recommended by a doctor.
The recommended daily intake (RDI) is 11 mg for adult men and 8 mg for adult women.
The tolerable upper level for zinc is 40 mg per day. However, this does not apply to people with zinc deficiencies, who may need to take high-dose supplements.
If you take supplements, choose absorbable forms such as zinc citrate or zinc gluconate. Stay away from zinc oxide, which is poorly absorbed.
Most people can obtain their daily dose of zinc through diet alone.
And these things about elderberry:
While there is no one-size-fits-all remedy for illness, supporters of elderberry say the fruit is one of nature’s most versatile solutions for what ails you.
There are about 30 types of elder plants and trees found around the world. The European version (also known as Sambucus nigra) is the one most closely tied to your health and healing. Its history dates as far back as 400 BC, and Hippocrates, the “Father of Medicine,” called the elder tree his “medicine chest.”
In folk medicine today, the elderberry is widely considered one of the world’s most healing plants.
The science:
In healthy people, most scientific evidence indicates that multivitamin supplements do not prevent cancer, heart disease, or other ailments, and
regular supplementation is not necessary.
However, specific groups of people may benefit from multivitamin supplements, for example, people with poor nutrition or those at high risk of macular degeneration.
And yet, I’ve heard on TV that a small part of President Trump’s treatment has included supplements of zinc, melatonin and elderberry.
I’ve decided to try out a supplement that those three.
It arrives today, Wednesday.
I will check the dosage amounts of the ingredients and contact my PPE.
Then I’ll take the dosage.
Will let you know.
Cimabue’s Crucifixion in Arezzo
We’ll discuss this work in detail
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3.0 Tuscany, extracting an essence
Monday I discovered that the Scrovegni Chapel limits its visits to a miserly 15 minutes.
Tuesday I discovered that visits to the Basilica di San Francisco to view the Piero della Francesca frescoes of the History of the True Cross are limited to a niggardly thirty minutes.
Wow!
Gone is the expectation of immersion in these great works.
More like dipping a toe.
If I were….I bet I could get all the time I wanted.
In any case, I’m not.
Time to reconfigure the Arezzo visit.
The Guide Michelin Green Guide ranks sightseeing destinations as its Red Guide ranks restaurants and accommodations.
I notice that Arezzo**, Pienz**a, and Cortona** are all two star cities/towns.
Will be arriving in Arezzo in the mid to late afternoon of our first day in Italy, hanging out, having dinner, spending the night, and spending the morning at the Piero frescoes and Cimabue’s Crucifixion.
We’ll head out towards Siena taking a scenic drive through the Val d’Orcia countryside, stopping to visit both Cortona and Pienza, ending the day pulling into Siena.
We will be most pleased to immerse ourselves in the radiance under the Tuscan Sun.
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4.0 Chuckles and Thoughts
A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader,
a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves.
~Eleanor Roosevelt
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6.0 Dinner/Food/Recipes
Tuesday night cousin Lauren and I created cold cut sandwiches.
Used Iggy’s baguette.
Assembled a mix of cold cuts: montego cheese, salami, prosciutto, mortadella, a single hot dog thinly sliced lengthwise, and bits of roasted pheasant.
Mixed aromatics: olives, vinegar peppers, tomatoes, jarred pimentos, red onions,
Mixed a spread of avocado/mustard.
And then we assembled the most delicious sandwich.
With an extraordinary gin and tonic.
Wow!
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7. “Conflicted” podcast
Conflicted, by Dom Capossela, is a spiritual/fantasy story about a sixteen-year-old mystic-warrior conflicted internally by her self-imposed alienation from God, her spiritual wellspring, and, externally, by the forces of darkness seeking her death or ruination.
https://soundcloud.com/user-449713331/sets/conflicted-dom-capossela
The podcasts are also available on Sound Cloud, iTunes, Stitcher, Pinterest, Pocket Cast, and Facebook.
Search: dom capossela or conflicted or both
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Many multivitamin formulas contain vitamin C, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12, A, E, D2 (or D3), K, potassium, iodine, selenium, borate, zinc, calcium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, beta carotene, and/or iron.
Multivitamins are typically available in a variety of formulas based on age and sex, or (as in prenatal vitamins) based on more specific nutritional needs; a multivitamin for men might include less iron, while a multivitamin for seniors might include extra vitamin D. Some formulas make a point of including extra antioxidants.
Some nutrients, such as calcium and magnesium, are rarely included at 100% of the recommended allowance because the pill would become too large. Most multivitamins come in capsule form; tablets, powders, liquids, and injectable formulations also exist. In the United States, the FDA requires any product marketed as a "multivitamin" to contain at least three vitamins and minerals; furthermore, the dosages must be below a "tolerable upper limit", and a multivitamin may not include herbs, hormones, or drugs.
Uses
For certain people, particularly the elderly, supplementing the diet with additional vitamins and minerals can have health impacts; however, the majority will not benefit.
People with dietary imbalances may include those on restrictive diets and those who cannot or will not eat a nutritious diet. Pregnant women and elderly adults have different nutritional needs than other adults, and a multivitamin may be indicated by a physician. Generally, medical advice is to avoid multivitamins during pregnancy, particularly those containing vitamin A, unless they are recommended by a health care professional.
However, the NHS recommends 10μg of Vitamin D per day throughout the pregnancy and whilst breastfeeding, as well as 400μg of folic acid during the first trimester (first 12 weeks of pregnancy).
Some women may need to take iron, vitamin C, or calcium supplements during pregnancy, but only on the advice of a doctor.
In the 1999–2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 52% of adults in the United States reported taking at least one dietary supplement in the last month and 35% reported regular use of multivitamin-multimineral supplements.
Women versus men, older adults versus younger adults, non-Hispanic whites versus non-Hispanic blacks, and those with higher education levels versus lower education levels (among other categories) were more likely to take multivitamins. Individuals who use dietary supplements (including multivitamins) generally report higher dietary nutrient intakes and healthier diets. Additionally, adults with a history of prostate and breast cancers were more likely to use dietary and multivitamin supplements.
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It’s Wednesday, October 7, 20, 2020
Welcome to the 900th consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
Piazza Grande, Arezzo
Looking towards the Church of Santa Maria della Pieve
from left: Santa Maria della Pieve, the old Tribunal Palace and the Lay Fraternity
Andrewrabbott - Own work
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2.0 Commentary
900!
Today is the 900th consecutive daily post.
And I’m still enjoying it.
So far the administration has fourteen higher-ups who are infected with the virus.
None of them have died.
There’s a problem with that fact.
Even after his has contracted the virus,
President Trump has chosen to minimize the danger of covid.
Don’t fear covid, he says.
In his first public appearance he discards his mask.
I met covid and defeated him, he says.
This is bad.
If none of the infected administration people die, will the President use that to further his very dangerous message?
Should we pray for a death here?
To get the President off this terrible message?
One life against thousands of others who will continue cavalier in their attitudes.
The latest poll gives Biden a 16-point lead over Trump.
Four weeks to go.
Can Trump use his bag of tricks to overcome this enormous deficit?
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3.0 Tuscany, extracting an essence
Monday was more research that led to this awful discovery.
The Scrovegni Chapel that holds Giotto’s wonderful frescoes has a severely regimented visitation program.
Bottom Line: Visitors are allowed fifteen minutes in the chapel.
Fifteen minutes.
Giotto has 37 scenes on those chapel walls.
I’ve been studying those 37.
Fifteen minutes?
Impossible to look, admire, and discuss.
Aw. shucks.
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4.0 Chuckles and Thoughts
The first wealth is health.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
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5.0 Mail and other Conversation
We love getting mail, email, or texts.
Send comments to domcapossela@hotmail.com
or text to 617.852.7192
Monday’s conversations centered on the President’s minimizing the covid pandemic.
A lot of anger and bad words.
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6.0 Dinner/Food/Recipes
Monday night, using the recipe posted on the blog pages “Recipes”, Lauren and I ate Clam Sauce.
It was delicious.
Lauren learned how to handle Angel Hair pasta.
The issue with angel hair: it cooks amazingly fast.
Amazingly fast.
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7. “Conflicted” podcast
Conflicted, by Dom Capossela, is a spiritual/fantasy story about a sixteen-year-old mystic-warrior conflicted internally by her self-imposed alienation from God, her spiritual wellspring, and, externally, by the forces of darkness seeking her death or ruination.
https://soundcloud.com/user-449713331/sets/conflicted-dom-capossela
The podcasts are also available on Sound Cloud, iTunes, Stitcher, Pinterest, Pocket Cast, and Facebook.
Search: dom capossela or conflicted or both
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Note that the stars next to names are from the Michelin Guide.
In planning our trip to Tuscany, why did we choose Arezzo** as our first destination?
Arezzo’s number one draw is Piero della Francesca’s History of the True Cross***, a sequence f frescoes in the Basilica of San Francesco.
Because of its austerity and powerful sincerity of his work.
Harmonious colors and accurate drawing.
Soft, unreal light and pale light colors (Veneziano)
First use of chiaroscuro in Italian art (Flemish?) which gives his frescoes a feel of an oil painting
Statuesque impassive figures, robust and solid
Compositions strongly structured and in compliance w geometric rules
This work demonstrates Piero's advanced knowledge of perspective and color, his geometric orderliness and skill in pictorial construction.
It is his largest work, and generally considered one of his finest, and an early Renaissance masterpiece.
Also a must-see:
Cimabue’s Crucifixion**, a masterwork of 13th-century Italian art on display at the Basilica di San Domenico where it was originally intended.
See while there: (Remember there is a lot to do and we must make choices!)
Piazza Grande a medieval square in the city, opening behind the 13th century Romanesque apse of
Santa Maria della Pieve.
The most striking feature of this Romanesque church is the massive, square-planned bell tower with double orders of mullioned windows.
Its façade, inspired by the Romanesque style used in Pisa is very ornate w three tiers of arcades supported by colonnettes decorated with a variety of motifs. The upper coving of the central doorway is wittily decorated with the 12 signs of the zodiac.
Among the many interesting things about the square, on the tower of the Palazzo della Fraternita, is an astronomical clock, built by Felice da Fossato in 1552.
The clock, which is still working, has two faces, one, a 12 hour clock and the other, a mobile, astronomical one made following the Ptolemaic-Aristotelian concept where the earth is at the centre of the universe and the sun and the moon rotate around it. The clock works by a mechanism made up of ropes and weights.
Arrival
The trip from Rome to Arezzo is not terribly long but we are fighting time lag, lack of sleep, and the tension of airports with their security and covid protocols.
We’ll be arriving in Arezzo from Rome in the late afternoon.
We’ll want a leisurely drive.
We’ll check into our agritourist accommodation and park.
Likely we’ll have a chunk of flex time before dinner.
Flex Time
Dinner
Arezzo does not have a Michelin Guide starred restaurant, nor one of its Bib Gourmand places.
So our first meal in Italy will not be of an elevated designation.
But is does have three restaurants with a ‘Plate’ designation.
Expect a delicious meal and a comfortable price.
See ‘Details of Restaurants’
Next Morning
Tickets to the Basilica of San Francesco in hand, we will plan on being at the Basilica of San Francesco thirty minutes before they open.
We are viewing the Piero della Francesca frescoes.
After Piero
After the Piero, we’ll take the seven-minute walk to the Basilica of San Domenico, my namesake, to view Cimabue’s Crucifixion
Lunch: Local
The Drive
Should be stunning.
The total drive time to Pienza then Siena is about 1 ¾ hors.
Pienza’s beauty will insist that we walk through the main square anyway.
A café might be nice.
From Pienza to Siena.
Covid controlled right now
Arezzo Backgroun:
Arezzo is a city and commune in Italy and
the capital of the province of the same name located in Tuscany.
Arezzo is about 50 miles southeast of Florence.
In 2013 the population was about 99,000.
Arezzo is set on a steep hill rising from the floodplain of the River Arno.
In the upper part of the town are the cathedral, the town hall and the Medici Fortress
from which
the main streets branch off towards the lower part as far as the gates.
The upper part of the town maintains its medieval appearance despite
the addition of later structures.
Arezzo has a starring role in Roberto Benigni's film Life Is Beautiful (La vita è bella, 1997).
It is the place in which the main characters live before
they are shipped off to a Nazi concentration camp.
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It’s Tuesday, October 6, 20, 2020
Welcome to the 899th consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
San Gimignano square
Mihael Grmek - Own work
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2.0 Commentary
The covid-news is sad.
The pandemic is revived with a vengeance.
Including here in Boston.
Planet Fitness attendance is heading back to pre-covid numbers.
Why do I feel more comfortable at the club for forty-five minutes than on the T for ten?
Patrons of both activities carefully wear masks.
Because at the fitness center, the government has mandated that every other machine at the club must be closed to use.
That government that sends agents down to check that the mandate is being adhered to.
That same government that is silent when it comes to retrofitting the T.
That is displaying a Trumpist-hubristic disregard for nature and science and the well-being of those around them.
Joe Biden’s national lead over President Donald Trump nearly doubled after Tuesday’s presidential debate, with voters saying by a 2-to-1 margin that Biden has the better temperament to be president, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
The poll was conducted in the two days after the unruly and insult-filled Sept. 29 debate, but before Trump tested positive for Covid-19 and was hospitalized Friday at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
The Democratic nominee is now ahead of Trump by 14 points among registered voters, 53 percent to 39 percent — up from his 8-point lead in the previous poll before the debate.
That 14-point advantage represents Biden’s largest lead in the NBC News/WSJ poll during the entirety of the 2020 presidential campaign; his previous high was 11 points in July.
The fumbling handling of the dissemination of information regarding the President’s condition is making matters worse for the Republican candidate.
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3.0 Tuscany, extracting an essence
Having completed a go-round at planning for days 3 and 4 in Tuscany, Arezzo and Siena respectively, I completed day 5, San Gimignano. I originally planned on staying in Pisa on this night but on discovering Pisa had no starred restaurants (Guide Michelin) I opted to stay in San Gimignano with its starred restaurant, not a difficult change. This is going to be a terrific trip.
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4.0 Chuckles and Thoughts
Finish each day and be done with it.
You have done what you could.
Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can.
Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and
with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
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5.0 Mail and other Conversation
We love getting mail, email, or texts.
Send comments to domcapossela@hotmail.com
or text to 617.852.7192
Yesterday’s conversations centered mostly on the continuing duplicity of the President’s people, including, heaven forbid, the medical staff.
These people have made it impossible to believe ANYTHING that is said.
Someone said she wouldn’t trust them with a weather report.
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6.0 Dinner/Food/Recipes
Whole Foods had a dry-aged steak which I bought for $20.00.
I brushed it with gochujang sauce, slow-roasted it for 30 minutes, and then Broiled/Seared it for 3 ½ minutes.
Perfectly medium-rare and delicious.
Remembering the wagyu beef Eataly is selling for $89.00 per pound and shaking my head.
The Whole Foods product so much more flavorful.
So much more reasonably priced.
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7. “Conflicted” podcast
Conflicted, by Dom Capossela, is a spiritual/fantasy story about a sixteen-year-old mystic-warrior conflicted internally by her self-imposed alienation from God, her spiritual wellspring, and, externally, by the forces of darkness seeking her death or ruination.
https://soundcloud.com/user-449713331/sets/conflicted-dom-capossela
The podcasts are also available on Sound Cloud, iTunes, Stitcher, Pinterest, Pocket Cast, and Facebook.
Search: dom capossela or conflicted or both
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11.0 Thumbnail
San Gimignano is a small walled medieval hill town in the province of Siena, Tuscany, north-central Italy.
Known as the Town of Fine Towers, San Gimignano is famous for its medieval architecture, unique in the preservation of about a dozen of its tower houses,
which, with its hilltop setting and encircling walls, form "an unforgettable skyline".
Within the walls, the well-preserved buildings include notable examples of both Romanesque and Gothic architecture, with outstanding examples of secular buildings as well as churches.
The Palazzo Comunale, the Collegiate Church and Church of Sant' Agostino contain frescos, including cycles dating from the 14th and 15th centuries.
The "Historic Centre of San Gimignano" is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The town also is known for saffron, the Golden Ham, and its white wine, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, produced from the ancient variety of Vernaccia grape which is grown on the sandstone hillsides of the area.
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It’s Monday, October 5, 20, 2020
Welcome to the 898th consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.
He was appointed Director of NIAID in 1984.
He oversees an extensive research portfolio of basic and applied research to prevent, diagnose, and treat established infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, respiratory infections, diarrheal diseases, tuberculosis and malaria as well as emerging diseases such as Ebola and Zika. Credit: NIAID
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2.0 Commentary
The watch is on.
The President is in a dangerous place.
Meanwhile, the White House staff disappoints.
No one seems to be able to tell the true truth about anything.
While the President lies ill, perhaps gravely ill, we don’t know, based on politics and image the White House staff is making decisions as to what to reveal to the public regarding the President’s corona-testing timeline.
Important for contacting those exposed.
So sad the duplicity.
As a father, when my son Chris told me he had pulled an overnight again to help a friend complete an assignment, his seventh, I expressed concern that he was given too much.
Click the link in the 5.0 Mail section below to see how prescient we parents are.
Also, one of those seven friends that he helped through was his wife of 25 years.
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3.0 Tuscany
Arezzo, our first stop after arrival in Rome does not have a Michelin Guide starred restaurant.
Not even a Bib Gourmand restaurant, the Guide’s level for restaurants that, while not brilliant, are doing good work.
Arezzo does have three ‘Plate’ restaurants.
This new Michelin category is marked by a plate next to a restaurant’s name in the guide.
The L’Assiette Michelin, or Michelin Plate, will indicate that the restaurant so named has quality food.
For foodies, this new labeling isn’t a new award.
Rather, it is a way to clarify that other restaurants have quality food, wine and overall experience.
Hopefully, this newest labeling helps to expand foodies’ restaurant choices.
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4.0 Chuckles/Thoughts
Your actions speak so loud,
I can't hear what you say.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
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5.0 Mail
We love getting mail.
Send comments to domcapossela@hotmail.com
This link to a Forbes magazine article forwarded to me by my son Chris.
Look for #8 listed in the Forbes’ article.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesleadershipteam/2020/10/01/the-worlds-most-influential-cmos-2020-resolute-leadership-in-transformative-times/amp/?__twitter_impression=true
Blog Meister responds:
so wonderful, my dear.
we're all very proud.
really no different than the years you put in as a volunteer at the Samaritans, or 1991, the year in which won he Ames Award at Harvard, given to seniors who have shown heroic character and energy with helping thers and whose substantial contributions may not have been acknowledged.
we're proud.
But hardly surprised.
do you remember asking me if you could find a quiet job in a corner somewhere where no one would ever find you?
and my response?
love
dad
ps: will post this even without permission.
unless you object
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6.0 Dinner/Food/Recipes
Saturday night I ate alone and had the juiciest pork chops I’ve ever made or tasted.
Slow-roasted two bone-in chops.
I slow-roasted them based on their thinness (not being a single roast the regular rules of 1 hour per pound for pork) do not apply,) for 45 minutes in a 200* oven.
I finished the cook by searing them in olive oil on each side for seven minutes.
While they were searing I added some red bell pepper, onions, and a chili, seasoning the pan with salt and a touch of white wine vinegar.
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7. “Conflicted” podcast
Conflicted, by Dom Capossela, is a spiritual/fantasy story about a sixteen-year-old mystic-warrior conflicted internally by her self-imposed alienation from God, her spiritual wellspring, and, externally, by the forces of darkness seeking her death or ruination.
https://soundcloud.com/user-449713331/sets/conflicted-dom-capossela
The podcasts are also available on Sound Cloud, iTunes, Stitcher, Pinterest, Pocket Cast, and Facebook.
Search: dom capossela or conflicted or both
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11.0 Thumbnails
Anthony Stephen Fauci, born December 24, 1940, is an American physician and immunologist who has served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) since 1984.
Since January 2020, he has been one of the lead members of the Trump administration's White House Coronavirus Task Force addressing the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.
Fauci is one of the world's leading experts on infectious diseases, and during the early stages of the pandemic
The New Yorker and The New York Times described Fauci as one of the most trusted medical figures in the United States.
As a physician with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Fauci has served American public health in various capacities for more than 50 years, and has been an advisor to every U.S. president since Ronald Reagan.
He has made contributions to HIV/AIDS research and other immunodeficiency diseases, both as a scientist and as the head of the NIAID at the NIH.
From 1983 to 2002, Fauci was one of the world's most frequently-cited scientists across all scientific journals.
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It’s Sunday, October 4, 20, 2020
Welcome to the 897th consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
Frederick Douglass
George Kendall Warren -
This media is available in the holdings of the National Archives and Records Administration, cataloged under the National Archives Identifier (NAID) 558770.
This photograph of Douglass was taken around 1879.
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2.0 Commentary
The President becomes the ‘bad example’ that teachers use as illustration to teach grade school children right and wrong.
Hardly what we want to be known as.
We can do better, Mr. President.
Get well soon and serve more responsibly.
White House infections keep spreading.
On verge to becoming a virus hotpot.
The MBTA is getting more crowded.
No preparations in evidence.
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3.0 Tuscany, extracting its essence
Have gotten a good grasp on the Piero della Francesca frescoes in Arezzo.
Can move on to planning the remainder of our stay in that town.
Particularly looking at dinner choices.
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4.0 Chuckles/Thoughts
When you're running down the street on fire,
people get out of your way!
~Richard Pryor
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5.0 Mail
We love getting mail.
Send comments to domcapossela@hotmail.com
Conversations and texts were full of the President and the virus.
Many of them nasty.
Full of anger.
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6.0 Dinner/Food/Recipes
Dinner last night was delicious and a barrel of laughs.
Lauren, a new acquaintance, Ann, and I.
We had a vegetable antipasto and a pheasant.
The pheasant was the best I’ve ever made; ever had.
We drank an Alsatian Pinot Gris followed by a Barolo.
Both wines were excellent.
And did I mention laughs?
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7. “Conflicted” podcast
Conflicted, by Dom Capossela, is a spiritual/fantasy story about a sixteen-year-old mystic-warrior conflicted internally by her self-imposed alienation from God, her spiritual wellspring, and, externally, by the forces of darkness seeking her death or ruination.
https://soundcloud.com/user-449713331/sets/conflicted-dom-capossela
The podcasts are also available on Sound Cloud, iTunes, Stitcher, Pinterest, Pocket Cast, and Facebook.
Search: dom capossela or conflicted or both
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11.0 Thumbnails
Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey; c. February 1818 – February 20, 1895) was an American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman.
After escaping from slavery in Maryland, he became a national leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and New York, becoming famous for his oratory and incisive antislavery writings. Accordingly, he was described by abolitionists in his time as a living counter-example to slaveholders' arguments that slaves lacked the intellectual capacity to function as independent American citizens.
Likewise, Northerners at the time found it hard to believe that such a great orator had once been a slave.
Douglass wrote several autobiographies, notably describing his experiences as a slave in his Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave (1845), which became a bestseller, and was influential in promoting the cause of abolition, as was his second book, My Bondage and My Freedom (1855).
Following the Civil War, Douglass remained an active campaigner against slavery and wrote his last autobiography, Life and Times of Frederick Douglass.
First published in 1881 and revised in 1892, three years before his death, the book covers events both during and after the Civil War.
Douglass also actively supported women's suffrage, and held several public offices.
Without his approval, Douglass became the first African-American nominated for Vice President of the United States as the running mate and Vice Presidential nominee of Victoria Woodhull, on the Equal Rights Party ticket.
Douglass was a firm believer in the equality of all peoples, be they white, black, female, Native American, or Chinese immigrants.
He was also a believer in dialogue and in making alliances across racial and ideological divides, as well as in the liberal values of the U.S. Constitution.
When radical abolitionists, under the motto "No Union with Slaveholders," criticized Douglass' willingness to engage in dialogue with slave owners, he replied: "I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong."
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