Daily Entries for the week of
Sunday, September 20, 2020
through
Saturday, September 26, 2020
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It’s Saturday, September 26, 2020
Welcome to the 890th consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
Mary Raphael Schenck Woolman
unknown photographer, book editor was Winfield Scott Downs (1895-1958) - Downs, Winfield Scott , ed. (1934) Encyclopedia of American Biography: New Series, 2, American Historical Society, pp. 148-150 OCLC: 649569887.
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2.0 Commentary
In the last couple of years
I tore the tendon behind my knee, painful at the time and still healing,
I gashed my knee in a fall on an escalator, painful and very bloody at the time, and mostly healed,
and I was literally knocked out when I was hit by a reckless bicycle.
No prior fear, just hurt, treatment, and healing.
But lately I’ve been concerned by a barely noticeable, tiny rough patch of skin on my nose.
Concern heightened when my primary care physician directed me to a dermatologist.
After waiting for the day of my appointment I had my examination yesterday.
Nothing, he said, and froze the baby off.
Nothing at all.
I replaced the recipe for Curry Saffron sauce with
a new, more readable version and a couple of minor tweaks.
Find it in the Recipe Blog under Pages.
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3.0 Tuscany, extracting an essence
Using the latest restructuring of my file folders I tinkered with the calendar and discovered
that if I dropped the leg of the countryside that had us going out of the way to Assisi,
we could end up with an extra day in Florence which we badly needed.
The tradeoff will be well rewarded.
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4.0 Chuckles and Thoughts
I would start a revolution, but I just bought a hammock.
~Zach Galifianakis
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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
This an email conversation between Tucker from Microsoft and myself.
By all means avail yourself of Tucker’s contact information if you have questions about devices or technology:
From:dom capossela <domcapossela@hotmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, September 24, 2020 7:56 AM
To:Tucker Johnson <tujohn@microsoft.com>
Subject:[EXTERNAL] question
On the Studio PC, somehow I’ve changed the default of ‘new document’.
Instead of a portrait sheet, I am getting a landscape.
Can you help me return the default of the new document to landscape?
I went through the search box for help but can’t find a reference.
thanks
dom
From:Tucker Johnson <tujohn@microsoft.com>
Sent:Thursday, September 24, 2020 9:06 AM
To:dom capossela <domcapossela@hotmail.com>
Subject:Re: question
Hey Dom!
Try this:
Open a word doc then go to the Layout tab at the top. It's in the row with File, Home, Insert, etc.
Once there, the first section of button on the ribbon will be titled Page Setup and will look like this -
Click the little button I have highlighted in red.
Another box will open that looks like this -
Change the orientation here then click 'Set as Default' - it may ask to save sweeping to all documents which is what you want to do!
Tucker Johnson | SMB | Prudential
tujohn@microsoft.com | 857-299-7749| Microsoft Stores
Please use my personal booking page to grab time with me.
https://book.ms/tujohn@microsoft.com
From:dom capossela <domcapossela@hotmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, September 24, 2020 7:56 AM
To:Tucker Johnson <tujohn@microsoft.com>
Subject:[EXTERNAL] question
Hey Tucker,
Awesome!
Done.
As fast as that.
Your explanation is terrific.
I'd like to publish this in the blog.
Should I block out your contact information?
From:Tucker Johnson <tujohn@microsoft.com>
Sent:Thursday, September 24, 2020 9:06 AM
To:dom capossela <domcapossela@hotmail.com>
Subject:Re: question
I'm glad it helped!
You can post as much info as you wish. I don't mind at all. I miss helping people!
Blog Meister responds: Can you imagine how relieving it is to deal with a company like that?
This I real. I’ve done it for years. I own the giant Surface Studio that I use at home. Great for working with split screens; the Surface laptop/tablet which I use in my daily trip to the Thinking Cup café. And now I am the owner of the new Surface Duo, think mini laptop/smart phone in one. Access to support is what drives me.
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6.0 Dinner/Food/Recipes
Thursday night I ate dinner at La Voile on Newbury St.
I had an appetizer of foie gras and a pate.
The restaurant knows what it is doing.
And for a main course I had a 10oz rib eye with salad and French fries.
Not only was it prepared very well but at $28.00 it is one of the best beef values in the city.
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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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Mary Raphael Schenck Woolman (April 26, 1860 – August 1, 1940)
was an American educator known for her advocacy of vocational education and consumer education, particularly for women.
She was one of the first woman faculty members at Teachers College in New York City. She was the founder of Manhattan Trade School for Girls, the first vocational school for women in the United States.
She was the author of several books and lectured around the country.
Woolman's father died in 1882 at age 58 from typhoid fever.
This event, followed by serious illnesses for her mother and husband, forced Woolman to become both household manager and family health care provider.
Having to learn additional skills such as cooking, care for invalids and budgeting impressed upon her the inadequacies of the training in practical matters provided to women at the time.
To avoid bankruptcy, she was forced to sell their house in Camden and move the family to New York City in 1891. There she was employed as a copy editor, and the family stayed in a boarding house on Washington Square.
Several faculty members of the Teachers College also lived in the boarding house, and one of them brought her a book on the teaching of sewing to review.
She had harsh criticism of the book, which impressed the professor and the president of the Teachers College. They asked her to write up her own ideas on the subject.
The manual she wrote de-emphasized then current methods of teaching, involving fancy stitch work and repetition. Instead she focused on the planning and making of practical garments. Her manual was well received.
The success of her sewing text led to Woolman being hired as an assistant in domestic science at the college in 1892, one of only two women on staff up to the time.
The following year, even though she had no degree, she became an instructor of sewing.
While teaching she also took classes and earned a diploma in 1895 and a B.S. in 1897.
She was made an adjunct professor in 1898 and a full professor in 1903.
She organized the Department of Domestic Arts at the college and initiated the scientific study of textiles there. She became known as an expert in the area.
A group of prominent New York City residents asked her for help in addressing the problems of working women. She developed a plan for a school to train women in practical skills for the textile and clothing industries.
This was implemented as the Manhattan Trade School for Girls, which she opened in November 1902.
She ran the school until 1910 while continuing to teach at the Teachers College.
In 1912 Woolman became acting head of the home economics department at Simmons College in Boston, a position she held until 1914.
She also was elected president of the Women's Educational and Industrial Union.
As an expert in vocational education, she was a vocal proponent of the Smith–Hughes Act, which provided Federal funding for it. She lobbied for its passage.
In subsequent years Woolman lectured at various colleges around the country, including University of California, Berkeley, Oregon Agricultural College, University of Pittsburgh, Colorado Agricultural College, University of Utah and State College of California, Santa Barbara.
In 1921 and 1926 Woolman pursued a graduate degree in economics at Radcliffe College under Thomas Nixon Carver, which led to the publication of her final book in 1935, which Carver co-wrote with her and a third author. The book viewed textiles from multiple perspectives.
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It’s Friday, September 25, 2020
Welcome to the 889th consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
Brown falcon (Falco berigora), Victoria, Australia.
jjron - Own work
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2.0 Commentary
A terrific adolescent movie: the leading character is sixteen years-old.
the themes are family, loss, development, risks, change
Parents should watch this with their adolescent children: it’s lovely escapism.
The movie’s portrayal of young people meeting in a young romantic relationship is warming.
The movie is a Millie-Bobbi-Brown vehicle for memorable roles.
She’s wonderful.
Walking through the Public Garden on Wednesday, I spotted a falcon flying fast horizontally.
A smaller bird, elegant, deadly, but not this moment.
Reminds me of how much I enjoyed birding those years long ago when I birded regularly.
While it’s thrilling to spot a ‘life-bird,’ the great fun of birdwatching is getting outdoors and feeling in armony with a natural setting.
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3.0 Tuscany, extracting an essence
Having regrouped the information I’ve assembled, I reviewed our calendar for touring the Tuscany ountryside and determined that we can easily cut a day off the driving through the country by cutting off Assisi, a lovely day.
But Florence really needs that extra day and we will get enough of the country in the first part of the trip and we will still have the car with us and can take an afternoon drive out of Florence.
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4.0 Chuckles and Thoughts
You know you have a drinking problem
when the bartender knows your name –
and you've never been to that bar before.
~Zach Galifianakis
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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
The conversation that stood out on Wednesdaywas between Tucker, from Microsoft, and myself.
I signed up for a half hour training session with Tucker and he helped me create a Google email address which I used to download the TuneIn Radio app and subscribe to the sports channel to listen to local broadcasters for both the Celtics and Patriots’ games.
They are so more enjoyable to a homey than the national broadcasters.
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6.0 Dinner/Food/Recipes
I used the leftover Curry-Saffron coconut sauce with a cut-up lobster.
So easy.
Turn on gas, cook the lobster, and serve.
I prepared a large plate with a bed of chopped romaine, sliced red onions, chopped heirloom tomato, and heated leftover lentils and scooped lobster and sauce over the plate.
A knockout.
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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
Falcons are birds of prey in the genus Falco, which includes about 40 species.
Falcons are widely distributed on all continents of the world except Antarctica,
though closely related raptors did occur there in the Eocene.
Adult falcons have thin, tapered wings, which enable them to fly at high speed and change direction rapidly.
Fledgling falcons, in their first year of flying, have longer flight feathers,
which make their configuration more like that of a general-purpose bird such as a broad-wing.
This makes flying easier while learning the exceptional skills required to be effective hunters as adults.
The falcons are the largest genus in the Falconinae subfamily of Falconidae,
which itself also includes another subfamily comprising caracaras and a few other species.
All these birds kill with their beaks, using a "tooth" on the side of their beaks—
unlike the hawks, eagles, and other birds of prey in the Accipitridae, which use their feet.
The largest falcon is the gyrfalcon at up to 65 cm in length.
The smallest falcon species is the Pygmy falcon which measures just 20 cm.
As with hawks and owls, falcons exhibit sexual dimorphism, with the females typically larger than the males, thus allowing a wider range of prey species.
Some small falcons with long, narrow wings are called "hobbies" and some which hover while hunting are called "kestrels".
As is the case with many birds of prey, falcons have exceptional powers of vision;
the visual acuity of one species has been measured at 2.6 times that of a normal human.
Peregrine falcons have been recorded diving at speeds of 200 miles per hour making them the fastest-moving creatures on Earth.
The fastest recorded dive for one is 390 kilometers per hour (240 mph).
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It’s Thursday, September 24, 2020
Welcome to the 888th consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
Gordon Hayward
Erik Drost - Gordon Hayward
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2.0 Commentary
A new ABC/Washington Post poll this morning shows a virtual tie in many contested states. But even with those, Trump would need one more, and the most likely seems to be Pennsylvania, where Biden’s lead has hovered around 5 percentage points.
In politics, Justice Bader’s replacement the lead story.
Some summer weather upon us for at least a week.
Blessed rain sprinkling down on us the last day or two of this warm run.
I have been enjoying a website called recipetineats.
here is the link.
https://www.recipetineats.com/ceviche/
This ceviche recipe intrigues me.
Today is the first day of a new Wednesday schedule.
I’ve changed my longstanding haircut day from Tuesdays to Wednesdays,
(my helper comes in every Wednesday for two hours; so this conjoins two distractions into one,)
and added the cut to the end of my daily trip to the café,
(this eliminates a separately organized second trip out.)
Why it took me so long to figure this out I do not know.
Frustrated with myself.
In addition, I am afraid I will forget the appointment.
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3.0 Tuscany, extracting an essence
Finished restructuring my Tuscany files.
As I gained more knowledge, I decided to change the way I had
initially organized the information I’m gathering.
Now all the information is grouped around the buildings we’ll be visiting.
The folder on the Uffizi will everything pertaining to that visit, from hours and tickets to the neighborhood it’s in to
details on each work of art we will spend extra time viewing.
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4.0 Chuckles and Thoughts
I have a lot of growing up to do.
I realized that the other day inside my fort.
~Zach Galifianakis
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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
Today’s comment from an eighteen-year-old freshman at Boston College.
She talks of the difficulties in creating a study rhythm in the face of the challenges of the virus.
Feeling frustrated; encountering unneeded obstacles; worried about her grades.
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6.0 Dinner/Food/Recipes
Joanna, Lauren and I celebrated their birthdays on Tuesday night.
We had escargot from Whole Foods for an appetizer.
Then we made a Curry-Saffron sauce with coconut milk and coconut cream, cooking shrimp, scallops, and squid in it.
Was delicious.
Birthday cake was three chocolate squared cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcakes.
Then we watched an episode of Ozark.
A terrific TV series.
All in all, a very satisfying evening.
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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 July 14, Gordon Hayward signed with the Celtics to a reported four-year, $128 million contract.
On October 17, 2017, Hayward suffered a fractured tibia and dislocated ankle in his left leg
less than six minutes into the Celtics' regular-season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
He landed awkwardly on the hardwood after an attempted alley-oop off a pass from Kyrie Irving, causing his leg to collapse underneath his weight.
He was later ruled out for the rest of the season after undergoing surgery.
Hayward had made considerable progress until he needed a second surgery in March 2018.
On October 16, 2018, Hayward played in his first game since the ankle injury.
He recorded 10 points and five rebounds in 25 minutes in a 105–87 season-opening win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Hayward mainly came off the bench during the season, recovering from the injury.
On December 1, 2018, he scored a season-high 30 points in a 118–109 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
On January 2, 2019, Hayward set a new season-high with 35 points in a 115–102 win over the Timberwolves.
On November 5, 2019, Hayward matched his regular-season career high with 39 points in a 119–116 win over the Cavaliers.
On November 9, he fractured his left hand in a game against the San Antonio Spurs.
On December 9, 2019, Hayward returned from injury against the Cavaliers.
In the first round of this year’s playoffs, Hayward suffered a Grade 3 sprained ankle against the Philadelphia 76ers and missed Boston’s entire series against the Toronto Raptors and
the first two games (both losses) against the Miami Heat.
Last week Hayward didn’t practice with the team but instead went through a series of hard workouts after practices.
He returned Saturday night for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Heat, a Celtics win.
Hayward;s return gives Boston the opportunity to play its five best players -- Walker, Smart, Brown, Hayward, Tatum -- in a centerless alignment that might help on the other end too.
A fully healthy Celtics team will gives Bston’s fans great joy.
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It’s Wednesday, September 23, 2020
Welcome to the 887th consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
Kathy Arendsen could pitch a 96 mile an hour softball.
She could throw a ball!
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2.0 Commentary
Not a grand moment,
as in Duck Parade worthy.
But a really nice sports moment.
Both the Celtics and the Pats are competing.
Playing major league games against good teams and
holding their own;
in the process, providing us sit-at-homes with terrific entertainment.
Tuesday we will celebrate two birthdays, Lauren and Joanna.
Routine has a lot of benefits but
birthday gatherings (no worries, we will gather three)
that break the routine are fun.
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3.0 Tuscany, extracting an essence
Continued work Monday on the Scrovegni Chapel.
Am detailing maybe fifty works over four walls and ceiling.
A lot of art crammed into one small space.
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4.0 Chuckles and Thoughts
I am a judge born, raised, and proud of being a Jew.
The demand for justice runs through the entirety of the Jewish tradition.
I hope, in my years on the bench of the Supreme Court of the United States,
I will have the strength and the courage to remain
constant in the service of that demand.
~Ruth Bader Ginsburg
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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
A conversation with my son Dom and daughter-in-law Amanda
would quickly reveal that they are loyal Pats’ fans,
willing to follow the Pats after the departure of TB12.
In the course of the summer they felt rewarded for their loyalty by the Pats’ acquisition of Cam Newton.
Now they are thrilled by his teamwork and especially his performance.
Blog Meister responds: Justice!
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6.0 Dinner/Food/Recipes
Monday night I ate a steak with leftover lentils and leftover broccoli rabe.
Easy to prepare but still good.
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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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Kathy Arendsen (born October 10, 1958) is an American softball head coach and former player.
Born and raised in Michigan,
Arendsen helped pitch Holland Christian High School to the state championship before
embarking on a successful collegiate and professional career.
Upon concluding her collegiate career,
Arendsen played professional softball with the Raybestos Brakettes for 15 years,
earning All-American honors 13 times and
winning nine national championships and
three world championships.
As a result of her play, she was named the national player of the year in two consecutive years; 1980 and 1981.
She drew the attention of Major League Baseball player Reggie Jackson during the 1981 Major League Baseball strike,
whom she struck out three times in an exhibition game.
Upon concluding her professional career, Arendsen was hired to coach at Mississippi State University and the University of Oregon,
where she became the winningest coach in program history.
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It’s Tuesday, September 22, 2020
Welcome to the 886th consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
Model of the interior of the Scrovegni Chapel
Zairon - Own work
Nave of the Scrovegni Chapel, Padua, Province of Padua, Region of Veneto, Italy
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2.0 Commentary
We in Boston are learning to adjust to wearing masks.
We are also learning to incorporate bike lanes into our city sense.
I find that particularly easy: a year ago I got slammed by a bike barreling on a sidewalk
in he wrong direction.
Knocked out, I was.
For three seconds.
But memorable.
I’ve been looking out for bikes ever since.
On my walk out on Sunday I realized that while winter is coming,
that days including today and for the next fifty to come,
are quite lovely for walking.
If I begin to dread the winter, I will, in fact, prolong it.
Enjoyable walking should be available through Thanksgiving.
And while December is cold, the coming holidays always brighten our spirits.
making it easier to accept the cold.
The only part of winter I truly dislike are the weeks from January 2 to Valentine’s Day.
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3.0 Tuscany, extracting an essence
Continuing work on Scrovegni Chapel,
reorganizing files and gathering information on individual frescoes.
And I’ve had the needed revelation that
makes me understand how to approach the 40-plus images,
individually and as a group.
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4.0 Chuckles and Thoughts
We live in an age in which the fundamental principles to which we subscribe
- liberty, equality and justice for all -
are encountering extraordinary challenges,
... But it is also an age in which we can join hands with
others who hold to those principles and face similar challenges.
~Ruth Bader Ginsburg
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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
This from Howard D, an afterthought to his gathering his thoughts on coffee in France.
A French press is called, in French, “cafetière à piston”…
The specificity is important, because “cafetière” is a generic term of coffee maker, and if you go into the French equivalent of a Target or a Walmart, say, and purchase a cafetière, you are probably buying a garden variety (however many extra features are added, like timers, etc.) drip coffee maker.
This I happen to know, because I have purchased at least two for the house in Fox-Amphoux over the last 30+ years. They do offer standard paper filters that fit the most common coffee makers in supermarkets.
And, to be completely candid, buying coffee is a major pain in the ass if you prefer, as I do, to grind your own beans to order, say, each morning. There’s a ton of different brands and blends and varietals in the supermarkets. Probably many more choices than we get here in the U.S. But 98% of them are already ground and bagged.
To get decently roasted beans, whole, that are still freshly roasted you have to find a coffee merchant nearby (there are not too many in the towns nearest our village), so the default is to use one of the usually two or three beans on offer at the supermarket. So this is invariably what I use.
Though, this got to be so tired, I switched entirely to Nespresso capsules 11 years ago, and have never looked back. The capsules, in a very wide range of choices of blends and varietals, are easier to come by, and they actually make it very easy to dispose of the spent capsules for recycling.
And the Nespresso, whatever you may think of it (though I don’t recall you ever pooh-poohing it), has always tasted better than any drip coffee I’ve been able to brew in my kitchen at home.
xo
h
Blog Meister responds: Howard’s talents are unique!
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6.0 Dinner/Food/Recipes
Sunday night Lauren and I ate leftover turkey and a plate of linguica sausage with a side of lentils and pasta.
Food and company were excellent.
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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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The Scrovegni Chapel, also known as the Arena Chapel
because it was built on land purchased by Enrico Scrovegni that abutted the site of a Roman arena,
is a small church, adjacent to the Augustinian monastery,
the Monastero degli Eremitani in Padua, region of Veneto, Italy.
The chapel and monastery are now part of the complex of the Museo Civico of Padua.
The chapel contains a fresco cycle by Giotto, completed about 1305.
The Scrovegni Chapel fresco paintings are Giotto's greatest masterpiece of religious art and
mark a decisive turning point in Pre-Renaissance painting of the 14th century.
In simple terms, he abandoned the rules and conventions of the flat hieratic style of Byzantine art,
in favor of a greater naturalism in both his figures and stories.
As a result, Giotto (1266-1337) is not only viewed as the most important painter of Proto-Renaissance art (c.1300-1400), but also
the greatest single influence on painters of the Early Renaissance (c.1400-90), such as
Masaccio (1401-1428), Piero della Francesca (1420-92) and Fra Angelico (c.1400-55).
The fresco cycle in the Scrovegni Chapel was greatly admired even by
Duccio di Buoninsegna (1260-1319),
the leading artist of the more traditionalist Sienese School of Painting, and
ranks alongside the Sistine Chapel frescoes
as one of the most influential works of Christian art of the Renaissance era.
Giotto's Scrovegni Chapel frescoes represent a decisive moment in the evolution of Western fine art painting.
Effectively a breakaway from the flat Byzantine idiom,
the pictures exemplify the new "modern" style -
a style taken up and perfected by Renaissance painters such as
Masaccio, Botticelli, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael
- none of whom could plausibly claim to have achieved what they did without Giotto di Bondone.
Not surprisingly therefore, Giotto is considered to be the founder of Renaissance art.
These frescoes are considered by many to be a precursor of the Renaissance to come.
With this masterpiece — created 200 years before Leonardo and Michelangelo — Giotto seems to be making it clear: Europe was breaking out of the Middle Ages.
The genius of the Chapel lies in the narrative's layout: di Bondone arranged the different scenes chronologically, in horizontal bands. Mary's life appears first, followed by the life and ministry of Jesus, and finally culminating in scenes depicting the Passion. However, when the bands are read vertically, viewers will be struck to realize that each scene foreshadows the next.
Giotto and his team covered all the internal surfaces of the chapel with frescoes,
including the walls and the ceiling.
The largest element is extensive cycles showing the Life of Christ and the Life of the Virgin.
The wall at the rear of the church, through which the chapel is entered,
has a large Last Judgement.
There are also panels in grisaille (monochrome) showing the Vices and Virtues.
The church was dedicated to Santa Maria della Carità at the Feast of the Annunciation, 1303, and consecrated in 1305.
Much of Giotto's fresco cycle focuses on the life of the Virgin Mary and celebrates her role in human salvation.
A motet by Marchetto da Padova appears to have been composed for the dedication on 25 March 1305.
The space was where an open-air procession and sacred representation of the Annunciation to the Virgin had been played out for a generation before the chapel was built.
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It’s Monday, September 21, 2020
Welcome to the 885th consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
Masaccio, trinità
Masaccio - book: John T. Spike,
Masaccio,
Rizzoli libri illustrati, Milano 2002
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2.0 Commentary
.8%.
That’s the new low for positivity results in covid-9 testing in Massachusetts.
Wonderful.
As we continue to more effectively fight back against the virus,
every .1% drop is wonderful.
Sadly, the cars on the T’s blue line get more crowded every day.
And still not a peep from our state government regarding reimagined train stations.
Taking the T is beginning to feel like a sentence of death in a gas chamber.
With more polls surfacing, the common thread is that Trump is losing mightily to Biden.
That’s our 50 day out take.
Let’s revisit the race at the 40 day-out mark, out from
Tuesday, Nov 3rd
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3.0 Tuscany, extracting an essence
Yesterday worked on a visit to Santa Maria Novella church.
What’s special there?
The Holy Trinity by Masaccio,
situated almost halfway along the left aisle,
is a pioneering early Renaissance work of Masaccio,
showing his new ideas about perspective and mathematical proportions.
Its meaning for the art of painting can easily be compared to the importance of
Brunelleschi for architecture and Donatello for sculpture.
After a recent period of fourteen years of cleaning and renovation,
the sacristy, at the end of the left aisle, houses the enormous painted
Crucifix with the Madonna and John the Evangelist,
an early work by Giotto.
The sacristy is also embellished by a glazed terra cotta and a marble font,
masterpieces by Giovanni della Robbia (1498).
In the Gondi Chapel, on the rear wall, is the famous wooden
Crucifix by Brunelleschi,
one of his very few sculptures.
The church also contains a series of famous frescoes painted from 1485-1490 by Domenico Ghirlandaio.
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4.0 Chuckles and Thoughts
Sometimes people say unkind or thoughtless things,
and when they do,
it is best to be a little hard of hearing—
to tune out and not snap back in anger or impatience.
~Ruth Bader Ginsburg
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5.0 Mail and other Conversation
We love getting mail, email, or text.
Send comments to domcapossela@hotmail.com
or text to 617.852.7192
This from Howard D from whom I asked for clarification of ordering coffee in France. He says:
Sure.
Not being sure of the café filtre situation, I did some further research.
Turns out it’s essentially a way of ordering an individualized drip coffee, and so is the closest Americans can get to what they’re used to, short of being in a venue big enough catering to Americans to warrant having a Bunn-O-Matic. And probably tastes better.
Now that I’ve seen photos, I recall seeing this served occasionally, I feel safe in saying only in the biggest cities (Nice, Paris, Lyon), and it’s more of a production than simply ordering “un espress’” (which is how it’s done), but it is closer to our tastes.
I forget what they call a French Press in France (obviously), but I’m sure in certain places that’s always an option. As it’s closer than a café filtre to espresso, its my guess it’s a way of serving several diners at once, without having to pull that many small cups at the machine.
Also, and further, as this is a needed emendation on what I said – while I was double-checking my previous advice. It turns out in most parts of France, and not just Provence, when you order a café crême, you get it made with milk. I wasn’t sure of that – though it was our regular experience in the local cafés that whenever we asked for a café au lait, the waitperson would correct us and say “un crême?” and that’s what they’d bring. But it is warmed milk, not steamed milk, and it is a latte, and not a cappuccino, which you can order (as a “cappuccino”).
I don’t know exactly where they give you cream with your coffee when you order it that way, but it’s probably in Paris for sure.
But anyway, to answer your original question, you order a coffee in France by asking for a café, an “espress,” an “espresso,” “un petit café,” a “café noir”… all variants of ordering a small cup of espresso. Otherwise, in the morning, if you prefer a latté, you order a café crême or a café au lait (which you’d be better off doing in a city, not a village), and you’ll get either a large coffee with warmed milk already in it (in more rural and smaller cafés) or a large cup of coffee (most often, a double shot of espresso in a larger cup, with room left for milk) with a small pitcher (“pichet”) of warmed milk.
Incidentally, the French are not big on making it easy to procure cream, either at retail in a store, or as something to add to your beverage. They are more disposed to make use of crème fraîche (fermented cream) and crème entiére (whole cream), which are used univerally in almost any recipe that would otherwise call for, say heavy and light cream in this country. I use crème fraîche here in the US myself. In France, it comes in two viscosities: épaisse (or thick), which has the consistency of our sour cream or whole milk yogurt with the cream left in it — that is, crème fraîche does. However you would never be given crème fraîche to put in coffee as a lightener.
The other is, as indicated, crème entière, which is closest to heavy cream in this country, or crème légère semi-epaisse (light cream, less thick). It’s the latter you would ask for to add for your coffee. It might also be referred to as crème liquide entière semi-epaisse. It’s actually even messier than that, and some brands include very specific information about the percentage of milk fat, which can range anywhere from, say, 12% to as much as 30% (which approximately translates from what we call “light” to “heavy.” But there’s also 18%, which is kind of like “medium cream,” which I think I remember used to be available, maybe 45 or 50 years ago in American markets. But those days are gone, at least in the U.S., though not, clearly in France.
In other words, getting cream for your coffee (or culinary purposes) is a much more esoteric proposition in France, not least of all because you must speak French even to try to decipher all this.
I drink my coffee in France black.
xo
h
Blog Meister responds: Love it, thank you my friend.
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6.0 Dinner/Food/Recipes
So if you love lentils, as I do, I made this on Saturday.
Make a batch of chicken stock.
This recipe really needs a good base.
Gather into a food chopper: 1 large celery stalk, 1 carrot, ½ cup chopped parsley, 1TB of miso or gochujang sauce, ¼ cup sunflower seeds, 2 cloves garlic, 1 pinch saffron, 1t cumin, 1t salt, 1t fried basil and chop it all to a paste.
Put 3 cups of the chicken stock and 2 cups of water in a small Dutch Oven.
Add a cup of lentils and the paste from the chopper.
Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
Use less liquid if serving the lentils as a side with a meat or
additional stock to make it into a soup.
This is delicious.
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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
The Holy Trinity, with the Virgin and Saint John and donors (Italian: Santa Trinità) is
a fresco by the Early Italian Renaissance painter Masaccio.
It is located in the Dominican church of Santa Maria Novella, in Florence.
The Trinity is thought to have been created by Masaccio sometime between 1425–1427.
He died in late 1428 at the age of 26,
or having just turned 27,
leaving behind a relatively small body of work.
This painting was one of his last major commissions and is considered to be
one of his masterpieces.
The fresco is located along the middle of the basilica's left aisle.
Although the configuration of this space has changed since the artwork was created,
there are clear indications that the fresco was aligned very precisely in relationship with the sight-lines and perspective arrangement of the room at the time;
particularly a former entrance-way facing the painting; in order to enhance the tromp l'oeil effect. There was also an altar, mounted as a shelf-ledge between the upper and lower sections of the fresco, further emphasizing the "reality" of the artifice.
(Trompe-l'œil is an art technique that uses realistic imagery to create the optical illusion that the depicted objects exist in three dimensions. Forced perspective is a comparable illusion in architecture.)
Brunelleschi's work on linear perspective and architecture certainly inspired the painting, and this is clearly demonstrated within Massacio's work.
Masaccio's Holy Trinity was rediscovered when Vasari's altar was dismantled during renovations in 1860. The Crucifixion, the upper part of the fresco, was subsequently transferred to canvas, and relocated to a different part of the church. It is unclear from available sources whether the lower section of the fresco, the cadaver tomb, remained unknown or was deliberately omitted (and possibly plastered over) during the 1860s construction work.
Restoration was done to the Crucifixion section of the painting at that time, to replace missing areas of the design; mostly architectural details around the perimeter of the work.
While the painting was in damaged condition when rediscovered,
it is also likely that further damage was caused by the transfer from plaster to canvas.
The painting is approximately 317 cm (125 in) wide, and 667 cm (263 in) high. This gives an overall vertical-to-horizontal proportion of about 2:1. The ratio between the upper and lower sections of the work is very roughly 3:1.
Originally, the design included an actual ledge, used as an altar, physically projecting outward from the now-blank band between the upper and lower sections of the fresco; further enhancing the sense of depth and reality in the work. Constructed as a pillared-shelf ~5 ft. above the floor, and estimated to be about 60 cm. wide, the altar-table's appearance would have been intended to match and/or complement the painted architecture. Its facing-edge and upper surface integrating with the fresco's steps and archway; and its supporting pillars, both real and illusory, combining with the shadows caused by the over-hang to create a crypt-like effect for the tomb beneath. The upper section of the fresco still retains traces of candle-smoke and heat-effects from use of this altar.
The painted figures are roughly life-sized. For an adult of average height facing the painting, their eye-line would have been slightly above 'ground-level' in the work; with Death in the form of the crypt and skeleton directly front of them, and the promise of Salvation above.
Over the course of time and events (see above), the fresco has been damaged and subsequently restored. Much of the outer edge of the upper section, mainly architectural detail, is replacement work. Some regions of "new" paint can be clearly identified by differences in colour, visual texture and detail; and in certain places, by apparent "cracks" along the boundary between the original fresco surface, and areas of the design where the original surface is entirely absent and was repainted. The skeleton represents a memento mori, or reminder of death.
The lower section, depicting a memento mori, in the form of a cadaver tomb, has also lost significant paint; but the restoration work there has been more restrained and less extensive. This is probably due, at least in part, to the fact that the lower half of the fresco was not recovered until the mid-20th century. By this time, "standard practice" in restoration had become more conservative, with a stronger emphasis on preserving and revealing the authentic work of the original artist; whereas earlier restorations tended to have more focus on producing an aesthetically pleasing "recreation" of the artwork.
As far as can be determined from available records, at the time when this painting was created no large-scale Roman-style coffered barrel vault, Triumphal arch or otherwise, had been constructed in Western Christendom since late antiquity.
The Trinity is noteworthy for its inspiration taken from ancient Roman triumphal arches and the strict adherence to recently developed perspective techniques, with a vanishing point at the viewer's eye level, so that, as Vasari describes it "a barrel vault drawn in perspective, and divided into squares with rosettes that diminish and are foreshortened so well that there seems to be a hole in the wall." This artistic technique is called trompe l'oeil, which means "deceives the eye," in French. The fresco had a transforming effect on generations of Florentine painters and visiting artists. The sole figure without a fully realized three-dimensional occupation of space is the majestic God supporting the Cross, considered an immeasurable being. The kneeling patrons represent another important novelty, occupying the viewer's own space, "in front of" the picture plane, which is represented by the Ionic columns and the Corinthian pilasters from which the feigned vault appears to spring; they are depicted in the traditional prayerful pose of donor portraits, but on the same scale as the central figures, rather than the more usual 'diminution', and with noteworthy attention to realism and volume.
Several diverse interpretations of the fresco have been proposed. Most scholars have seen it as a traditional kind of image, intended for personal devotions and commemorations of the dead, although explanations of how the painting reflects these functions differ in their details.
The iconography of the Trinity, flanked by Mary and John or including donors, is not uncommon in Italian art of the late 14th and early 15th centuries, and the association of the Trinity with a tomb also has precedents. No precedent for the exact iconography of Masaccio's fresco, combining all these elements, has been discovered, however.
The figures of the two patrons have most often been identified as members of the Lenzi family or, more recently, a member of the Berti family of the Santa Maria Novella quarter of Florence. They serve as models of religious devotion for viewers but, because they are located closer to the sacred figures than the viewers are, they also lay claim to special status.
The cadaver tomb consists of a sarcophagus on which lies a skeleton.
"Carved" in the wall above the skeleton is an inscription:
"IO FU[I] G[I]A QUEL CHE VOI S[I]ETE E QUEL CH['] I[O] SONO VO[I] A[N]CO[R] SARETE"
(I once was what you are and what I am you also will be).
This memento mori underlines that the painting was intended to serve as a lesson to the viewers. At the simplest level the imagery must have suggested to the 15th-century faithful that, since they all would die, only their faith in the Trinity and Christ's sacrifice would allow them to overcome their transitory existences.
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It’s Sunday, September 20, 2020
Welcome to the 884th consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
The Kidnapping of the Sabine Women by Giambologna
in the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence
No machine-readable author provided.
Thermos assumed (based on copyright claims). -
No machine-readable source provided.
Own work assumed (based on copyright claims).
The rape of the Sabine Women by Giambologna.
Photo by Thermos.
2.0 Commentary
With more polls surfacing, the common thread is that Trump is losing mightily to Biden.
That’s today’s take.
Let’s revisit the race on 22 September and see then, six weeks out, how the polls are treating the candidates.
We can repeat the watch every week until the week before the election and then increase the frequency of the coverage.
Debates.
Why is it so certain for each candidate to participate?
Thinking that Biden should refuse to debate.
In the last six years, no other candidate from either party has bested Trump.
Thinking that inevitably Biden must ‘lose’ these debates.
Defining ‘loss’ as the gauge of public opinion during and immediately afterwards the verbal conflict.
Trump understands that ‘winning’, not truth, is the goal.
To extremes no other candidate has ever been willing to go, Trump will state whatever will win the debate point, with total disregard for its truthfulness.
And no matter what he says his avid supporters will agree.
Trump understands that most undecided voters will naively assume that what he’s saying on television is the truth.
It’s on television.
And Trump’s persona enables him to spout the most outrageous lies without blinking an eye.
One after the other, the lies.
Leaving to Biden the futile task of trailing after Trump’s statements to set the record straight.
Trump will control the talking points.
Trump will make outrageous personal comments about Biden, his daughter, his religion, his anything.
Biden will suck in his breath at the unbridled audacity; the lack of decency.
Biden will be hard-pressed to make his case.
Later, analysts will expose the lies, soothe the personal injuries, but those contradictions and salves will be yesterday’s sad news,
no one interested.
This is in no way taking the side of Biden against Trump.
Simply a sociological observation.
My advice to Joe, pass on the debates.
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3.0 Tuscany, extracting its essence
On Friday I did some organizational work and also researched
the Loggia dei Lanzi and the Bargello.
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4.0 Chuckles/Thoughts
Reading is the key that opens doors to many good things in life.
Reading shaped my dreams, and more reading helped me
make my dreams come true.
~Ruth Bader Ginsburg
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5.0 Conversations
Last night Lauren and I had a meeting with Greg,
a dear friend, who has expressed interest in joining the Tuscany trip.
He loves the itinerary and intends to join us.
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6.0 Dinner/Food/Recipes
For dinner we enjoyed a Roast Beef with broccoli rabe.
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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
Rape of the Sabine Women
The 16th-century Italo-Flemish sculptor Giambologna sculpted a
representation of this theme with three figures
(a man lifting a woman into the air while a second man crouches),
carved from a single block of marble.
This sculpture is considered Giambologna's masterpiece.
Originally intended as nothing more than a
demonstration of the artist's ability to create a complex sculptural group,
its subject matter, the legendary rape of the Sabines,
had to be invented after Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, decreed that it be
put on public display in the Loggia dei Lanzi in Piazza della Signoria, Florence.
The proposed site for the sculpture,
opposite Benvenuto Cellini's statue of Perseus,
prompted suggestions that the group should illustrate a theme related to the former work, such as the rape of Andromeda by Phineus.
The respective rapes of Proserpina and Helen were also mooted as possible themes.
It was eventually decided that the sculpture was to be identified as one of the Sabine virgins.
The work is signed OPVS IOANNIS BOLONII FLANDRI MDLXXXII
("The work of Johannes of Boulogne of Flanders, 1582").
An early preparatory bronze featuring only two figures is in the Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte in Naples.
Giambologna then revised the scheme, this time with a third figure,
in two wax models now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
The artist's full-scale gesso for the finished sculpture, executed in 1582, is on display at
the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence.
The woman and the kneeling man reference figures from the ancient sculpture Laocoön and His Sons.
Bronze reductions of the sculpture,
produced in Giambologna's own studio and imitated by others, were a
staple of connoisseurs' collections into the 19th century.
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