The Renaissance

    There are few eras in history with the overwhelming impact of the Renaissance. The dominance of the Church that defined the Middle Ages was replaced by humanism. Man and his world transcended their place on Earth to become God in heaven. The art and architecture of the Renaissance included religious subjects represented by real people in real surroundings. Man superceded God and thereafter creates the world we inhabit.

    The Merode altarpiece is the earliest example of Northern Renaissance art. It is a triptych with Mary and Gabriel in the center panel. Mary is reading a book and Gabriel is about to announce that she will carry God's child. The right panel shows Joseph in another room with his carpentry tools. The left panel shows three people in the courtyard, including the person who paid for the altarpiece. The Annunciation happens to ordinary people on an ordinary day.

    Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. It represents the height of the Italian Renaissance, commissioned by Pope Julius II. The ceiling is painted in fresco, applying pigment to wet stucco. Scenes from the Old Testament cover the surface. In the middle, God and Adam reach out toward each other, fingers stretched to nearly touching. Who is creating whom? If there were no angels, they might be brothers. Man and God are not so different.

    Pieter Bruegel the Elder painted peasants in their natural environment. He uses oil paint which has translucent quality well suited to realism. His subjects farm, hunt, and dance. Religion is not portrayed. This is emphasizing man's importance in the world.

    The rebirth of secular art was paid for by merchants like the Medici of Florence. Money drove the art world then just as it does today. People who paid for art wanted to influence what was in the picture. They wanted to be in the picture with their wives looking sensible and prosperous. The religious subjects were replaced by ordinary people.

    Renaissance art benefited from the development of perspective. It made landscapes realistic and the people sizes depended on distance instead of importance. Backgrounds became more detailed and nature was featured. Man's world was  central.

    If the artists of the Renaissance did one thing, it was to help us to appreciate ourselves and the world around us. We are worth being made into art. We are Michelangelo's David and Bottacelli's Venus. We live in Bruegel's fields and dance at his wedding. Most of all, we create the world inspired by Leonardo's inventions. We are reborn in every way.

How to make friends.

How to make friends 
Sit next to person, but not too close.
Introduce yourself.
Invite them for pediasure.
Ask what they like.
Get them to talk about themselves.
Care.

Turpe

Drizzling on the glass, 
Filtered water flows. 
Gazing at the glow,
Will, my turtle basks.

Five Little Pigs and Death In The Clouds Agatha Christie (spoiler alert)

     Agatha Christie wrote many mysteries featuring Hercule Poirot. There are similarities in her books; some are a result of Poirot's study of the cases, but some are her vision. The sun may spy the murderer at work, but no one else does. Only Poirot can discover the reason buried in the clues. The murderer isn't old, ugly or poor; we never feel sorry for them. Scientists are present, but they don't use science to kill.
      The stories have many differences. Why did they murder? When did they decide to kill? Was it a crime of passion or premeditated? Was this the first time or are they a con man with a trail of suspicious deaths? Who else was involved? Poirot uncovers the crime and we meet interesting characters.
     In  "Five Little Pigs"  the scene of the crime is the seashore of England, sixteen years before the story takes place.  "In Death In The Clouds"  the murder happens on an airplane with Poirot present. The method in both books is poisoning. In  "Five"  Elsa spills coniine into the beer of Amyas, when she hears he won't leave his wife. This is driven by jealousy. In  "Death"  Norman puts snake venom on a thorn and pushes it into Madam Giselle's neck. This is driven by greed.   
     Underneath every murder is motive. Poirot's search for reason is what makes these stories compelling.

On Animal Farm

     George  Orwell  wrote  Animal  Farm  during  World  War  II.   It  was  published  in  1945  in  England  and  in  1946    in the  United  States.   The  story  is  an  allegory  about  the  Stalinist  rule  of  the  Union  of  Soviet  Socialist  Republics.   It  shows  the  cycle  of  power  coming  full  circle,   with  the  leader  of  the  revolution  becoming  the  dictator.

     When    Orwell  introduces  Animal  Farm,   it  seems  ideal.   Animals  will  selfgovern,   as  free  beings.   They  will  eat  more, work  less  and  cogitate  on  animalism.   Instead  they  eat  less,   work  more  and  can't  remember  the  commandments, which  keep  changing.

     The  initial  reason  behind  most  revolutions  is  to  improve  the  life  of  the  people.   Purpose  is  trumped  by  means  as  the  reality  of  governing  sets  in.     The  will  of  the  people  is  driven  by  fear,   hunger  and  ignorance.   Education  is  the  cure, and  the  basis  of  democracy.

     Napolean, the cruel dictator of the farm,  uses  fear  to  control  the  animals.   The  dogs  are  police  and  executioner,   keeping  the  potential  complainers  quiet.   Snowball  is  an  imaginary  enemy  to  unite  them.   Our  own  country  uses  terrorism  to  frighten  its  citizens  and  invade  their  privacy.   Does  anyone  really  believe  I'm  terrorist?   And  yet  they  pat  me down  every  time  I  get  on  a  plane.   The  real  purpose  is  to  perpetuate  fear  of  terrorists,   the  government  and  our  fellow  citizens!

     Everyone  on  Animal  Farm  is  hungry  for  something.   Boxer  wants  a  chance  to  retire  and  learn  the  alphabet. Muriel  wants  food  and  shelter.   Benjamin  needs  everyone  to  acknowledge  his  intelligence.   The  pigs  want  to  be  human.   Every  one  is  driven  by  their  wants  and  needs  and  principles  are  forgotten.   Human  nature  has  the  same  effect.   Until  a  person's  needs  and  wants  are  satisfied  principles  are  irrelevent.

     Ignorance  is  rooted  in  illiteracy.   It  is  furthered  by  propaganda.   Boxer  never  learns  to  read.   Squealer  writes  slogans  and  the  sheep  bleat  them  until  they  are  " true" .   The  Iraq war was  started  this  way;   President  Bush  lied, the  press  repeated  it,   and  it  became  a  well  known  " fact"   that  Iraq  had  weapons  of  mass  destruction.   We  lost  thousands  lives  in  being  ignorant.

     Animal  Farm  is  a  precautionary  story.   If  we  don't want a  part  in  the  last  chapter, with  the  pigs  eating  caviar  while  the  rest  of  the  animals  starve, we  must  resist  fear, feed  the  hungry  and  educate  our  society. _

French and Indian War

    The French and Indian War was fought from 1754 to 1763 in North America. The European historians will say it is the North American theater of the Seven Years War, that involved several European countries. The  initial battle by the French and British was over waterways in the valley of the Ohio River. The war was over world domination. 

    The Indians were Native Americans from nearby tribes that fought mostly with  the French. They sided with the French and after the British victory Indian dispossession continued until today. This was ironic after the French insisted on a no looting policy during the war. 

    The war was very expensive for both Great Britain and France. Both nations were in debt. King George III imposed taxes on the colonists, leading to the American Revolution. King Louis XV taxed his subjects, leading to the French Revolution.

    This was the first war to use guerrilla warfare. While the British marched in lines the Indians hid and shot from behind trees.  This leveled the playing field since the British had more than twice as many troops. War is never fair.