So yes, I have made some resolutions.
I want to be healthier, more in-tune with my body.
I just joined a local and online group that combines some lifestyle changes, Raw Foods Dieting and exercise of your choice.
I'll be going on a 3-day fast starting January 1st, including a colon cleanse. I will go from there on a 50% Raw Diet and eliminating processed sugar and starches.
I will also be walking 2 miles a day at least and doing yoga again.
Wish me luck!
What are your new years resolutions?
Experiment in Intention
I read in The Secret Life of Plants about an experiment done by Marcel Vogel and Vivian Wiley that involved picking leaves off of plants (2 or 3) and ignoring 1 leave and every day willing the other to continue living. It worked. The ignored leaf withered up and died and the other not only stayed fresh and vibrant but he wound created on the stem upon picking healed!
I'm doing an experiment with the ivy growing in the house along the walls of the kitchen and dining area. I watered them today and charged the water with the intent to Grow and Thrive. I also meditated under the ivy pots with the same intent like a mantra. I will make this my experiment for the next week or so and see if there's any change in the ivy.
I'm doing an experiment with the ivy growing in the house along the walls of the kitchen and dining area. I watered them today and charged the water with the intent to Grow and Thrive. I also meditated under the ivy pots with the same intent like a mantra. I will make this my experiment for the next week or so and see if there's any change in the ivy.
Top Veterinary Stories for 2011
Dr. Donald F. Smith, Cornell University
Posted December 29, 2011
Animals in Movies - Two movies gave us much to consider regarding the use and abuse of animals in war and peace. Sara Gruen's novel-turned-movie, "Water for Elephants" provided a glimpse of circus life during the Great Depression; and the release of Steven Spielberg's "War Horse" on Christmas Day portrayed the enormity of loss of equine life during wartime. Though segments of these movies needlessly strain the limits of credulity, the central themes provide compelling stories of the need for animal welfare and proper veterinary care.
Supporting Pets after the Great Japanese Earthquake - Disaster preparedness and response for animals came to prominence after Hurricane Katrina. However, the magnitude of animal devastation resulting from the March earthquake and tsunami of Northeastern Japan far eclipsed anything we had seen here in America. Dr. Asako Shimamura took leave from her regular job and worked as an individual volunteer in some of the hardest hit areas. Coordinating efforts with local veterinarians, she collected and distributed medical supplies and food in the heart of the disaster area, and reunited animals with their human families. Because of the loss of communication, the most severly affected areas were often those not identified by the Tokyo headquarters. By mid May, Dr. Shimamura had made over 200 different trips into the disaster area within the Miyagi Prefecture. Her bravery, commitment, compassion and perseverance against incredible natural and human challenges is one of the great veterinary stories of the year.
Veterinarian Awarded National Medal of Science - Ralph Brinster, a veterinary professor at the University of Pennsylvania received the National Medal of Science "for fundamental contributions to the development and use of transgenic mice". This award is the highest honor bestowed by the United States' government on scientists and engineers. Dr. Brinster is the first veterinarian in the country to receive the award since it was established 50 years ago. The White House announcement acclaimed Brinster's research to have "provided experimental foundations and inspiration for progress in germline genetic modification in a range of species, which has generated a revolution in biology, medicine, and agriculture."
AVMA Accreditation of Ross University - The American Veterinary Medical Association granted Ross University's School of Veterinary Medicine full accreditation in March. A private institution located on the Island of St. Kitts in the Caribbean, Ross graduates over 400 students per year, 98% of whom are from the U.S. This represents about 10% of the total graduates seeking employment in the United States annually. Not since the then-proprietary Ontario Veterinary College (see footnote) attracted massive numbers of Americans to its for-profit school in Toronto in the late 19th century has a non-American veterinary institution trained so many U.S. citizens as veterinarians. The accreditation of Ross was followed several months later by similar recognition of St. George's School of Veterinary Medicine on the island of Grenada.
AND THE TOP STORY FOR 2011
Rinderpest Eradication
On June 28, the 192 Member countries of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization adopted a Resolution declaring global freedom from Rinderpest. Referred to as cattle plague throughout much of history, this was an infectious disease of cattle, buffalo, yak and many wildlife species. Its devastation has been profound, producing massive starvation, economic ruin and political instability. For example, Rinderpest destroyed 90% of the cattle and millions of wild animals in sub-Saharan Africa in the 1890s. Rinderpest is the first animal disease to be eliminated by human efforts, and only the second disease of any kind, after smallpox in humans.
Footnote: The Ontario Veterinary College was established by Scottish veterinarian, Andrew Smith, as a for-profit college in downtown Toronto in 1862. It operated as a proprietary college for almost 50 years when it became a publicly-supported institution under the umbrella of the University of Toronto. Contemporary Scot, James Law, established the veterinary program at Cornell University in 1868 but his high matriculation and curriculum standards were out of reach of most American students so they migrated north of the border and returned to practice in New York and neighboring states.
Dr. Smith welcomes comments at dfs6@cornell.edu
Posted December 29, 2011
World Veterinary Year (Vet 2011) - The world's first veterinary school was established in Lyon, France 250 years ago (1761) by French veterinarian Claude Bourgelat. It was commissioned by King Louis XV to promote the prevention of cattle disease, notable Rinderpest (cattle plague). A second school was started by Bourgelat three years later in the Paris suburb of Alfort. Veterinary colleges soon emerged in London and Scotland. The 150th anniversary of veterinary medicine in the United States will be celebrated in 2013.
Supporting Pets after the Great Japanese Earthquake - Disaster preparedness and response for animals came to prominence after Hurricane Katrina. However, the magnitude of animal devastation resulting from the March earthquake and tsunami of Northeastern Japan far eclipsed anything we had seen here in America. Dr. Asako Shimamura took leave from her regular job and worked as an individual volunteer in some of the hardest hit areas. Coordinating efforts with local veterinarians, she collected and distributed medical supplies and food in the heart of the disaster area, and reunited animals with their human families. Because of the loss of communication, the most severly affected areas were often those not identified by the Tokyo headquarters. By mid May, Dr. Shimamura had made over 200 different trips into the disaster area within the Miyagi Prefecture. Her bravery, commitment, compassion and perseverance against incredible natural and human challenges is one of the great veterinary stories of the year.
AVMA Accreditation of Ross University - The American Veterinary Medical Association granted Ross University's School of Veterinary Medicine full accreditation in March. A private institution located on the Island of St. Kitts in the Caribbean, Ross graduates over 400 students per year, 98% of whom are from the U.S. This represents about 10% of the total graduates seeking employment in the United States annually. Not since the then-proprietary Ontario Veterinary College (see footnote) attracted massive numbers of Americans to its for-profit school in Toronto in the late 19th century has a non-American veterinary institution trained so many U.S. citizens as veterinarians. The accreditation of Ross was followed several months later by similar recognition of St. George's School of Veterinary Medicine on the island of Grenada.
AND THE TOP STORY FOR 2011
Rinderpest Eradication
On June 28, the 192 Member countries of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization adopted a Resolution declaring global freedom from Rinderpest. Referred to as cattle plague throughout much of history, this was an infectious disease of cattle, buffalo, yak and many wildlife species. Its devastation has been profound, producing massive starvation, economic ruin and political instability. For example, Rinderpest destroyed 90% of the cattle and millions of wild animals in sub-Saharan Africa in the 1890s. Rinderpest is the first animal disease to be eliminated by human efforts, and only the second disease of any kind, after smallpox in humans.
Footnote: The Ontario Veterinary College was established by Scottish veterinarian, Andrew Smith, as a for-profit college in downtown Toronto in 1862. It operated as a proprietary college for almost 50 years when it became a publicly-supported institution under the umbrella of the University of Toronto. Contemporary Scot, James Law, established the veterinary program at Cornell University in 1868 but his high matriculation and curriculum standards were out of reach of most American students so they migrated north of the border and returned to practice in New York and neighboring states.
Dr. Smith welcomes comments at dfs6@cornell.edu
Alice Pike Barney, Medusa (Laura Dreyfus Barney)
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.
Date: 1892
Technique: Pastel on canvas, 92 x 72.8 cm
The daughter of Albert and Alice Pike Barney
Source
Capital Football - Futsal Premier League Grand Final
Sourced from http://vimeo.com/33882892
The video below is of the mens Premier League final held recently at the AIS Training Halls between Boomerangs FS and Canberra City Prawns B. Its a terrific summary of the game, produced by Adam Grant. Wish there was this sort of product available every week during the season(s) for mens and womens Premier League Football and Futsal. Capital Football could set up a means to stream this on the internet. Its a winner!
This was a terrific game and I have no doubt that you will see most of these players at the FFA Futsal Nationals representing the ACT.
The Womens final was a highly entertaining game, in s far as it went to a draw at full time, no score in extra time and was decided by penalty shoot out. However, as a demonstration of the best that Futsal has to offer, it left a lot to be desired. A remarkably physical game by a galaxy of players who had skill and speed to burn. Pity.
One thing must be said in praise of the Mens and Womens Premier League Futsal finals - it was an extremely well run and well presented occasion. It was an appropriate celebration of the contribution made by the players, officials and clubs involved. Capital Football did it right! (This is in sharp contrast to the arrangements that supported the Mens Summer Twenties final.) Futsal does seem to get it right and you will find that the FFA Nationals are run with similar flair and professionalism.
Capital Football - Futsal Premier League Grand Final from Adam Grant on Vimeo.
The video below is of the mens Premier League final held recently at the AIS Training Halls between Boomerangs FS and Canberra City Prawns B. Its a terrific summary of the game, produced by Adam Grant. Wish there was this sort of product available every week during the season(s) for mens and womens Premier League Football and Futsal. Capital Football could set up a means to stream this on the internet. Its a winner!
This was a terrific game and I have no doubt that you will see most of these players at the FFA Futsal Nationals representing the ACT.
The Womens final was a highly entertaining game, in s far as it went to a draw at full time, no score in extra time and was decided by penalty shoot out. However, as a demonstration of the best that Futsal has to offer, it left a lot to be desired. A remarkably physical game by a galaxy of players who had skill and speed to burn. Pity.
One thing must be said in praise of the Mens and Womens Premier League Futsal finals - it was an extremely well run and well presented occasion. It was an appropriate celebration of the contribution made by the players, officials and clubs involved. Capital Football did it right! (This is in sharp contrast to the arrangements that supported the Mens Summer Twenties final.) Futsal does seem to get it right and you will find that the FFA Nationals are run with similar flair and professionalism.
Capital Football - Futsal Premier League Grand Final from Adam Grant on Vimeo.
FFA Futsal Nationals - 9 to 12 January 2012 in Canberra
The annual FFA Futsal Nationals will be held again in Canberra during the period Monday 9 January to Friday 12 January 2012. The best of the best at age in Australia is on show.
Ths is a must go to event for all Football and Futsal players, particularly those on holidays. There is no cost to enter the venues. A terrific holiday activity and lots of sensational Futsal. Watch the age group(s) of your choice, support the ACT teams and make sure you attend on Friday for the finals. You'll reach two conclusions for sure - that you or your child just has to be part of Futsal and that Futsal is of great assistance in the development of your players in Football.
Go to the FFA Futsal Nationals website for all competition details at http://www.futsalnationals.com.au/index.html
Some information from the FFA Futsal Nationals website to start you off:
VENUES
•Australian Institute of Sport Main Arena, Leverrier Crescent Bruce
•Australian Institute of Sport Basketball Training Hall, Leverrier Crescent Bruce
•Australian National University - North Road Acton
•Mpowerdome, 56 Coyne St Fadden
•Southern Cross Stadium, 7 Pitman St Tuggeranong
2012 CHAMPIONSHIP DATES
9 January Opening Ceremony 3:00pm AIS Main Arena
9 January Opening Games 5:00pm All Centres
10 January Competition Day 2 9:00am - 8:00pm All Centres
11 January Competition Day 3 9:00am - 8:00pm All Centres
12 January Competition Day 4 9:00am - 8:00pm All Centres
13 January Finals Gala Day 8:00am - 8:00pm AIS Main Arena
VENUE ALLOCATIONS / DIVISION MAIN COMPETITION VENUE/S
11 Boys Mpowerdome
11 Girls Mpowerdome
12 Boys Mpowerdome
12 Girls Mpowerdome
13 Boys Southern Cross Stadium
13 Girls Mpowerdome
14 Boys Southern Cross Stadium
14 Girls Southern Cross Stadium
15 Boys Southern Cross Stadium
15 Girls Southern Cross Stadium
16 Boys Australian National University (international court)
16 Girls Southern Cross Stadium
Youth Men Australian National University/AIS Training Hall (international court)
Youth Women Australian National University/AIS Training Hall (international court)
Open Women AIS Main Arena/AIS Training Hall (international court)
Open Men AIS Main Arena/AIS Training Hall (international court)
| 9 Jan 12 8:00PM | NSW Lightning | v | ACT Cobras | AIS Main Arena - INT |
| 9 Jan 12 8:00PM | NSW Lightning | v | ACT Cobras | AIS Main Arena - INT | View |
| 9 Jan 12 8:00PM | NSW Lightning | v | ACT Cobras | AIS Main Arena - INT | View |
Get yourself into the mood with a little of Brazil in the 2004 World Cup (v Australia - ouch!).
Joseph William Turner, Sunrise with Sea Monsters
Tate Gallery, London
Date: c. 1845
Technique: Oil on canvas, 914 x 1219 mm
Although this unfinished painting has come to be known as Sunrise with Sea Monsters, the obscure pink shape at the lower centre of the canvas probably depicts fish; indeed a red and white float and part of a net can be seen nearby.
Commentators have related the picture to Turner’s whaling scenes, and other paintings with fish in the foreground from the 1840s. But the subject of fishing was of interest to Turner throughout his career, as were remarkable sunsets and sunrises such as the dawn depicted here.
Source 1
Source 2
Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Untitled etching (called "The Pier with Chains")
Plate XVI (of 16) from the series The Imaginary Prisons (Le Carceri d'Invenzione), Rome, 1761 edition (reworked from 1745).
Source
The Shack Bistro and Sports Bar
There was nothing more exciting to me when I was teaching in NY than to wake up on a cold, blustery winter morning and find out that school was cancelled for the day due to outrageous amounts of snow that had fallen overnight. An unexpected day off.....woohoo!!! That same feeling of elation swept over me when I arrived at The Shack on Thursday for the Coffee Crawl. Upon meeting The Shack's owner, Ingrid Saunders, she informed me that since Friday was a public holiday (making for a long weekend) things would be quite hectic at the shop on Thursday. WHAT??? ...a public hiloday???... an unexpected day off???... a long weekend???? WOOHOO!!!!! Well, that set the tone for this week's Crawl.
The Crawlers met Thursday morning at The Shack Bistro and Sports Bar. As the name implies, The Shack is a coffee shop/bistro by day and a sports bar (to go to watch your favorite rugby/soccer/cricket teams) by night. The bar side has been under the present management for about six months while the coffee shop side has been open for only six weeks. The Shack is situated in the Lorraine Plaza (Gardens Shopping Centre) on Circular Drive in Lorraine. I frequent the plaza (and drive past the new coffee shop) as it is where the Virgin Active gym is located.
The Shack has a relaxed atmosphere with a sublte African decor. There is seating for approximately 50 people inside the shop where patrons are totally removed from the hectic pace of the plaza/parking lot. There is also outside "sidewalk" seating for about 20 customers who enjoy people-watching. The Shack features a daily breakfast special which includes a full English breakfast with free coffee. The shop has a full lunch menu as well.
LavAzza brand coffee beverages are prepared by barista Patience. She certainly needed all that and then some as she filled orders of tea and coffee from Thursday's Crawlers, Margaret Zoetmulder, Colleen LeRoux, Fran de Beer, June Nash, Leanne Waller, Beth Vieira, Nomusa Nkomo, and Stella and Beryl Dawson, and Gail Darne. My cappuccinos were excellent... I think I had three! And Patience is a real sweetheart... she made us all feel like she was entertaining guests in her own home. Thank you, Patience, you're awesome! Camera-shy owner, Ingrid, stopped by the table a few times to make sure all was well and that we were enjoying ourselves. Needless to say, considering the hospitality shown to us by the staff, The Shack is a definite return-to spot for me!
So, as for the National Holiday.... Friday, Dec 16 was the Day of Reconciliation, and the "unofficial" start of the summer season in SA. The Crawlers discussed the background of this holiday which is way too complicated to get involved in here, but if you're interested, google it.... fascinating stuff! As the Il Divo Christmas CD played in the background we then got to talking about old age and being old. With Thursday's Crawlers ages ranging from 20s to 80s there were certainly differing perspectives on the subject. In the end we all agreed that we liked the quote stuck to Elaine's (my sis) fridge, "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were?"
Speaking of age, I'd like to take this opportunity to send Happy Birthday wishes to my sisters, Carol in Millersville, PA (Dec 16) and Mary in Edinboro, PA (Dec 17). Hope you both had fun on your special days. A huge Happy Birthday #1 on Dec 19 to my beautiful granddaughter, Mia, in Cleveland, TN. Can't wait to see you, your parents and brother next week!
So, what did Lou and I do on our unexpected day off? We wasted the day away... which reminds me of another quote stuck to Elaine's fridge, "Time spent wasting is not wasted time." That quote has become my mantra!
~Thank you to Ingrid and Patience for making the Crawlers feel quite at home. Great coffee, too!
~MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ONE AND ALL!!!!
Until next week,
Ellen
The Crawlers met Thursday morning at The Shack Bistro and Sports Bar. As the name implies, The Shack is a coffee shop/bistro by day and a sports bar (to go to watch your favorite rugby/soccer/cricket teams) by night. The bar side has been under the present management for about six months while the coffee shop side has been open for only six weeks. The Shack is situated in the Lorraine Plaza (Gardens Shopping Centre) on Circular Drive in Lorraine. I frequent the plaza (and drive past the new coffee shop) as it is where the Virgin Active gym is located.
The Shack has a relaxed atmosphere with a sublte African decor. There is seating for approximately 50 people inside the shop where patrons are totally removed from the hectic pace of the plaza/parking lot. There is also outside "sidewalk" seating for about 20 customers who enjoy people-watching. The Shack features a daily breakfast special which includes a full English breakfast with free coffee. The shop has a full lunch menu as well.
 |
| Meet the Barista Patience |
LavAzza brand coffee beverages are prepared by barista Patience. She certainly needed all that and then some as she filled orders of tea and coffee from Thursday's Crawlers, Margaret Zoetmulder, Colleen LeRoux, Fran de Beer, June Nash, Leanne Waller, Beth Vieira, Nomusa Nkomo, and Stella and Beryl Dawson, and Gail Darne. My cappuccinos were excellent... I think I had three! And Patience is a real sweetheart... she made us all feel like she was entertaining guests in her own home. Thank you, Patience, you're awesome! Camera-shy owner, Ingrid, stopped by the table a few times to make sure all was well and that we were enjoying ourselves. Needless to say, considering the hospitality shown to us by the staff, The Shack is a definite return-to spot for me!
 |
| This Week's Crawlers Gail, Fran, June, Stella, Nomusa, Beryl, Leanne, Margaret, Beth, Colleen |
So, as for the National Holiday.... Friday, Dec 16 was the Day of Reconciliation, and the "unofficial" start of the summer season in SA. The Crawlers discussed the background of this holiday which is way too complicated to get involved in here, but if you're interested, google it.... fascinating stuff! As the Il Divo Christmas CD played in the background we then got to talking about old age and being old. With Thursday's Crawlers ages ranging from 20s to 80s there were certainly differing perspectives on the subject. In the end we all agreed that we liked the quote stuck to Elaine's (my sis) fridge, "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were?"
Speaking of age, I'd like to take this opportunity to send Happy Birthday wishes to my sisters, Carol in Millersville, PA (Dec 16) and Mary in Edinboro, PA (Dec 17). Hope you both had fun on your special days. A huge Happy Birthday #1 on Dec 19 to my beautiful granddaughter, Mia, in Cleveland, TN. Can't wait to see you, your parents and brother next week!
So, what did Lou and I do on our unexpected day off? We wasted the day away... which reminds me of another quote stuck to Elaine's fridge, "Time spent wasting is not wasted time." That quote has become my mantra!
~Thank you to Ingrid and Patience for making the Crawlers feel quite at home. Great coffee, too!
~MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ONE AND ALL!!!!
Until next week,
James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Nocturne in Grey and Gold: Chelsea Snow
Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Cambridge, MA
Date: 1876
Technique: Oil on canvas, 47 x 62.2 cm
Source
Technical Training the Coerver Way - Is there another way?
This program will be broadcast on 2xxfm (98.3) across the Australian Community Radio Network on Tuesday, 20 December 2011 at 7:00PM.
The FFA National Football Curriculum and National Development plans are splendid documents that are helping to achieve a "revolution in Football affairs" across the nation. They focus very specifically on the technical development of our future generations of football players. The when and what of it all. But you need a lot more than a couple of glossy publications and that's the problem in front of everyone in Football at the community level.
We speak to Jason Lanscar (Vice President, Asia Pacific Director, COERVER Coaching Asia Pacific) and a guest CoerverJapan
This program focuses on the technical development of young Football players. Who teaches you what you need to know?
We must become more technically proficient in order to compete effectively at the international level and the ultimate measure of success is our competitiveness in the World Cup. Simple as that.
Did you see the final of the FIFA Club competition between Barcelona (Spanish club) and Santos (Brazilian club)? Ask yourself a simple question - Are the Socceroos to the Barcleona club standard? The answer is easy - No. Change, in the form of superior technical ability among our players in our region, will take generations.
It all starts at the youngest of ages and at the ordinary community football level.
Now there are many parts to the production of technically competitive and competitive young players. It’s a process that takes generations and there is not a day to loose. Two ingredients are essential fort his football cake to rise – a proven technical football curriculum and properly trained technical coaches. The FFA has begun that process from the top down, while member federations are expected to make it work from the bottom up. Both ends could do better.
One organisation around the globe and most certainly here in Australia FFA and our young players - the Coerver Coaching organisation.
We speak to Jason Lanscar (Vice President, Asia Pacific Director, COERVER Coaching Asia Pacific) and a guest Coerver
The great sadness is that not every young boy or girl gets to experience Coerver technical training. If I had Harry Potter's magic wand I would make it so today.
This interview speaks for itself, so settle back, a glass of Christmas cheer to hand and listen. Fascinating stuff.
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, Philosopher in Meditation
Musée du Louvre, Paris
Date: 1632
Technique: Oil on panel, 28 x 34 cm
Philosopher in Meditation (Bredius 431) is the traditional title of an oil painting in the Musée du Louvre, Paris, that has long been attributed to the 17th-century Dutch artist Rembrandt. It is signed "RHL-van Rijn" and dated 1632, at the time of Rembrandt's move from Leiden to Amsterdam. Recent scholarship suggests that the painting depicts "Tobit and Anna waiting for their son Tobias" instead. The painting appeared in Paris around the middle of the 18th century and made the rounds of aristocratic collections before being acquired for the royal collections housed in the Louvre Palace. The presumed subject matter, the finely graded chiaroscuro treatment and intricate composition were widely appreciated in France and the painting is mentioned in the writings of many 19th- and 20th-century literary figures, including George Sand, Théophile Gautier, Jules Michelet, Marcel Proust, Paul Valéry, Gaston Bachelard, Paul Claudel, and Aldous Huxley. The popularity of the painting may be measured by its presence on the internet, where it is often used as an emblem of philosophy, or interpreted along esoteric or occult lines.
Painted in oils on an oak panel measuring about 11 x 13 in. (28 x 34 cm), the painting depicts in slightly accelerated perspective two figures in a partially vaulted interior that is dominated by a wooden spiral staircase. The architecture includes stone, brick and wood, with arched elements (window, vault, doors) that create an impression of monumentality. On the pre-iconographic level, this is one of the most "graphic" works painted by Rembrandt, in the sense that it contains many straight, curved, circular, and radiating lines: from the lines of the flagstones to those of the window, the bricks, the wainscotting, and of course the staircase. As in the staircase and the basketwork tray at the center of the composition, the curved lines can be said to organize the straight lines. The first figure is that of an old man seated at a table in front of a window, his head bowed and his hands folded in his lap. The second figure is that of an old woman tending a fire in an open hearth. A third figure—a woman standing in the stairs carrying a basket and turned to the spectator—is visible in 18th- and 19th-century engraved reproductions of the painting, but virtually invisible in the painting's present state. As it is, the overall painting is quite dark due to the aging of the varnish.
Source
Winter Intersession hours at the library
The Albertsons Library will be be open limited hours during the holidays and Winter Intersession. For Intersession (Dec. 18-24):
- Monday - Thursday: 7 am - 7 pm
- Friday: 7:00 am - 5 pm
- Sat & Sun: Closed
- Christmas week, Dec. 25-31: Closed
- January 1 & 2: Closed.
Giovanni Bellini, Four Allegories: Falsehood (or Wisdom)
Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice
Date: c. 1490
Technique: Oil on wood, 34 x 22 cm
The four panels with Allegories at the Accademia in Venice are often likened to the Sacred Allegory, but they belong instead to the artist's scanty secular production. They originally formed part of a small dressing-table with a mirror and a rack on which to hang objects, belonging to the painter Vincenzo Catena who, writing his will in 1530, left it to Antonio Marsili. The spread of this kind of furniture was so great that in 1489 the Venetian Senate prohibited its manufacture, limiting it to what was strictly necessary. Often, as in this instance, their decoration comprised symbolic representations of a moralistic character.
An unusual theme for Bellini, the panels represent respectively: Lust tempting the virtuous man or Perseverance (Bacchus who from a chariot offers a plate of fruit to a warrior); fickle Fortune (the woman on an unstable boat holding a sphere); Prudence (the naked woman pointing at a mirror); Falsehood (the man emerging from the shell). There are diverging opinions about the interpretation of the last two representations, such that they have been seen as: the Woman as Vanitas (on the basis of similar representations by Jacopo de' Barbari and Baldung Grien), and the Man in the shell as an allegory of Virtus Sapientia, since the shell might have a positive connotation as a generative principle.
Source
Salvator Rosa, Witches at their Incantations
The National Gallery, London
Date: c. 1646
Technique: Oil on canvas, 72 x 132 cm
Scenes of the occult were rare, though not unknown, in 17th- century Italy. During his years in Florence (1640-9) Rosa produced a number of scenes of witchcraft, of which this (signed) painting is the most ambitious surviving example. It may be the painting referred to in a letter by Rosa of 1666 as having been painted twenty years earlier and one of his finest, and it is probably contemporary with one of Rosa's poems entitled 'The Witch'.
Source
Alice Pike Barney, Waterlily
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington
Date: 1900
Technique: Pastel on paper, 40.6 x 54.9 cm
One of Barney's illustrations for her daughter's chapbook of French poetry.
Source
Dessie's Mad Hatter Tea Garden
I was grocery shopping one day last week and enjoying the Christmas tunes playing in the background. I had to laugh when I heard those familiar lyrics, "Oh, the weather outside is frightful, But the fire is so delightful, And since we've no place to go, Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!" I happened to have a tee shirt, shorts, and flip flops on at the time.
With PE having some beautiful summer weather recently, I've been struggling to get into the Christmas spirit. Thursday's Crawl site was just what I needed to remind me that Christmas is just around the corner. Dessie's Mad Hatter Tea Garden is located within The Christmas House, a temporary, seasonal shop that opened for business on Oct 8 and runs through Christmas Eve. The Christmas House is situated inside the Moffett on Main Lifestyle Centre in Walmer, and has just about anything you need to decorate for the holiday season.
Thursday's Crawlers, Margaret Zoetmulder, Beth Vieira, Leanne Waller and her son, Daniel, Nomusa Nkomo, Gail Darne, Stella and Beryl Dawson, Fran de Beer, and June Nash, spent some time perusing the nativity sets and the decorated trees then headed to the back of the store where the Mad Hatter Tea Garden staff greeted us and pushed some tables together to accommodate our group.
The Tea Garden serves Ciro brand coffee and has a full breakfast/lunch menu along with a variety of cakes and cookies. My cappuccino and Americano prepped by barista, Patricia, were very good but the small cups were only half full when served.... a bit disappointing, but the festive ambience, complete with snow-related background music, more made up for it. Everything considered, the Mad Hatter Tea Garden certainly put me in a holiday mood and I'll definitely head over to the shop should I feel the need for a Christmas booster over the next week and a half.
With PE having some beautiful summer weather recently, I've been struggling to get into the Christmas spirit. Thursday's Crawl site was just what I needed to remind me that Christmas is just around the corner. Dessie's Mad Hatter Tea Garden is located within The Christmas House, a temporary, seasonal shop that opened for business on Oct 8 and runs through Christmas Eve. The Christmas House is situated inside the Moffett on Main Lifestyle Centre in Walmer, and has just about anything you need to decorate for the holiday season.
 |
| Meet the Barista Patricia |
Thursday's Crawlers, Margaret Zoetmulder, Beth Vieira, Leanne Waller and her son, Daniel, Nomusa Nkomo, Gail Darne, Stella and Beryl Dawson, Fran de Beer, and June Nash, spent some time perusing the nativity sets and the decorated trees then headed to the back of the store where the Mad Hatter Tea Garden staff greeted us and pushed some tables together to accommodate our group.
 |
| This Week's Crawlers Nomusa, Gail, Beryl, Fran, Leanne, June, Daniel, Stella, Beth, Margaret |
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| Zimbabweans Nomusa and Gail having tea at the Coffee Crawl |
The Tea Garden serves Ciro brand coffee and has a full breakfast/lunch menu along with a variety of cakes and cookies. My cappuccino and Americano prepped by barista, Patricia, were very good but the small cups were only half full when served.... a bit disappointing, but the festive ambience, complete with snow-related background music, more made up for it. Everything considered, the Mad Hatter Tea Garden certainly put me in a holiday mood and I'll definitely head over to the shop should I feel the need for a Christmas booster over the next week and a half.
Talk of Christmas preparations abounded at the table.... real vs artificial trees, e-cards vs snail mail cards, and turkey vs ham. The next topic of conversation centered around baby African animals... giraffes, ellies, zebra, and PE's version of Santa's 8 tiny reindeer.... 7 tiny impala babies! The community where I live in PE has a herd of impala on the premises, and within the past few weeks there have been 7 new additions to the herd. The babies a so cute prancing about! As I was busy prancing about snapping pics for the blog, the subject of mergers came up.... not the corporate variety, but photographic mergers. Mergers happen when separate items in our 3-dimensional world merge into one item through the 1-dimensional perspective of a camera lens. A couple of examples... two animals standing close to each other may look like one animal with two heads in a pic, or it may look like a background plant is growing out of someone's head in a pic. I've seen numerous intentional merger pics of people holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa! Check out the merger of Daniel with a Santa hat!
As I write this I know that where many of my fam/friends live in the U.S. the "weather outside is frightful." Here's to wishing you all a "White Christmas!" Enjoy!!!
~Thank you to The Mad Hatter staff for putting me in the Christmas spirit!
~Thank you to my son, Jeff, for posting all our U.S. bound snail mail Christmas cards from Atlanta!
Until next week,
Ellen
Two New Digital Collections From Special Collections
There are two new additions to the library's digital collections page at the link below.
http://digital.boisestate.edu/
The Lyman Wilbur Afghanistan Collection contains color slides taken by Wilbur in 1957 and 1958. Wilbur, vice president of the Boise company Morrison-Knudsen, took the slides during his visits to Afghanistan to inspect M-K's dam and irrigation construction projects in that country.
The Peter Beemer Manuscript Collection contains handwritten musical scores recorded in the 1860s by Beemer in the mining camp of Warren, Idaho, of songs and dance music performed by his band and others. Videos of modern performances of several of the pieces are also included in the digital collection.
Consider a Year-End Donation in Support of the Animals
Posted by Dr. Donald F. Smith, Cornell University
December 11, 2011.
If you are planning charitable donations this time of year, you may want to consider animal health and welfare programs among your causes to support. For those who don't know where to turn, I offer these suggestions.
The value of supporting the local community:
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Local humane shelters are among the most money-strapped animal non profits in the country. They operate in local communities, providing critical services for adoption and education, as well as dealing with animal rescue, cruelty prevention, and pet overpopulation issues. I have always been impressed by the number of older veterinarians who leave a legacy of giving generously of their time and professional expertise for local shelters and, upon their death, have designated that memorial gifts in their honor be made to a local shelter.
Supporting the Next Generation of Veterinarians:
Twenty years ago, the ratio of staring salary to educational debt for a graduating veterinarian was 1:1. It is now almost 1:3, and the ratio is spreading. State financial support for veterinary colleges has been under siege for at least two decades, and has plummeted precipitously in the last four years. I recently estimated that the average level of operating support for veterinary colleges is less than $2.00 per capita. Many states provide no direct support for veterinary colleges nor do they provide even partial tuition support for students who attend out-of-state colleges because there are no veterinary colleges in their home state.
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| Cornell University's Graduating DVM Class of 2011 (May 2011) |
Each of the 28 veterinary colleges in the United States has scholarship funds that would benefit from your donation. Consult the website of your favorite college, or contact me directly and I can provide you with the name and address of the appropriate contact at the college of your choice.
Support Veterinary Medical Research:
There are several reputable organizations that support research on animal health and welfare. Two that I consider among the most effective are: The Morris Animal Foundation (supporting the health of pets and wildlife) and the Winn Feline Foundation (for cats).
Among my favorite conservation and wildlife programs are the Wildlife Conservation Society, which includes the world-famous Bronx Zoo where the West Nile Virus was isolated in 1999; and the Cheetah Conservation Fund, a scientifically-based program located in Namibia, Africa.
As always, I welcome comments and questions at dfs6@cornell.edu
All photos provided by the author.
Spielberg's Version of "War Horse"
Blog by Dr. Donald F. Smith, Cornell University
Posted Dec. 11, 2011
Michael Morpurgo’s book, War Horse, which was transformed into a Tony-award winning Broadway play, opened on the big screen since Christmas Day 2011.
It is hard for us to fathom the massive loss of animal life in the history of war. Morpurgo humanizes the plight of military animals in WWI by making the horse, Joey, the narrator of his own story. He is a British boy’s beloved work horse who is sold into the British cavalry. Through an unusual twist of events, Joey ends up going into battle on the side of the Germans, as well as the British.The emphasis on Joey’s health is a subtext of the story. The critical service of both British and American veterinarians and veterinary stations are described many times throughout the book.
When the fighting ceased in 1918, Joey’s plight as a surviving horse on French soil is also chronicled as he and his emaciated equine comrads are auctioned for slaughter as horse meat. This characterization of war animals as “equipment” is repeated years later in Vietnam. At the end of that war, American military dogs which had served so faithfully to locate injured GI’s, warned of enemy ambushes, and searched out booby traps, were left to their own fate―including slaughter for food―as the troops were forced to return to the U.S. without their beloved canine service companions.
Though we instinctively imagine that the millions of horses lost in World War I would have been through combat, Morpurgo paints a more accurate picture where malnutrition, starvation and disease were the greater scourges. Joey’s near fatal encounter with tetanus following his recovery from life-threatening combat injuries is a vivid reminder that horses are highly susceptible to this dreaded infection.
American veterinarian Dr. D. L. Proctor served in India during WW II and was in charge of preparing horses and mules for service in the mountains and jungles of Burma. He told me of the problems with protozal diseases, lacerations, shrapnel wounds. But as far as tetanus goes, things had changed in the 35 years since WW I. “I never saw a case of tetanus while I was in the service because the horses and mules were all vaccinated”, he said. “And this is something because tetanus was the greatest cause of death in horses at that time.”
Animals are still fighting and suffering in war. The New York Times ran an article that captures some of the modern day impact of war on dogs. Titled “After Duty, Dogs Suffer Like Soldiers”, James Dao describes the post-traumatic stress disorder of military dogs in Afghanistan and Iraq. What War Horse tells us is that animals don’t discriminate between the “good” side and the “bad” side. Joey fought for both British and German armies and received veterinary care from each side.
And this confirms my interview with WWII Japanese veterinarian, Dr. Takehiko Takahashi, who cared for the war horses assigned to him in Burma with the same zeal and compassion as Dr. Proctor did for the American horses.
Veterinarians take an oath to prevent animal suffering, and in war as in peacetime, it should not matter where they were born or who owns them.
Above photos of the book cover and of the documentary describing the creation of the puppetry in the play version of the story are by Dr. Smith, who invites comments on this and all blogs at dfs6@cornell.edu.
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