Don Giovanni, the Mozart masterpiece was performed by Madison Opera last night at the Overture Center. This one is a story of seduction, murder, revenge, and damnation. Making his Madison Opera debut was baritone Kelly Markgraf in the title role (don't ask me why a male has the name "Kelly").
The opera is based off of Moliere's play Don Juan, which is about a lascivious Spanish nobleman who goes around seducing women let and right. When the curtain rises he's busy with a beauty while his servant Leporello serves as sentry. Leporello resents having to serve the Don as he doesn't eat or sleep well. Then we meet Don Giovanni and his attempted latest conquest, Donna Anna. Giovanni had snuck into her bedroom and tried to rape her. She calls for help and her father, a Commendatore, comes to challenge Giovanni. While Anna runs to find help, the Commendatore fights Giovanni and is fatally wounded. Giovanni and Leporello leave as Anna and her fiance, Don Ottavio, discover the dead man's body. Anna and Ottavio both swear revenge.
But Giovanni goes off looking for another conquest. He overhears a woman crying, lamenting after being abandoned by her lover. When Giovanni goes to console her ("The same way he's consoled about 1,800 other women," Leporello remarks), he discovers it is none other than Donna Elvira, a previous conquest. Giovanni escapes while Leporello tells Elvira that she is not the first woman Giovanni has seduced, nor is she the last. He then proceeds to read the list of Giovanni's conquests to her: 640 in Italy, 231 in Germany, 100 in France, 91 in Turkey, and in Spain 1,300. That's 2,065 women all told*!
Zerlina and Masetto, a peasant couple, are celebrating their wedding when Giovanni comes in and sends Masetto away. He then attempts to seduce Zerlina, but is foiled when Elvira comes in and tells the girl to flee from Giovanni. Anna and Ottavio come in asking Giovanni for help not realizing that he is man who ravished Anna and murdered her father. They only find out when Giovanni leaves that he is the man they're looking for. Ottavio is worried about Anna's state of mind. Meanwhile, Zerlina assures a jealous Masetto that she is faithful.
Giovanni has invited the entire wedding party to his house in hopes of getting Zerlina into bed. In fact, all he can think about is drinking and having sex with as many country wenches as he can get his hands on. Anna, Ottavio, and Elvira don masks and are invited in by Leporello. Giovanni tells Leporello to distract Masetto while he dances with Zerlina and drags her into an adjacent room in order to rape her. She cries out for help and Giovanni tries to lay the blame on Leporello. But Anna, Ottavio, and Elvira demask, and all Giovanni can do is escape quietly.
As the second act opens, Leporello wants to leave Giovanni but is easily won back with money. Giovanni plans to seduce Elvira's maid. But Elvira herself is present, so Giovanni and Leporello switch cloaks in order to fool her so that Giovanni can get on with his conquest. Once again, Elvira falls for the Don's seductive voice. Once she and the disguised Leporello leave, Giovanni begins his conquest. But once again he is interrupted as Masetto and several companions come in looking for him. But don't recognize him because of his disguise. Giovanni disarms Masetto and disperses his companions, then proceeds to beat up the young man. After Giovanni slips away, Zerlina comes by and comforts Masetto, placing his hand on her bosom and telling him where he'll find healing.
Meanwhile, Leporello is still with with Elvira , but he can't keep up masquerading as Giovanni for much longer, and is trying to find some means of escape before Elvira discovers the ruse. Before he an escape, however, he is caught by Anna, Ottavio, Zerlina, and Masetto who think he's Giovanni. Elvira protests saying that he;s her husband but the others will have none of it. Everyone is stunned when Leporello reveals his identity. Ottavio is now certain that Giovanni is the man who attacked Anna and murdered her father, and thus becomes even more determined to take revenge. Elvira, meanwhile, can only think if Giovanni. Although he has betrayed her, she still loves him, and she foresees his doom.
Giovanni meets up with Leporello outside a cemetery with with several equestrian statues; one of them being that of Anna's late father, the Commendatore. Giovanni laugh at Leporello's annoyance. But then the disembodied voice of the Commendatore is heard telling Giovanni that his laughter shall be silenced by dawn. But Giovanni thinks nothing of it and makes Leporello invite the statue to dinner, which it agrees to.
Ottavio is trying to understand why Anna still refuses to marry him and thinks she is being cruel. Anna assures him that she does in fact love him; she just doesn't think she can marry so soon after her fathers death (not to mention that her father's killer is still at large).
Giovanni is eating his meal with gusto as a famished Leporello watches jealously. Elvira rushes in telling Giovanni that she forgives him and feels only pity for him. But he laughs her off when she ask that he change his ways and she leaves distraught. Suddenly she screams and runs off through a different door. Leporello goes to see what frightened her and lets out a scream to match hers. Giovanni asks what is going on and Leporello tells him the statue has arrived. The Commendatore then enters and tells Giovanni to repent. When Giovanni refuses, the statue drags him down to Hell alive.
Anna, Ottavio, Elivra, Zerlina, and Masetto all enter hoping to find Giovanni. Instead they find Leporello, huddled in a corner all shaken up at what he's just seen. He tells what happened and the others cannot believe it. Anna and Ottavio agree to wait a year before getting married so that Anna can get over her father's death. Elvira, feeling that she has nowhere else to go, decides to take the veil and enter a convent. Zerlina and Masetto decide to finally go home and have dinner. And Leporello, now out of work, is going job hunting. Everyone reflects on the moral of the story: "Thus shall pass all who do evil. The death of a sinner reflects his life."
This was the first production of Don Giovanni I saw live onstage. The sets for the production were mostly tall walls with doorways that were moved periodically throughout the opera, even by the characters themselves (since when did opera characters lean on the fourth wall like that?). In the background was a painted screen showing a rose. This rise changes color often throughout the performance depending on the time of day and the mood. For example, in the scene where Giovanni and Zerlina have their famous duet, the rose turns passionate red. In a nighttime scene, it turns either blue or grey. After the dramatic overture, we meet Leporello outside Donna Anna's house. He is sitting off to the left looking through the same old book of the Don's conquests. He is not pleased about being the servant of such a man; he doesn't eat or sleep well. The story has Don Giovanni wearing mask when he first enters. In this production, not only was he not wearing a mask, but he was also shirtless. I suppose they needed an establishing character moment for him, but it still seems excessive. He jumped off of the balcony followed by Anna, who was clad in her nightgown and wielding a knife to fend off her attacker. The Commendatore came out and challenged Giovanni while Anna ran for help. While she was gone, Giovanni murdered the Commendatore and fled. Anna returns with Don Ottavio and collapses when she sees her father dead. After she comes round, they both swear vengeance on the murderer.
In this production, when Giovanni and Leporello hide in order to observe Donna Elvira (whom they don't recognize yet), they actually move part of the set. Elvira entered carrying trunks and was accompanied by two well-dressed footman helping her find her way. She has been looking all over the place for Giovanni and is determined to either have him back or else kill him. She actually looked like she was asking some passers-by if they knew where her missing lover was. She is both furious and grief-stricken. And Giovanni is caught completely of guard when discovers her identity. He gets Leporello cover his escape and with that, Leporello proceeded to read off the list of conquests. this production left out Elvira's recitative where she swears revenge on the man who betrayed her.
Zerlina and Masetto entered followed by wedding guests carrying chairs and throwing flowers about. Zerlina was clad in a yellow dress with a veil pinned in her hair. Giovanni entered and not only shooed Masetto away, but invited the party to his place. Masetto is a peasant, Giovanni is a nobleman. So there's no way Masetto can protest. After everyone leaves, Giovanni woos the bride in the famous La ci darem la mano duet. But the encounter is interrupted by Elvira, who tells the young girl to flee. I noticed that the rose in the background turned green when Elvira came in. She's reeling with jealously at the fact that Giovanni is seducing another woman. Anna and Ottavio enter. This time Anna is clad in a black dress and she is mourning her father's death. They find Giovanni, but don't recognize him as the man who murder the Commendatore. Elvira tells them not to believe Giovanni, and it's only after he leaves that Anna recognizes him by his voice. Unfortunately, they left out Dalla sua pace in which Ottavio worries about Anna's condition. He's torn and upset because she's torn and upset. Actually, Giovanni once saved Ottavio's life. So he considers Giovanni to be a savior. And finding out that his friend seduced his beloved and murder her father is really hard on him.
Giovanni is looking forward to a night of orgiastic pleasure and some more trophies to put in his book. This scene had wedding guest coming in drunk and passing out on the cushions and chairs. Meanwhile, Masetto is jealous and upset with Zerlina for flirting with Giovanni. Zerlina protests and assures him that she is faithful. But she is startled and terrified when she hears the Don's voice coming form another room. She and Masetto hide as Giovanni enters. In this production, they pretended to be passed out like the others in the room. Zerlina even tries to hide behind a cushion fort. Giovanni isn't fooled and temporarily gives her back to Masetto. Meanwhile, Anna, Ottavio, and Elvira have donned masks and are invited in by Leporello. he thinks they're just maskers. Ottavio looked like he was trying to keep Anna from giving them away to early. The scene had chairs on the left, a couch on the right, a feast in the upper left corner, and a bed that was wheeled in and out of the room, with rose petals falling all over the place. At one point, Giovanni was sitting on the bed with four women clinging about him. When the music starts again, Giovanni has Leporello distract Masetto so that he can dance with Zerlina and get her into bed. This production showed Masetto not dancing with Leporello, but instead having the latter get him to submit to a bunch of girls. This production had Giovanni place Zerlina on the bed and wheel her out of the room. When she cried for help, she was wheeled back in; her hands tied to the bedposts and Giovanni wanted to keep her still while he attempted to rape her. Giovanni tries to lay the blame on Leporello, but Anna, Ottavio, and Elvira are not fooled, and foil Giovanni's plans by demasking and chasing him out. I saw one lone rose petal fall and land a bull-eye on one of the cushions. I thought it added to the atmosphere of disappointment and rage at the fact that the party just got ruined.
Act 2 had the balcony from Act 1 on the left side. After bribing Leporello back into service with cash, Giovanni and Leporello switched cloaks as Elvira comes onstage again. She is clad in her shift in this scene. She is still feeling betrayed, but falls once again for the Don's seductive voice. Leporello impersonated Giovanni so that the latter could seduce Elvira's maid (his rich clothes would arouse suspicions a little too easily). They leave while he sings a remarkable serenade. He saw Masetto and several others coming looking for him, but they don't recognize him in his disguise. Giovanni disarmed Masetto, scatters his companions, and beats him up. Zerlina arrived holding a lantern and wearing a shawl over her dress. She started kissing him and telling him where he'll find healing.
Elvira still thought that Leporello was the Don and Leporello knew he wouldn't be able to keep up the facade for very long. This production had him lean on the fourth wall again by backing away slowly while pushing a set piece. But before he could escape, Anna, Ottavio, Zerlina, and Masetto caught him off guard. Elvira protested, but Leporello got away after revealing who he was. This Ottavio aria was included. Il mio tesoro is where he strengthened his resolve to avenge the death of the Commendatore. In contrast, Elvira lamented Don Giovanni's fate. He betrayed her, but she still loves him, and in her mind she sees the abyss opening before him and a deadly thunderbolt above his head.
Giovanni laughed at the various turn of events and Leporello was not happy that he nearly got killed. This production featured a gate that led to the graveyard and behind was an equestrian statue atop a large pedestal with the inscription on the side. I couldn't see the upper half but hearing the disembodied voice was scary enough. Giovanni talked the reluctant and terrified Leporello into inviting the statue to dinner, which it accepted.
Ottavio thought Anna was cruel in that she didn't want to marry him. She pointed out that she indeed loves him, she just couldn't marry him right then.
The feast scene had a full able in the lower right corner plus a few chairs. Giovanni was eating like a pig, Leporello can only sneak small bite. They are listening to the greatest hits of the day, including Mozart's original Non piu andrai from Le Nozze di Figaro ("Now that tune I know too well," Leporello deadpans). Elvira tried to get Giovnni to change, but he refused. In the background was the statue and silver petals were falling this time. When Elvira saw the statue, she screamed and ran like a scared rabbit. Leporello screamed too and then the statue began to knock. This production had the monument part and out stepped the ghost of Anna's father, the Commendatore, surrounded by fog (did they use liquid nitrogen?) and we hear the strains from the first part of the overture. This one had the ghost sit down with Giovanni during their exchange. The ghost moved slowly and stiffly, as if they were trying to emphasize the Uncanny Valley aspect of the ghost. The ghost asks if Giovanni will dine with him; Giovanni accepts. He takes off his shirts and takes the ghost's hand which is cold as ice. The ghost tells him to repent, Giovanni will not. The Commendatore then pulls Giovanni into the monument with hellfire coming up from beneath.
Everyone else ran in to find out what happened. Leporello was crouched behind the table looking totally shaken up, and he told them what happened. During the moralizing coda, he took a cake from the table and just before the music ended, he took a huge bite from it. I think that goes to show that he has not eaten well for months.
A few performance comments: I thought that Kelly Markgraf looked like Kyle Ketelsen from the distance we were at. it may have been because of the wig he was wearing. This was also the first time I saw soprano Elizabeth Caballero. I had heard her in rebroadcasts of Carmen and la Traviata, but I saw her for the first time in this performance. The soprano singing Elvira had to be the one I saw in the simulcast of Zandonai's Francesca da Rimini, in the role of Biancafiore. And I can't believe the guy who sang Masetto also sang Count Horn in Un Ballo in Macasara back in November.
Also, I
had always wondered how old Giovanni must be. If he started his
philandering at age fifteen, it is definitely possible that he could be twenty-five. Then again it could
also be, as baritone Simon Keenlyside puts it, that the good days are over and he's not what he used to be. However old he is, he's good-looking enough that he can charm woman.
Good performance, good singers, and they shoulld really do this one again.
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*I did the math. It sounds impossible, but Don Giovanni is rich enough and travels enough that it is indeed possible that he would have been able to get a woman into bed virtually every night.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
ANFSTD
A priest doing a baptism for an infant says to the parents, "Name this child." "Pindonim," the mother says. "That's a weird name," says the priest. "No," says the mother. "We want 'Albert'. It's 'pindonim' with a safety pin."
Monday, April 22, 2013
Rectification Of Names
I have heard such words as "homophobic", "un-American", "commitment-phobic", etc.. What I don't like about them is that they really don't mean anything.
The Chinese philosopher Confucius believed that social disorder can come from not understanding what someone is saying. It is therefore imperative that people call things by their proper name (hence "rectification of names"). That includes using words that actually mean something. Here is a quote from Confucius on the subject:
"A superior man, in regard to what he does not know, shows caustic reserve. If the names be not correct, the language is not in accordance with the truth of things. If the language be not in accordance with the truth of things, affairs cannot be carried out to success. If affairs are not carried out to success, proprieties and music do not flourish. When proprieties and music do not flourish, punishments will not be properly awarded. When punishments are not properly awarded, the people do not know how to move a hand or foot. Therefore the superior man considers it necessary that the names he uses may be spoken appropriately, and also what he speaks may be carried out appropriately. What the superior man requires is that in his words there may be nothing incorrect."
Let's take a look at the words I listed above:
"Homophobic" is said to mean "someone who hates homosexuals". Roughly translated from Greek it means---what? Same fear? After all homos means "same" and phobos means "fear". You can see what confusion results from this. "Homophobic", believe it or not, in the end does not really mean anything in particular. It is simply used as an abusive insult to people who disagree with the homosexual lifestyle. So they're just being rude to people who don't agree with them. This does not encourage good relationships with people.
"Commitment-phobic" is often used to describe men. It may sound like it means something, but it really doesn't. If you want to describe a man who does not want to commit and instead go around seducing women left and right, "commitment-phobic" is not the word to use. "Dissolute", "philanderer", or "lascivious" would better describe someone like that. The other problem is that people use the word to describe men generally. This is wrong. While there are indeed men who philander about and seduce women, to say all men are "commitment-phobic" is not really specific. And hence you get a lot of confusion, plus a highly unfortunate stereotype of an overly-sexualized male.
"Un-American" is meant to sound like something is not American. This also doesn't mean a thing simply because---it doesn't. It just isn't really word for anything. It is also a term of abuse. If you say something is "un-American", you're just being insulting. And insults do not make good arguments. If anything, it just turns people off to your argument.
When people talk about Rectification of Names, they are talking about being clear and specific about what you are saying. When people throw meaningless words, they sow confusion and destruction. So when Confucius talked about calling things by their proper name, he was saying that using words correctly encourages order. What that means is that people should throw away words like "homophobic" and stuff like that, and just try to actually use words that mean something. Just throwing around insults does not help anything or anyone.
The Chinese philosopher Confucius believed that social disorder can come from not understanding what someone is saying. It is therefore imperative that people call things by their proper name (hence "rectification of names"). That includes using words that actually mean something. Here is a quote from Confucius on the subject:
"A superior man, in regard to what he does not know, shows caustic reserve. If the names be not correct, the language is not in accordance with the truth of things. If the language be not in accordance with the truth of things, affairs cannot be carried out to success. If affairs are not carried out to success, proprieties and music do not flourish. When proprieties and music do not flourish, punishments will not be properly awarded. When punishments are not properly awarded, the people do not know how to move a hand or foot. Therefore the superior man considers it necessary that the names he uses may be spoken appropriately, and also what he speaks may be carried out appropriately. What the superior man requires is that in his words there may be nothing incorrect."
So you see just how things can be affected by using the right or wrong word. Using the example of the old "Want of a Nail" poem, if just one thing is missing or wrong, everything can fall apart. So using word properly is important.
Let's take a look at the words I listed above:
"Homophobic" is said to mean "someone who hates homosexuals". Roughly translated from Greek it means---what? Same fear? After all homos means "same" and phobos means "fear". You can see what confusion results from this. "Homophobic", believe it or not, in the end does not really mean anything in particular. It is simply used as an abusive insult to people who disagree with the homosexual lifestyle. So they're just being rude to people who don't agree with them. This does not encourage good relationships with people.
"Commitment-phobic" is often used to describe men. It may sound like it means something, but it really doesn't. If you want to describe a man who does not want to commit and instead go around seducing women left and right, "commitment-phobic" is not the word to use. "Dissolute", "philanderer", or "lascivious" would better describe someone like that. The other problem is that people use the word to describe men generally. This is wrong. While there are indeed men who philander about and seduce women, to say all men are "commitment-phobic" is not really specific. And hence you get a lot of confusion, plus a highly unfortunate stereotype of an overly-sexualized male.
"Un-American" is meant to sound like something is not American. This also doesn't mean a thing simply because---it doesn't. It just isn't really word for anything. It is also a term of abuse. If you say something is "un-American", you're just being insulting. And insults do not make good arguments. If anything, it just turns people off to your argument.
When people talk about Rectification of Names, they are talking about being clear and specific about what you are saying. When people throw meaningless words, they sow confusion and destruction. So when Confucius talked about calling things by their proper name, he was saying that using words correctly encourages order. What that means is that people should throw away words like "homophobic" and stuff like that, and just try to actually use words that mean something. Just throwing around insults does not help anything or anyone.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Boston Suspect
Monday saw the Boston Marathon ruined by a series of several bombs going off just as racers reached the finish line. What kind of sick, twisted moron would do this sort of thing? Two Chechen guys from the sound of it. One suspect is dead, the other has been captured.
Chechnya has been a breeding ground for terrorists for quite some time now, and they are quite creative with their methods. In fact, the Boston bombing is being treated as a terrorism case, as it seems only a terrorist would dream something like this in the first place. Some time after the bombs went off, two young men were caught on surveillance camera and the police believe they were the ones responsible.
I wonder what exactly made these two men the prime suspects. Well, there were hundreds of people in attendance, and in this day and age of the readily available video cameras on cell phones, there were people taking pictures and videos of the race. Those cameras were going when the bombs went off. There were also several people who were not watching the race. Now granted some may have been taking to their friends or family or whoever, but only two seemed to be of note. Not only that, but the suspects were carrying enormous black backpacks. I'm not talking the average everyday schoolbag, I'm talking ones that are big enough to carry a pressure cooker without a lid. No other person was seen with that kind of backpack.
The men's father is in denial and their uncle is furious. The father is so sure that his sons have been set up by the Secret Service, whereas the uncle was saying earlier that the men had brought shame to the family and the Chechen people.
My only hope now is that the captured suspect doesn't kill himself before we have the whole story.
Chechnya has been a breeding ground for terrorists for quite some time now, and they are quite creative with their methods. In fact, the Boston bombing is being treated as a terrorism case, as it seems only a terrorist would dream something like this in the first place. Some time after the bombs went off, two young men were caught on surveillance camera and the police believe they were the ones responsible.
I wonder what exactly made these two men the prime suspects. Well, there were hundreds of people in attendance, and in this day and age of the readily available video cameras on cell phones, there were people taking pictures and videos of the race. Those cameras were going when the bombs went off. There were also several people who were not watching the race. Now granted some may have been taking to their friends or family or whoever, but only two seemed to be of note. Not only that, but the suspects were carrying enormous black backpacks. I'm not talking the average everyday schoolbag, I'm talking ones that are big enough to carry a pressure cooker without a lid. No other person was seen with that kind of backpack.
The men's father is in denial and their uncle is furious. The father is so sure that his sons have been set up by the Secret Service, whereas the uncle was saying earlier that the men had brought shame to the family and the Chechen people.
My only hope now is that the captured suspect doesn't kill himself before we have the whole story.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Galena Adventure or Going Grant Crazy
Yesterday was the day my mother an I went to Galena Illinois. We had planned to do so during Spring Break, but due to illness we were unable to follow through. So we went yesterday. The main place of interest is the home of General Ulysses S. Grant, one of the three greatest generals of the American civil war (the other two being William T. Sherman and Philip Sheridan).
Here's how it went: We left around eight and went to Sinsinawa for church (it was Sunday and Mom wanted to see the mother house of the college she graduated from). I'll admit it was interesting, but I had never been to Catholic Mass. I'm used to congregational hymns, not call-and-respond. There was a mini museum on the lower floor that told the story of the Dominican Sisters who founded the church in the 1840s. It also told the story of Father Mazzuchelli and his missionary work in Wisconsin.
We arrived in Galena around noon. We stopped at a German-French bistro called Fritz and Frites for lunch. After lunch we went to the Grant Home for a short tour. Most of the artifacts are from the time period and originally owned by the Grants. There was only one inaccuracy. The ribs on the table looked rare. Grant hated rare meat. For him it had to be so well done it was near burnt. His father had been a tanner, and for that you need a strong stomach and a weak sense of smell. Grant had neither. But just seeing the furniture that he really owned was fascinating. Outside the house was a statue of Mrs. Grant. And there was another exhibit about the presidential china and pets.
We went up to the Galena History Museum which is about Galena, but also focuses a lot on Grant. There was a breif introductory video hologram (no, not the Star Wars type, more like at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry), of General and Mrs. Grant talking about their life in Galena. Galena gets its name from the Latin word for lead ore. The town was founded during the lead rush in the early 19th Century. The first floor was all about Galena itself. There were farming tools, an early washing machine, and many other things related to daily life in the town. They had on display an actual mineshaft; the second one I've seen in my life (the first being the Shot Tower). There was a lot of information on mining in Galena.
The second floor was all about battle history, especially the Civil War, and in particular, Grant's role. When most other Union generals were either incompetent or unwilling to destroy Lee's army, Grant was willing to actually take risks. When people complained of Grant's notorious drunkenness from before the war, Lincoln famously said, "Find out what brand he drinks and send a barrel of it to my other generals. I can't spare this man; he fights." The crown jewel of the Museum is the original painting by artist Thomas Nast, Peace in Union. This painting depicts the surrender at Appomattox Court House in Virginia on April 9th, 1865. Lee was dressed to the nines with is sword at his side and gold spurs. Grant in his usual way*, was hunched over and wearing a muddy private's blouse. Grant told his troops not to gloat, but to treat the surrendering rebels kindly. This was a big step towards reconciliation.
In the years following the war, Grant went on to become the 18th president of the United States. Although corruption charges marred his two terms, under his administration the 15th Amendment was passed which "prohibits the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on the citizens race, color, or previous condition of servitude". Unfortunately, as history shows, this was more honored in the breach than in the observance for decades.
I bought a copy of The Personal Mmoirs of Ulysses S. Grant from the museum gift shop. In his final years, Grant's family fell on hard times. He wrote his memoirs during that time and finished before he finally died of throat cancer in 1877. The memoirs were published after his death and sold over half a million copies. The money from the sales helped the Grant family get back on their feet.
After the museum, Mom and I walked up and down Main St. and stopped in at a few shops. At a lingerie store, Mom bought a nightshirt for my aunt in Kentucky and somehow got into a heart-to-heart discussion on Christ with the sales lady. I bought ice cream for both Mom and myself, and got a business card from a employee at a chocolate shop (I wanted to let the head chef at MATC know about it). We finally left around five and got home after seven. I really loved the trip and hope to do it again this summer.
A little bit of advice for anyone thinking of going to Galena:
1. Go in the spring, summer, and early autumn. The roads are ridiculously narrow (it has a one-way Main St.!) and the town is terraced on a series of hills. The wide roads here in the Madison Wisconsin area are bad enough in the winter. The narrow streets will be worse in snowy weather.
2. A visit to Grant's Home is a must! There aren't many big attractions in Galena, and this town is nuts about it's most famous citizen. It's admission by donation, and while the tour is short, it is very informative.
3. Pack some cash for shopping. Main St. is full of so many shops it's ridiculous. Most close around five in the evening, so plan carefully. And do take the time to get to know some of the locals.
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*Grant was described by some of his peers as being "plain as an old stove". He was a rather quiet man who was not the type to get all excited about things, nor was known to dress in a flashy manner.
Here's how it went: We left around eight and went to Sinsinawa for church (it was Sunday and Mom wanted to see the mother house of the college she graduated from). I'll admit it was interesting, but I had never been to Catholic Mass. I'm used to congregational hymns, not call-and-respond. There was a mini museum on the lower floor that told the story of the Dominican Sisters who founded the church in the 1840s. It also told the story of Father Mazzuchelli and his missionary work in Wisconsin.
We arrived in Galena around noon. We stopped at a German-French bistro called Fritz and Frites for lunch. After lunch we went to the Grant Home for a short tour. Most of the artifacts are from the time period and originally owned by the Grants. There was only one inaccuracy. The ribs on the table looked rare. Grant hated rare meat. For him it had to be so well done it was near burnt. His father had been a tanner, and for that you need a strong stomach and a weak sense of smell. Grant had neither. But just seeing the furniture that he really owned was fascinating. Outside the house was a statue of Mrs. Grant. And there was another exhibit about the presidential china and pets.
We went up to the Galena History Museum which is about Galena, but also focuses a lot on Grant. There was a breif introductory video hologram (no, not the Star Wars type, more like at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry), of General and Mrs. Grant talking about their life in Galena. Galena gets its name from the Latin word for lead ore. The town was founded during the lead rush in the early 19th Century. The first floor was all about Galena itself. There were farming tools, an early washing machine, and many other things related to daily life in the town. They had on display an actual mineshaft; the second one I've seen in my life (the first being the Shot Tower). There was a lot of information on mining in Galena.
The second floor was all about battle history, especially the Civil War, and in particular, Grant's role. When most other Union generals were either incompetent or unwilling to destroy Lee's army, Grant was willing to actually take risks. When people complained of Grant's notorious drunkenness from before the war, Lincoln famously said, "Find out what brand he drinks and send a barrel of it to my other generals. I can't spare this man; he fights." The crown jewel of the Museum is the original painting by artist Thomas Nast, Peace in Union. This painting depicts the surrender at Appomattox Court House in Virginia on April 9th, 1865. Lee was dressed to the nines with is sword at his side and gold spurs. Grant in his usual way*, was hunched over and wearing a muddy private's blouse. Grant told his troops not to gloat, but to treat the surrendering rebels kindly. This was a big step towards reconciliation.
In the years following the war, Grant went on to become the 18th president of the United States. Although corruption charges marred his two terms, under his administration the 15th Amendment was passed which "prohibits the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on the citizens race, color, or previous condition of servitude". Unfortunately, as history shows, this was more honored in the breach than in the observance for decades.
I bought a copy of The Personal Mmoirs of Ulysses S. Grant from the museum gift shop. In his final years, Grant's family fell on hard times. He wrote his memoirs during that time and finished before he finally died of throat cancer in 1877. The memoirs were published after his death and sold over half a million copies. The money from the sales helped the Grant family get back on their feet.
After the museum, Mom and I walked up and down Main St. and stopped in at a few shops. At a lingerie store, Mom bought a nightshirt for my aunt in Kentucky and somehow got into a heart-to-heart discussion on Christ with the sales lady. I bought ice cream for both Mom and myself, and got a business card from a employee at a chocolate shop (I wanted to let the head chef at MATC know about it). We finally left around five and got home after seven. I really loved the trip and hope to do it again this summer.
A little bit of advice for anyone thinking of going to Galena:
1. Go in the spring, summer, and early autumn. The roads are ridiculously narrow (it has a one-way Main St.!) and the town is terraced on a series of hills. The wide roads here in the Madison Wisconsin area are bad enough in the winter. The narrow streets will be worse in snowy weather.
2. A visit to Grant's Home is a must! There aren't many big attractions in Galena, and this town is nuts about it's most famous citizen. It's admission by donation, and while the tour is short, it is very informative.
3. Pack some cash for shopping. Main St. is full of so many shops it's ridiculous. Most close around five in the evening, so plan carefully. And do take the time to get to know some of the locals.
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*Grant was described by some of his peers as being "plain as an old stove". He was a rather quiet man who was not the type to get all excited about things, nor was known to dress in a flashy manner.
Monday, April 8, 2013
MEGALODON: Smaller Than The Media Portrays It
Popular media seems to love to show the prehistoric shark Charcharodon Megalodon in such an incredibly unrealistic way.
As a matter of fact, Megalodon was much smaller than Hollywood makes it out to be.
That second image is from the BBC's Chased by Sea Monsters; a three-part series about Nigel Marvin going back in time to see prehistoric monsters. The first image is a popular internet picture. While the BBC did an awful lot of speculating when they made Chased by Sea Monsters, their depiction of Megalodon was more realistic than popular Hollywood movies and popular imagery show them. And frankly, the biggest carnivorous shark that's ever lived would not survive for very long if it were as big as they are shown in the pictures.
Why is that? Well, a creature that big needs to eat a lot. And when you're talking about a creature like Megalodon, they need to eat large prey; in this case, large whales. Yes, Megalodon ate whales. These sharks lived in warm tropical and sub-tropical waters. These waters attracted small fish, which attracted larger fish, which attracted whales, which attracted sharks. Large whales have blubber which is rich in fat and other nutrients which provide enough energy to help Megalodon function. All these popular pictures of Megalodon chasing down human is ridiculous because humans would not provide an adequate source of food for such a large fish. In fact Megalodon would have to feed constantly, which is probably not what it would really wants to do. And it would not have much room to go.
Which brings me to the next point; a creature the size of Megalodon needs a huge territory for hunting its prey. And a shark that's as big as Hollywood makes it out to be would not have a territory big enough for it to even move well enough to attack. Many paleontologists believe that Megalodon may have used hunting techniques similar to the Great White of our day. That is to say, that the shark would dive down deep when it spots prey, and then shoot up and attack the prey from below. A shark that is as big as the media portrays it, could not possibly pull that stunt of; at least not very well.
Finally, Megalodon needed to eat blubber. The whales it hunted had thick layers of blubber as insulation. In fact, it is believed that Megalodon became extinct when the whales it hunted moved to the colder waters around the poles where there was plenty of fish. Their thick blubber would have protected them from the cold temperatures, whereas Megalodon would have had no protection from the cold at all. Anyhow, that blubber is rich in fat, and Megalodon needed that fat for energy. Humans have virtually no fat at all when compared to whales. We don't have enough to provide the 25-foot-reaching seal-loving great white shark with enough energy, let alone a sixty foot Megalodon.
That's why the media fails at portraying Megalodon well. It goes for the sensational, rather the facts. Those images supposedly of Charcharodon Megalodon are really just an overblown great white shark. Get the species right, please! And don't make a predator bigger than it was supposed to be.
As a matter of fact, Megalodon was much smaller than Hollywood makes it out to be.
That second image is from the BBC's Chased by Sea Monsters; a three-part series about Nigel Marvin going back in time to see prehistoric monsters. The first image is a popular internet picture. While the BBC did an awful lot of speculating when they made Chased by Sea Monsters, their depiction of Megalodon was more realistic than popular Hollywood movies and popular imagery show them. And frankly, the biggest carnivorous shark that's ever lived would not survive for very long if it were as big as they are shown in the pictures.
Why is that? Well, a creature that big needs to eat a lot. And when you're talking about a creature like Megalodon, they need to eat large prey; in this case, large whales. Yes, Megalodon ate whales. These sharks lived in warm tropical and sub-tropical waters. These waters attracted small fish, which attracted larger fish, which attracted whales, which attracted sharks. Large whales have blubber which is rich in fat and other nutrients which provide enough energy to help Megalodon function. All these popular pictures of Megalodon chasing down human is ridiculous because humans would not provide an adequate source of food for such a large fish. In fact Megalodon would have to feed constantly, which is probably not what it would really wants to do. And it would not have much room to go.
Which brings me to the next point; a creature the size of Megalodon needs a huge territory for hunting its prey. And a shark that's as big as Hollywood makes it out to be would not have a territory big enough for it to even move well enough to attack. Many paleontologists believe that Megalodon may have used hunting techniques similar to the Great White of our day. That is to say, that the shark would dive down deep when it spots prey, and then shoot up and attack the prey from below. A shark that is as big as the media portrays it, could not possibly pull that stunt of; at least not very well.
Finally, Megalodon needed to eat blubber. The whales it hunted had thick layers of blubber as insulation. In fact, it is believed that Megalodon became extinct when the whales it hunted moved to the colder waters around the poles where there was plenty of fish. Their thick blubber would have protected them from the cold temperatures, whereas Megalodon would have had no protection from the cold at all. Anyhow, that blubber is rich in fat, and Megalodon needed that fat for energy. Humans have virtually no fat at all when compared to whales. We don't have enough to provide the 25-foot-reaching seal-loving great white shark with enough energy, let alone a sixty foot Megalodon.
That's why the media fails at portraying Megalodon well. It goes for the sensational, rather the facts. Those images supposedly of Charcharodon Megalodon are really just an overblown great white shark. Get the species right, please! And don't make a predator bigger than it was supposed to be.
ANFSTD
The ranger at a state park notices that the vultures are behaving very oddly. He goes to investigate and finds the vultures on top of the body of a dead man. But instead of eating the corpse, they're giving the man decent burial. "Why are you doing this?" asks the ranger. "and the vultures reply, "We were going to; but we found out that he was a lawyer. It's professional courtesy."
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