Seasonal Shifts

The temperatures have been fluctuating so dramatically lately that it is unclear what season we are in anymore. Only the bright flares of reds and oranges in the foliage remind me that we are already moving into autumn and will soon be at the mercy of New England winter. I have been dancing a little more lately and the initial joy of discovering I can still do spirals has given way to the uncomfortable knowledge that I still have a long way to go to get back into decent technical shape. All the same, I am enjoying both the changing lifestyle and weather.

Link of the day: www.pangloss.com
What is it: a random quote generator, but with a twist. Pangloss, from Voltaire's satire Candide, is an eternally optimistic character known for his mantra "all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds." While the homepage of the website spits out random quotes from literary greats, a sub-section of the website is devoted to random generation of Shakespearean insults. The bard is quite a force to reckon with in his praises and admonishments. His imagination and vivid descriptions are often very funny to read and put modern insults to shame for their lack of creativity.

Artist of the day: Hieronymus Bosch
Who is he: a painter of the late 15th century known for his depictions of hell and other monstrosities. Unlike the fictional Pangloss, Bosch expressed a rather pessimistic view of the world in his works, almost all of which show rather violent torments, complete with ghastly imps and gory details. His choice of subject matter was quite at odds with the prevailing themes of his day. Fellow Flemish painters focused mostly on serene religious worship by their patrons. Bosch, instead, gave free rein to his creativity and visual representation to all sorts of fantastical creatures - all in the name of religion, of course. Even more remarkable, Bosch transcends time in his power to horrify us - we who are used to gory and violent works. Take a look at this section of his Garden of Earthly Delights and tell me this man does not know FEAR and what disturbs us.