Travel

Blogging From A to Z Challenge

/ Luanne Shernisky / Leave a comment

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The unexamined life is not worth living. ~ Socrates

Blogging From A to Z Challenge

“D” is for Death of Socrates, as in the famous painting by Jacques Louis David.

This oil on canvas creation is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. This photo I took isn’t the best, as the detail isn’t readily visible. However, a better quality picture, as well as some information about the artwork, is available by clicking on this link.

Socrates was the ancient philosopher born circa 470 BC, in Athens, Greece. He emphasized the importance of the mind over body and believed that ultimate wisdom comes from knowing oneself. He asked questions of his fellow Athenians in a dialectic method (the Socratic Method) which compelled the audience to think through a problem to a logical conclusion.

He spent most of his time going around Athens and questioning everyone from the elite class to the commoners, seeking to arrive at political and ethical truths. Because Socrates attacked the values that Athens held dear, he fell out of favor and was accused of corrupting the youth and failing to acknowledge the gods. 

At trial Socrates had the chance to request an alternate punishment other than what the prosecution and jury recommended. However, his defiant tone and suggestion that he be honored for his contributions got him a death sentence that he readily accepted.  

The portrait above depicts Socrates accepting the hemlock drink while gesturing and continuing a diatribe, possibly targeting the government that was prematurely ending his life. You’ve got to give the guy credit for standing up for his beliefs… all the way to the bitter end!

Blogging From A to Z Challenge

/ Luanne Shernisky / Leave a comment

I took an impromptu trip to visit friends in West Palm Beach and took my laptop, since I wanted to keep up with all things online. Unfortunately, they were having problems with their Internet, so I’ll have to catch up with letters D, E, F & G. I’ll also try to catch up with all of your posts, as well! Letters A through C serendipitously took on a Travel/Places of interest theme, so I’ll try to stay with that. However, I may have to veer off course on occasion!

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Rock & Roll is here to stay. ~ Neil Young

Blogging From A to Z Challenge

“H” is for Hard Rock Cafe.

My only two visits to a Hard Rock Cafe both occurred in New York City. The first was in April or May of 2000; only a few short months before 9/11. I volunteered to chaperone my son’s eighth grade field trip, a whirlwind three day excursion with a raucous group of young teenagers. At one point in our tour, we were waiting for the ferry to take us to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. I asked someone to take a picture of my son and I with the NY skyline behind us and, more specifically, the Twin Towers. Little did I realize the significance that picture would come to have. 

The Hard Rock Cafe was one of our stops and we enjoyed a meal and the Rock & Roll memorabilia on display. Currently, there are 191 locations in 59 countries, including 157 cafes, 22 hotels and 11 casinos. For more information on the Hard Rock story click this link.

Blogging From A to Z Challenge – C

/ Luanne Shernisky / 7 Comments

 

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To rule is easy, to govern difficult. ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Blogging From A to Z Challenge

“C” is for Capitol, as in the United States Capitol Building in Washington D.C.

It is located at 100 Constitution Ave. NW and is the meeting place of the Congress, which consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Capitol has 540 rooms and 658 windows. 

The Dome is 8,909,200 pounds of cast-iron with 108 windows, and was constructed between 1855 and 1866. The statue at the top of dome is the Statue of Freedom.

 The Rotunda stands 180 feet, 3 inches tall and is 96 feet in diameter. Paintings and sculptures depicting significant people and events in U.S. history are on display. This room is also where presidents and distinguished citizens lie in state.

Some Facts You Might Not Know About the Capitol

  • The Capitol was built after Thomas Jefferson held a design competition to elicit entries from the finest American architects
  • The capitol has its own subway system
  • George Washington laid the cornerstone for the Capitol on September 18, 1793
  • There were plans for the first president to be buried under the Capitol in an area called the Crypt
  • There used to be a law that restricted any other building in D.C. from being built taller than the Capitol
  • The statue that sits on the dome is called the Statue of Freedom
  • The Capitol almost burned to the ground during the War of 1812
  • The Dome wasn’t added to the building until the 1850s