A few years ago, when Mae Gayle Dalton was in the 9th grade, her close friend was sexually assaulted by a former boyfriend on school grounds. Making matters worse, Dalton said, school administrators punished her friend more severely than the boy. Fueled with rage, Dalton gave herself a crash course on sexual assault and the cultural forces that sometimes encourage it. And this year, as part of a Girl Scout project, she took on the task of educating her Danville, Virginia, community about what she learned.
Armed with buttons and flyers, Dalton, now a high school senior, has been camping out at local fairs, Rotary Club meetings and school board sessions, giving speeches about her cause. And she’s been pushing her state representative to support legislation that would require Virginia’s public schools to teach “yes means yes” as a standard for sexual consent.
The usual approach, which relies on teaching kids that “no means no,” isn’t enough, Dalton said. Often, when it comes to sexual activity, she said, “there is a fine line. We have to un-blur it.”
Some states agree with her. In 2015, California became the first state to require that public schools teach students what’s known as the affirmative consent standard, which requires a clear, unambiguous and voluntary agreement to participate in a specific sexual activity.
Last month, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, signed a law that requires public middle and high schools to teach age-appropriate ways to prevent dating violence, domestic abuse, sexual harassment and sexual violence. (Dalton says the law doesn’t go far enough because it doesn’t specifically require that “yes means yes” be taught.)
Also in March, the Maryland House of Delegates approved a measure that would require public schools to teach the “yes means yes” standard for sexual consent. (The Maryland Senate failed to advance the bill this week, effectively killing it for this year.) Similar bills have been introduced this year in Illinois and Pennsylvania. And in February, the Nevada Youth Legislature, which has the power to pitch youth-oriented legislation to the state Legislature, introduced a bill that would, among other things, require public schools to teach students about affirmative consent.
The “yes means yes” measures don’t change the legal definition of sexual assault. They vary from state to state, but generally, “no means no” remains the legal standard for prosecuting sexual assault cases.
Powerless Against Dust Bunnies
As I pushed the vacuum cleaner around in ritualistic patterns over the carpet I noticed that it was not performing with its usual appetite for dirt. It didn’t feel like it had the same tug on the carpet fibers that had been present a few days ago. Furthermore, when I scrutinized the contents of the canister as I emptied it into the trash, the customary volume of crumbs, cat hair, dust bunnies, and dirt wasn’t typical either. The machine clearly wasn’t functioning properly, but I put it away and made a mental note to check into the matter later.
You may define ‘later’ as the next time I hauled the vacuum cleaner out of the closet, having totally forgotten the aforementioned incident and fully expecting to give the carpet a thorough cleaning. I sensed, once again, that something was amiss. “Oh … I remember now … I was going to look into that,” I said to no one in particular (unless you count the cat that was making a hasty exit for a more serene setting).
There are two disk-shaped spongy filters underneath the removable canister that are supposed to be cleaned periodically before they get hopelessly clogged up with dust. (Commonly referred to as ‘regular maintenance’.) I removed them and washed them under running water in the kitchen sink; a process which requires rinsing and squeezing them multiple times until the water runs clean. To be perfectly honest, it never seems to ever get completely rinsed, so I am generally satisfied after a period of several minutes that it was much cleaner than before I started. The sponges should air dry for a day before reinstallation into the appliance. Meanwhile, the kitchen sink needed to be scrubbed due to the muddy residue.
Eager to get the dirt the vacuum had been leaving behind, I was back at it again first thing the following morning. The chore was beckoning even though Phoebe, the cat, let it be known that she was annoyed to see the dreaded vacuum cleaner make a public appearance two days in a row. Apparently the sponge filters were not at fault, however, because there still wasn’t adequate suction.
Process of elimination now led me to suspect the problem was with the top portion of the canister. Granted, it was not too difficult to reach that conclusion, considering it has only two ends. This region houses a complex filter system engineered by someone who once had dreams of employment at NASA. I removed the canister and opened that end to peer inside. When I tell you I couldn’t see anything, that’s actually intended to be an indicator of how thick the layer of dirt was in the interior. Even the instructions that admonish that the filter should be cleaned every three months were obscured under a thick crust of grime.
Oops.
I turned the canister upside-down over the kitchen sink and tapped the sides a couple of times. This was not the most brilliant thing I did that day, but in retrospect, I find it problematic to rank all my choices regarding this entire matter, so I’ll let it pass and focus on the outcome. A rather large mound of dirt had now taken up residence in the sink. Fine dust floated in the air and was slowly drifting over every surface within a three-foot radius: kitchen curtains, countertop, flooring, and me. Phoebe peeked cautiously around the corner as I coughed from somewhere deep within the haze, staring at me with a curious look as though to say, “Seriously, I thought you were trying to get rid of that stuff.” She turned away, flipping her tail aloft as a sign of superiority as she marched off in search of a place to nap … and shed more fur.
My defense for not taking the contraption outside to clean was that it was breezy and I envisioned dust flying all over me. All I can say is I had a reason; I never claimed it was a good one.
Since I had already made a mess, I went ahead and continued tapping powdery dirt out of all the nooks and crannies in the filtration system. An old toothbrush was used to gingerly scrub the impacted dust out of a wire screen so the airflow would be restored. I reassembled the canister and cleaned the kitchen, hoping the muddy mess in the sink would wash through the plumbing without incurring any further issues to an already unproductive day.
I feel in the interest of honesty I should interject that the last time these filters were cleaned (let’s not revisit that ‘every three months’ interval warning) my husband took everything into the garage and vacuumed them out with his shop-vac. I admit that it worked nicely, although there is something about using a vacuum cleaner to fix a vacuum cleaner that strikes me as ‘odd’. Besides, he was recovering from foot surgery and I was endeavoring to be self-sufficient in my own short-sighted way.
I plugged in the appliance, flipped the switch and resumed vacuuming, only to recognize the same lack-luster suction. As I waltzed over the carpet with my ‘partner’, I tried to figure out what my next plan of action should be. Just thumping the dirt out was probably not sufficient enough. The canister was removed once again and I studied it for a moment before deciding there really wasn’t anything in its construction that couldn’t withstand water. Back to the recently cleaned sink I went for Round 2 (or was it Round 3 now?).
I removed the filter and soaked it in a tub of warm water while I ran a stream of water through the plastic cylinder. The cylinder was too large and awkward to fit under the faucet effortlessly, so filthy water was splashing everywhere. Yes, I know. This was also a task better suited to the great outdoors. Some days are just like that; the brain undeniably refuses to function above Neanderthal level. Perhaps my sinuses were too clogged with allergens to function any more efficiently than my vacuum cleaner…
Fast forward to attempting to dry all the pieces … only to realize there was no way that was physically possible. While the canister was made of plastic, I didn’t want to chance any moisture migrating to the electrical parts. I decided to place all the pieces in the bathtub to air dry, noticing as I did so, that this would have been a much better place to clean the canister and filter in the first place. Sigh.
The kitchen got cleaned for the second time that day and I decided the most prudent thing would be to sit down and quietly read a book for a while before I did any more ‘uncleaning’ around the house. Phoebe jumped up in my lap, purring contentedly to soothe my sulky mood.
Sometime in the middle of the night I woke up and began wondering hopefully if the machine would work right when I tried it out in the morning. What else could it be? Had I overlooked something? As I drifted back to sleep I considered that the hose attachment may not be in position, but … yawn … that didn’t seem likely. When not in use the flexible hose looped up from the bottom of the machine and over a hook on the handle of the upright vacuum, and then the rigid end (where you add attachments) married into some sort of receptacle. The hose had never stayed on the hook as it was designed to do, habitually falling off as I moved back and forth across the carpet. One day I had, in a fit of frustration, ultimately slipped a large rubber band over the vacuum’s handle down to the point of the inadequate hook, and then run the hose through that when not in use. It solved the problem, so that couldn’t be it.
Morning dawned and I greeted the vacuum cleaner politely (it never hurts to offer machines appreciation when they are being temperamental). Phoebe, who hates vacuums as all self-respecting cats do, indignantly left the vicinity when she saw that I was about to do battle with the dust bunnies yet again; this was getting old.
I turned on the despicable device and … wait for it … no improvement. Simply going through the motions now, I vacuumed the bedroom, my sewing room and had almost completed the hallway as I tried to decide if this was just all in my mind. I turned off the machine and just stood there, feeling like I’d hit a dead end with nowhere else to go. But then, my nocturnal musings slowly drifted into my consciousness. I leaned over and gazed down at the side of the contraption and sure enough, the blasted attachment hose had vibrated upward and out of its holster, which effectively broke most of the suction.
Ever so calmly (at least outwardly), I shoved the end of the hose firmly back into position and powered up the vacuum. I felt the satisfying pull against the carpet as the air was sucked through the fibers, lifting all that dirt, pollen, and cat hair into the freshly cleaned canister. An extremely satisfying track in the carpet followed in my wake. Success at last!
Note to self: Clean vacuum cleaner filter in three months. Preferably outdoors. Firmly smack appliance hose into place just for good measure and personal therapeutic benefits.
©2017 Roberta McReynolds for SeniorWomen.com
Gulliver’s Gate: New York’s Magical Miniature World Where You Could Spend Weeks Here and Still Uncover New Things
by Ethan Wolff
At a time when the planet seems ever more divided, it’s amazing to visit a place like Gulliver’s Gate and be reminded that we all share one world. Gulliver’s Gate is one of the most ambitious attractions to ever land in New York City, a $40 million extravaganza that allows visitors to travel the globe without leaving Times Square. Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, Russia, and Europe are all here in incredibly detailed miniature. And don’t let that word “miniature” fool you — Gulliver’s Gate feels like it covers acres, stretching a full city block with the wonders of the world.
The work of craftspeople from eight countries on four continents is represented here. One of the fascinating elements of Gulliver’s Gate is seeing the different approaches that each team took. There’s a mammoth tribute to New York to get you in the spirit right from the start. The loving work on the Brooklyn Bridge may be a tip-off: the little Big Apple was built entirely in Brooklyn. 3D printers provide precision recreations of famous buildings in some places, or you can see an analogue approach, as in the snowy scapes of the Russian sector, made entirely by hand. These aspects of local flavor are a perfect match for what is, at its heart, a celebration of human diversity.
You’ll understand New York in a new way when you see the city from a bird’s eye view, complete with moving cars and trains (vehicles here are equipped with their own on-board computers). Parents will appreciate all the avenues for learning, like insight into scale, the way aspects of cities and national boundaries rub up against each other. In miniature, Times Square reveals itself in a way that it isn’t graspable when you’re dealing with its hubbub at street level.
Although landmarks are rendered with realistic care, Gulliver’ Gate takes some entertaining liberties with time and space. Within the modern metropolis of New York you’ll see a Lenape Village, calling back to pre-colonization New Amsterdam. As you enter Europe you’ll be greeted by the Colossus of Rhodes, torch aglow, making a connection between the Titan of Braavos of fiction and the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. There’s plenty of cheek here, too. Don’t miss the Chunnel train that connects England and France (beneath the floor), or a sighting of the Loch Ness Monster, or the tables turned at a Spanish bullfight, where the bull wields the crimson cape. Look closely enough at any scene and surprises will reveal themselves, vignettes hidden everywhere. You could spend weeks here and still uncover new things.
Europe gives way to Asia, where there’s a strong sense of harmony and flow, even with the radical shifts in time suggested by the Taj Mahal, Angkor Wat, and a glowing remix of a skycraper better known as Beijing’s CCTV headquarters.
Any gate should have a key, and you’ll receive one upon arrival to unlock the interactive elements of the attraction. Kids can feel empowered, as when they switch on the thundering of the gods from high atop Mount Olympus. Light and sound play key roles, and there’s some amazing technology, too, like the living miniature of Niagara Falls, which can put visitor faces right into its foam. Through the magic of 3D printing, travelers can have themselves (and their families) immortalized in 1:87 scale and placed into a display for perpetuity. What better excuse for a return visit than to check in with your avatar?
Another thrill of Gulliver’s Gate is the way it provides access to things you may never get to. In a few steps, you can move from an erupting volcano in South America to the Great Pyramids to the Holy Land. (In the case of the moon and the Mars colony displays, the odds of a real-life visit are decidedly long.)
There are many opportunities to find S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics) know-how at work. Part of the fun of being here is a perpetual sense of “Can this be real? Am I really seeing this?” There’s even a working airport with the capacity for 50 flying planes. Glimpses of the mechanics behind the displays are invaluable. One of the most fascinating places is the control room (there are a lot of moving parts to stay on top of) where engineers face out to the public and answer questions. Toward the back you’ll find studio spaces, with craftspeople working at desks in the doorways. From these models of industry, Gulliver’s Gate will inspire an interest in miniatures, craft, and creativity.
It may also cover something bigger: a renewed passion for the world itself, in all its variety.
Tips for bringing kids to Gulliver’s Gate:
- Children under age 3 are free.
- Strollers are allowed.
- Don’t be intimidated by the prospect of traveling through the crowds of Times Square; Gulliver’s Gate is easily accessed by the A/C/E trains to 42nd Street, where you can exit at 44th and just be a quick, not-so-crowded walk to the exhibition.
Previews began April 4th, with the grand opening coming in May.
216 W. 44th St. (btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves.), 646-585-4291, gulliversgate.com
Unmet Sleep Needs May Elevate A Risk of Memory Loss
By Yasmin Anwar
As we grow old, our nights are frequently plagued by bouts of wakefulness, bathroom trips and other nuisances as we lose our ability to generate the deep, restorative slumber we enjoyed in youth. But does that mean older people just need less sleep?
The nuisances that keep us up at night as we age leave us more vulnerable to mental and physical ailments. Not according to UC Berkeley researchers, who argue in an article published April 5 in the journal Neuron that the unmet sleep needs of the elderly elevate their risk of memory loss and a wide range of mental and physical disorders.
“Nearly every disease killing us in later life has a causal link to lack of sleep,” said the article’s senior author, Matthew Walker, a UC Berkeley professor of psychology and neuroscience. “We’ve done a good job of extending life span, but a poor job of extending our health span. We now see sleep, and improving sleep, as a new pathway for helping remedy that.”
Unlike more cosmetic markers of aging, such as wrinkles and gray hair, sleep deterioration has been linked to such conditions as Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, obesity, diabetes and stroke, he said. Though older people are less likely than younger cohorts to notice and/or report mental fogginess and other symptoms of sleep deprivation, numerous brain studies reveal how poor sleep leaves them cognitively worse off. Moreover, the shift from deep, consolidated sleep in youth to fitful, dissatisfying sleep can start as early as one’s 30s, paving the way for sleep-related cognitive and physical ailments in middle age.
And, while the pharmaceutical industry is raking in billions by catering to insomniacs, Walker warns that the pills designed to help us doze off are a poor substitute for the natural sleep cycles that the brain needs in order to function well. “Don’t be fooled into thinking sedation is real sleep. It’s not,” he said.
For their review of sleep research, Walker and fellow researchers Bryce Mander and Joseph Winer cite studies, including some of their own, that show the aging brain has trouble generating the kind of slow brain waves that promote deep curative sleep, as well as the neurochemicals that help us switch stably from sleep to wakefulness.
“The parts of the brain deteriorating earliest are the same regions that give us deep sleep,” said article lead author Mander, a postdoctoral researcher in Walker’s Sleep and Neuroimaging Laboratory at UC Berkeley.
Aging typically brings on a decline in deep non-rapid eye movement (NREM) or “slow wave sleep,” and the characteristic brain waves associated with it, including both slow waves and faster bursts of brain waves known as “sleep spindles.”
Pink Out the Capitol
by Jo Freeman
Roughly 500 women and a few men gathered on the east lawn of the US Capitol building on March 29 to declare that “I Stand With Planned Parenthood.” The Senate was due to vote on a resolution to permit the states to deny federal family planning funds to health care centers which provide abortions, albeit with other funds. In January, Obama’s Secretary of Health and Human Services had issued a regulation forbidding the states from doing this so that Planned Parenthood would continue to get family planning funds.
Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) told cheering crowds that they wouldn’t let that happen. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was expected to close the rally but didn’t make it. Instead, Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards urged its supporters to continue the fight. In between, several younger women shared their stories of being helped by PP and a group of ministers spoke about all the things PP did for women.
The rally was called a “pink out” and pink was definitely the color of the day. Just in case not enough people wore pink, PP passed out long pink mufflers and small pink signs. Some women wore the pink pussy caps made popular by the January 21 women’s march. This was not the first Pink Out rally. Several others had already been held at different state capitols and at the district offices of some Members of Congress.
Expecting trouble, half a dozen security guards kept watch over the rally. There were no attacks requiring such security, but there were disruptions. One young woman tried to out shout the speakers with hostile questions on abortion, but the loudspeakers were loud enough to ensure that only those standing next to her heard what she said.
Four young women displaying a long banner that said “We Don’t Need Planned Parenthood” walked in back of the speaker’s podium so that their message could be captured by the TV cameras on the press riser. A couple dozen women holding pink PP signs and blue “Keep Abortion Legal” rounds clustered in front to keep that from happening. Every few minutes the former would run off to the side so their banner could be seen, quickly followed by the latter. They kept up this chase for the rest of the rally.
Planned Parenthood has received as much $20.5 million from federal grants given to the states to support family planning services. Thirteen states have voted to deprive PP of a share of that money. This is a small fraction of what PP gets from the federal government for its services. The failed Republican replacement for the 2010 Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) contained a provision which would have denied PP $400 million in Medicaid money.
The numerous rallies were more acts of defiance than advocacy. The House had already passed H.J. 43 by 230 to 188 on Feb. 17. On March 30, Vice President Mike Pence broke a 50-50 vote to pass the Senate’s version. Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski (AK) and Susan Collins (ME) voted with the 46 Democrats and 2 Independents against the resolution, causing the tie. As President of the Senate, the Vice President can only vote to break a tie.
Both sides acknowledged that this is just one of many efforts that will be made to deprive Planned Parenthood of government money.
©2017 Jo Freeman for SeniorWomen.com
Home Fires, Season Two and the Future of the Series
Although the second season of PBS’ Masterpiece’s Home Fires is just about to begin tonight in the United States, the press release below reveals that additional seasons would not follow this Season Two, although a series of books are planned starting this summer:
HOME FIRES-
THE BOOKS
Read All About It!
We have some very exciting news….*drumroll*…..
That’s right folks we can finally reveal that our beloved Home Fires has a new lease of life, this time in an exciting new book format. Thanks to the fabulous new partnership between Simon Block, writer and creator of Home Fires and the lovely folk over at Bonnier Zaffre publishing we will be able to continue our journey with the wonderful women of Great Paxford. Much like the wartime adage ‘Loose lips sink ships’ Kerryn and myself have been sworn to secrecy up until this point, but are both supremely happy we can now shout it from the rooftops and share the news with our fellow homies.
A little under a year ago we all felt utterly bereft at the sudden cancellation of our show and in the months that followed a real community of passionate and witty campaigners was born. Just one look around this website shows all the incredible things we’ve achieved together and this really is the icing on the cake! Each and every one of you have played a massive part in getting us to where we are now and we can’t thank you enough. Finally we can all now look forward to having some of those questions answered, Who survived that shocking cliffhanger? Will Pat reunite with Marek? Will Bob face karmic justice? and What’s going to happen to the Barden’s factory? I know we’ll have lots of fun discussing the stories as they unfold, and I for one can’t wait to see what wonderful writing Simon has in store for us next!
So how will this all work I hear you ask … for this I’m going to hand you over to the official press release from Bonnier Zaffre…
#HomeFiresReturns
The story of the women of Great Paxford Women’s Institute continues with Bonnier Zaffre! Publishing Director, Eleanor Dryden has acquired three books from creator of smash-hit ITV series Home Fires, S. Block. UK and Comm rights were acquired in a spirited auction from Gordon Wise at Curtis Brown, in association with ITV. The first of the three novels – Keep the Home Fires Burning – will pick up from the jaw-dropping finale of the second series (aired May 16 2016) and propel readers – series fans and newcomers alike – through the heartrending stories of the women of Great Paxford as they live through WW2 on the home front.
While the Senate Intelligence Committee Begins Their Exploration Into Russian Interference Two Work In Space on Capsule Maintenance
Astronaut Peggy Whitson Set to Break Spacewalk Record Thursday
Astronaut Peggy Whitson was pictured during her seventh spacewalk which took place Jan. 6, 2017.
Expedition 50 Flight Engineer Peggy Whitson is set to go on her eighth spacewalk Thursday morning and surpass astronaut Suni Williams’ record for the most spacewalks by a female astronaut. Whitson’s last spacewalk was on Jan. 6 with Commander Shane Kimbrough when she hooked up new lithium-ion batteries and inspected the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer.
Read more about spacewalks at the International Space Station.
Thursday’s spacewalk will see Whitson and Kimbrough finish cable connections at the Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 just recently attached to the Harmony module’s space-facing port. The PMA-3 relocation gets the station ready for the new International Docking Adapter-3 set to be delivered on a future SpaceX Dragon cargo mission.
European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet, who conducted last week’s spacewalk with Kimbrough, will assist the duo in and out of their spacesuits and monitor the activities from inside the station. The spacewalkers are scheduled to exit the Quest airlock Thursday at 8 a.m. EST for 6.5 hours of station maintenance work. NASA TV will cover all the spacewalk activities beginning at 6:30 a.m. Editor’s Note: The Flight Director is Ann McClain, a NASA astronaut.
Eugene B. Rumer Senior Fellow and Director Russia and Eurasia Program Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Testimony before US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence March 30, 2017
Worth Revisiting: Islandia
Reviewed by Joan L. Cannon
By Austen Tappan Wright © 1942
Published by Farrar & Rhinehart; Hardcover, 1013 pp
This lengthy story covers a short time in the life of a privileged young man who forms a friendship at Harvard with another student from Islandia in 1905. John Lang of New England and Dorn of Islandia cement a friendship reminiscent of the male bonding of classics. After spending a summer together on Cape Cod, Lang has learned enough Islandian from Dorn and by studying on his own to secure a job as consul to the nation that occupies the southern coast of a continent whose nearest land mass would be Antarctica — if it existed. Endpapers in the original edition enable the reader to be oriented.
What Lang discovers in the idealized agrarian, humanist society alters him profoundly. So does his passionate love for a woman who, in the time period of the novel, would have been extraordinary, if only slightly less so today. He is befriended without prejudice by some very interesting characters of both sexes and all ages as he travels through the country he is charged with influencing in favor of foreign trade.
He narrates not only his adventures and minute observations of customs and landscape, flora and fauna, but his reactions to all of them. At once he reveals himself as an introverted, intelligent, compassionate, incredibly observant young man who might better have found himself at Brook Farm than Harvard, it seems. Thoreau’s ghost is a faint, benign presence through discussions of the desirability of “simplicity” in social structures.
Sections read like poetic romance, others like adventure, some like fantasy of the best and most convincing kind, some like philosophy. The pace varies much in the way one’s daily experience might in a place where the only means of transport are one’s own legs, horses, or boats without motors. The reader is fully immersed in a complete new life in a very few pages, and by the last of over a thousand, has been in some way imprinted.
The reissue of this remarkable novel — I have just finished my third reading of it has resulted in many new reviews. It occurred to me that there may be something I can add to those because of the chronology of my readings.
Some time, probably during World War II or just afterwards, I read the book for the first time as a late adolescent. Its impact was considerable. The figure of a young man endowed with what must (from what he daily reveals in his narrative) be endowed with hard physique and no little athletic ability, with a fine liberal arts education and gentle and genteel manners, who is so exquisitely aware of every lovely thing to which he is exposed, was to me irresistible.
Descriptions of geography and views and light and atmosphere are captivating. To our 21st Century shortened attention spans, they may seem excessive. Without a nod to Freud, Lang’s penetrating psychological analyses may seem advanced for his twenty-something years, especially in his ability to understand his own motivations. His complete open-mindedness is remarkable. These characteristics, however, guarantee his appeal to the young.
The next time I read Islandia I was in my fifties, with the life experience one would expect. My husband traveled abroad a good deal, and I found the book again as a marvelous way to be distracted while I was lonely. By then, the love stories were comprehensible. I was often moved by the dilemmas facing a young man who might have been schooled in the traditions of courtly love, so careful was he. I understood by then how admirable Lang really was in ways that have been long out of common fashion.
At the New Orleans Museum of Art: Behind the Mask in 18th-century Venice, A Life of Seduction and Former White House florist Laura Dowling
Follower of Joseph Heintz, the Younger, Bird’s Eye View of Venice, First half of 18th century, Oil on canvas, Venice, Museo Correr
In New Orleans Museum of Art’s A Life of Seduction: Venice in the 1700s, two 18th-century masks are on view in the final gallery. Masks are exclusively associated with Venice, and various paintings in the exhibition depict masked citizens of the Republic. In the galleries, lively discussions about masks — their role and the traditions and origins of masking — have prompted this article.
Venetian Manufacture, Two Bauta Masks, Late 18th Century, Cloth and painted gesso, Venice, Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia
The emblem of Venetian Carnevale was the mask. Deriving from the theater, the wearing of masks is intuitively associated with roleplay, while it also adds a sense of intrigue and ambiguity to social interaction. In Venice of the 17th and 18th centuries, the combination of the mask with the black cape and tricorn hat symbolized the Carnival season, as in Pietro Longhi’s exquisite painting The Perfume Seller. The city’s revelers enjoyed an extended Carnival season that began in early October.
While masking was associated with Carnival, Venetians did not wear masks solely for celebration. In fact, for almost half of the year masks were worn to social gatherings, to attend the theater, and for evening outings. The practice coincided with the six-month theater season and was considered a remarkable and defining feature of public life.
The liberating effect of the mask was routinely remarked upon in the period. The practice provided a release from strict moral codes implemented by the city’s conservative Great Council. The city’s censors decreed a baffling array of laws regulating conduct, and sumptuary laws controlling the excessive display of wealth. The densely populated islands of Venice were home to a remarkably diverse population of 130,000 inhabitants, coming from Mediterranean colonies and the far reaches of the Republic’s trade networks. This density and diversity appear to have catalyzed already from an early period close oversight of public behavior.
Pietro Longhi, The Perfume Seller, (detail), c. 1750 – 1752, Oil on canvas, Venice, Ca’ Rezzonico
At first glance, the wearing of masks is associated with disguise and mimicry. The sociology of masking in Venice, however, proves more layered and compelling. In a culture structured in a rigid social hierarchy, the mask offered not just relief from strict codes of behavior, but a deeper liberation born of its equalizing effect on social differences. Creating an appearance of equality, the mask eased the interaction of social classes, permitted women to go out unescorted, and allowed beggars to conceal their shame. And, of course, as profusely and notoriously demonstrated by Casanova’s exploits, the mask’s secrecy enabled a certain sexual freedom.
The anonymity of the mask was relative, of course. A member of the noble classes could easily be identified by his servant and masks varied in quality and type. The bautta mask, for example, was reserved for the nobility and uppermost middle class and was required at official ceremonies. The black moretta was worn exclusively by patrician women. The shape of an oval disc, the mask was kept in place by a button clenched between the lips or teeth.
The philosopher Mikhail Bakhtin analyzed the dynamics of carnival and popular culture in Medieval and Renaissance Europe. His concludes that masking as a practice is fundamentally about unmasking, that is: disclosing the unvarnished truth. The distancing effect of the mask allows for and even encourages a degree of anonymity, releasing the wearer to an unknown world. At heart, Carnival and masking in the Early Modern Period was a part of the evolution of selfhood and the construction of social identity.
Two Bauta Masks, Late 18th Century, Venetian Manufacture, Cloth, painted gesso; 7 1/2 x 6 inches, Venice, Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia, Ca’ Rezzonico – Museo del Settecento Veneziano
The social lubricant masking provided came at a vital time in the city’s history when social tensions ran high. By 1700, Venice’s political and economic status had been waning for over a century and the remarkable pageantry and splendor in civic life served to camouflage this situation. While Venice was able to create and project a self-image as a cultural capital, the failing economy resulted in significant demographic shifts and visible effects in the city. Many noble families retained their social status despite depleted incomes and poverty became a pressing social concern, having tripled by middle of the 18th century. City officials had every reason to fear unrest might result in violence, and it has been suggested that the remarkable frequency of festivals and community-based events in the city’s squares — occurring at least two times each month — was part of a strategy on the part of the Venetian authorities to regulate and placate the population and diffuse discontent. For Venice in the 18th century, the theme of disguise is many-layered.
Former White House florist Laura Dowling describes work at America’s most famous address
I was a policy analyst and communications strategist long before I became a florist. So when I started working with flowers about 15 years ago, it was natural for me to use flowers as a communications vehicle. I saw how flowers could convey ideas and emotions to celebrate life’s milestones, in many cases much more effectively than words alone could do. Flowers became a way to change the way people felt and thought, focus their attention on important issues and elevate the collective mood and ambiance to an inspirational level. None of my policy briefs could ever do that!
Lawmakers Look to Curb Foreign Influence in State Elections: Would They Bar Political Spending By Businesses In Which Non-US citizens Have a Significant Ownership Stake?
Standard Fingerprint Form (FD-258): File card used by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies for the acquisition and retention of fingerprints
By Rebecca Beitsch, Stateline, Pew Trusts*
Amid concerns that Russia helped sway the 2016 presidential election, several states are considering legislation that would bar companies with significant foreign ties from contributing money to state campaigns.
A long-standing federal statute bars noncitizens and foreign companies from donating directly to candidates or political parties at the federal, state and local levels. Another law prohibits businesses from directly donating to federal-level candidates or political parties.
But the US Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case cleared the way for corporations and unions to pay for political ads made independently of candidates’ campaigns. The high court ruled that corporations and unions are associations of US citizens with a First Amendment right to political expression.
Hoping to take the decision a step further, proponents of bills under consideration in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Washington state would bar political spending by businesses in which non-US citizens have a significant ownership stake.
“If a company is owned and controlled by foreign nationals, then I think we really have to take a hard look at how that is consistent with the existing law on the books that says foreign nationals aren’t allowed to spend money in our elections,” said Federal Election Commissioner Ellen Weintraub, who has been testifying in support of the idea at the state level after the FEC deadlocked on a similar proposal.
Sponsors of the legislation aren’t sure how much foreign money makes its way into state elections because under current law it doesn’t have to be disclosed. But there are several recent examples of companies with foreign ties spending significant sums at the state level.
The ride-hailing company Uber, along with its competitor Lyft, together spent $9 million on a 2016 ballot initiative in Austin, Texas, that would have overturned the city’s requirement that drivers for the companies undergo fingerprint-based background checks. The Chinese ride-hailing company Didi invested $100 million in Lyft, and Uber announced a few weeks after the election that Saudi Arabia had secured a 5 percent stake in the company with a $3.5 billion investment. Airbnb, the short-term rental company owned in part by Russia-based company DST Global, gave $10 million to its super PAC to run ads on New York state lawmakers’ positions on short-term rentals during the 2016 election.
But critics say having some foreign ties — especially minimal ones — should not disqualify corporations from participating in the political process.
“Corporations have a right to speak about politics. It’s a strange calculus that says we’re going to sacrifice the rights of the 95 percent American ownership for the 5 percent foreign ownership,” said Allen Dickerson with the Center for Competitive Politics, a First Amendment group that supports the Citizens United decision.
How Much Is Too Much?
The proposals vary in the percentage of foreign ownership that would bar a corporation from political participation.
In Massachusetts, the proposed prohibition would block companies from donating to super PACs or running political ads if they have a single foreign owner who owns 5 percent or more of the company or multiple foreign owners who combined own 20 percent or more of the company. Super PACs, or political action committees, can raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, but cannot contribute directly to campaigns or political parties or coordinate their political advertising with either.
A Connecticut bill imposes similar requirements. The Washington state measure would apply to businesses that are majority-owned by foreigners. And a Maryland bill would prevent any company whose principal place of business is outside the US from spending money on state ballot initiatives.
“Certainly a company owned by more than 50 percent foreign nationals … raises a very sharp question of who is using the leverage of corporate treasury to influence democracy,” said Ron Fein with Free Speech for People, which fights corporate spending in politics and helped draft the Massachusetts bill. “We think companies with less than 50 percent run that same danger.”
In a hearing on the Washington bill, Republican Sen. Kirk Pearson questioned whether any “foreign country would care about my election in the 39th District.”
But while big ad buys and contributions are still rare in legislative races in most states, statewide elections and ballot initiatives are attracting more cash.
Spending in state elections has been growing steadily since 2000, according to data from the National Institute on Money in State Politics, which tracks spending in state races. Adjusting for inflation, candidates in 2000 collected nearly $1.2 billion in contributions compared with $2.3 billion in 2014, the last major election year for which there is complete data.
US businesses also are becoming more international. According to data from the Federal Reserve, foreign ownership of U.S. corporate stock has grown from about 5 percent in 1982 to 26 percent in 2015.
Those two trends are helping fuel the debate.
“The board of a public company generally conceives of themselves as working for the shareholders,” said John C. Coates, a professor at Harvard Law School who testified in favor of the bill in Connecticut. “That affects the policy decisions the company supports, the candidates they may support, lobbying on certain laws that may affect their business model, ideas about what countries it wants to engage in trade with — all of those are affected by having a significant foreign owner.”