"Baron's Ten Best...continued"

..... I received a complaint from JR that Letterman's top ten always begins with #10 so as to create "suspense" as to what #1 might turn out to be. And he is correct. I didn't really explain my list properly; I didn't mean to put the list of my top ten experiences in any particular order, even though it appeared that I was starting with my #1. No, I am saving my most awesome and exciting and passionate experience for last; and all those that come before it are not in "size places". But you can put them there for yourself if you have known them.

…..5)the Night Watch--(See above) Night Watch or The Night Watch or The Shooting Company of Franz Banning Cocq (Dutch: De Nachtwacht) is the common name of one of the most famous works by Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn. It is on prominent display in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, being the most famous painting in their collection. The painting is renowned for three elements: its colossal size (363 x 437 cm ~ 11ft 10in x 14ft 4in), the effective use of light and shadow, and the perception of motion in what would have been, traditionally, a static military portrait.This painting was completed in 1642, at the peak of the Dutch Golden Age. It depicts the military company moving out, led by Captain Frans Banning Cocq and his lieutenant, Willem van Ruytenburch. One has to visit the Museum in Amsterdam to see the Rembrandts that are on display to really appreciate the incredible genius of this painter and his art. I’d say if you wanted to hire him to paint your house, you would be in serious financial trouble. No one could possibly afford to buy this masterpiece, with the exception, perhaps of Le Bron James.

…..6)the Eiffel Tower--The Eiffel Tower (French: La Tour Eiffel, [tuʁ ɛfɛl], nickname La dame de fer, the iron lady) is an 1889 iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris that has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. The tallest building in Paris, it is the most-visited paid monument in the world; millions of people ascend it every year. Named for its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel, the tower was built as the entrance arch to the 1889 World's Fair.

.....The tower has three levels for visitors. Tickets can be purchased to ascend, by stairs or lift, to the first and second levels. The walk to the first level is over 300 steps, as is the walk from the first to the second level. The third and highest level is accessible only by elevator. Both the first and second levels feature restaurants. (Descriptions courtesy Wikipedia) I recall vividly how I first saw the tower while flying over Paris in 1944; and how I first saw it first hand after we landed in Paris in 1945. It was a most awesome and memorable experience--as was the Baron's experiences with the best ladies of the night that Paris had to offer. Oui.

The Ten Most Awesome Sights of the Baron's Life

…..On Dave Letterman’s show each night, he offers a list of the “10 Best” of different things in the news or elsewhere. Well, I also have a 10 Best list I’d like to share with you, and that is ten of the most awesome things in nature or man-made that the Baron has experienced in his wide travels—years ago. I haven’t said that I have a list of things that I’ve “seen”—I said, “experienced”. And behind those experiences is a passion that has not left my soul. They were experiences inspiring awe and wonder. (The descriptions are provided by Wikepedia) First on my list is:

….. 1)the Taj Mahal. --"the Taj" is a mausoleum located in Agra, India. It is one of the most recognizable structures in the world. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is widely considered as one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and stands as the symbol of eternal love. When I first saw this structure it seemed as though it were floating on air. No photo could ever give it justice.

…..2)the Sistine Chapel.--The Sistine Chapel ceiling, painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512, at the commission of Pope Julius II, is one of the most renowned artworks of the High Renaissance. The ceiling is that of the large Papal Chapel built within the Vatican between 1477 and 1480 by Pope Sixtus IV after whom it is named the Sistine Chapel. The chapel is the location for Papal Conclaves and many important services. After hearing and reading about this amazing ceiling and seeing a movie about it with Charlton Heston, I looked at "the hand of God" in silent passion.

…..3)Pompeii & Mt. Vesuvius.-- Pompeii is a partly buried Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the commune of Pompei. Along with Herculaneum, its sister city, Pompeii was destroyed and completely buried during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning two days in 79 AD. The eruption buried Pompeii under 4 to 6 meters of ash and pumice, and it was lost for nearly 1,600 years before its accidental rediscovery in 1599. Since then, its excavation has provided an extraordinarily detailed insight into the life of a city at the height of the Roman Empire. This ruined city and the sight of Vesuvius was beyond amazing; the image of the exploding volcano flooding ash through the city joggled around in my mind, and I still can't deplete it.

…..4)the York Minster.--the York Minster is a cathedral in the City of York in northern England that has the most awe inspiring stained glass windows that I’ve ever experienced in this wide world. York as a whole and particularly the Minster have a long tradition of creating beautiful stained glass. Some of the stained glass in York Minster dates back to the twelfth century. The 76-foot (23 m) tall Great East Window, created by John Thornton in the early fifteenth century, is the largest example of medieval stained glass in the world. Other spectacular windows in the Minster include an ornate rose window and the 50-foot (15 m) tall five sisters window. If you are ever in England, don’t miss it! I am certain that not too many of my friends and acquaintances have experienced the wonders of this cathedral; but if you are ever in England--don't miss it!

.....I do have six more of these wonders, and they will be forthcoming. Are you at least, curious? Then stay tuned.

"Education commences on the mother's knee.." (Anonymous"

.....I have received a comment from "Emrys" for publishing on the post "It's a Tale Told by an Idiot" a few days ago on 9/24. I think it will probably reach more readers than it would below that posting so, after some editing, I will print the comment here:

Emrys has left a new comment on your post ""It's a tale told by an idiot." (Macbeth)":

.....As enjoyable as the idealism being expressed is, my experience is that parents don't really want good education. They want high marks so that their children can get into "good schools." In our modern school systems, a good teacher who is demanding and who holds students accountable for their work and who understand that there has to be consequences for poor work will only be appreciated only by a small few.

..... Teachers in Washington are giving up tenure in exchange for large raises. Here's a prediction -- in five to ten years the private money for Charters will be gone. The raises based on that money will be rescinded. Tenure -- and its protections that are so important -- will never return. A truism that one learns as a young, idealistic negotiator is that a benefit, once given up, NEVER comes back.

.....This morning, MSNBC's Morning Joe program devoted it's entire time to what is an attack on teachers and unions. The new movie, "Waiting for Superman," is little else. So we have a great lie that has come to be "revealed wisdom" in our world now. Tenure and teacher unions are the enemies of good education. But all of the failed education policies were brought in by administrators and boards of education and, may the Goddess help us, CONSULTANTS. Those of us who broke our backs and our hearts, day to day, working to make eduction work were never deemed competent to make decisions.

.....Teachers are being held responsible for the failure of American education. We didn't make the decisions that have caused the collapse, though. They were made by the same people who are now scapegoating the real educators. If you want to see REAL educational thinking, check New Jersey where community college teachers, many with PhDs and all with at least one masters degree, are evaluated in part by how the teacher is written up in "Rate My Professor." I'm proud to say that my teacher son- in- law got a Chile Pepper.