Inspiro Robustas: The Scream of Nature

On this day in 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales died in a car crash in a tunnel in Paris. You will hear a lot today about this deeply saddening event. You will hear a lot about her, her sons, and her impact on humanitarian efforts including those for victims of landmines, AIDS and leprosy. You will hear about her sense of style. You will hear about her fairytale wedding, and the dissolution of her marriage which eventually lead to her death in that Parisian tunnel. Remembrance of Diana's death will lead the news today, twenty-one years later.

But I'm not writing about Diana today, inspiring though she was. I want to focus instead on the recovery of Edvard Munch's famous painting "The Scream" by Norwegian Police, on this day in 2006. The painting was stolen, along with Munch's "Madonna", at gunpoint from the Munch Museum in Oslo, Norway in 2004. This version of the "The Scream" -- there are four -- was painted in 1910. Previously in 1994, the 1893 tempera on cardboard version was also stolen and recovered.

The inspiration for "The Scream" (actually named "Schrei der Natur" or "The Scream of Nature") was described by Munch in a diary entry in 1892:

I was walking along the road with two friends – the sun was setting – suddenly the sky turned blood red – I paused, feeling exhausted, and leaned on the fence – there was blood and tongues of fire above the blue-black fjord and the city – my friends walked on, and I stood there trembling with anxiety – and I sensed an infinite scream passing through nature.

Later, he described the event again:

One evening I was walking along a path, the city was on one side and the fjord below. I felt tired and ill. I stopped and looked out over the fjord—the sun was setting, and the clouds turning blood red. I sensed a scream passing through nature; it seemed to me that I heard the scream. I painted this picture, painted the clouds as actual blood. The color shrieked. This became The Scream.

Two Men breaking into the National Gallery
to steal The Scream, in 1994

Scholars have suggested other theories of inspiration which include memories of the volcanic eruption of Krakatoa, the proximity to the lunatic asylum and slaughterhouse, and the figure some say was inspired by a Peruvian mummy that was touring at the time. But whatever the inspiration for the works, they certainly have gone on to inspire others to crime, as well as informing episodes of the immensely popular Doctor Who and The Simpsons, the Scream horror movie franchises, emojis, t-shirts and poster. The Home Alone screaming Kevin McCallister is also said to be inspired by The Scream.

Inspiro Robustas: Under an "Umbrella Pine" Cloud

"It was not clear at that distance from which mountain the cloud was rising (it was afterwards known to be Vesuvius); its general appearance can be best expressed as being like an umbrella pine for it rose to a great height on a sort of trunk and then split off into branches, I imagine because it was thrust upwards by the first blast and then left unsupported as the pressure subsided, or else it was borne down by its own weight so that it spread out and gradually dispersed."- Epistulae VI.16, VI.20 from the Penguin translation by Betty Radice

On this day, in 79 AD, the towns of Pompeii and nearby Herculaneum were wiped out by volcanic eruptions from the long-dormant Mount Vesuvius. Most know at least something about this event, famous for so long thanks to excavation over 1600 years later. But long before Pompeii's rediscovery and excavation, the event was known and famous thanks to the writings of Pliny the Younger (PTY), who witnessed the events and was one of the very few survivors.

Pliny the Elder

PTY had an interesting life. Pliny the Elder (PTE), his uncle, was a famous author and naval commander for the Roman fleet. When he was only 17, PTY was staying with his famous uncle when Vesuvius erupted a huge cloud of smoke and ash, darkening the sky to night. They were 19 miles away and such was the extent of the blast-cloud that all daylight was blocked by the explosion.

PTE set off to Pompeii on a rescue mission which turned out to be his demise. He died on the beach at Pompeii. PTY escorted his mother to safety, in the dark. 

Pliny the Younger

Twenty-five years later, PTY recounted the story in letters to the Roman historian Tacitus. His account was so exact and specific in certain descriptions of the events that later scientists determined that the towns fell victim to pyroclastic surges at 180-220°C (360-430°F), and instantly killed the 1,500 people who did not escape. Due to PTY's excellent recount, modern volcanologists call these eruptions "Plinian".

Mount St. Helen's had a Plinian eruption

Mt. St. Helens

in 1980. 

PTY went on to greatness: he was known as a man of letters and had a distinguished career as a Roman official.

Though buried under ash and lava, the history of Pompeii did not end there either. It was rediscovered in 1599 and was excavated in 1748. It is now a very popular tourist destination, with almost 2.5 million visitors every year. 

Inspiro Robustas: Woodstock's Success

On this day in 1969, the Woodstock Festival concluded. During the three day music festival, thirty-two acts performed, sometimes in the rain. The fete is largely considered a galvanizing moment for both pop and rock music, as well as for the counterculture movement that was building at the time. Songs played at that event and later to commemorate the event are still well-known and iconic.

The logistics of the festival itself were a disaster. The for-profit venture was initiated through the efforts of Lang, Kornfeld, Rosenman and Roberts – a mixed group of promoters, bankrollers and a musican. Creedance Clearwater Revival was booked as the first act in April 1969, before the venue had even been secured. The team, mired in local bureaucratic roadblocks and resident opposition, eventually settled on the natural “bowl” design of Yasgur’s Dairy Farm, and the town of Wallkill (the original venue location, and the site of the proposed follow-up recording studio) lost out eventually on what could have been lasting economy, tourism and fame.

Once settled on the late-change of venue, the promoting team was presented with a bigger problem: they had few resources to build amenities and were left with the options to either build fencing and a ticket booth, or a stage. Afraid that the lack of stage would cause disgruntled talent and audience, they opted for the latter. As a result, those without tickets simply walked into the area, never bothering to pay. And though the audience was estimated at 400,000, as a result of the lack of fencing, the promoting team was forced to make the event free, and were nearly bankrupt at the end of the weekend. But their ownership of the film and recording rights more than covered their losses eventually, proving that sometimes concession can lead the way to success.

The legacy of Woodstock is far reaching, showing up in films, music, and artwork…even eventually informing the name of this character:

Michael Lang said in 2014 that he is working toward a 50^th anniversary concert in 2019.

The Storm which is Qanon

Qanon is likely the single most interesting topic to me right now. Down into the rabbit-hole we go:

• Qanon is the conspiracy theory, Q is the "informer", 4chan is the source of Q. It started just last November. (source: NBC News)
• Qanon is related to the Roseanne Barr tweet incident that lead to her being fired from her own show. (source: Reply All from Gimlet)
• Q of Qanon fame is related to the recent devastating fires in CA (Source: Huff Post)
• Qanon was referenced by a recently foiled attempted Presidential assassination (Source: The Daily Beast)
• Qanon was cited by the perpetrators as the reason for the recent Hoover Dam incident and the related Cemex cement plant standoff. (Source: AZCentral) 

INSPIRO ROBUSTAS - get inspired by Ruth Bader Ginsburg

I was commissioned to write an inspiring email each Friday to some teammates on a project. To give it focus and direction, I choose to theme it as "on this day...". Thus my new series: Inspiro Robustas.

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On this day, in 1994, Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG) was sworn into office as US Supreme Court Justice. Appointed by President Bill Clinton, she was only the second female justice, after Sandra Day O’Connor; and she was the first Jewish justice appointed to office in over two decades. RBG is considered to be first generation American, as her father was an immigrant, and her mother born to immigrants.

At the time of her nomination, she was viewed politically as a moderate, but since has become the senior member of what is referred to as the court’s “liberal wing”, and has advocated for a unified voice and opinion among members of that group. Among her opinions, she has most notably published her views on abortion, gender discrimination, search and seizure, and international law. She is most well-known and popular for her tireless efforts to move woman from the perceived second class status. 

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (r)
and Kate McKinnon as the Justice (l)

And in addition to her distinguished legal career – quite unlike her fellow justices -- her fame has grown into celebrity, and she is featured regularly as a pop culture icon with a documentary film about her in theatres now, several published works including a workout book, she was even one of Glamour’s Women of the Year and Time magazines 100 Most Influential People. RBG now inspires rap songs, memes, portrayals on SNL, paintings in the Smithsonian, the naming of new species of insects, even Halloween costumes.

And while her inspiring career has been spent largely fighting for gender equality, she does at least as much to inspire young girls and women to set their goals higher and reach farther than before.