the cabinet of Dr. Caligri

I enjoyed the scene where an actor came to the fair to show the somnambulist who was sleeping for a long time.  It was revealed that the somnambulist will awake which he did slowly from a coffin.  I thought at first that this will not occur but it did.  It was told that the man is capable of answering any question.  When asked if he would, die another actor was told that he would at dawn.  The man died as predicted.

 

I was reminded of the magician’s game.  What seems to be real is not really so.  The reality is that no one can predict the future.  However, there are times when individuals believe that their future can be determined by others but really can’t.

siddhartha quote

"i have always believed and i still believe that whatever good or bad fortune may come our way we can always give it meaning and transform it into something of value"

I chose this quote because it connected with me personally. I interpret this quote to mean that we all go through bad experiences and misfortune but it is up to us to make meaning out those experiences and take those misfortunes and learn from it.

I believe this is an important quote because we all go through bad experiences some time in our lives.

Dada Manifesto

“Dada is a new tendency in art. One can tell this from the fact that until now nobody knew anything about it, and tomorrow everyone in Zurich will be talking about it. Dada comes from the dictionary. It is terribly simple. In French it means "hobby horse". In German it means "good-bye", "Get off my back", "Be seeing you sometime". In Romanian: "Yes, indeed, you are right, that's it. But of course, yes, definitely, right". And so forth”

 

 

I understand from the above quote that Dada is an art that newly emerges.  The author says at the time, nobody knew about it.  However, individuals got to know about Dada because people in Zurich were later talking about it.  The word is in the dictionary.   It carries different meaning to different people.  For example, the French defines it as” hobby horse” whereas the Germans sees it as “good- bye”,   “Get off my back”, “Be seeing you sometime”.  To the Romanian, Dada means “Yes, indeed, you are right, that’s it”. 

 

I chose this quote because it there is some truism to it.  Something may appear new in the morning but by midday, the whole world may learn about It and give new meaning to it.  I therefore agree with the author because people often interpret what they see or hear according to their perception of things. 

 

The quote helps me to see that what is said may not always be defined according to the one who repeats it.  Rather, an individual can interpret something be it a word or action according to his own perception.  That which is interpreted becomes factual to the interpreter.  I may see things differently from others but this does not mean that I am wrong nor does it make others correct.   For example, some people justify wars.  They consider fighting as a just cause. Others condemn it because they see other solutions rather than fighting.  It is the same with Dada, different people have different interpretation to the word.

picture assignment

Title: Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, Self Portrait (1906)

Karl Schmidt-Rottluff was a German expressionist painter. He was born 1884 and died in the year 1976.

This painting was painted on Canvas. The use of Impasto was used. This can be seen through the thick application of paint. I also see strong bright colors and intense brush marks. As an Impressionists painter we see Karl Schmidt-Rottluff being portrayed  and expressing himself through this painting. He also brings strong expressions throughout his face.

Emil Nolde, The Prophet (1912)

Emil Nolde is a German Danish expressionists painter. He was one of the first expressionists painters and one of the all time greats in oil painting.
Deep emotion is expressed in the painting. The eyes are hollow, the prophet's cheeks are sunken. In expressionism the artists is reflected in his painting. It is said that after recovering from an illness Emil Nolde had a spiritual transformation.

Paul Klee, Death and Fire (1940)
Paul Klee (1879-1940) was born in Switzerland and was considered a Swiss German expressionists painter. The picture depicts a man who leaving this world and he raises his right arm to

wave goodbye. There is a golden ball in his palm. The background is red which represents the fire of hell..

quote

But in the end one also has to understand that the needs that religion has satisfied and philosophy is now supposed to satisfy are not immutable; they can be weakened and exterminated. Consider, for example, that Christian distress of mind that comes from sighing over ones inner depravity and care for ones salvation - all concepts originating in nothing but errors of reason and deserving, not satisfaction, but obliteration. 

from Nietzsche's Human, all too Human, s.27, R.J. Hollingdale transl. 

 

 

I understand the statement to mean that what religion has provided and what philosophy is suppose to satisfy is unable to be changed.   In other words, it is permanent or already established.  As a result, this has brought dissatisfaction to those who are inclined to be religious leading to destruction.

 

Today, many who have allowed themselves to be disillusioned by religion have found themselves not knowing the solution to life’s problems. Hence, they become distressed over problems they face.  They do not seem to have any way out.

 

summary of german politics

Germany’s political system functions under a framework that was laid out in the 1949 constitutional document called the Grundgesetz (basic Law).  It is a federal, parliamentary, representative democratic republic.  This prevents the rights to resist any attempts to overthrow the constitution.  After the reunification of Germany in 1990, the Grundgesetz remained in effect though there were minor amendments.  At the head of the government is the Chancellor who has executive power.  This power is similar to the role of a Prime Minister. 

 

A legislative body is formed with the Bundestag and Bundesrat or Federal Council.  It is through this body that federal legislative power is committed.  Election of the Bundesrat is through direct elections and members represent the government made up of sixteen federal states.  The Bundesrat are also members of the state cabinets.  The state cabinet can appoint the Bundesrat who can be removed at any time.

 

The head of the German state is the President of Germany who is elected by the Bundesversammlung.  Bundesversammlung is an institution which is made up of the Bundestag and an equal number of state delegates.  The President of the Bundestag is the second highest official in the German order of precedence and is elected by the Bundestag itself.  The Bundestag is responsible for oversight of the daily sessions of the body and is appointed through direct election.  The Chancellor is the third highest official and head of the government.