Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, and Free Love

Mary  Wollstonecraft Shelley is generally credited with writing "Frankenstein," which was published in 1818, when she was 21. Scholars who have studied her and her husband are fairly sure that her husband, Percy Shelly, contributed at least some of the story. Here are some other things you might not know about Mary Shelley, who lived from 8-20-1797 to 2-1-1851:

• Her father and mother were philosophers, and her father was involved in politics
• She had a fairly good education, her family being relatively wealthy
• She had a 'wicked stepmother' after her biological mother died. Mary did not get along with her.
• Mary published a poem at the age of 10, by her father and stepmother's publishing house.
• Her stepmother and her father were feminists who believed in 'free love' and that marriage was an unnecessary social requirement, yet they were married.
• Here is a quote from her father about Mary at age 15: "She is singularly bold, somewhat imperious, and active of mind. Her desire of knowledge is great, and her perseverance in everything she undertakes almost invincible."
• Mary got involved with Percy Shelley while he was still a married man with a child and one on the way. She was 16 and he was 21. They used to meet in secret at a graveyard.
• People in their community looked down on them for having their 'affair.'
• While Percy was still married, Mary became pregnant with a child, a girl she would name Clara, who died by age 1. She had a second child she also named Clara, who died at barely one month, then William, who died at age 3, and her last child, Percy (named for his father), lived to be 70.
• Percy's first wife took her own life by drowning herself. Afterwards, Percy and Mary were married.
• They moved to Italy in 1818
• Lord Byron, a famous poet and politician, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Byron was one of their many friends. One evening as they sat around talking in Geneva, Switzerland, Lord Byron suggested each of them should write a ghost story. 'Frankenstein' was Mary's story

• Mary intended that Frankenstein would be just a short story, but eventually it became full-length novel.
• People tend to forget that the Creature didn't actually have a name, but the 'surgeon' who put the body parts together was named Victor Frankenstein.
• Mary's sister Claire supposedly became pregnant by Lord Byron and had a little girl.
• Percy also had affairs with several other women. Mary tried to be accepting, as they both were believers in 'free love,' but she really only loved Percy
• Mary came down with smallpox when she was 32.  She and her husband strongly supported vaccinations at a time when it was a new concept. Fortunately, smallpox did not take her life. However, she only lived to be 53 and died of a brain tumor.
• The subtitle of "Frankenstein" is "The Modern Prometheus"  Prometheus was a god in Greek mythology who created a man from clay. He also stole fire and gave it to man, so that society could progress.
• Frankenstein was published in 1818, giving only "Anonymous" as its writer. Women writers at the time always had difficulty being published, much less having written a horror story. In 1823, Mary's name was given as its author.
• In the book, Frankenstein is fascinated by electricity, especially the power of lightning. Keep in mind that the common use of electricity in homes and businesses didn't develop until about 1830. The novelty of it, and its use to "re-animate" the creature, is rather ahead of its time.

                                                                                                         From "Young Frankenstein"

• Percy died by drowning at the age of 29. His schooner was capsized in a storm near Italy. This is ironic since his first wife had drowned herself. Mary, then, was a widow at age 24.
• After her husband's death, Mary moved back to England. It is rumored that she kept Percy's heart wrapped in a handkerchief for the rest of her life.

Frankenstein is a 'fantasy' type story, and yet... What do we think about ...

• Man toying with nature?
• What is 'life,' and can man 'create' a human being?
• Are there moral 'wrongs' about using different parts of a body to build a whole new creature?
• Why specifically was the Creature considered a 'monster'?
• Was it wrong to put the Creature on display as a freak?
• Why was it assumed the Creature would be violent or angry?
• Is it possibly a statement about how people want to destroy anyone who is 'different'?
• Why were people afraid of the monster?
• Why would the townspeople in the book eager to condemn or to praise Frankenstein for creating this being?
• How would it have ended differently if the townspeople had simply accepted the creature?

The Wiki about Mary is here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Shelley

 

There have been at least 50 Frankenstein-related movies made, one as early as 1910. A list: https://www.listchallenges.com/fifty-five-frankenstein-films

This picture is from "Bride of Frankenstein," 1935. The actress' name was Elsa Lanchester. It's interesting to note that this 'sequel' has Frankenstein creating a woman to be a mate/partner/bride of the first creature, and the character was named Mary Shelley.

Other books written by Mary Shelley:

"Valperga" -  mixes fact with fiction, about a cruel tyrannical leader

"The Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck" - a man pretends to be royalty and strives to escape the Tower of London

"Rambles in Germany and Italy" - a travelog of sorts of her travels in Europe

                  The Frankenstein castle, Germany. It is thought Mary visited this castle and used it as inspiration for the setting of her novel.

"Falkner" - a young woman's struggle against her tyrannical father

"Mathilda" (also known as Fields of Fancy) - this book deals with incest and suicide

"The Last Man" - the plot is based on a future world where disease has taken all the people except one

Considering these were written in the early to mid-1800s, the subject matter of some is quite current.

So there you have it, a brief look at the life of someone who wrote a book that's still so well-known today, and a perennial favorite Halloween character, from a story written in 1818. What will be written now that will still be well-known 151 years later?

Some of Mary's works are available for a free download to your computer or Kindle at Project Gutenberg http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=mary+shelley  or Amazon.com.

The Monster: "Beware, for I am fearless, and therefore powerful."

How Guitars Are Made

Whether you play one or just enjoy the sound, you may have wondered how guitars are made. Here are the steps:

With acoustic guitars especially, the non-electric type, different species of wood are important in terms of the sound quality. For the body of a guitar, makers typically use:

Top (sound board-the most important part)            Spruce or cedar
Back and sides                                                       Mahogany, alder, ash, or walnut
Neck                                                                       Maple, mahogany, koa, rosewood*

                                                                   This guitar is made of koa wood.. The grain is beautiful. 
                                                          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acacia_koa


*Rosewood has been under some controversy; it provides the best sound in a guitar, but there has been concern about over-use and whether sales should be banned: 
https://www.npr.org/2019/08/27/754509680/musical-instruments-to-be-exempt-from-restrictions-on-heavily-trafficked-rosewoo?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=news


The neck is either hand-carved or cut using a computer-programmed cutter.

                                             Parts of guitars are largely the same, electric/acoustic
The steps in making a guitar:
1. Cut the top and back
2. Cut sound hole or holes in the top. A sort of reinforcing cord is applied at the rim of the cutout.  A pick guard may or may not be applied. This is, as you probably guessed, to protect the body of the guitar from being scratched by the pick you hold to strum the guitar, as well as dirt from the fingers like body oils or sweat..
3. Steam the sides to make them pliable, shape them, and let them dry in a mold so they hold the curved shape
4. Attach the sides with bracing to make a strong connection
5. Attach the neck, including the fingerboard and frets
    -if the guitar will have steel strings, a metal piece called a truss is fitted underneath the fingerboard for strength
6.  Attach the strings after filing grooves and adjusting the truss rod

The finish that coats the guitar will affect its tone. One choice, nitrocellulose is more flexible so allows a better sound. Another, polyurethane is also used often. Both finishes are applied with multiple coats.

Electric guitars are also made of wood, but usually painted colors rather than just clear-coated. Their construction is very similar to acoustic guitars.

                                                           The sides are held in place while the glue dries

                                                                  Inside of an electric guitar in progress

The strings on a guitar must be 'tuned' by loosening or tightening the strings by using the tuning pegs. A tuning 'fork' or pitchpipe can be used, or you can tune to another instrument that's correctly tuned.
Here someone shows how to tune a guitar: 

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=tuning+a+guitar&&view=detail&mid=398A2FF1B367A9D57418398A2FF1B367A9D57418&&FORM=VRDGAR

To play a guitar, some people simply use their fingers. Others use picks held with the thumb and first finger like these:

Others use picks that they 'wear' on their fingers: 

Check out these unique guitars:

                                                            This one was made using a 3D printer. Wonder what kind of tone it has, though....

Check out Guitarist Juha Jarvinen on YouTube. Here he is playing a solo from 'Comfortably Numb' by Pink Floyd:  

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=+acoustic+guitar+solo&&view=detail&mid=0C91CA1525A35973C3880C91CA1525A35973C388&&FORM=VRDGAR   
There are other kinds of guitars as well: A 'Hawaiian lap steel guitar" looks like this, has a distinctively different sound, and is played laid across the artist's lap: 

Mariachi bands include a regular sized acoustic guitar plus a large guitarron, or bass guitar That guitar is much larger than a traditional guitar, and bows out in the back. If you see a guitarron player and wonder why he seems to hold the guitar awkwardly, it's because it can't lay against his body like a normal guitar. Learn a little about Mariachi bands here:  
https://www.tripsavvy.com/mexican-mariachi-music-1588856

Here is a video from the Taylor Guitar Company, one of the largest guitar makers in the U.S., on their process:  

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=how+guitars+are+made&view=detail&mid=0E22BAC3DC51C995700C0E22BAC3DC51C995700C&FORM=VIRE     

And that's how it's made, Guitar Version.

Impeachment

What is impeachment, exactly?




According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, to impeach means...

the action of calling into question the integrity or validity of something.

"the prosecutor's detailed impeachment of the character witness"

• 
  

  BRITISH
  a charge of treason or another crime against the state.
  "the king cynically abandoned him, encouraging his impeachment"
• 
  

  US
  a charge of misconduct made against the holder of a public office.
  "the president is facing impeachment over the scandal" · "all impeachments shall be tried by the Senate"--

'Impeach' can also be considered the same as 'indict (prounounced in-Dite).' That means to accuse or charge someone of a serious crime.


Where in the Constitution does it address impeachment?
-Article 2, Section 2, Clause #5. "The President, Vice President, and all civil officers of the United States, shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors." https://www.heritage.org/constitution/#!/articles/2/essays/100/standards-for-impeachment
  
Impeachment is the process, not the result. Presidents have been impeached before, but none were removed from office:

• In the case of the first president to have impeachment attempted, John Tyler, the effort failed because in the midst of the process, the House changed majorities. https://potus-geeks.livejournal.com/315466.html
• Andrew Johnson (he was president after Abraham Lincoln) was impeached but was acquitted by one vote.
• Richard Nixon was in the process of being impeached, and resigned.
• Bill Clinton was impeached, and the effort failed. He was also re-elected for a 2nd term.
• Read why these people had impeachment proceedings against them: https://www.thoughtco.com/high-crimes-and-misdemeanors-definition-4140196

What are considered grounds for impeachment? What are 'high crimes and misdemeanors"?
According to constitutional lawyers, "High Crimes and Misdemeanors" are (1) real criminality—breaking a law; (2) abuses of power; (3) "violation of public trust" as defined by Alexander Hamilton in the Federalist Papers. In 1970, then-Representative Gerald R. Ford defined impeachable offenses as "whatever a majority of the House of Representatives considers it to be at a given moment in history."
Crimes considered to be impeachable offenses:

• Exceeding the constitutional bounds of the powers of the office.
• Behavior grossly incompatible with the proper function and purpose of the office.
• Employing the power of the office for an improper purpose or for personal gain.

Treason includes aiding our enemies. Perjury is lying.

What does 'quid pro quo' mean? When we hear news about a conversation between the president and that of another country, where our president asked the leader of another country to provide incriminating facts about a political opponent, we have often heard the term 'quid pro quo.' That's a term in Latin which means literally 'something for something', basically, you do me a favor and I'll do you one in return. In this case, the allegation is that funding to the other country was put on hold or withdrawn pending the leader's providing the information our president sought. In essence, the president was asking another government to tamper with our elections while withholding money until it happened. Here is what the law says about doing that:

Federal law prohibits a foreign national from directly or indirectly making a “contribution or donation of money or other thing of value” in connection with a U.S. election, and prohibits a person from soliciting, accepting or receiving such a contribution or donation from a foreign national. Federal law defines “contribution” to include “any gift … of money or anything of value made by any person for the purpose of influencing any election for Federal office.” And the FEC by regulation defines “solicit” to mean “to ask, request, or recommend, explicitly or implicitly, that another person make a contribution, donation, transfer of funds, or otherwise provide anything of value.”

What are the steps involved in impeachment? It begins in the House of Representatives.

• 1. The members of the House of Representatives raise the proposal that the president has acted in a way that demonstrates treason, bribery, or other "High crimes and misdemeanors(See above)." This phrase is thought to be deliberately vague and open to interpretation, to include many dishonest or illegal acts by a president.
• 2. The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee calls for a formal inquiry.
• 3. The members of the Committee look into the alleged crimes
• 4. After gathering and examining evidence of the crimes, the full House, all 435 members, debate and vote about whether the crimes are enough to possibly remove the president from office.
• 5. If the majority of the House votes in favor of impeachment, the articles are sent to the Senate. This is a 'simple majority,' or 218 votes.

When the articles of impeachment are sent to the Senate, this is what they do:

• 6. They receive the articles of impeachment from the House.
• 7. They determine the rules for the trial
• 8. They hold a trial
• 9. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presides over the trial.
• 10. They meet in private to determine a verdict
• 11. They then vote to remove the president from office or not.
• 12. If 2/3 of the Senate votes to remove the president (67 votes out of 100), then it becomes official. A simple majority is not enough in this case; 2/3 is required. That is referred to a s 'super-majority.'.

Here is the process in the form of a table:

How long does all of this take? Gathering evidence to support an impeachment can take many months, although the actual trial may not last more than 2 or 3 months. For Nixon, the investigation took a little over 2 years. In his case, he was charged with perjury, obstruction of justice, and of using the Internal Revenue Service and other government agencies illegally.  Articles of Impeachment against him were filed  in July 1974, and he resigned less than a month after that. With Clinton, who was charged with perjury and obstruction of justice, the process began in December 1998 and was completed, with a vote that did not find for removal, in February 1999.


If an impeachment results in removing the person from office, it still does not in itself provide for any type of criminal punishment such as fines or imprisonment. However, the person may be tried separately for crimes both on a state and federal level. An impeached person who is found guilty and removed, will not be able to run for public office from then on.

Here is an excellent explanation of how impeachment works: https://www.thoughtco.com/impeachment-the-unthinkable-process-3322171


And this specific situation: https://www.businessinsider.com/laws-trump-could-have-broken-ukraine-whistleblower-case-2019-9

Habitat for Humanity

You've probably heard of Habitat for Humanity, but here are some things you might not have known:

Habitat was started in the 1970s by a man and his wife from the state of Georgia who wanted to see that community members had decent housing. They were able to get some houses built for the cost of materials and workers only, without profit. They then traveled to Africa to build houses for people in need there. They returned to the U.S. in 1976 and began what was originally called The Fund for Humanity.

Houses built through Habitat exist in 70 countries plus the U.S. Over 22 million people now own houses who probably would not have otherwise. Did you know...

• Clients put in 300 or more hours of labor on their own houses
• Clients purchase their houses and make payments like most people do
• Because they have contributed in the building of their homes, the cost is less

• Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, have helped build lots of houses
• When a person's home costs less, it makes other things possible.... like college
• Habitat homeowners get education on financial literacy so they understand how to use their money wisely.
• Because the homes are built with volunteers, it may take up to 6 months to complete one home.
• Working on their own houses gives people a sense of accomplishment and pride
• Habitat is an international program
• Could you use some better construction skills, or do you have solid construction skills? Volunteer with Habitat! 
• You can volunteer with Habitat as an individual or with a group
• Volunteers can commit to several lengths of commitment, long-term or short term.
• Work with Habitat also includes beautifying neighborhoods by cleaning up litter and weeds,  and planting/landscaping
• Habitat also rehabs older homes, updating and fixing them for new owners
• Veterans sometimes do a Habitat home, for themselves or for others
• Through volunteering, you can learn a new job skill, get better at a skill (with one on one mentoring as you watch professionals do it), meet other people, and get to know a neighborhood
• Young people can also help build houses
• Habitat is there many times after a natural disaster, to help people, including temporary livable shelter and restoring basic needs as soon as possible. They also offer technical advice to ensure the new homes be built well, as well as preparedness to avoid lost homes in the future.
• Habitat's Women Build program specifically helps women become independent homeowners.

If you are remodeling your home, you can donate building supplies you don't want or need to the Habitate ReStore. Recycling these things is great for the environment, and Habitat uses the funds to buy new building materials for their houses. Or, if you have need for supplies, shop the ReStore. You can find cupboards, doors, trim, flooring, hardware like door knobs or faucets, sinks and vanities, light fixtures, and more, for a big discount. Here are locations in Minnesota: https://www.habitat.org/local/restore?zip=55432

Learn more about what Habitat for Humanity is doing in your community here: https://www.habitat.org/together-we-build?mrkgcl=1005&mrkgadid=3055123744&source_code=DNWW14071000045&creative=79783343831378&device=c&matchtype=e&msclkid=6e46bcc06b5d1901dea6e1e48f12b1ff