Saturday, October 06, 2007

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Zangy Comment Graphics

* World Classic Gallery *



* CLAUDE OSCAR MONET *

BIOGRAPHY and PAINTINGS Monet, Claude Oscar 1840 - 1926

France, Impressionism (style)
Claude Monet was a famous artist. Monet painted many oil paintings that are in famous museums today. Monet lived at a time when there were wars and hardships. Claude Monet has inspired millions of artists. He lived from 1840 until 1926.
Claude Monet was born on November 14, 1840 in Paris. When he was five years old he and his family moved to Le Havre. When Monet was 17, his mother died. The year after, Monet met an artist named Eugene Boudin. Boudin convinced Claude Monet to do his oil painting outdoors and this led to the first outdoor landscape painting of Monet painting career. Monet went to the Swiss Academy, continuing to devote his life to his art. Monet met a woman named Gaudibert who admired his art. She was one of the first to recognize his artistic abilities.
In 1867, while Monet was at an art event in Sainte-Adresse, his first son was born. Monet was 27, and he had to be away much of the time to promote his paintings. He also suffered from depression. There was a time in 1868 when Monet “tried to commit suicide”. But we admire the fact that he was able to overcome his depression and keep on with his art. All through his life Monet had to work hard. People did not buy Monet paintings at the start. Monet had to move his family many times, but he still painted.
In 1870, Monet married Camille-Léonie Doncieux, the woman who gave birth to his first son. Monet’s father died in 1871. Monet’s second son named Michael was born, but tragedy struck in 1879 when Monet’s wife died. After the death of his wife, he moved the family to Poissy. Not many people bought Monet paintings and Monet remained poor. So, in 1883 Monet moved the family again to a house he rented at Giverny. He died in 1926 at the age of 86.
At Giverny he started going to more exhibitions and Monet paintings became more popular. He earned more money and was able to buy the house. Monet fixed up the house to include gardens and a Japanese bridge. His yard became the subject for some of his most famous paintings. His popularity and fame grew. By 1907 Monet had painted many well-known paintings, but by then he had “his first problem with his eyesight”. He started to go blind. He still painted, though his eyes got worse. He wouldn’t stop painting until he was nearly blind. Monet lived at Giverny a total of 43 years during which time his second wife and his older son died.
When we read the biography we appreciate his life even more, knowing Monet overcame so many obstacles. Monet is a person who inspires people. Monet had inner strength, was hardworking, and imaginative. He also brought new ideas to the art world. Monet helped invent what we call “Impressionism”. A hero can be brave, and Monet was willing to dedicate his whole life to art. He wasn’t selfish because he thought of his family and worked to make a living for them and a good home. Because of all of this, Monet is our hero and a hero in the art world.

Boulevard des Capucines, 1873, Oil on canvas, 31.26 x 23.23 inches [79.4 x 59 cm]

The Seine at Bougival in the Evening, 1869, Oil on canvas, 23.62 x 28.94 inches [60 x 73.5 cm]

The Artist's Garden at Vetheuil, Oil on canvas

Jeanne-Marguerite Lecadre in the Garden, 1866, Oil on canvas

The women in the Garden, 1866-1867, Oil on canvas

The garden in flower, 1900, Oil on canvas

Woman with a Parasol, 1875, Oil on canvas

London: Houses of Parliament at Sunset, Oil on canvas

The Waterllily Pond, 1899, Oil on canvas

Water Lillies I, Oil on canvas

Poppies at Argenteuil, 1873, Oil on canvas, Original size: 50x65 cm.

A Cart on the Snow Covered Road with Saint-Simeon Farm, 1865, Oil on canvas

Argenteuil, Flowers by the Riverbank, 1877, Oil on canvas

Argenteuil, Late Afternoon, 1872, Oil on canvas

Apple Trees near Vetheuil, 1878, Oil on canvas

Argenteuil, Seen from the Small Arm of the Seine, 1872, Oil on canvas

Autumn on the Seine at Argenteuil, 1873, Oil on canvas

At the Parc Monceau, 1878, Oil on canvas

Asters, 1880, Oil on canvas

Arrival at Saint-Lazare Station, 1876, Oil on canvas

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Chess, but not mate

The government replaced the obedient members of the presidential commission with magistrates, which is a tough, but not deadly offensive against President Basescu, since he has got the Constitutional right to decide how he pleases.
The ministerial responsibility law was modified so that the Superior Council of Magistracy would appoint the members of the commission who consent to criminal inquiries against ministers. The members are to be appointed in 30 days' time and the criminal cases against officials are frozen until then.
The President may disregard magistrates' decision, but he will have to explain and announce the decision by which magistrates investigate on a minister. One more point set in the Emergency Ordinance no. 97 is the fact that the National Anti-Corruption Department has no longer got the right to ask for consent to the opening of criminal investigations against ministers. It is now only the general attorney's right. President Basescu is accusing the Tariceanu Cabinet of "abuse of power", outlining the Superior Council of Magistracy didn't consent to the emergency. And politicians don't share opinion on it.
Politicians comment on ordinance to modify presidential commission
Crin Antonescu, leader of Liberal deputies: "Basescu's personal instrument"
"Unfortunately, Romania's president is corrupted and cynical. After his failing plot with the Social-Democrat Party, he dares talk about democracy and independent Justice ! The Cotroceni commission has proved to be Traian Basescu's personal political instrument, but not a Justice instrument. (...)
Now the man in Cotroceni Palace may no longer remove people from the government the way he pleases, which is very benefic. Traian Basescu is deeply corrupted and abusive".
Peter Eckstein-Kovacs, senator from the Democrat Union of Magyars in Romania: "Arguable regulation"
"An arguable regulation is now arguably modified. The solution isn't against the Constitution, but it raises doubt on some magistrates' participation to an institution with administrative attributions, which is against the principle of the separation of powers in state"
Emil Boc, president of the Democrat Party: "Victory against the rule of law"
"The only emergency of the 2nd Tariceanu Cabinet is to overtly protect ministers by releasing documents to block the research of judges on ministers suspected of corruption. (...) Chiuariu, Pacuraru and Remes are above the law and they enjoy immunity. The ordinance is the Tariceanu Cabinet's victory against the rule of law".
Corneliu Vadim Tudor, leader of the Greater Romania Party: "Bravo ! Well done !"
"How come Basescu is investigating ? What has he got to do with the power of judges ? (...) Brave guy, Chiuariu ! Bravo ! Well done ! They took his toy. The justice minister has made no mistake so far. He is right, which is why my party will support all his initiatives".
Victor Ponta, vice president of the Social-Democrat Party: "The Liberals are afraid"
"I don't trust Liberals' sincerity. One year ago they voted against the law draft authored by myself and the party, which pursued to dismember the commission. Their emergency ordinance taking this measure shows the Liberals are afraid of the situation emerging because of the investigated ministers. I am now expecting an ordinance to dismember courts and the Parliament who voted against the government".
German MEP Markus Ferber: "A step back"
The German MEP Markus Ferber announced yesterday that he was going to ask Commissioner Franco Frattini to apply the safeguard clause on Romanian Justice, because of the government's decision to modify the ministerial responsibility law. He described the ordinance on the presidential commission as "a step back" in the fight against corruption and he opined the document was unable to destroy the nigh level corruption network. He commented it was unacceptable that the justice minister himself should propose such an ordinance, adding the European Commission had to think about measures and action.

Razvan Gheorghe
& C.A.
Ziua saturday 6 october 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

Basescu-Geoana Siamese and PD-PSD clones

The moment Mircea Geoana was elected a president of the party was the most uninspired in the history of the PSD (Social-Democrat Party). It is now obvious why Ion Iliescu was so furious that the party would be ruled by such a character. But his warnings were so obstinate that they seemed the mere frustration reflexes of the former Communist regime faced with the young man perceived as a reformist.
Adrian Nastase has in his turn been undermining the alliance with Mircea Geoana for three years now in order to make even with ex President Ion Iliescu, who had ceaselessly harassed him while a PM. In fact, Ion Iliescu had a determining contribution to Traian Basescu's victory in presidential elections, especially due to the decision to free Miron Cozma from jail, a man assailing candidate Adrian Nastase.
I am saying it again: after the general elections, the PSD missed the chance to keep Adrian Nastase head of the party, for his electoral legitimacy was almost equal to Traian Basescu's and he was leading the party that had actually won elections. But Adrian Nastase was asked to step back and even those he had promoted to the party and the government undermined him. Then Mircea Geoana agreed that a Liberal should take over the Chamber of Deputies only to sack his rival Adrian Nastase, hopeful he would deprive the latter of his last authority attribution.
But Mircea Geoana was wrong. Even without position and under judicial harassment (just as the others, the Christian-Democrats in particular, would be harassed while he was a PM), Adrian Nastase kept his authority over the party much greater than the PSD president's. The same goes for Ion Iliescu too. The party is now split in sides. The groups of Adrian Nastase and Ion Iliescu, once rivals, are getting regrouped these days, due to circumstances, to sack Mircea Geoana and presently fight for power. For the time being, people can feel Mircea Geoana, a terminator of the PSD, is collapsing and heading a different destination. The state of things in the PSD, that is enmity and dissolution, is the effect of domestic adversities and conspiracies. From this perspective the PSD is now strikingly resembling the National Christian-Democrat Party who committed suicide. This serves the PD (Democrat Party) and Traian Basescu.
A true leader attracts and makes leaders. A weak leader fears competition and does everything to do away with potential competitors. Mircea Geoana resembles Traian Basescu as far as this is concerned. Despite appearances and propaganda, Traian Basescu is a leader as weak as Mircea Geoana. Didn't he have equipment and structures to rely on, Traian Basescu would resemble "a silly boy", as he is also temperamental. The thirst for power and the hatred of anyone and anything opposing their personal interests make them perfectly similar.
Traian Basescu destroyed all the PD leaders, now presidential remote controls. The inflatable PD is only up to President Basescu's popularity rate. Mircea Geoana is destroying some PSD leaders. Cristian Diaconescu, now very nervous, is one of them, unfortunately. The PSD is about to explode and the PD is smouldering. Both parties' leaders are taking desperate measures for intimidation, they are expelling those sensible minds who opposed the bill against the government. But the riot can't be repressed for too long. Several Democrats are now aware that Traian Basescu's service is only momentary and in the future it will turn into a disadvantage. There are also many Social-Democrats aware that, because he is obsessed with power, Mircea Geoana is turning the PSD into a clone of the PD.

Roxana Iordache
Ziua saturday 6 october 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

Total war in PSD

Mircea Geoana, president of the PSD (Social-Democrat Party), wants to depose all party members opposing him: Ion Iliescu, Adrian Nastase and the group in Cluj, represented by Vasile Puscas. The PSD leader is actually trying to make the failure of the bill against the government serve him and eliminate those top members who may reproach him for the failure in the Parliament or may who want him out in the near future.
Central party leaders have summoned the representatives of all party branches to a meeting to take place in Brasov, expected to be the bloodiest PSD reunion by far. Ion Iliescu and Adrian Nastase will be reproached for their statements and ballots against the bill. Vasile Puscas is also targeted. Dan Tudorache, obedient to Geoana, has threatened to expel him, although the leader of the group in Cluj claims he voted for the bill. The attitude of Marian Vanghelie is surprising: he is against expelling the guilty from the party. Local party branches don't share opinion on the sanctioning or forgiving of the 'betrayers'.
Ion Iliescu strikes vehemently
Ion Iliescu wouldn't participate in the play to be staged in Brasov, although a member of both the Permanent National Committee and the Executive Committee. But the honorary president of the PSD has kept on denying and criticizing Geoana's decisions vehemently. He commented: "This man came with the wave, when the PSD was in power. If we talk about a call for betrayal, then Mr. Geoana has got no moral authority to talk about it".
While in Constanta he argued: "People get together in a party for the sake of some values. This is what keeps them together, but not the boss's whip. This is the primitive outlook of some who don't really know what politics is and who were not part of the great battles that built post-revolutionary democracy in Romania. Geoana and his men came after 2000, when difficulties had been settled. But now they want to put things in order in a party built with so many efforts and with the contribution of reliable and serious people. But here they are to impose some rules for children's games or for primitive humans who don't know what a party is, who think it is like in military camps where a commander orders and everyone bows, isn't it ?" (...)

Roxana Andronic

Ziua saturday 6 october 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english