Aresenal Cider House & Wine Cellar

As the weather gets colder, what is a better way to end the week than to grab some warm hard apple cider?  After we finished up our monthly AmeriCorps training, a bunch of us headed over to the Aresenal Cider House & Wine Cellar, Lawrenceville's very own Civil War Thematic Winery.  That's right people, civil war theme.  Cider is sold by the growler, not by the glass which makes it even better!

My bottle even gives me Major status.  We will definitely be checking this place out again in the future.  For anyone who comes to visit me, I will definitely take you.

Art History Throw Back

Thanks to the Women's Committee of Carnegie Museum of Art, yesterday there was free admission to the Carnegie Natural History and Art museum.  A few weekends ago I made a quick visit, but did not have time to fit it all in, so I did battle yesterday to hit up some of the exhibits I skipped over.

One of the things I came across was an exhibit in the Heinze Architectural Center, Palladio and His Legacy.  This traveling exhibition sponsored by the Royal Institute of British Architects brings some of his original books and drawings out of the archives.

During the 16th Century he became one of the most influential architects in the Western world.  While the majority of his influence came from ancient architecture (Vitruvius), he also began to push the boundaries and use the new engineering and construction techniques of the Renaissance.  Not only did he change the architectural layout of homes owned by the wealthy, but he also created a new configuration for Catholic churches. 

If any of you have been to Italy, you have probably seen some of his work.  One of the most notable is the basilica of San Giorgio on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, across from St. Mark's Square. 

He was also known for his Four Books on Architecture.  Two hundred years after its original publication, the books vame to the United States.  They served as a major source of inspiration for Thomas Jefferson, think Monticello, and some of the early monuments in DC designed by John Russel Pope like the National Archives. 

Hillary Clinton's Amazing Speech On LGBT Rights

Yesterday Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton recognized International Human Rights Day during her speech in Geneva.  Her words have caught international attention, especially because they were coupled with President Obama promising to promote and protect LGBT rights through foreign aid and considering these issues with regards to future foreign policy. 

Click here to watch the speach and/or read the full text

 Two parts really jumped out at me:

The third, and perhaps most challenging, issue arises when people cite religious or cultural values as a reason to violate or not to protect the human rights of LGBT citizens. This is not unlike the justification offered for violent practices towards women like honor killings, widow burning, or female genital mutilation. Some people still defend those practices as part of a cultural tradition. But violence toward women isn’t cultural; it’s criminal. Likewise with slavery, what was once justified as sanctioned by God is now properly reviled as an unconscionable violation of human rights.

And then later on:

Many in my country thought that President Truman was making a grave error when he ordered the racial desegregation of our military. They argued that it would undermine unit cohesion. And it wasn’t until he went ahead and did it that we saw how it strengthened our social fabric in ways even the supporters of the policy could not foresee. Likewise, some worried in my country that the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” would have a negative effect on our armed forces. Now, the Marine Corps Commandant, who was one of the strongest voices against the repeal, says that his concerns were unfounded and that the Marines have embraced the change.

Need a Friday Pick Me Up?

What better way to pass the time on a boring Friday, than to check out some Cocktails Exploding in Slow Motion.  

I promise, it will not disappoint.