Author Archives: laurn larson

Kinder Surrealism

21 May 2025 By in Art, Art Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

“I feel the need of attaining the maximum of intensity with the minimum of means. It is this which has led me to give my painting a character of even greater bareness.” Joan Miro.

Joan Miró (zhwahn mee-ROH, 1893–1983), a Catalan artist, began his career exploring Expressionism and Cubism before rejecting the rational world, which he found suffocating possibly depressing. He turned inward, merging an abstract dreamworld with Surrealism, ultimately evolving into a minimalist, conveying deep meaning through sparse, naïve brushstrokes and colors.

Symbolism became his hallmark; for Miró, the image was secondary to the message which was always open to interpretation. Initially inspired by Van Gogh and Cézanne, he later grew enamored with Picasso and Dalí, but it was Sigmund Freud who awakened his subconscious, plunging him into the mysteries of dreams and hallucinations. In pursuit of these visions, Miró intentionally induced states of hunger and exhaustion, risking madness to capture the fleeting essence of his dreamscapes. His dreams produced a primitive, childlike, whimsical innocence, with no explicit instructions for interpretation.

Miró’s early masterpiece, The Farm (1921–22), serves as a biographical snapshot of his life at 29, capturing the essence of his Spanish countryside upbringing and young adult life. This highly detailed precursor to his later Cubist and abstract works was purchased by Ernest Hemingway for 5,000 francs as gift to his wife.

By 2024, Miró’s works continue to command prices that place him among the top 25 most valuable artists worldwide. His Peinture (Étoile Bleue), or Painting (Blue Star), one of his best-known dreamscapes, sold for £23.6 million at a London Sotheby’s auction in 2012, equivalent to $37 million at the time, or approximately $31.5 million in today’s dollars.

Source: Miró by Gaston Diehl, 1979.  Graphic: The Farm (1921–1922), National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. (Public Domain)

Artiga & Fustel El Campeador 2022

20 May 2025 By in Red Wine, Wine Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

Other Red Blends from Jumilla, Spain

Syrah 50%, Monastrell 40%, Cabernet Sauvignon 10%

Purchase Price: $11.99

James Suckling 90, ElsBob 91

ABV 14.5%

A dense dark purple color, medium to full body, aromas of black fruit and spice. On the palate it is acidic, noticeable tannins but smooth, with a long finish.

An excellent fine wine at a great price. Recent prices are in the $14-17 range. Drink now. Cheers.

Trivia: Jumilla is a wine DO of the Murcia region near the Mediterranean in southeastern Spain. Monastrell (Mourvedre) is the dominant grape grown in this hot, arid region. In good years the DO produces about 100 million bottles of wine but the area has experienced severe droughts for the last couple of years and as such yields have decreased by 50-80%. 2024 yields supplied enough grapes to produce approximately 45 million bottles of wine. On the brighter side the grapes were said to have achieved “perfect ripeness” but with only average sugar levels.

Beelzebub Retold

19 May 2025 By in Novel Tags: , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

 “No matter where or what, there are makers, takers, and fakers.” Heinlein: Time Enough for Love, 1973.

William Golding’s 1954 dystopian novel Lord of the Flies follows a group of stranded schoolboys who, without adult supervision, descend into savagery. Their initial attempt at cooperative survival deteriorates as fear and power struggles drive the strong to dominate the weak; order gives way to chaos, smothering courage beneath a blanket of terror.

While Lord of the Flies initially struggled in sales, Heinlein, perhaps one of its few early readers, found its premise of boys descending into barbarity overnight to be an absurd fiction. In response, he swiftly crafted Tunnel in the Sky, a sci-fi adventure that presents a striking contrast with a parallel plot: instead of chaos and savagery, his young survivors rise to heroic heights, confronting their primal fears with resilience and camaraderie.

The ninth of Heinlein’s thirteen juvenile novels (1947–1963), Tunnel in the Sky is framed as sci-fi but at its core,it’s an adventure story rooted in the conceptual school of literary romanticism. A story of survival wrapped in the timeless cloak of human values and existence. The novel uses sci-fi primarily as a means to transport young student survivalists to an uninhabited planet for their final class exam: surviving 5–10 days in a primitive, dangerous setting. After depositing the students on the planet, the novel’s sci-fi categorization reverts to Call of the Wild. A passing grade is assigned to those that were able to walk or crawl out alive.

After sending the students to the planet the transport mechanism malfunctioned and they are trapped alone on the planet with only a few provisions, maybe forever. With a few knives, limited medical supplies, and other paraphernalia that would fit in packs and pockets they are forced to search out each other to put together a workable society to provide food, shelter, and defense against the elements and native man-eating fauna. With expected fits and starts the kids put together a workable society that provides for their needs and a few wants eventually raising the question of whether they would even accept a rescue.

Heinlein was an incorrigible optimist and humanist. He believed humanity could and will solve all existential problems. To him Lord of the Flies was an impossibility. Humans want to live and self-interest eventually embraces “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few” (Spock-The Wrath of Khan).

In semitic languages such as Hebrew, Lord of the Flies is a literal translation of Beezlebub, who was initially a minor Philistine god that expelled flies, believed to be a source of sickness. Over time the Jews referred to him as a major demon and eventually Christianity elevated him to Satan himself. In Indo-European languages Beezlebub literally translates to Lord of the Jungle, one who conquers for the good of humanity: lebensraum. Golding’s Beelzebub represents dystopian destruction; Heinlein’s brings forth the utopian Lord of the Jungle.

Source: Tunnel in the Sky by Robert Heinlein, 1955.  Graphic: Heinlein in Amazing Stories, 1953. Public Domain.

Tuscan Wines

18 May 2025 By in Red Wine Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

Like many renowned wine-producing regions, Tuscany boasts a variety of iconic blends. Some, such as Chianti, are strictly regulated, while others, like Super Tuscans and Tuscan Blends, allow for more creative liberty.

Chianti must contain at least 80% Sangiovese, with the remaining 20% permitted to include Canaiolo, Colorino, Cabernet Sauvignon, and/or Merlot. Winemakers also have the option to produce 100% Sangiovese Chianti. These wines fall under Italy’s DOCG system, which regulates blend composition, sourcing, and aging across four levels: DOC, Classico DOCG, Superiore DOCG, and Classico Gran Selezione DOCG.

Super Tuscan is a militant category that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s when winemakers wanted more freedom from the strict regulations of Chiantis. Super Tuscans often blend Sangiovese with international grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Syrah, creating bold, structured wines. Since they don’t conform to traditional Chianti regulations, they are labeled under the IGT system, which allows more leeway. Actually, a lot of leeway. IGT wines can be produced in any of Tuscany’s 10 provinces from any grape or form imaginable: red, white, sweet, dry, or sparkling.

Then there are Tuscan Blends, a general term for wines made in Tuscany that mix different grape varietals. This could include Chianti-style blends, Super Tuscans, or other unique regional combinations. Unlike Chianti or Super Tuscans, “Tuscan Blend” isn’t an official classification; it’s more of a descriptive term for any blended wine from this region otherwise known in the rest of the world as a “Red Blend” or “Other Red Blend”.

Graphic: A traditional Chianti Bottle.

Bodegas Manzanos Reino De Altuzarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

15 May 2025 By in Red Wine Tags: , , Leave a comment

Cabernet Sauvignon from Navarro, Spain

Purchase Price: $11.99

Wine Enthusiast 93, ElsBob 90

ABV 13.5%

A clear dark cherry red color, aromas of black fruit, licorice, and spice. On the palate it is acidic, subtle tannins, smooth, with a long finish.

An excellent table wine at a great price. Not as bold or complex as a Napa Cab but still interesting and worthwhile. Drink now. Cheers.

Posted

Ignoble Realism

14 May 2025 By in Novel Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

During the late 18th century French Revolution, the peasants laid their grievances at the feet of the nobles and took their heads in lieu of apology and retribution. As the years passed the revolutionary fervor subsided, Napoleon’s reign was brief yet transformative, and finally Louis XVIII, replacing Napoleon, restored the French nobility which brought peace to the land but also returned the country to the immoral customs of yore, not that they really went away, of avarice, promiscuity, and vice. Themes that Honoré de Balzac vividly paints in Old Goriot (Gor-e-u or Gor-e-ot), his greatest novel, first published in serial form in 1834; a fearless reflection of the Realist artistic movement taking shape in his time.

In this forlorn, unflattering critique of French society he uses a fine brush to sketch the uncomfortable and unseemly details of a decayed culture like a faded relic of indulgence, stripped of its former grandeur, except now the lower classes join the upper crust in a race to the dishonorable depths of unprincipled shame.

Honoré de Balzac’s Old Goriot tells the tale of unrequited, selfless paternal love thoroughly blind to the selfish indifference of his two young daughters, Delphine and Anastasie who have forsaken their father for wealth and prestige. Eugene de Rastignac, a young but poor law student, pursues the married Delphine with the blessings of her father with little thought about the moral implications of his ambitious desires or the Faustian struggles they entail. Vautrin, a criminal mastermind, enters the scene to put an exclamation point on the plot’s everything is inbounds, nothing is forbidden in early 19th century Parisian life. As Goriot dies alone, broke and broken, Eugene must decide his path in a city of corruption, indifference, and immorality. To succumb to the ruthless ambition of Parisian society or fight for a moral existence to save his soul.

Source: Old Goriot by Honoré de Balzac’s, 1834. Graphic: The Stone Breakers by Gustave Courbet, 1849 (Realism art movement).

Vinos de Arganza Flavium Premium Crianza Mencia 2020

6 May 2025 By in Red Wine, Wine Tags: , , Leave a comment

Mencia from Bierzo, Spain

Purchase Price: $12.99

James Suckling 90, ElsBob 90

ABV 13.0%

A deep garnet color with aromas of black fruits, plum, and spice. Medium-full body, medium acidity, tannic with a hint of black pepper and slate. Will pair well with red meat and spicy vegetable dishes.

An excellent table wine at a great price. I’ve seen this wine listed as low as $11—well worth picking up a few bottles at that price. Drink now. Cheers.

Trivia: Bierzo is Spanish DOP wine region in northwest Spain that has grown grapes since the time of the Greeks and Romans, but it was the monks of the Middle Ages who brought the area viticulture into prominence. Currently the DOP has 1030 growers and 74 wineries, covering less than 6000 acres, producing in aggregate about 7 million bottles of wine each year.

Penfolds Grandfather Rare Tawny

3 May 2025 By in Red Wine, Wine Tags: , , Leave a comment

Port from Australia

Predominately but not limited to Shiraz, Grenache, Mataro, and Cabernet

Purchase Price: $99.99

ElsBob 92

ABV 19.0%

A deep tawny color with aromas of licorice and raisins, full-bodied, sweet with a long finish. A perfect after dinner dessert wine.

An excellent non-vintage port at a fair price. If you look around, you might find it for about $80. Drink now. Cheers.

From Penfolds Overview: With each vintage, varietal batches are selected for Grandfather. These batches are individually aged in seasoned old oak casks before being blended together at 14 years of age. This blend is then introduced into the ‘Grandfather Solera’. This Solera consists of six stages that are designed to fully integrate all components offering consistency and freshness with a final minimum average blended age of 20 years. (Ed. Current vintages in the Solera range from 1960-2004.)

Joel Gott Blend No. 815 Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

22 April 2025 By in Uncategorized Tags: , , , 1 Comment

Cabernet Sauvignon from Lodi and Napa California

100% Cabernet Sauvignon 

Purchase Price: $14.97

James Suckling 90,Decanter 90,Wine Spectator 89, ElsBob 90-91

ABV 13.9%

A deep ruby to a dark purple wine with aromas of black fruits, a taste of vanilla and spice; medium-full bodied, smooth tannins, dry, slightly acidic, with a medium finish. This wine will pair well with beef, lamb and chocolate desserts.

An excellent fine wine at a great price that is just entering its peak age range. Cheers.

Decline Post Bretton Woods

18 April 2025 By in History Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

Bretton Woods, a monetary system established during World War II, sought to stabilize the global economy by making the US dollar the central currency for international trade. Other currencies were pegged to the dollar, which foreign governments could convert into gold bullion at a fixed rate. This framework functioned effectively for decades, however, by the late 1960s, inflationary pressures stemming from the Vietnam War and the domestic spending initiatives of the “guns and butter” era, coupled with a growing accumulation of US dollars in foreign accounts, strained the system’s stability. In 1971, the United States suspended the dollar’s gold convertibility, effectively collapsing the Bretton Woods framework and transitioning to a market-based system of freely floating exchange rates, setting the stage for the dollar’s decline.

Since the demise of Bretton Woods, the US dollar has lost approximately 85% of its purchasing power due to inflation, a monetary phenomenon driven by increases in the money supply. Free trade has exacerbated US economics, including the loss of 6.8 million manufacturing jobs between 1979, the peak of manufacturing employment, and 2019. Many of these jobs shifted to China after its entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001. Middle-class wages have stagnated, remaining at an average of $40,000 per year (adjusted for inflation) since 1970, while housing costs have tripled to $400,000. Meanwhile, the rising costs of child-rearing, $310,000 per child in 2023, have contributed to a declining fertility rate, which has fallen from 2.5 to 1.6 children per woman.

China’s role in US economic decline is significant with a trade deficit of $263 billion in goods and services for 2024 alone. Chinese tariffs protect key industries such as steel and electronics, leaving US manufacturing unable to compete. Federal Reserve policies, including a 40% increase in the M2 money supply since 2020, have inflated asset prices like homes and stocks but failed to meaningfully raise middle-class wages. Wealth inequality has intensified, with the top 1% controlling 40% of the nation’s wealth while Middle America’s share continues to shrink. Trade deficits reached $1.2 trillion in 2024.

Trump’s tariffs can be seen as a reaction to these trade imbalances and loss of domestic manufacturing. Additionally, new measures are seeking to rewrite regulatory and fiscal policies, to address these global inequalities. By 2030, projections suggest 2 million new jobs could be created, including 200,000 to 300,000 directly tied to tariffs, with blue-collar median wages rising to around $60,000. A stronger dollar, inflation below 2%, and a revived manufacturing base could potentially revive the American middle-class, making families more optimistic about the future. Continuing on the same trajectory as the past 50 years risks further erosion of the American dream.