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Atlanta's Weekly E-Magazine
Feb 1st - Feb 8th, 2002
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Last 10 years of Vincent Van Gogh
World News
Market News
Our thanks to gotlaughs.com for sharing this classic with the WORLD.
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A COMMENDABLE
MOVE BY MAYOR FRANKLIN
WHICH DESERVES HIGH PRAISE
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Before even submitting her new budget to the City Council, Mayor Shirley Franklin made a bold move by taking a \$40,000 cut in her own salary, reducing it from $141,000 to $101,000.
This cut represented a 28.4% reduction in pay. It set the right tone for the rest of the city employees that the only way to cover the budget gap is through widespread sacrifice.
Mayor Shirley Franklin deserves high praise for her commendable move. A clear sign of fair but firm leadership.
There is a lesson to be learned here. If every corporate CEO or executive doing business in Atlanta, whose salary is in the mid or high six figures (not to mention seven figures) were to take a 10% to 25% cut in salary, there will be hundreds of thousands of jobs that can be saved and preserved which otherwise will be dismissed, especially at currently prevailing recession times.
Mayor Franklin has proven her leadership by putting her money where her mouth is. Let us see how many city and corporate executives are going to follow.
The new budget was introduced yesterday. There are several sources that Mayor Franklin has tapped for savings in order to close the gap. About \$43 million will be saved from spending cuts. Another $39 million will be generated from property tax hike. And another $29 million will be saved from cutting jobs. The majority of them being vacant jobs which will be abolished.
Undoutedly, it is an austere budget and it is up to the City Council members to do their job in approving it.
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Editor's Corner
VINCENT VAN GOGH
(1853 - 1890)
Vincent Van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853 in Groot-Zundert, a village in the south of Holland. Many writers, psychoanalysts, including some of his brothers and sisters attribute Vincent's difficulties as a child and his later preoccupation with sickness and death to the fact that he was a so-called "replacement child". Exactly one year prior to his birth, his mother had given birth to a stillborn child who would have been named also Vincent and who was buried in the yard next to their house. So, it was almost impossible for young Vincent to escape seeing daily a gravestone inscribed with his name and birthday. A pretty demoralizing scene.
In July of 1869, at the age of sixteen, Vincent was employed as a junior clerk with the international art firm of Goupil's & Co., in The Hague. It is at Goupil's where Vincent acquired the familiarity with paintings and drawings. Later, his younger brother Theo will also join Goupil's. Incidentally, Theo who was three years younger, will support Vincent morally and financially throughout his life. He was his best friend. After four years in The Hague, Vincent was transferred to Goupil's London branch where he had the opportunity to learn and improve on his English. He spent his time visiting museums and galleries. While in London, he fell in love with his landlady's daughter. When he decided a year later to propose, he was declined because she was reserved to be engaged to someone else. This declination had a devastating effect on Vincent.
In May of 1875, Vincent was transferred to Goupil's headquarters in Paris. There he lived in a small room at Monmartre. Unfortunately, by this time he started losing interest in art and he developed a keen interest in religion. He spent most of his evenings reading the bible aloud to his friends at Monmartre. As a result of this transformation, in March of 1976, Vincent was dismissed from Goupil's. He returned to England where he was offered a teacher's position as well as that of a preacher. At this point, he could teach English, French, German, Dutch, orthography and math.
In May of 1880, Vincent decided to study the art of painting. He went to Brussels and worked in the studio of Van Rappart. His brother Theo continued supporting him financially. In 1986, he decided to move to Paris and live with his brother Theo. There he met with impressionist artists like Monet, Pissaro and Degas. At this point, his paintings were distinguished with bright colors and intense contrasts. In 1887, he started a series of self-portraits. His most famous one SELF-PORTRAIT WITH STRAW HAT. Followed by VINCENT'S HOUSE and the FISHING BOATS ON THE BEACH which was later to become the most famous painting in the Van Gogh Museum. In 1888, Vincent met Paul Gaugin. In one of his letters he admitted that his paintings THE SUNFLOWERS - which made him known throughout the world - were intended for Paul Gaugin. They worked together for nine weeks among a series of fights and disagreements. During such a fight, Vincent cut off his ear and handed it to a girl in the village. Subsequently he was instutionalized.
On July 27, 1890, following an unsuccessful suicide attemt where the bullet entered his side intead
of his heart, Vincent laid wounded at the Ravoux Inn waiting for the arrival of his brother Theo from Paris. Two days later he died. Just before expiring, when Theo tried to persuade him that he would be heeled, Vincent replied: "La tristesse durera toujours." Sadness shall last forever. The tragic end of one great artist among the world's most recognized contemporary painters.
James C. Stathis
Associate Editor
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