<span style="font-size: small"><span style="color: blue">A MUSEUM OF TREASURES
FROM THE RENAISSANCE TO 2011 </span></span>

<span style="font-size: x-small"><span style="color: brown">The Voyager Gazette   °  December 07, 2100 </span></span>

[caption id="attachment_2221" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Live Your Best Life building - Image Source: http://tinyurl.com/8a9xgpc"]<a href="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/museum.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2221" src="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/museum-300x170.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="170" /></a>[/caption]

<strong><span style="color: blue">Grand Opening of Live Your Best Life Museum</span></strong>
<p align="left">Wednesday, December 07, 2100 will bring the grand opening celebration of the Live Your Best Life Museum. Tickets sold out well in advance for opening day but for those of you that were not lucky enough to obtain tickets, this review can serve as your invisibility cloak. Sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.<!--more--></p>
<strong><span style="color: blue">Review of Architecture, Music, Literature and Photography</span></strong>
<p align="left">Upon approaching the building, I notice that there are plenty of electric charging stations for Segways and this is a great sign! This might turn out to be an interesting day for me. Not being a “museum type” person, I was dreading writing this review. Now I am starting to think differently. Come along with me as I explore the lessons of the past.</p>


[caption id="attachment_2265" align="alignright" width="209" caption="Glass Tube Transport - Image Source: http://tinyurl.com/7kunhye"]<a href="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/glass2.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2265 " src="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/glass2.jpg" alt="" width="209" height="293" /></a>[/caption]
<p align="left">I step into the lobby of the building (located on the starboard deck of the Voyager, next to the “Uniqueness” exhibit by Curator James Schlenker) and I am immediately relaxed by the pleasant sound of a waterfall and the cool, neutral colors of the furnishings, lighting and décor. I think I am going to like this place! It appears that this building, crafted after the Greater London Authority Headquarters that was built way back in 2005, has several floors and is centered around a glass and chrome aero- vertical tube system that transports visitors to each floor.</p>
<p align="left">There are floors dedicated to all sorts of things including former food styles of different regions of Earth, weather chambers for the study of natural disasters that occurred on Earth, and various levels for the many plants and animal life that were saved before Earth breathed its last sigh.</p>
<p align="left">Today, I have chosen four floors in particular and I hope that you will be encouraged by this review to make your way to the Museum and spend some time among the artifacts that I describe here. I believe that you will find the information and displays informative and enlightening and you will definitely understand the meaning behind the title of the museum. When you do manage to get a ticket for this place, be sure to plan a whole day to view these amazing antiquities of yesteryear. It will be well worth your time!</p>
<strong><span style="color: blue">Renaissance Civil Architecture  -  Medici Palazzo, Florence, Italy</span></strong>
<p align="left">Our first stop will be the 4<sup>th</sup> floor, which is dedicated to Renaissance Civil Architecture. The theme for this floor is “Make Your Community a Better Place” and contains a scale model of the Medici Palace. It is large enough to walk into and stroll around inside. There is also an amazing garden. Do <em>not</em> miss the garden. The Italians really knew how to do gardens!</p>


[caption id="attachment_2228" align="alignleft" width="194" caption="Stone Facade of Medici Palazzo - Image Source: http://otherworldmystery.com/tag/rosicrucianism"]<a href="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/midicicorner5.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2228" src="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/midicicorner5.jpg" alt="" width="194" height="259" /></a>[/caption]
<p align="left">The Medici Palazzo was built between 1445-1460 by the Italian architect and sculptor, Michelozzo di Bartolomeo Michelozzi (1396–1472) and was commissioned by the head of the Medici banking family, Cosimo de’ Medici. Before Italy fell into the Mediterranean Sea in 2019, the building was known as the Palazzo Medici Riccardi, after Gabbriello Riccardi who purchased it and expanded it in 1659.</p>
<p align="left">The Medici Palazzo was a beloved building because its owners preserved rare art and they shared their priceless pieces in an effort to enhance the community’s love of the arts. The building style is called “Civil” architecture because it represented a movement toward making ones community a more enjoyable place. If only the citizens of the World had paid better attention to the those principles. The wealthy Medici family traveled throughout the world and brought back treasures of all kinds. They shared these magnificent pieces of art, sculpture and artifacts with their fellow citizens. They were a force in obtaining and preserving art for generations to come and fostered this practice among their wealthy peers. Today, in 2100, we can see, feel, hear and enjoy many of the rare pieces from those long-ago days because of the generosity and foresight of the Medici family. In fact, we strive to make our community on board the Voyager  better because of the example set by the Medici’s. When you visit, do not skip the 4<sup>th</sup>floor.</p>


[caption id="attachment_2232" align="alignright" width="244" caption="Chapel ceiling in Medici Palazzo - Image Source: http://tinyurl.com/dyyypjk"]<a href="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/ceiling1.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2232 " src="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/ceiling1.jpg" alt="" width="244" height="158" /></a>[/caption]
<p align="left">For example, the Medici’s sought out the finest painters and sculptors to create works in their residence. Some of the best known works are the frescoes in the formal chamber. Pictured below is the original piece that covered the ceiling of the chapel in the formal chamber. This extraordinary piece was painstakingly removed by a delicate laser technique that was perfected in 2030 by a French scientist. The Museum has lit this piece with new flouro-halogenous lights that are powered by the sun. The fresco is not to be missed and has luxurious leather couches beneath it for your prone enjoyment of the painting. Lay down, relax and lose yourself in the painting.</p>


[caption id="attachment_2246" align="alignleft" width="175" caption="Community Garden Replica - Image Source: http://tinyurl.com/7v2fbew"]<a href="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/garden2.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2246 " src="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/garden2.jpg" alt="" width="175" height="232" /></a>[/caption]
<p align="left">It is through viewing these historic treasures that we learn just how amazing our lives are here in the Voyager Z9500. Of course we do not have all of the conveniences that they enjoyed on Earth, but we are alive and that is really saying something. The photo to the left is of the garden that is replicated to exact proportions as that of the garden in the original Medici Palace. Be sure to sit a while in the garden. It’s exquisite.   I can see many marriage proposals taking place in this garden. It is unlike anything on the Voyager. There are native plants, sculptures and elaborate tiled archways. Ornate fountains are located at every corner of the square garden and the air is perfumed with all types of blooming flowers.</p>
<strong><span style="color: blue">Classical Music Foundation -  “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik,” by Mozart</span></strong>
<p align="left">As I enter the Tube to ascend to the 6<sup>th</sup> floor, I cannot help but be overwhelmed in anticipation. Thankfully, the Classical Music Hall of Fame at the Royal College of Music, in London, England, was so well funded during the end days that the entire music collection was preserved. I will only be visiting the exhibit on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) today, but you could spend an entire day on this exquisitely decorated and designed floor. Starting with your first steps out of the Tube, you are enveloped in the majestic and satisfying sounds of Mozart’s composition titled, “<em>Eine Kleine Nachtmusik</em>.”</p>


[caption id="attachment_2250" align="alignright" width="191" caption="Mozart, Child Prodigy - Image source: http://tinyurl.com/7ytghp"]<a href="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/mozartchild3.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2250" src="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/mozartchild3.jpg" alt="" width="191" height="264" /></a>[/caption]
<p align="left">Mozart is said to have completed 640+ musical works, but this is his most recognizable piece. This acclaimed composition created the foundation of classical music in Vienna, Austria, and is the fundamental reason why we still listen to and enjoy his music, more than 300 years after his death. Personally, I am thrilled that his music made it onboard the Voyager.</p>
<p align="left">Mozart is an example of an extremely talented person that worked because he loved composing music. He is an example to all of us that it is imperative to work at what you love to do. Back in 2009, people were consumed with making money, buying houses too large for their budget, driving four or five cars per family and generally working just to make their next mortgage payment. Mozart died in 1791, at 35 years old, and barely had a penny to his name. His example of working for the <em>love of the work </em>is one that we must take heed.</p>


[caption id="attachment_2252" align="alignleft" width="210" caption="Original Mozart Statue - Image Source: http://tinyurl.com/8843s"]<a href="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/mozart-statue1.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2252  " src="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/mozart-statue1.jpg" alt="" width="210" height="281" /></a>[/caption]
<p align="left">This floor has various embossed brass plates on the walls and these are filled with stories and interesting facts about Mozart. It is interesting to read about how musical prodigies were nurtured back then. Music in the 1700s was nothing like it is today. If only we had preserved those instruments. When you come, stay on this floor and enjoy the perfect acoustic sounds of Mozart’s music, lounge in the many leather, wing back chairs and enjoy the crackle of the smokeless fireplace. You will feel as if you have stepped back in time to old Vienna.</p>
<p align="left">The theme for this floor is “Love Your Work” and I can clearly visualize the importance of that sentiment. I have never been more happy about being a reporter than I was when I stepped back in to the Tube. I really am doing what I love and that is something we should all strive for today.</p>
<strong><span style="color: blue">19<sup>th</sup> Century English Literature  -  “Pride and Prejudice,” by Austen</span></strong>
<p align="left">Now I’m off to the 7<sup>th</sup> floor. Did I mention that in each Tube, there is a touch-screen monitor that lists all of the highlights of the Museum? Don’t get too involved with the screen unless you don’t mind missing your stop. The Tube is lightning fast and takes you to each floor quicker than you can check your watch implant!</p>
<p align="left">The theme for this floor is “Embrace Differences” and I can’t think of any other piece of literature that would better serve that notion. In 2000, this book was mainly seen as a “chic book” and despite being made into numerous movies and theatre productions, it is still seen that way in some circles. After visiting this floor and experiencing the exhibit, I can tell you that this piece of literature deserves a second look.</p>
<p align="left">Upon entering the floor, you will hear lovely ribbons of classical music wafting throughout the space, see the walls lined with typical Victorian furniture replicas, feel the rich, hand-woven carpets under your feet, and see life-sized hologram characters lounging about. Don’t be afraid of these interesting characters. Instead, approach them, ask them questions, listen to their tales and you will learn what life was like for them.</p>


[caption id="attachment_2239" align="alignleft" width="207" caption="Ms. Bennet and Mr. Darcy - Image Source: http://tinyurl.com/bwpbz3c"]<a href="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/pandp.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2239 " src="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/pandp.jpg" alt="" width="207" height="155" /></a>[/caption]
<p align="left">These holograms actually talk and answer questions about their experiences. We can all learn from them. The characters lived in a time where women were often forced in to advantageous marriages by their families and they have amazing stories to tell. Pride and Prejudice was completed in August of 1797 by Jane Austen and is an epic and cautionary tale about marriage. Don’t let that fact discourage you from enjoying this piece of literary excellence. It is a book about how personal pride and unknown prejudices can ruin lives, devastate families, divide generations and drive life-long wedges between people.</p>


[caption id="attachment_2240" align="alignright" width="181" caption="Marriage of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy - Image Source: http://tinyurl.com/d7bm64h"]<a href="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/marriage.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2240 " src="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/marriage.jpg" alt="" width="181" height="136" /></a>[/caption]
<p align="left">Fortunately, it is also a book about overcoming obstacles, healing personal flaws, avoiding catastrophes and forming a love-filled marriage based on mutual respect. This iconic piece of literature was preserved for all future generations because <em>Pride and Prejudice</em> changed the world by offering insight into how married life could be both disastrous and wonderful. After speaking to the characters and hearing their stories about overcoming prejudices, I became introspective about my own life here on the Voyager. Indeed, as citizens of this ship, we should all embrace differences where ever we find them.</p>
<strong><span style="color: blue">Photography as Propaganda  -  “Migrant Mother,” by Lange</span></strong>
<p align="left">The eleventh floor holds an interesting exhibit on the famed photographs of Dorthea Lange (1895 – 1965) who was a photographer for U.S. President, Franklin D. Roosevelt. She worked for the Farm Security Administration, during and after the Great Depression of 1929. The theme of this floor is "Tell the Truth," and having visited the exhibit and watched the video feeds of political speeches of the time, I can see why the theme was chosen. The huge main photo, hung prominently on the back wall, gives a feel of desperation, oppression and overwhelming frustration. However, as I read the information stations placed around the room I began to see why "truth" plays such an important role in these series of photos being saved and brought aboard the Voyager. It seems as if there was not much transparency back in 1935 and politicians were allowed to pull the wool over the eyes of their constituents most of the time. One of the plaques talked about how President Roosevelt was wheel-chair-bound and most of the citizens of the United States did not even know. That would never happen today. With 910 24-hour news programs on board the Voyager, there is nothing we do not know about our politicians. Hopefully.</p>


[caption id="attachment_2241" align="alignleft" width="129" caption="&quot;Migrant Mother&quot; - Image Source: http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/128_migm.htm"]<a href="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/mother.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2241 " src="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/mother.jpg" alt="" width="129" height="167" /></a>[/caption]
<p align="left">Apparently, this iconic photo was used as a means of spreading the word about a certain social program that was designed to help Americans. The measure, called the "New Deal," was passed by lawmakers by an overwhelming majority vote. The win was largely attributed to this one photo and it was later determined that the photo was not at all what it seemed. The photographer, Lange, is said to have earned millions of US dollars from this image and never even attempted to correct the narrative that went along with this photo. This exhibit serves as an example that we should not believe everything we see or hear. It also teaches us to value the truth and to seek it out at whatever the cost.</p>


[caption id="attachment_2243" align="alignright" width="155" caption="Migrant Mother&#039;s REAL Family - Image Source: http://tinyurl.com/7atuqfr"]<a href="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/family.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2243 " src="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/family.jpg" alt="" width="155" height="117" /></a>[/caption]
<p align="left">This floor is arranged in two halves. One half is decorated in a solemn manner, with gray and black fabrics, worn-out furnishings and dim lighting. The huge photo, "Migrant Mother," is positioned under pale lighting and the room is cooler on that side.</p>
<p align="left">The other side of the room shows the exact same "Mother" with her smartly dressed family sitting around a dining table, piled high with food, in a newer suburban home with modern fixtures. The smell of roasting turkey and apple pie is wafting throughout the space. It is warm and cozy over on this side of the room. The bright and sunny scene is juxtaposed against the dreary, oppressive scene of the down-trodden woman in the photo, on the other side of the room. This creates an unusual emotional feel and one that I will not soon forget. As I walk to the Tube platform, I realize that the two families are the exact same people. This woman was not a migrant farm worker. She was part of a middle-class family that owned their own home and had food on the table every night. This exhibit proves that what we see and hear is never to be trusted. I am thankful that we have a more transparent society aboard the Voyager. The people of the Earth were swindled at every turn and they never learned to "be honest" as a people.</p>
<p align="left">The Tube gently delivers me back to the lobby of the Museum and I am reintroduced into the peaceful and tranquil setting among tropical plants, waterfalls and singing birds. It is amazing to have spent the day stepping back in time to those earlier places. I have a renewed drive to make my community aboard the Voyager a better place, to devote my life to doing work that I love, to accept differences in all things, and to be honest with myself and my fellow people. If you get the chance to see this Museum make sure you go with an open mind and take the time to learn from the past mistakes and lessons that brought us to where we are today. Together, we can all make the Voyager the utopia that it was meant to be.</p>


[caption id="attachment_2244" align="alignright" width="194" caption="Lobby of Museum - Image Source: http://tinyurl.com/c7fmrfe"]<a href="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/lobby.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2244" src="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/lobby.jpg" alt="" width="194" height="259" /></a>[/caption]
<p style="text-align: left" align="center"><strong><span style="color: blue"><span style="font-size: 3">Lessons Learned at the Live Your Best Life Museum</span></span></strong></p>
<p align="left"><em>° Make your community a better place.</em></p>
<p align="left"><em>° Work at what you love.</em></p>
<p align="left"><em>° Embrace differences.</em></p>
<p align="left"><em>° Be honest.</em></p>
<p align="left"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="color: brown"><strong>Take your whole family to this museum. You will appreciate your life aboard the Voyager Z9500 much more once you have learned the lessons that these exhibits teach us.</strong></span></span></p>