text:
The enigmatic, indeed disturbing figure of Guido Cavalcanti (1259–1300) exercised the imagination of his contemporaries, especially of his fellow poets. Without naming him once, Dante talks about Guido in his youthful work, the Vita nuova, telling us that Cavalcanti was the "primo de li miei amici" (VN III), and that he was one of those who replied poetically to Dante's first sonnet. Dante also refers to Guido's senhal, Giovanna/Primavera (VN XXIV). The whole of Dante's treatise, as a specifically vernacular composition, is dedicated to this first friend (VN XXX). Amongst Dante's Rime, also, there is a companionship sonnet addressed to Cavalcanti, "Guido, i' vorrei che tu e Lapo ed io," to which the older poet responded in verse.
The most memorable mention by Dante occurs in canto X of Inferno, where Guido is the "grand absent," asked after by his damned father, Cavalcante de' Cavalcanti. The accent in the exchange is on Guido's implied "altezza d'ingegno," shared with Dante (X.59), and his disdain for something — unspecified — which Dante by now was pursuing (poetry? theology?). The poet later resurfaces as an allusion in Purgatorio XI.97–99, where, in an object lesson in humility, literary primacy is passed through the Guidos, presumably from Guinizelli through Cavalcanti, and on to (perhaps) Dante himself.
Guido Orlandi, who wrote the enquiry sonnet, "Onde si move e donde nasce Amore?" which occasioned Cavalcanti's famous reply, the doctrinal canzone "Donna me prega," paints a picture of the poet in "Amico, i' saccio ben che sa' limare," stressing Guido's verbal prowess, but also his considerable intellectual ambition, verging on vanity. Cino da Pistoia, however, in "Qua' son le cose vostre ch'io vi tolgo?" reacts angrily to an accusation of plagiarism coming from Guido, and hints that his own humility is more appropriate than Cavalcanti's self-importance. Amongst the other, almost contemporary poets who mention Cavalcanti is Cecco d'Ascoli (Francesco Stabili), in whose astrological apology the Acerba (III.1), dated to 1327, he seemingly takes Guido to task, in detail, for an erroneous analysis of love's workings (particularly the function of the irascible appetite, Mars) contained in "Donna me prega."
Chroniclers, too, were fascinated by him, but as much for his propensity to engage in partisan violence as for his intellectual eminence. His contemporary Dino Compagni refers repeatedly to the powerful Cavalcanti clan's readiness for street-fighting, and refers specifically to Guido's exploits, including his failed attempt on the life of Corso Donati, who had reportedly organised an assassination plot against the poet on the pilgrimage route to Compostela. Dino characterises Guido as "cortese e ardito, ma sdegnoso e solitario e intento allo studio." Giovanni Villani, writing considerably later, draws attention to the prickly nature of Guido's intelligence: "era, come filosofo, virtudioso uomo in più cose, se non ch'era troppo tenero e stizzoso," a description of the philosopher-poet which almost exactly parallels Giovanni's description of Dante himself. Amongst the later novella writers, Sacchetti would include Cavalcanti as the butt (literally) of a practical joke by a small child (Trecentonovelle LXVIII), a jape which in turn is reminiscent of a Boccaccio novella (Decameron VIII.5).
Cavalcanti figures in the early commentary tradition of the Comedy, in particular as a response to the pilgrim's discussion with Cavalcante de' Cavalcanti in Inferno X, and the reference to the two Guidos in Purgatorio XI. He also figures to some extent in elucidations of the two lonely, anonymous Florentine "giusti" in Inferno VI.73. Commenting upon Inferno X, Guido da Pisa (1327–28) says of Cavalcanti "Fuit enim iste Guido scientia magnus et moribus insignitus, sed tamen in suo sensu aliqualiter inflatus. Habebat enim scientias poeticas in derisum" [This Guido was great in knowledge and celebrated in character, but nevertheless somewhat puffed up as to his opinion of himself. For he despised the poetic discipline]. Guido da Pisa's interpretation of Cavalcanti's "disdegno" (Inferno X.63) as essentially poetical will be influential amongst subsequent commentators. The Ottimo commentary (1334) points to Guido's common intellectual interests with Dante ("similitudine d'abito scientifico"). Later, when discussing the two Guidos passage in Purgatorio XI, the commentator opines: "E Guido Cavalcanti si può dire, che fossi il primo, che [le] sue canzoni fortificasse con filosofi[ch]e pruove, come si mostra in quella sua canzona, che comincia: 'Donna mi prega, perch'io deggia dire.'" The Selmiano (1337), commenting upon Inferno X, again points to Cavalcanti's intellectual impact: "Guido fu tenuto del maggiore ingegno e più alto che allora fosse uomo di Firenze."
The greatest contribution to the myth of Guido Cavalcanti comes from Boccaccio, who views the poet essentially through the distorting prism of Dante and the early Dante commentators. In the "Introduzione alla quarta giornata" of the Decameron, Boccaccio justifies his own persistence with amorousness, even in his more mature years, by claiming that such a trait was shared with Guido Cavalcanti, Dante and Cino da Pistoia in their old age. He even suggests that he could supply the biographical justifications to prove it ("istorie in mezzo"). The most consistent account of Cavalcanti, however, occurs in Decameron VI.9 where Boccaccio applies to Guido a widespread anecdote, with a "lethal" punch-line, which Petrarch, amongst others, had used some ten years previously in the Rerum Memorandarum (II, 60) about Dino del Garbo, the famous Florentine physician. The tale, now firmly attached to Cavalcanti, thanks to Boccaccio, will subsequently pass into the Dante commentary tradition when Benvenuto da Imola glosses the two Guidos passage in Purgatorio XI.
The Decameron tale has been frequently discussed and minutely analysed (for a detailed online bibliography, see http://www.unizh.ch/rose/decameron/seminario/VI_09/bibliografia.htm): what concerns us here is Boccaccio's preliminary portrait of the poet:
oltre a quello che egli fu un de' migliori loici che avesse il mondo e ottimo filosofo naturale […], si fu egli leggiadrissimo e costumato e parlante uom molto e ogni cosa che far volle e a gentile uom pertenente seppe meglio che altro uom fare; e con questo era ricchissimo, e a chiedere a lingua sapeva onorare cui nell'animo gli capeva che il valesse. […] Guido alcuna volta speculando molto abstratto dagli uomini divenia; e per ciò che egli alquanto tenea della oppinione degli epicuri, si diceva tralla gente volgare che queste sue speculazioni erano solo in cercare se trovar si potesse che Iddio non fosse. (Decameron VI.9.8–9)
Creatively interpreting Dante, in order to give the punch-line extra significance, Boccaccio deliberately confuses (or rather suggests that the vulgar throng confuses) Guido with his father, Cavalcante de' Cavalcanti, for it is effectively the latter who is amongst the "Epicureans" who "l'anima col corpo morta fanno" (Inferno X.15). A very similar portrait of the poet is given in the Esposizioni, where Guido is described as:
uomo costumatissimo e ricco e d'alto ingegno, e seppe molte leggiadre cose fare meglio che alcun altro nostro cittadino: e oltre a ciò, fu nel suo tempo reputato ottimo loico e buon filosofo, e fu singularissimo amico dell'autore [scil. Dante], sì come esso medesimo mostra nella sua Vita nuova, e fu buon dicitore in rima; ma, per ciò che la filosofia gli pareva, sì come ella è, da molto più che la poesia, ebbe a sdegno Virgilio e gli altri poeti. (Esposizioni X.62)
The phrase "ebbe a sdegno" clearly shows Boccaccio's debt to Inferno X.63: "Forse cui Guido vostro ebbe a disdegno," and to the view amongst early commentators, initiated by Guido da Pisa as we have seen, that the disdain was for poetry, not theology. It is this Boccaccian portrait, with a distinctly Dante colouring, which will inform Filippo Villani's much later biography of Cavalcanti in the Liber de origine civitatis Florentie [Book of the Origin of the City of Florence].
As we have seen, the anecdote in Decameron VI.9 had been previously used by Petrarch, who places Dino del Garbo as its protagonist. Dino was, in addition to being a notable physician (a pupil of Taddeo Alderotti at Bologna), a lecturer on materia medica at various universities. He had a number of commentaries to his credit, including a reading of the third and fourth fen of the fourth book of Avicenna's Canon, dealing with surgery (a relatively new area for medicine, traditionally hostile to the knife). He also wrote a general handbook, based on book one of Avicenna, the Dilucidatorium totius pratice medicinalis scientie [Clarification of the Whole Practice of Medical Knowledge]. According to Giovanni Villani, Dino was very touchy about his academic standing, and took a mortal dislike to Cecco d'Ascoli, at the time a lecturer on the astronomy of Sacrobosco and Alcabitius at Bologna, who publicly accused him of having plagiarised a dead colleague, Torrigiano de' Torrigiani's commentary on Galen. Indeed, Villani suggests that Dino was instrumental in the passing of the death sentence on the astrologer: "molti dissono che 'l fece per invidia" (Cronica X.41). Popular opinion had it that Dino's own puzzling death, very shortly after the astrologer's execution, was the result of a posthumous necromantic revenge on Cecco's part.
Cecco wasn't the only one to have an interest in Guido Cavalcanti's canzone "Donna me prega." Dino del Garbo wrote a detailed Latin commentary on the poem, heavily indebted to Avicenna, Haly Abbas and Aristotle, which was partially imitated and adapted in a vernacular version unconvincingly attributed to Egidio Romano. Medical and philosophical interest in Cavalcanti's canzone would continue into the Renaissance, with Ficino, amongst others, clearly in debt to it. Dino's commentary (no later than 1327) was certainly known to Boccaccio. Indeed, it has been convincingly argued by Antonio Enzo Quaglio ("Prima fortuna della glossa garbiana a 'Donna me prega' del Cavalcanti," in GSLI 141 (1964): 336–68) that the unique surviving manuscript of the commentum (an insert in Vatican Chigiano L. V. 176, ff. 29r–32v) is a Boccaccian autograph. This particular transcription, one of the later documents reinserted into the manuscript, dates from approximately 1366, judging by the evolution of Boccaccio's handwriting studied by Pier Giorgio Ricci (Studi sulla vita e le opere del Boccaccio, Milan-Naples: Ricciardi, 1985, p. 295 [and plate XIII]). The entire MS is reproduced phototypically in colour by Domenico de Robertis (Il codice Chigiano L. V. 176 autografo di Giovanni Boccaccio, Rome-Florence: Alinari, 1974).
However, already in the Teseida (1339–41), Boccaccio shows some familiarity with the commentary. Perhaps he had obtained the glosses from Dino's close acquaintance, the poet and jurist Cino da Pistoia, who had known and corresponded poetically with Cavalcanti, and who had been teaching Roman law in Naples whilst Boccaccio was a student canonist there. The commentary, entitled Scriptum super cantilena Guidonis de Cavalcantibus [Writing on the Canzone of Guido Cavalcanti] has been edited and published as an appendix by Guido Favati (Guido Cavalcanti, Rime, Milan-Naples: Ricciardi, 1957, pp. 359–78). An earlier, sectionalised English summary translation and secondary commentary can be found in Otto Bird, "The Canzone d'Amore of Cavalcanti According to the Commentary of Dino del Garbo" (Mediaeval Studies 2 (1940): 150–203 and 3 (1941): 117–60). In Italian, there is a fine translation and commentary of the glosses by Enrico Fenzi (La canzone d'amore di Guido Cavalcanti e i suoi antichi commenti, Genoa: Il Melangolo, 1999, pp. 187–219).
In the Teseida, Boccaccio furnishes substantial ecphrases of the abodes of Mars and Venus, the tutelary deities of the two rivals for the hand of Emilia, Arcita and Palemone. The description of the temple of Venus in book VII, octaves 50 ff., prompts an immensely long authorial gloss, part of which is on the nature of love itself. In keeping with Boccaccio's implied fiction that the glosses are by somebody else, he refers to himself in the third person as the "author" and reserves the first person for the fictive commentator. The gloss labours on through the various symbolic, almost personified qualities (à la Roman de la Rose) propitious to erotic passion till it reaches the figure of Cupid, or desire:
Alcune ne pone quasi confermative dello appetito eccitato per le sopradette: tra le quali pone Cupido, il quale noi volgarmente chiamiamo Amore. Il quale amore volere mostrare come per le sopradette cose si generi in noi, quantunque alla presente opera forse si converrebbe di dichiarare, non è il mio intendimento di farlo, perciò che troppa sarebbe lunga la storia: chi disidera di vederlo, legga la canzone di Guido Cavalcanti Donna me priega, etc., e le chiose che sopra vi fece Maestro Dino del Garbo. (Teseida, gloss to VII.50)
What is important here is that, for Boccaccio, the poet's canzone and the physician's glosses were already intimately linked, presumably in a single document (as would be the case in the much later Chigian MS transcribed by Boccaccio himself ). The Teseida self-commentary then continues, after this parenthesis, with further enumeration of the "author's" selection of symbolic qualities, beginning with an elucidation of Cupid's darts. But the first sentence of this continuation shows that Boccaccio was still thinking in terms of technical definitions of love borrowed from other sources:
Dice sommariamente che questo amore è una passione nata nell'anima per alcuna cosa piaciuta, la quale ferventissimamente fa disiderare di piacere alla detta cosa piaciuta e di poterla avere.
The phrasing about fervent desire, in this definition, is reminiscent of a remark in Dino's commentary:
est passio quedam in qua appetitus est cum vehementi desiderio circa rem quam amat, ut scilicet coniungatur rei amate. (Favati, 371) [it is a certain passion in which there is appetite along with fervent desire concerning the thing which it loves, so that it may join with the thing beloved]
But the presence in Boccaccio's gloss of the adjective "nata" (even though it could be construed here as meaning merely "arising") almost certainly betrays an older source, namely the opening definition in Andreas Capellanus' De arte honeste amandi (late 12th cent.):
Amor est passio quedam innata procedens ex visione et immoderata cogitatione for-mae alterius sexus, ob quam aliquis super omnia cupit alterius potiri amplexibus et omnia de utriusque voluntate in ipsius amplexu amoris praecepta compleri. (De amore I.1) [Love is a certain inborn passion arising from the beholding of and uncontrolled thinking about the beauty of the other sex, on account of which the person desires above all else to enjoy the embraces of the other person and, by common desire, fulfil all the commandments of love in this embrace]
Andreas uses the term "innata" to describe erotic passion twice more, in quick succession, clearly wanting his readers to understand that its endogenesis is an important part of his theory of love. "Innata" in the De amore is clearly adjectival in function, as shown by the following participle "procedens": but "nata" in the Teseida may be more in the nature of a past participle. The lexical fragment survives, however, despite its possible change of status, as a tell-tale sign of Boccaccio's prior reading. For Boccaccio, conflating the two sources was tempting, because Dino is clearly indebted, for substantial elements of his treatise, to the chaplain's opening remarks on love, as the characteristic initial combination "passio quedam" already demonstrates.
Boccaccio was not reading Cavalcanti and Dino del Garbo as an innocent, then, but rather as somebody who had already come across authoritative, if somewhat obsolescent definitions. The problem for the compiler of the Teseida glosses is that the two definitions do not match. Andreas believed that love was intrinsic ("innata"), the line which Guinizzelli would famously take in his canzone "Al cor gentil," whereas Dino, following Cavalcanti, declares that this passion was definitely exterior in origin "causans ipsum principaliter est res extrinseca" (Favati, p. 360). Boccaccio at the time of his writing of the Amazon epic seems totally unaware of the inconsistency between these auctoritates. One might doubt that Boccaccio had anything more than circumstantial knowledge of the existence of Dino's commentary. In other words possibly he hadn't read it. But certain of the key words ("appetito" and "generare," markedly Aristotelian terms, though present in the De amore, are simply not used as technicisms in Andreas) imply that he has a good idea of the philosophical slant of Dino's vocabulary.
Unlike Cino da Pistoia, who is quoted unambiguously in the Filostrato (V.62–65) and Rime (XVI.8 and 13), textual traces of Cavalcanti in Boccaccio's fictional and creative works are rare and tantalising. The meagre harvest of possible (and hardly provable) intertextuality has been traced by Letterio Cassata, passim in his edition of Cavalcanti (Guido Cavalcanti, Rime, Anzio: De Rubeis, 1993, esp. index, p. 353). Vittore Branca furnishes more detailed examples (Rime I, IX, XI, XIII, XXIV; Teseida X.55–57 etc.) in Boccaccio medioevale e nuovi studi sul Decameron (Florence: Sansoni, 1992, pp. 254–57). One could add to this list, tentatively, perhaps. There is possibly a hint that Boccaccio had a "cultural memory" of the opening of "Donna me prega" when writing the Filocolo, for Florio's love is there described by an experienced Ascalion as "sì nobile accidente" (III.5.2). It could be, however, that this particular use of "accidente" (generically a very common term in the early Boccaccio) derives from a reading of Dante's Vita nuova, where the distinction between substance and accident in love theory, probably as an echo of Cavalcanti, is also made (VN XXV.1). Another possible reprise of Cavalcanti occurs in the Teseida sequence which generates the gloss which mentions "Donna me prega" and Dino del Garbo's glosses. In octave 53 of the seventh book, Boccaccio describes the musical and visual environment of Venus' garden, indicating Palemon's soul in prayer as it visits the bower:
ripieno il vide quasi in ogni canto di spiritei, che qua e là volando gieno a lor posta… (VII.53.6–8)
Though "spiritus" was a technical term in medicine, referring to the transmission of vital and animal forces through the body, the diminutive "spiritelli" is a characteristic Cavalcantian usage, denoting the hypostatic emanations of fragmented consciousness characteristic of the "anima sbigottita." Guido even parodied this verbal tic in a sonnet, "Pegli occhi fere un spirito sottile." More persuasive again, in terms of intertextuality with Cavalcanti, is one of Boc-caccio's early Rime (XXI):
Biasiman molti spiacevoli Amore e dicon lui accidente noioso, pien di spavento, cupido e ritroso, […]
Though Vittore Branca does not expressly say so in his commented edition of the Rime in volume V of Tutte le opere (Milan: Mondadori), this sonnet seems to parodically contrast a pessimistically Cavalcantian view of love in the first quatrain with a more Guinizellian, positive stance in the remainder. All in all, though, compared with the massive early presence of Dante, and later of Petrarch, the verse of Cavalcanti seems to have had little practical impact on Boccaccio. He seems to have been much more interested (as the layout of the glosses and the title of the autograph Chigiano LV 176 transcription shows) in "Donna me prega" as a vehicle for Dino del Garbo's commentary, rather than as a composition in its own right.
The Dino del Garbo commentary became more useful to Boccaccio when he came to write the Genealogie (ca. 1360 in its first version) and the Esposizioni (1373). By this time, his appreciation of the question of substance and accident, and of intrinsic and extrinsic causality, had markedly improved, though his interest is still anything but scientific. The Genealogie passage occurs in the biography of Cupid, begotten from the illicit coupling of Mars and Venus, in IX.4. Cupid had been the figure, as we have seen, who had given rise to the mention of Dino del Garbo's glosses on "Donna me prega" in the Teseida. This time, though used much more extensively, the Garbian source is not explicitly acknowledged.
Est igitur hic, quem Cupidinem dicimus, mentis quedam passio ab exterioribus illata, et per sensus corporeos introducta et intrinsecarum virtutum approbata, prestantibus ad hoc supercelestibus corporibus aptitudinem. Volunt namque astrologi, ut meus asserebat venerabilis Andalo, quod, quando contingat Martem in nativitate alicuius in domo Veneris, in Tauro scilicet vel in Libra reperiri, et significationem nativitatis esse, pretendere hunc, qui tunc nascitur, futurum luxuriosum, fornicatorem, et venereorum omnium abusivum, et scelestum circa talia hominem. Et ob id a phylosopho quodam, cui nomen fuit Aly, in Commento quadripartito, dictum est quod, quandoque in nativitate alicuius Venus una cum Marte participat, habet nascenti concedere dispositionem phylocaptionibus, fornicationibus atque luxuriis aptam. Que quidem aptitudo agit ut, quam cito talis videt mulierem aliquam, que a sensibus exterioribus commendatur, confestim ad virtutes sensitivas interiores defertur, quod placuit; et id primo devenit ad fantasiam, ab hac autem ad cogitativam transmictitur, et inde ad memorativam; ab istis autem sensitivis ad eam virtutis speciem transportatur, que inter virtutes apprehensivas nobilior est, id est ad intellectum possibilem. Hic autem receptaculum est specierum, ut in libro De anima testatur Aristoteles. Ibi autem cognita et intellecta, si per voluntatem patientis fit (in qua libertas eiciendi et retinendi est) ut tanquam approbata retineatur, tunc firmata in memoria hec rei approbate passio (que iam amor seu cupido dicitur) in appetitu sensitivo ponit sedem, et ibidem, variis agentibus causis, aliquando adeo grandis et potens efficitur, ut Iovem Olympum relinquere, et tauri formam sumere cogat. Aliquando autem minus probata seu firmata labitur et adnichilatur; et sic ex Marte et Venere non generatur passio, sed, secundum quod supra dictum est, homines apti ad passionem suscipiendam secundum corpoream dispositionem producuntur; quibus non existentibus, passio non generaretur, et sic large sumendo a Marte et Venere tanquam a remotiori paululum causa Cupido generatur. (Genealogie IX.4.6–9)
Rather than provide a translation into English here, we can go straight to Esposizioni V litt., 162–67, which is an outstanding example of Boccaccio's self-volgarizzamento. The passage occurs in Boccaccio's literal commentary on the episode of Paolo and Francesca, and is occasioned by Dante's famous line "Amor ch'al cor gentil ratto s'apprende" (Inferno V.100). Whereas in the Teseida Boccaccio indulges in a long account of Cupid's iconography and dismisses ("per ciò che troppa sarebbe lunga la storia") the aetiology of love with a curt reference to Cavalcanti and Dino del Garbo, here in the Dante commentary he inverts the process, omitting the lengthy account of details Cupid's portrait ("alle quali voler recitare sarebbe troppo lunga storia") so as to concentrate on the explanation of love's workings. The passage is prefaced with an apparently perfunctory explanation of Aristotle's tripartite distinction of the kinds of love (Nicomachean Ethics VIII.3), of which more later. Only the very last periods suffer any change from the content of the earlier Genealogie text. The corresponding passage in the Esposizioni, the volgarizzamento of the Genealogie text, reads:
Ma, vegnendo a quello che alla nostra materia apartiene, dico che questo Cupidine, o Amore che noi vogliam dire, è una passion di mente delle cose esteriori e, per li sensi corporei portata in essa, è poi aprovata dalle virtù intrinseche, prestando i corpi superiori attitudine a doverla ricevere. Per ciò che, secondo che gli astrologi vogliono, e così affermava il mio venerabile precettore Andalò, quando avviene che, nella natività d'alcuno, Marte si truovi esser nella casa di Venere in Tauro o in Libra, e truovisi esser significatore della natività di quel cotale che allora nasce, ha a dimostrare questo co-tale, che allora nasce, dovere essere in ogni cosa venereo. E di questo dice Alì nel comento del Quadripartito che, qualunque ora nella natività d'alcuno Venere insieme con Marte participa, avere questa cotale participazione a concedere a colui che nasce una disposizione atta agl'inamoramenti e alle fornicazioni. La quale attitudine ha ad aoperare che, così tosto come questo cotal vede alcuna femina, la quale da' sensi esteriori sia commendata, incontanente quello, che di questa femina piace, è portato alle virtù sensitive interiori e questo primieramente diviene alla fantasia e da questa è mandato alla virtù cogitativa e da quella alla memorativa; e poi da queste virtù sensitive è trasportato a quella spezie di virtù, la quale è più nobile intra le virtù aprensive, cioè allo 'ntelletto possibile, per ciò che questo è il recettaculo delle spezie, sì come Aristotile scrive in libro De anima. Quivi, cioè in questo intelletto possibile, cognosciuto e inteso quello che, come di sopra è detto, portato v'è se egli avviene che per volontà di colui nel quale è questa passione, con ciò sia cosa che in essa volontà sia libertà di ritenere dentro questa cotal cosa piaciuta e di mandarla fuori, questa cotal cosa piaciuta sia ritenuta dentro, allora è fermata nella memoria la passione di questa cosa piaciuta, la quale noi chiamiamo Amore, o vero Cupido. E pone questa passione la sedia sua e la sua stanza ferma nell'appetito sensitivo e quivi in varie cose adoperanti divien sì grande e fassi sì potente che egli fatica gravemente il paziente e a far cose, che laudevoli non sono, spesse volte il costrigne; e alcuna volta, essendo meno aprovata questa cotal cosa piaciuta, leggiermente si risolve e torna in niente. E così non è da Marte e da Venere generata questa passione, come alcuni stimano, ma, secondo che di sopra è detto, sono alcuni uomini prodotti atti a ricevere questa passione secondo le disposizioni del corpo: la quale attitudine se non fosse, questa passione non si genererebbe.
The translation diverges only at the end. Out goes the Ovidian reference to a love-struck Jupiter preparing to ravish Europa (Metamorphoses II.846–75), clearly inappropriate for a commentary to a Christian poem, and in comes a limp and vague reference to shameful behaviour. Similarly, the very last concessionary formula of the Genealogie passage, conceding at least the indirect operation of Mars and Venus, is removed in its entirety, leaving the earlier categorical denial of astral influence intact.
But what of the content? The making of such contentious horoscopes, predicting a libidinous disposition, could be dangerous. Villani intimates that one of the reasons for Cecco d'Ascoli's misfortune at the stake was his disconcertingly accurate prognosis for his patron, the duke of Calabria, that his daughter Giovanna, the grand-daughter of Robert the Wise and future queen of Naples, would be subject to scandalous erotic excesses on account of her birth under the sign of Mars in the house of Venus.
Though at first sight, Boccaccio is implying that his source in both passages is the Genoese astronomer Andalò del Negro (almost certainly dressed up as Calmeta in Filocolo V.8) and that he is quoting from Ptolemy's commentator Haly Abbas and from Aristotle's De anima, a large section of this treatment, including the reference to these auctoritates, is in fact lifted from various, almost contiguous places in Dino's glosses. The opening sentence is an extremely reductive paraphrase of a section of Dino's commentary where the physician indicates the role of the stars in creating the dispositions of the soul. Dino writes:
Alia res concurrit ad causandum aliquam passionem, que est res extrinseca que suam ymaginem vel speciem causat in virtute sensitiva, ad quam cognitionem vel apprehensionem consequitur appetitus talis vel talis, in quo appetitu iste passiones fundantur. Ideo auctor, ut complete ostenderet que est res generans istam passionem, primo ostendit que est dispositio naturalis corporis que reddit hominem aptum ut faciliter istam passionem incurrat; secundo ostendit que est res extrinseca ex cuius apprehensione consequitur in appetitu passio amoris. Secunda ibi: "Vien da veduta forma"; vel posset incipere ibi: "D'alma costume." In prima parte quod dispositio naturalis, per quam aliquis inclinatur ad incurrendum faciliter in aliquam passionem, ex principiis proprie nativitatis hominis contraitur et, inter ista principia nativitatis alicuius, precipua et principalia sunt corpora celestia: nam, ut dicit Philosophus in Phisicis, homo hominem generat et sol; et in De Generatione Animalium dicit quod in spiritu genitivo est natura existens proportionalis ordinationi astrorum. (Favati 363) [Something else is involved in causing any passion, and that is an exterior thing causing its image or "species" in the sensitive faculty, upon the cognition or apprehension of which there follows an appetite for this or that, in which appetite these passions are established. So the author, in order completely to show what is the thing which generates this passion, first demonstrates what is the natural disposition of the body which makes man suitable for incurring this passion easily; secondly he demonstrates what is the external thing from whose apprehension the passion of love follows in the appetite. The second starts "Vien da veduta forma"; or can start at "D'alma costume." In the first part he shows that the natural disposition, by which somebody is inclined to incur some passion, is contracted from the principles of a person's own birth, and, amongst these principles of a person's birth, the foremost and most important are the heavenly bodies: for, as Aristotle says in the Physics, man and the sun generate man; and in The Generation of Animals, in the generative spirit a nature exists proportionally to the ordering of the stars]
Boccaccio's reference to his astrological mentor, Andalò del Negro, is an opportunistic amplification of a far less specific passage in Dino. The Garbian passage, commenting on line 18 of the canzone, reads:
Hoc autem ostendit in verbo illo quod premisit cum dixit "La quale da Marte viene et fa dimora": nam ista passio dicitur procedere a Marte isto modo, quoniam astrologi ponunt quod, quando in nativitate alicuius Mars fuerit in domo Veneris, ut in Tauro vel in Libra, et fuerit significator nativitatis eius, significabit natum fore luxuriosum, fornicatorem et omnibus venereis abusivis scieleratum; unde quidam sapiens qui dicitur Aly, in "Comento Quadripartiti," dicit quod, quando in nativitate alicuius Venus participat cum Marte, dat inamoramentum, fornicationem, luxuriam et talia similia, que omnia pertinent ad passionem amoris de quo loquitur auctor in hac cantilena. (Favati 363) [He shows this, however, in that word he placed before when he said "La quale da Marte viene et fa dimora": for this passion is said to proceed from Mars in this way. Astrologers claim that, whenever, at the birth of somebody, Mars is in the house of Venus, as in Taurus or in Libra, and there is a person to do the child's horoscope, he will signify that the child will be lustful, a fornicator, and wicked in all venereal excesses. Whence a certain sage called Haly in his commentary to the Quadripartitum says that, when at the birth of somebody Venus participates with Mars, it grants enamourment, fornication, lust and such like, which all are concerned with the passion of love which the author talks about in this canzone.]
Boccaccio's reference to Andalò is rather disingenous, if the evidence of the Calmeta episode of the Filocolo is to be believed. For there the emphasis in that passage is almost entirely astronomical, with no hint of judicial astrology, and the authorities consulted are almost certainly limited to Ptolemy's Almagest, Andalò's own Introductorium, rather than the similarly titled work by Alcabitius, and to the Alfonsine Tables. Of Haly's commentary to the Ptolemaic Quadripartitum there is not a trace. Boccaccio's early astrological culture, under the sway of Andalò, has been examined in an important study by Antonio Enzo Quaglio (Scienza e mito nel Boccaccio, Padua: Liviana, 1967) and its narrative consequences (possibly more tending towards judicial astrology) in the Filocolo have been investigated by both Janet Levarie Smarr and Stephen Grossvogel. The adventitious references to Haly in the love definition in the Genealogie and Esposizioni are a sure sign that the late Boccaccio, whilst acknowledging his youthful enthusiasms, was now passively accepting and reproducing Dino's quotes and mentions, rather than referring to material he knew and remembered intimately and at first hand.
What then follows in Boccaccio's account, namely the sequence of interiorisation, comes from Dino's gloss to line 21. Dino's ordering of the inner processes is, according to Otto Bird, untypical, yet Boccaccio accepts it without demur:
Hic autem est ordo in apprehensione humana, sicut declaratum est in scientia naturali: quod primo species rei pervenit ad sensus exteriores, ut ad visum vel auditum vel tactum vel gustum vel olphatum, deinde ab illis pervenit ad virtutes sensitivas interiores, sicut pervenit ad fantasiam primo, deinde pervenit ad cogitativam et ultimo ad memorialem. Ab istis autem virtutibus procedit postea ista species ad virtutem nobiliorem, que virtus in homine est altissima inter virtutes adprensivas, et ista est virtus possibilis. (Favati 364–65) [For this is the sequence in human apprehension, just as it is declared in natural science. First of all the "species" of the thing reaches the exterior senses, for instance sight or hearing, touch, taste or smell, thence from these it reaches to the inner sensitive faculties, so it comes to fantasy first, then comes to the cogitative and lastly to the memorative faculty. From these faculties this "species" reaches to the nobler faculty, which in mankind is the highest amongst the apprehensive faculties, and this is the possible faculty]
Dino then provides a brief explanation of the difference between the intellectus agens [active intellect], the reasoning function of individuation and universals, and the passive or possible intellect, merely concerned with the processing of species resulting from sensibles. The discussion is not otiose, for Dino is aware of Cavalcanti's dramatic positioning of love right at the crucial borderline between rational and sensitive activity. Boccaccio is not at all interested in such technicalities, and moves on to a matter of much greater concern, namely the question of the relationship between love and will. The relevant passage from Dino glosses Guido's assertion that love is "di cor volontate," but Boccaccio characteristically leaves out Dino's professionally inspired mention of the difference of opinion between Aristotle and Galen concerning the seat of the sensitive faculties, in the heart or in the head. Dino writes:
Et nota quod istum appetitum vocavit voluntatem, que videtur intellectui attinere, ut ostenderet quod, licet amor fiat in aliquo ex dispositione naturali per quam quis inclinatur ad incurrendum faciliter hanc passionem, tamen fit etiam ex proposito et per electionem, quod pertinet ad voluntatem, que est libera et liberi arbitrii, cum se habeat indifferenter ad opposita; et est simile hic, sicut etiam est in aliis passionibus ut, verbi gratia, de ira. Nam aliquis, licet sit dispositus ex natura ad faciliter incurrendum in iram, tamen per voluntatem potest se retrahere ab ea, et potest etiam in eam incurrere; et simili modo etiam de amore. (Favati 364) [And note that he calls this appetite the will, because the latter is seen to appertain to the intellect, in order to show that, although love can happen to somebody through a natural disposition whereby that person is inclined easily to incur this passion, that person does so nevertheless on purpose and by choice, and so that is a case of will, which is free and by free choice, when it is faced equally with opposites. And it is the same here, just as it is with the other passions, like anger, for instance. For somebody, even though he may be disposed by nature to get angry easily, nevertheless through his will he can draw himself back from it, and he can even indulge in it; and it is the same with love.]
For Dino, the question is one of classification: given the working of erotic passion specifically in the sensitive appetite, it follows that engaging in or disengaging from love is necessarily a voluntary act, and therefore in part subject also to the operations of the rational soul, where choices are made. Boccaccio's rewording changes the emphasis substantially towards moral philosophy: love is no longer an ineluctable force, and the potential lover, being free to choose, is therefore responsible for his own actions in this field as in any other. Love, as a phenomenon of the soul, is consequent on an initial act of the will, by accepting or refusing to be drawn further into passion. Though Boccaccio's direct quotations from the Garbian glosses are all located in a compact area, he may have been encouraged to underline this aspect by his reading further on in the commentary, for Dino refers to the will obliquely later on, drawing on Haly's Pantechne, to state more clearly than elsewhere the voluntaristic nature of passion:
amor est sollicitudo melanconica, similis melanconie, in qua homo iam sibi inducit incitationem cogitationis super pulcritudinem quarundam formarum et figurarum que insunt ei. (Favati 371) [love is a melancholic anxiety, similar to melancholy, in which a man actually brings upon himself the rousing of cogitation upon the beauty of certain forms and figures which are within him.]
A fragment of this reading of Dino can be found in the Decameron, when Boccaccio describes the aegritudo amoris of the pharmacist's daughter Lisa (X.7.8), as she struggles with cumulative "malinconia."
What is more important in the Garbian gloss is the accent on the will. The lover "sibi inducit incitationem." And later again, Dino will return to the topic, to explain why nobles have a greater propensity for erotic passion than those whose existence is marred by the struggle for economic survival:
Secunda causa est quia, licet in amore, quando est multum impressus, appetitus non sit liber, imo est servus et ducitur secundum impetum huius passionis, tamen in principio, quando incipit hec passio in appetitu, adhuc appetitus est quasi liber, ita ut pos-sit amare et possit desistere ab amore. Et ideo initium huius passionis incipit multotiens ex proposito. (Favati 373) [The second cause is because, though in love for instance the appetite, when it is much pressed, is not free, indeed it is enslaved and is led by the impetus of this passion, nevertheless in the beginning, when this passion starts in the appetite, at that point the appetite is almost free, so that it can love or desist from love. And so the beginning of this passion frequently starts from choice.]
Whereas in the Genealogie the highlighting of the question of free will served no particular purpose, and was not set within a moralising context, in the Esposizioni the moral discussion is crucial. Boccaccio has a precise task, for he is explaining the sin of those who "la ragion sommettono al talento" (Inferno V.39). Boccaccio's own prior interpretation of this line is rather odd:
Eran dannati i peccator carnali, Che la ragion sommettono al talento, cioè alla volontà. E come che questo si possa dire d'ogni peccatore intendere, per ciò che alcun peccatore non è che non sottometta, peccando, la ragione alla volontà, vuol nondimeno l'autore che per quel vocabolo "carnali" s'intenda singularmente per i lussuriosi. (Esposizioni V litt. 46)
Boccaccio, never very consistent when adopting others' philosophical systems or terminology, seems to see no difference here between "will" and "desire." He seems to have no real understanding of the complexities of appetition. Perhaps he was thinking of the passage in Dante's Vita Nuova XXXIX, where the poet admits to a struggle between appetite ("cuore") and reason ("anima"). Maybe he is using "volontà" to stand for "voglia," the term Meo Abbracciavacca uses when he writes "e qual sommette a voglia operazione" (Gianfranco Contini, Poeti del Duecento, Milan-Naples: Ricciardi, 1960, vol. I, p. 337). It is no surprise, therefore, to find that Boccaccio now moves straight from his paraphrase of Dino del Garbo on love and will to a discussion of whether Paolo, "atto nato ad amare" (Esposizioni V litt., 168) was obliged to fall in love with Francesca. Boccaccio freely admits that Paolo was "flessibile," in other words easily swayed, because of his complexion. It is the same concept Boccaccio applies to Dante's amorous disposition in the Chigi version of the Trattatello: "inchinevole molto a questo accidente" (again a fairly Garbian formula), but when it comes to the famous line: "Amor, ch'a nullo amato amar perdona" (Inferno V.103), the moralist suddenly swings into action:
Questo, salva sempre la reverenzia dell'autore, non avviene di questa spezie di amore, ma avvien bene dello amore onesto" (Esposizioni V litt. 169)
Here Boccaccio is returning to the Aristotelian distinction between the three varieties of love (Nicomachean Ethics VIII.3) with which he had prefaced his discussion in the Esposizioni. There, he had indicated that the sensual love indulged in by Paolo and Francesca is the morally inferior "amore dilettevole," where the pleasure principle is foremost. It is a definition totally missing from the Genealogie account of Cupid, even though it had been promised much earlier (III.22.8). Now he claims that Francesca's declaration of the inevitable reciprocity of love is misplaced, for such reciprocity can only happen with "amore onesto." He backs this up with the definition to be found in Purgatorio XXII.10–12 (where Statius' love for Virgil causes a corresponding affection in the older poet). But the lovers of Inferno V are seekers of pleasure only, not seekers of goodness (the "amore onesto" of Aristotle).
But why did Boccaccio, between the Genealogie and the Esposizioni accounts, suddenly introduce the Aristotelian distinction? What does it have to do with Dino's commentary? Once again, Boccaccio has been searching around in the glosses, and has found that the next argument Dino engages in is concerned with is the dual nature of love. One is the common definition:
uno modo comuniter et large, secundum quod est quedam passio per quam inclinatur et movetur appetitus in aliquam rem que videtur sibi bona propter complacentiam eius, ratione cuiuscumque actus illius rei: et isto modo non accipitur hic: nam amor est circa multa, de quo amore non est presens intentio. Et de omnibus amicis ad invicem est hoc modo amor: quia amici amant se ad invicem, et tamen non amant se amore de quo est hec presens intentio; et potest etiam esse amore in uno respectu alterius, et tamen non erit amicitia inter eos: omnis enim qui est amicus alicui amatur ab illo, sed non omnis qui amat aliquem amatur ab illo; et ideo, licet omnis amicitia sit cum amore, non tamen omnis amor est cum amicitia. (Favati 371–72) [one way commonly and widely defined, according to which it is a certain passion by which the appetite is inclined and moved towards something which seems good to it on account of its pleasurability, by reason of whatever agency of that thing: and it is not accepted in this way here: for love concerns many things, about which love it is not Guido's present intention to speak. Concerning all mutual friends, love is of this kind: for friends love each other reciprocally, and yet they do not love each other with the kind of love which is the topic here; and it can be a question of love in one regarding the other, and yet there will not be friendship between them: for everybody who is a friend to somebody is loved by that other person, but not everybody who loves somebody is loved by that person, and so, even if every friendship is with love, not every love is with friendship.]
In his round-about way Dino is dealing here with the distinction between love "per concupiscentiam" [for desire's sake] and "per amicitiam" [for friendship's sake]. The first is properly the subject of Guido's canzone, whereas the second is Aristotle's true friendship, what Boccaccio calls "amore onesto." Dino's purpose is to go on to define the pathology of the illness that derives from amorous excess, the so-called "ereos," richly investigated by Massimo Ciavolella (La "Malattia d'Amore" dall'Antichità al Medioevo, Rome: Bulzoni, 1976) and before that by John Livingston Lowes ("The Loveres Maladye of Hereos," Modern Philology 11.4 [1914]: 491–546). Boccaccio, uninterested in the minutiae of such medical matters (though he refers to them in his Valerius Maximus inspired episode of Giacchetto Lamiens in the novella of the Count of Antwerp (Decameron II.8.44–48), retains the distinction but uses it for a moral purpose. Paolo and Francesca were free to retreat from their passions, as theirs was an "amor dilettevole." Their obstinate refusal to avail themselves of the freedom of choice inherent in the birth of such sensual passion led to their damnation. This issue of free will clearly exercised Boccaccio, for he returns to it belatedly in the allegorical exposition to the canto. The commentator has been explaining why carnal sinners, guilty of excess in what is otherwise a natural process, are punished more lightly than the other damned souls, in a circle further from the pit of hell and nearer to God. He then has another go at defining the relative roles of astrological disposition and free use of the rational faculty of choice:
L'origine del quale, secondo che di sopra è mostrato, par che sia nell'attitudine a questa colpa datane da' cieli; la quale parrebbe ne dovesse da questo scusare, se data non ci fosse la ragione, la quale ne dimostra quel che far dobbiamo e quel che fuggire, e, oltre a ciò, il libero albitrio, nel quale è podestà di seguire qual più gli piace. (Esposizioni V all. 78)
But this moralistic view of erotic passion, prompted by a public reading of the Paolo and Francesca episode and shaped, selectively, by Dino del Garbo's glosses to Cavalcanti's can-zone, represents a very late position, beginning with the first redaction of the Genealogie, and perhaps implicitly coeval with some of the thinking behind the remedia amoris of the Corbaccio. Boccaccio's earlier allusions to the Inferno V episode seem to show, instead, that the involuntary nature of love, propounded by Francesca, prevails. In the Filostrato, for instance, after much sighing and tearful pillow-soaking, Troiolo finally admits to his friend Pandaro the cause of his melancholy: he has fallen in love. Boccaccio's writing at this point is saturated with reminiscences of the Paolo and Francesca passage from Inferno V. Troiolo is grateful that Pandaro is inclined to hear of his "martiro," rhymed with "sospiro" (Dante: "sospiri" and "martiri") and is responding to Pandaro's "priego" since he is incapable of opposing a "niego" (Dante: "priega" and "niega"). Troiolo then indicates how love took over:
Amore, incontro al qual chi si difende più tosto pere ed adopera in vano, d'un piacer vago tanto il cor m'accende, ch'io n'ho per quel da me fatto lontano ciascheduno altro, e questo sì m'offende, (Filostrato II.7.1–5)
This is a clear echo of Francesca speaking of how love "al cor gentil ratto s'apprende […] e 'l modo ancor m'offende" (Inferno V.100–02). Boccaccio in paraphrasing "Amor, ch'a nullo amato amar perdona" here, further emphasises the involuntary nature of such passion. The same emphasis can be seen in the Filocolo: in the "court of love" in book four, Clonico has asked the queen for a judgment on whether an unrequited or a jealous lover should be more pitied. The queen passes sentence, saying that the unrequited lover will finally get his reward, for true love induces inevitable reciprocity in the beloved:
ché, ben che ella si mostri verso voi acerba al presente, e' non può essere ch'ella non vi ami, però che amore mai non perdonò l'amare a niuno amato. (Filocolo IV.38.11)
The same concept lies behind that other enamourment clearly inspired by Dante's Paolo and Francesca, the Ovid-inspired passion of Florio and Biancifiore in Filocolo II: their love, too, is caused by Cupid's agency, they too are apparently coerced by mutual delight. Florio clearly considers that such a situation is universal, and affects not only mortals but gods:
Padre mio, sì come voi sapete, né il sommo Giove né il risplendente Apollo, da voi ora davanti ricordato, né alcuno altro iddio ebbe all'amorevole passione resistenza; né tra' nostri predecessori fu alcuno tanto di virile forza armato, che da simile passione non fosse oppresso. (Filocolo II, 15, 1–2)
But perhaps the most memorable examples of such love apologies come in the Decameron. In the novella of the count of Antwerp, the queen of France lays bare her passion for the count:
Egli è vero che, per la lontananza di mio marito non potendo io agli stimoli della carne né alla forza d'amor contrastare, le quali sono di tanta potenza, che i fortissimi uomini non che le tenere donne hanno già molte volte vinti e vincono tutto il giorno, essendo io negli agi e negli ozii ne' quali voi mi vedete, a secondare li piaceri d'amore e divenire innamorata mi sono lasciata correre. (Decameron II.8.15)
Though the power of love is emphasised, a subtle change has now taken place. We now get at least a fleeting admission that an element of volition was involved ("mi sono lasciata correre"). When we come to look at the famous justification of Ghismonda, caught in flagrante with Guiscardo by her jealous father (Decameron IV.1.31–45), we see the same refined concession. Her speech begins with a reminiscence of the Paolo and Francesca episode, audible in the pairing "né a negare né a pregare sono disposta." Ghismonda, at various points, then outlines the sheer power and durability of the passion which has overtaken her:
Egli è il vero che io ho amato e amo Guiscardo, e quanto io viverò, che sarà poco, l'amer e se appresso la morte s'ama, non mi rimarrò d'amarlo. (Decameron IV.1.32)
Though the wording has been altered, the influence of Francesca's perduring love in Inferno V is clear: "ancor non m'abbandona" (105) and "che mai da me non fia diviso" (135). But then the speech gets down to detail. It is Ghismonda's youthful appetite, whetted by previous marriage and now enforced celibacy, which causes her to cede to her desires:
Sono adunque, sí come da te generata, di carne, e sí poco vivuta, che ancor son giovane, e per l'una cosa e per l'altra piena di concupiscibile disidero, al quale maravigliosissime forze hanno date l'aver già, per essere stato maritata, conosciuto qual piacer sia a così fatto desidero dar compimento. Alle quali forze non potendo io resistere, a seguir quello che elle mi tiravano, sí come giovane e femina, mi disposi e innamora'mi. (Decameron IV.1.34–35)
Yet, here again, we can see that Boccaccio clearly imagines there to be a moment of decision, an instance of rational choosing, even if the flesh (and the sensitive faculties) are predisposed to "incur such passion."
To sum up then, the evidence for Boccaccio having read Dino del Garbo early on in his career, earlier than the Teseida, is quite strong. The gloss on "Donna me prega" is not associated, as one might imagine, with an interest in Cavalcanti's vernacular verse, but rather with its availability as a convenient manual, accessible to a non medical scholar, on the "maladye of hereos." For this reason, perhaps, it became associated with Boccaccio's constant re-reading of the Paolo and Francesca episode from Inferno V. What changed over time was the quality of Boccaccio's reading of Dino, starting from an opportunistic level, where the distinction between Capellanus and Del Garbo is hardly felt, and ending with an interpretation which consciously develops the potential in Dino's understanding of the role of the will. The moment of transition, however timid, seems to take place in the years of the Decameron.
jonathan usher
university of edinburgh


text:
- NCDHR Home
- Information
- Committees & Partners
- Research
- Deaf Health Survey 2013
- Deaf Weight Wise
- Health Literacy & Cardiovascular Risk Survey
- Adolescent Cardiovascular Health Literacy
- Deaf Healthcare Survey
- Deaf Health Survey 2008
- College Health Survey
- Focus Groups on Deaf Moms & Infant Care
- Deaf Perceptions Project
- Including Deaf People in Health Surveillance
- Identifying Deaf Adolescents on a Local YRBS
- Publications & Presentations
- News & Events
- Contact Us
Deaf Health Survey 2013
RPRC:NCDHR has launched a new survey called the Deaf Health Survey 2013. Watch the video below to learn more about the survey and a little about the history of RPRC:NCDHR.
RPRC:NCDHR is currently accepting participants! To sign up for the Deaf Health Survey 2013, email Kelly Matthews or call her (VP) at (585) 512-8519
What is the Deaf Health Survey 2013?
The Deaf Health Survey is RPRC:NCDHR's new survey. We did the Deaf Health Survey 2008 and would like to compare that information to the data we find this year. The DHS 2013 has general health questions and also specific health-related questions that mirror the Telephone Surveys done by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). This survey is separate from surveys used for Deaf Weight Wise or other ongoing projects. We started collecting this survey data in September 2013, and will continue until 300 participants have taken this survey. We have almost 100 so far!
Why should I take the Deaf Health Survey?
The CDC and Monroe County Department of Health have done surveys with the general population through the phone. Deaf people are not included in this data! We need deaf people to participate in this survey to assist RPRC:NCDHR with proposing new projects. The Deaf Health Survey 2008 is why we have our current projects such as Deaf Weight Wise (DWW). In order for us to know what research to do next, we need data to prove it's needed by the community. The Deaf Health Survey will allow that.
How long does it take?
So far, we have had a range of time from 20 minutes to an hour. This is because the Deaf Health Survey is conducted in American Sign Language (ASL) video with English support. Some participants may decide to watch the signing videos; some may decide to focus on the written questions. Again, it will be your choice as to which one you'd like to use.
Where can I take the survey?
You can take the survey almost anywhere. RPRC:NCDHR will be at several community events, either taking appointment times or hosting the survey. You are more than welcome to come to the RPRC:NCDHR suite at the Saunders Research Building and we will provide a parking pass or free bus tickets. We can also arrange to meet in a public place, or even arrange a home visit if you are unable to travel. Better yet, invite us to give a presentation and host the survey at your club or organization's next meeting!
How do I sign up?
Contact Kelly Matthews at firstname.lastname@example.com or by VP (585) 512-8519
Marsden J, Sutter E, Nelson-Metlay V, Matthews K, DeWindt L . Deaf Health Survey 2013 (Abstract). Presented at the APHA Film Festival, APHA 141th Annual Meeting, Boston, MA; 2013, Nov 5.
Design of the Logo
Val Nelson-Metlay, Deaf community member, is the creator of the Deaf Health Survey 2013 logo. When asked about her inspiration for this logo, Val stated:
After following what the research and design team wanted I've tried to make a distinctive logo that will stick in the Deaf community's mind, once they learn what it is for. I like to show diversity in the Deaf community. I also try to find "health" colors. The year "2013" will change to "2016" for the next round of the Deaf Health Survey planned for 2015. I wish I could show signings without cluttering up the logo, but seems best as they (participants) will respond to DHS's computer monitor touch screen (where signing models will ask questions on a programmed computer).
Research Opportunities
Deaf Health Survey 2013
To learn more about the Deaf Health Survey 2013, click here.
To sign up for this survey, email Kelly Matthews.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
When Arizona's current budget problems began in the spring of 2007, we had just come off of two years of unprecedented revenue and expenditure growth of 17 and 12 percent respectively. Since then, lawmakers have used a variety of tactics to manage the budget as state revenues dropped to levels last seen in 2004. These tactics have so far allowed Arizona to continue spending at near-record levels. Of $12.5 billion in solutions to budget shortfalls, $2.2 billion are said to have been in spending reductions. Total state General Fund spending is budgeted at less than $1 billion below what it was in 2008, the year General Fund spending reached its peak. The rest of the gap has been closed with debt, federal funds, fund transfers within state government, and two record tax increases.
It is time for false promises to end and genuine reform to begin. Enhanced federal funding will soon come to an end. The Brewer Administration's suggested Fiscal Year 2011 budget fixes demonstrate that gimmicks are still possible, but they are running out. The temporary sales tax increase is slated to end in Fiscal Year 2014. Now is the time to consider and implement government reforms that increase efficiency and reduce spending while maintaining state government's core functions.
What follows is a series of suggestions for $2 billion in budget reductions based on Fiscal Year 2011 spending levels. The Governor's office estimates the Fiscal Year 2012 budget is $1.1 billion in deficit. The suggestions that follow add up to well over that amount. The first two presume that all levels of government in Arizona will take responsibility for their spending by directly raising the revenues they desire. Even without the first two suggestions, the reductions here total over $1.2 billion, these reductions do not assume we will receive a waiver from the federal government. It may not be possible to immediately implement all of the suggestions and phase-in periods and/or elections might be necessary for some.
There is no question that these budget reductions will be challenging but significant changes must be made in our spending priorities in order to meet Arizona's needs and put our fiscal house on solid footing.
The good news is that the majority of these suggestions have come from the agencies themselves. When asked for contingency plans on how they would reduce their budgets by various percentages last year, many agencies offered excellent suggestions for savings that have yet to be enacted.


text:
Reviewed Homemade Granola Bars
Jul 26, 2012 in Food Network Community Toolbox on FoodNetwork.com
"Made these for my husband to take on a car trip. He had to travel for some training with some other men. Made these along with some really good coffee. They raved about them. Said they were the perfect on the go breakfast. Thank you Ina. They were so easy to make. ""
Reviewed Lemon Fusilli with Arugula
Jul 26, 2012 in Food Network Community Toolbox on FoodNetwork.com
"By far my favorite pasta dish ever. Very light and the mix of the ingredients was perfect. You could tast each flavor. My entire family loved it. My niece and great niece had stopped by. They ended up staying for dinner. They were so impressed. This will be a regular in our home. Thank you Ina! Your recipes are no fail and easy for everyone to fol""
Reviewed Banana Crunch Muffins
Jun 29, 2012 in Food Network Community Toolbox on FoodNetwork.com
"Excellent muffins by far my favorite ever. I added my own homemade granola,coconut,walnuts in the mixture. I only had two banana's so that is what I used. I topped them off with more homemade granola. I was able to get 18 very large muffins. Next time I will make smaller muffins so it makes more. Thank you Ina for another fabulous recipe!""


text: Best known for his portraits of New York society, John Singer Sargent had a lifelong love affair with Italy that yielded more than 75 oils, etchings, and watercolors. In "Sargent and Italy," at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, his passion is shown to have extended from the predictable—Venetian canals, Renaissance duomos—to the simplest rural garden and everyday gesture (Feb. 2- May 11).• Equally enraptured by Italy was Sargent's contemporary James McNeill Whistler, who preceded him in Venice. There he attempted to paint the city hidden from the casual tourist (even then St. Mark's was thought to be overrun). "Whistler and His Circle in Venice," at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., assembles more than 120 watercolors, drawings, etchings, pastels, and oils that inspired other artists—among them photographer Alfred Stieglitz and, of course, Sargent (Feb. 8-May 5).


text:
Makes 4 servings
"After a seven-year absence, which I spent working abroad and opening a new Commander's Palace restaurant in Las Vegas, I came back to New Orleans last year. Since returning I've enjoyed cooking for my friends. On the weekends we'll go fishing, and then I'll grill our catch and serve it along with a fresh salad. That meal combines the two best things about living in the South lots of fishing and great fresh produce."
- 4 bananas, peeled, split lengthwise
- 8 teaspoons plus 1/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
- 1 cup chilled whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons dark rum
- 4 slices purchased banana bread or pound cake, toasted
- 4 scoops vanilla ice cream
- 4 scoops chocolate ice cream
- 4 scoops chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream
- 1 cup pecans, toasted
- Purchased chocolate syrup
- Sweetened flaked coconut, toasted
Preheat broiler. Place banana halves, cut side up, on baking sheet. Sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon sugar. Broil bananas until sugar melts and darkens, about 2 minutes. Set bananas aside.
Using electric mixer, beat whipping cream, dark rum, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in large bowl until peaks form.
Place 1 slice banana bread in each of 4 banana split dishes. Place 1 banana half on each side of bread, parallel to long sides of dish. Top bread with 1 scoop of each ice cream. Sprinkle with pecans and drizzle with chocolate syrup. Top bananas with dollop of rum-whipped cream and sprinkle of coconut.
my notes
recipe at a glance
type: Frozen Dessert
main ingredients: Ice Cream, Chocolate, Rum, Fruit, Milk/Cream, Pecan, Banana, Coconut
cuisine: American, Cajun/Creole
holiday/celebration: Mardi Gras


text:
Teen Intensive
Details for the 2015 Teen Intensive are not available yet. Please review previous years' information and check back regularly for additional details.
From July 6-10, 2015, this half-day dance program from 1-5pm has been designed for the experienced dancer, born 1996-2000, who is ready for rigourous, highly-focused, and thorough dance training.
Information from 2014's Summer Teen Intensive
Robert Desrosiers, of the famed Desrosiers Dance Theatre, will challenge dancers to develop stronger technique through a modern ballet class. The second part of the afternoon will allow dancers to participate in Robert's creative process as a new short work is developed. In a celebration of dance, young artists will experiment with raw, primal, rhythmical movement as they work inside a sphere of classical music.
Classes are geared to the pre-professional level dancer and will feature a small student/teacher ratio and a live accompanist. You no longer have to travel to Toronto or New York for this outstanding level of training!
Tickets can be purchased through the River Run Centre. The cost of the program is $150 for the full week and the program will be held at the Dancetheatre David Earle Studio.
Robert Desrosiers, the Montreal-born dancer, choreographer, and director, has gained international renown as a choreographer of startling imagination and originality. He is a graduate of the National Ballet School of Canada and danced with the National Ballet of Canada before continuing to perform and train in France, England, the US and Canada. In 1980, Desrosiers formed "Desrosiers Dance Theatre" in Toronto. He was awarded the first Jacqueline Lemieux Prize 1981, and Jean A. Chalmers Award in 1985 for his innovative choreography, which is defined by its theatricality and imageries.
Amongst his most acclaimed works is Blue Snake, which was commissioned by The National Ballet of Canada. The work premiered in 1985, and was subsequently performed at The Metropolitan Opera House in New York in 1988 and then featured in the 2002 Robert Altman film The Company. For the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympic Games, Desrosiers created Incognito. He recently choreographed Rendezvous and Bouffonia for Canada's Ballet Jorgen.
He has worked and collaborated with Canadian artists such as Leonard Cohen, Eric Cadesky, John Lang, Toller Cranston, Bruce Cockburn, Jesse Cook, Neve Campbell, Claudia Moore, Anne Bourne, Cheryl Lalonde, Jerrard Smith, Dan Salomon, and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. We are so happy to add the Guelph Dance Summer Teen Intensive to this list!


text:
I'll almost certainly buy a Nikon DSLR at some point. For one thing, there's the matter of the nice autofocus lenses sitting in the closet with my Nikon 35mm SLR. For another thing, I love cameras. I can resist for only so long.
But while I'm waiting (and saving up my money), I'd like to have fun thinking about what I'll be able to do with a DSLR that I can't do with my present cameras. So my question is: What DSLR do you have, and why do you love it? What makes it special to you? Thanks, gang! Susan |
Follow-Up Postings:
I have a Nikon D80 that I got in January so I'm very much still in a learning curve with it. I like the variety of lenses and the options you get with different focal lengths and camera settings. I especially like the feel and heft of the camera. I said to my husband that it will probably be all the camera I'll ever need. He chuckled. Pam |
- Posted by greentfinger (My Page) on Wed, Jul 1, 09 at 4:31
I have been using a Nikon D 100 for years. The main advantage to me is that all of my Nikon lenses from the older F 1 and Nikkormats work okay on the D 100. Of course autofocus did not exist when those lenses were made so yes, I had to get newer lenses but the distinct advantage of having a fixed length 24mm, 85mm or other focal length lens at times outweighs the autofocus & auto exposure abilities. When arthritis kept me from reaching my enlarger and the smell of chemicals along with the cleaning up after a darkroom session was no longer feasible I went digital and using Adobe Photoshop added to the versatility of digital. There are numerous advantages with the newer cameras however with everything automatic the thinking process of photography has declined. Snap, click and hope for a good shot. The "I have a 4 gig card and can keep shooting, sometrhing should come out good" thinking has changed photography as I knew it. Ansel Adams would like the advantages but he would still be greatly concerned with perspective and above all the light values. Definitely missing for most picture takers of today. |
- Posted by stocktongal (My Page) on Mon, Jul 13, 09 at 20:04
Hi ... using my wife's call sign. greenfinger ... I love hearing about the Nikkormat. I still have a Nikkormat EL, the last in a line of 5 Nikkormats I've owned. But, these days, I shoot with a Nikon D80, usually with a 35mm F/2 AF prime lens since it's fairly compact and I find that I can get away without using a zoom for walk-around purposes. To answer alisande's question, what I like about the D80 (almost any DSLR, too) versus a digital point and shoot (P&S) are: o Instant-on. With my old P&S, you'd turn it on, but it would take a second or so before you take a shot There are a host of other reasons why I enjoy shooting with a DSLR versus a P&S. However, a DSLR will never be as portable as a P&S, even ones as small as the Nikon D40/40x/60. I've attached a link that you may find helpful. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Cameralabs P&S vs. DSLR
- Posted by sewhappy_2007 (My Page) on Tue, Jul 28, 09 at 9:26
I'm by no means a REAL photographer - just a grandmother that was tired of trying to shoot pictures of the kids that were mostly of the back of their head by the time my digital camera fired off. I bought a Nikon D40 a year ago and although I attended a one-day seminar on how to get the most out of my Nikon, I usually just shoot using autofocus. I get great shots and love that I can rapid fire when necessary. I also LOVE the Nikon photo editing software 'Capture NX'. It has features I haven't seen in other editors. especially the "U-point" that lets you change very specific areas of the picture without affecting other areas of the shot - brightening up a face for instance. |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Photography Forum
Information about Posting
- You must be logged in to post a message. Once you are logged in, a posting window will appear at the bottom of the messages. If you are not a member, please register for an account.
- Please review our Rules of Play before posting.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review your post, make changes and upload photos.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- Before posting copyrighted material, please read about Copyright and Fair Use.
- We have a strict no-advertising policy!
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.
Learn more about in-text links on this page here


text:
Boots belongs to Kaybree Kaptur (pictured), of Crestwood.
Updated: December 30, 2012 6:13AM
We want your pet photos.
Whether it's you with your dog, cat, bird, fish or lizard, please email a jpeg photo with your name, your pet's name and hometown to Jason Freeman at firstname.lastname@example.com with "Your Pets" in the subject line.
© 2014 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.


text:
reviews & comments (67)
Great recipe! I added sesame seeds to the breadcrumb mix for added flavor and it worked quite well! Thanks!
If you never used yellow cornmeal for breading your chicken you're in for a treat... this recipe is fast. You can have it prepared up to the time you put it in the baking dish,then a few minutes before you're ready for dinner.. pop it in the oven ...it's the best.Served it with garlic mashed potatoes, it was a hit!
This is a terrific dish served with a Greek salad and a basket of rustic Italian bread. My guests loved it and it was simple to prepare! I will certainly make it again.
Fabulous dish. We served it with the Fresh Tomato Salad for guests, who were also unduly impressed.


text:
Great Danes are featured - a long row of dogs stand beside their owners or kennel maids.
Camera pans down the line. M/S of two owners and their dogs - possibly the winners. Russian Wolf Hounds are shown next. A small black dog is seen in C/U - not the most attractive pooch! Two Bloodhounds are shown with their owners. Several King Charles Spaniels are shown by their owners. Camera pans Several different dogs stand with their owners including a Dachshund, a Poodle and a Pekingese (Pekinese).
Intertitle reads: "A mixed grill from dignity to impudence - " We are then shown some cute puppies - Dalmatians and other breeds not recognised.
This dog show took place in Richmond - Surrey?
Note: flash-frame intertitles.
Was an item in Eve's Film Review issue number 479.


text:
To The Community, Chamber Membership, Visitors and Tourists:
The Toms River-Ocean County Chamber of commerce invites you to rediscover "The Good Life" in Ocean County. Whether you are a resident, visitor or tourist, the Ocean County Area is "Someplace Special" for you.
Enjoy 45 miles of the best, cleanest, white sandy beaches and ocean on the east coast—utilize our myriad of recreational attractions and facilities at the boardwalk, visit historic downtown Toms River for shops and restaurants, take a cruise on The River Lady, or shop across town at a large 96 store indoor mall and the many shops and accommodations on Route 37 East and West.
Ocean County boasts a vast library system, excellent medical centers and facilities, various churches and religious centers and outstanding educational institutions. This has proven to be a priority and enhancement to families considering relocation to Ocean County.
Building a strong business future in Ocean County is one of the primary goals of the Chamber of Commerce. Our full menu of services and benefits to our membership of over 655, also benefits the community and its visitors.
As Chamber Board Chairman and President, we encourage members to become actively involved. Get to know mayors of surrounding towns, governing bodies, get to meet your senators, assemblymen, freeholders and department heads of these agencies. Utilize the opportunity to truly experience the reward of being part of a group of "people helping people" to develop the Ocean County area as a great place to live, work and enjoy recreation.
For Chamber Members that are not able to actively participate, we sincerely appreciate your financial support of the Chamber and thank you, as we endeavor to build a viable economic base in the Ocean County area for all businesses to flourish.
Chamber members make an investment in our area, financially and through community service. They provide jobs and security for Ocean County families-this is…"the American Dream-the Good Life." We encourage visitors and residents to do business with members. Call the Chamber of Commerce at 732 349-0220 for referrals of the best goods and services available.
We invite you to become a member and utilize the many benefits and services Chamber Membership offers.
Chairman - Dina Vicari
President - Maureen Stankowitz
Dina M. Vicari, Esq.– Chairwoman |
Noelle Lotano – Interim Executive Director |
Nina Anuario – OceanFirst Bank |


text:
Philippines is a hot place indeed and you can make it even hotter if you use Philippine escort services. What is that? A very pleasurable feature of this land of exoticism and joy. If you're travelling here then you definitely shouldn't miss a chance to book a charming exotic babe that can entertain you all night long. Interesting offer? Then what are you still waiting for? Grab your tropical shirt and sun glasses and face the best adventure of your life. If you try to think this over you will understand that this is a unique offer indeed. Tropical surroundings when everything tells you to relax and be light-hearted, seducing escort girl right in front of you and the aroma of love flowing in the air. What else is there to be desired? Definitely nothing more since this is a picture of a perfect paradise and even if you tried to think of the things which could make the situation even more appealing you would hardly be able to come up with something.
The lady of your choice will do absolutely anything you can think of and if you have any wish or desire it will be brought to life in no time. Even if it's snowing outside or the weather is dreadful and nasty the only thing you need to do is to pack your bags and head to the lands of pleasure. Moreover you can stay here as long as you wish! When you are residing in the lands of pure pleasure it is so easy to lose the track of time. Well forget about time then! Enjoy your time and forget about all the worries and duties – there are none in this magical land. So choose a girl and have your thrilling fun at Philippines!


text:
Browse By Category
Insertable Lengths
Materials / Feel
Buy £10 - £20 Plastic Anal Douches, Enema Kits, Lubricant Syringes and Dildo Shower Attachments with Discreet Tracked Delivery from Bondara. Add or remove filters on the left hand side to change the Anal Douches & Enemas displayed below.
Bondara has a huge range of anal douches and enemas that are great anal play accessories. These anal essentials will have you clean and fresh before you indulge in any anal play. These sex hygiene items range in size and water capacity so depending on your douching experience and preference, you can choose what anal cleanser is best for you.


text:
- Current Governing Board
- Summary of responsibilities
- Time commitments
- NAEYC election schedule
- NAEYC Nominations and election process
- Qualifications for all NAEYC Board candidates
- 2014 to 2015 Election Timeline (slate constructed in 2014)
- Board Application
Summary of responsibilities
NAEYC is governed by an elected 17-member Board, including five officers. The most effective boards—whose members are deeply committed to the organization's mission, bring expertise in key areas, and represent diverse perspectives—evolve over time through careful planning. NAEYC's nominations and election process seeks to recruit and elect qualified leaders who will further our commitment to be a high-performing, inclusive organization that promotes excellence in early education for all young children.
The Governing Board uses policy governance as its framework for decision making. Thus the Board sets policies, establishes benchmarks to measure progress, and allocates resources. By law, Board members are obligated to 1) act only in the best interests of the Association and to avoid conflicts of interest; 2) act honestly, in good faith, and on an informed basis when making decisions; and 3) pursue the objectives of the Association's mission. NAEYC deeply appreciates the elected members who accept these obligations to serve as stewards of the Association.
NAEYC's Governing Board culture is characterized by full and open participation by all members and senior staff. We believe that this approach maximizes group energy to address major issues facing our profession and organization. We rely upon diverse perspectives to reach well-informed decisions that further our mission.
Time commitments of NAEYC Board service
Each Board member is elected for a term of four years. (The President serves one year as President-Elect, two years as President, and one year as Past President.) In-depth meetings (2 to 2-1/2 days in length not including travel) of the full Board are typically held three times a year—in the winter, spring, and summer. The Board also meets briefly at the NAEYC Annual Conference each fall, and conference calls may occur throughout the year. Board members receive detailed agenda materials to review prior to each meeting. Newly elected members also attend an orientation at NAEYC Headquarters. Board members serve on committees that may conduct business by e-mail, conference call, or additional meetings. Travel and other expenses associated with Board service are covered by NAEYC; reimbursement for dependent care costs or substitute teachers is also available according to Board-determined policy.
The President, President-Elect or Past President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer serve as the Board's Executive Committee. This Committee meets at each Board meeting and three additional times during the year.
NAEYC election schedule of available positions (Slate determined the year before the election)
2014-5: President-Elect, 3 Governing Board members At Large
2015-6: Three Governing Board positions (2 Members At Large; 1 Affiliate Liaison)
2016-7: President-Elect, Treasurer, 3 Governing Board members At Large
2017-8: Vice President, Secretary, 3 Governing Board positions - (2 members At large; 1 Affiliate Liaison)
NAEYC nominations and elections process
A Nominating Panel is appointed annually to identify potential candidates for the following year's election. The Panel recommends a slate of qualified candidates for approval by the Governing Board and election by the membership. Potential candidates for the Affiliate Liaison position are first identified by the Affiliate Council's Nominating Committee.
The Nominating Panel selects candidates for their ability to consider objectively the variety of perspectives, challenges, and choices inherent in the decisions affecting the Association's future. In addition to their leadership knowledge, skills, and abilities, candidates are also selected to ensure that the Board as a whole reflects the Association's commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Qualifications for all NAEYC Board candidates
The Nominating Panel seeks potential candidates who demonstrate strong leadership, commitment, and contributions to the field of early childhood education and in assuring the well-being of all young children.
Candidates need broad knowledge and awareness of issues facing the early childhood field and the ability to conceptualize appropriate roles for the Association. Candidates must uphold NAEYC's mission, goals, priorities, and Code of Ethical Conduct.
Candidates must demonstrate a commitment to the Association's priority to be a highly functioning organization that is continually enriched by its institutional commitment to diversity and inclusion, and must possess strong interpersonal skills with the ability to objectively consider various perspectives to guide major policy decisions.
Candidates also need expertise in special areas needed by the Association—including knowledge of governance and group functioning, association work, and knowledge of and/or experience in NAEYC's Affiliate structure—as well as specific skills required for fulfilling Board responsibilities.
In addition, candidates need to be able to make the necessary commitment of time and other resources to serve effectively as a Governing Board member and to serve as an effective ambassador for the Association and its principles.
Finally, applicants must be a current member of NAEYC. Any individual who has been employed by or had a full- or part-time contract with NAEYC or any of its Affiliates within the past 3 years (excluding honoraria) is not eligible for consideration.
These qualifications are designed to ensure that elected Board members are prepared to fulfill their designated responsibilities, including:
- exercising fiduciary responsibilities and stewardship with regard to NAEYC's goals, policies, and allocation of resources;
- contributing to a policy governance model that provides leadership for the Association with a focus on mission;
- identifying and cultivating future Association leaders; and
- serving on committees and panels and being available for liaison relationships with Affiliate Groups and Interest Forums.
Specific qualifications for Officers
In addition to the qualifications above, officers must meet specific qualifications related to the responsibilities for their position. The responsibilities and associated qualifications are outlined here.
2014 to 2015 NAEYC Election Timeline
- January 2014: Applications and deadline information posted for submission by NAEYC members interested in being considered for Board service.
Summer 2014: Based upon their review of submitted materials, the Nominating Panel invites potential candidates to participate in group interviews in Washington, D.C. The interviews guide the selection of the slate that is recommended to the Governing Board for approval.
Early fall 2014: Group Interviews are held at NAEYC Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
November 2014: The slate is officially announced in Young Children and at the Annual Conference. Typically, a video is made of each candidate at the Annual Conference. Deadline for submitting request for paper ballot via postal mail is November 1.
January 2015: Links to a secure election site are e-mailed to all current members as of 12/1/2012 and mailed to those who requested paper ballots.
March 1, 2015: Deadline for postmark on mailed ballots and end of electronic voting period.
Spring 2015: Newly elected Board members attend the spring Board meetings and meet with Headquarters staff as part of the Board orientation.
June 1, 2015: Newly elected Board members assume office for four years.
If you have any questions about being on the Governing Board, please contact Cathy Kennedy at email@example.com or 202-350-8835.


text:
Looking for a carpet cleaning service that does a good job, doesn't use harmful chemicals, etc. Any help/input appreciated.
Carbonated/Buffer (Chem-Dry): Often accused of 'fear marketing'. Their traditional method supposedly doesn't really extract the dirt from the carpet/house and their buffers wear carpet down. Many complaints that carpet is extremely stiff after cleaning. They have apparently begun switching to a truck based extraction system (hot water extraction, but 'carbonated'?) that may work better. But can they be trusted? Hot water extraction (Stanley Steamer, COIT, etc.): Perhaps best for extracting dirt. Numerous concerns that if not done properly that high amount of moisture left in carpet & pad can cause mold/mildew growth and faster deterioration of backing and pad. Some/many do use perc, hydrogen peroxide, and other not too appealing chemicals? Other options? Independent cleaners better than franchise chains such as the 3 above? Any websites with an honest comparison of methods and who provides them? |
Follow-Up Postings:
I researched this about 10 years ago when I got married and moved into a house full of wall-to-wall carpet that we didn't yet want to replace. After reading all the arguments/hype for/against "dry" versus steam cleaning, I decided that steam extraction was the way to go. Also, I found that just as important is the quality of service of the technicians. If you want to understand how to pay someone to do a good job, just try doing it yourself with a rented or borrowed home carpet steam cleaner (Rug Doctor, Hoover, Bisssell, etc.). If an area is really dirty, you'll have to go over it slowly and repeatedly to get it clean. Dryness depends a lot on how much time the operator spends sucking out the rinse water. I found an excellent, local independent in an ad in a local home magazine. I used 4 independent companies over the years, all with the same type of equipment, but one did a superior job because their technicians were so thorough. They also moved and replaced all the furniture, with plastic underneath. I gave them a big tip. I make it a point to schedule cleaning on the warmest, driest day possible. On cold rainy days, the carpet is just not going to dry, even if they extracted as thoroughly as possible. Also, we have a commercial blower, and running that in the room speeds drying ENORMOUSLY. Recently, a company that did some flood restoration for us has been sending me mail piece about their new "residue-free" carpet cleaning. If I were still getting carpets cleaned, I'd look into that. (However, I'm now about to replace most carpet with wood and cork flooring.) Oh, one more thing. If you have pets, and examine your carpet at night in the dark with a blacklight, well, first of all, you'll be ready to get rid of your pets no matter how much you love them! Really, you'll see accidents you never knew happened. Each spot you can see on the carpet is like the top of a pyramid that has soaked into the padding below in a much larger area. If I were keeping my carpet, I'd pretreat all these areas with oxygen bleach and enzyme cleaner, pulling the carpet up from the tack strips to get at the padding. Then I'd have the cleaners finish up with their process. You can have them restretch the carpet to the tack strips if you don't want to do it yourself. Or, at the very least, mark the accident areas you find with the blacklight so they can at least treat them with their pet stain formula. |
I have great success with a dry product called "Host". Sprinkle it on, use the machine to brush it in, leave it on for a few hours, then vacuum. Smells nice, too. It's also great for spot cleaning or small space like stairs. I just sprinkle it on and use a hand scrub brush instead of renting the machine. Works very well that way, too. |
Here is a link that might be useful: HOST dry carpet cleaning
I've used Chemdry and been pleased with them, but I know they have the "magic reappearing" stains. Carpets look and smell clean immediately after, then take several days to fully dry, especially in humid weather. And within a month you'll start seeing dark spots reappearing, like "magic" ha-ha. So I don't "love" Chem Dry. I have 2 pets plus a messy husband to clean up after. I use Resolve Deep Clean on occasion, and it does a pretty good job. It's a powder you sprinkle on, then rub in with a brush, then vacuum. Just my experiences. |
When we bought our 'new' (to us) home, I had the carpets professionally cleaned. I used an independent gal, who had the system where the hoses went out to her truck. She did a good job. But the price was high--think it was $375. Mind you, that was for a good-sized living room, two bedrooms and a fully carpeted basement. Next time around? I bought a carpet steamer. It cost less than HALF what I paid her. There are no-scent, no-dye cleaners you can get for the steamer. I used HALF the amount of cleaner recommended (which I almost always do with any kind of cleaner--manufacturers always tell you to use too much, just to sell more product). My rugs were actually cleaner, and stayed cleaner longer than when the pro did them, and it's not that much work. An added benefit is that if you do them yourself, you can split the cleaning up, so you can still walk around at least part of the house, while the other part is drying. Don't think I'd ever go back to having an expensive pro job now that I have the steamer--I can do a better job, and a minute fraction of the cost, and I sort of enjoy doing it. |
I have a friend who works for a company that puts products and services to the test. I always find his stories and information facinating to say the least. Last Christmas I got on the the subject about carpet cleaning and he told me the horor stories about the different companies some of you listed. However, the one that he and his company recommeded was chemdry. Why? This is a franchise that has a natural solution that is truly natural. Also, each chemdry has to be trained every year and their techs are fully trained. My buddy was very pleased with their equipment and process. Now, I understand that you could have some bad seeds in the mix, however I can tell you from my experience with chemdry have been very good. Not sure what jsfox was talking about the buffer thing, but our chemdry did an extraction with a neat looking machine. My wife was even amazed at how the dirty water was being extracted through a clear tube. All of my spots that were removed are gone and did not reappear. Even my wifes coffee spot. I guess I am now a loyal chemdry customer. I am not cutting on any other service or anyone in this forum, but all I can say is do your research. Hope this helps you all! |
OK, I'll bite, although many will say that I am biased... I operate a ChemDry franchise, for 7 years now, and would like to adress some of the statements made here. Fear marketing : Reappearing spots : Do-it yourself cleaning : But don't take my word for it, give it a try. |
I'm hoping someone in this thread will respond to my question about WASHING hand-knotted wool rugs -- not 'fine' or 'antique', just modern-day 'orientals'. Is there an 'off season' for sending these out? What's a good price for about 500 sq ft total? (Maybe just what's normal per sq ft and I'll add in the pickup and delivery that's normal here.) |
ChemDry. In my first house, we had them clean the carpets (I had met the owner through the office where I worked, when he cleaned our carpets there.). Then, we had them clean our carpets -- great job, dried quickly, no spots left. We had a flooding issue from our air conditioning unit sometime later -- called ChemDry -- the owner came out with an antimicrobial solution, blowers, pulled up the carpet, got everything dry, then came back and tacked down the carpet after X amount of time later to put everything back in order (it's been 10 yrs, so I forget the exact order of things). I was always pleased with their service. Have never used any of the "steam cleaner" companies, so I can't comment on them. I do have an Oreck carpet cleaner for cleaning up smaller messes, and it works ok, but not as well as professional cleaning, obviously. |
- Posted by lov2garden (My Page) on Tue, Feb 11, 14 at 15:44
I am a diehard Chem Dry Fan and have used them for over 30 years. Prior to Chem Dry, I used a variety of the large pro cleaning companies and DIY rental machines & their cleaning solutions. I gave Chem Dry a try when my first baby started crawling all over our fully w2w carpeted home. I just didn't want the baby having constant close skin contact and breathing in detergent and chemical residue. I was completely sold after the first Chem Dry cleaning: cleaner, brighter, fresher and no dirt attracting residue. The carpet stayed clean longer and tough spots were gone. They were soft and nice! Compared to other carpet cleaning, the results were immediately visible. Wish only that they had a "loyal customer" program ;) |
- Posted by scarlett2001 (My Page) on Sun, Feb 16, 14 at 17:32
I have all wool 8 by 10 carpets and don't what to use? I'm pretty sure steam/hot water s out. |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Cleaning Tips Forum
Information about Posting
- You must be logged in to post a message. Once you are logged in, a posting window will appear at the bottom of the messages. If you are not a member, please register for an account.
- Please review our Rules of Play before posting.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review your post, make changes and upload photos.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- Before posting copyrighted material, please read about Copyright and Fair Use.
- We have a strict no-advertising policy!
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.
Learn more about in-text links on this page here


text:
MyBitcoin.com Is Back: A Week After Vanishing With at Least $250 K. Worth of BTC, Site Claims It Was Hacked
Who is Tom Williams? MyBitcoin.com, which disappeared without explanation from the internet about a week ago, is back up with a messages "From the desk of Tom Williams, operator of MyBitcoin.com." The statement, labeled an "incident report," is the only live page on the site. MyBitcoin noticed a large amount of BTC missing, the statement says, realized its security had been breached, and pulled the site immediately. After investigating the hack, the statement says, the "we" behind MyBitcoin realized it was bankrupt and "would have to go into receivership." There will be a claims process for reimbursing users, the statement says.
We're not exactly sure what constitutes receivership in a system with no central authority, or why the site's anonymous operators would feel obligated to refund its anonymous users given the utter lack of accountability. Before the statement hit, word on the street was that MyBitcoin.com, the user-friendly Bitcoin wallet that was the go-to for most Bitcoin newbies, was an elaborate ploy set up by a group of (Canadian?) hackers who swindled naive Bitcoin users for the money and the lulz. At the time it went down, MyBitcoin.com had more deposits than the third largest Bitcoin exchange, Bitomat.pl. Bitomat.pl had 17,000 BTC on hand when it went down this weekend due to human technical error. But just one Bitcoin user, the vocal Bruce Wagner, had 25,000 BTC stored at MyBitcoin when it disappeared. Betabeat had 6 BTC there, and we're surely not the only ones. At today's prices, MyBitcoin had more than $250,000 in its coffers. Read More