Marc chagall paintings 100222

Jack Vettriano pincer Movement

2009-05-12T23:24:00.000-07:00

Jack Vettriano pincer MovementJack Vettriano Picnic PartyJack Vettriano Only the deepest Red II
welcome.
Ridcully saw a tall, curly‑headed young man clutching what looked like an undernourished guitar or possibly a banjo that had been used in a fight. Beside him was a dwarf, holding a battle horn. At the rear was a troll, hammer in each paw, seated behind a pile of rocks. And to one side was the Librarian, standing in front of . . . Ridcully leaned forward . . . what having exhausted him, he started to play.
It was a simple little rhythm, one that you might easily have ignored if you'd met it in the street. It was followed by a sequence of crashing chords and then, Ridcully realized, it hadn't been followed by the chords, because the rhythm was there all the time. Which was impossible. No guitar could be played like that.
The dwarf blew a sequence of notes on the horn. The troll picked up the beat. The Librarian brought both hands down upon the piano keyboard, apparently at random.
Ridcully had never heard such a din.appeared to be the skeleton of a piano, balanced on some beer‑kegs.The boy looked paralysed by the attention.He said: 'Hello ... er ... Ankh‑Morpork.And, this amount of conversation apparently

Jean Francois Millet The sower

2009-05-11T23:42:00.000-07:00

Jean Francois Millet The sowerJean Francois Millet SpringJean Francois Millet Man with a hoeLorenzo Lotto Venus and Cupid
a daft idea.' The raven looked around at the stricken battlefield, empty now except for the fallen and the flocks of his fellow ravens. 'What a waste,' he added. ' I mean, just look at it all. Such a terrible waste.'
'Yes!'
'I mean, I'm near bursting and there's hundreds of 'em untouched. I think I'll see if I can have a doggy bag.'
'They're dead bodies!'
'Right!'
'What are you 'Convergent evolution,' said the raven. 'Often happens. I read once where apparently the common octopus has an eye almost exactly the same as the human eyeb– caw!'
'You were going to say something like: except for the taste, weren't you?' said Susan.
'Negger grossed by bind,' said the raven indistinctly.
'Sure?'
'Leg go ogg by beak glease?'eating?''It's all right,' said the raven, backing away. 'There's enough for everyone.''That's disgusting!''I didn't kill 'em,' it said.Susan gave up.'She looked a lot like Iron Lily,' she said, as they walked back to the patient horse. 'Our gym mistress. Sounded like her, too.' She imagined the warbling Valkyries pounding across the sky. Get some warrior, you bunch of fainting blossoms . . .

Rudolf Ernst The Perfume Maker

2009-05-07T00:46:00.000-07:00

Rudolf Ernst The Perfume MakerAlexandre Cabanel Fallen AngelAlexandre Cabanel Cleopatra Testing Poisons on Condemned PrisonersJulien Dupre Shepherdess With Her Flock
you've learned a lot from Cap— Commander Vimes, captain.'
'Sir. My father always said I was a quick learner, sir.'
'Perhaps the think again.' Carrot brightened up. 'It's a bit like being a guard, really. When you need us, you really need us. And when you don't . . . well, best if we just walk around the streets and shout All's Well. Providing all is well, of course.'
'Captain Carrot,' said Lord Vetinari, 'because we understand one another so well, and I think we do understand one another . . . there is something I'd like to show you. Come this way.'
He led the way into the throne room, which was, empty at this time of day. As hecity does need a king, though. Have you considered that?''Like a fish needs a . . . er . . . a thing that doesn't work underwater, sir.''Yet a king can appeal to the emotions of his subjects, captain. In . . . very much the same way as you did recently, I understand.''Yes, sir. But what will he do next day? You can't treat people like puppet dolls. No, sir. Mr Vimes always said a man has got to know his limitations. If there was a king, then the best thing he could do would be to get on with a decent day's work—''Indeed.''But if there was some pressing need . . . then perhaps he'd

Cao Yong KOI POND

2009-05-04T23:24:00.000-07:00

Cao Yong KOI PONDCao Yong GIRL WITH MUSICIANCao Yong GARDEN SPLENDOR
your real nose,' said Carrot. 'Thank you.'
The clown wound down a little.
'I think you'd back. 'You've been very helpful.'
He folded his hand again.
'Come on,' he said. 'We'd better begoing. I don't think we're going to be popular here in a minute or two.'
'What was that you showed him?' Angua asked, as they proceeded with dignity yet speed towards the gate.
'It was something you came here to find, wasn't it? All that stuff about better go,' he said. 'I don't like this sort of thing. It upsets me.''Sorry,' said Carrot again. 'It's just that . . . I think I'm having an idea. I wondered about it before . . . and I'm pretty certain now. I think I know about the person who did it. But I had to see the eggs to be sure.''You saying another clown killed him?' said Boffo belligerently. ' 'Cos if you are, I'm going straight to—''Not exactly,' said Carrot. 'But I can show you the killer's face.'He reached down and took something from the debris on the table. Then he turned to Boffo and opened his hand. He had his back to Angua, and she could not quite see what he was holding. But Boffo gave a strangled cry and ran away down the avenue of faces, his big shoes flip-flopping hugely on the stone flags.'Thank you,' said Carrot, at his retreating

Filippino Lippi Allegory

2009-04-28T23:57:00.000-07:00

Filippino Lippi AllegoryBartolome Esteban Murillo A Girl and her DuennaCaravaggio The Incredulity of Saint ThomasGeorge Frederick Watts Watts Choosing
hand clamped on to the dwarf's head and Detritus pushed Cuddy behind him, but then the figure was running, running . Men. It's you that'd be the fool if you resist arrest.'
'Oh? I'm under arrest?'
'Only if you don't come with us . . .'

The Patrician was in the Oblong Office, staring out of the window. The multi-belled cacophony of five o'clock was just dying away.
Vimes saluted. From the back, Vetinari looked like a carnivorous flamingo.
'Ah, Vimes,' he said, without looking around, 'come towards them, still firing.Detritus blinked.Five more shots, one after another, punctured his breastplate.And then the running man was through the open door, slamming it behind him. 'Captain Vimes?'He looked up. It was Captain Quirke of the Day Watch, with a couple of his men behind him.'Yes?''You come with us. And give me your sword.''What?''I think you heard me, captain.''Look, it's me, Quirke. Sam Vimes? Don't be a fool.''I ain't a fool. I've got men with crossbows

James Jacques Joseph Tissot Too Early

2009-04-28T00:03:00.000-07:00

James Jacques Joseph Tissot Too EarlyHenri Rousseau Woman Walking in an Exotic ForestHenri Rousseau warHenri Rousseau Two Monkeys in the Jungle
YOU. 'Hright,' said Sergeant .Colon, 'this, men, is your truncheon, also nomenclatured your night stick or baton of office.' He paused while he tried to remember his army days, and brightened up.'Hand you will look after hit,' he was a pause while they picked up Corporal Nobbs and patted him on the back until he settled down.
'Very well,' said Sergeant Colon, 'what you must do now is take your truncheon like so, and on the command one, proceed smartly to Harthur and on the command two, tap him smartly upon the bonce. Hwun . . . two . . .'
The truncheon bounced off Arthur's helmet.
'Very good, only one thing wrong. Anyone tell me what it was?'
They shook their heads.
'From behind,' said Sergeant Colon. 'You hit 'em from behind. No sense in risking trouble, is there? Now you have a go, Lance-Constable Cuddy.'
'But sarge—'
'Do it.'shouted. 'You will eat with hit, you will sleep with hit, you—'' 'Scuse me.''Who said that?''Down here. It's me, Lance-Constable Cuddy.''Yes, pilgrim?''How do we eat with it, sergeant?'Sergeant Colon's wound-up machismo wound down. He was suspicious of Lance-Constable Cuddy. He strongly suspected Lance-Constable Cuddy was a trouble-maker.'What?''Well, do we use it as a knife or a fork or cut in half for chopsticks or what?''What are you talking about?'

Vincent van Gogh The Yellow House

2009-04-26T23:44:00.001-07:00

Vincent van Gogh The Yellow HouseLeonardo da Vinci Virgin of the RocksLeonardo da Vinci St John the Baptist
stared woodenly at the wall.
He ought to be people, greatest of cities on the Discworld, located on either side of the river Ankh, a waterway so muddy that it looks as if it is flowing upside down.
And visitors say: how does such a big city exist? What keeps it going? Since it's got a river you can chew, where does the drinking water come from? What is, in fact, the basis of its civic economy? How come it, against all probability, workshappy, he told himself. And he was. In a way. Definitely. Happy as anything.He was going to get married in a few days.He was going to stop being a guard.He was going to be a gentleman of leisure.He took off his copper badge and buffed it absent-mindedly on the edge of his cloak. Then he held it up so that the light glinted off the patina'd surface. AMCW No.177. He sometimes wondered how many other guards had had the badge before him.Well, now someone was going to have it after him. This is Ankh-Morpork, Citie of One Thousand Surprises (according to the Guild of Merchants' guidebook). What more need be said? A sprawling place, home to a million

Andy Warhol Shadows I

2009-04-24T00:29:00.000-07:00

Andy Warhol Shadows IAndy Warhol OxidationAndy Warhol NeuschwansteinAndy Warhol Knives black and white
are many recipes for the flat round loaves of Lancre dwarf bread,
but the common aim of all of them is to make a field ration that is long-
lasting, easily packed, and can disembowel the enemy if skimmed through
the air hard enough. Edibility is a kind of optional extra. Most recipes are
a closely guarded secret, apart from the gravel.
251
Terry Pratchett
“You’re not me, from some-where in the back pocket of his genes.
“Hiho, hiho—“
Nanny Ogg grinned in the darkness.
The tunnel opened into a cavern. The torchlight picked up the suggestion of distant walls.
“This it?” said Casanunda, gripping the crowbar..”“Tell you what—I’ll bake ‘em with extra gravel.”“Ooh . .. you’re a temptress, Mrs. Ogg.”“And bring the torches.”The caves were dry, and warm. Casanunda trotted along after Nanny, anxious to stay in the torchlight.“You haven’t been down here before?”“No, but I know the way.”After a while Casanunda began to feel better. The caves were better than wardrobes. For one thing, you weren’t trip-ping over shoes all the time, and there probably wasn’t much chance of a sword-wielding husband opening the door.In fact, he began to feel happy.The words rose unbidden into his head

Thomas Kinkade New Horizons

2009-04-22T23:51:00.000-07:00

Thomas Kinkade New HorizonsThomas Kinkade Mountain MemoriesThomas Kinkade Living Waters
have to be. So there’s thousands of me out there who never became a wizard, just like there’s thousands of you who, oh, answered letters. Hah! To them, we’re something that might have been. Now, d’you call that proper thinking for a growing lad? When / started wizard-ing, old ‘Tudgy’ Spold was Archchancellor, and if any young wizard’d even mentioned that sort of daft thing, he’d feel a staff across his backside. Hah!”
184
LQR08 fiNQ LftQ/£6
Somewhere far below, a frog plopped off a stone.
“Mind you, I suppose we’ve all passed a lot of water
since then.”
It dawned gently on Ridcully that the dialogue had become a monologue. He turned to Granny, who was staring round-eyed at Ridcully deflated a little.
“Can’t,” he said.
“You did it just now.”
“That’s the point. I wasn’t joking when I said I couldn’t do it again. It takes a lot out of you, transmigrationthe river as if she’d never seen water before.“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” she said.“I beg your pardon? I was only—““Not you. I wasn’t talking to you. Stupid! I’ve been stupid. But I ain’t been daft! Hah! And I thought it was my memory going! And it was, too. It was going and fetching!”“What?”“I was getting scared! Me! And not thinking clear!Except I was thinking clear!”“What!”“Never mind! Well, I won’t say this hasn’t been . . . nice,” said Granny. “But I’ve got to get back. Do the thing with the fingers again. And hurry.”

Cao Yong FRIENDS

2009-04-21T00:55:00.000-07:00

Cao Yong FRIENDSCao Yong FreedomCao Yong Day of LoveCao Yong COOL WATER
what the future meant. But she’d never heard of alternative pasts. She could remember hav-ing just gone through the stones, if she concentrated. But she could remember other things. She could remember being in bed in her own house, but that was it, it was a house, not a cottage, but she was her, they were her own memories... she had a nagging feeling that she was asleep, right now . . .
Dully, she tried to focus on Nanny Ogg. There was something comfortingly solid about Gytha Ogg.
Nanny had I ain’t having that
again. The thought of someone carrying off our Pewsey—“
“Even elves ain’t that daft. Never seen such a sticky child in all my life.”
119
Terry Pratehett
Granny pulled gently at Diamanda’s eyelid.produced a penknife.“What the hell are you doing?”“Going to put it out of its misery, Esme.”“Doesn’t look miserable to me.”Nanny Ogg’s eyes gleamed speculatively.“Could soon arrange that, Esme.”“Don’t go torturing it just because it’s lying down, Gytha.”“Damn well ain’t waiting for it to stand up again, Esme.”“Gytha.”“Well, they used to carry off babies.

George Stubbs Lion Devouring a Horse

2009-04-20T00:13:00.000-07:00

George Stubbs Lion Devouring a HorseUnknown Artist Sea of Cortez Cabo San LucasLeroy Neiman Washington Square ParkLeroy Neiman The Brooklyn Bridge
at the fire distractedly with an iron bar.
“Oh, well, us had a big whirlwind on Hogswatch-
night and one of Mother Peason’s hens laid the same
egg three times, and old Poorchick’s cow gave birth to a
seven-headed snake, and there was a rain of frogs over in
Slice—“
“Been pretty “I should beat it up before it gets cold,” said Nanny Ogg.
49
Terry Pratchett
“Weren’t my fault. Mum! How could I stop ‘em?”
Nanny sat back in the chair, smiling happilynormal, then,” said Nanny Ogg. She refilled her pipe in a casual but meaningful way.“All very quiet, really,” said Jason. He pulled the bar out of the fire, laid it on the anvil, and raised his hammer.“I’ll find out sooner or later, you know,” said NannyOgg.Jason didn’t turn his head, but his hammer stopped in mid-air.“I always does, you know,” said Nanny Ogg.The iron cooled from the color of fresh straw to bright red.“You knows you always feels better for telling your old mum,” said Nanny Ogg.The iron cooled from red to spitting black. But Jason, ‘ used all day to the searing heat of a forge, seemed to be uncomfortably warm.

Thomas Kinkade The Beginning of a Perfect Day

2009-04-17T00:19:00.000-07:00

Thomas Kinkade The Beginning of a Perfect DayThomas Kinkade Sunset at Riverbend FarmThomas Kinkade Seaside Hideaway
Hardly anyone really believes in thunder gods any more . . .
Ow.
"Listen, friend. I've got no time for talking to some pantywaister in a sheet. Where's the gods of Ephebe and Tsort?"
lo, clutching at his nose, waved vaguely towards the center of the hall.
"You nidn't naf to ndo dat!" he said reproachfully.
Om strode across the hall.
In the center dome on top of the tiny Cori Celesti, he would undoubtedly see himself, looking down on an even smaller model . . . and so on, down to the point where the universe coiled up like the tail of an ammonite, a kind of creature that lived millions of years ago and never believed in any gods at all . . .
The gods clustered around it, watching intently.
Om elbowed aside a minor Goddess of Plenty.
There were dice floating just above the world, and a mess of little clay figures and gaming counters. You didn't need to be even slightly omnipotent to know what was going on.
"He hid by nose!"of the room was what at first looked like a round table, and then looked like a model of the Discworld, Turtle, elephants and all, and then in some undefinable way looked like the real Discworld, seen from far off yet brought up close to. There was something subtly wrong about the distances, a feeling of vast space curled up small. But possibly the real Discworld wasn't covered with a network of glowing lines, hovering just above the surface. Or perhaps miles above the surface?Om hadn't seen this before, but he knew what it was. Both a wave and a particle; both a map and the place mapped. If he focused on the tiny glittering
Om turned around.

Claude Monet Vase Of Flowers

2009-04-16T00:30:00.000-07:00

Claude Monet Vase Of FlowersClaude Monet The women in the GardenClaude Monet The Picnic
iron device."
"Yes." The man took a deep breath-half-breath, half-gulp. "People say . . . the guards said . . . you have my father in prison and you might . . . I plead . . ."
Vorbis looked down at the man.
"But you fear," he said, "that I might have you thrown into the cells as well. You think I am that sort of person. You fear that I may think, this man has associated with heretics and blasphemers in familiar circumstances . . ."
The man continued to stare fixedly at the ground. Vorbis's fingers curled gently around his chin and raised his head until they were eye to eye.
"What you"Do we know where he lives?"
"Yes, lord."
"Good."
The inquisitor hesitated.
"And this . . . device, lord?" have done is a good thing," he said. He looked at one of the guards. "Is this man's father still alive?""Yes, lord.""Still capable of walking?"The inquisitor shrugged. "Ye-es, lord.""Then release him this instant, put him in the charge of his dutiful son here, and send them both back home."The armies of hope and fear fought in the informant's eyes."Thank you, lord," he said."Go in peace."Vorbis watched one of the guards escort the man from the garden. Then he waved a hand vaguely at one of the head inquisitors.

Paul Cezanne Five Bathers

2009-04-15T00:20:00.000-07:00

Paul Cezanne Five BathersPaul Cezanne Boy in a Red WaistcoatPaul Cezanne Apples Peaches Pears and GrapesLaurie Maitland Symphony in Red and Khaki II
You got to remember there's three basic approaches to philosophy in these parts," said Didactylos. "Tell him, Urn."
"There's the Xenoists," said Urn promptly. "They say the world is basically complex and random. And there's the Ibidians. They say the world is basically simple and follows certain fundamental rules."
"And there's .
Omnia was based on one book. And here were . . . hundreds . . .
"Well, they can if they want," said Urn. "But no one comes in here much. These aren't books for reading. They're more for writing."
"Wisdom of the ages, this," said Didactylos. "Got to write a book, see, to prove you're a philosopher. Then you get your scroll and free official philosopher's loofah."me," said Didactylos, pulling a scroll out of its rack."Master says basically it's a funny old world," said Urn."And doesn't contain enough to drink," said Didactylos."And doesn't contain enough to drink.""Gods," said Didactylos, half to himself. He pulled out another scroll. "You want to know about gods? Here's Xeno's Reflections, and old Aristocrates' Platitudes, and Ibid's bloody stupid Discourses, and Legibus's Geometries and Hierarch's Theologies . . . "Didactylos's fingers danced across the racks. More dust filled the air."These are all books?" said Brutha."Oh, yes. Everyone writes 'em here. You just can't stop the buggers.""And people can read them?" said Brutha

Henri Matisse Pink Nude

2009-04-13T23:11:00.001-07:00

Henri Matisse Pink NudeHenri Matisse OdalisquesHenri Matisse OdalisqueHenri Matisse Music
Fortunately, the same awareness of shapes that made the tortoise so prominent in a square full of scurrying humans and ushered Brutha into a small, barely furnished room. He pointed meaningfully at a stool.
Brutha sat down. The priest vanished behind a curtain. Brutha took one glance around the room and-
Blackness engulfed him. Before he could move, and Brutha's reflexes were not well coordinated at the best of times, a voice by his ear said, "Now, brother, do not panic. I order you not to panic."
There was cloth in front of Brutha's face.
"Just nod, boy."made the tortoise's one eye swivel upwards in dread anticipation.Eagles are single-minded creatures. Once the idea of lunch is fixed in their mind, it tends to remain there until satisfied. There were two Divine Legionaries outside Vorbis's quarters. They looked sideways at Brutha as he knocked timorously at the door, as if looking for a reason to assault him.A small gray priest opened the door

Caravaggio Madonna di Loreto

2009-04-13T00:32:00.000-07:00

Caravaggio Madonna di LoretoThomas Moran Grand CanyonJean Francois Millet The sower
way away and, further off -
A column of and looking for his hat, an inner part of his brain had been observing, assessing, analysing and comparing.
Now it crept up to his cerebellum, tapped it on the shoulder, thrust a message into its hand and ran for it.
The message ran something like this: I hope I find me well. The last trial of magic has been too much for the tortured fabric of reality. It has opened a hole. I am in the Dungeon Dimensions. And the things in front of me are ... the Things. It has been nice knowing me.daylight.It hummed and swayed in the air, a three-dimensional hole into somewhere else. Occasional flurries of snow blew out of it. He could see skewed images in the light, that might be buildings or landscapes warped by the weird curvature. But he couldn't see them very clearly, because of the tall, brooding shadows that surrounded it.The human mind is an astonishing thing. It can operate on several levels at once. And, in fact, while Rincewind had been wasting his intellect in groaning

Camille Pissarro Rue de Louveciennes 1872

2009-04-10T00:13:00.000-07:00

Camille Pissarro Rue de Louveciennes 1872Camille Pissarro Pissarro Hyde ParkCamille Pissarro Jardin Mirbeau aux Damps
chimera's technique was to swoop low over the prey, lightly boiling it with its fiery breath, and then turn and rend its dinner if it had a mind.
The hat and its wearer also strode purposefully across the rubble that had been the legendary Rhoxie to the foot of the tower of sourcery, their unwilling entourage straggling along behind them.
There were doors at the foot of the tower. Unlike those of Unseen University, which with its teeth. It managed the fire part but then, at the point where experience told the creature it should be facing a stricken and terrified victim, found itself on the ground in the path of a scorched and furious Luggage.The only thing incandescent about the Luggage was its rage. It had spent several hours with a headache, during which it had seemed the whole world had tried to attack it. It had had enough.When it had stamped the unfortunate chimera into a greasy puddle on the sand it paused for a moment, apparently considering its future. It was becoming clear that not belonging to anyone was a lot harder than it had thought. It had vague, comforting recollections of service and a wardrobe to call its own.It turned around very slowly, pausing frequently to open its lid. It might have been sniffing the air, if it had a nose. At last it made up its mind,

Vincent van Gogh Vegetable Gardens in Montmartre

2009-04-09T01:25:00.000-07:00

Vincent van Gogh Vegetable Gardens in MontmartreVincent van Gogh Vegetable gardens at the MontmartreVincent van Gogh Still life with a bottle of lemons and oranges
'What's he doing?' Spelter whispered.
'I'm not exactly sure,' murmured Carding. 'As far as we can understand it, he's creating a new home for wizardry'
Streamers of coloured light flashed about the indistinct ovoid, like a distant thunderstorm. The glow lit Coin's preoccupied face from below, giving it the semblance of a mask.
'I don't see how we will all fit in,' the bursar said. 'Carding, last night I saw-’
'It is finished,' a doorway instantly appeared. He marched out through it, leaving the wizards to follow him.
He went through the Archchancellor's garden, followed by a gaggle of wizards in the same way that a comet is followed by its tail, and didn't stop until he reached the banks of the Ankh. There were some hoary old willows here, and the river flowed, or at any rate moved, in said Coin. He held up the egg, which flashed occasionally from some inner light and gave off tiny white prominences. Not only was it a long way off, Spelter thought, it was also extremely heavy; it went right through heaviness and out the other side, into that strange negative realism where lead would be a vacuum. He grabbed Carding's sleeve again.'Carding, listen, it's important, listen, when I looked in-''I really wish you’d stop doing that.''But the staff, his staff, it's not-’Coin stood up and pointed the staff at the wall, where

Edward Hopper Carolina Morning

2009-04-08T01:29:00.000-07:00

Edward Hopper Carolina MorningEdward Hopper New York New Haven and HartfordEdgar Degas Rehearsal on the Stage
passed.
He looked up as an elderly striped mattress was extruded from an upper window and flopped down on to the flagstones below. After a pause, apparently to catch its breath, it rose a little from the ground. Then it started to float Rincewind backed away until something touched the back of his legs and froze his spine. It turned out to be a stone seat. He watched it for some time. It didn't seem in any hurry to run away. He sat down gratefully.
There's probably a natural explanation, he thought. Or a perfectly normal unnatural one, anyway.
A gritty noise made him look across the lawn.purposefully across the lawn and bore down on Rincewind, who managed to jump out of its way just in time. He heard a high-pitched chittering and caught a glimpse of thousands of determined little legs under the bulging fabric before it hurtled onward. Even the bedbugs were on the move, and in case they didn't find such comfortable quarters elsewhere they were leaving nothing to chance. One of them waved at him and squeaked a greeting.

Thomas Kinkade A Holiday Gathering

2009-04-07T00:59:00.001-07:00

Thomas Kinkade A Holiday GatheringCaravaggio The Entombment of ChristCaravaggio Boy with a Basket of Fruit
stopped.
‘I’m not breathing, am I.’ It wasn’t a question. She held a hand in front of her face and huffed on it.
NO.
‘I see. I’ve never enjoyed myself so much in all my life . . . ha! So . . . when
-?’MANY CHANGES.
‘I mean that I appear to be younger.’
THAT’S WHAT I MEANT ALSO.
He snapped his fingers. Binky stopped his grazing by the hedge and trotted over.
‘You know,’ said Miss Flitworth, ‘I’ve often thought . . . I often thought that everyone has their, you know, natural age. You see children of ten who act as though they’re thirty-five. Some people are born middle-aged, even. It’d be nice to think I’ve been . . .’ she looked down at herself, ‘oh, let’s say YOU KNOW WHEN YOU SAID THAT SEEING ME GAVE YOU QUITE A START? ‘Yes?’I GAVE YOU QUITE A STOP.Miss Flitworth didn’t appear to hear him. She kept turning her hand backwards and forwards, as if she’d never seen it before. ‘I see you made a few changes, Bill Door,’ she said.NO. IT IS LIFE THAT MAKES

Camille Pissarro Place du Theatre Francais

2009-04-06T00:28:00.000-07:00

Camille Pissarro Place du Theatre FrancaisCamille Pissarro Landscape at ChaponvalSir Henry Raeburn Boy And Rabbit
they can find the time from their eternal family squabbles.’ And then he thought: well, what now? I’ve thought, and what am I going to do? Rush off, of course. But slowly.
The centre of the heap of trolleys was no longer visible. Something was going on. A pale blue glow hung over the huge out, it split and crumbled. White objects cascaded out, were caught by the wind, and fountained over Ankh-Morpork and the watching crowds.
One of them zig-zagged gently down across the rooftops and landed at the feet of Windle Poons as he lurched outside the Library. It was still damp, and there was writing on it. At least, an attempt at writing. It looked like the strange organic inscription of the snowflake balls - words created by something that was not at all at home with words:
Sole S~l~ I I solre !~~
d b,pyramid of twisted metal, and there were occasional flashes of lightning deep within the pile. Trolleys slammed into it like asteroids accreting around the core of a new planet, but a few arrivals did something else. They headed for tunnels that had opened within the structure, and disappeared into the glittering core. Then there was a movement at the tip of the mountain and something thrust its way up through the broken metal. Et, was a glistening spike, supporting a globe about two metres across. It did nothing very much for a minute or two and then, as the breeze dried it

Frida Kahlo Self Portrait with Monkeys

2009-04-03T00:44:00.000-07:00

Frida Kahlo Self Portrait with MonkeysFrida Kahlo Self Portrait 1940Frida Kahlo My Dress Hangs There
was just a thought,’ said Ridcully.’Come on, let’s have a look at the rest of those heaps.’
‘Yeah!’ said the Dean, now in the grip of a wild, unwizardly machismo.’We’re mean! Yeah! Are we mean?’
The Archchancellor raised his eyebrows, and then turned to the rest of the wizards.
‘Are we mean?’ he said.
‘Er. I’m feeling reasonably mean,’ said the Lecturer in Recent Runes.
‘I’m masculine bonding-ritual overtones.’
‘What? What? Like “jolly good”?’ said Ridcully.
‘I suppose so,’ said the Senior Wrangler, reluctantly.
Ridcully was pleased. Ankh-Morpork had never offered very good
prospects for hunting. He’d neverdefinitely very mean, I think,’ said the Bursar.‘It’s having no boots that does it,’ he added.‘I’ll be mean if everyone else is,’ said the Senior Wrangler.The Archchancellor turned back to the Dean.‘Yes,’ he said, ‘it appears that we are all mean.’‘Yo!’ said the Dean.‘Yo what?’ said Ridcully.‘It’s not a yo what, it’s just a yo,’ said the Senior Wrangler, behind him.’It’s a general street greeting and affirmative with convivial military ingroup and

Caravaggio The Sacrifice of Isaac

2009-04-02T00:33:00.000-07:00

Caravaggio The Sacrifice of IsaacCaravaggio The MusiciansCaravaggio St Jerome
surprised at their Archchancellor’s look of contrite embarrassment.’I’ve been busy. You know how it is.’
‘She said to be sure to remind you she’s expecting both of us over for lunch on Hogswatchday.’
‘I ,’ said Ridcully.’Now then, his Eminence the Chief Priest and
myself have decided -‘
The Dean glowered at a very small bishop.
‘He kicked me! He kicked me!’
‘Ooo! I never did, my son.’
‘You bloody well did,’ the Dean hissed. ‘Sideways, so they wouldn’t see!’ ‘- have decided -‘ repeated Ridcully, glaring haven’t forgotten,’ said Ridcully, glumly. ‘I’m looking forward to it.’ He turned to the melee behind them.‘Cut it out, you fellows,’ he said.‘Brethren! Desist!’ bellowed the Chief Priest.The Senior Wrangler released his grip on the head of the high priest of the Cult of Hinki. A couple of curates stopped kicking the Bursar. There was a general adjustment of clothing, a finding of hats and a bout of embarrassed coughing.‘That’s better

Franz Marc Rehe im Schnee

2009-04-01T00:21:00.000-07:00

Franz Marc Rehe im SchneeFranz Marc Reh im KlostergartenFranz Marc Pferd in LandschaftFranz Marc KüheFranz Marc Horse in a Landscape
health!’ said Windle Poons.
The Archchancellor drummed his fingers on the table.
‘Mr Poons, ‘ he said, ‘are you quite sure?’
Windle had gone off at a tangent.’Any more of these toturerillas? Not that
I flu epidemic over Quirm way, I’m told.’
‘Quite a storm last night, too. Lots of shipwrecks, I daresay, ‘ said the Lecturer in Recent Runes.
‘And of course it’s springtime, when you get a great many avalanches in the mountains.’
‘And plagues.’
The Archchancellor stroked his beard thoughtfully.call it proper food,’ he said, ‘dippin’ bits of hard bikky in sludge, what’s so specialabout that? What I could do with right now ?is? one of Mr Dibbler’s famous meat pies -‘ And then he died.The Archchancellor glanced at his fellow wizards, and then tiptoed across to the wheelchair and lifted a blueveined wrist to check the pulse. He shook his head.‘That’s the way I want to go, ‘ said the Dean.‘What, muttering about meat pies?’ said the Bursar.‘No. Late.’‘Hold on. Hold on,’ said the Archchancellor.’This isn’t right, you know. According to tradition, Death himself turns up for the death of a wiz - ‘ ‘Perhaps He was busy, ‘ said the Bursar hurriedly. ‘That’s right,’ said the Dean.’Bit of a serious

Frida Kahlo Fruits of the Earth

2009-03-31T00:30:00.000-07:00

Frida Kahlo Fruits of the EarthRembrandt Christ In The StormThomas Stiltz The Best of CakebreadThomas Stiltz Five First GrowthsPino Soft Light
You can’t nearly hear voices,’ said Victor, in the hope that his own rational mind would believe him. ‘You either hear them or you don’t. Listen, we’re both just tired. That’s all it is. We’ve been working hard and, er, not getting much sleep, so it’s understandable that we think we’re nearly hearing and seeing things.’
‘Oh, so you’re ‘I’m afraid my dog is under your seat,’ said Victor.
‘Is it ill?’ said Dibbler.
‘I’m afraid it always smells like that.’
‘Don’t you think it would be a good idea to give it a bath?’
A mutter on the edge of hearing said: ‘Do you think it would nearly seeing things, are you?’ said Ginger triumphantly. ‘And don’t you go around using that calm and reasonable tone of voice on me,’ she added. ‘I hate it when people go around being calm and reasonable at me.’‘I hope you two lovebirds aren’t having a tiff?’Victor and Ginger stiffened. Dibbler clambered up into the opposite seat, and leered encouragingly at them. Soll followed. There was a slam as the driver shut the carriage door.‘We’ll stop for a meal when we’re halfway,’ said Dibbler,. as they lurched forward. He hesitated, and then sniffed suspiciously.‘What’s that smell?’ he said.

Jean Fragonard The Swing

2009-03-30T00:16:00.000-07:00

Jean Fragonard The SwingJean Fragonard The Fountain of LoveJoaquin Sorolla y Bastida Valencia's PortJoaquin Sorolla y Bastida The Pink RobeJoaquin Sorolla y Bastida Port of Valencia
shut up,’ said Ginger. She stood up and brushed the dust off her dress. Detritus blinked. People didn’t usually tell him to shut up. A few worried fault‑lines appeared on his brow. He turned and tried another loom, this time aimed at Victor.
‘Young Mr Dibbler don’t like‑‘
‘Oh, go away,’ snapped Victor, and wandered off after her.
Detritus stoodglanced at the sun. ‘We’ve lost a lot of time,’ he added, ‘so let’s not waste any more.’
‘Fancy you being able to get C.M.O.T. to give in like that,’ said Victor.
‘He had no argument at all. He’s gone back to his office to sulk, I expect,’ said Soll loftily. ‘OK, everyone, let’s all get‑‘ alone and screwed up his eyes in the effort of thought. Of course, people did occasionally say things like ‘Go away’ and ‘Shut up’ to him, but always with the tremor of terrified bravado in their voice, and so naturally he always riposted ‘Hur hur’ and hit them. But no-one had ever spoken to him as if his existence was the last thing in the world they could possibly be persuaded to worry about. His massive shoulders sagged. Perhaps all this hanging around Ruby was bad for him.Soll was standing over the artist who lettered the cards. He looked up as Victor and Ginger approached.‘Right,’ he said, ‘places, everyone. We’ll go straight on to the ballroom scene.’ He looked pleased with himself.‘Are the words all sorted out?’ said Victor.‘No problem,’ said Soll proudly. He

Thomas Kinkade Evening Glow

2009-03-27T00:21:00.000-07:00

Thomas Kinkade Evening GlowCamille Pissarro Still LifeCamille Pissarro Morning Sunlight on the SnowCamille Pissarro Boulevard MontmarteClaude Lorrain The Rest on the Flight into Egypt
you don’t think I’m going to go around paying people to have days off, do you? I’m not trade of money, you know. It’s not as if we make a profit, even. Hold a crossbow to my head, why don’t you.’
Gaspode looked at the bags in front of Soll, who was furiously adding up piles of coins. He raised a cynical eyebrow.
There was a pause. Oh, no, thought Gaspode. The young idiot’s forgetting his lines.
‘I don’t want paying, Mr Dibbler.’
Gaspode of Soll.
‘Untied Alchemists!’
‘They really look as if they’re making progress with soundies, Mr Dibbler,’ said Victor meekly.
‘But they’re amateurs! And crooks!’
Gaspode frowned. He hadn’t been able to coach Victor past this stage. relaxed. ‘You don’t want paying?’ ‘No, Mr Dibbler.’ ‘But you want a job when you get back, I suppose?’ said Dibbler sarcastically. Gaspode tensed. Victor had taken a lot of coaching. ‘Well, I hope so, Mr Dibbler. But I was thinking of going to see what Untied Alchemists had to offer.’ There was a sound exactly like the sound of a chairback striking the wall. Gaspode grinned evilly. Another bag of money was dropped in front

Bartolome Esteban Murillo The Little Fruit Seller

2009-03-26T00:35:00.000-07:00

Bartolome Esteban Murillo The Little Fruit SellerFilippino Lippi The Marriage of St CatherineFilippino Lippi AllegoryBartolome Esteban Murillo A Girl and her DuennaCaravaggio The Incredulity of Saint Thomas
they’ll say we went bankrupt!’
‘Look, I know where I can get some coloured woodcuts done at practically cost–’
‘–I was finking, maybe if I got some string and tied the moving picture box on to wheels, so it can be moved around–’
‘‘More . . . more of a device,’ said the Bursar uncertainly. He gave it a prod. Several of the pottery elephants wobbled. ‘Riktor the Tinkerer built it, I think. It was before my time.’
It looked like a large, ornate pot, almost as high as a man of large pot height. Around its rim eight pottery elephants hung from little bronze chains; one of them swung backwards and forwards at the Bursar’s touch. People’ll say, that Silverfish, there’s a moving-picture-smith with the guts to give the people what they want, they’ll say. A man to roll back the wossname of the medium–’ ‘–maybe if I was to make a sort of pole and swivel arrangement, we could bring the picture box right up close to–’ ‘What? You think they’ll say that?’ ‘Trust me, Tommy.’ ‘Well . . . all right. All right. But no elephants. I want to make that absolutely clear. No elephants.’ ‘Looks weird to me,’ said the Archchancellor. ‘Looks like a bunch of pottery elephants. Thought you said it was a machine?’

Unknown Artist city dancers

2009-03-25T20:56:00.000-07:00

Unknown Artist city dancersJames Jacques Joseph Tissot Too EarlyHenri Rousseau Woman Walking in an Exotic ForestHenri Rousseau warHenri Rousseau Two Monkeys in the Jungle
him back, then. No life for a man, bein’ a monkey.’
‘Ape, Archchancellor. And he seems to prefer it, I’m afraid.’
‘How ?’
The Bursar had been dreading this. ‘ "Oook", Archchancellor,’ he said.
‘That was the same oook as the other oook!’
‘Oh, no. No. I assure you. There’s a different inflection . . . I mean, when you get used to . . . ,’ the Bursar shrugged. ‘I suppose we’ve just got into the way of understanding him, Archchancellor.’
‘Well, at least he keeps himself fit,’ said the Archchancellor nastily. ‘Not like d’yer know?’ said the Archchancellor suspiciously. ‘Speaks, does he?’ The Bursar hesitated. There was always this trouble with the Librarian. Everyone had got so accustomed to him it was hard to remember a time when the Library was not run by a yellow-fanged ape with the strength of three men. If the abnormal goes on long enough it becomes the normal. It was just that, when you came to explain it to a third party, it sounded odd. He coughed nervously. ‘He says "cook", Archchancellor,’ he said. ‘And what’s that mean?’ ‘Means "no", Archchancellor.’ ‘And how does he say "yes", then

Paul Klee Insula Dulcamara

2009-03-23T00:55:00.000-07:00

Paul Klee Insula DulcamaraPaul Klee Fish MagicPaul Klee Around the FishPaul Klee Ancient SoundRene Magritte Homesickness
identity when it is at rest - usually about fifty feet into the rubble of what remains of the mountain it just ran into at neartall man patiently.
'Because you shot it.'
'I was aiming at the tortoise. You know, trying to combine two experiments, cut down on expensive research time, make full use of available-' Xeno gestured with the bow, which now had another arrow in it.
'Excuse me,' said Teppic. 'Could you put it down a minute? Me and my friend have come a long way and it would be nice not to be shot at again.'
These two seem harmless, he thought, and almost believed it.
He whistled. On cue, Ptraci came around the dune, leading You Bastard. Teppic doubted the capability light-speed. The puzuma is rumoured to be about the size of a leopard with a rather unique black and white check coat, although those specimens discovered by the Disc's sages and philosophers have inclined them to declare that in its natural state the puzuma is flat, very thin, and dead.) The tall man gave Teppic a nod. 'Take no notice of him, boy,' he said. 'He's just covering himself because of the accident last week.' 'The tortoise did beat the hare,' said Xeno sulkily. 'The hare was dead, Xeno,' said the

Jack Vettriano Scarlet Ribbons Lovely Ribbons

2009-03-20T01:46:00.000-07:00

Jack Vettriano Scarlet Ribbons Lovely RibbonsJack Vettriano Sailor BoysJack Vettriano Round MidnightJack Vettriano Riviera retroJack Vettriano Ritual of Courtship
Teppic stared at them. Apart from the colours, their clothes were cut off the edge of the latest fashion, which was currently inclining towards wide hats, padded shoulders, narrow waists and pointed shoes and gave its followers the appearance of being very well-dressed nails.
I'm going to be like them, he told himself.
Although Teppic looked up. There was a senior assassin standing beside him, with a purple teaching sash over his robes. It was the first assassin he'd seen, apart from Vyrt. The man was pleasant enough. You could imagine him making sausages.
'Are you talking to me?' he said.probably better dressed, he added. He recalled Uncle Vyrt, sitting out on the steps overlooking the Djel on one of his brief, mysterious visits. 'Satin and leather are no good. Or jewellery of any kind. You can't have anything that will shine or squeak or clink. Stick to rough silk or velvet. The important thing is not how many people you inhume, it's how many fail to inhume you.' He'd been moving at an unwise pace, which might assist now. As he arced over the emptiness of the alley he twisted in the air, thrust out his arms desperately, and felt his fingertips brush a ledge on the building opposite. It was enough to pivot him; he swung around, hit the crumbling brickwork with sufficient force to knock what remained of his breath out of him, and slid down the sheer wall. 'Boy!'

Thomas Kinkade Cobblestone Evening

2009-03-18T23:16:00.000-07:00

Thomas Kinkade Cobblestone EveningThomas Kinkade Cape Hatteras LightJohn Collier Priestess of DelphiVincent van Gogh Starry Night over the Rhone ILeonardo da Vinci the picture of the last supper
'Witches just aren't like that,' said Magrat. 'We live in harmony with the great cycles of Nature, and do no harm to anyone, and it's wicked of them to say we don't. We ought to fill their bones with hot lead.'
The other two looked at her with a certain amount of surprised admiration. She blushed, although not greenly, and looked atsort of thing,' said Granny, a little more firmly this time. 'We'd never hear the last of it.'
'Why don't we just change the words?' said Magrat. 'When they come back on stage we could just put the 'fluence on them so they forget what they're saying, and give them some new words.'
'I suppose you're an expert at theatre words?' said Granny sarcastically. 'They'd have her knees.'Goodie Whemper did a recipe,' she confessed. 'It's quite easy. What you do is, you get some lead, and you—''I don't think that would be appropriate,' said Granny carefully, after a certain amount of internal struggle. 'It could give people the wrong idea.''But not for long,' said Nanny wistfully.'No, we can't be having with that

Salvador Dali Manhattan Skyline

2009-03-17T22:21:00.000-07:00

Salvador Dali Manhattan SkylineMartin Johnson Heade Cattleya Orchid and Three Brazilian HummingbirdsCaravaggio The Raising of LazarusCaravaggio Beheading of Saint John the BaptistJohannes Vermeer Woman with a Pearl Necklace
good, your graciousness,' said Nanny Ogg. She turned and observed the crowding ghosts behind him, who hadn't been granted the privilege of sitting at, or partly through, the kitchen table.
'But you lot can bugger off back to the outhouse,' she said. 'The cheek! Except the kiddies, they can stay,' she added. Nanny brightened up. 'Our Karen got married to an innkeeper from there,' she said. 'I haven't seen the baby yet. We could get free board and everything.'
'We needn't actually go. The whole point is that he should come here. There's something 'Poor little mites.''I am afraid it feels so good to be out of the castle,' said the king.Granny Weatherwax yawned.'Anyway,' she said, 'we've got to find the boy now. That's the next step.''We shall look for him directly after lunch.''Lunch?''It's chicken,' said Nanny. 'And you're tired. Besides, making a decent search will take a long time.''He'll be in Ankh-Morpork,' said Granny. 'Mark my words. Everyone ends up there. We'll start with Ankh-Morpork. You don't have to search for people when destiny is involved, you just wait for them in Ankh-Morpork.'

John Singleton Copley The Copley Family

2009-03-16T23:10:00.000-07:00

John Singleton Copley The Copley FamilyJohn Singleton Copley Brook Watson And The SharkThomas Cole Home in the WoodsPierre Auguste Renoir At The TheatrePierre Auguste Renoir The Large Bathers
knew you when you were a gel,' said Nanny sullenly. 'Stuck-up, you were.'
'At least I spent most of the time upright,' said Granny. 'Disgustin', that was. Everyone thought so.'
'How would you know?' snapped Nanny.
'You were the talk of the whole village,' said Granny.
'And you were, too! They called you the Ice Maiden. Never knew that, did you?' sneered Nanny.
'I wouldn't sully my lips by sayin' what they called you,' shouted Granny.
'Oh yes?' shrieked Nanny. 'Well, let me tell you, my good woman—'
'Don't you dare talk to me in that tone of voice! I'm not anyone's good woman—'
'Right!'
There was'Madam!'
Thunder rolled in the distance. The permanent Lancre storm, after a trip through the foothills, had drifted back towards the mountains for a one-night stand. The last rays of sunset shone livid through the clouds, and fat drops of water began to thud on the witches' pointed hats. another silence while they stared at one another, nose to nose, but this silence was a whole quantum level of animosity higher than the last one; you could have roasted a turkey in the heat of this silence. There was no more shouting. Things had got far too bad for shouting. Now the voices came in low and full of menace.'I should have known better than to listen to Magrat,' growled Granny. 'This coven business is ridiculous. It attracts entirely the wrong sort of people.''I'm very glad we had this little talk,' hissed Nanny Ogg. 'Cleared the air.'She looked down.'And you're in my territory, madam.'

Camille Pissarro Place du Theatre Francais

2009-03-15T22:20:00.000-07:00

Camille Pissarro Place du Theatre FrancaisCamille Pissarro Landscape at ChaponvalSir Henry Raeburn Boy And RabbitJean Fragonard Young Girl ReadingJean Fragonard The Stolen Kiss
never did. I just encouraged . . . things to take their course.' Granny Weatherwax frowned. 'He didn't have no respect. Once people lose their respect, it means trouble.'
'Izzy wizzy wazzy, den.' ,
'That other man brought him out here to save him!' shouted Magrat. 'He wanted us to keep him safe! It's obvious! when she was unsure about things. Besides, they had retired to Magrat's cottage, and the decor was getting to her, because Magrat believed in Nature's wisdom and elves and the healing power of colours and the cycle of the seasons and a lot of other things Granny Weatherwax didn't have any truck with.It's destiny!''Oh, obvious,' said Granny. 'I'll grant you it's obvious. Trouble is, just because things are obvious doesn't mean they're true.'She weighed the crown in her hands. It felt very heavy, in a way that went beyond mere pounds and ounces.'Yes, but the point is—' Magrat began.'The point is,' said Granny, 'that people are going to come looking. Serious people. Serious looking. Pull-down-the-walls and burn-off-the-thatch looking. And—''Howsa boy, den?''—And, Gytha , I'm sure we'll all be a lot happier if you'd stop gurgling like that!' Granny snapped. She could feel her nerves coming on. Her nerves always played up
'You're not after telling me how to look after a child,' snapped Nanny Ogg mildly. 'And me with

Edward Hopper First Row Orchestra

2009-03-13T01:24:00.000-07:00

Edward Hopper First Row OrchestraEdward Hopper El PalacioEdward Hopper Dawn In Pennsylvania
'There's some kind of boy emperor,' said Mort. 'But the top man is really the Grand Vizier, I think.'
'Never his back and helped Ysabell down.
'Just don't get in the way, will you?' he said urgently. 'And don't ask questions either.'
He ran up some lacquered steps and hurried through the silent rooms, pausing occasionally to take his bearings from the hourglass. At last he sidled down a corridor and peered through an ornate lattice into a long low room where the Court was at its evening meal.trust a Grand Vizier,' said Ysabell wisely.In fact the Sun Emperor didn't. The Vizier, whose name was Nine Turning Mirrors, had some very clear views about who should run the country, e.g., that it should be him, and now the boy was getting big enough to ask questions like 'Don't you think the wall would look better with a few gates in it?' and 'Yes, but what is it like on the other side?' he had decided that in the Emperor's own best interests he should be painfully poisoned and buried in quicklime.Binky landed on the raked gravel outside the low, many-roomed palace, severely rearranging the harmony of the off

Sung Kim Overlook Cafe II

2009-03-11T20:10:00.000-07:00

Sung Kim Overlook Cafe IISung Kim Overlook Cafe ISung Kim Escape
Death stood with the third glass in his hand, staring thoughtfully at the play of light across its surface. He sighed.
ONE so YOUNG. . . .
'Are you feeling all right, master?' said Albert, his voice full of concern.
TIME LIKE AN EVER-ROLLING STREAM BEARS ALL ITS. . . .
'Master!'
WHAT? said Death, snapping out of it. 'You've been overdoing it, master, that's what it is—'
WHAT ARE YOU BLATHERING ABOUT, MAN?
'You had a'Sadness, master. I think. Now —'
I AM SADNESS.
Albert stood with his mouth open. Finally he got a grip on himself long enough to blurt out, 'Master, we were talking about Mort!' bit of a funny turn there, master.'NONSENSE. I HAVE NEVER FELT BETTER. NOW, WHAT WERE WE TALKING ABOUT?Albert shrugged, and peered down at the entries in the book.'Goodie's a witch,' he said. 'She might get a bit annoyed if you send Mort.'All practitioners of magic earned the right, once their own personal sands had run out, of being claimed by Death himself rather than his minor functionaries.Death didn't appear to hear Albert. He was staring at Princess Keli's hourglass again.WHAT is THAT SENSE INSIDE YOUR HEAD OF WISTFUL REGRET THAT THINGS ARE THE WAY THEY APPARENTLY ARE?
MORT WHO?

Vincent van Gogh Wheat Field with Crows

2009-03-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

Vincent van Gogh Wheat Field with CrowsVincent van Gogh Mulberry TreeVincent van Gogh Bedroom Arles
'What I don't understand,' said father Lezek, 'is that the birds don't even fly away. I'd fly away, if I saw it coining towards me.'
'Ah. The human body's a wonderful thing. I mean, his legs go all over the place but there's a fair turn of speed there.'
Mort reached the end of a furrow. An overfull woodpigeon lurched slowly out of his way.
'His heart's in the right place, mind,' said Lezek, carefully.
'Ah. 'Courseyou could wish to meet, it's just that —'
'I know, I know,' said Lezek. 'He couldn't find his arse with both hands.'
They stared at the distant figure. It had fallen over. Some pigeons had waddled over to inspect it.
'He's not stupid, mind,' said Hamesh. 'Not what you'd call stupid.', 'tis the rest of him that isn't.''He's clean about the house. Doesn't eat much,' said Lezek.'No, I can see that.'Lezek looked sideways at his brother, who was staring fixedly at the sky.'I did hear you'd got a place going up at your farm, Hamesh,' he said.'Ah. Got an apprentice in, didn't I?''Ah,' said Lezek gloomily, 'when was that, then?''Yesterday,' said his brother, lying with rattlesnake speed. 'All signed and sealed. Sorry. Look, I got nothing against young Mort, see, he's as nice a boy as

Thomas Kinkade Stairway to Paradise

2009-03-09T23:04:00.001-07:00

Thomas Kinkade Stairway to ParadiseThomas Kinkade NASCAR THUNDERThomas Kinkade London
Granny waited until their footsteps had died away and took off her headscarf.
"Damn thing," she said. "Esk, go and listen at the door." She removed the towel from Simon's head and felt his temperature.
"It was very good of you to come," said Esk. "And you so busy with your work, and everything."
"Mmmph." Granny pursed her lips. She pulled up Simon's eyelids and sought his pulse. She laid an ear on his xylophone chest and listened to his heart. She sat for some time quite motionless, probing around inside his head.
She frowned.
"Is he "What do you mean?"
"Listen to the child," said Granny. "You'd think I taught her nothing. I mean his mind's Wandering. He's gone Out of his Head."
She looked at Simon's body with something verging on admiration.all right?" said Esk anxiously. Granny looked at the stone walls. "Drat this place," she said. "It's no place for sick people." "Yes, but is he all right?" "What?" Granny was startled out of her thoughts. "Oh. Yes. Probably. Wherever he is." Esk stared at her, and then at Simon's body. Granny, simply. "Quite surprisin', really," she added. "I never yet met a wizard who could Borrow."

Leonardo da Vinci Annunciation

2009-03-09T01:19:00.001-07:00

Leonardo da Vinci AnnunciationThomas Kinkade Seaside VillageThomas Kinkade Bridge of Hope
Granny strode up to the tree until her hooked nose was level with Esk's.
"Turning people into pigs is not allowed," she hissed. "Even brothers."
"I his only daughter.
"She did this?"
"Yes. Or it was done through her," said Granny, looking suspiciously at the staff.
"Oh." Smith looked at his fifth son. He had to admit that the shape suited him. He reached out without looking and fetched the screaming Cern a thump on the back of his head.
"Can you turn him back again?" he asked. Granny spun around and glared the question at Esk, who shrugged.
"He didn't believe I could do magic," she said calmly.
"Yes, well, I think you've made the point," said Granny. "And now you will turn him back, madam. This instant. Do you hear?"
"Don't want to. He was rude."
"I see."didn't do it, it just happened. Anyway, you must admit it's a better shape for him," said Esk evenly. "What's going on?" said Smith. "Where's Gulta? What's this pig doing here?" "This pig", said Granny Weatherwax, "is your son." There was a sigh from Esk's mother as she collapsed gently backwards, but Smith was slightly less unprepared. He looked sharply from Gulta, who had managed to untangle himself from his clothing and was now rooting enthusiastically among the early windfalls, to

Franz Marc Fate of the Animals

2009-03-05T23:26:00.000-08:00

Franz Marc Fate of the AnimalsFranz Marc fate animalsFranz Marc Blue Horse
Me and Mr. Billet have things to talk about." He waved his hammer vaguely and, one after another, craning over their shoulders in case the wizard did anything interesting, the audience departed.
The smith drew a couple of stools from under a bench. He took a bottle out of a cupboard by the water tank and poured a couple of very small glasses of clear liquid.
The two men sat and watched the rain and the mist rolling over the bridge. Then the smith said: "I know what son you mean. Old Granny is up with my wife now. Eighth son of an eighth son, of course. It did cross my mind but I never gave it much thought, to be honest. Well, well. A wizard in the family, eh?"
"You "Oh yes." The cat purred as the fingers tickled it behind the ear.
The smith looked embarrassed. "When?"
The wizard thought for a moment. "In about six minutes' time."
"Oh."catch on very quickly," said Billet. The white cat jumped down from its perch, sauntered across the floor and vaulted into the wizard's lap, where it curled up. His thin fingers stroked it absentmindedly. "Well, well," said the smith again. "A wizard in Bad Ass, eh?" "Possibly, possibly," said Billet. "Of course, he'll have to go to University first. He may do very well, of course." The smith considered the idea from all angles, and decided he liked it a lot. A thought struck him. "Hang on," he said. "I'm trying to remember what my father told me. A wizard who knows he's going to die can sort of pass on his sort of wizardness to a sort of successor, right?" "I have never heard it put so succinctly, yes," said the wizard. "So you're going to sort of die?"

Jean-Honore Fragonard l'aurore

2009-03-04T23:54:00.000-08:00

Jean-Honore Fragonard l'auroreJean-Honore Fragonard Cephale et ProcrisEdgar Degas DancerWilliam Beard So You Wanna Get Married
He held up his latest work in a pair of tweezers.
'The strangest thing I have ever made,' he said, 'but practical, I can see that. What did you say they were called again?'
'Din-chewersh,' said Cohen. He looked at the horseshoe shapes nestling in the wrinkled palm of his hand, then opened his mouth and made a series of painful grunting noises.
The door meaty noise, and he half-turned to bring the full force of an elbow into the kidneys as the leader collapsed around his private universe of pain.
'Three,' he told the ball of agony on the floor. Cohen had heard of fighting fair, and had long ago decided he wanted no part of it.
He looked up at the other men, and flashed his incredible srnile.burst open. The men strode in and took up positions around the walls. They were sweating and uncertain, but their leader pushed Cohen aside disdainfully and picked up the dwarf by his shirt.'We tole you yesterday, small stuff,' he said. 'You go ut feet down or feet up, we don't mind. So now we gonna get really —.'Cohen tapped him on the shoulder. The man looked around irritably.'What do you want, grandad?' he snarled.Cohen paused until he had the man's full attention, and then he smiled. It was a slow, lazy smile, unveiling about 300 carats of mouth jewellery that seemed to light up the room.'I will count to three,' he said, in a friendly tone of voice. 'One. Two.' His bony knee came up and buried itself in the man's groin with a satisfyingly

William Bouguereau Yvonne

2009-03-03T21:53:00.000-08:00

William Bouguereau YvonneWilliam Bouguereau Le JourWilliam Bouguereau DawnWilliam Bouguereau Dante and Virgil in Hell
'Dead?' said Rincewind, In the debating chamber of his mind a dozen emotions got to their feet and started shouting. Relief was in full spate when Shock cut in on a point of order and then Bewilderment, Terror and Loss started a from the ranks behind him which roughly meant that however far away Rincewind was he couldn't be further than a nice hot bath, a good meal and a warm bed.
Then the wizard who was tramping along in the rear stopped and said, 'Listen!'
They listened. There were the subtle sounds of winter beginning to close its grip on the land, the creak of rocks, the muted scuffling of small creatures in their tunnels under the blanket of snow. In a distant forest a wolf howled, felt embarrassed when no-one joined in, and stopped. There was the silver sleeting sound of moonlight. There was also the wheezing noise of half a dozen wizards trying to breathe quietly.
'I can't hear a thing—' one began.fight which was ended only when Shame slunk in from next door to see what all the row was about.'No,' said Cohen thoughtfully, 'not exshactly. Just – gone.''Gone where?''I don't know,' said Cohen, 'but I have a map.' Far out on the snowfield half a dozen pinpoints of red light glowed in the shadows.'He's not far away,' said the leading wizard, peering into a small crystal sphere.There was general mutter

Andy Warhol One Blue Pussy

2009-03-02T21:44:00.000-08:00

Andy Warhol One Blue PussyAndy Warhol MarilynAndy Warhol Flowers Red 1964Andy Warhol Fiesta Pig
nuts look very much like acorns, in fact. They can fool practically anybody.'
'Gosh,' said Twoflower, and, What's that bush over there, then?'
'Mistletoe.'
'But it's got . They were, indeed, very big, and had red and white spotted caps. They were in fact a variety that the local shaman (who at this point was some miles away, making friends with a rock) would only eat after first attaching one leg to a large stone with a rope. There was nothing for it but to go out in the rain and look at them.
He knelt down in the leafmould and peered under the cap. After a while he said weakly, 'No, no good to eat at all.'
'Why?' called Twoflower. 'Are the gills the wrong shade of yellow?'thorns and red berries!''Well?' said Rincewind sternly, and stared hard at him. Twoflower broke first.'Nothing,' he said meekly. 'I must have been misinformed.''Right.''But there's some big mushrooms under it. Can you eat them?'Rincewind looked at them cautiously

Vincent van Gogh The Night Cafe in the Place Lamartine in Arles

2009-03-01T22:35:00.000-08:00

Vincent van Gogh The Night Cafe in the Place Lamartine in ArlesVincent van Gogh The good Samaritan DelacroixVincent van Gogh A Novel ReaderLeonardo da Vinci The Virgin and Child With St Anne
dropped the tray she was holding and screamed.
It sounded like the sort of scream that brings muscular help. Rincewind, awash with fear-distilled adrenalin, turned and lights. Among the lights, in contoured chairs, were four men who were now staring at him open-mouthed. As he stared back he saw their gazes dart sideways. Rincewind turned slowly. Beside him was a fifth man - youngish, bearded, as swarthy as the nomad folk of the Great Nef.
"Where am I?" said the wizard. "in the belly barged past her. There were more seats here, and the people in them ducked as he dragged Twoflower urgently along the central gangway. Beyond the rows of seats were little windows. Beyond the windows, against a background of fleecy clouds, was a dragon's wing. It was silver.I've been eaten by a dragon, he thought. That's ridiculous, he replied, you can't see out of dragons. Then his shoulder hit the door at the far end of the tunnel, and he followed it through into a cone-shaped room that was even stranger than the tunnel.It was full of tiny glittering

Jack Vettriano The Blue Gown

2009-02-27T00:23:00.000-08:00

Jack Vettriano The Blue GownJack Vettriano Round MidnightJack Vettriano Narcissistic BathersJack Vettriano Model in White
Though it is too early to say how this relates to perception," Serences said, "it raises the intriguing possibility that we see things we value more clearly — much like the way the brain responds to a bright object versus a dimly lit one."
In factyou like it is, even though you can't consciously identify it."
The findings are reported in the Dec. 26 issue of the journal Neuron. Further study could help researchers better understand how addictions influence information processing, Serences said. Just seeing food or drugs, for example, might have a larger impact on the psyches of some people than others. , the brain seemed to know more than a participant was able to call to mind: The changes in neural activity were a better sign of an object's past value than what subjects recalled when asked about those objects."It's as if the visual system is telling you how valuable something has been to you in the past," Serences said, "and telling it to

Jean Francois Millet Angelus

2009-02-26T19:55:00.000-08:00

Jean Francois Millet AngelusJean Francois Millet Harvesters RestingJean Francois Millet GardenHerbert James Draper Ulysses and the Sirens
they had overlarge tails that were bluish-white and, he realized, throbbing alarmingly. As he was drawn towards the Eye the terrors-truck Rincewind raised the box protectively, and at the same time heard the picture imp say
"They're and came up on his feet. He found his sword and started to chop methodically at the doomed arms.
Rincewind lay on the floor, concentrating on not going mad. A hollow wooden noise made him turn his head.
The Luggage had landed on its curved lid. Now it was rocking angrily and kicking its little legs in the air.
Warily, Rincewind looked around for Twoflower The little man was in a crumpled heap against the wall, but at least he was groaning.
The wizard pulled himself across the floor painfully, and whispered, "What the hell was that?
"Why were they so bright?" muttered Twoflowerabout ripe now, can't hold them any longer. Everyone smile, please."There was a flash of light so white and so bright it didn't seem like light at all.Bel-Shamharoth screamed, a sound that started in the far ultrasonic and finished somewhere in Rincewind's bowels. The tentacles went momentarily as stiff as rods, hurling their various cargoes around the room, before bunching up protectively in front of the abused Eye. The whole mass dropped into the pit and a moment later the big slab was snatched up by several dozen tentacles and slammed into place, leaving a number of thrashing limbs trapped around the edge.Hrun landed rolling, bounced off a wall

Raphael Madonna and Child with Book

2009-02-25T22:02:00.000-08:00

Raphael Madonna and Child with BookGustav Klimt Women FriendsGustav Klimt The BrideGustav Klimt Schubert at the Piano
rapier.
"But I don't know how to use a sword," he wailed.
"Good."
"You know that wizards can't be killed by edged weapons?" said Rincewind desperately. Withel smiled coldly. "So I have heard," he said. "I look forward to putting it to the test." He lunged. Rincewind caught the thrust by sheer luck air before bursting through it, in a gout of red-hot tiles.
Withel stared at the boiling flames, unnerved. And Rincewind leapt. He ducked under the thief's sword arm and brought his own blade around in an arc so incompetently misjudged that it hit the man flat-first and jolted out of the wizard's hand. Sparks and droplets of flaming oil rained down , jerked his hand away in shock, deflected the second stroke by coincidence, and took the third one through his robe at heart-height.There was a clink.Withel's snarl of triumph died in his throat. He drew the sword out and prodded again at the wizard, who was rigid with terror and guilt. There was another clink, and gold coins began to drop out of the hem of the wizard's robe."So you bleed gold, do you?" hissed Withel. "But have you got gold concealed in that raggedy beard, you little-"As his sword went back for his final sweep the sullen glow that had been growing in the doorway of the Broken Drum flickered, dimmed, and erupted into a roaring fireball that sent the walls billowing outward and carried the roof a hundred feet into the

Rene Magritte Personal Values

2009-02-24T23:24:00.000-08:00

Rene Magritte Personal ValuesRene Magritte Dangerous LiaisonsFranz Marc Turm der blauen PferdeFranz Marc Der Traum
In a distant and second-hand set of dimensions, in an astral plane that was never meant to fly, the curling star-mists waver and part...
See...
Great and domed by the baby-blue vault of Heaven.
Astropsychology has been, as yet, unable to establish what they think about.
The Great Turtle was a mere hypothesis until the day the small and secretive kingdom of Krull, whose rim-most mountains project out over the Rimfall, built a gantry and pulley arrangement at the tip of the most precipitous crag and lowered several observers over the Edge in a quartzwindowed brass vessel to peer through the mist veils.A'Tuin the turtle comes, swimming slowly through the interstellar gulf, hydrogen frost on his ponderous limbs, his huge and ancient shell pocked with meteor craters. Through sea-sized eyes that are crusted with rheum and asteroid dust He stares fixedly at the Destination.In a brain bigger than a city, with geological slowness, He thinks only of the Weight.Most of the weight is of course accounted for by Berilia, Tubul, Great T'Phon and Jerakeen, the four giant elephants upon whose broad and startanned shoulders the disc of the World rests, garlanded by the long waterfall at its vast circumference

Titian Sacred and Profane Love

2009-02-23T22:39:00.000-08:00

Titian Sacred and Profane LoveFrancisco de Goya The ParasolBartolome Esteban Murillo Madonna and ChildFrancisco de Zurbaran Still life
But it gave her a surge of strength, and she hauled one girl up out of a snowdrift, and shoved at a boy who was dawdling, and called to them all: "Keep going! Follow the bear's tracks! He come up with the gyptians, so the tracks'll lead us to where they are! Just keep walking!"
Big flakes of snow; but by peering closely, the children could make out the deep trail lorek Byrnison had plowed in the snow. Lyra encouraged, bullied, hit, half-carried, swore at, pushed, dragged, lifted tenderly, wherever it was needed, and Pantalaimon (by the state of each child's daemon) told her what was needed in each case.
I'll get them there, she kept saying to herself. I come here to get 'em and I'll bloody get 'em. were beginning to fall. Soon it would have covered lorek Byrnison's tracks altogether. Now that they were out of sight of the lights of Bolvangar, and the blaze of the fire was only a faint glow, the only light came from the faint radiance of the snow-covered ground. Thick clouds obscured the sky, so there was neither moon nor Northern Lights

Frederic Edwin Church The Icebergs

2009-02-22T22:55:00.001-08:00

Frederic Edwin Church The IcebergsFrederic Edwin Church Twilight in the WildernessJulius LeBlanc Stewart At HomeTitian Sacred and Profane Love
return to the front of the main building."
"And what are you doing to investigate?" she said. "No; on second thought, don't tell me. Please understand, Dr. Cooper, I'm not criticizing out of malice. We have to be quite extraordinarily careful. It was an atrocious lapse to have
Lyra felt a thrill of fear. There was only one thing this could mean.
"Ah," said the doctor, relieved to find the conversation turning to another subject, "there's a real advance. With the first model we could never entirely overcome the risk of " the patient dying of shock, but we've improved that no end."allowed both alarms to be on the same circuit. That must be corrected at once. Possibly the Tartar officer in charge of the guard could help your investigation? I merely mention that as a possibility. Where were the Tartars during the fire drill, by the way? I suppose you have considered that?""Yes, we have," said the man wearily. "The guard was fully occupied on patrol, every man. They keep meticulous records.""I'm sure you're doing your very best," she said. "Well, there we are. A great pity. But enough of that for now. Tell me about the new separator."

Salvador Dali The Ecumenical Council

2009-02-20T22:09:00.000-08:00

Salvador Dali The Ecumenical CouncilSalvador Dali The Cellist Ricardo PichotSalvador Dali My Wife,NudeSalvador Dali Meditation on the Harp
crumbs and the sticky rings where drinks had been carelessly put down. Dirty plates and cutlery were stacked on a steel trolley. There were no windows, so to give an illusion of light and space one wall was covered in a huge photogram showing a tropical beach, with bright blue sky and white sand and coconut palms.
The man who had brought her in was collecting a tray from a serving hatch.
"Eat up," he said.
There was no you eaten enough?"
"Yes, thank you."
"I'd like you to tell me where you come from. Can you do that?"
"London," she said.
"And what are you doing so far north?"
"With my father," she mumbled. She kept her eyes down, avoiding the gaze of need to starve, so she ate the stew and mashed potatoes with relish. There was a bowl of tinned peaches and ice cream to follow. As she ate, the man and the nurse talked quietly at another table, and when she had finished, the nurse brought her a glass of warm milk and took the tray away.The man came to sit down opposite. His daemon, the marmot, was not blank and incurious as the nurse's dog had been, but sat politely on his shoulder watching and listening."Now, Lizzie," he said. "Have

Andrew Atroshenko What a Wonderful Life

2009-02-19T22:52:00.000-08:00

Andrew Atroshenko What a Wonderful LifeAndrew Atroshenko Just for LoveEdward Hopper Two on the Aisle
And then she brushed the tears away angrily and sniffed hard. He nestled in her arms, and she knew she would rather die than let them be parted and face that sadness again; it would send her mad with terror. If she died, "Well?"
"Lord Faa and Farder Coram have gone to try and get your armor for you."
He didn't move or speak. It was clear what he thought of their chances.
"I know where it is, though," she said, "and if I told you, maybe you could get it by yourself, I don't know."
"How do you know where it is?"they'd still be together, like the Scholars in the crypt at Jordan.Then girl and daemon looked up at the solitary bear. He had no daemon. He was alone, always alone. She felt such a stir of pity and gentleness for him that she almost reached out to touch his matted pelt, and only a sense of courtesy toward those cold ferocious eyes prevented her."lorek Byrnison," she said.

Edward Hopper El Palacio

2009-02-18T22:40:00.000-08:00

Edward Hopper El PalacioEdward Hopper Dawn In PennsylvaniaEdward Hopper Cape Cod Afternoon
table, noted the places where the needle stopped, and watched the little girl holding her hair back from her face and biting her lower lip just a little, her eyes following the needle at first but then, when its path was settled, looking elsewhere on the dial. Not randomly, though. Farder Coram was a chess player, and he knew how chess players . An expert player seemed to see lines of force and influence on the board, and with big eyes and a tail curled around the twig it stood on. It repeated the sequence time after time, while Lyra watched.
"What's that lizard mean?" said Farder Coram, breaking into her concentration.
"It don't make sense....! can see what it says, but I must be misreading it. The thunderbolt I think is anger, and the child ...I think it's me...l was getting a meaning for that lizard looked along the important lines and ignored the weak ones; and Lyra's eyes moved the same way, according to some similar magnetic field that she could see and he couldn't.The needle stopped at the thunderbolt, the infant, the serpent, the elephant, and at a creature Lyra couldn't find a name for: a sort of lizard

Vincent van Gogh Olive grove I

2009-02-18T00:10:00.000-08:00

Vincent van Gogh Olive grove IVincent van Gogh Madhouse garden of St-RemyVincent van Gogh Landscape at Auvers in the Rain
you spoke of as being sought, the one as is sitting in the front row now. I heard as all the folk living around the edge of the fens is having their
houses The man stood obstinately frowning, but said nothing.
"Well, perhaps you would, and perhaps you wouldn't," John Faa continued. "But if any man or woman needs a reason for doing good, ponder on this. That little girl is the daughter turned upside down on her account. I heard there's a move in Parliament this very day to rescind our ancient privileges on account of this child. Yes, friends," he said, over the babble of shocked whispers, "they're a going to pass a law doing away with our right to free movement in and out the fens. Now, Lord Faa, what we want to know is this: who is this child on account of which we might come to such a pass? She en't a gyptian child, not as I heard. How comes it that a landloper child can put us all in danger?"Lyra looked up at John Faa's massive frame. Her heart was thumping so much she could hardly hear the first words of his reply."Now spell it out, Raymond, don't be shy," he said. "You want us to give this child up to them she's a fleeing from, is that right?"

Rene Magritte Dangerous Liaisons

2009-02-16T23:25:00.000-08:00

Rene Magritte Dangerous LiaisonsFranz Marc Turm der blauen PferdeFranz Marc Der Traum
muffled at once.
"Well?" she whispered, and he became a goldfinch on her shoulder.
"Are we going to run away?" he whispered back.
"'Courseand spy," she whispered. "As soon as it's clear, we'll have to run. Be a moth," she added. "Remember, the second there's no one looking..."
She opened the door a crack and he crawled out, dark against the warm pink light in the corridor.
Meanwhile, she hastily flung on the warmest clothes she had and stuffed some more into one of the coal-silk bags from the fash nable shop they'd visited that very . If we do it now with all these people about, she might not notice for a while.""He will."Pantalaimon meant Mrs. Coulter's daemon. When Lyra thought of his lithe golden shape, she felt ill with fear."I'll fight him this time," Pantalaimon said boldly. "I can change and he can't. I'll change so quickly he won't be able to keep hold. This time I'll win, you'll see."Lyra nodded distractedly. What should she wear? How could she get out without being seen?"You'll have to go

Filippino Lippi The Marriage of St Catherine

2009-02-15T19:38:00.001-08:00

Filippino Lippi The Marriage of St CatherineFilippino Lippi AllegoryBartolome Esteban Murillo A Girl and her Duenna
Master and the Librarian were old friends and allies, and it was their habit, after a difficult episode, to take a glass of brantwijn and console each other. So after they'd seen Lord Asriel away, they strolled to the Master's lodging and?"
"Yes. Of murder."
"Hardly anyone would be happy at that idea, Charles. The question was whether doing that would be worse than the consequences of not doing it. Well, some providence has intervened, and it hasn't happened. I'm only sorry I burdened you with the knowledge settled in his study with the curtains drawn and the fire refreshed, their daemons in their familiar places on knee or shoulder, and prepared to think through what had just happened."Do you really believe he knew about the wine?" said the Librarian."Of course he did. I have no idea how, but he knew, and he spilled the decanter himself. Of course he did.""Forgive me, Master, but I can't help being relieved. I was never happy about the idea of...""Of poisoning him

Fabian Perez Tango

2009-02-12T23:49:00.000-08:00

Fabian Perez TangoFabian Perez FlamencoFabian Perez Flamenco Dancer
And Lee saw him mistily, one soldier of the Imperial Guard creeping away from his company's defeat.
"I cain't shoot a away and the six or seven others who were the only remnant of the Guard, and who hadn't dared come closer to the man holding the ravine, were engulfed by the fire that fell on them.
Lee saw the fireball and heard through the roar in his ears Hester saying, "That's all of 'em, Lee."
He said, or thought, "Those poor men didn't have to come to this, nor did we."
She said, "We held 'em off. We held out. We're a-helping Lyra."
Then she was pressing her little proud broken self against his face, as close as she could get, and then they died.man in the back," Lee said."Shame to die with one bullet left, though."So he took aim with his last bullet at the zeppelin itself, still roaring and straining to rise with its one engine, and the bullet must have been red-hot, or maybe a burning brand from the forest below was wafted to the airship on an updraft; for the gas suddenly billowed into an orange fireball, and the envelope and the metal skeleton rose a little way and then tumbled down very slowly, gently, but full of a fiery death.And the man creeping

Claude Monet Cliffs near Dieppe 2

2009-02-12T00:28:00.001-08:00

Claude Monet Cliffs near Dieppe 2Claude Monet ZaandamClaude Monet Woman Seated under the Willows
There were two men in it, but it was too far away to see who they were. A storm was gathering behind them."
Lyra clapped her hands. "If Mr. Scoresby's coming," she said, "we'll be able to fly, Will! Oh, I hope it's him! I never said good-bye to him, and he was so kind. I wish I could see him again, I really do…"
The witchat once for a daemon. Serafina Pekkala stood up, gazing intently into the sky.
"I think it's Ruta Skadi," she said.
They kept still, tilting their heads to the wide silence, straining to hear.
And then came another cry, closer already, and then a third; and Juta Kamainen was listening, with her red-breasted robin daemon bright-eyed on her shoulder, because the mention of Lee Scoresby had reminded her of the quest he'd set out on. She was the witch who had loved Stanislaus Grumman and whose love he'd turned down, the witch Serafina Pekkala had brought into this world to prevent her from killing him in their own.Serafina might have noticed, but something else happened: she held up her hand and lifted her head, as did all the other witches. Will and Lyra could hear very faintly to the north the cry of some night bird. But it wasn't a bird; the witches knew it

John Collier Lady Godiva

2009-02-11T00:06:00.000-08:00

John Collier Lady GodivaCaravaggio Supper at EmmausPierre-Auguste Cot spring
Then he heard the front door open.
He went at once to the sofa again, and crouched behind it, next to the window that opened onto the moon-silvered grass in Cittagazze. And no sooner had he got there than he heard footsteps in that other world, lightly running over the grass, and looked through to see Lyra racing toward him. He was just in time to wave and put his finger to his who I was, all the time…"
"Shh. Don't stay here if you're going to make a noise."
She mastered herself, and swallowed hard, and shook her head.
"Sorry. I want to stay with you," she whispered. "I want to hear what they say."
"Hush now…"lips, and she slowed, realizing that he was aware Sir Charles had returned."I haven't got it," he whispered when she came up. "It wasn't there. He's probably got it with him. I'm going to listen and see if he puts it back. Stay here.""No! It's worse!" she said, and she was nearly in a genuine panic. "She's with him—Mrs. Coulter—my mother! I dunno how she got here, but if she sees me, I'm dead, Will, I'm lost—and I know who he is now! I remember where I seen him before! Will, he's called Lord Boreal! I seen him at Mrs. Coulter's cocktail party, when I ran away! And he must have known

Thomas Kinkade City by the Bay

2009-02-05T23:13:00.000-08:00

Thomas Kinkade City by the BayThomas Kinkade Blessings of ChristmasThomas Kinkade Beyond Summer Gate
young. His mother had taken him to a house not unlike this; they'd dressed in their best clothes and he'd had to be on his best behavior, and an old man and woman had made his mother cry, and they'd left the house and she was still crying…
Lyra saw him breathing fast and clenching his fists, and was sensible enough not to ask why; it was something to do with him,," Will said.
His jaw was jutting as it had done last night facing the stone-throwing children by the tower. The servant nodded.
"Wait here," he said. "I'll tell Sir Charles." not with her. Presently he took a deep breath."Well," he said, "might as well try."He walked up the drive, and Lyra followed close behind. They felt very exposed.The door had an old-, like those in Lyra's world, and Will didn't know where to find it till Lyra showed him. When they pulled it, the bell jangled a long way off inside the house.The man who opened the door was the servant who'd been driving the car, only now he didn't have his cap on. He looked at Will first, and then at Lyra, and his expression changed a little."We want to see Sir Charles Latrom

Leroy Neiman Hakeem Olajuwon

2009-02-04T23:35:00.000-08:00

Leroy Neiman Hakeem OlajuwonLeroy Neiman Golf WinnersLeroy Neiman Golf Landscape
Will found the library easily enough, where the reference librarian was perfectly prepared to believe that he was doing some research for a school geography project and helped him find the bound copies of The Times index for the year of his birth, which was when his father had disappeared. Will sat down to look through them. Sure enough, thereThe third was dated two months after that. It said that there had been no reply to signals from the Survey Station, and that John Parry and his companions were presumed missing.
There was a brief series of articles following that one, describing the were several references to John Parry, in connection with an archaeological expedition.Each month, he found, was on a separate roll of microfilm. He threaded each in turn into the projector, scrolled through to find the stories, and read them with fierce attention. The first story told of the departure of an expedition to the north of Alaska. The expedition was sponsored by the Institute of Archaeology at Oxford University, and it was going to survey an area in which they hoped to find evidence of early human settlements. It was accompanied by John Parry, late of the Royal Marines, a professional explorer.The second story was dated six weeks later. It said briefly that the expedition had reached the North American Arctic Survey Station at Noatak in Alaska.

Leroy Neiman The Race

2009-02-03T23:56:00.000-08:00

Leroy Neiman The RaceLeroy Neiman The MaulersLeroy Neiman The Lights of Broadway
Hmm," said Lyra, and went upstairs. A ferocious rat face glared at him over her shoulder, but he looked back coldly.
Part of him mattress of the bed he'd slept in. In this world, it was safe.
When Lyra came down, clean and wet, they left to look for some clothes for her. They found a department store, shabby like everywhere else, with clothes in styles that looked a little old-fashioned to Will's eye, but they found Lyra a tartan skirt and a green sleeveless blouse with a pocket for Pantalaimon. She refused to wear jeans, refused even to believe Will when he told her that most girls did.wanted to wander about this sunny silent morning exploring the city, and another part trembled with anxiety for his mother, and another part was still numb with shock at the death he'd caused. And overhanging them all was the task he had to do. But it was good to keep busy, so while he waited for Lyra, he cleaned the working surfaces in the kitchen, and washed the floor, and emptied the rubbish into the bin he found in the alley outside.Then he took the green leather from his tote bag and looked at it longingly. As soon as he'd shown Lyra how to get through the window into his Oxford, he'd come back and look at what was inside; but in the meanwhile, he tucked it under the

Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema A Favorite Custom

2009-02-02T21:21:00.000-08:00

Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema A Favorite CustomGarmash Sleeping BeautyMarc Chagall The Three Candles
They're not gone, though, Lyra," said Dame Hannah. "The books are still in Bodley's Library. The scholarship to study them is alive and well."
Dame Hannah was sitting opposite the Master in one of the two armchairs beside the fireplace, Lyra on the sofa between them. The . "We must think about your future, Lyra."
His words made her shiver. She gathered herself and sat up.
"All the time I was away," Lyra said, "I never thought about that. All I thought about was just the time I was in, just the present. There were plenty of times when I thought I didn't have a future at all. And now... Well, suddenly finding I've got a whole life to livelamp by the Master's chair was all the light there was, but it showed the expressions of the two old people clearly. And it was Dame Hannah's face that Lyra found herself studying. Kindly, Lyra thought, and sharp, and wise; but she could no more read what it meant than she could read the alethiometer."Well, now," the Master went on

George Bellows Dempsey and Firpo

2009-02-01T18:58:00.000-08:00

George Bellows Dempsey and FirpoCaravaggio The Sacrifice of IsaacCaravaggio The Musicians
She sat trembling as Mary went on:
"And I think it was at that party, or it might have been at another one, that we kissed each other for the first time. It was in a inside, and the quiet and the cool among the trees, and I was aching, all my body was aching for him, and I could tell he felt the same, and we were both almost too shy to move. Almost. But one of us did and then without any interval between, it was like a quantum leap, knew exactly what she meant, and half an hour earlier she would have had no idea at all. And inside her, that rich house with all its doors open and all its rooms lit stood waiting, quiet, expectant.
"And at half past nine in the evening at that restaurant table in Portugal," Mary continued, "someone gave me a piece of marzipan and it all came back. And I suddenly, we were kissing each other, and oh, it was more than China, it was paradise."We saw each other about half a dozen times, no more. And then his parents moved away and I never saw him again. It was such a sweet time, so short... But there it was. I'd known it. I had been to China."It was the strangest thing: Lyra

Vincent van Gogh Wheat Field with Crows

2009-01-20T22:11:00.001-08:00

Vincent van Gogh Wheat Field with CrowsVincent van Gogh Mulberry TreeVincent van Gogh Bedroom Arles
try and catch her, only to find her hurtling through them like a stone through mist; she didn't know that Will was yelling her name so loudly that the abyss resounded with it. Instead, her whole being was a vortex of roaring fear. Faster and faster she tumbled, down and down, and some ghosts couldn't bear to watch; they hid their eyes and cried she was at the edge, she couldn't stop, she was there, she was falling...
And out of the dark swooped that creature whose claws had raked her scalp not long before, No-Name the harpy, woman-faced, bird-winged, and those same claws closed tight around the girl's wrist. Together they plunged on down, the extra weight almost too much for the harpy's strong wings, but they beat and beat and beat, and her claws held firm, and slowly, heavily, slowly, heavily, the harpy carried the child up and up out of the gulf and brought her limp and fainting to Will's reaching arms.aloud.Will felt electric with fear. He watched in anguish as Lyra slid farther and farther, knowing he could do nothing, and knowing he had to watch. He couldn't hear the desperate wail he was uttering any more than she could. Another two seconds, another second,

Frida Kahlo Self Portrait

2009-01-18T21:32:00.000-08:00

Frida Kahlo Self PortraitFrida Kahlo Self Portrait with MonkeyFrida Kahlo Diego and Frida
politely a little way ahead; but he didn't want to come closer, though he kept looking back to see if they were following.
The day was overhung with a gloomy mist. It was more like dusk than daylight, and wraiths and streamers of the fog rose . Occasionally they would hear a harsh croak or a splash as some amphibian was disturbed, but the only creature they saw was a toad as big as Will's foot, which could only flop in a pain-filled sideways heave as if it were horribly injured. It lay across the path, trying to move out of the way and looking at them as if it knew they meant to hurt it.dismally from puddles in the road, or clung like forlorn lovers to the anbaric cables overhead. They saw no people, and few deaths, but the dragonflies skimmed through the damp air, as if they were sewing it all together with invisible threads, and it was a delight to the eyes to watch their bright colors flashing back and forth.Before long they had reached the edge of the settlement and made their way beside a sluggish stream through bare-twigged scrubby bushes

Jack Vettriano And So to Bed

2009-01-15T23:16:00.000-08:00

Jack Vettriano And So to BedJack Vettriano an Imperfect pastJack Vettriano An Imperfect Past II
warm. Mrs. Coulter noticed that, presumably as a courtesy to Lord Roke, every pillar had an empty bracket at human head height so that his hawk could perch there and allow the Gallivespian to be included in the discussion.
But they did not stay in As soon as Lord Asriel had joined them, the train began to move, gliding smoothly away from the platform and into a tunnel, accelerating briskly. Only the sound of the wheels on the smooth track gave any idea of their speed.
"Where are we going?" Mrs. Coulter asked.the great hall for long. At the far side, an attendant hauled open a heavy double door to let them through, onto the platform of a railway. There waiting was a small closed carriage, drawn by an anbaric locomotive.The engineer bowed, and his brown monkey daemon retreated behind his legs at the sight of the golden monkey with the chained hands. Lord Asriel spoke to the man briefly and showed the others into the carriage, which, like the hall, was lit by those glowing crystals, held on silver brackets against mirrored mahogany panels.

Salvador Dali Leda Atomica

2009-01-14T23:39:00.000-08:00

Salvador Dali Leda AtomicaJoseph Mallord William Turner The Grand Canal VeniceJoseph Mallord William Turner Portsmouth
climbed were not precipitous. Will found himself relishing the exercise. The days he had spent on the boat, the enforced rest, had built up his strength. When he had come across Iorek, he had been at the very last of it. He didn't know that, butWill close the window, and asked to see the knife again, peering so closely at the silver edge that Will thought he was in danger of cutting his eye. He examined it for a long time and handed it back with hardly a word, only saying, "I was right: I could not have fought this."
They moved on, speaking little, which suited them both, Iorek the bear did.And as soon as they were alone, Will showed Iorek how the other edge of the knife worked. He opened a world where a tropical rain forest steamed and dripped, and where vapors laden with heavy scent drifted out into the thin mountain air. Iorek watched closely, and touched the edge of the window with his paw, and sniffed at it, and stepped through into the hot, moist air to look around in silence. The monkey shrieks and birdcalls, the insect scrapings and frog croakings, and the incessant drip-drip of condensing moisture sounded very loud to Will, outside it.Then Iorek came back and watched

Jean Francois Millet The sower

2009-01-13T22:53:00.001-08:00

Jean Francois Millet The sowerJean Francois Millet SpringJean Francois Millet Man with a hoe
feel that he is close. He'll be here very soon. When he returns, we shall talk. Talking is best."
And barely ten minutes later the soft sound of wingbeats came to their ears, and Balthamos stood up eagerly. The next moment, the two angels were embracing, and Will, gazing into the flames, saw their mutual affection. More than affection: they loved each other with a passion.
Baruch sat down beside.
"Did you find out where Lyra is?" he said, impatient for news.
"Yes," said Baruch. "There is a Himalayan valley, very high up, near a glacier where the light is turned into rainbows by the ice. I shall draw you a map in the soil so you don't mistake it. The girl is captive in a cave among the trees, kept asleep by the woman." his companion, and Will stirred the fire, so that a cloud of smoke drifted past the two of them. It had the effect of outlining their bodies so that he could see them both clearly for the first time. Balthamos was slender; his narrow wings were folded elegantly behind his shoulders, and his face bore an expression that mingled haughty disdain with a tender, ardent sympathy, as if he would love all things if only his nature could let him forget their defects. But he saw no defects in Baruch, that was clear. Baruch seemed younger, as Balthamos had said he was, and was more powerfully built, his wings snow-white and massive. He had a simpler nature; he looked up to Balthamos as to the fount of all knowledge and joy. Will found himself intrigued and moved by their love for each other

Pierre Auguste Renoir By the Water

2009-01-12T22:13:00.000-08:00

Pierre Auguste Renoir By the WaterPierre Auguste Renoir At the ConcertPierre Auguste Renoir After The Bath
Enjoy your incredible human journey. Accept the highs and the lows as equally valuable. Recognize that your deepest sorrows reveal your resource that is rich in both strategic information and tactical techniques to improve your SELF and, therefore, your life PDfSP is the answer!
As promised by Steve, PDfSP delivers a great deal of original content, both in terms of his own personal ideas and philosophies as well as specific greatest joys. Share your stories with others, and know that you’re not alone. Be grateful for your time on earth.Live consciously.”~ Steve Pavlina (excerpt from Afterword) I’d like to thank Steve Pavlina and Hayhouse for the kind invitation and opportunity they’ve extended to me and SUCCCESS.org to review Personal Development for Smart People, The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth.If you are searching for a personal development

Jack Vettriano The Apprentice

2009-01-12T00:56:00.000-08:00

Jack Vettriano The ApprenticeJack Vettriano The Administration of JusticeJack Vettriano Table for One
What’s more, if you are stuck in that mindset, when you reach your destination, you won’t actually be happy — you’ll be looking toward your next destination.
Instead, remember: Stop waiting for happiness. Happiness is right here, right now.
How do you enjoy the journey? By appreciating life in its fullness, its wonderfulness. By not looking so much toward the future, but focusing on the present moment, right here, right now. By looking around you, and realizing that everythingwhat a miracle it is? Can you look at a sunset, a forest, a flower, a child, and realize the miracle of each of these things? You probably can, if you take the time to look at them fully.
And then you might realize that your eyes are a miracle, and that they allow you to you need for Happiness is already here!Everything You Need for HappinessWhat do you need to be happy? Do you need a fancy car and a mansion and millions of dollars? If you could have every single desire granted to you right now, would you be happy then?Or can you be happy now, with what you have?Can you look at the gorgeous sky, and realize

Vincent van Gogh The Red Vineyard

2009-01-11T23:12:00.001-08:00

Vincent van Gogh The Red VineyardVincent van Gogh The potato eatersVincent van Gogh The Bedroom at Arles
It's not the kind of thing one man would admit to another, but satin reallydoes feel good against your skin. Imagine what it must feel like to awoman's most delicate, sensitive bit of skin.Here's What You Need:One satin nightshirt.Five bath from each end. Thebundle should now resemble a small, satin-covered version of a rolledupsleeping bag.Get your woman naked. Now have her kneel down on all fours andstraddle the satin bundle.Enter your woman from behind. Have her spread her knees outward,lowering herself towards the bundle. Her clitoris should just barely touchthe satin.Make love. Each thrust from you will cause her to brush against thesatin. The added stimulation she receives from the smooth material willoften result in one or more powerful orgasms.This technique assumes that your five bath towels are reasonably thick.If you do it at a motel, you'll probably need thirty.towels.Two shoelaces.Here's How You Do It:Lay the first towel on the floor and roll it up length-wise. Now take thesecond towel and roll it tightly around the first. Continue until all fivetowels are rolled into one, tight bundle.Wrap the satin nightshirt around the towel bundle. Tie the shoelacesaround the bundle, about a quarter of the way

Andy Warhol Neuschwanstein

2009-01-07T23:28:00.000-08:00

Andy Warhol NeuschwansteinAndy Warhol Mount VesuviusAndy Warhol Marilyn
Achieve more from less. The University of Chicago survey showed that nearly half of 25- to 29-year-olds said they made love at least two or three times a week, including 11 percent reporting four times or more. By the early 40s, the number had fallen to 30 percent. The largest proportion, 45 percent, reported sex "a few times per month" (possibly due, in In a secure relationship, there is less emphasis on how often, and more on how good. "I find that people in their 40s or so remember this moment or that moment, whereas to the younger ones, it may be all a blur," says Zussman. "When it's no longer an everyday thing, it means more." A gratifying sex life after 35 calls for a series of adjustments. Some people confront part, to fatigue and the demands of child-rearing). Yet more than any other group, men and women in their 40s considered themselves emotionally and physically satisfied by their lovemaking. As the frequency drops, couples should realize that each encounter can become more special, a moment to be anticipated and savored.

Andy Warhol Shot Orange Marilyn 1964

2009-01-07T00:30:00.000-08:00

Andy Warhol Shot Orange Marilyn 1964Andy Warhol Shot Blue Marilyn 1964Andy Warhol Shoes c 1980
completing a one year advance within that cycle and may be getting ready to head down again. How is your spotless mind doing? Have you forgotten your lesson from 2000? Are you willing to make that same mistake again?
If you choose to forget you are doomed to repeat your losses. This time use your whole mind to learn from a past mistake so you will not see your money disappear - again.became wildly emotional about all the money your were making and how you thought about buying one of those islands in the Bahamas for early retirement. Then came the
Al Thomas' book, "If It Doesn't Go Up, Don't Buy It!" has helped thousands of people make money and keep their profits with his simple 2-step method. Read the first chapter at http://www.mutualfundmagic.com and discover why he's the man that Wall Street does not want you to know.

Jack Vettriano Mad Dogs detail

2009-01-05T22:59:00.000-08:00

Jack Vettriano Mad Dogs detailJack Vettriano Lunchtime LoversJack Vettriano long time Gone
and wide as little boats, and quickly, quickly raced round the, over the sand which was as white and as good to eat as sugar. When they were thirsty, Water shook her tresses into the cup of the enormous flowers; and the Children drank straight out of the lilies, tulips and convolvuluses. If they were hungry, they picked radiant fruits which revealed the taste of Light to them and which had juice that shone like the rays of the sun. saw the picture of a splendid Blue Bird, for the constant wish to find him filled his mind entirely. Then he would run to Light and entreat her:
"Tell me where he is!... You know everything: tell me where to find him!" There was also, in a clump of bushes, a white marble pond which possessed a magic power: its clear waters reflected not the faces, but the souls of those who looked into it. "It's a ridiculous invention," said the Cat, who steadily refused to go near the pond. You, my dear little readers, who know her thoughts as well as I do, will not be surprised at her refusal. And you will also understand why our faithful Tylô was not afraid to go and quench his thirst there: he need not fear to reveal his thoughts, for he was the only creature whose soul never altered. The dear Dog had no feelings but those of love and kindness and devotion. When Tyltyl bent over the magic mirror, he almost always

Andy Warhol Pink Cow painting

2009-01-05T00:12:00.000-08:00

Andy Warhol Pink Cow paintingAndy Warhol Page from Lips Book paintingAndy Warhol Ingrid with Hat painting
The little band came marching down the steps of Night's gloomy staircase. Tylô pranced bravely in front, whereas Tyltyl looked around him with an anxious glance. He certainly found nothing to comfort him. It was all very magnificent, but very terrifying. Picture a huge and wonderful black marble hall, of a stern and tomb-like splendour. "Good-day?.... I am not used to that!... You might say, Good-night, or, at least, Good-evening!"
Our hero was not prepared to quarrel. He felt very small in the presence of that There is no ceiling visible; and the ebony pillars that surround the amphitheatre shoot up to the sky. It is only when you lift your eyes up there that you catch the faint light falling from the stars. Everywhere, the thickest darkness reigns. Two restless flames – no more – flicker on either side of Night's throne, before a monumental door of brass. Bronze doors show through the pillars to the right and left. The Cat rushed up to the Children: "This way, little master, this way!... I have told Night; and she is delighted to see you." Tylette's soft voice and smile made Tyltyl feel himself again; and he walked up to the throne with a bold and confident step, saying: "Good-day, Mrs. Night!" Night was offended by the word, "Good-day," which reminded her of her eternal enemy Light, and answered drily:

Da Vinci picture of the last supper II

2009-01-02T22:23:00.000-08:00

Da Vinci picture of the last supper IIDa Vinci picture of the last supper IDa Vinci large picture of the last supperKlimt lady with hat and feather boa
Listerine was the first over-the-counter mouthwash sold in the United States in 1914 and by 1921 it was already falselyproduct. Declaring itself a cure-all for common cold ailments like sore throats and coughs, a dandruff preventative, an anti-shave tonic, and a safe way to protect yourself from cuts, bruises, wounds, and stings, Listerine was slapped with numerous false advertisement lawsuits. In 1975, the Federal Trade Commission ordered the company to spend $10 million in corrective seeing as their product was no more effective in treating colds than gargling warm water. Even then, the mouthwash giant didn’t really learn their lesson. In 2005, the company was slapped with another lawsuit. This time because Listerine claimed it was as “effective as floss” after rigging clinical trials.2. Lydia Pickham’s Vegetable Compound (Great for boozy housewives!)Picture 176.pngTouted as one of the world’s first successful , Lydia Pickham exploited her reputation as a local Meto propel her herbal remedy into a

Jack Vettriano There's Always Someone Watching You

2008-12-29T23:55:00.000-08:00

Jack Vettriano There's Always Someone Watching YouJack Vettriano The White SlipJack Vettriano The Unorthodox Approach
Ford gazed at the spectacle of light before them excitement burnt inside him, but only the excitement of seeing a strange new planet, it was enough for him to see it as it was. It faintly irritated him that Zaphod had to impose some ludicrous fantasy on to the scene to make it work for him. All this Magrathea nonsense seemed juvenile. Isn't it enough to see that a is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too? All this planets." Arthur blinked at the screens and felt he was missing something important. Suddenly he realized what it was. "Is there any tea on this spaceship?" he asked. More of the planet was unfolding beneath them as the Heart of Gold streaked along its orbital path. The suns now stood high in the black sky, the pyrotechnics of dawn were over, and the surface of the planet appeared bleak and forbidding in the common light of day - grey, dusty and only Magrathea totally incomprehensible to Arthur. He edged up to Trillian and asked her what was going on. "I only know what Zaphod's told me," she whispered. "Apparently Magrathea is some kind of legend from way back which no one seriously believes in. Bit like Atlantis on Earth, except that the legends say the Magratheans used to manufacture

Perrault The Mirror

2008-12-28T23:42:00.000-08:00

Perrault The MirrorPerrault Jeune mere et enfant endormiePerrault La Fille Du BucheronPerrault Cupid's Arrows
The more we look among the stars and galaxies, the weirder things seem to get.
Even space itself is puzzling, for example. Recent studies suggest that the fabric of the universe stretyou've ever gazed at the night sky, you've probably wished upon a shooting star (which are really meteors).
But shooting stars do exist, and they're as rare as one in 100 million.
In 2005, astronomers discovered the first "hypervelocity" star careening out of a galaxy at nearly 530 miles per second (10 times faster than ordinary star movement).
We have ideas about what flings these rare stars into deep space, but aren't certain; anything from off-kilter supernova explosions to supermassive black holes might be responsible.ches more than 150 billion light-years across -- in spite of the fact that the cosmos is 13.7 billion years old.
From super-fast stars to the nature of matter, here we cover other strange and mysterious elements of the universe.
10. Hypervelocity Stars

Machado Omelette and Truffles

2008-12-26T00:07:00.000-08:00

Machado Omelette and TrufflesMachado Ladies and Gentlemen IIMachado Gala Night
reaction. Then he thought of a complete stranger he had been standing behind in the queue at the supermarket before and felt a sudden stab - the supermarket was gone, everything in it was gone. Nelson's Column had gone! Nelson's Column had gone and there would be no outcry, because there was no one left to make an outcry. From now on Nelson's on this book thing and you were on Earth, you must have been gathering material on it." "Well, I was able to extend the original entry a bit, yes." "Let me see what it says in this edition then, I've got to see it."Column only existed in his mind. England only existed in his mind - his mind, stuck here in this dank smelly steel-lined spaceship. A wave of claustrophobia closed in on him. England no longer existed. He'd got that - somehow he'd got it. He tried again. America, he thought, has gone. He couldn't grasp it. He decided to start smaller again. New York has gone. No reaction. He'd never seriously believed it existed anyway. The dollar, he thought, had sunk for ever. Slight tremor there. Every Bogart movie has been wiped, he said to himself, and that gave him a nasty knock. McDonalds, he thought. There is no longer any such thing as a McDonald's hamburger. He passed out. When he came round a second later he found he was sobbing for his mother. He jerked himself violently to his feet. "Ford!" Ford looked up from where he was sitting in a corner humming to himself. He always found the actual travelling-through-space part of space travel rather trying. "Yeah?" he said. "If you're a researcher

Van Gogh Le Moulin de la Galette

2008-12-23T01:02:00.000-08:00

Van Gogh Le Moulin de la GaletteVan Gogh Le Moulin de Blute-FinVan Gogh Le Moulin de la GaletteVan Gogh The Trinquetaille Bridge
what you’re gonna say happened is, he was so sure of your total disability, of your inability to even make a sound anyone could hear outside, that the bastard took that board off this evening just to torment you with the sight of freedom. Can you sell that?”On an arid whisper of breath, brittle words scraped and grated from Dalton’s throat. “Laputa said and to pitch it at that window.”[554] “Can do,” Dalton promised shakily, though he looked as if he could do nothing more than blink his eyes.“The can smashed through the window and rolled down the porch roof as I was coming up the front walk. I heard you feebly calling for help, so I forced entry.”The story sucked. The first officers on the scene would know that it was bogus, but in light of Dalton’s ordeal, this would be a flavor of bogus that they could swallow.By the time Laputa found himself in a courtroom, Dalton would have largely recovered, and the jury would not know just how horribly weak he had been on the night of his rescue. Time ... he’ll kill me ... tonight.”“All right. Okay. Then it makes a little sense that he might do this.”From the nightstand, Hazard snatched up an aerosol can of pine-scented disinfectant. The container felt half full, heavy enough.“Next,” he told Dalton, “you have to tell them that you reached way down inside yourself, to your deepest reserves of strength, and somehow you found the will, the energy, the anger necessary to pull this can off the nightstand

Blum Chinoiserie II

2008-12-21T21:52:00.000-08:00

Blum Chinoiserie IIBlum Burgundy Day LilyKimble Whiteback ChickenKimble White Persian Cat
exactly—and all—that he appeared to be.Nevertheless, Maxwell Dalton’s disappearance might, in fact, mean that he had started that included making threats against celebrities either with the intent to do harm or in the naive hope that intimidation could , switched off the headlights and windshield wipers, but left the engine running to keep the heater in action. Local kids wouldn’t be building snow forts; but with the coming of night, the air had grown wintry by southern-California standards.He’d been unable to reach the professor by phone. Now, although the Laputa house was dark, he tried again.serve extortion.Even setting aside bells out of dreams and men into mirrors, Hazard Yancy had seen stranger a once-honest professor, a man of reason, gone bad, made mad by envy, by greed.The Daltons lived in a good neighborhood, but Laputa lived in a better one, less than fifteen minutes from their door.The early winter twilight had crept in behind the storm while Hazard had been Rachel Dalton. Dusk drained all light from the day as he drove to Professor Laputa’s place, until the low clouds were no longer gray and backlit, but sour yellow and underlit by the rising radiance of the city.He parked across the street reputed worst of all academic hyenas

Eric Wallis Girls at the Beach painting

2008-12-18T00:44:00.000-08:00

Eric Wallis Girls at the Beach paintingVincent van Gogh Starry Night over the Rhone paintingGustav Klimt The Bride painting
shows, he would discover, from one end of the dial to the other, only the voice that might be Hannah’s, futilely trying to speak to him on every frequency.Knuckles on glass—tap-tap-tap—startled him. Wearing a rolled seaman’s cap it out.”“You get anywhere?”“Right back where I started—lookin’ up my own ass.”“Not a view that’ll draw tourists,” Hazard said. “Sam Kesselman has the flu.”Ethan needed Kesselman—the detective assigned to the ormolu-lamp murder of Rolf Reynerd’s mother—to read Reynerd’s unfinished [376] screenplay and then to track and a scowl to curdle vinegar, Hazard Yancy peered through the passenger’s window.Ethan unlocked the doors.Filling the SUV as fully as he might have filled a bumper car at a carnival, Hazard climbed into the front passenger’s seat and pulled the door shut. Although he had more knees than knee space, he didn’t adjust the power controls to move the seat back. He seemed nervous. “They find Dunny?”“Who?”“The hospital.”“No.”“Then why’re you here?”“I talked to the doctor who signed the death certificate, trying to figure

William Bouguereau Innocence painting

2008-12-16T22:13:00.000-08:00

William Bouguereau Innocence paintingVincent van Gogh Poppies 1886 paintingVincent van Gogh field of poppies painting
satisfying. Make-believe voodoo.Line 24 was still , where the telephone log continued to be displayed. This on all sides of him, a guardian army in which every soldier had the same famous face.He lay flat on his back, and not in bed. Although he remained cautiously still, pressing with something akin to desperation against the hard smooth surface under him, his mind turned lazily, lazily, in a whirlpool of confusion.Huge they were, these fathers, sometimes full towering figures and sometimes only disembodied heads, but giant heads, like balloons in the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade.Fric had the impression that he’d passed call, too, appeared to be from a number screened by Caller ID blocking.[285] Because the connection had not been broken, the time continued to change in the column headed LENGTH OF CALL. Already it was over four minutes.That was a long message to leave on an answering machine if the caller was or someone who’d unknowingly reached a wrong number. Curious.The indicator light blinked off.

George Frederick Watts The Three Graces painting

2008-12-12T00:35:00.000-08:00

George Frederick Watts The Three Graces paintingGeorge Frederick Watts Charity paintingFrancisco de Goya Clothed Maja painting
Eventually the big man said, “Well, for sure I’m not sitting here beside a ghost.”“When you choose an institution for me,” Ethan said, “I’d prefer one with a good arts-and-crafts program.”“Other than having your blood tested for drugs, you my nails.”Hazard had absorbed this bizarre revelation with quiet trust and remarkable equanimity.Nevertheless, Ethan had no intention of telling him about being run down by the PT Cruiser and the truck. Or about dying in the ambulance.If you reported having seen a ghost, you were a regular guy who’d had an uncanny experience. If you reported seeing another ghost at another place and time, you were at best an eccentric whose every cooked up any theories about this?”“You mean, besides I’m in the Twilight Zone? Or I really did die from that gut shot, and this is Hell?”[238] Hazard took the point. “Aren’t a whole lot of theories come to mind, are there?”“Not the kind you can explore with what the suits at the police academy call ‘conventional investigative techniques.’ ”“You don’t seem nuts to me,” Hazard said.“I don’t seem nuts to me, either. But then the nut is always the last to know.”“Besides, you were right about the pistol in the potato chips. So it was at least like ... a psychic experience.”“Clairvoyance, yeah. Except that doesn’t explain the blood under

Johannes Vermeer Lady Seated at a Virginal painting

2008-12-10T21:37:00.000-08:00

Johannes Vermeer Lady Seated at a Virginal paintingJames Jacques Joseph Tissot Too Early paintingJames Jacques Joseph Tissot Hide and Seek paintingMartin Johnson Heade Orchids and Hummingbird painting
The twelve-inch diameter door of the safe stood open. Ethan felt inside. The spacious box proved empty.He hadn’t known that the study contained a safe. Logic suggested that no one but Dunny—and the installer—FRIC IN A FRACAS: TWO TRAINS CLACKETY-clacking and whistling at key crossroads, Nazis in the villages, American troops fighting their way down from the hills, dead soldiers everywhere, and villainous SS officers in black uniforms herding Jews into the boxcars of a third train stopped at a station, more SS bastards shooting Catholics and burying their bodies in a mass grave here by a pine woods.Few people knew that the Nazis had killed not only Jews but also millions of Christians. Most of the higher-echelon Nazis had adhered to a strange and informal pagan creed, worshiping land and race and myths of ancient Saxony, worshiping blood and powerwould have been aware of its existence.Brain-damaged . Remembers the combination to his safe.Or ... . In a mood to party, he picks up some spending money.Dunny dead made nearly as much sense as Dunny with severe brain damage.

John William Waterhouse Boreas painting

2008-12-07T22:26:00.000-08:00

John William Waterhouse Boreas paintingJohn William Waterhouse Ariadne paintingVincent van Gogh Tree and Man paintingVincent van Gogh In the Jardin du Luxembourg painting
all ye Elves! ' she cried to those about her. `Let none say again that Dwarves are grasping and ungracious! Yet surely, Gimli son of Glóin, you desire something that I could give? Name it, I bid you! You shall not be the only guest without a gift.'`There is nothing, Lady Galadriel,' said Gimli, bowing low and stammering. `Nothing, unless it might be – unless it is permitted to ask, nay, to name a single strand of your hair, which surpasses return to set in imperishable crystal to be an heirloom of my house, and a pledge of good will between the Mountain and the Wood until the end of days.'Then the Lady unbraided one of her long tresses, and cut off three golden hairs, and laid them in Gimli's hand. `These words shall go with the gift,' she said. `I do not foretell, for all foretelling the gold of the earth as the stars surpass the gems of the mine. I do not ask for such a gift. But you commanded me to name my desire.'The Elves stirred and murmured with astonishment, and Celeborn gazed at the Dwarf in wonder, but the Lady smiled. 'It is said that the skill of the Dwarves is in their hands rather than in their tongues ' she said; `yet that is not true of Gimli. For none have ever made to me a request so bold and yet so courteous. And how shall I refuse, since I commanded him to speak? But tell me, what would you do with such a gift? '`Treasure it, Lady,' he answered, `in memory of your words to me at our first meeting. And if ever I

Jasper Johns three flags painting

2008-12-04T23:58:00.000-08:00

Jasper Johns three flags paintingVincent van Gogh Wheat Field with Crows painting
? He felt no doubt that Bilbo knew quite well. It was indeed a kingly gift. But now his thoughts had been carried away from the dark Mines, to Rivendell, to Bilbo, and to Bag End in the days while Bilbo was still there. He wished with all his heart that he the dream went on: he heard whispers, and saw the two pale points of light approaching, slowly. He woke and found that the others were speaking softly near him, and that a dim light was falling on his face. High up above the eastern archway through a shaft near the roof came a long pale gleam; and across the
Vincent van Gogh Mulberry Tree paintingVincent van Gogh Bedroom Arles painting
was back there, and in those days, mowing the lawn, or pottering among the flowers, and that he had never heard of Moria, or mithril – or the Ring.A deep silence fell. One by one the others fell asleep. Frodo was on guard. As if it were a breath that came in through unseen doors out of deep places, dread came over him. His hands were cold and his brow damp. He listened. All his mind was given to listening and nothing else for two slow hours; but he heard no sound, not even the imagined echo of a footfall.His watch was nearly over, when, far off where he guessed that the western archway stood, he fancied that he could see two pale points of light, almost like luminous eyes. He started. His head had nodded. `I must have nearly fallen asleep on guard,' he thought. `I was on the edge of a dream.' He stood up and rubbed his eyes, and remained standing, peering into the dark, until he was relieved by Legolas.When he lay down he quickly went to sleep, but it seemed to him that

Leonardo da Vinci paintings

2008-12-03T22:43:00.000-08:00

Leonardo da Vinci paintingsMichael Austin paintings
thus alone are peace and freedom maintained in the lands behind us, bulwark of the West. But if the passages of the River should be won, what then?`Yet that hour, maybe, is not now far away. The Nameless Enemy has arisen again. Smoke rises once more from Orodruin that we call Mount Doom. The power of the Black Land grows and we are hard beset. When the Enemy returned our folk were driven from Ithilien, our fair domain east of the River, though we kept a foothold there and strength of arms. But this very year, in the days of June, sudden war came upon us out of Mordor, and we were swept away. We were outnumbered, for Mordor has allied itself with the Easterlings and the cruel Haradrim; but it was not by numbers that we
Montague Dawson paintingsMaxfield Parrish paintings
said that it could be seen, like a great black horseman, a dark shadow under the moon. Wherever he came a madness filled our foes, but fear fell on our boldest, so that horse and man gave way and fled. Only a remnant of our eastern force came back, destroying the last bridge that still stood amid the ruins of Osgiliath.'I was in the company that held the bridge, until it was cast down behind us. Four only were saved by swimming: my brother and myself and two others. But still we fight on, holding all the west shores of Anduin; and those who shelter behind us give us praise, if ever they hear our name: much praise but little help. Only from Rohan now will any men ride to us when we call.`In this evil hour I have come on an errand over many dangerous leagues to Elrond: a hundred

Leader Derwentwater From Ladore Morning With Skiddaw In The Distance

2008-12-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

Leader Derwentwater From Ladore Morning With Skiddaw In The DistanceLeader A Peep Through The PinesHarlamoff The Flower GirlHarlamoff Auburn-haired Beauty with Bouqet of Roses
what of your own people?' asked Frodo.`There is much to tell, good and bad,' said Glóin; 'yet it is mostly good: we have so far been fortunate, though we do not escape the shadow of these times. If you really wish to hear of us, I will tell you tidings gladly. But stop me when you are weary! Dwarves' tongues run on when speaking of their handiwork, they say.'And with that Glóin embarked on a long account of the doings of the Dwarf-from his couch to his chair at table, and it took six young dwarves to lift him.'And what has become of Balin and Ori and Óin?' asked Frodo.A shadow passed over Glóin's face. `We do not know,' he answered. 'It is largely on account of Balin that I have come to ask the advice of those that dwell in Rivendell. But tonight let us speak of merrier things!'Glóin began then to talk of the works of his people, telling Frodo about their great labours in Dale kingdom. He was delighted to have found so polite a listener; for Frodo showed no sign of weariness and made no attempt to change the subject, though actually he soon got rather lost among the strange names of people and places that he had never heard of before. He was interested, however, to hear that Dáin was still King under the Mountain, and was now old (having passed his two hundred and fiftieth year), venerable, and fabulously rich. Of the ten companions who had survived the Battle of Five Armies seven were still with him: Dwalin, Glóin, Dori, Nori, Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur. Bombur was now so fat that he could not move himself

Kinkade Homestead House

2008-12-01T23:44:00.000-08:00

Kinkade Homestead HouseKlimt Water Serpents IIKlimt The Tree of Life Stoclet FriezeKlimt The Tree of Life 1909
Prancing PonyBree was the chief village of the Bree-land, a small inhabited region, like an island in the empty lands round about. Besides Bree itself, there was Staddle on the other side of the hill, Combe in a deep valley a little further eastward, and Archet on the edge of the Chetwood. Lying round Bree-hill and the villages was a small country of fields and tamed woodland only a few miles broad.The Men of Bree were brown-haired, when the memory of the old Kings had faded into the grass.In those days no other Men had settled dwellings so far west, or within a hundred leagues of the Shire. But in the wild lands beyond Bree there were mysterious wanderers. The Bree-folk called them Rangers, and knew nothing of their origin. They were taller and darker than the Men of Bree and were broad, and rather short, cheerful and independent: they belonged to nobody but themselves; but they were more friendly and familiar with Hobbits, Dwarves, Elves, and other inhabitants of the world about them than was (or is) usual with Big People. According to their own tales they were the original inhabitants and were the descendants of the first Men that ever wandered into the West of the middle-world. Few had survived the turmoils of the Elder Days; but when the Kings returned again over the Great Sea they had found the Bree-men

Matisse Interior with Phonograph

2008-11-27T23:52:00.000-08:00

Matisse Interior with PhonographMatisse Interior with Etruscan VaseMatisse Interior with a GirlMatisse Interior in Aubergines
into the billowing clouds of steam. "Just seen him! And guess what he's doing? Snogging Victoire!"

He gazed up at the adults, evidently disappointed by the lack of reaction.

　　　"Our Teddy! Teddy Lu"He already comes round for dinner about four times a week," said Harry "Why don't we just invite him to live with is and have done with pin! Snogging our Victoire! Our cousin! And I asked teddy what he was doing --"

"You interrupted them?" said Ginny. "You are so like Ron --"

　　　"-- and he said he'd come to see her off! And then he told me to go away. He's snogging her!" James added as though worried he had not made himself clear.

　　　"Oh, it would be lovely if they got married!" whispered Lily ecstatically. "Teddy would really be part of the family then!"

Aivazovsky Moonlit Seascape With Shipwreck

2008-11-19T22:44:00.000-08:00

Aivazovsky Moonlit Seascape With ShipwreckAivazovsky Figures In A Coastal Landscape At SunsetAivazovsky Bracing the WavesAivazovsky Fishermen on the Shore
Xenophilius had dapper at Bill and by comparison.

　"What? What is it? Who are you? What do you want?" he cried in a high-pitched, querulous voice, looking first at Hermione, then at Ron, and finally at Harry, upon which his mouth fell open in a perfect, comical O.

　"Hello, Mr. Lovegood," said Harry, holding out his hand, "I'm Harry, Harry Potter."

　Xenophilius did not take Harry's hand, although the eye that was not pointing inward at his nose slid straight to the scar on Harry's forehead.

　"Would it be okay if we came in?" asked Harry. "There's something we'd like to ask you."

　"I . . . I'm not sure that's advisable," whispered Xenophilius, He swallowed and cast a quick look around the . "Rather a shock . . . My word . . . I . . . I'm afraid I don't really think I ought to ---"

Edmund Blair Leighton The End of The Song painting

2008-11-09T23:42:00.000-08:00

Edmund Blair Leighton The End of The Song paintingFrank Dicksee Romeo and Juliet paintingJohn Singleton Copley Watson and the Shark painting
inquiry. "And, baba, listen, it is that Gibreel. Gibreel Farishta, who the papers say . . ." her voice trailed off and she chewed, fretfully, at the nails on her left hand.
"Where is he?"
"What to do, I was afraid," Kasturba cried. "I told him, in your father's study, he is waiting there only. But maybe it is better you don't go. Should I call the police? Baapu ré, that such a thing."
_No. Don't call. I'll go see what he wants_.
Gibreel was sitting on Changez's bed with the old lamp in his hands. He was wearing a dirty white kurta-pajama outfit and looked like a man who had been sleeping rough. His eyes were unfocused, lightless, dead. "Spoono," he said wearily, waving the lamp in the direction

Edward Hopper A Woman in the Sun painting

2008-11-04T19:18:00.000-08:00

Edward Hopper A Woman in the Sun paintingJuan Gris Woman with a Basket paintingJuan Gris Violin and Glass painting
wrong? We don't even know what it is. So what I thought was, you can either break your heart trying to work it all out, or you can go sit on a mountain, because that's where all the truth went, believe it or not, it just upped and ran away from these cities where even the stuff under our feet is all made up, a lie, and it hid up there in the thin thin air where the liars don't dare come after it in case their brains explode. It's up there all right. I've been there. Ask me." She fell asleep; he carried her to the bed.
After the news of his death in the plane crash reached her, she had tormented herself by inventing him: by speculating, that is to say, about her lost lover. He had been the first man she'd slept with in more than five years: no small figure in her, her instincts having warned her that to do otherwise might be to be absorbed by it; that it was for her, would always be, a big subject, a whole dark continent to

Pablo Picasso Gertrude Stein painting

2008-10-27T23:57:00.000-07:00

Pablo Picasso Gertrude Stein paintingTamara de Lempicka Portrait of Madame paintingEric Wallis Girls at the Beach painting
Gibreel, the tuneless soloist, had been cavorting in moonlight as he sang his impromptu gazal, swimming in air, butterfly-stroke, breast-stroke, bunching himself into a ball, spreadeagling himself against the almost-infinity of the almost-dawn, adopting heraldic postures, rampant, couchant, pitting levity against gravity. Now he rolled happily towards the sardonic voice. "Ohé, Salad baba, it's you, too good. What-ho, old Chumch." At which the other, a fastidious shadow falling headfirst in a grey suit with all the jacket buttons done up, arms by his sides, taking for granted the improbability of the bowler hat on his head, pulled a nickname-hater's face. "Hey, Spoono," Gibreel yelled, eliciting a second inverted wince, "Proper London, bhai! Here we come! Those bastards down there won't know what hit them. Meteor or lightning or vengeance of God. Out of thin air, baby. _Dharrraaammm!_ Wham, na? What an entrance, yaar. I swear: splat."
Out of thin air: a big bang, followed by falling stars. A universal beginning, a miniature echo of the birth of time . . . the jumbo jet _Bostan_, Flight AI-420

Albert Moore A Venus painting

2008-10-23T00:12:00.000-07:00

Albert Moore A Venus paintingAlbert Moore A Musician paintingBernhard Gutmann Lady in Pink painting
Sejanus that Scarlet was the secret symbol used by Leek Greens when they wished to refer to his own supporters, and he noticed that whenever a Scarlet chariot won, which was seldom, it came in for loud groans and hisses. Sejanus was clever; he knew that Germanicus had always backed the Leek Green and that Agrippina, Nero and Drusus, for sentimental reasons, continued to favour the colour.
There was a nobleman called Silius who had been for many years a corps-commander on the Rhine. I think I have mentioned him as the General of the four regiments in the Upper Province of Germany which did not take part in the great mutiny. He had been my brother's most capable lieutenant and had been granted triumphal ornaments for his successes against Hermann. Recently, at the head of the combined forces of the Upper and Lower Provinces he had put down a dangerous revolt of the French tribes in the neighbourhood of my birthplace, Lyons. He was not a modest man but not particularly boastful and if he had really said in public, as was reported, that but for his tactful

Vincent van Gogh The Sower painting

2008-10-17T20:51:00.001-07:00

Vincent van Gogh The Sower paintingVincent van Gogh The Night Cafe paintingVincent van Gogh Cafe Terrace at Night painting
the least doubt a speech that he had happened to learn by heart. After all, 'Roman Conquests in Germany' is a very obvious subject, and Athenodorus may well have made him word-perfect in half a dozen or more model declamations of the same sort. Mind you, I don't say that I'm not pleased to hear that he is so amenable to training: I am extremely pleased. It means, for instance, that we will be ' able to coach him through his -dying father to love and protect his infant brother: you know Germanicus's nobility of soul and that rather than betray this sacred trust he would make out the best case possible for his brother's wits, hoping that they might happen one day to improve. It is equally clear ceremony. But your suggestion about his supping with us is ridiculous. I refuse ever to eat in the same room as that fellow: it would give me indigestion-
"As for the testimony in favour of his mental soundness, examine it. Germanicus as a child swore to his

Frederic Edwin Church Rainy Season in the Tropics painting

2008-10-04T22:20:00.001-07:00

Frederic Edwin Church Rainy Season in the Tropics paintingWilliam Merritt Chase Idle Hours paintingWilliam Merritt Chase Reflections painting
pimply; it was thought very much more chic to be seen lunching alone at the Ritz - a thing, in any case, allowed to few girls of that day, to the tiny circle of Julia’s intimates; a thing looked at askance by the elders who kept the score, chatting pleasantly against the walls of the ballrooms - at the table on the left as you came in, with a starched and wrinkled old roué whom your mother had be warned of as a girl, than than in the centre of the room with a party of exuberant young bloods. Rex, indeed, was neither starched nor wrinkled; his seniors thought him a pushful young cad, but Julia recognized the unmistakable chic - the flavour of ‘Max’ and ‘F. E.’ and the Prince of Wales, of the big table in the Sporting Club, the second magnum, and the fourth cigar, of the chauffeur kept waiting hour after hour without compunction - which