Leonardo da Vinci Madonna Litta paintingLeonardo da Vinci Leda paintingLeonardo da Vinci Female Head painting
Upstairs, at the very top of the house, that is to say in Saladin's "den", Mrs. Pamela Chamcha was writhing in her lover's arms, crying her heart out, and bawling at the top of her voice: "It isn't true. My husband exploded. No survivors. Do you hear me? I am the widow Chamcha whose spouse is beastly dead." the metaphor, Jumpy Joshi had told himself. Turn it; make it a thing we can use. "This is like rape," he pleaded with Hanif. "For God's sake, stop."
"Voices that one hears are outside, but," the café proprietor was musing. "Joan of Arc, na. Or that what's his name with the cat: Turn-again Whittington. But with such voices onefoul, cannibal and Christian, the glory of the world. We should celebrate it while we can; until night falls."
She didn't agree, not even in the dream, but she knew, as she dreamed, that there was no point telling him now.
Friday, 31 October 2008
Thursday, 30 October 2008
Vincent van Gogh The Red Vineyard painting
Vincent van Gogh The Red Vineyard paintingVincent van Gogh The potato eaters paintingVincent van Gogh The Lowlands at Auvers-Sur-Oise painting
He was offended. "I've got bones," he protested. "Bone _structure_."
"Somewhere in there," she conceded. "Everybody does."
After that he was haunted for a time by the notion that he looked like a featureless jellyfish, and it was in large part to assuage this feeling that he set about developing the narrow, haughty demeanour that was now second nature to him. It was, therefore, a matter of some consequence when, on arising from a long slumber racked by a series of intolerable dreams, prominent among which were images of Zeeny Vakil, transformed into a mermaid, singing to him from an iceberg in tones of agonizing sweetness, lamenting her inability to join him on dry land, calling him, calling; -- but when he went to her she shut him up fast in the heart of her ice-mountain, and her song changed to one of Gilbert Arenas, Michael Redd, Ben Wallace - the list could go on and on. These are guys who flew under the radar for a year or two before busting out and showing the league that they are ready to contribute.
Every year we are blindsided by some players whom we had never heard of as they take their to that next level. Here is my list of 10 players who will either take that big step on their way to NBA stardom or will falter and remain in the also-ran category...
He was offended. "I've got bones," he protested. "Bone _structure_."
"Somewhere in there," she conceded. "Everybody does."
After that he was haunted for a time by the notion that he looked like a featureless jellyfish, and it was in large part to assuage this feeling that he set about developing the narrow, haughty demeanour that was now second nature to him. It was, therefore, a matter of some consequence when, on arising from a long slumber racked by a series of intolerable dreams, prominent among which were images of Zeeny Vakil, transformed into a mermaid, singing to him from an iceberg in tones of agonizing sweetness, lamenting her inability to join him on dry land, calling him, calling; -- but when he went to her she shut him up fast in the heart of her ice-mountain, and her song changed to one of Gilbert Arenas, Michael Redd, Ben Wallace - the list could go on and on. These are guys who flew under the radar for a year or two before busting out and showing the league that they are ready to contribute.
Every year we are blindsided by some players whom we had never heard of as they take their to that next level. Here is my list of 10 players who will either take that big step on their way to NBA stardom or will falter and remain in the also-ran category...
Johannes Vermeer Mistress and Maid painting
Johannes Vermeer Mistress and Maid paintingUnknown Artist Vanitas Still Life paintingJohn William Waterhouse The Magic Circle painting
without any trace of hesitation or doubt, he recites two further verses.
"Have you thought upon Lat and Uzza, and Manat, the third, the other?" -- After the first verse, Hind gets to her feet; the Grandee of Jahilia is already standing very straight. And Mahound, with silenced eyes, recites: "They are the exalted birds, and their intercession is desired indeed."
As the noise -- shoutsagain. "If your God has really spoken to you," he says, "then all the world must hear it." And in an instant the silence in the great tent is complete.
"_The Star_," Mahound cries out, and the scribes begin to write.
"In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful!
"By the Pleiades when they Simbel rises and calls to Mahound, "Welcome." He is all urbanity. "Welcome, Mahound, the seer, the kahin." It's a public declaration of respect, and
without any trace of hesitation or doubt, he recites two further verses.
"Have you thought upon Lat and Uzza, and Manat, the third, the other?" -- After the first verse, Hind gets to her feet; the Grandee of Jahilia is already standing very straight. And Mahound, with silenced eyes, recites: "They are the exalted birds, and their intercession is desired indeed."
As the noise -- shoutsagain. "If your God has really spoken to you," he says, "then all the world must hear it." And in an instant the silence in the great tent is complete.
"_The Star_," Mahound cries out, and the scribes begin to write.
"In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful!
"By the Pleiades when they Simbel rises and calls to Mahound, "Welcome." He is all urbanity. "Welcome, Mahound, the seer, the kahin." It's a public declaration of respect, and
Rembrandt The Sacrifice of Abraham painting
Rembrandt The Sacrifice of Abraham paintingJohn Singer Sargent A Morning Walk paintingLord Frederick Leighton Leighton Mother and Child painting
full of fear_.
_An idea that runs away_.
Mahound has reached his oasis; Gibreel is not so lucky. Often, now, he finds himself alone on the summit of Mount Cone, washed by the cold, falling stars, and then they fall upon him from the night sky, the three winged creatures, Lat Uzza Manat, flapping around his head, clawing at his eyes, biting, whipping him with their hair, their wings. He puts up his hands to protect himself, but their revenge is tireless, continuing whenever he rests, whenever he drops his guard. He struggles against them, but they are faster, nimbler, winged.
He has no devil to repudiate. Dreaming, he canin the land of the blindingly obvious - yes, people who are ier are happier. Still, just because the advice is obvious doesn't mean it's any less relevant, or any more likely for people to actually act on! Despite this the self-evident nature of this advice, ancient Chinese Buddhism actually recommends physical privation. Again, we'll stick with Confucius on this one.
6. Meet your obligationsnot wish them
full of fear_.
_An idea that runs away_.
Mahound has reached his oasis; Gibreel is not so lucky. Often, now, he finds himself alone on the summit of Mount Cone, washed by the cold, falling stars, and then they fall upon him from the night sky, the three winged creatures, Lat Uzza Manat, flapping around his head, clawing at his eyes, biting, whipping him with their hair, their wings. He puts up his hands to protect himself, but their revenge is tireless, continuing whenever he rests, whenever he drops his guard. He struggles against them, but they are faster, nimbler, winged.
He has no devil to repudiate. Dreaming, he canin the land of the blindingly obvious - yes, people who are ier are happier. Still, just because the advice is obvious doesn't mean it's any less relevant, or any more likely for people to actually act on! Despite this the self-evident nature of this advice, ancient Chinese Buddhism actually recommends physical privation. Again, we'll stick with Confucius on this one.
6. Meet your obligationsnot wish them
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
Johannes Vermeer The Concert painting
Johannes Vermeer The Concert paintingGustav Klimt The Virgin paintingGustav Klimt dancer painting
awoke at dawn, shrieking with fear because he had seen a skeleton riding a camel across the dunes. Other hostages saw coloured globes hanging in the sky, or heard the beating of gigantic wings. The three male hijackers fell into a deep, fatalistic gloom. One day Tavleen summoned them to a conference at the far end of the plane; the hostages heard angry voices. "She's telling them they have to issue an ultimatum," Gibreel Farishta said to Chamcha. "One of us has to die, or such." But when the men returned Tavleen wasn't with them and the dejection in their eyes was tinged, now, with shame. "They lost their guts," Gibreel whispered. "No can do. Now what is left for our Tavleen bibi? Zero. Story funtoosh."
What she did:
In order to prove to her captives, and also to her fellow-captors, that the idea of failure, or surrender, would never weaken her resolve, she emerged from her momentary retreat in the first--class cocktail lounge to stand before them like a stewardess demonstrating safety procedures. But instead of putting on
awoke at dawn, shrieking with fear because he had seen a skeleton riding a camel across the dunes. Other hostages saw coloured globes hanging in the sky, or heard the beating of gigantic wings. The three male hijackers fell into a deep, fatalistic gloom. One day Tavleen summoned them to a conference at the far end of the plane; the hostages heard angry voices. "She's telling them they have to issue an ultimatum," Gibreel Farishta said to Chamcha. "One of us has to die, or such." But when the men returned Tavleen wasn't with them and the dejection in their eyes was tinged, now, with shame. "They lost their guts," Gibreel whispered. "No can do. Now what is left for our Tavleen bibi? Zero. Story funtoosh."
What she did:
In order to prove to her captives, and also to her fellow-captors, that the idea of failure, or surrender, would never weaken her resolve, she emerged from her momentary retreat in the first--class cocktail lounge to stand before them like a stewardess demonstrating safety procedures. But instead of putting on
John William Waterhouse Gather Ye Rosebuds while ye may painting
John William Waterhouse Gather Ye Rosebuds while ye may paintingLeonardo da Vinci Leda and the Swan paintingLeonardo da Vinci Head of Christ painting
the chicken into the hotel lobby he became embarrassed, not wanting the staff to see, so he stuffed it inside doublebreasted serge and went up in the lift reeking of spit--roast, his mackintosh bulging, his face turning red. Chicken-breasted beneath the gaze of dowagers and liftwallahs he felt the birth of that implacable rage which would burn within him, undiminished, for over a quarter of a century; which would boil away his childhood father-worship and make him a secular man, who would do his best, thereafter, to live without a god of any type; which would fuel, perhaps, his determination to become the thing his father was-not-could-never-be, that is, a goodandproper Englishman. Yes, an English, even if his mother had been right all along, even if there was only paper in the toilets and tepid, used water full of mud and soap to step into after taking exercise, even if it spent amongst winter--naked trees whose fingers clutched despairingly at the few, pale hours of watery, filtered light. On winter nights he, who had never slept beneath more than a sheet, lay beneath mountains of wool and felt like a figure in an ancient
the chicken into the hotel lobby he became embarrassed, not wanting the staff to see, so he stuffed it inside doublebreasted serge and went up in the lift reeking of spit--roast, his mackintosh bulging, his face turning red. Chicken-breasted beneath the gaze of dowagers and liftwallahs he felt the birth of that implacable rage which would burn within him, undiminished, for over a quarter of a century; which would boil away his childhood father-worship and make him a secular man, who would do his best, thereafter, to live without a god of any type; which would fuel, perhaps, his determination to become the thing his father was-not-could-never-be, that is, a goodandproper Englishman. Yes, an English, even if his mother had been right all along, even if there was only paper in the toilets and tepid, used water full of mud and soap to step into after taking exercise, even if it spent amongst winter--naked trees whose fingers clutched despairingly at the few, pale hours of watery, filtered light. On winter nights he, who had never slept beneath more than a sheet, lay beneath mountains of wool and felt like a figure in an ancient
Monday, 27 October 2008
Henri Rousseau The Dream painting
Henri Rousseau The Dream paintingPaul Cezanne Trees in Park paintingPaul Cezanne Table Corner painting
were going through that curious performance of patting and stroking their assegais and speaking to them as if they were human beings, which is their invariable custom before shedding blood with those terrible weapons. There was no escape. Suddenly from the stage the trumpet blew the Attention, followed by the six notes which mean. Imperial Orders. Mnester entered and raised his hand. And at once the terrible din died down into mere sobs and smothered groans, for when Mnester appeared on the stage it was a rule that nobody should utter the least sound on pain of instant death. The Germans too stopped their patting and stroking and incantations. The Imperial Orders stiffened them into statues.
Mnester shouted: "He's not dead. Citizens. Far from it. The assassins set on him and beat him to his knees, sol But be presently rose again, sol Swords cannot prevail against our Divine Caesar. Wounded and bloody as he was
were going through that curious performance of patting and stroking their assegais and speaking to them as if they were human beings, which is their invariable custom before shedding blood with those terrible weapons. There was no escape. Suddenly from the stage the trumpet blew the Attention, followed by the six notes which mean. Imperial Orders. Mnester entered and raised his hand. And at once the terrible din died down into mere sobs and smothered groans, for when Mnester appeared on the stage it was a rule that nobody should utter the least sound on pain of instant death. The Germans too stopped their patting and stroking and incantations. The Imperial Orders stiffened them into statues.
Mnester shouted: "He's not dead. Citizens. Far from it. The assassins set on him and beat him to his knees, sol But be presently rose again, sol Swords cannot prevail against our Divine Caesar. Wounded and bloody as he was
Thomas Gainsborough The Blue Boy painting
Thomas Gainsborough The Blue Boy paintingEdvard Munch The Scream paintingGustav Klimt Mother and Child detail from The Three Ages of Woman painting
have, by some miracle, managed to avoid all manner of news lately, you might be surprised to know that there’s a U.S. presidential election in less than a month. Even if you are aware of it, you may be reluctant to get involved or just not sure where to start. I wouldn’t dream of suggesting that you vote for one candidate over the other, but I would like to make a few suggestions for getting in on some of that political action.1. Start with your own paperwork
I’m always surprised to find out how many people aren’t registered to vote. Even if you’ve gotten the necessary paperwork in to your county board of elections, you will probably need to confirm that the paperwork went through if you really want to vote on November 4. On top of that, you’ll want to know where your polling place is and the local hours. The easiest way to find out all of this information is to get on to your county board of elections’ website: what information isn’t prominently displayed on the is available through the phone number also displayed online.
have, by some miracle, managed to avoid all manner of news lately, you might be surprised to know that there’s a U.S. presidential election in less than a month. Even if you are aware of it, you may be reluctant to get involved or just not sure where to start. I wouldn’t dream of suggesting that you vote for one candidate over the other, but I would like to make a few suggestions for getting in on some of that political action.1. Start with your own paperwork
I’m always surprised to find out how many people aren’t registered to vote. Even if you’ve gotten the necessary paperwork in to your county board of elections, you will probably need to confirm that the paperwork went through if you really want to vote on November 4. On top of that, you’ll want to know where your polling place is and the local hours. The easiest way to find out all of this information is to get on to your county board of elections’ website: what information isn’t prominently displayed on the is available through the phone number also displayed online.
Friday, 24 October 2008
William Bouguereau The Madonna of the Roses painting
William Bouguereau The Madonna of the Roses paintingWilliam Bouguereau The Wave paintingWilliam Bouguereau Rest painting
This was the passage in the First Book of the Iliad where the lame God goes hobbling about Olympus and the other Gods all laugh at him. I was lying on the floor pounding Lesbia's husband with my fists-it wasn't often that I got such a chance of paying back old scores-and raising myself up I said:
Then from his anvil the lame craftsman rose.' Wide, with distorted legs, oblique, he goes and staggered over to the refreshment table. Caligula was delighted and quoted another couple of lines which occur just before the "unextinguished laughter" passage:
If you submit, the Thunderer stands appeased, The Gracious God is willing to be pleased.
This was how he came to call me Vulcan, a title that I was glad to win, because it gave me a certain protection against his caprices.
Caligula then quietly left us, removed his disguise and reappeared
This was the passage in the First Book of the Iliad where the lame God goes hobbling about Olympus and the other Gods all laugh at him. I was lying on the floor pounding Lesbia's husband with my fists-it wasn't often that I got such a chance of paying back old scores-and raising myself up I said:
Then from his anvil the lame craftsman rose.' Wide, with distorted legs, oblique, he goes and staggered over to the refreshment table. Caligula was delighted and quoted another couple of lines which occur just before the "unextinguished laughter" passage:
If you submit, the Thunderer stands appeased, The Gracious God is willing to be pleased.
This was how he came to call me Vulcan, a title that I was glad to win, because it gave me a certain protection against his caprices.
Caligula then quietly left us, removed his disguise and reappeared
Bartolome Esteban Murillo The Little Fruit Seller painting
Bartolome Esteban Murillo The Little Fruit Seller paintingFilippino Lippi The Marriage of St Catherine paintingFilippino Lippi Allegory painting
-when rich provincials came to the City they were always invited to dinner at the Palace and a friendly gamble afterwards. They were astonished and dismayed by the Emperor's luck: he threw Venus every time and skinned them of all they had. Yes, Caligula always played with weighted dice. For instance, he now removed the Consuls from office and fined them heavily on the ground that they had celebrated the usual festival in honour of Augustus's victory over Antony at Actium. He said that it was an insult to his ancestor Antony. (By the way. he appointed Afer to one of the vacant Consulships.) He had told us at dinner a few days before the festival that whatever the Consuls did he would punish them: for if they refrained from celebrating the festival they would be insulting his ancestor Augustus. It was on this occasion that Ganymede made a fatal mistake. He cried: "You are clever, my dear! You catch them every way. But the poor idiots will celebrate the festival, if they have any sense; because Agrippa did most of the work at Actium and he was your ancestor too, so they will at least be honouring two of your ancestors of three."
Caligula said: "Ganymede, we are no longer friends."
-when rich provincials came to the City they were always invited to dinner at the Palace and a friendly gamble afterwards. They were astonished and dismayed by the Emperor's luck: he threw Venus every time and skinned them of all they had. Yes, Caligula always played with weighted dice. For instance, he now removed the Consuls from office and fined them heavily on the ground that they had celebrated the usual festival in honour of Augustus's victory over Antony at Actium. He said that it was an insult to his ancestor Antony. (By the way. he appointed Afer to one of the vacant Consulships.) He had told us at dinner a few days before the festival that whatever the Consuls did he would punish them: for if they refrained from celebrating the festival they would be insulting his ancestor Augustus. It was on this occasion that Ganymede made a fatal mistake. He cried: "You are clever, my dear! You catch them every way. But the poor idiots will celebrate the festival, if they have any sense; because Agrippa did most of the work at Actium and he was your ancestor too, so they will at least be honouring two of your ancestors of three."
Caligula said: "Ganymede, we are no longer friends."
William Bouguereau Rest painting
William Bouguereau Rest paintingWilliam Bouguereau The Rapture of Psyche paintingWilliam Bouguereau Cupid and Psyche as Children painting
He moved into it with his train. Caligula had accompanied him and so had Macro, and to show that there was nothing seriously amiss with him Tiberius gave a great banquet to all the local officials. The feasting had gone on for some time when Tiberius's private physician asked permission to leave the table and attend to some medical Business: certain herbs, you know, have greater virtue when they are picked at midnight or when the moon is in such and such a position, and Tiberius was accustomed to the physician's rising during the meal to see to things of this sort. He took up Tiberius's hand to kiss it, but held it rather longer than necessary. Tiberius thought, quite rightly, that the physician was feeling his pulse to see how weak he was, so he made him sit down again as a punishment and kept the banquet going all night, just to prove that he wasn't HI. The next day Tiberius was in a state of prostration, and the word went round Misenum, and spread from there to Rome, that he was about to die.
Now, Tiberius had told Macro that he wished evidence of treason found against certain leading senators whom he disliked and had given him orders to
He moved into it with his train. Caligula had accompanied him and so had Macro, and to show that there was nothing seriously amiss with him Tiberius gave a great banquet to all the local officials. The feasting had gone on for some time when Tiberius's private physician asked permission to leave the table and attend to some medical Business: certain herbs, you know, have greater virtue when they are picked at midnight or when the moon is in such and such a position, and Tiberius was accustomed to the physician's rising during the meal to see to things of this sort. He took up Tiberius's hand to kiss it, but held it rather longer than necessary. Tiberius thought, quite rightly, that the physician was feeling his pulse to see how weak he was, so he made him sit down again as a punishment and kept the banquet going all night, just to prove that he wasn't HI. The next day Tiberius was in a state of prostration, and the word went round Misenum, and spread from there to Rome, that he was about to die.
Now, Tiberius had told Macro that he wished evidence of treason found against certain leading senators whom he disliked and had given him orders to
Thursday, 23 October 2008
Edward Hopper Reclining Nude painting
Edward Hopper Reclining Nude paintingFrederic Edwin Church The Andes of Ecuador paintingFrederic Edwin Church Mountains of Ecuador painting
supporter. The Consul asked the question, whether the Emperor's advice should be followed. "Ay, ay!" the whole House shouted. The Commander of the Watchmen was summoned, and when Sejanus saw that his own Guards had disappeared and that Watchmen had taken their places, he knew that be was beaten. He was marched off to prison and the populace, who had got wind of what was happening, crowded round him and shouted and groaned and pelted him with filth. He muffled his face with his gown but they threatened to kill him if he did not show it; and when he obeyed they pelted him all the harder. The same afternoon the Senate, seeing that no Guards were about and that the crowd was threatening to break into the gaol to lynch Sejanus, decided to keep the credit for themselves and condemned him to death.
Caligula sent Tiberius the news at once by beacon signal. Tiberius had a Beet standing by prepared to take him to Egypt if his plans went astray. Sejanus was executed and his body thrown down the Weeping Stairs
supporter. The Consul asked the question, whether the Emperor's advice should be followed. "Ay, ay!" the whole House shouted. The Commander of the Watchmen was summoned, and when Sejanus saw that his own Guards had disappeared and that Watchmen had taken their places, he knew that be was beaten. He was marched off to prison and the populace, who had got wind of what was happening, crowded round him and shouted and groaned and pelted him with filth. He muffled his face with his gown but they threatened to kill him if he did not show it; and when he obeyed they pelted him all the harder. The same afternoon the Senate, seeing that no Guards were about and that the crowd was threatening to break into the gaol to lynch Sejanus, decided to keep the credit for themselves and condemned him to death.
Caligula sent Tiberius the news at once by beacon signal. Tiberius had a Beet standing by prepared to take him to Egypt if his plans went astray. Sejanus was executed and his body thrown down the Weeping Stairs
Vincent van Gogh Autumn Landscape painting
Vincent van Gogh Autumn Landscape paintingVincent van Gogh Le Moulin de la Galette paintingVincent van Gogh Farmhouse in Provence painting
The Lady Livilla ordered most particularly…"
"The Lady Livilla must have been very preoccupied when she ordered you to destroy valuable paper. Give me the basket. The clean parts will be useful for household lists, and all sorts of things. Waste not, want not."
So she took the papers to her room and was 'about to clip the good pieces off one of them when it struck her that she might as well try to remove the ink from the whole thing. Until now she had honourably refrained from reading the writing; but when she began rubbing away at it, it' was impossible to avoid doing so. She suddenly realized that these were rough drafts, or unsatisfactory beginnings, of a letter to Sejanus; and once she began reading she could not stop, and before she had done she knew the whole story. Livilla was clearly angry and jealous that Sejanus had consented to marry someone else-her own daughter tool But she was trying to conceal her feelings-each draft of the letter was toned down a little more. She wrote that he must act quickly before Tiberius suspected that he really had no intention of marrying Helen: and if he was not yet ready to assassinate Tiberius and usurp the
The Lady Livilla ordered most particularly…"
"The Lady Livilla must have been very preoccupied when she ordered you to destroy valuable paper. Give me the basket. The clean parts will be useful for household lists, and all sorts of things. Waste not, want not."
So she took the papers to her room and was 'about to clip the good pieces off one of them when it struck her that she might as well try to remove the ink from the whole thing. Until now she had honourably refrained from reading the writing; but when she began rubbing away at it, it' was impossible to avoid doing so. She suddenly realized that these were rough drafts, or unsatisfactory beginnings, of a letter to Sejanus; and once she began reading she could not stop, and before she had done she knew the whole story. Livilla was clearly angry and jealous that Sejanus had consented to marry someone else-her own daughter tool But she was trying to conceal her feelings-each draft of the letter was toned down a little more. She wrote that he must act quickly before Tiberius suspected that he really had no intention of marrying Helen: and if he was not yet ready to assassinate Tiberius and usurp the
Claude Monet Flood at Giverny painting
Claude Monet Flood at Giverny paintingClaude Monet Fields of Bezons paintingClaude Monet Etretat The End of the Day painting
ready with his sword and perhaps deserved lesson. But he, Cremutius Cordus, was too old and too sober to be made a fool of in this way, and this was no festival of Laughter but, on the contrary, the four hundred and seventy-sixth anniversary of the solemn promulgation of the Laws of the Twelve Tables, that glorious monument to the legislative genius and the moral rectitude of our forefathers. He went Home and starved himself to death. All copies of his book were called in and burned except for two or three which his daughter hid away somewhere and republished many years later when Tiberius was dead. It was not very good writing; it got more fame than it really deserved.
I had been all this time saying to myself, "Claudius, you're a poor fellow and not much use in this world, and you have led a pretty miserable life with one thing and another, but at least your life is safe." So when old Cremutius whom I knew very well-we had often met and chatted in the Library
ready with his sword and perhaps deserved lesson. But he, Cremutius Cordus, was too old and too sober to be made a fool of in this way, and this was no festival of Laughter but, on the contrary, the four hundred and seventy-sixth anniversary of the solemn promulgation of the Laws of the Twelve Tables, that glorious monument to the legislative genius and the moral rectitude of our forefathers. He went Home and starved himself to death. All copies of his book were called in and burned except for two or three which his daughter hid away somewhere and republished many years later when Tiberius was dead. It was not very good writing; it got more fame than it really deserved.
I had been all this time saying to myself, "Claudius, you're a poor fellow and not much use in this world, and you have led a pretty miserable life with one thing and another, but at least your life is safe." So when old Cremutius whom I knew very well-we had often met and chatted in the Library
Henri Rousseau Banks of the Oise painting
Henri Rousseau Banks of the Oise paintingHenri Rousseau A Carnival Evening paintingPaul Cezanne View of Auvers painting
time I saw him. But I could not say so. Still less could I say that I loathed the thought of being even remotely related in marriage with a scoundrel like Sejanus. He noticed my hesitation in answering and wanted to know whether I considered the match beneath the dignity of my family. I stammered and said no, certainly I did not: his branch of the Elian family was a very honourable one. For Sejanus, though the son of a mere country knight, had been adopted in early manhood by a rich senator of the Elian family, a Consul, who had left him all his money; there was a scandal connected with this adoption, but the fact remained that Sejanus was an Elian. He anxiously pressed me to explain my hesitation and said that if I had any feeling against the marriage, he was sorry he had mentioned it, but of course he had only done so on Tiberius's suggestion. So I told him that if Tiberius proposed the match I would be glad to give my consent: that my chief feeling had been that four years
time I saw him. But I could not say so. Still less could I say that I loathed the thought of being even remotely related in marriage with a scoundrel like Sejanus. He noticed my hesitation in answering and wanted to know whether I considered the match beneath the dignity of my family. I stammered and said no, certainly I did not: his branch of the Elian family was a very honourable one. For Sejanus, though the son of a mere country knight, had been adopted in early manhood by a rich senator of the Elian family, a Consul, who had left him all his money; there was a scandal connected with this adoption, but the fact remained that Sejanus was an Elian. He anxiously pressed me to explain my hesitation and said that if I had any feeling against the marriage, he was sorry he had mentioned it, but of course he had only done so on Tiberius's suggestion. So I told him that if Tiberius proposed the match I would be glad to give my consent: that my chief feeling had been that four years
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
John William Godward Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder painting
John William Godward Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder paintingJohn William Waterhouse Echo and Narcissus paintingJohn William Waterhouse The Lady of Shalott painting
shall explain why. Augustus, realizing early in his reign that Rome was now chiefly dependent on Egypt for her corn supply and that Egypt, if it fell into the hands of an adventurer, could be successfully defended by a quite small army, had laid it down as a precept of government that no Roman knight or senator should henceforth be allowed to visit the province without express permission from himself. It was generally understood that the same rule held under Tiberius. Butt e) Gennanicus, alarmed by reports of the corn famine in Egypt, had not wasted time by waiting to get permission to go there. Tiberius was certain now that Germanicus was bout to strike the blow that he had withheld so long; he had certainly gone to Egypt to bring the garrison there over to his side; the sight-seeing up the Nile was merely an excuse for visiting the frontier-guards; it had been a great mistake to send him to the East at all. He made a public complaint in the Senate against so daring a breach of Augustus's strict injunctions.
When Gennanicus returned to Syria, feeling much hurt by Tiberius's reprimand, he found that all his orders to the regiments and to the cities had either been neglected or superseded by contradictory ones from Piso.
shall explain why. Augustus, realizing early in his reign that Rome was now chiefly dependent on Egypt for her corn supply and that Egypt, if it fell into the hands of an adventurer, could be successfully defended by a quite small army, had laid it down as a precept of government that no Roman knight or senator should henceforth be allowed to visit the province without express permission from himself. It was generally understood that the same rule held under Tiberius. Butt e) Gennanicus, alarmed by reports of the corn famine in Egypt, had not wasted time by waiting to get permission to go there. Tiberius was certain now that Germanicus was bout to strike the blow that he had withheld so long; he had certainly gone to Egypt to bring the garrison there over to his side; the sight-seeing up the Nile was merely an excuse for visiting the frontier-guards; it had been a great mistake to send him to the East at all. He made a public complaint in the Senate against so daring a breach of Augustus's strict injunctions.
When Gennanicus returned to Syria, feeling much hurt by Tiberius's reprimand, he found that all his orders to the regiments and to the cities had either been neglected or superseded by contradictory ones from Piso.
Tuesday, 21 October 2008
Wassily Kandinsky Improvisation painting
Wassily Kandinsky Improvisation paintingVincent van Gogh The Sower paintingVincent van Gogh The Night Cafe painting
miso soup for breakfast. Since it’s already prepared, there’s nothing easier to heat up in the microwave, and it can be eaten quickly.
My time: two minutes.Getting Out the Door
My laptop is ready in its bag, sitting by the door; in that bag is my wallet, and on a hook by the door are my keys. My shoes are also by the door, and I can slip them on as I grab my bag. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet learned to grab the bag, slip the shoes on and get the keys all at once!
The only thing I have to grab before I leave that’s not by the door is my phone, as I charge it over night via USB in my desktop. No wasted time there, though, since I scan feeds and email for a minute or two as I eat breakfast and can take the phone with me as I go to put the bowl in the kitchen sink.
Notice I said scan and not read; it’s really just to pass the time between mouthfuls!
My time: ten seconds.
How long does it take me to get out the door on an early morning? Just under six minutes.
In short: spending fifteen to twenty minutes preparing for the morning before bed can mean you spend only five minutes getting ready in the morning. No more morning rush! Of course, I like to take my time where possible and if I’m not going to be rushed, I take the longer, more relaxed route to morning preparation.
But if I’m working late and I want to maximize my sleep without pushing back my day, this is the
miso soup for breakfast. Since it’s already prepared, there’s nothing easier to heat up in the microwave, and it can be eaten quickly.
My time: two minutes.Getting Out the Door
My laptop is ready in its bag, sitting by the door; in that bag is my wallet, and on a hook by the door are my keys. My shoes are also by the door, and I can slip them on as I grab my bag. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet learned to grab the bag, slip the shoes on and get the keys all at once!
The only thing I have to grab before I leave that’s not by the door is my phone, as I charge it over night via USB in my desktop. No wasted time there, though, since I scan feeds and email for a minute or two as I eat breakfast and can take the phone with me as I go to put the bowl in the kitchen sink.
Notice I said scan and not read; it’s really just to pass the time between mouthfuls!
My time: ten seconds.
How long does it take me to get out the door on an early morning? Just under six minutes.
In short: spending fifteen to twenty minutes preparing for the morning before bed can mean you spend only five minutes getting ready in the morning. No more morning rush! Of course, I like to take my time where possible and if I’m not going to be rushed, I take the longer, more relaxed route to morning preparation.
But if I’m working late and I want to maximize my sleep without pushing back my day, this is the
Eric Wallis Girls at the Beach painting
Eric Wallis Girls at the Beach paintingVincent van Gogh Starry Night over the Rhone paintingVincent van Gogh Irises painting
I was leaving Rome and settling at Capua she said how much she would miss me, but that I was wise to go. "I had a funny dream about you last night, Master Claudius, if you'll forgive me. You were a little lame boy, and thieves broke into his father's house and murdered his father and a whole lot of relations and friends; but he squeezed through a pantry-window and went hobbling into the neighbouring wood. He climbed up a tree and waited. The thieves came out of the house and sat down under the tree where he was hiding, to divide the plunder. Soon they began to quarrel about who should have what, and one of the thieves got killed, and then two more, and then the rest began drinking wine and pretending to be great friends; but the wine had been poisoned by one of the murdered thieves, so they all died in agony. The lame boy climbed down the tree and collected the valuables and found a lot of gold and jewels among them that had been stolen from other families: but he took it all Home with him and became quite rich."
I was leaving Rome and settling at Capua she said how much she would miss me, but that I was wise to go. "I had a funny dream about you last night, Master Claudius, if you'll forgive me. You were a little lame boy, and thieves broke into his father's house and murdered his father and a whole lot of relations and friends; but he squeezed through a pantry-window and went hobbling into the neighbouring wood. He climbed up a tree and waited. The thieves came out of the house and sat down under the tree where he was hiding, to divide the plunder. Soon they began to quarrel about who should have what, and one of the thieves got killed, and then two more, and then the rest began drinking wine and pretending to be great friends; but the wine had been poisoned by one of the murdered thieves, so they all died in agony. The lame boy climbed down the tree and collected the valuables and found a lot of gold and jewels among them that had been stolen from other families: but he took it all Home with him and became quite rich."
Monday, 20 October 2008
Pierre Auguste Renoir The Umbrellas painting
Pierre Auguste Renoir The Umbrellas painting
Pierre Auguste Renoir Sleeping Girl painting
THE RHINE MUTINY HAD BROKEN OUT IN SYMPATHY WITH a mutiny among the Balkan forces. The soldiers* disappointment with their bequests under Augustus's will-a mere four months' bounty of pay, three gold pieces a man -aggravated certain long-standing grievances; and they reckoned that the insecurity of Tiberius's position would force
Pierre Auguste Renoir Dance at Bougival I painting
to meet any reasonable demands they made, in order to win their favour. These demands included a rise in pay, service limited to sixteen years, and a relaxation of camp discipline. The pay was certainly insufficient: the .soldiers had to arm and equip themselves out of it and prices had risen. And certainly the exhaustion of military reserves had kept thousands of soldiers with the Colours who should have been discharged years before, and veterans had been recalled to the Colours who were quite unfit for service. And, certainly too, the detachments formed from recently liberated slaves were such poor fighting material that Tiberius had considered
Pierre Auguste Renoir Sleeping Girl painting
THE RHINE MUTINY HAD BROKEN OUT IN SYMPATHY WITH a mutiny among the Balkan forces. The soldiers* disappointment with their bequests under Augustus's will-a mere four months' bounty of pay, three gold pieces a man -aggravated certain long-standing grievances; and they reckoned that the insecurity of Tiberius's position would force
Pierre Auguste Renoir Dance at Bougival I painting
to meet any reasonable demands they made, in order to win their favour. These demands included a rise in pay, service limited to sixteen years, and a relaxation of camp discipline. The pay was certainly insufficient: the .soldiers had to arm and equip themselves out of it and prices had risen. And certainly the exhaustion of military reserves had kept thousands of soldiers with the Colours who should have been discharged years before, and veterans had been recalled to the Colours who were quite unfit for service. And, certainly too, the detachments formed from recently liberated slaves were such poor fighting material that Tiberius had considered
Rudolf Ernst paintings
Rudolf Ernst paintings
Robert Campin paintings
seven divisions, to prevent this sort of thing: this brigade proved so useful that it has never since been disbanded. But enormous damage had been done by the rioters. A new tax was imposed about this time to provide money for the German wars, and what with the famine, the fires, and the taxes, the commons manifestos were pinned at night on the doors of public buildings. A huge conspiracy was said to be on foot. The Senate offered a reward for all information which would lead to the arrest of a ringleader and many men came forward
Rembrandt paintings
twice as much as he did. I was only too glad to do what I could for Germanicus. But when I found out when it was all over what had been spent I was staggered; the show was planned regardless of cost, and besides the usual expenses of a sword-fight and wild-beast hunt we threw showers of silver to the populace.
In the procession to the amphitheatre Germanicus and I rode, by special decree of the Senate, in our father's
Robert Campin paintings
seven divisions, to prevent this sort of thing: this brigade proved so useful that it has never since been disbanded. But enormous damage had been done by the rioters. A new tax was imposed about this time to provide money for the German wars, and what with the famine, the fires, and the taxes, the commons manifestos were pinned at night on the doors of public buildings. A huge conspiracy was said to be on foot. The Senate offered a reward for all information which would lead to the arrest of a ringleader and many men came forward
Rembrandt paintings
twice as much as he did. I was only too glad to do what I could for Germanicus. But when I found out when it was all over what had been spent I was staggered; the show was planned regardless of cost, and besides the usual expenses of a sword-fight and wild-beast hunt we threw showers of silver to the populace.
In the procession to the amphitheatre Germanicus and I rode, by special decree of the Senate, in our father's
Andrea Mantegna paintings
Andrea Mantegna paintings
Arthur Hughes paintings
That study merely adds to the existing evidence that shows how animals can benefit human . For example, psychologists have found reason to believe that owning a dog helps lower your blood pressure and your cholesterol [source: BVA]. And other research shows that pets help us feel better overall and help us to deal with stress, which can be a source of illness [sources: Laino, BBC News].
And let's not forget the benefits for the elderly. For example, one study observed neural activity in seniors while they walked or interacted with a dog [source: Motooka]. It turned out that walking with a dog gave seniors a boost in parasympathetic nervous system activity, which is good because the parasympathetic nervous system helps calm and rest the body.
For whatever reason, pets certainly can have a special effect on their owners. On the next page, find out more about pets' amazing ability to improve our . Is it really possible for a dog to foresee its owner's seizures and even detect cancer?
Albert Bierstadt paintings
Arthur Hughes paintings
That study merely adds to the existing evidence that shows how animals can benefit human . For example, psychologists have found reason to believe that owning a dog helps lower your blood pressure and your cholesterol [source: BVA]. And other research shows that pets help us feel better overall and help us to deal with stress, which can be a source of illness [sources: Laino, BBC News].
And let's not forget the benefits for the elderly. For example, one study observed neural activity in seniors while they walked or interacted with a dog [source: Motooka]. It turned out that walking with a dog gave seniors a boost in parasympathetic nervous system activity, which is good because the parasympathetic nervous system helps calm and rest the body.
For whatever reason, pets certainly can have a special effect on their owners. On the next page, find out more about pets' amazing ability to improve our . Is it really possible for a dog to foresee its owner's seizures and even detect cancer?
Albert Bierstadt paintings
Friday, 17 October 2008
Joseph Mallord William Turner The Grand Canal Venice painting
Joseph Mallord William Turner The Grand Canal Venice paintingJohn Singer Sargent El Jaleo paintingRembrandt Susanna and the Elders painting
Sulpicius had now found the book, and after a word oft hanks to him they renewed their argument.
Livy said: "The trouble with Pollio is that when he writes history he feels obliged to suppress all his finer, more poetical feelings, and make his characters behave with conscientious dullness, and when he puts a speech into their mouths he denies them the least oratorical ability."because to compose such speeches is the prerogative of oratory?" "That is precisely what I do mean. History is a true record of what happened, how people lived and died, what they did and said; an epic theme
Pollio said: "Yes, Poetry is Poetry, and Oratory is Oratory, and History is History, and you can't mix them."
"Can't I? Indeed I can." said Livy. "Do you mean to say that I mustn't write a history with an epic theme because that's a prerogative of poetry or put worthy eve-or battle speeches in the mouths of my generals
Sulpicius had now found the book, and after a word oft hanks to him they renewed their argument.
Livy said: "The trouble with Pollio is that when he writes history he feels obliged to suppress all his finer, more poetical feelings, and make his characters behave with conscientious dullness, and when he puts a speech into their mouths he denies them the least oratorical ability."because to compose such speeches is the prerogative of oratory?" "That is precisely what I do mean. History is a true record of what happened, how people lived and died, what they did and said; an epic theme
Pollio said: "Yes, Poetry is Poetry, and Oratory is Oratory, and History is History, and you can't mix them."
"Can't I? Indeed I can." said Livy. "Do you mean to say that I mustn't write a history with an epic theme because that's a prerogative of poetry or put worthy eve-or battle speeches in the mouths of my generals
Salvador Dali Barcelona Mannequin painting
Salvador Dali Barcelona Mannequin paintingJoseph Mallord William Turner Portsmouth paintingJoseph Mallord William Turner The Slave Ship painting
a day once a week). Many people are just too attached to needing to eat food all the time. Maybe that is why many people eat when they are watching TV or feeling bored. Time to realize that you will not starve yourself or whither away if you take a short break. Use that time to clear your mind, get perspective, and go for a walk in nature. You may be surprised at the revelations you may have during those quiet times of not eating. Also environment around are important, as high stress will lead to increased cortisol. Cortisol in turn will lead to increased demands for blood sugar and increased sugar cravings. Take notice in the past when you may have eaten the most sugar and you may see a pattern around stressful and emotional reactions. Control your stress and you can control your cravings.break that need for eating consistently, you can do fine once in a while without it, but more importantly break your mental attachment to constant food intake. An added bonus to fasting is you will help your body to “reset” some of its natural cravings and instincts. So you may start out craving sugar in the beginning of the fast, but later on your cravings may shift to something else like vegetables or fats. Help your body to find it’s natural and primal instincts once again. * Control and manage your stress. Stress and your reactions to the
a day once a week). Many people are just too attached to needing to eat food all the time. Maybe that is why many people eat when they are watching TV or feeling bored. Time to realize that you will not starve yourself or whither away if you take a short break. Use that time to clear your mind, get perspective, and go for a walk in nature. You may be surprised at the revelations you may have during those quiet times of not eating. Also environment around are important, as high stress will lead to increased cortisol. Cortisol in turn will lead to increased demands for blood sugar and increased sugar cravings. Take notice in the past when you may have eaten the most sugar and you may see a pattern around stressful and emotional reactions. Control your stress and you can control your cravings.break that need for eating consistently, you can do fine once in a while without it, but more importantly break your mental attachment to constant food intake. An added bonus to fasting is you will help your body to “reset” some of its natural cravings and instincts. So you may start out craving sugar in the beginning of the fast, but later on your cravings may shift to something else like vegetables or fats. Help your body to find it’s natural and primal instincts once again. * Control and manage your stress. Stress and your reactions to the
Vincent van Gogh Vase with Twelve Sunflowers painting
Vincent van Gogh Vase with Twelve Sunflowers paintingVincent van Gogh The Olive Trees paintingVincent van Gogh Still Life with Open Bible painting
disease and cancers. We are all going to get older, but it doesn’t mean that we have to “age” quicker.
Not a good overall list on what sugar does to our body right? Well on the reverse side by taking sugar out of our diets as much as we can (and controlling insulin), we can effectively help to do the following:
* Increase fat burning ability of the body. * In. * Slow down the destructive aging process. * Decrease risks for most degenerative diseases. * Have steady energy all day long (no crashes or swings). * Have increased mental clarity, focus and concentration. * Increase behaviors in children (as well as adults).
So first step is that we need to be aware of what sugar is really doing in our bodies. Once we see what is happening, I think we can start to change our view on whether it is our good friend or possibly public enemy #1 in our daily lives.
Second Step – Realize You are in 100% Control of Your Actions
disease and cancers. We are all going to get older, but it doesn’t mean that we have to “age” quicker.
Not a good overall list on what sugar does to our body right? Well on the reverse side by taking sugar out of our diets as much as we can (and controlling insulin), we can effectively help to do the following:
* Increase fat burning ability of the body. * In. * Slow down the destructive aging process. * Decrease risks for most degenerative diseases. * Have steady energy all day long (no crashes or swings). * Have increased mental clarity, focus and concentration. * Increase behaviors in children (as well as adults).
So first step is that we need to be aware of what sugar is really doing in our bodies. Once we see what is happening, I think we can start to change our view on whether it is our good friend or possibly public enemy #1 in our daily lives.
Second Step – Realize You are in 100% Control of Your Actions
Thursday, 16 October 2008
Edmund Blair Leighton The Charity of St painting
Edmund Blair Leighton The Charity of St paintingEdmund Blair Leighton Alain Chartier paintingEdmund Blair Leighton Off painting
more during your crash than you gained during your productive period.
The ideal solution
If your productivity engine is too hot, you’ll eventually crash and burn. If it’s too cold, you’re doing less than you’re capable of, and leaving output on the table. The way you stay the most productive in the long run is by consistently working at your maximum sustainable output, that magical “just right” level in between “too hot” and “too cold.”
Make sure you don’t bite off more than you can chew, since you’ll have to pay for it later. At the same time, you don’t want to take on too little, or you’re letting your capabilities go to waste. If you have control over your work, be sure to keep your workload steady. If someone else determines your workload, be honest with them about how much you can handle. After all, if Goldilocks knew the difference between “too hot” and “too cold,” we should too.
more during your crash than you gained during your productive period.
The ideal solution
If your productivity engine is too hot, you’ll eventually crash and burn. If it’s too cold, you’re doing less than you’re capable of, and leaving output on the table. The way you stay the most productive in the long run is by consistently working at your maximum sustainable output, that magical “just right” level in between “too hot” and “too cold.”
Make sure you don’t bite off more than you can chew, since you’ll have to pay for it later. At the same time, you don’t want to take on too little, or you’re letting your capabilities go to waste. If you have control over your work, be sure to keep your workload steady. If someone else determines your workload, be honest with them about how much you can handle. After all, if Goldilocks knew the difference between “too hot” and “too cold,” we should too.
Salvador Dali Figure at a Window painting
Salvador Dali Figure at a Window paintingSalvador Dali Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate paintingSalvador Dali Bacchanale painting
plan? Encourage people to donate their pirate ’savings’ to projects that help to reduce poverty. Why? Because we believe in sharing.The Rules:
The idea is to calculate how much you have ’saved’ in the past week by downloading copyrighted content. If you haven’t downloaded anything, just pretend you have, we’re trying to raise money here.
In the interests of grossly inflating the figures and therefore raising as much money for charity as possible, just like the MPAA and RIAA we’re going to assume that one pirated copy equals one lost sale. We decided not to include software, because things can get a little out of hand for those who downloaded Photoshop.
1 music track = $11 music album = $101 movie = $101 TV-show = $51 book = $10
Now, calculate your savings based on the example above (you are allowed to show off in the comments) and donate this amount to a project that aims to reduce poverty. You can pick your own charity of course, but we also have a pretty good suggestion.
plan? Encourage people to donate their pirate ’savings’ to projects that help to reduce poverty. Why? Because we believe in sharing.The Rules:
The idea is to calculate how much you have ’saved’ in the past week by downloading copyrighted content. If you haven’t downloaded anything, just pretend you have, we’re trying to raise money here.
In the interests of grossly inflating the figures and therefore raising as much money for charity as possible, just like the MPAA and RIAA we’re going to assume that one pirated copy equals one lost sale. We decided not to include software, because things can get a little out of hand for those who downloaded Photoshop.
1 music track = $11 music album = $101 movie = $101 TV-show = $51 book = $10
Now, calculate your savings based on the example above (you are allowed to show off in the comments) and donate this amount to a project that aims to reduce poverty. You can pick your own charity of course, but we also have a pretty good suggestion.
Wednesday, 15 October 2008
Vincent van Gogh Harvest Landscape painting
Vincent van Gogh Harvest Landscape paintingVincent van Gogh Fishing in Spring paintingVincent van Gogh Cornfield with Cypresses painting
refer to the portent either directly or in a roundabout way, in the lifetime of anyone present. We were all made to take that oath. Since I have now for many years been the only one left alive of that party-my mother and the Augur, though so much older, surviving all the rest-I am no longer bound to silence. For some time after this I often caught my mother looking curiously at me, almost respectfully, but she treated me no better than before.
I was not allowed to go to the Boys* college, because the weakness of my legs would not let me take part in the gymnastic exercises which were a chief part of the education, and my illnesses had made me very backward in lessons, and my deafness and stammer were a handicap. So I was seldom in the company of boys of my own age and class, the sons of the household slaves being called in to play with me: two of these. Gallon and Pallas, both Greeks, were later to be my secretaries, entrusted with affairs of the highest importance. Gallon became the
refer to the portent either directly or in a roundabout way, in the lifetime of anyone present. We were all made to take that oath. Since I have now for many years been the only one left alive of that party-my mother and the Augur, though so much older, surviving all the rest-I am no longer bound to silence. For some time after this I often caught my mother looking curiously at me, almost respectfully, but she treated me no better than before.
I was not allowed to go to the Boys* college, because the weakness of my legs would not let me take part in the gymnastic exercises which were a chief part of the education, and my illnesses had made me very backward in lessons, and my deafness and stammer were a handicap. So I was seldom in the company of boys of my own age and class, the sons of the household slaves being called in to play with me: two of these. Gallon and Pallas, both Greeks, were later to be my secretaries, entrusted with affairs of the highest importance. Gallon became the
Marc Chagall The Concert painting
Marc Chagall The Concert paintingMarc Chagall La Mariee paintingPaul Gauguin The Yellow Christ painting
sight. Yet I could never find it in my heart to hate Augustus as I came to hate my grandmother, for his dislike of me was without malice and he did what he could to master it: and indeed I must have been a wretched little oddity, a disgrace to so strong and magnificent a father and so fine and stately a mother. Augustus was a fine-looking man himself, though somewhat short, with curly fair hair that went grey only very late in his life, bright eyes, merry face and upright graceful carriage.
I remember once overhearing an elegiac epigram that he made about me, in Greek, for the benefit of Athenodorus, an old Stoic philosopher, from Tarsus in Syria, whose simple serious advice he often asked. I was about seven years old and they came upon me by the carp-pool in the garden of my mother's house. I cannot remember the epigram exactly, but the sense of it was: "Antonia is old-fashioned; he does not buy a pet marmoset at great expense from an Eastern trader. And why? Because
sight. Yet I could never find it in my heart to hate Augustus as I came to hate my grandmother, for his dislike of me was without malice and he did what he could to master it: and indeed I must have been a wretched little oddity, a disgrace to so strong and magnificent a father and so fine and stately a mother. Augustus was a fine-looking man himself, though somewhat short, with curly fair hair that went grey only very late in his life, bright eyes, merry face and upright graceful carriage.
I remember once overhearing an elegiac epigram that he made about me, in Greek, for the benefit of Athenodorus, an old Stoic philosopher, from Tarsus in Syria, whose simple serious advice he often asked. I was about seven years old and they came upon me by the carp-pool in the garden of my mother's house. I cannot remember the epigram exactly, but the sense of it was: "Antonia is old-fashioned; he does not buy a pet marmoset at great expense from an Eastern trader. And why? Because
Paul Cezanne House and Trees painting
Paul Cezanne House and Trees paintingPaul Cezanne Card Players paintingPaul Cezanne Bread and Eggs painting
violent. She knew that when he returned he was likely to carry into execution his plan for forcing Augustus to retire. She also saw that she would never now be able to rule through Tiberius-even if she could assure the succession for him -so long as my father, a man of enormous popularity at Rome and with all the Western regiments at his back, stood waiting to force the restoration of popular liberties. And supreme power for her had come to be more important than or honour; she had sacrificed so much for it. Yet she was able to disguise her feelings. She pretended to take Augustus's view that my father was merely sick, and told Tiberius that she thought his censure too severe. She agreed, however, that my father should be recalled at once. She even thanked Augustus for his generous extenuation of her poor son's fault and said that she would send him out her own confidential physician with a parcel of theDebore, from Anticyra in Thessaly,
violent. She knew that when he returned he was likely to carry into execution his plan for forcing Augustus to retire. She also saw that she would never now be able to rule through Tiberius-even if she could assure the succession for him -so long as my father, a man of enormous popularity at Rome and with all the Western regiments at his back, stood waiting to force the restoration of popular liberties. And supreme power for her had come to be more important than or honour; she had sacrificed so much for it. Yet she was able to disguise her feelings. She pretended to take Augustus's view that my father was merely sick, and told Tiberius that she thought his censure too severe. She agreed, however, that my father should be recalled at once. She even thanked Augustus for his generous extenuation of her poor son's fault and said that she would send him out her own confidential physician with a parcel of theDebore, from Anticyra in Thessaly,
Tuesday, 14 October 2008
Paul Gauguin Still Life with Oranges painting
Paul Gauguin Still Life with Oranges paintingPaul Gauguin Hail Mary paintingPaul Gauguin Arearea painting
is the husband's duty to restrain his wife from luxury." Carried away by his own eloquence he unfortunately added: "I : ' sometimes have occasion to admonish my own wife about this." There was a delighted cry from the culprits. "Oh, Augustus," they said, "do tell us in what words you admonish Livia. It will serve as a model for us." Augustus was embarrassed and alarmed. "You mis-heard me," he said, "I did not say that I had ever had occasion to reprimand Livia. As you know well, she is a paragon of matronly modesty. But I certainly would have no hesitation in reprimanding her, were she to forget her dignity by dressing, as some of your wives do, like an Alexandrian dancing-girl who has by some queer turn of fate become an Armenian queen-dowager." That same evening Livia tried to make Augustus look small by appearing at the dinner table in the most fantastically gorgeous finery she
is the husband's duty to restrain his wife from luxury." Carried away by his own eloquence he unfortunately added: "I : ' sometimes have occasion to admonish my own wife about this." There was a delighted cry from the culprits. "Oh, Augustus," they said, "do tell us in what words you admonish Livia. It will serve as a model for us." Augustus was embarrassed and alarmed. "You mis-heard me," he said, "I did not say that I had ever had occasion to reprimand Livia. As you know well, she is a paragon of matronly modesty. But I certainly would have no hesitation in reprimanding her, were she to forget her dignity by dressing, as some of your wives do, like an Alexandrian dancing-girl who has by some queer turn of fate become an Armenian queen-dowager." That same evening Livia tried to make Augustus look small by appearing at the dinner table in the most fantastically gorgeous finery she
Edward Hopper Night Windows painting
Edward Hopper Night Windows paintingEdward Hopper Lighthouse Hill paintingEdward Hopper Hotel Room painting
The God laughed through her mouth then, a lovely yet terrible sound-hoi hoi hoi I made obeisance, turned hurriedly and went stumbling away, sprawling headlong down the first flight of broken stairs, cutting my forehead and knees, and so painfully out, the tremendous laughter pursuing me.
Speaking now as a practised divinei, a professional hisrtorian and a priest who has had opportunities of studying Ac Sibylline books as regularized by Augustus, I can interpret the verses with some confidence. By the Punic Curse the Sibyl was referring plainly enough to the destruction of Carthage by us Romans. We have long been under a divine curse because of that. We swore friendship and protection to Carthage in the name of our principal Gods, Apollo included, and then. Jealous of her quick recovery from the disasters of the Second Punic war, we tricked her into fighting the Third Punic war and utterly destroyed her
The God laughed through her mouth then, a lovely yet terrible sound-hoi hoi hoi I made obeisance, turned hurriedly and went stumbling away, sprawling headlong down the first flight of broken stairs, cutting my forehead and knees, and so painfully out, the tremendous laughter pursuing me.
Speaking now as a practised divinei, a professional hisrtorian and a priest who has had opportunities of studying Ac Sibylline books as regularized by Augustus, I can interpret the verses with some confidence. By the Punic Curse the Sibyl was referring plainly enough to the destruction of Carthage by us Romans. We have long been under a divine curse because of that. We swore friendship and protection to Carthage in the name of our principal Gods, Apollo included, and then. Jealous of her quick recovery from the disasters of the Second Punic war, we tricked her into fighting the Third Punic war and utterly destroyed her
Edward Hopper Summertime painting
Edward Hopper Summertime paintingEdward Hopper Summer Evening paintingEdward Hopper Room in New York painting
Gradually her face changed, the prophetic power overcame her, she struggled and gasped, there was a rushing noise through all the galleries, doors banged, wings swished my face, the light vanished, and she uttered a Greek verse in the voice of the God:
Who groans beneath the Punic Curse And strangles in the strings of purse, Before she mends must sicken worse.
Her living mouth shall breed blue flies, And maggots creep about her eyes. No man shall mark the day she dies.
Then she tossed her arms over her head and began again:
Ten years, fifty days and three, Clau-Clau-Clau-shall given be A gift that all desire but he.
To a fawning fellowship
He shall stammer, cluck and trip,
Dribbling always with his lip.
But when he's dumb and no more here,
Nineteen hundred years or near,
Clau-Clau-Claudius shall speak clear.
Gradually her face changed, the prophetic power overcame her, she struggled and gasped, there was a rushing noise through all the galleries, doors banged, wings swished my face, the light vanished, and she uttered a Greek verse in the voice of the God:
Who groans beneath the Punic Curse And strangles in the strings of purse, Before she mends must sicken worse.
Her living mouth shall breed blue flies, And maggots creep about her eyes. No man shall mark the day she dies.
Then she tossed her arms over her head and began again:
Ten years, fifty days and three, Clau-Clau-Clau-shall given be A gift that all desire but he.
To a fawning fellowship
He shall stammer, cluck and trip,
Dribbling always with his lip.
But when he's dumb and no more here,
Nineteen hundred years or near,
Clau-Clau-Claudius shall speak clear.
Monday, 13 October 2008
Thomas Kinkade Victorian Autumn painting
Thomas Kinkade Victorian Autumn paintingThomas Kinkade The Night Before Christmas paintingThomas Kinkade The Heart of San Francisco painting
indeed simply lack the skills to do anything about it. Even those who would not be described as ‘highly agitated’ or ‘chronically stressed’ are often still afflicted by a subtle level of tension which inhibits the mind from switching back into the Relaxation Response.
Our modern culture of 24-hour connectivity has made this even worse. Even low-tech hippies like me still compulsively check work emails “just quickly” before dinner and get interrupted on weekends by work related calls. This might be part-and-parcel of an interesting and otherwise rewarding career, but nevertheless it takes its toll on our ability to deeply relax. If you are always contactable, then you are never really “switched-off”, and yet, as you will see in my next two articles, this is a vital requirement in the quest for good health.
In the second post in this three-part series we will look at what the Relaxation Response is, how your body reacts to stress and why it’s bad for you.
indeed simply lack the skills to do anything about it. Even those who would not be described as ‘highly agitated’ or ‘chronically stressed’ are often still afflicted by a subtle level of tension which inhibits the mind from switching back into the Relaxation Response.
Our modern culture of 24-hour connectivity has made this even worse. Even low-tech hippies like me still compulsively check work emails “just quickly” before dinner and get interrupted on weekends by work related calls. This might be part-and-parcel of an interesting and otherwise rewarding career, but nevertheless it takes its toll on our ability to deeply relax. If you are always contactable, then you are never really “switched-off”, and yet, as you will see in my next two articles, this is a vital requirement in the quest for good health.
In the second post in this three-part series we will look at what the Relaxation Response is, how your body reacts to stress and why it’s bad for you.
Sunday, 12 October 2008
Thomas Kinkade yankee stadium painting
Thomas Kinkade yankee stadium paintingThomas Kinkade ny yankee stadium paintingJuan Gris Violin and Guitar painting
sit still. But though sitting so still, with nothing to fix their attention upon except each other, they saw each other perhaps more clearly than at any time before; and each felt uneasiness and shyness over what he saw. Rufus saw a much littler child than he was, with a puzzled, round, red face which looked angry, and he was somewhat sorry for her in the bewilderment and loneliness he felt she was lost in, but more, he was annoyed by this look of shut-in anger and this look of incomprehension and he thought over and over: “Dead. He’s dead. That’s what he is; he’s dead”; and the room where his father lay felt like a boundless hollowness in the house and in his own being, as if he stood in the dark near the edge of an abyss and could feel that droop of space in the darkness; and watching his sister’s face he could see his father’s almost as clearly, as he had just seen it, and said to himself, over and over: “Dead. Dead”; and looked with uneasiness and displeasure at his sister’s face, which was so different, so flushed and busy, so angry, and so uncomprehending. And Catherine saw him stuck down there in the long box like a huge mute doll, who would not smile or stir, and smelled sweet and frightening, and because of whom she sat alone and stiffly and
sit still. But though sitting so still, with nothing to fix their attention upon except each other, they saw each other perhaps more clearly than at any time before; and each felt uneasiness and shyness over what he saw. Rufus saw a much littler child than he was, with a puzzled, round, red face which looked angry, and he was somewhat sorry for her in the bewilderment and loneliness he felt she was lost in, but more, he was annoyed by this look of shut-in anger and this look of incomprehension and he thought over and over: “Dead. He’s dead. That’s what he is; he’s dead”; and the room where his father lay felt like a boundless hollowness in the house and in his own being, as if he stood in the dark near the edge of an abyss and could feel that droop of space in the darkness; and watching his sister’s face he could see his father’s almost as clearly, as he had just seen it, and said to himself, over and over: “Dead. Dead”; and looked with uneasiness and displeasure at his sister’s face, which was so different, so flushed and busy, so angry, and so uncomprehending. And Catherine saw him stuck down there in the long box like a huge mute doll, who would not smile or stir, and smelled sweet and frightening, and because of whom she sat alone and stiffly and
Friday, 10 October 2008
Frida Kahlo The Broken Column painting
Frida Kahlo The Broken Column paintingFrida Kahlo Self Portrait paintingFrida Kahlo Self Portrait with Monkey painting
doctor is sure of that.” Catherine wondered whether she could ask one question. She thought she’d better not.
“What’s an eightfoot embackmut?” asked Rufus.
“Em-bank-ment,” she replied. “Just a bank. A steep little hill, eight feet high. Bout’s high’s the ceiling.”
He and Catherine saw the auto climb it and fall backward rolling and come to rest beside their father. Umbackmut, Catherine thought; em-bank-ment, Rufus said to himself. “What’s instintly?”
“Instantly is—quick’s that”; she snapped her fingers, more loudly than she had expected to; Catherine flinched and kept her eyes on the fingers. “Like snapping off an electric light,” Rufus nodded. “So you can be very sure, both of you, he never felt a moment’s pain. Not one moment.”
“When’s ...” Catherine began.
doctor is sure of that.” Catherine wondered whether she could ask one question. She thought she’d better not.
“What’s an eightfoot embackmut?” asked Rufus.
“Em-bank-ment,” she replied. “Just a bank. A steep little hill, eight feet high. Bout’s high’s the ceiling.”
He and Catherine saw the auto climb it and fall backward rolling and come to rest beside their father. Umbackmut, Catherine thought; em-bank-ment, Rufus said to himself. “What’s instintly?”
“Instantly is—quick’s that”; she snapped her fingers, more loudly than she had expected to; Catherine flinched and kept her eyes on the fingers. “Like snapping off an electric light,” Rufus nodded. “So you can be very sure, both of you, he never felt a moment’s pain. Not one moment.”
“When’s ...” Catherine began.
Thursday, 9 October 2008
Claude Monet Water Lilies painting
Claude Monet Water Lilies paintingVincent van Gogh Poppies 1886 paintingHenri Matisse Goldfish painting
a cheese that wouldn’t even move when you whistled even when Uncle Ted said it would and he was really whistling, not just trying to whistle.
“Why won’t it jump to me, Daddy?” he asked, almost crying with embarrassment and impatience, and at that Uncle Ted and Aunt Kate burst out laughing out loud, but his father didn’t laugh, he looked all mixed up, and mad, and embarrassed, and his mother was very mad and she said, “That’s just about enough of that, Ted. I think it’s just a perfect shame, deceiving a little child like that who’s been brought up to trust people, and laughing right in his face!”
“Mary,” his father said, and Uncle Ted looked very much surprised and Aunt Kate looked worried, though they were still laughing a little, as if they couldn’t stop yet.
“Now, Mary,” his father said again, and she turned on him and said angrily, “I don’t care, lay! I just don’t care a hoot, and if you won’t stand up for him, I will,
a cheese that wouldn’t even move when you whistled even when Uncle Ted said it would and he was really whistling, not just trying to whistle.
“Why won’t it jump to me, Daddy?” he asked, almost crying with embarrassment and impatience, and at that Uncle Ted and Aunt Kate burst out laughing out loud, but his father didn’t laugh, he looked all mixed up, and mad, and embarrassed, and his mother was very mad and she said, “That’s just about enough of that, Ted. I think it’s just a perfect shame, deceiving a little child like that who’s been brought up to trust people, and laughing right in his face!”
“Mary,” his father said, and Uncle Ted looked very much surprised and Aunt Kate looked worried, though they were still laughing a little, as if they couldn’t stop yet.
“Now, Mary,” his father said again, and she turned on him and said angrily, “I don’t care, lay! I just don’t care a hoot, and if you won’t stand up for him, I will,
Wassily Kandinsky Farbstudie Quadrate painting
Wassily Kandinsky Farbstudie Quadrate paintingGustav Klimt The Bride paintingGustav Klimt Hope painting
She looks as she does when she has just received, Hannah thought as she came in and took her old place on the sofa; for Mary was trying, successfully, to hide her desolation; and as she sat among them in their quietness it was somewhat diminished. After all, she told herself, he was there. More strongly even than when he was here in the room with me. Anyhow. And she was grateful for their silence.
Finally Andrew said, “Aunt Hannah has an idea about it, Mary.„
“Maybe you’d prefer not to talk about it,” Hannah said.
“No; it’s all right; I guess I’d rather.” And with mild surprise she found that this was true.
“Well, it’s simply that I thought of all the old tales and beliefs about the souls of people who die sudden deaths, or violent deaths. Or as Joel would prefer it, not souls. Just their life force. Their consciousness. Their itself.”
She looks as she does when she has just received, Hannah thought as she came in and took her old place on the sofa; for Mary was trying, successfully, to hide her desolation; and as she sat among them in their quietness it was somewhat diminished. After all, she told herself, he was there. More strongly even than when he was here in the room with me. Anyhow. And she was grateful for their silence.
Finally Andrew said, “Aunt Hannah has an idea about it, Mary.„
“Maybe you’d prefer not to talk about it,” Hannah said.
“No; it’s all right; I guess I’d rather.” And with mild surprise she found that this was true.
“Well, it’s simply that I thought of all the old tales and beliefs about the souls of people who die sudden deaths, or violent deaths. Or as Joel would prefer it, not souls. Just their life force. Their consciousness. Their itself.”
Wednesday, 8 October 2008
Edvard Munch Puberty 1894 painting
Edvard Munch Puberty 1894 paintingEdvard Munch Madonna paintingAlbert Moore silver painting
thank you.”
“Well now ...” Andrew led him in.
“Papa,” Mary said, and got up and kissed him. He turned with her towards her mother. “Mama?” she said in a pinched, almost crying voice, and they embraced. “There, there, there,” her mother said in a somewhat cracked voice, clapping her loudly on the back. “Mary, dear. There, there, there!”
She saw Walter Starr, looking as if he were sure he was unwelcome. “Why, Walter!” she whispered, and hurried to meet him. He put out his hand, looking frightened, and said, “Mrs. Follet, I just couldn’t ever ...”
She threw her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek. “Bless you,” she whispered, crying softly.
“There now,” he said, blushing deeply and trying to embrace and to sustain her without touching her too closely. “There now,” he said again.
“I must stop this,” she said, drawing away from him and looking
thank you.”
“Well now ...” Andrew led him in.
“Papa,” Mary said, and got up and kissed him. He turned with her towards her mother. “Mama?” she said in a pinched, almost crying voice, and they embraced. “There, there, there,” her mother said in a somewhat cracked voice, clapping her loudly on the back. “Mary, dear. There, there, there!”
She saw Walter Starr, looking as if he were sure he was unwelcome. “Why, Walter!” she whispered, and hurried to meet him. He put out his hand, looking frightened, and said, “Mrs. Follet, I just couldn’t ever ...”
She threw her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek. “Bless you,” she whispered, crying softly.
“There now,” he said, blushing deeply and trying to embrace and to sustain her without touching her too closely. “There now,” he said again.
“I must stop this,” she said, drawing away from him and looking
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
Claude Monet The Water Lily Pond painting
Claude Monet The Water Lily Pond paintingFrancisco de Goya Nude Maja paintingchilde hassam Wayside Inn Sudbury Massachusetts painting
neither put it to her ear, nor speak. God help me, help me, she whispered. “Andrew?”
“Poll?”
“Papa!” Relief and fear were equal in her. “Have you heard anything?”
“You’ve heard?”
“No. I said, ‘Have you heard from Andrew?’ ”
“No. Thought you might have by now.”
“No. Not yet. Not yet.”
“I must have frightened you.”
“Never mind, Papa. It’s all right.”
“Sony as hell, Poll, I shouldn’t have phoned.”
“Never mind.”
“Let us know, quick’s you hear anything.”
“Of course I will, Papa. I promise. Of course I will.”
“Shall we come up?”
“No, bless you, Papa, it’s better not, yet. No use getting all worked up till we know, is there?”
“That’s my girl!”
“My love to Mama.”
“Hers to you. Mine, too, needless to say. You let us know.”
“Certainly. Good-bye.”
neither put it to her ear, nor speak. God help me, help me, she whispered. “Andrew?”
“Poll?”
“Papa!” Relief and fear were equal in her. “Have you heard anything?”
“You’ve heard?”
“No. I said, ‘Have you heard from Andrew?’ ”
“No. Thought you might have by now.”
“No. Not yet. Not yet.”
“I must have frightened you.”
“Never mind, Papa. It’s all right.”
“Sony as hell, Poll, I shouldn’t have phoned.”
“Never mind.”
“Let us know, quick’s you hear anything.”
“Of course I will, Papa. I promise. Of course I will.”
“Shall we come up?”
“No, bless you, Papa, it’s better not, yet. No use getting all worked up till we know, is there?”
“That’s my girl!”
“My love to Mama.”
“Hers to you. Mine, too, needless to say. You let us know.”
“Certainly. Good-bye.”
Unknown Artist Pink Floyd Back Catalogue painting
Unknown Artist Pink Floyd Back Catalogue painting
Claude Monet Water Lilies painting
Vincent van Gogh Poppies 1886 painting
Amelia leaned close to it and then they both turned to look and Grandma got up and he could hear her high, “Hello,” and they were at the front steps, and Grandma came cautiously down the steps from the few minutes before ten, the phone rang. Mary hurried to quiet it. “Hello?”
The voice was a man’s, wiry and faint, a country voice. It was asking a question, but she could not hear it clearly.
“Hello?” she asked again. “Will you please talk a little louder? I can’t hear. ... I said I can’t hear you! Will you talk a little louder please? Thank you.”
Now, straining and impatient, she could hearporch, and they all met on the brick walk in the shade of the magnolia, while Aunt Amelia came up smiling from behind her mother. And soon Victoria left; she disappeared around a corner, a few blocks up the street, handsomely and gradually as a sailboat.
Claude Monet Water Lilies painting
Vincent van Gogh Poppies 1886 painting
Amelia leaned close to it and then they both turned to look and Grandma got up and he could hear her high, “Hello,” and they were at the front steps, and Grandma came cautiously down the steps from the few minutes before ten, the phone rang. Mary hurried to quiet it. “Hello?”
The voice was a man’s, wiry and faint, a country voice. It was asking a question, but she could not hear it clearly.
“Hello?” she asked again. “Will you please talk a little louder? I can’t hear. ... I said I can’t hear you! Will you talk a little louder please? Thank you.”
Now, straining and impatient, she could hearporch, and they all met on the brick walk in the shade of the magnolia, while Aunt Amelia came up smiling from behind her mother. And soon Victoria left; she disappeared around a corner, a few blocks up the street, handsomely and gradually as a sailboat.
Claude Monet The Seine At Argenteuil painting
Claude Monet The Seine At Argenteuil paintingClaude Monet The Picnic paintingClaude Monet Sunset painting
were still more important things to do, matters of and death, which he and only he, the son, the man of the family, now that poor Paw lay there so near to death, could handle. And every time, there was nothing whatever to do except wait for the doctor. They had already given the the doctor had given them to give, and they had already given him so much of the ginseng tea the doctor had said wouldn’t anyhow do any harm, that Ralph’s mother decided they shouldn’t give any more of it. His head was low; his feet were braced against hot stones wrapped in flannel, and Mother kept everyone except herself at the far, lighted end of the room, except for short visits. There was nothing to do, nothing to take charge of, and every time Ralph swung about from his mother with an air of heroic authority and rediscovered this fact, he felt as if a chair had been pulled out from under him, in front of everybody, and he began to think that he would burn up and die if he didn’t
were still more important things to do, matters of and death, which he and only he, the son, the man of the family, now that poor Paw lay there so near to death, could handle. And every time, there was nothing whatever to do except wait for the doctor. They had already given the the doctor had given them to give, and they had already given him so much of the ginseng tea the doctor had said wouldn’t anyhow do any harm, that Ralph’s mother decided they shouldn’t give any more of it. His head was low; his feet were braced against hot stones wrapped in flannel, and Mother kept everyone except herself at the far, lighted end of the room, except for short visits. There was nothing to do, nothing to take charge of, and every time Ralph swung about from his mother with an air of heroic authority and rediscovered this fact, he felt as if a chair had been pulled out from under him, in front of everybody, and he began to think that he would burn up and die if he didn’t
Monday, 6 October 2008
Henri Matisse Goldfish painting
Henri Matisse Goldfish paintingHenri Matisse Blue Nude I 1952 paintingCassius Marcellus Coolidge A Friend in Need painting
to seats by the light of the screen, in the exhilarating smell of stale tobacco, rank sweat, perfume and dirty drawers, while the piano played fast and galloping horses raised a grandiose flag of dust. And there was William S. Hart with both guns blazing and his long, horse face and his long, hard lip, and the great country rode away behind him as wide as the world. Then he made a bashful face at a girl and his horse raised its upper lip and everybody laughed, and then the screen was filled with a city and with the sidewalk of a side street of a city, a long line of palms and there was Charlie; everyone laughed the minute they saw him squattily walking with his toes out and his knees wide apart, as if he were chafed; Rufus’ father laughed, and Rufus laughed too. This time Charlie stole a whole bag of eggs and when a cop came along he hid them in the seat of his pants. Then he caught sight of a pretty woman and he began to squat and twirl his cane and make silly faces. She tossed her head and walked away with her chin up high and her dark mouth as small as she could make it and he followed her very busily, doing all sorts of things with his cane that made everybody laugh, but she paid no attention. Finally she stopped at a corner to wait for a streetcar
to seats by the light of the screen, in the exhilarating smell of stale tobacco, rank sweat, perfume and dirty drawers, while the piano played fast and galloping horses raised a grandiose flag of dust. And there was William S. Hart with both guns blazing and his long, horse face and his long, hard lip, and the great country rode away behind him as wide as the world. Then he made a bashful face at a girl and his horse raised its upper lip and everybody laughed, and then the screen was filled with a city and with the sidewalk of a side street of a city, a long line of palms and there was Charlie; everyone laughed the minute they saw him squattily walking with his toes out and his knees wide apart, as if he were chafed; Rufus’ father laughed, and Rufus laughed too. This time Charlie stole a whole bag of eggs and when a cop came along he hid them in the seat of his pants. Then he caught sight of a pretty woman and he began to squat and twirl his cane and make silly faces. She tossed her head and walked away with her chin up high and her dark mouth as small as she could make it and he followed her very busily, doing all sorts of things with his cane that made everybody laugh, but she paid no attention. Finally she stopped at a corner to wait for a streetcar
Vincent van Gogh The Starry Night painting
Vincent van Gogh The Starry Night paintingFrank Dicksee La Belle Dame Sans Merci paintingSandro Botticelli The Birth of Venus painting
of a loved one. But it’s just as important to be supportive when your partner faceslittle challenges, too – an argument at work, a rough commute, a misplaced check. Don’t let yourself be a doormat, and definitely don’t stand for physical or verbal abuse, but thicken your skin a little and be the voice of calm and reason when chaos Take advantages of opportunities to give material tokens of your love. Just the right book picked up at the bookstore, a special dessert, a piece of jewelry or clothing you noticed at the store – anything small or large that tells them you were thinking of them. Leave a love note for them, or send them an SMS at work to “I love you” – again, the little reminder that they’re always on your mind will help your partner feel better about themselves and secure in your your partner’s quirks for what they are: an essential part of who they are as people. Since our weaknesses are often at the core of our deepest insecurities, make sure you don’t pick on or otherwise go out of your way to highlight your
of a loved one. But it’s just as important to be supportive when your partner faceslittle challenges, too – an argument at work, a rough commute, a misplaced check. Don’t let yourself be a doormat, and definitely don’t stand for physical or verbal abuse, but thicken your skin a little and be the voice of calm and reason when chaos Take advantages of opportunities to give material tokens of your love. Just the right book picked up at the bookstore, a special dessert, a piece of jewelry or clothing you noticed at the store – anything small or large that tells them you were thinking of them. Leave a love note for them, or send them an SMS at work to “I love you” – again, the little reminder that they’re always on your mind will help your partner feel better about themselves and secure in your your partner’s quirks for what they are: an essential part of who they are as people. Since our weaknesses are often at the core of our deepest insecurities, make sure you don’t pick on or otherwise go out of your way to highlight your
John Singer Sargent View of Capri painting
John Singer Sargent View of Capri paintingJohn Singer Sargent The Simplon paintingJohn Singer Sargent Rio dei Mendicanti painting
internet that reading books and articles can be squeezed out of our agenda. Reading the works of really good writers is one of the best ways to develop our abilities with words. Modern and classic novels, leading non-fiction books and top quality newspaper and magazine articles are all important sources for us. How often do you find time to read poetry? Try some new poems and re-read old favourites for inspiration and appreciation of the sublime skills of the poet.
Reading works that are well written helps at two levels. It will increase our understanding of concepts and our acquisition of knowledge and at the same time it helps develop our core skills at comprehension, vocabulary and expression. Most of our reading should be speed reading so that we are taking in the information rapidly. There are various books and courses on speed reading. However, when we occasionally
internet that reading books and articles can be squeezed out of our agenda. Reading the works of really good writers is one of the best ways to develop our abilities with words. Modern and classic novels, leading non-fiction books and top quality newspaper and magazine articles are all important sources for us. How often do you find time to read poetry? Try some new poems and re-read old favourites for inspiration and appreciation of the sublime skills of the poet.
Reading works that are well written helps at two levels. It will increase our understanding of concepts and our acquisition of knowledge and at the same time it helps develop our core skills at comprehension, vocabulary and expression. Most of our reading should be speed reading so that we are taking in the information rapidly. There are various books and courses on speed reading. However, when we occasionally
Marc Chagall The Fall of Icarus painting
Marc Chagall The Fall of Icarus paintingMarc Chagall The Birthday paintingMarc Chagall Bridges over the Seine painting
It’s my own fault for going away...Fall in the same party immediately after dinner, bring them back here and keep them here till the job’s done.’ ‘Rightyoh. I say, did you say you knew this place before?’ ‘Yes, very well. It belongs to friends of mine,’ and as I said the words they sounded as odd in my I ears as Sebastian’s had done, when, instead of saying, ‘It is my Home,’ he said, ‘It is where my family live.’
‘It doesn’t seem to make any sense - one family in a place this size. What’s the use of it?’
‘Well, I suppose Brigade are finding it useful.’
‘But that’s not what it was built for, is it?’
‘No,’ I said, ‘not what it was built for. Perhaps that’s one of the pleasures of building, like having a son, wondering how he’ll grow up. I don’t know; I never built anything, and I forfeited the right to watch my son grow
It’s my own fault for going away...Fall in the same party immediately after dinner, bring them back here and keep them here till the job’s done.’ ‘Rightyoh. I say, did you say you knew this place before?’ ‘Yes, very well. It belongs to friends of mine,’ and as I said the words they sounded as odd in my I ears as Sebastian’s had done, when, instead of saying, ‘It is my Home,’ he said, ‘It is where my family live.’
‘It doesn’t seem to make any sense - one family in a place this size. What’s the use of it?’
‘Well, I suppose Brigade are finding it useful.’
‘But that’s not what it was built for, is it?’
‘No,’ I said, ‘not what it was built for. Perhaps that’s one of the pleasures of building, like having a son, wondering how he’ll grow up. I don’t know; I never built anything, and I forfeited the right to watch my son grow
Edward Hopper City Sunlight painting
Edward Hopper City Sunlight painting
Edward Hopper Chair Car painting
Edward Hopper A Woman in the Sun painting
schoolroom - ‘ “Please do not think there is any doubt of that - he is quite sane and -quite in earnest.” He wanted to go to the bush, as far away as he could get, among the simplest people, to the cannibals. The Superior said: “We have no cannibals in our missions.” He said, well, pygmies would do, or just a primitive village somewhere on a river, or lepers, lepers would do best of anything. The Superior said: “We have plenty of lepers, but they live in our settlements with doctors and nuns. It is all very orderly.” He thought again, and said perhaps lepers were not what he wanted, was there not some small church by a river - he always wanted a river you see which he could look after when the priest was away. The Superior said: “Yes, there are such churches. Now tell me about yourself.” “Oh, I’m nothing,” he said. “We see some queer
Edward Hopper Chair Car painting
Edward Hopper A Woman in the Sun painting
schoolroom - ‘ “Please do not think there is any doubt of that - he is quite sane and -quite in earnest.” He wanted to go to the bush, as far away as he could get, among the simplest people, to the cannibals. The Superior said: “We have no cannibals in our missions.” He said, well, pygmies would do, or just a primitive village somewhere on a river, or lepers, lepers would do best of anything. The Superior said: “We have plenty of lepers, but they live in our settlements with doctors and nuns. It is all very orderly.” He thought again, and said perhaps lepers were not what he wanted, was there not some small church by a river - he always wanted a river you see which he could look after when the priest was away. The Superior said: “Yes, there are such churches. Now tell me about yourself.” “Oh, I’m nothing,” he said. “We see some queer
Sunday, 5 October 2008
Thomas Kinkade Blessings of Christmas painting
Thomas Kinkade Blessings of Christmas painting
Thomas Kinkade Beyond Summer Gate painting
Thomas Kinkade Autumn Snow painting
What have you done to your hair?’
‘I know it’s terrible. I must get all that put right now I’m back. Darling nanny.’ As we sat there talking, and I saw Cordelia’s fond eyes on all of us, I began to realize that she, too, had a beauty of her own.
‘I saw Sebastian last month.’
‘What a time he’s been gone! Was he quite well?’
‘Not very. That’s why I went. It’s quite near you know from Spain to Tunis. He’s with the monks there.’
‘I hope they look- after him properly. I expect they find him a regular handful. He always sends to me at Christmas, but it’s not the same as having him home. Why you must all always be going abroad I never did understand. Just like his Lordship. When there was that talk about going to war with Munich, I said to myself, “There’s Cordelia and Sebastian and his Lordship all abroad; that’ll be very awkward for them.” ‘ ‘I wanted him to come
Thomas Kinkade Beyond Summer Gate painting
Thomas Kinkade Autumn Snow painting
What have you done to your hair?’
‘I know it’s terrible. I must get all that put right now I’m back. Darling nanny.’ As we sat there talking, and I saw Cordelia’s fond eyes on all of us, I began to realize that she, too, had a beauty of her own.
‘I saw Sebastian last month.’
‘What a time he’s been gone! Was he quite well?’
‘Not very. That’s why I went. It’s quite near you know from Spain to Tunis. He’s with the monks there.’
‘I hope they look- after him properly. I expect they find him a regular handful. He always sends to me at Christmas, but it’s not the same as having him home. Why you must all always be going abroad I never did understand. Just like his Lordship. When there was that talk about going to war with Munich, I said to myself, “There’s Cordelia and Sebastian and his Lordship all abroad; that’ll be very awkward for them.” ‘ ‘I wanted him to come
Edward Hopper Queensborough Bridge painting
Edward Hopper Queensborough Bridge paintingEdward Hopper House by the Railroad paintingAmedeo Modigliani the Seated Nude painting
enwrapped, as we had lain in each other’s arms the night before. ‘There was a gala spirit in the ship that night. Though it meant rising at dawn to pack, everyone was determined that for this one night he would enjoy the luxury the storm had denied him. There was no solitude. Every corner of the ship was thronged; dance music and high, excited chatter, stewards darting everywhere with trays of glasses, the voice of the officer in charge of tombola - ‘Kelly’s eye - number one; legs, eleven; and we’ll Shake the Bag’ - Mrs Stuyvesant Oglander in a paper cap, Mr Kramm and his bandages, the two Japanese decorously throwing paper streamers and hissing like geese. I did not speak to Julia, alone, all that evening.
We met for a minute next day on the starboard side of the ship while everyone else crowded to port to see the officials come aboard and to gaze at the green coastline of Devon.
enwrapped, as we had lain in each other’s arms the night before. ‘There was a gala spirit in the ship that night. Though it meant rising at dawn to pack, everyone was determined that for this one night he would enjoy the luxury the storm had denied him. There was no solitude. Every corner of the ship was thronged; dance music and high, excited chatter, stewards darting everywhere with trays of glasses, the voice of the officer in charge of tombola - ‘Kelly’s eye - number one; legs, eleven; and we’ll Shake the Bag’ - Mrs Stuyvesant Oglander in a paper cap, Mr Kramm and his bandages, the two Japanese decorously throwing paper streamers and hissing like geese. I did not speak to Julia, alone, all that evening.
We met for a minute next day on the starboard side of the ship while everyone else crowded to port to see the officials come aboard and to gaze at the green coastline of Devon.
Saturday, 4 October 2008
Thomas Kinkade Christmas Moonlight painting
Thomas Kinkade Christmas Moonlight paintingThomas Kinkade Christmas Evening paintingThomas Kinkade Cannery Row Sunset painting
shelved for an hour or two?’
I was not going to stand this from Mr Samgrass.
‘I heard all about your Grand Tour, last night,’ I said.
‘Ah, I rather supposed you might have.’ Mr Samgrass was undismayed, relieved, it seemed, to have someone else in the know. ‘I did not harrow our hostess with all that. After all, it turned out far better than one had any right to expect. I did feel, however, that some explanation was due to her of Sebastian’s Christmas festivities. You may have observed last night that there were certain precautions.’ ‘I did.’
‘You thought them excessive? I am with you, particularly as they tend to compromise the comfort of our own little visit. I have seen Lady Marchmain this morning. You must not suppose I am just out of bed. I have had a little talk upstairs with our hostess. I think we may hope for some relaxation
shelved for an hour or two?’
I was not going to stand this from Mr Samgrass.
‘I heard all about your Grand Tour, last night,’ I said.
‘Ah, I rather supposed you might have.’ Mr Samgrass was undismayed, relieved, it seemed, to have someone else in the know. ‘I did not harrow our hostess with all that. After all, it turned out far better than one had any right to expect. I did feel, however, that some explanation was due to her of Sebastian’s Christmas festivities. You may have observed last night that there were certain precautions.’ ‘I did.’
‘You thought them excessive? I am with you, particularly as they tend to compromise the comfort of our own little visit. I have seen Lady Marchmain this morning. You must not suppose I am just out of bed. I have had a little talk upstairs with our hostess. I think we may hope for some relaxation
Thomas Kinkade cottage by the sea painting
Thomas Kinkade cottage by the sea paintingThomas Kinkade Cobblestone Christmas paintingThomas Kinkade Cobblestone Brooke painting
Just as he was about to start, when the others were already mounted, Sebastian beckoned me into the hall. On the table beside his hat, gloves, whip, and sandwiches, lay the flask he had put out to be filled. He picked it up and shook it; it was empty.
‘You see,’ he said, ‘I can’t even be trusted that far. It’s they who are mad, not me. Now you can’t refuse me money.’ I gave him a pound.
‘More,’ he said.
I gave him another and watched him mount and trot after his brother and sister. Then, as though it were his cue on the stage, Mr Samgrass came to my elbow, put an arm in mine, and led me back to the fire. He warmed his neat little hands and then turned to warm his seat.
‘So Sebastian is in pursuit of the fox,’ he said, ‘and our little
Just as he was about to start, when the others were already mounted, Sebastian beckoned me into the hall. On the table beside his hat, gloves, whip, and sandwiches, lay the flask he had put out to be filled. He picked it up and shook it; it was empty.
‘You see,’ he said, ‘I can’t even be trusted that far. It’s they who are mad, not me. Now you can’t refuse me money.’ I gave him a pound.
‘More,’ he said.
I gave him another and watched him mount and trot after his brother and sister. Then, as though it were his cue on the stage, Mr Samgrass came to my elbow, put an arm in mine, and led me back to the fire. He warmed his neat little hands and then turned to warm his seat.
‘So Sebastian is in pursuit of the fox,’ he said, ‘and our little
Thomas Kinkade Hometown Pride painting
Thomas Kinkade Hometown Pride paintingThomas Kinkade HOMETOWN EVENING paintingThomas Kinkade Boston Celebration painting
Marchmain’s greeting of him I caught a note of anticipation. He kept up a lively account of his tour during tea, and then Lady Marchmain drew him away with her, upstairs, for a ‘little talk’. I watched him go with something near compassion; it was plain to anyone with a poker sense that Mr Samgrass held a very imperfect hand and, as I watched him at tea, I began to suspect that he was not only bluffing but cheating. There was something he must say, did not want to say, and did not quite know how to say to Lady Marchmain about his doings over Christmas, but, more than that, I quessed, there was a great deal he ought to say and had no intention at all of saying, about the whole Levantine tour.
‘Come and see nanny,’ said Sebastian.
‘Please, can I come, too?’ said Cordelia.
‘Come on.’
We climbed to the nursery in the dome. On the way Cordelia said: ‘Aren’t you at all pleased to be Home?’
Marchmain’s greeting of him I caught a note of anticipation. He kept up a lively account of his tour during tea, and then Lady Marchmain drew him away with her, upstairs, for a ‘little talk’. I watched him go with something near compassion; it was plain to anyone with a poker sense that Mr Samgrass held a very imperfect hand and, as I watched him at tea, I began to suspect that he was not only bluffing but cheating. There was something he must say, did not want to say, and did not quite know how to say to Lady Marchmain about his doings over Christmas, but, more than that, I quessed, there was a great deal he ought to say and had no intention at all of saying, about the whole Levantine tour.
‘Come and see nanny,’ said Sebastian.
‘Please, can I come, too?’ said Cordelia.
‘Come on.’
We climbed to the nursery in the dome. On the way Cordelia said: ‘Aren’t you at all pleased to be Home?’
Thomas Moran Sunset on Long Island painting
Thomas Moran Sunset on Long Island paintingThomas Moran Summer Squall paintingThomas Moran Shoshone Falls on the Snake River painting
bite I’ve had all the evening,’ she said. ‘Only thing that’s any good here is the breakfast; makes you fair peckish hanging about.’
‘That’s another six bob,’ said the waiter.
When her hunger was appeased, Effie dabbed her mouth and looked at us.
‘I’ve seen you here before, often, haven’t I?’ she said to me.
‘I’m afraid not.’
‘But I’ve seen you?’ to Mulcaster.
‘Well, I should rather hope so. You haven’t forgotten our little evening in September?’ ‘No, darling, of course not. You were the boy in the Guards who cut your toe, weren’t you?’
‘Now, Effie, don’t be a tease.’
‘No, that was another night, wasn’t it? I know - you were with Bunty the time the police were in and we all hid in the place they keep the dust
bite I’ve had all the evening,’ she said. ‘Only thing that’s any good here is the breakfast; makes you fair peckish hanging about.’
‘That’s another six bob,’ said the waiter.
When her hunger was appeased, Effie dabbed her mouth and looked at us.
‘I’ve seen you here before, often, haven’t I?’ she said to me.
‘I’m afraid not.’
‘But I’ve seen you?’ to Mulcaster.
‘Well, I should rather hope so. You haven’t forgotten our little evening in September?’ ‘No, darling, of course not. You were the boy in the Guards who cut your toe, weren’t you?’
‘Now, Effie, don’t be a tease.’
‘No, that was another night, wasn’t it? I know - you were with Bunty the time the police were in and we all hid in the place they keep the dust
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