Jack Vettriano Between Darkness and Dawn

Jack Vettriano Between Darkness and DawnJack Vettriano Betrayal No Turning Back 2001Jack Vettriano Betrayal First Kiss 2001
instrumental oomph in each of the three verses and sung in the sweetest of Beach Boys inflected four-part harmonies. It's as quaint and precious as a Joseph Cornell box, and just about as pretty.

6. Jonas Brothers' Burnin' UpBy Josh Tyrangiel
Overlook the is door-in-the-face obvious (there's a boiling kettle at the open to make sure we get that they're burnin' up) but edginess is not the point; sweetness is, and the Jonases achieve it with irresistible harmonies and exuberance.
7. Beyoncé's Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)By Josh Tyrangiel
People who don't dance usually don't make exceptions, but I saw a man who has indulgence of a rap verse contributed by their bodyguard and this is an almost perfectly constructed pop song. Allegedly inspired by Prince, Disney's adorable little cash registers sing about their infatuation — "High heels, red dress/ All by yourself/ Gotta catch my breath!" — in credible R&B falsetto over power guitar chords. The production

Godward Godward A Tryst

Godward Godward A TrystGodward Nu Sur La PlageGodward A Cool RetreatGodward Godward Yes or No
get-out-of-homophobia-free card. That Bush finally joined Bono in doing the right thing about AIDS in Africa does not mitigate the gay-baiting of his 2004 campaign, let alone his silence and utter inaction when the epidemic was killing way of describing the Obama cockiness. It will take more than the force of the new president’s personality and eloquence to turn our nation into the United States of America he and we all want it to be.
Obama may not only overestimate his ability to bridge some of our fundamental differences but also underestimate how persistent some of those differences are.Texans by the thousands, many of them gay men, during his term as governor.Unlike Bush, Obama has been the vocal advocate of gay civil rights he claims to be. It is over the top to assert, as a gay writer at Time did, that the president-elect is “a very tolerant, very rational-sounding sort of bigot.” Much more to the point is the astute criticism leveled by the gay Democratic congressman Barney Frank, who, in dissenting from the Warren choice, said of Obama, “I think he overestimates his ability to get people to put aside fundamental differences.” That’s a polite

Monsted Landscape With Deer

Monsted Landscape With DeerMonsted Calm WatersMonsted Bromolle Farm with ChickensMonsted The Ravello Coastline
sprung open and the been hit or not. He swore he felt the second shot part his hair, and then he had the pistol.At once flinging the weapon away into the dark, he would have dragged the driver out of the Buick, but the bastard came without coaxing, barreling into him. They both went down harder than gravity required, Ethan on the bottom, rapping the back of his head against the quartzite cobblestones.windshield dissolved.Laughing in the face of chaos, Corky reached down past the steering wheel, feeling for the Glock on the floor between his feet. He touched the handgrip of the gun, grasped it, brought the weapon up to shoot the boy.The driver’s door opened with a shrill protest of buckled metal, and Ethan Truman reached in for Corky, so instead of shooting the boy, he shot the man. Arriving at the Buick in the moment that it crashed to a stop, Ethan slammed his pistol down on the roof and left it there because he didn’t want to shoot into the car, not with Fric in the line of fire. Heedless of the risk, he yanked open the tweaked door and reached inside. The driver thrust a handgun at him—thhhup—and he not only saw the muzzle flash but also smelled it.He felt no consequence in the instant of the shot, too focused on the struggle for the gun to be able to assess whether he’d

O'Keeffe Green Oak Leaves

O'Keeffe Green Oak LeavesO'Keeffe Green Apple on Black Plate 1922O'Keeffe Front of Ranchos ChurchO'Keeffe From the Faraway Nearby 1937
never talked to a ghost before. He didn’t want to start.“He’ll blame himself for the loss of either of you,” Whistler continued. “And then the shadow on his heart will become a darkness deep within it. Don’t go in that house.”Hazard found a to a man who had brought so much disorder into the world in one day, and who still had much work to do before lying down to sleep.The Glock, with sound suppressor attached, lay on the kitchen table. It would just fit in the deepest pocket of his storm suit.In other pockets, he had spare magazines, far more ammunition than he ought to voice not too much thinner and shakier than the one he usually could rely upon: “Are you dead or alive?”“I’m dead and alive. Don’t go in that house. The Kevlar vest won’t matter. You’ll be head shot. Two bullets in the brain. And I have no authority to resurrect you.”Dunny hung up. Corky in the kitchen, stylishly outfitted to storm the castle of Hollywood’s reigning king, glanced at the wall clock and saw that he had less than an hour until his rendezvous with Jack Trotter in Bel Air.Murder and mayhem sharpened the appetite. On his feet, roaming back and forth from refrigerator to pantry, he made a makeshift meal of cheese, dried fruit, half a doughnut, a spoonful of butterscotch pudding, a taste of this, a bite of that.Such a chaotic dinner was well suited

Thomas Moran Fort George Island painting

Thomas Moran Fort George Island paintingThomas Moran Cliffs of Green River paintingThomas Moran A Pastoral Landscape painting
palms shook their feathery fronds like the storm-tossed trees in Key Largo. Buses and cars and trucks and SUVs clogged the streets, their wipers not quite as persistent as the beating rain, side windows half fogged, horns bleating, brakes barking, tongue-pierced, painted punk rockers or just plain punks, dressed in black, one of them wearing a bowler hat, which made him think of the droogs in A Clockwork Orange. And here came a group of teenage schoolgirls, all beautiful, enjoying their seasonal freedom, walking without umbrellas, their hair plastered to their heads, all laughing, each of them playing the part of a fey party girl, all trying to be Holly , jockeying for position, idling and spurting forward and idling again, the drivers exuding a palpable frustration reminiscent of the opening scene of Falling Down, minus the summer heat of that movie, minus Michael Douglas, although Ethan supposed that Michael Douglas might be in this mess, too, quietly going as mad as had his character. In front of a bookstore, under an awning, stood a group of spike-haired, eyebrow-pierced, nose-pierced

Vincent van Gogh The Sower painting

Vincent van Gogh The Sower paintingVincent van Gogh The Night Cafe paintingVincent van Gogh Cafe Terrace at Night painting
two or even three ordinary people had set out to search the kitchen for him, Fric’s chances of eluding them would have been good. Mrs. McBee was in no way ordinary.Holding his breath, he thought that he could hear her sniffing the air. Fee-fie-fo- to discover that Mrs. McBee was fallible, Fric breathed again.After a while, he crept to the hall door, which he cracked open. He stood listening.When he heard the distant hum of the service elevator, he knew that Mrs. McBee and Mr. McBee were descending to the lower garage. Soon they would be off to Santa Barbara.fum.He was glad that he had not turned on the kitchen lights, though she was certain to smell the fresh water that remained in the central sink.Footsteps.Fric almost bolted to his feet, almost announced his presence, which seemed a wiser course of action than waiting here to be found lurking like a sleazeball criminal, stripped to the waist and clearly up to no good.Then he realized the footsteps were moving away from him.He heard the butler’s-pantry door swing shut.[340] The footsteps faded into silence.Stunned and strangely dismayed

Thomas Moran Monterey Coast painting

Thomas Moran Monterey Coast paintingThomas Moran Grand Canyon paintingThomas Moran Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone painting
Listening, he knew that he was hearing not just his heart, but also the knock-hoofed canter of Death’s horse approaching.“Bells,” he Ethan’s need to have the bells, if not the reason for it. He plucked a small pair of scissors from a kit, and swaying with the movement of the vehicle, he clipped the knot that secured the nearest cluster to the garland of tinsel.Given the string of bells, Ethan clutched them in his left hand with a grip both tender and ferocious.He was exhausted, but he dared not close his eyes again, for he feared that repeated, as throughout his mind the doors to a thousand fears flew open.The ambulance began to move, and as it rolled, the siren found its shrill voice.Ethan couldn’t hear the bells above the banshee wail, but he could see the nearest three trembling on their string. Trembling.He raised his left hand toward the dangling cluster but couldn’t reach that far. His hand grasped at empty air.This terrible intensity of fear brought with it a clouding confusion, and perhaps he was utterly delirious; nevertheless, the bells seemed to be more than mere decorations, seemed mystical in their shiny smoothness, in their glimmering curves, the embodiment of hope, and he desperately needed to hold them.Apparently the paramedic understood the urgency of

William Bouguereau The Rapture of Psyche painting

William Bouguereau The Rapture of Psyche paintingWilliam Bouguereau Cupid and Psyche as Children paintingWilliam Bouguereau Young Gypsies paintingWilliam Bouguereau Charity painting
entire estate staff, with the possible exception of Chef Hachette, [100] would have mourned for him. They on the back of Fric’s neck did impressions of scurrying spiders.“Who are you?”“You don’t know me,” the man said. “When does your father return from Florida?”“If you know so much, why don’t you tell me?”“December twenty-fourth. In the early afternoon. Christmas Eve,” the stranger said.Fric wasn’t impressed. Millions of people knew his old man’s whereabouts and his Christmas plans. Just a week ago, Ghost Dad had done a spot on Entertainment Tonight, talking about the film that he was shooting and about how much he looked forward would have been deeply, terribly sad. Deeply, deeply, terribly, terribly. For about forty minutes. Then they would have been busy, busy, busy preparing for the post-funeral gala to which would be invited perhaps a thousand famous and near-famous drunks, druggies, and butt-kissers eager to plant their Lips on Ghost Dad’s golden ass.“Who’s this? “Fric asked.“Are you enjoying the trains, Fric?”Fric had never heard this voice before. No one on the staff. Definitely a stranger.Most of the people in the house didn’t know that Fric was in the train room, and no one outside the estate could possibly know.“How do you know about the trains?”The man said, “Oh, I know lots of things other people don’t. Just like you, Fric. Just like you.”The talented hairs

Amedeo Modigliani Portrait of Jeanne Hebuterne painting

Amedeo Modigliani Portrait of Jeanne Hebuterne paintingAmedeo Modigliani Nude Sdraiato paintingAmedeo Modigliani Nu couche de dos paintingAlphonse Maria Mucha Winter painting
Camera 03 watched him from across the street, zooming in for an intimate appraisal.Immediately upon arrival at the entrance gate, Reynerd threw the white bag toward the top of that bronze barrier. Failing to clear the highest scrollwork, the package bounced back at him.On his second attempt, he succeeded. When he turned away from the gate, his hood slipped half off, and Camera 03 captured a clear image of his face in the glow of the flanking gate lamps.[15] He had the chiseled features needed to be a successful waiter in the trendiest of meaning of the man’s first name, the grin wouldn’t have seemed wolfish. Then he might have been reminded instead of a crocodile or a hyena.In any case, this was not the merry expression of a prankster. Captured on videotape, this curve of lips and bared teeth suggested a lunatic glee that required a full moon and medication.Splashing through black puddles filigreed with silver by the headlights, Reynerd returned to the car.As the Honda pulled off the shoulder and onto the eastbound lane once more, Camera 01 executed L.A. restaurants, where both the service staff and the customers enjoyed the fantasy that any guy or gal ferrying plates of overpriced swordfish from kitchen to table during the Tuesday dinner shift might be offered, on Wednesday, a coveted role in Tom Cruise’s next hundred-fifty-million-dollar picture.Turning from the gate, having delivered the apple, Rolf Reynerd was grinning.Perhaps if Ethan hadn’t known the

Jean Francois Millet Angelus painting

Jean Francois Millet Angelus paintingJean Francois Millet Haystacks Autumn paintingJean Francois Millet Harvesters Resting paintingJean Francois Millet Garden painting
light was in his eyes: a king returning from exile to his own land.'Fear not! ' he said. `Long have I desired to look upon the likenesses of Isildur and Anárion, my sires of old. Under their shadow Elessar, the Elfstone son tall gap of light before him, ever growing. Swiftly it drew near, and suddenly the boats shot through, out into a wide clear light.The sun, already long fallen from the noon, was shining in a windy sky. The pent waters spread out into a long oval lake, pale Nen Hithoel, fenced by steep grey hills whose sides were clad with trees, but their heads were bare, cold-gleaming in the sunlight. At the far southern end rose three peaks. The of Arathorn of the House of Valandil Isildur's son heir of Elendil, has nought to dread! 'Then the light of his eyes faded, and he spoke to himself: `Would that Gandalf were here! How my heart yearns for Minas Anor and the walls of my own city! But whither now shall I go? 'The chasm was long and dark, and filled with the noise of wind and rushing water and echoing stone. It bent somewhat towards the west so that at first all was dark ahead; but soon Frodo saw a

Lord Frederick Leighton Leighton Flaming June painting

Lord Frederick Leighton Leighton Flaming June painting
Balrog made no answer. The fire in it seemed to die, but the darkness grew. It stepped forward slowly on to the bridge, and suddenly it.With a bound the Balrog leaped full upon the bridge. Its whip whirled and hissed.'He cannot stand alone! ' cried Aragorn suddenly and ran back along the bridge. 'Elendil!' he shouted. 'I am with you, Gandalf! '
Unknown Artist Jim Dine Hearts paintingAlbert Bierstadt Sierra Nevada paintingGeorge Stubbs Whistlejacket painting
drew itself up to a great height, and its wings were spread from wall to wall; but still Gandalf could be seen, glimmering in the gloom; he seemed small, and altogether alone: grey and bent, like a wizened tree before the onset of a storm.From out of the shadow a red sword leaped flaming.Glamdring glittered white in answer.There was a ringing clash and a stab of white fire. The Balrog fell back and its sword flew up in molten fragments. The wizard swayed on the bridge, stepped back a pace, and then again stood still.'You cannot pass! ' he saidGondor! ' cried Boromir and leaped after him.At that moment Gandalf lifted his staff, and crying aloud he smote the bridge before him. The staff broke asunder and fell from his hand. A blinding sheet of white flame sprang up. The bridge cracked. Right at the Balrog's feet it broke, and the stone upon which it stood crashed into the gulf, while the rest remained, poised, quivering like a tongue of rock thrust out into emptiness.With a terrible cry the Balrog fell forward, and its shadow plunged down and vanished.

Jean-Honore Fragonard paintings

Jean-Honore Fragonard paintingsJulius LeBlanc Stewart paintings
sat silent for a while, until at length Boromir spoke. `He is a small thing, you say, this Gollum? Small, but great in mischief. What became of him? To what doom did you put him?''He is in prison, but no worse,' said Aragorn. `He had suffered much. There is no doubt that he was tormented, and the fear of Sauron lies black on his heart. Still I for one am glad that he is safely kept by the watchful Elves of Mirkwood. His malice is great and gives him a strength hardly to be believed
Johannes Vermeer paintingsJames Jacques Joseph Tissot paintings
fraught with all his malice; and in it lies a great part of his strength of old. Out of the Black Years come the words that the Smiths of Eregion heard, and knew that they had been betrayed:One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the Darkness bind them.`Know also, my friends, that I learned more yet from Gollum. He was loth to speak and his tale was unclear, but it is beyond all doubt that he went to Mordor, and there all that he knew was forced from him. Thus the Enemy knows now that the One is found, that it was long in the Shire; and since his servants have pursued it almost to our door, he soon will know, already he may know, even as I speak, that we have it here.'

Dali The Messiah

Dali The MessiahDali The Land of Milk and HoneyDali The Land Come to LifeDali The lance of chivalry
remember. I went to pieces. I don't know what came over me.''I do,' said Strider. 'The Black Breath. The Riders must have left their horses outside, and passed back through the South-gate in secret. They will know all the news now, for they have visited Bill Ferny; and probably that Southerner was a spy as well. Something may happen in the night, before we leave Bree.''What will happen?' said Merry. 'Will they attack the inn?' 'No, I think not,' said Strider. 'They are not all here yet. And in any case that is not their way. In dark and loneliness they The hobbit-rooms have windows looking north and close to the ground. We will all remain together and bar this window and the door. But first Nob and I will fetch your luggage.'While Strider was gone, Frodo gave Merry a rapid account of all that had happened since supper. Merry was still reading and pondering Gandalf's letter when Strider and Nob returned.are strongest; they will not openly attack a house where there are lights and many people -not until they are desperate, not while all the long leagues of Eriador still lie before us. But their power is in terror, and already some in Bree are in their clutch. They will drive these wretches to some evil work: Ferny, and some of the strangers, and, maybe, the gatekeeper too. They had words with Harry at West-gate on Monday. I was watching them. He was white and shaking when they left him.''We seem to have enemies all round,' said Frodo. 'What are we to do?''Stay here, and do not go to your rooms! They are sure to have found out which those are.

Moran Canyon of the Clouds

Moran Canyon of the CloudsMoran Autumn on the WissahickonMoran An Arizona Sunset Near the Grand CanyonMoran A Showrey Day, Grand Canyon
A Short Cut to MushroomsIn the morning Frodo woke refreshed. He was lying in a bower made by a living tree with branches laced and drooping to the ground; his bed was of fern and grass, deep and soft and strangely fragrant. The sun was shining through the fluttering leaves, which were still green upon the tree. He jumped uthink we shall see anything of those Riders?’ asked Pippin cheerfully. Under the morning sun the prospect of seeing a whole troop of them did not seem very alarming to him.‘Yes, probably,’ said Frodo, not liking the reminder. ‘But I hope to get across the river without their seeing us.’p and went out.Sam was sitting on the grass near the edge of the wood. Pippin was standing studying the sky and weather. There was no sign of the Elves.‘They have left us fruit and drink, and bread,’ said Pippin. ‘Come and have your breakfast. The bread tastes almost as good as it did last night. I did not want to leave you any, but Sam insisted.’Frodo sat down beside Sam and began to eat. ‘What is the plan for today?’ asked Pippin.‘To walk to Bucklebury as quickly as possible,’ answered Frodo, and gave his attention to the food.‘Do you