Leroy Neiman Elephant Family

probably still accelerating. The ones I tried this morning didn't come down, anyway."
Hrun was still staring into the sky.
"What?" said Twoflower.
?" he asked.
"Let's get out of here!"
"Right," agreed Rincewind. "if we retrace our steps we might make it. We can stop every mile or so and toss a coin."
He stood up urgently and started stuffing things into his saddlebags.Rincewind sighed. He had been dreading this."We’ve strayed into a zone with a high magical index," he said. "Don't ask me how. Once upon a time a really powerful magic field must have been generated here, and we're feeling the after-effects.""Precisely," said a passing bush.Hrun's head jerked down."You mean this is one of those places

Jack Vettriano Picnic Party

we continue with Business as usual for even a few more decades, she says, those emissions could be enough to create permanent dust-bowl conditions in the U.S. Southwest and around the Mediterranean.
"The sea level rise is a much slower thing, so it will take a long time to happen, but we will lock into it, based on the peak rather than later. Scientists have been trying to advise politicians about finding an acceptable level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The new study suggests that it's even more important to aim low. If we overshoot, the damage can't be easily undone. Oppenheimer feels more urgency than ever to deal with climate change, but he says that in the end, level of [carbon dioxide] we reach in this century," Solomon says.The idea that changes will be irreversible has consequences for how we should deal with climate change. The global thermostat can't be turned down quickly once it's been turned up, so scientists say we need to proceed with more caution right now."These are all ... changes that are starting to happen in at least a minor way already," says Michael Oppenheimer of Princeton University. "So the question becomes, where do we stop it, when does all of this become dangerous?"The answer, he says, is sooner

Thomas Kinkade Beacon of hope

Druellae shout, and he redoubled his speed. Something caught the hood of his robe, which tore off. A he-dryad waiting at the stairs spread his arms, hurtling towards him. Without breaking his stride Rincewind ducked again, so low that his chin was on a level with his knees, while a fist like a log sizzled through the air by his ear.
Ahead of him a whole spinney of the tree men awaited. He spun around, dodged another blow from the puzzled guard, and sped back towards the circle, passing on the way the dryads who were pursuing him and leaving them as let us see you pass a spell."
"Uh-" began Rincewind. The fact was that, since the ancient and mysterious spell had squatted in his mind, he had been unable to remember even the simplest cantrap for, say, killing cockroaches or scratching the small of his back without using his hands. The mages at Unseen University had tried to explain this by suggesting that the involuntary disorganized as a set of skittles.But there were still more in front, pushing their way through the crowds of females and smacking their fists into the horny palms of their hands with anticipatory concentration."Stand still, false wizard," said Druellae, stepping forward. Behind her the enchanted dancers spun on, the focus of the circle was now drifting along a violet-lit corridor.Rincewind cracked."Will you knock that off," he snarled, "Let's just get this Straight, right? I am, a real wizard!" He stamped a foot petulantly. "Indeed?" said the dryad. "Then

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The man hesitated, his eyes flicking nervously from side to side as he waited for the magic. The conclusion that there was not going to be any hit him at the same time as Rincewind, whirring wildly down the passage, kicked him sharply in the groin. As he screamed and clutched at himself the wizard dragged open the door, sprang inside, slammed it behind him and threw his body against it, panting.
It was quiet and then at the lid. It looked heavy, and was bound with brass bands. It was quite still now. What wind?
"Rincewind!"
Twoflower sprang off the bed. The wizard jumped back, wrenching his features into a smile.
"My dear chap, right on time! We'll just have lunch, and then I’m sure you’ve got a wonderful programme lined up for this afternoon."in here. There was Twoflower, sleeping peacefully on the bed. And there, at the foot of the bed, was the Luggage.Rincewind took a few steps forward, cupidity moving him as easily as if he were on little wheels. The chest was open. There were bags inside, and in one of them he caught the gleam of gold. For a moment greed overcame caution, and he reached out gingerly... but what was the use? He'd never live to enjoy it. Reluctantly he drew his hand back, and was surprised to see a slight tremor in the chest's open lid. Hadn't it shifted slightly, as though rocked by the wind?Rincewind looked at his fingers,

Claude Monet Chemin dans les Bles a Pourville

the time she was holding Pantalaimon in her pocket with a trembling hand, and he was keeping as still as he could, in the smallest mouse form he had ever assumed.
lofur Raknison was pacing up and down with an air of explosive excitement.
"Single among giant bears. But it was the only hope they had. Being mown down from a distance by fire hurlers was no hope at all. Suddenly lofur Raknison turned. "Prove it!" he said. "Prove that you are a daemon!" "All right," she said. "I can do that, easy. I can find out anything that you know and no one else does, something that only a daemon would be able to find out."
"Then tell me what was the first creature I killed." "I'll have to go into a room combat?" he was saying. "Me? I must fight lorek Byrnison? Impossible! He is outcast! How can that be? How can I fight him? Is that the only way?""It's the only way," said Lyra, wishing it were not, because lofur Raknison seemed bigger and more fierce every minute. Dearly as she loved lorek, and strong as her faith was in him, she couldn't really believe that he would ever beat this giant

John William Waterhouse Pandora

Leonardo da Vinci Virgin of the Rocks

felt like it, and for all that Lyra struggled, she couldn't resist the onrush of sleep. Serafina Pekkala reached a hand over the rim of the basket and touched her eyes, and as Lyra sank to the floor, Pantalaimon fluttered down, changed to an ermine, and crawled to his sleeping place by her neck.
The witch settled her branch into a steady speed beside the basket as they moved north toward Svalbard.recently watched a of shopping. I laughed as he (the journalist) expressed his disappointment at test-driving a pair of $800 jeans which looked, felt and ‘performed’ the same as his $50 jeans. Not only was there no discernible difference (to him), but over an entire week of wearing his new expensive duds, not one person complimented him on how amazing he (or they) looked. “Then, what’s the point?”, he asked.
I know the Feeling

Johannes Vermeer The Kitchen Maid

Lyra ducked her head at once under the shelter of her wolverine hood, and shuffled in through the double doors with the other children. Time enough later to worry about what she'd say when they came face to face: she had another from the zeppelin, that no one was watching very carefully. Lyra slipped out of the anorak, the leggings, and the boots and bundled them up as small as she could before shoving through the crowded corridors to her dormitory.
Quickly she dragged a locker to the corner, stood on it, and pushed at the ceiling. The panel lifted, just as Roger had said, and into the space beyond she thrust the boots and leggings. As an afterthought, she took the alethiometer from problem to deal with first, and that was how to hide her furs where she could get at them without asking permission.But luckily, there was such disorder inside, with the adults trying to hurry the children through so as to clear the way for the passengers

Leroy Neiman Cafe Rive Gauche

She woke up when the motion of the sledge changed. It was suddenly smoother, and when she opened her eyes there were passing lights dazzling above her, so bright she had to pull the hood further over her head before peering out again. She was horribly stiff and cold, but she managed to pull herself upright enough to see that the sledge was driving swiftly between a row of high poles, each carrying a glaring anbaric light. As she got her bearings, they humped under the snow. At one side a stout metal mast had a familiar look, though she couldn't say what it reminded her of.
Before she could take much more in, the man in the sledge cut through the cord around her ankles, and hauled her out roughly while the driver shouted passed through an open metal gate at the end of the avenue of lights and into a wide open space like an empty marketplace or an arena for some sport. It was perfectly flat and smooth and white, and about a hundred yards across. Around the edge ran a high metal fence.At the far end of this arena the sledge halted. They were outside a low building, or a range of low buildings, over which the snow lay deeply. It was hard to tell, but she had the impression that tunnels connected one part of the buildings with another, tunnels

Vincent van Gogh Vase with Twelve Sunflowers

there is an air of hatred and fear over the place and for miles around. Witches can see these things where other humans can't. Animals keep away too. No birds fly there; lemmings and foxes have fled. Hence the name Bolvangar: theno interest for us."
Lyra was bursting to ask a question, and the goose dasmon knew it and looked at her as if giving permission.
"Why do the witches talk about me?" she said.
"Because of your father, and his knowledge of the other worlds," the daemon replied.
That surprised all three of them. Lyra looked at Farder Coram, who looked back in mild wonder, and at John Faa, whose expression was troubled. fields of evil. They don't call it that. They call it 'the station.' But to everyone else it is Bolvangar.""And how are they defended?""They have a company of Northern Tartars armed with rifles. They are good soldiers, but they lack practice, because no one has ever attacked the settlement since it was built. Then there is a wire fence around the compound, which is filled with anbaric force. There may be other means of defense that we don't know about, because as I say they have

Vincent van Gogh Vegetable Gardens in Montmartre

Vincent van Gogh Still life with a bottle of lemons and oranges
away in the early hours of the morning after the second roping, and naturally no one could say where he'd gone or when he'd return. So in default, Lyra attached herself to Farder Coram.
"I think it'd be best if I helped you, Farder Coram," she said, "because I probably know more about the Gobblers thanthe one I've seen."
"I bet there's one in Bodley's Library in Oxford," she said.
She could hardly take her eyes off Farder Coram's daemon, who was the most beautiful daemon she'd ever seen. When Pantalaimon was a cat, he was lean and ragged and harsh, but Sophonax, for that was her name, was golden-eyed and anyone else, being as I was nearly one of them. Probably you'll need me to help you understand Mr. de Ruyter's messages."He took pity on the fierce, desperate little girl and didn't send her away. Instead he talked to her, and listened to her memories of Oxford and of Mrs. Coulter, and watched as she read the alethiometer."Where's that book with all the symbols in?" she asked him one day."In Heidelberg," he said."And is there just the one?""There may be others, but that's

Edward Hopper Painter and Model

we can't punish the Gobblers, we've done the main task. But if we aim to punish the Gobblers first and by doing so lose the chance of rescuing the kids, we've failed.
"But be assured of this, hundred and seventy men. And good friend as Lord Asriel is to us, I don't know as there's any call on us to go as far as that."
"Adriaan Braks, you're not wrong. What I had it in my mind to do was to keep our eyes and ears open and see what knowledge , I want you to take charge of the arms and munitions, and command the fighting. Roger van Poppel, you look to all the other stores, from food to cold-weather clothing. Simon Hartmann, you be treasurer, and account to us all for a proper apportionment of our gold. Benjamin that right?"
The man stood obstinately frowning, but said nothing.
"Well, perhaps you would, and perhaps you wouldn't," John Faa continued. "But if any man or woman needs a reason for

Joseph Mallord William Turner The Burning of the Houses of Parliament

Joseph Mallord William Turner Moonlight A Study at Millbank
mothers, teachers, doctors, and role models," said Christine Whelan, head of the study and author of "Marry Smart: The Intelligent Woman's Guide to True Love" (Simon & Schuster, 2008). "And in tough economic times, sharing the the significance of chastity: In 1939, it was valued more than intelligence in women, but in 2008, it was ranked the least important characteristic. Furthermore, it also was ranked the least important for men. This, coupled with the shared top-three ranking for both men and women, suggests a commonality that seems positively modern-day.financial burden with a spouse takes the burden off these guys to be the sole provider."The study's participants were college students from the University of Iowa, the University of Washington, the University of Virginia, and Penn State University."Like attracts like, so certainly the fact that we were polling college students would suggest that intelligence and education are going to be important characteristics," Whelan says.Another notable shift involves

Edward Hopper Chair Car

During that strange evening she'd spent hidden in the Retiring Room, Lord Asriel had shown a lantern slide of a man with streams of light pouring from his hand; and there'd been a small figure beside him, with less light around it; and Pantalaimon, as a miniature lion, sprang into her arms and growled. She said goodbye to the youths by the gate and walked quietly back into Turl Street, and then ran full pelt for Jordan lodge, tumbling in through the door a second before the now cheetah-shaped daemon.
The Porter was sanctimonious.
"I had to ring the Master and tell him," he said. "He en't pleased at all. I wouldn't be in your shoes, not for money I wouldn't."he'd said it was a child; and someone had asked if it was a severed child, and her uncle had said no, that was the point. Lyra remembered that severed meant "cut."And then something else hit her heart: where was Roger?She hadn't seen him since the morning....Suddenly she felt afraid.

Pablo Picasso Studio with Plaster Head

as he spoke, there came the sound of a bell ringing once from the far end of the hall.
"That's the Steward's bell!" said Lyra. "I thought we had more time than that."
Pantalaimon common room. At this time of day it was thronged with men pulling on their gowns for dinner, or hurrying to leave papers or briefcases in the common room before moving nto the hall. Lyra had planned to leave the way she'd come, banking on another few minutes before the Steward's bell rang.
And if she hadn't seen the Master tipping that powder into the wine, she might have risked the Steward's anger, or hoped to avoid being noticed in the busy corridor. But she was confused, and that made her hesitate.
Then she heard heavy footsteps on the dais. The Steward was fluttered swiftly to the hall door, and swiftly back."The Steward's there already," he said. "And you can't get out of the other door..."The other door, the one the Master had entered and left by, opened onto the busy corridor between the library and the Scholars'

Frida Kahlo Naturaleza viva

instruments from the balloon—so he retrieved them from the basket, stowed them carefully in a knapsack, and made sure his rifle was loaded and dry. He left the basket, the rigging, and the gasbag where they lay, tangled and waiting to see where we leave the forest."
And sure enough, the drone of the zeppelin soon became audible even over the sound of the flames and of their own labored breathing, for they were hurrying now, clambering upward over roots and rocks and fallen tree trunks and stopping only to gather breath. Sayan Kotor, flying high, swooped down to tell them how much progress they were making, and how twisted among the branches. From now on he was an aeronaut no more, unless by some miracle he escaped with his found enough money to buy another balloon. Now he had to move like an insect along the surface of the earth. They smelled the smoke before they heard the flames, because a breeze from the sea was lifting it inland. By the time they reached the edge of the trees they could hear the fire, a deep and greedy roar."Why didn't they do this last night?" said Lee. "They could have barbecued us in our sleep.""I guess they want to catch us alive," Grumman replied, stripping a branch of its leaves so he could use it as a walking stick, "and they're

Guido Reni Cleopatra

So why is Google advertising for it? It’s not exactly tough to figure out that the site is hosting the virus; the link is called “antivirus xp 2008” after all. Well, maybe we should say that it’s not tough for users like us to figure out that it’s a virus—we suspect that less-experienced surfers (our moms, for instance) could very easily be duped reasons that a site might not be indexed by Google, but it is suspicious. Malware-hosting sites are generally designed to try to climb to the top of the Google results page, and it’s probably safe to assume that a site that advertises with Google would be search-savvy enough to get its page indexed, if it weren’t blacklisted.into clicking the link, particularly if they were already searching for antivirus software.And there’s reason to believe that Google knows the site hosts malware. We know that Google purges so-called “attack sites” from its index, and when we searched for “site: antivirus-world-2009.com,” which ought to turn up all pages at that domain indexed by Google, we got zero results. This isn’t conclusive, of course; there are other

Wassily Kandinsky Improvisation

owe me some information, Carlo. How did you find it? And where is the child?"
"I saw her using it in a museum in the city. I recognized her, of course, having seen her at your cocktail party all that time ago, and I realized she must have found a doorway. And then I realized that I could use it for a purpose you—"
And that was the moment when the first stone smashed into the study window.
It broke with a satisfying crash of glass, and instantly the monkey shadow leaped from the chair back as the adults gasped. There came another crash, and another, and Will felt of my own. So when I came across her a second time, I stole it.""You're very frank.""No need to be coy; we're both grown-up.""And where is she now? What did she do when she found it was missing?""She came to see me, which must have taken some nerve, I imagine.""She doesn't lack nerve. And what are you going to do with it? What is this purpose of yours?""I told her that she could have it back, provided she got something for me—something I couldn't get myself.""And what is that?""I don't know whether

Paul Gauguin Two Tahitian Women

many people foolishly chose this song for their first dance as newlyweds? I’m not sure why this song is misinterpreted so universally as a love song. Do people listen to lyrics? If someone says to you, “Every game you play, every Gwen StefaniI’ve gotten into arguments with people over this song. Many believe it means that, by not being a “hollaback girl,” Stefani is saying that she won’t respond to guys who “holla” at her or treat her poorly. Actually, she’s using a cheerleading metaphor—a hollaback girl is one who repeats back the cheers that the head cheerleader yells. With this song, Stefani is stepping away from the pack and proclaiming herself independent. She’s the head cheerleader giving orders
night you stay, I’ll be watching you,” wouldn’t you be more than a little creeped out? I guess that’s the power of Sting—even his stalker anthems are considered romantic.4. “Hollaback Girl,”

Tom Thomson The Pool

They never!" said the girl. "My granny said they came because people were bad, and God sent them to punish us."
"Your granny don' know nothing," said a boy. "She got a beard, your granny. She's a goat, all right."
"What's the Guildsmaller than that. So small you couldn' see it, even. But he cut that, too, and inside the smallest little bit there was all the Specters packed in, twisted over and folded up so tight they took up no space at all. But once he cut it, bam! They whooshed out, and they been here ever since. That's what my papa said."
"Is there any Guild men in the tower now?" said Lyra.?" Lyra persisted."You know the Torre degli Angeli," said a boy. "The stone tower, right. Well it belongs to the Guild, and there's a secret place in there. The Guild, they're men who know all kind of things. , all kind of things they know. And they were the ones who let the Specters in.""That ain' true," said another boy. 'They came from the stars.""It is! This is what happened, all right: this Guild man hundreds of years ago was taking some metal apart. Lead. He was going to make it into gold. And he cut it and cut it smaller and smaller till he came to the smallest piece he could get. There ain' nothing

Leroy Neiman Bear Bryant

cadre of academics expert in their subjects, which he launched with fanfare and not a few digs at Wales. But it has failed to take off, and has fewer than 10,000 articles almost two years after launch.
A more credible challenger is Google, whose own effort, Google Knol ("knol" means "a unit of knowledge", the company managed.
In an effort to pull itself into contention, Citizendium is trying to muster its users into a "global write-a-thon" tomorrow, while Google Knol is offering a $1,000 cash prize for the best new article written before March.
Even with these efforts, it seems difficult to conceive of any of these other projects eclipsing Wikipedia in the popular imagination, unless the market has decided), is still most useful at the moment as fodder for Silicon Valley jokes. The search engine giant professes itself satisfied with Knol's first six months, however, and it has grown to 100,000 articles in less time than Wikipedia

Leroy Neiman Lady Skier

was at a loose end.
Then he wandered along, pretending to be making notes, and kept his eyes open for the public library.

Meanwhile, Lyra was looking for somewhere quiet to consult the alethiometer. In her own Oxford there would have been a and done exactly the same.
There might be a Simon Parslow in this world.
Perhaps there was a Lyra.
A chill ran down her back, and mouse-shaped Pantalaimon shivered indozen places within five minutes' walk, but this Oxford was so disconcertingly different, with patches of poignant familiarity right next to the downright outlandish: why had they painted those yellow lines on the road? What were those little white patches dotting every sidewalk? (In her own world, they had never heard of chewing gum.) What could those red and green lights mean at the corner of the road? It was all much harder to read than the alethiometer.But here were St. she and Roger had once climbed after dark to plant fireworks in the flowerbeds; and that particular worn stone at the corner of Catte Street—there were the initials SP that Simon Parslow had scratched, the very same ones! She'd seen him do it! Someone in this world with the same initials must have stood here idly

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they'd say. They'd have him before the Consistorial Court and sentenced to death before you could blink. I've never spoke of it before and I shan't again; I'd be afraid to speak it aloud to you if you weren't a witch and beyond the power ?"
"Beings of pure spirit, the Church says. The Church teaches that some of the angels rebelled before the world was created, and got flung out of heaven and into hell. They failed, you see, that's the point. They couldn't do it. And they had the power of angels. Lord Asriel is just a man, with human power, no more than that. But his ambition is limitless. He dares to do what men and women don't even dare to think. And look what he's of the Church; but that makes sense, and nothing else does. He's a-going to find the Authority and kill Him.""Is that possible?" said Serafina."Lord Asriel's been filled with things that were impossible. I wouldn't like to say there was anything he couldn't do. But on the face of it, Serafina Pekkala, yes, he's stark mad. If angels couldn't do it, how can a man dare to think about it?""Angels? What are angels

Claude Monet Bridge over a Pool of Water Lilies

caved completely, Sprint stood to gain $1.5 million or so in annual revenue, which would add .004% to the company's $40 billion in annual revenue. The downside was vastly higher. Sprint is first and foremost a wireless company, deriving only 6% of its revenues from its Internet division. Sprint's future relies on attracting high-percolated up the ranks at Sprint quickly. It cut off Cogent completely late on a Thursday afternoon, Oct. 30. By Sunday, Nov. 2, the company had changed its mind and reconnected.
In the end, the Sprint versus Cogent showdown provided both an unusual glimpse into how the Internet works--and at how resilient and flexible the unregulated Internet is. The current laissez-faire system has a remarkable ability to encourage privately run networks to voluntarily strike deals that benefit paying broadband wireless customers--and it was those customers who were all cut off from part of the Internet as a result of its fight with Cogent.That reality appears to have

Thomas Moran Fort George Island

down into the dark myself, though it was always in the anger of battle. To know that after a spell in the dark we'll come out again to a sweet land like this, to be free of the sky like the birds, well, that's the greatest promise your world, Atal said, but if not, you have the oil. Don't forget us, Mary.
Never, Mary said. Never. If I live as long as the witches and forget everything else, I'll never forget you and the kindness of your people, Atal.
So the journey . The wind was light, the seas were calm, and although they saw the glitter of those great snow white wings more than once, the birds were wary and stayed well clear. Will and Lyra spent every hour together, and for them the two weeks of the voyage passed like the blink of an eyelid.
Xaphania had told Serafina Pekkala that when all the openings anyone could wish for.""We must talk to Lyra about this," said Farder Coram, "and learn how it came about and what it means."Mary found it very hard to say good-bye to Atal and the other mulefa. Before she boarded the ship, they gave her a gift: a lacquer phial containing some of the wheel tree oil, and most precious of all, a little bag of seeds.They might not grow in

Andy Warhol Shadows I

when he forgave her and came back, the hours they'd spend just talking, just telling each other everything...
Will was still asleep under the shelter tree, the lazy thing. Lyra thought of waking him up, but if she was on her own, she could swim in the river. She happily used to swim naked in the river Cherwell with all the other Oxford swum in salt water before. She swam hard to keep warm, and then came out and huddled on the bank, shivering. Pan would help dry her, normally. Was he a fish, laughing at her from under the water? Or a beetle, creeping into children, but it would be quite different with Will, and she blushed even to think of it.So she went down to the water alone in the pearl-colored morning. Among the reeds at the edge there was a tall, slender bird like a heron, standing perfectly still on one leg.She walked quietly and slowly so as not to disturb it, but the bird took no more notice of her than if she'd been a twig on the water."Well," she said.She left the clothes on the bank and slipped into the river. It was seawater coming in on the tide, and it was strange to Lyra, who had never