Shadow Flutter

I used to read people's futures with Tarot Cards, not for money, but for fun.  I make no claim to be any good at it, and only ever did it to learn something about the psychology of fortunetelling.  I did meet with some small success.  The secret is to learn a little bit about your client before beginning and then read your client's facial expressions and physical gestures as you proceed through the reading, slightly adapting the meaning of the cards and their relationship to one another (the story they tell) as you do so.  The more and more you do it, the better you get at it.  I always thought of this as establishing an non-supernatural psychic connection. But as much a learning experience as that was (anticipating a person't hopes), the real reason Tarot cards interested me was my fascination with the artwork.  There are many, many decks of cards out there -- google Tarot Card Decks -- with artwork ranging from the very simple to the very elaborate. Som...

Stock Exchange Quotation This is a famous Norman Rockwell Painting that appeared in the Saturday Evening Post on January 18, 1930.  See the young man with the red shirt and apron bending over to the immediate left of the dog?  See his two legs clearly visible in the painting?  Now look at the young man's right hand.  See how it appears to be resting on his knee as he bends over?  But whose knee?  The young man's legs are accounted for.  No way is his hand resting on his knee unless his knee is deformed and grotesque.  Seems Norman screwed up.  Perhaps he meant to portray the young man as grabbing his apron, but that isn't how it looks.  The hand should be on the right leg to support the locked-knee position.  Kid must have had back problems later in life.  Just an observation.

Victor Hugo was a gifted artist and an impresario of his talent.  Most people know him as the great novelist (e.g. Les Miserables), poet (e.g. Boaz Endormi), and social activist, but did you know he also painted?  Some of his paintings are the product of quite the imagination.  Wonder what was going on in that head.  Port in Flanders  Lace and Ghosts   Octopus There's more.  Just google "Victor Hugo's art." Factoid: When Louis Bonaparte seized power, Hugo was forced into exile and did not return until Bonaparte was gone, twenty years later.  These years in exile were some of his most productive and include Les Miserables.  Hugo referred to Louis Bonaparte as Bonaparte le-petit.

Admont Abbey Founded in 1074, the abbey's architecture, frescoes, sculptures, and books and manuscripts comprise one of the largest late Baroque works of art in Europe. Admont Church The church was designed by Wilhelm Buchner after the original one was destroyed by fire in 1865. Admont Library The Admont Library, which resides in the monestary, was designed by architect Josef Hueber, and is home to the largest monastic library in the world.  Containing over 200,000 volumes, 1,400 manuscripts — earliest from 8th century — and over 500 incunabula comprise the library jewels.  The library has been called the 8th wonder of the world and is open to the public. Ceiling Frescoes The library's ceiling frescoes were created by  Bartolomeo Altomonte . Sculptures The library's sculptures were created by Josef Stammel