Quotable

"They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night."
Edgar Allan Poe - Eleonora (1841)

Orion the Hunter

Orion the Hunter

from Leiden Aratea
by an unknown artist

Leiden Aratea is a 9th century AD illuminated copy of an astronomical treatise by Germanicus, who based his work on Phaenomena, an ancient Greek poem about the constellations written by Aratus, who himself based his work on a lost work by Eudoxus of Cnidus, a student of Plato.

Literature Pick #13

The Sky Trap

by Frank Belknap Long (1901-1994)

From the July 1941 issue of Comet, this is a wonderfully imaginative and exciting work of science fiction.

Favorite Actress Showcase #3: Danielle Fishel

Danielle Fishel played Topanga Lawrence on Boy Meets World, one of the greatest television shows ever made. More recently she has been the host of The Dish on the Style network, a channel I don't even have, luckily there're clips of the show on Youtube. The show is like The Soup but with a much hotter host. Danielle is stunningly beautiful and should be getting way better acting roles.

Deer Among Red-leaved Maple Trees

Deer Among Red-leaved Maple Trees
by an unknown artist
10th century Chinese painting - ink and colors on silk.

Jean-Honoré Fragonard art

Rinaldo in the garden of Armida

by Jean-Honoré Fragonard

This painting is based on Torquato Tasso's epic poem Jerusalem Delivered. Fragonard (1732-1806) was a French Rococo artist, he painted this work circa 1763.

Literature Pick #12

The Talkative Tree 

by Horace Brown Fyfe
From the January 1962 issue of Worlds of If, this is an imaginative science fiction story.

Literature Pick #11

The Delegate from Venus

by Henry Slesar

A brilliant science fiction short story first published in the October 1958 issue of Amazing Science Fiction Stories.

Mountain landscape by Paul Bril

Mountain landscape by Paul Bril

Bril was born in Antwerp in 1554 and was a noted painter of landscapes and Capriccio art (works depicting fantastical architectural scenes). His brother Matthijs was also a well-known artist. This work is oil on copper and painted in the 1590's, the size is 4.6 × 6.9 inches.

Literature Pick #10

The Attendant's Confession

by Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis (1839-1908), from Brazilian Tales

A masterful short story written by one of Brazil's greatest literary masters.

The Top Ten TV Shows To Premiere in the 90's

      Here is my list of what could be the best shows to begin their life in the 1990's.
      Of Course, this is only my opinion.
 
1. Home Improvement (1991-1999)
      The best show to premiere in the 90's is this one. Chronicling the life of an accident prone local TV tool show host and his wife, three sons, and quirky friends. 

2. Futurama (1999-present)
      Matt Groening's humorous retro-futuristic story of a man accidently frozen in 1999 and reawakened in the year 3000.
 
3. Boy Meets World (1993-2000)
      A show about Cory Matthews and his family, friends, and teacher/principal Mr. Feeny.
 
4. King of the Hill (1997-2010)
      The story of an honest but uptight man named Hank Hill and his egotistical wife Peggy, unathletic comedy loving son Bobby, and their wacky cast of friends. Set in a small Texas town.
 
5. NewsRadio (1995-1999)
      An office full of eccentric, quirky characters made for  constant hilarity.
 
6. Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001)
      A Starfleet crew and a Maquis crew are thrown far from earth and must make their way back home together.
 
7. Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (1996-2003)
      The story of girl who frequently deals with typical problems by using her magic and having her spells comically backfire.
 
8. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
      Joss Whedon's show about a girl who secretly was chosen to save the world from vampires and demons and all sorts of supernatural threats.
 
9. Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993-1997)
      Another version of the Superman comic book character.
  
10. 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996-2001)
      Four aliens come to explore earth while trying (though not always succeeding) to pretend to be an average American family.

Quotable

"We comprehend the earth only when we have known heaven. Without the spiritual world the material world is a disheartening enigma." - Joseph Joubert

Carl Wagner Painting

 

A Moonlit Night

by Carl Wagner 1796-1867

A wondrous example of Romantic art painted in 1820 with oil on canvas.

Literature Pick #9

The First Men in the Moon
by H. G. Wells
First published in 1901, this is one of Wells' best works and a masterpiece of science fiction.

John Atkinson Grimshaw

In Peril by John Atkinson Grimshaw from 1879.  Grimshaw (September 6, 1836 – October 13, 1893) was born in Leeds, England; he was primarily influenced by  Pre-Raphaelite art.