The Necklace

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  “SHE WAS one of those pretty, charming young ladies, born, as if through an error of destiny, into a family of clerks. She had no dowry, no hopes, no means of becoming known, appreciated, loved, and married by a man either rich or distinguished; and she allowed herself to marry a petty clerk in the office of the Board of Education. . . .  She had neither frocks nor jewels, nothing. And she loved only those things. She felt that she was made for them. She had such a desire to please, to be sought after, to be clever, and courted.” —THE NECKLACE Guy de Maupassant    France, 1884 (pic by Grok) Read this short story here:  https://americanliterature.com/author/guy-de-maupassant/short-story/the-necklace

"Tim's Vermeer"

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Ever chase a rabbit? What I mean is, have you made a startling discovery as the result of a mere distraction? 

While following two of my favorite magicians online, I stumbled onto a documentary directed by Teller (of Penn & Teller). Being a lover of good magic and classical "anything" (art, music, literature, philosophy, etc) I was intrigued as to why a team of magicians would make a documentary about Johannes Vermeer, a Dutch painter who lived in the 1600's. You might know his work: 

"Girl With A Pearl Earring" (1665)
Source: Wikipedia
This compelling documentary reminds one to slow down and take another, perhaps an even deeper look at art because what Vermeer left are more than paintings. The man was more than an artist. He mastered time with a paintbrush.


The film is available on YouTube for $2.99 or on DVD from Netflix. 

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