Other books that might interest you

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  Pablo Picasso and artworks

  Victoria Charles

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  Picasso was born a Spaniard and, so they say, began to draw before he could speak. As an infant he was instinctively attracted to artist’s tools. In early childhood he could spend hours in happy concentration drawing spirals with a sense and meaning known only to himself. At other times, shunning children’s games, he traced his first pictures in the sand. This early self-expression held out promise of a rare gift. Málaga must be mentioned, for it was there, on 25 October 1881, that Pablo Ruiz Picasso was born and it was there that he spent the first ten years of his life. Picasso’s father was a painter and professor at the School of Fine Arts and Crafts. Picasso learnt from him the basics of formal academic art training. Then he studied at the Academy of Arts in Madrid but never finished his degree. Picasso, who was not yet eighteen, had reached the point of his greatest rebelliousness; he repudiated academia’s anemic aesthetics along with realism’s pedestrian prose and, quite naturally, joined those who called themselves modernists, the non-conformist artists and writers, those whom Sabartés called “the élite of Catalan thought” and who were grouped around the artists’ café Els Quatre Gats. During 1899 and 1900 the only subjects Picasso deemed worthy of painting were those which reflected the “final truth”; the transience of human life and the inevitability of death. His early works, ranged under the name of “Blue Period” (1901-1904), consist in blue-tinted paintings influenced by a trip through Spain and the death of his friend, Casagemas. Even though Picasso himself repeatedly insisted on the inner, subjective nature of the Blue Period, its genesis and, especially, the monochromatic blue were for many years explained as merely the results of various aesthetic influences. Between 1905 and 1907, Picasso entered a new phase, called “Rose Period” characterised by a more cheerful style with orange and pink colours. In Gosol, in the summer of 1906 the nude female form assumed an extraordinary importance for Picasso; he equated a depersonalised, aboriginal, simple nakedness with the concept of “woman”...

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  Chronicles of a Motorcycle...

  Tiffani Burkett

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  Losing her job was an opportunity, not a tragedy. 
  Fresh off of a nine month journey, camping off her 2015 Yamaha FZ-07 sport bike through 49 US states and 3 provinces of Canada, Tiffani Burkett wasn’t ready to return to a nine-to-five. She had picked up a freelance gig as a motorcycle journalist, she had met someone, and she still had a little bit of her dwindling life savings left in the bank. 
  Naturally, the only logical course of action was to to set her sights toward the next set of landlocked states in North America: Mexico 
  Despite growing up in Los Angeles, she had never been south of the border, didn't speak any Spanish (except for the swear words she learned in high school), and even without the recent political unrest, it seemed that everyone had plenty of stories to tell about cartels and crime and violence. 
  But if fear was enough to stop her from living out her dreams, she wouldn't be a motorcyclist in the first place. Whether it's dealing with broken down equipment in the wild west city of Durango, a passport debacle in Costa Rica, or a last minute flight to help a friend race the North West 200 in Ireland, people are far better than the media implies, and what she finds is a wonderful journey through new cultures, new environments, and new found strength in both herself and her growing relationship with her travel partner. 
  Chronicles of a Motorcycle Gypsy: South of the Border is the second book in a series of memoirs. Originally published as a Travelogue in Motorcyclist Magazine as Girl Meets World, this full length memoir has been rewritten from the ground up to include the untold stories and the details that were a little too racy for the blog. It also includes a full pack list and bike builds for the aspiring ADV rider, and lots of pictures for every chapter!

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  Jokes I Wrote at Work

  Brian Gaar

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  In his first hour-long comedy special, Twitter sensation Brian Gaar tackles everything from the challenges of fatherhood to trying to keep his gamer cred in his 30s. Filmed live at the Spider House Ballroom in Austin, Texas.

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  Chola Empire - Masters of the...

  Rolf Hedger

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  The Chola Empire, one of the longest-ruling dynasties in South Indian history, has origins shrouded in legend and antiquity. The early Cholas find mention in Tamil literature and ancient inscriptions, tracing their lineage back to mythical rulers. The Sangam period texts, such as the Pattinappalai and Puranaanuru, speak of the valor and governance of early Chola kings, who ruled over fertile lands along the Kaveri River. However, after a period of decline, the Cholas reemerged as a dominant force in the 9th century CE under the leadership of Vijayalaya Chola, the founder of the imperial Chola dynasty. 
  Vijayalaya Chola, initially a minor chieftain under the Pallavas, seized the opportunity to establish his rule in the fertile region of Thanjavur around 850 CE. This marked the resurgence of Chola power after centuries of obscurity. By defeating the Mutharaiyars, who controlled the region, Vijayalaya laid the foundation for an empire that would dominate South India for the next four centuries. Under his rule, the Cholas not only expanded their territories but also strengthened their political and military structures. He initiated temple-building activities, commissioning the construction of the temple of Nisumbhasudani in Thanjavur, a precursor to the grand temple-building tradition that would define the dynasty. 
  His successor, Aditya I, continued the expansion by defeating the Pallavas, thereby establishing the Cholas as a formidable power in the region. This victory marked a turning point, allowing the Cholas to assert their dominance over Tamil Nadu. Aditya I’s campaigns also extended into Kongu Nadu and the northern parts of Kerala, laying the groundwork for further expansion. His administrative policies ensured a stable governance system, which helped integrate the newly conquered regions into the Chola fold.

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  Flight Hacking

  Grizzly Publishing

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  ?In recent years, travel has become increasingly more popular. Instead of buying expensive jewelry, the latest car or designer goods, people are now opting to buy new experiences. Whether you are just out of education, just got married, have a young family or are in retirement, everyone wants to travel.However, travel can be expensive. In recent years, fares for flights have increased dramatically. The days of flying for rock-bottom prices have sadly gone.Or so we thought.There are numerous ways that you can fly for reduced fares or for free, providing you know the right places to go and the right techniques to use. There are certain websites you can go to which offer highly reduced fares and even airline error fares, giving you the opportunity to fly for the cheapest prices imaginable.One minute you’re sat behind a screen, the next you’re lounging by the pool in some exotic location with a cocktail in hand, laughing to yourself when the person next door to you says they’ve spent thousands, while you’ve spent only a fraction of that price.It does not need to be expensive to fly. You can travel from city to city, from country to country, for low prices if you know what you are doing. There are certain days of the week when it’s cheaper to fly, certain airlines are known for offering reduced prices, and there are websites that cater to budget airlines.Within these pages, you will discover how to fly around the world for ridiculously small amounts of money, and even for free.

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  Voice The - The Ultimate Trivia...

  Trivia Hub

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  THE VOICE 
  THE ULTIMATE TRIVIA AND CURIOUS FACTS COLLECTION 
    
  CREATED BY TRIVIA HUB 
    
  The Voice is an American singing competition television series that premiered on NBC in 2011. The show seeks to find unsigned singing talent through public auditions. The competition is open to solo or duet artists aged 13 and up. The winner receives $100,000 and a record deal with Universal Music Group. 
    
  The series features a panel of four coaches who critique the artists' performances and mentor their teams. The coaches compete to have their act win, making them the winning coach. The show employs a "blind audition" format, where coaches select artists based on their voice alone. The coaches' chairs turn towards an artist they want. The coaches also use "blocks" and "replays". 
    
  CURIOUS FACT SAMPLES: 
    
  The Voice is an American singing competition based on the original The Voice of Holland. It is the only version in the franchise that doesn't include its country's name.  
    
  The show's concept involves "Blind Auditions" where coaches select team members based solely on voice, with chairs turned away from the performer. If more than one coach wants the same artist, the artist gets to choose which coach they want to work with.  
    
  In the "Battle Rounds," coaches pair up their team members to perform duets, and then choose one to advance. Celebrity advisors help the coaches with this process.  
    
  The "Knockout Rounds" feature individual performances by paired teammates, who are not told who they are paired with until a few minutes prior to performing. The artists choose their own songs, with continued advice from their coaches.

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