Many think that a diagnosis of autism means a child is doomed to a lonely life devoid of any accomplishments. History has proven this theory to be false, and many people with the higher-functioning forms of autism have gone on to do great things. There are some autistic famous people who though may have struggled initially can be an inspiration to children with autism, or their parents.

Autism does not have to be a dark and lonely existence. Some autistic children are very bright, and they have a personality to match. No one with a disability should be underestimated, and this goes for those with autism as much as for anyone with any other condition.

Though it has not been proven, some speculate that Albert Einstein may have had a high functioning form of autism. Because he is no longer alive, there is no way he can be diagnosed. However, these theories are popular, and they are attributed to some behaviors that he demonstrated, and that he was, in his own words, very much a loner and did not feel particularly connected to anyone, even his immediate family members. He was brilliant with math, but by some accounts, did not begin to speak until the age of two or three. He would often become so involved in his work that he would forget to eat meals and if a lecture he was giving drew no observers, he would lecture anyway. Again, this is just a theory, but it would appear that this assumption could be valid.

Jason McElwain is probably one of the more recent and most inspirational story of a person with autism. He was the manager for his school basketball team at a high school in the suburbs of Rochester, NY, and practiced shooting hoops for hours on end all by himself. Though he was not technically a member of the team due to height and skill level, he loved the game so much he stayed with them. He was allowed to play in the last four minutes of the last game of the season, and scored an astonishing 20 points during that time, some of them from three point range. Most players can’t score that high throughout an entire game! He has become an inspiration to many with autism or those with autistic children.

Actress Daryl Hannah was said to have been diagnosed as ‘borderline autistic’ at the age of three, but has gone on to have a successful career as an actress. She is probably best known for her role in the movies Splash and the Kill Bill series.

Andy Kaufman (died 1984) was well-known for having a very strange and outlandish sense of humor. He is another actor thought to have had autism.

Two very well known artists, Vincent van Gogh and Andy Warhol may have had autism. They exhibited many traits of those with higher functioning types of this condition, and were seen as ‘eccentric’ and brilliant. Autism is thought to be the root cause for their bright and unusual personalities and life choices. Though Courtney Love is not perhaps the best example of what someone with autism can do, it is noticed that she was diagnosed at age three as ‘mildly autistic.’ She has had her ups and down, but her band Hole did enjoy some success.

Perhaps some of the most well-known people to have this condition were born before an actual diagnosis could be made. That means that these autistic famous people have a diagnosis that is based on speculation and things that they were known for when they were alive. Many of these people are important for both historical reasons, and for bettering the world in a number of ways. Examples are Sir Isaac Newton (mathematician), Wolfgang Mozart (composer/musician), Charles Darwin (naturalist/scientist), and Michelangelo (painter/sculptor/architect/poet).

What has Johnny Cash, Winston Churchill, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Roger Daltrey, Joe DiMaggio, Rick Green, Gene Hackman, Tom Hanks, David Hasselhoff, Elton John, Michael Jordan, Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart, Neil Young and Gary Coleman in common?

All these celebrities love watching miniature trains running around miniature mountains, rivers and towns.

In short, they are all train model addicts.

Johnny Cash, the American singer and songwriter, made TV commercials and endorsements for Lionel Trains in the 1970s.

Neil Young is part owner of Lionel trains.

Rod Stewart, in between getting into blondes and who know what else, spent considerable time and money on building train models. In fact, Rod’s impressive replica of New York’s Grand Central Station, complete with 100ft of tract, buildings and figures in 1940s period dress, graced the cover of Model Railroader in October 2007. An honor Rod claims to mean more than ‘being on the cover of Rolling Stones.”

Imagine.

The late Gary Coleman is another aficionado of train models. In an online interview with ABC News, he said, “Currently I’m doing Lionel trains. I’m doing them as prototypically as possible, even though they are toy trains. I still like to do it as realistically as possible.”

Gary Coleman also allegedly left his complete train collection to Allied Model Trains, The Original Whistle Stop and The Train Shack in L.A. So if you are a train modeller, you know you are in great company. You can even get Frank Sinatra’s train layouts on DVD.

So what is the appeal of these toy trains?

First of all, they are not toys. Enthusiasts will tell you they are works of art. They are scaled down versions of the real thing. They operate like the real one. There is a sheer number of skills you need to master a working layout. You are a jack of all trades: a semi-competent carpenter, electrician, metalworker, painter, sculptor and designer all rolled into one.

There is also the joy of escapism. You can forget the business of living for hours on end while you pore over the plan for a perfect world, all of your own making.

And it’s never complete. You just keep scouring for more things to add to your model to make it perfect. Adding a mountain here, a pond there, more tracks. The list is endless. It can take you years. Then, of course, there’s the ultimate thrill of seeing your trains going round the track.

No wonder so many celebrities are hooked on model trains!

Everyone has a mental image of the Eiffel Tower. It is one of the most photographed and venerated landmarks in the world. Visiting it is on many peoples’ bucket lists. The enduring popularity of this more than a century-old tower, constructed as the entrance portal for the 1889 World’s Fair, may have come as a shock to Parisians who were alive when it was being built. Artists and intellectuals at the time called the Tower “monstrous,” and led a vigorous public outcry against it, publishing a manifesto, with 300 signatures, voicing their objections in the name of “French taste, art, and history under threat.”

Standing 984 feet tall, this intricate erector set of a tower far surpassed the height of the world’s tallest structure up to that point, the 555-foot Washington Monument. The construction of a structure this tall was considered an engineering feat at the time, with the biggest challenge the possibility of it being toppled by the wind. The Eiffel Tower remained the tallest man-made structure in the world for the next 41 years, when it was topped by the 1046-foot Chrysler Building in New York City.

The original plan was for the Eiffel Tower to be dismantled after 20 years. But before that deadline arrived, it had proven itself useful as a communications tower during World War I to spot enemy zeppelins, and again during World War II, to intercept messages transmitted by the Nazis. So the decision was made to allow it to stay. Today the Eiffel Tower is one of the best-known structures in the world, and is considered to be an architectural masterpiece and an icon of Paris.

So, of course, you must one day visit the Eiffel Tower yourself. When you do, have the full experience. This means making plans to view it in every one of its five incomparable ways, none of them to be missed. View the Tower from a boat on the Seine, where you can see its full form and stature. Stand beneath it, encircled by its four mighty feet. Mount it midway to the top, to walk its circumference and look down through the transparent floor. Take the lift to the summit, to sip champagne while gazing down at the river and the city, toy-like beneath your feet.

After you have seen the Eiffel Tower from all of these angles, you still are not done. Saving the best for last, return in the evening to see it aglow with golden lights, lit from the inside to showcase its structure, with a five-minute sparkle show every hour, on the hour, and sometimes a backdrop of a full moon.

Here’s how to accomplish each of these five essential ways to experience the Eiffel Tower, while enjoying it to the fullest, and skipping the frustrations of waiting through the daunting lines.

View It from the River

Plan to have your first view of the Eiffel Tower from the River Seine. This will allow you to take in the whole of it, which you can do only from a distance. The best way to accomplish this is to take the Batobus (Boat Bus) to the tower instead of the Metro, and hop off at the dock at its base.

If you purchase a two-day pass on the Batobus, you will have access to a wonderful way of traveling around the city, hopping on and off at will, and seeing along the way, all the spectacular buildings and monuments on the banks of the river, as well as the many stunning bridges that span it. The river is the major artery of the city, and provides a better sense of orientation, as well as better views, than the Metro. The Batobus starts at Hotel de Ville, and makes a full circuit of the river, with stops at the Louvre, Champs-Elysees, the Eiffel Tower, the Orsay, the Latin Quarter, Notre Dame, and Jardin des Plantes. Using the river for transportation, the getting there will be as memorable as the being there.

As you near the Eiffel Tower on the Batobus, you will pass under the Alexander III Bridge (named for Czar Alexander III), with its cherubs and nymphs, and its lavishly gilded figures and winged horses (representing the mythological “Fames” – Art, Science, Commerce and Industry). This will be your best opportunity to take a picture of the full tower in daylight. You will return later to see it glowing golden with light after dark.

When your boat crosses the Seine to dock in front of the tower, watch out for the small-scale version of the Statue of Liberty as you pass by the small island. This is one of the three models of the Statue of Liberty that stand in Paris, all created by the same sculptor who built the full-sized version that France gave as a gift to the newly-formed United States.

View It From Beneath Its Legs

After you disembark, walk up to and under the massive legs of the Eiffel Tower. This will put you where visitors to the 1889 Paris World’s Fair once stood in awe as they entered the fairgrounds. The Paris World’s Fair was held to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the day the Bastille fell, launching the French Revolution. To commemorate this historic date, Paris wanted to create a structure that would astound the world as “a monument to French genius, the unquenchable spirit of the French people and a proof that France was still, as ever, to be found in the vanguard of the world’s progress” (from The Wonders of Engineering. More than 100 artists were invited to submit ideas. The winning design was the one by Gustave Eiffel, who also was the engineer who completed the Statue of Liberty. You will see the office Gustave built for himself at the top of the tower when you visit the summit.

Note the color of the Tower, repainted once every seven years as protection against rust. Its color started as “Venetian red” prior to assembly, shifting to a more subdued reddish-brown, and later ochre yellow. Since 1968, it has been painted “Eiffel Tower Brown,” applied in three progressively lighter shades, from bottom to top, to augment its visual impact against the sky.

Look up into the intricate geometry of the tower’s angles and braces, a total of 18,038 pieces, joined together by 2 ½ million rivets. Take at least a dozen photographs, from various angles, to capture the gossamer weave of this phenomenal iron lattice structure. Note the orientation of the tower by the North, South, East and West designations of the four massive feet, with supports that are anchored to concrete foundations buried deep into the ground.

View It from Midway Up & from the Restaurants

Now it is time to ascend the Tower, using tickets to the second level that you will have purchased online, well in advance of your trip, from the official Eiffel Tower website. Holding tickets before you arrive is essential. This will make the critical difference between having a glorious experience or a nightmarish one.

Pre-booked ticket options give you either priority access to the first and second floors, or access to all three levels, including the summit. Once inside, you will be free to spend as long as you like, anywhere you like, on the Tower. The final lift down from the top is at 11 PM.

Tickets are released on the official Eiffel Tower website 90 days in advance, and run out quickly. So book your tickets early. And avoid ticket resellers, or you will pay significantly more for essentially the same thing. Lift tickets are for a specific time slot. Be very careful to be on time. If you are more than 30 minutes late, your tickets may be voided, and you will not be allowed entry.

From the second level, you will join another line for the lift to the summit. Even if you are unable to purchase advance tickets allowing access that includes the summit, you may be able to book tickets to the second level, then purchase tickets to the summit once there.

Even better than purchasing pre-booked lift tickets is to book a table for lunch or dinner at 58 Tour Eiffel or the even more expensive Jules Verne Restaurant. Your lift tickets to the second level will be complementary if you have lunch or dinner reservations, and you will be able to use a special fast access lift line at the base of the tower. Enjoying the view from one of the restaurants, in the daytime or during sunset or after dark, while being served a phenomenal meal, is an unforgettable experience, even if it is somewhat pricey. Consider this to be a splurge, and just do it. You can always balance things back out by having picnics instead of restaurant meals tomorrow.

After the lift carries you to the first and second level, take the time to walk the circumference and look out in all directions, and also to view the many exhibits about the Eiffel Tower’s history. Walk out over the clear glass floor on the first level, if you dare. This is your chance to experience walking on air.

View It from Its Peak

And now for the grand finale of your visit to the Eiffel Tower. Take the lift to the summit. Yes, there will be a line. And yes, the area at the top is smaller, so it may be more crowded. But consider this a once-in-a-lifetime experience. If you decide not to bother, you probably will always wonder if you should have made the effort.

A good strategy is to begin watching the lift line to the summit as soon as you reach the second level. When the line is at its shortest, stop whatever you are doing and jump into it. You always can return to the second level later and pick up where you left off.

Once you reach the summit, as you survey all of Paris beneath you, celebrate the moment with a glass of champagne from the champagne bar tucked into the structure. Do not be deterred by the price or the line. The line will move quickly. And the memory of this crowning experience will last a lifetime. This will be a story you will repeat often after you return home from your trip.

View It at Night

At least once during your stay in Paris, treat yourself to the magical splendor of a boat ride on the Seine at night. Book a ticket with Bateaux Parisiens for a one-hour cruise, starting at the dock across from Notre Dame and gliding along, passing under the brightly lit bridges, to the Eiffel Tower and back.

Again it will be a good idea to purchase your tickets in advance to ensure your choice of time and date. Go for an open-air seat at the front of the boat on the left side to have the best view of the Eiffel Tower as you approach it, spectacularly lit against the night sky.

The view of the Eiffel Tower at night is truly spectacular. You will certainly be tempted to take photographs. But be aware that the tower’s evening light display is currently considered to be copyright-protected as a work of art. So if you want to publish any images to social media, you first must gain permission from the Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (the Eiffel Tower’s operating company), or risk paying a fine.

Once you have had the full experience of visiting the Eiffel Tower, and seeing it from every aspect and vantage point, you will have no difficulty locating a representation of it to bring home with you. Select just the right poster, watercolor, pen drawing, or scarf… or even a keychain. Then every time you look at this memento, you will be taken back to the time you were there, experiencing the Eiffel Tower for yourself.

A popular American ‘Pop Artist’ Roy Fox Lichtenstein or Roy Lichtenstein (October 27, 1923 – September 29, 1997) was born in New York City in an upper middle class family. He went to public school until he was 12. Lichtenstein had a diverse career as a teacher, an artist, along with being an innovator. Although he was trained in both drawing and painting, a significant influence on his work was of comic books, cartoons, and popular advertising, basically the creative things that people did not regard as ‘serious’ art. Lichtenstein called his ‘Pop Art’ as, “not ‘American’ painting but actually industrial painting.” Lichtenstein’s early interest in art and design was more of a hobby. He was a jazz fan and would frequently make the portraits of musicians playing instruments. Following his graduation from school, Lichtenstein took summer classes in the Art Students League of New York. Later he joined the Ohio State University for studying Fine Arts, but could not complete his study on the account of a three-year (1943-46) spell in the army during and post World War II. His work during the early 1950s alternated between ‘Expressionism’ and ‘Cubism.’ Towards the late 1950s, Roy took to ‘Abstract Expressionism.’ Roy’s most famous and well-known creation is undoubtedly “Whaam!” (1963).

The inspiration behind “Whaam!” was a comic-book picture from ‘All American Men of War,’ published in 1962 by DC comics. The painting shows a rocket being fired by a fighter plane towards an enemy plane, along with a red-yellow explosion. To add interest, the painting has the onomatopoeic words “Whaam!” on it, along with the caption saying, “I pressed the fire control… and ahead of me rockets blazed through the sky…” “Whaam!,” a diptych, is a big painting, measuring 1.7 x 4.0 m (5 ft 7 in x 13 ft 4 in) and is presently displayed at Tate Modern in London, England.

Lichtenstein had the unique ability to create an extremely personalized painting from an already existing cartoon or advertisement. He had the knack of adapting & working upon original pictures and presenting intense emotional situations & scenes, quite impersonally, leaving the interpretation of the subject to the viewer. He therefore presented well-known pictures in a completely new light, capturing the world’s imagination. Apart from paintings, Lichtenstein also created sculptures in plastic & metal and a lot of screen-printing as well. Although a majority of his most famous creations is quite close to, although not strictly, the copies of panels from comic books, Lichtenstein broadly stopped working on this subject in 1965. But not before he had created amazing paintings depicting ‘Pop Art’ and his most famed creation, “Whaam!”

Throughout history, murderers have always seemed to rivet the attention of the public. Hapless victims, their calculated killers, and all the gruesome details of the crime seem to fascinate most people, and the trials are oftentimes sensational events that attract the masses. Killers committing their heinous crimes during the 19th century were no different than the ones of today, but a few of these criminals stand out in history.

Champ Ferguson – The story of Champ Ferguson is set in the mountains of Tennessee during the height of the American Civil War. For reasons not completely clear, Ferguson became a staunch supporter of the Rebel cause; some say Union soldiers raped his wife and daughter, while others say that the Confederacy promised him clemency on an existing murder charge if he promised his support. Whatever his reasons were, Ferguson became one of the most notorious and feared guerrillas in Tennessee, and also one of the most prolific killers of Union soldiers and supporters in the area. Noted for his sadistic tendencies when he found a new victim, Ferguson is estimated to have killed over 100 people, though he was only tried for the murders of 53. Ferguson was arrested and tried for murder in May of 1865, creating something of a spectacle for a public eager to see him sentenced to death. Though Ferguson freely admitted to committing the many murders, he maintained that his acts were part of military activities and he only killed those who would have killed him. Ferguson was convicted of war crimes and sentenced to hang on October 20, 1865. His death closed the chapter of one of the South’s most notorious guerrilla fighters, feared by some and revered by others.

H. H. Holmes – Known by many as America’s first documented serial killer, H. H. Holmes is responsible for the deaths of as many as 100 people, though he confessed to only 27 of those murders. Born in New Hampshire in 1860 under the name Herman Webster Mudgett, Holmes is best known for the time he spent in Chicago during the World’s Fair in 1893. After graduating from medical school in Michigan, Holmes moved to Chicago to practice pharmacy. Dispensing medicine, however, was not high on his priority list, and instead he became involved in a number of shady business deals swindling people out of their money. In 1893, construction began on The Castle, which would serve as his home/office, a hotel for visitors to the fair, and ultimately, his killing grounds. The building was three stories high, covered an entire city block, and had a floorplan that would confound even the most experienced architect. The third floor was a sort of labyrinth, with windowless rooms, doors opening to nowhere, stairs leading to nowhere, and many more oddities. This was where Holmes committed his murders, torturing his victims and sending their bodies down secret passageways to the basement where they were either burned or dissected and sold to medical schools. When the World’s Fair concluded, Holmes left Chicago looking for more opportunities to increase his wealth and his victim count. When he was caught in an insurance fraud scheme with his associate Benjamin Pitezel, who he had killed along with three of Pitezel’s children, Holmes was tracked and finally arrested in Boston. After his arrest, The Castle was searched and authorities began uncovering evidence of some of the most gruesome crimes ever committed. After a trial lasting only five days, Holmes was convicted of murder and sentenced to the gallows on May 7, 1896. The story of H. H. Holmes is perhaps one of the most disturbing, yet fascinating, ventures into the mind of a killer.

Octavius Barron – While Octavius Barron didn’t earn quite as much notoriety as the two killers above, he is notable because at the young age of 18, he was responsible for the first murder in the city of Rochester, New York. William Lyman was a respected man in the city, with a successful job and growing family. On the night of October 20, 1837, he left his office to return home to his wife and four children. He never made it. As Lyman walked toward his house, he was shot in the back of the head at point blank range, robbed of several hundred dollars, and left dead in an alley. Hearing the shot, a young boy living in a house nearby alerted his father, who then called police. While authorities were busy collecting evidence at the crime scene, Barron was at the local tavern waving Lyman’s money around and boasting of the murder to his friends. It didn’t take long for this cavalier attitude to come to an end, however, as Barron was arrested just hours after pulling the trigger. The case against him was strong, and as he was already known around town as being a habitual gambler and drinker, the young man was easily convicted of the murder. Octavius Barron hung for his crime on June 7, 1838, and with his death justice was served. But the tale doesn’t stop here; though William Lyman’s life had ended, his story continued.

You can learn more about Octavius Barron, William Lyman, and the surprising details of these men’s fates in the documentary “Visions: True Stories of the Supernatural” by Ad-Hoc Productions. Go to http://www.ad-hoc-productions.com/trailers.html for more information.

I’m sure most of you have read, or at least heard of the fictional story called Don Quixote, written by the most well-known Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes in 1605(1st Part) and 1615(2nd Part). Alonso Quixano is a fifty-year-old gentleman from the region of La Mancha in central Spain. He obsessively reads books about chivalric knights from the not so long-ago Middle Ages. He reads so much so that he decides to take up his lance and sword to defend the helpless and destroy the wicked, creating chaotic plots.

The protagonist Alonso Quixano calls himself Don Quixote. The novel is a parody of the brave knights of old legends. The irony of the novel is embodied in the full title of the two-part novel-El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha.

To understand the title is to see Cervantes’ comical manipulation of words. Ingenioso means clever. Don Quixote is not a clever man. His decisions are made based on irrational thinking. When he sees a windmill, he thinks he sees a giant and rushes in to fight it. When he sees two groups of sheep, he believes he is seeing an army of men ready to fight. Again, he runs into the fight and tries to subdue all the “men.”

Hidalgo is a man of low-born nobility, or a hijo de algo (son of something). Also, knights were considered hidalgos. Alonso Quixano is not a man of wealth who belongs to a family of nobles, even low-born nobles. But he thinks he is a knight and tries to do chivalrous deeds, only to end up looking like an heroic fool.

Don is an address that this man gives to himself. A don is a Spanish gentleman meaning Lord or Sir. Quixano gives himself the title “Don” in front of “Quixote.”

The name Quixote is based on the protagonist’s real last name, Quixano, which he gives himself to sound more like a famous knight such as Sir Lancelot. In Spanish, this English hero is called, Lanzarote- Lanzar-ote. The suffix -ote serves another purpose when it is attached to the end of a word, meaning big or clumsy.

“Quixot” originates from the Catalan word cuixot which means armor that protects the thigh. So his name Don Quixote translates to Sir Big Thigh Armor. However, the protagonist is physically the opposite; his body is thin and emaciated.

The word “Quixote” has changed over the last four hundred years. Originally, the “x” filled in the name because, the original pronunciation sounded like “sh”. So, “Quixote” sounded like “Kee-sho-tay.” Today, the sound is “Kee-ho-tay.” So, “Quixote” is spelled “Quijote” in the Spanish-speaking world. The English version kept the “x”. So, part of the title reads, “Don Quijote.”

Don Quixote is from La Mancha – a large area located in Southeastern Spain that is the most arid, desolate unfertile land in the country. It is believed that Cervantes chose for Don Quixote to be a native from this area because it is the most inappropriate place for a romantic, chivalrous hero to seek adventure. In Spanish, mancha means “spot” or “stain” but mancha actually derives from the Arabic word meaning “dry” or “arid”.

So, when we translate the title, we get something like: The Clever Low-Born Noble, Lord Big Thigh Armor from Spain’s Most Desolated Area. The title is oddly appealing, strange, and certainly humorous. It’s ironic since Alonso Quixano is not clever, noble, or anyone who deserves earning a title like “sir” or “lord.” Also, Quixano has an extremely lean body who doesn’t wear armor for a robust knight. He is from la Mancha- Spain’s most infertile wasteland.

We know Miguel de Cervantes’ best known literary work as “Don Quixote (Quijote),” or as the Spanish natives call it “El Quijote.” We can decode the humorous irony of the novel by its full title. Once you read the first and best-known fictional novel in the world, you become aware of the full humor and irony presented in its extensive plots generated by Don Quixote’s strange, active imagination.

The mainstream belief of veganism is that it is dangerous, lacking in protein, and will leave a person feeling deprived. Sadly, this could not be any further from the truth. If you are privileged to be acquainted with a long-term vegan, you will likely marvel at their slim and lean physique, their flawless skin and natural beauty, and their evident zest for life. Is the vegan diet healthy? Listed below are 5 famous health benefits of the vegan diet that are seen time and time again by persons who embark on this lifestyle.

1. Weight loss

Weight loss is one of the most well-reported benefits of the vegan diet. And without the consumption of fatty, calorie-laden meat and dairy products, this is no surprise. Being a natural low-calorie plant-based diet, veganism is an ideal lifestyle choice for persons who wish to lose some excess weight.

2. Clear up of skin problems

Since dairy products such as cheese, cream and butter are notorious for worsening acne, psoriasis, eczema and other skin conditions – it is no wonder that by eliminating these foods a person’s skin will heal or drastically improve. Many folks who have undergone the healthy vegan diet have reported a clear-up of their acne and have noticed an overall healing of their skin.

3. Abundant energy

Heavy meats and hard-to-digest cheeses and dairy products will often leave a person feeling tired and lethargic after being consumed. That’s why so many people feel sleepy and lacking energy after lunch. By ditching these foods and replacing them with fresh fruits, vegetables, tofu and legumes – you can be certain that your energy levels will be constant all day long. So instead of feeling tired and cranky when you come home from work in the afternoon, you will find yourself desiring to go for an evening stroll, or taking your dog for a walk instead!

4. Zest for life

Many people who ditch meat and dairy products find that their depression and low moods have improved greatly. This is likely because often, a sick poorly-nourished body results in a despondent, low spirit. On the contrary, a well-fed, nutrient-dense diet results in a positive, happy frame of mind. Vegans are known for their happy disposition and zest for life.

5. Prevents, Treats, Cures & Alleviates Health Problems.

Ditching meat and dairy products and replacing them with fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, tofu and legumes is an ideal decision to treat various health diseases. The vegan diet is perfect for treating high cholesterol and high blood pressure, preventing certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and diabetes 2, as well as alleviating various ailments and pains such as arthritis. These are some of the many amazing health benefits of the vegan diet.

Is the vegan diet healthy? If this diet can prevent and treat chronic disease, facilitate weight loss, clear up skin disorders, provide amazing energy levels, and enable a person to cultivate a zest for life – I would definitely say that the vegan diet is healthy. Wouldn’t you agree? These 5 health benefits prove that veganism is worth pursuing.

Raoul Dufy (1877-1953) was a French painter, whose paintings on open-air recreational events, such as boat or horse races, concerts, and parades, stunned art admirers and critics, alike. With ‘Fauvism’ as his signature style, Raoul’s paintings were supreme riots of his experimentation with bold colors, which would transform eventually into majestic and ingenious styles. He would dramatically render his subjects in a background of bold colors, to depict his optimism and enthusiasm that left his critics shocked and mesmerized. In short, Dufy’s paintings exhibited enthusiasm and vibrancy, rather than ‘Realism,’ as evident in his most famous painting “Regatta at Cowes.”

Raoul Dufy’s ‘Decorative Style’ is still famous and is adopted to paint many ceramics, textiles, and public buildings. Among his many masterpieces, is his most famous painting “Regatta at Cowes,” (1934), exceptionally known for its colorful representation of the boat race along the French Riviera. Dufy painted this masterpiece when he stayed at a famous resort on the Isle of Wight. At this time, he witnessed many small yachts gearing up for the race. This spectacle inspired Dufy to use his brilliant brushstrokes and create the masterpiece.

In “Regatta at Cowes,” Raoul Dufy painted the randomly organized yachts, possibly fluttering in the light breeze, in a bold blue backdrop, capturing the energy and the ‘Romanticism’ of the sea environment. For his use of colors here, Dufy is referred as the ‘Painter of Light,’ as his skies and seas are bluer than normal. This immensely colorful painting depicts Dufy’s pursuit of unbridled joy, enthusiasm, and emotional rendition, without making a social statement. This masterpiece truly portrays the artist’s love for depicting everyday scenes as ‘Still Life.’

Paul Dufy’s “Regatta at Cowes” is currently exhibited at the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., USA. After displaying the boat race at Cowes, Dufy went on to explore more riversides, such as Deauville, Trouville, where he portrayed his chic boats with much élan amongst a more ‘Romantic’ backdrop than his earlier works. “Regatta at Cowes” continues to enthrall art lovers for its fervor, luminosity, and enthusiasm. The brilliant manifestation of the boat race at Cowes makes this masterpiece unforgettable and endearing to all its art lovers, while being a timeless and an important milestone for ‘Fauvism.’

INTRODUCTION

The intention of the author is to describe what is considered as the deepest spiritual experiences of the most famous Christians of all ages. He reveals the impact and influence of the lives of characters in both Old Testament and New Testaments and in the history of the Church. One has a feel of the message of these characters when the author quotes them extensively. Generally, they believe in the spiritual fullness after salvation and that God is only waiting for Christians to be receptive in order for Him to shower His countless blessings on us. Among other things, the text assists the reader (through the lives of the characters treated) to discover how to be filled with the Spirit, obtain victory over sin, grow closer to God than ever before, acquire boldness to witness for Christ and find perfect peace and rest.

STRENGTHS

The author, like the editors of Devotional Classics, was able to realize that no single church or denomination has all the answers and impressively identified those whose consecrated lives and deep spiritual experiences made them a blessing to the body of Christ.

WEAKNESSES

The text sets out to accomplish (see first sentence in the introduction) a very difficult task of describing experiences of the most famous Christians of all ages. One doubts the parameters that any author would use to arrive at classification and whether personal bias (for instance denominational affiliation) or experience would not influence his selection. The separate chapters could have been devoted to some names like Thomas a Kempis and David Brainerd instead of the general treatment received under the section ”Other famous Christians”. Injustice is also done to many fine female Christian missionaries who are not even mentioned.

The back cover of the text informs us that one will discover how to have every need met. This is one dangerous prosperity teaching in Nigeria, Sierra Leone and the universal church. If all our needs can be met, the issue is what is the place of suffering, the wilderness journey, the dark night of the soul etc. in the life of the Christian?

QUOTABLE QUOTES

“About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed” (133).

“The Spirit then cleared the subject up so much in my mind that it was impossible for me to doubt that the Spirit of God has taken possession of my soul” (173).

RECOMMENDATIONS

No pastor, lay reader of church member should fail to read this invaluable book which is a clarion call to every Christian to have a deeper relationship with God. It is useful in ministry because it clearly shows how Christians from several backgrounds long to know about the spirit-filled and deeper life in Christ.

Three miles north of the Inner Harbor visitors to the city of Baltimore can find a welcome respite from typical tourism expenses. Featuring an impressive collection of 19th-century, modern and contemporary art, the Baltimore Museum of Art proudly presents over 90,000 works–an astounding number considering at its 1914 founding the collection consisted of a mere one painting. But the best part is that those who wish to take in 15th- to 19th-century drawings, European decorative arts, or objects from around the globe, tour two beautiful landscaped gardens, or view one of the largest Henri Mattise collections in the world, can do so for free!

If the thought of wandering through a museum intimidates you, take a tour (some are free, some not). If seeing some of the museum’s highlights is your goal, consider embarking on the 45-minute Treasures of the BMA tour. Others, like the Sunday Shorts or Exhibition Tours, focus on a single work of art or a specific exhibition.

It is not a stretch to say that the BMA offers something for all types of guests. Families with children should consider Free Family Sundays where each week a different free tour or workshop activity is offered beginning at 2 p.m. If that week’s activity doesn’t pique your family’s interest, consider picking up a free BMA FunPak for your kids in the lobby on Thursdays and Saturdays between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and Sundays between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Adults should be impressed with the variety of special opportunities for them too. If visiting Baltimore for an extended period, or if you live nearby, yoga enthusiasts can enjoy Yoga in the Sculpture Garden, a six-session course combining yoga and art history. A variety of art classes, such as drawing and printmaking, are also available for a fee during the year. An ongoing film series and special lectures are also regularly scheduled.

Visitors concerned about accessibility should be happy to note that the museum and gardens are fully wheelchair accessible and wheelchairs are available free of charge to visitors on a first-come, first-served basis. Other services including sign language and foreign-language translation and sculpture touch tours for the visually-impaired are available upon request.

The Baltimore Museum of Art is open Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and closed on Mondays, Tuesdays, and select holidays. The gardens are closed during inclement weather. Be sure to note that while general admission is free for everyone some special exhibitions are ticketed. Check out BMA’s informative website at http://www.artbma.org before visiting for the latest announcements, special exhibits, directions and parking information.