text:
JoAnn Falletta is a regular contributor to Portfolio Magazine in Virginia and Traffic East Magazine in Buffalo, and has had articles published in Symphony Magazine, the New York Concert Review, NPR Music and The Virginian Pilot.
Cover: Detail, Concert Night
by Susan Crave Rosen
|Poems from
Love Letters to Music
by JoAnn Falletta
Message in a Bottle
Mother Goose
To the audience
Music Could Not Stop a War
If Beethoven Were Emperor
by JoAnn Falletta
The Innovative Mosaic Of American Symphonies
In Troubled Times: The Case for the Arts
The Compleat Music Director
Are You Listening?
Music and the Mind
Love Letters to Music, a book of poems by JoAnn Falletta,
can be purchased from the Virginia Arts Festival
by sending a check for $25 (including postage and
handling) to:
Virginia Arts Festival, Attn: Ann Bierman, P.O. Box 3595, Norfolk, VA 23514
Checks should be made payable to Virginia Arts Festival.
For more information, contact firstname.lastname@example.com
The Compleat Music Director
© JoAnn Falletta
One of the most vivid memories of my days as a young conducting student at Juilliard is of an article lauding the mystique of a certain music director of one of the finest orchestras in our country. The maestro, the newspaper maintained, was so important and so private that he was never seen anywhere in the city except on the podium of his orchestra. Even when he left the concert hall after a performance he retreated to a favorite restaurant where a secluded table in the back room was provided for him, away from his throng of fans. The orchestra itself seemed rather proud of thisit meant, of course, that one had to purchase a concert ticket to enjoy even a glimpse of their charismatic conductor.
For my four conducting colleagues and myself, the description of the life of the maestro could not have been more dissimilar than that of our own harried existencesdealing with the scarcely concealed contempt of the Juilliard Conductors Orchestra, the scathing (and uncomfortably accurate) criticism of our teacher, the humiliation of cajoling, pleading and bribing our classmates into forming reluctant and disorganized groups over which we could wield our incipient batons. For myself, fifteen years and four music directorships later, the maestros enviable situation seems even further from reality than it did then.
I am convinced that no one leaves the conservatory with more than the sketchiest idea of the meaning of the title music director. To be honest, one scarcely knows how to conduct, in the real sensethe deepest musical understanding, analytical aptitude and psychological skills develop slowly as one studies, works and matures. But even the most profound grasp of a score, the most elegant technique hardly prepare the young maestro for the duties that descend upon his or her shoulders the moment the music director search committee reaches its decision. We acknowledge that the choice of a music director is probably one of the most significant decisions any orchestra will make; the thought that the chosen one may have little to no idea about the actual job is cause for some alarm.
We stand upon the gateway of a 21st century even the wildest visionary could not have imagined at the beginning of the 20th. It seems an appropriate time to acknowledge the extraordinary changes that the last hundred years have wrought in the arts. It certainly has been a period of extraordinary artistic innovation, mirroring rapid developments in science and technology. Composers have risen to the challenge of expressing our changing world, creating new and complex works that reflect life in this century. The last hundred years have been a time of unprecedented social and political upheaval. Once again, composers have responded with works that mirror the dreams and the terrors of contemporary life. In this time of rapid and unpredictable change in the arts, it is no surprise that the music director entering the 21st century bears markedly different responsibilities than did his 19th century predecessor.
Across the country, symphony orchestras are facing what appear to be the most difficult times in their collective history. Often the very survival of the institution will hinge on the skill of the maestronot only his musical talent, but his leadership ability, interpersonal communication and management acumen in planning, scheduling, interacting with staff and musicians, dealing with conflict and fostering feelings of solidarity, community and common purpose. Added requirements are a broad artistic vision, a clear understanding of the musical objectives of the organization, and the courage to explore new possibilities and options coupled with the wisdom to preserve the best of tradition. Some of you may recall candidate Eugene McCarthys response to a 1968 query as to whether he was qualified to be President of the United Stateshe replied that when you got right down to it, probably nobody was qualified. The same might be said for the music director at the beginning of the 21st Century. Probably no one has the complete set of skills the job demands. But a solid understanding of the responsibilities of the position can and should help music directors develop their personal resources within the framework of each ones unique talents, personality and charisma.
The single most important truth for the music director to remember is that any orchestras personality grows out of its musicians. They have the longest tenure of any facet of the organization. The value of the music grows out of the lives of those musicianstheir set of cultural and social values, their communities, their interests, their ideals, their hopes for the orchestra. The conductor should embrace this musical mosaic of extraordinary people with an overarching artistic philosophy. That philosophy can be as simpleand as profoundas creating a situation that allows room for excellence to thrive. More specifically, that philosophy should engender an environment in which musicians are motivated and inspired to achieve individual artistic satisfaction through their commitment to their orchestra and to their community.
The responsibility for a vibrant philosophy rests largely upon the music director and his skills. Of these, the most importantmusical talentremains the most mysterious and least quantifiable commodity in terms of a conductor. Certainly, even an unsophisticated audience can surmise that the violin soloist has poor intonation or that the pianist is having difficulty with the technical demands of a concerto. Can most audience members assess the skill of the maestro? Does a flamboyant podium presence equate to a prodigious talent? Does conducting from memory insure deep musical understanding? Do exaggerated tempos and dynamic changes imply a unique and revelatory interpretation? The true assessment of a maestros musical skill often rests with the musicians over which he presides. Can they play comfortably and expressively, feeling neither confined nor abandoned? Perhaps the ideal performance situation is one in which each musician can feel free to play as if on his own, yet enjoy all the while the comfort of the framework of an interpretation that makes complete musical sense. In such an ideal performance the audience senses (rather than defines) a rightness about the experiencea subconscious structure, a pacing, a unified artistic conception, an inevitability that create a depth and excitement that go beyond the surface level. Certainly that ideal situation is far from commonplace. The musical understandingindeed, the life understanding that it presupposes are the goals to which conductors should aspire all their musical lives. The deeper and broader an individuals background, the richer and more profoundly evident are both the specific, unique qualities of his work and its greater significance. Leonard Bernstein once stated that any composers writing is the sum of himself, all his roots and all his influences. The same is true of the work of any conductor. The value of his music grows out of the very life of the artist himself, his own particular set of cultural and social values, the community in which he lives, the nation to which he belongs. The conductor must make his art an expression of his inner and outer world, and dedicate his life to the enrichment of both. Any conductor who does not fully devote himself to the constant development of his musical understanding is failing to recognize the single most significant requirement of his profession.
Secondary to the depth of ones musical aptitude is the communication of that knowledgeto orchestra, to audience and to community. The technical and personal communication skills required on the podium are enormousand completely individual. The often mentioned but little understood concepts of charisma and chemistry enter in the questionand it is acknowledged that not every conductor works equally well with every ensemble. Hopefully, the music director establishes a productive working relationship with his own orchestraa relationship based on mutual respect, trust and a desire to foster what is best in the organization. He or she is called upon to make extraordinarily difficult personnel decisions, to inspire one hundred diverse personalities, and to conduct Bach and Varese with equal aplomb! The only hope for success, I am certain, is for the conductor to be completely himself on the podiumwhether humorous, dignified, intense, energetic, tranquil or otherwise. Integrity seems to be the one characteristic that no orchestral ensemble is willing to overlook. Styleas long as it is based on sinceritycan and should be as different as each maestro is to the next.
One of the most telling reflections of the music directors vision and personality lies in the choice of repertoire for the orchestra. Other factors may influence the final shape of the symphonys programming, but the music director ultimately bears the overall responsibility for the complexion and texture of the seasons offerings. Are the choices simply the pieces the conductor would like to perform? Or do they truly reflect a certain character, mission or vision? As much as they might be somewhat constrained by financial limitations, choices should, at the core, be artistically motivated. What repertoire will help the orchestra develop, grow, challenge itself, stretch stylistically? It need not be the repertoire with the largest demands: a good performance a Mozart symphony, for example, is much harder to achieve than one of Orffs Carmina Burana. A balance should be struck in presenting repertoire from all periods, and a sense of overall logic and motivation behind the repertoire choices is critical. Selections should support and complement the expressed objectives of the orchestra and, in the long run, contribute to the vitality and vibrancy of the organization. In addition, music directors must seek the reintegration of the living composer into society at large. The orchestra exists not only as a beautiful reflection of a musical past but as an unerring mirror of current society. A living, breathing, dynamic institution, the symphony is constantly developing exciting repertoire. If we succumb to the suggestion that we should only perform music written between 1750 and 1900, are we not invalidating ourselves as an institutionand as a culture? Certainly music directors should not embrace new music indiscriminately. The half-hearted performance of a new work can drastically weaken the case for an ongoing repertoire. But would it not be possible for each music director to find a handful of living composers whose work speaks to him or her personallyand to champion these voices? Aaron Copland told us that our country will only achieve a true artistic maturity when the composer feels himself affirmed and buoyed by his community, when living music means something, in the deepest sense, to everyone. The music director can help the orchestra and its community celebrate the privilege of experiencing and appreciating music of all timesthrough thoughtful selection, inclusive presentation and most of all, committed and vivid performance.
Often the conductor becomes the fulcrum around which swirls the conflict of balancing artistic goals with monetary considerations. I am convinced that in times of financial challenge the artistic integrity and vision must be even more clearly defined and upheld. The goal of any orchestra is to serve the needs of its community. To accomplish this, the music director must strive to forge a strong community within the orchestra family, fostering the concept of artistic integrity as a shared vision. No music director, whether he spends 8 or 48 weeks with his orchestra, can abdicate his responsibility to uphold the highest musical standards. We cannot always create an ideal situation. But through creativity and plain hard work we can create an environment in which artistic achievement can flourish. Does artistic achievement necessarily equate to expense? I dont believe so. But it does equate to hours and weeks and months of planning, of prioritizing, of refining and polishing a vision for the organization. Artistic integrity is not about playing the largest pieces in the repertoire. It is not about featuring the most expensive soloists; it is not about having the greatest number of string players. Artistic integrity as music director is helping to release the vibrant energy within each player, enabling each musician to achieve his or her musical best. Artistic integrity is recognizing that orchestras do not develop through the splashy applause of concert nights. Rather, orchestras develop slowlythrough every valuable minute of rehearsal, through every score we choose, through every audition we hold. The music director must build artistic integrity into all the little bits and pieces of the orchestras activity. That attitude, that search for excellence does not necessarily cost more financially but it does cost in time, work, commitment, dedication, cooperation and communication. The return, both individually and collectively, is beyond any price.
It is the rare conductor who has significant marketing or development experience when he accepts his position with the orchestra. Even rarer is the music director who will not spend, over the course of his tenure, countless hours with his experts in those fields, analyzing, fund-raising, reaching out to his community constituency. The details of this commitment are myriadfrom the creation of special programs or festivals, pre- or post-concert discussions, speaking at countless civic groups, design and implementation of educational activities, media visibility and cooperation, to active involvement in grant writing and corporate and individual fundraising. It is only through a vital artistic partnership with the community can the maestro hope to make the symphony a vibrant thread in the tapestry of life there.
The conductor must have the courage to rethink widely held assumptions. We may not know what the concert hall of 2050 will be like. But all of us have faith in the serious investigation of our art, of musical sound. As our organizations undergo striking metamorphoses, they will look to the music director for leadershipfor artistic ability, honesty, vision, creativity, communication, energy, sense of mission, collaboration, and total involvement. In extraordinary times, it is extraordinary action which makes the difference. The 21st century is not a time for maintenance of the status quo, but rather the time to make a decisive and focused commitment to the values which are at the core of our art. To do any less would be to leave our orchestral world defenseless to those who perceive the arts as trivial and non-essential. The music director of the 21st Century must be a teacher in the purest sensea teacher who has internalized his art so completely that its manifestation becomes the persona of the artist. As a leader and a communicator, the conductor must present an artistic endeavor with an energy that is as inspiring and compelling as the art form itself.
As an artist in a pluralistic, competitive society, the music director cannot afford to remain aloof from his audience. He or she must be involved, not only in raising dollars, but in raising consciousness. As performing artists we share a fundamental belief that there is a significant community with an appetite for our art, a discriminating, renewable public. The alarming reality is that this audience of appreciative listeners is at risk. If we are not careful, we will find that we have been diligently trained to answer a question that is no longer being asked.
In times of financial and social challenge for our orchestras, is there truly a valid place for the enigmatic maestro of my Juilliard memory? Is it not imperative for the music director to communicate through every possible means the belief that music is an integral part of our lives and of our community? We stand on the threshold of a new millennium, a temporal landmark holding tremendous metaphorical and spiritual significance. As we move forward, the most exciting development for the 21st Century seems not to be technological advancement, but rather an expanding concept of what it means to be a human being. The music director and his orchestra can eloquently and passionately articulate the conviction that music is at the core of the continual reinvigoration of the human spirit.
Are You Listening?
© JoAnn Falletta
In a society in which we are continually besieged with visual stimulation, assaulted with noise of all forms, battered with an unceasing stream of sensory overload from a myriad of sources, why should we go to a concert? What real and vital place in our lives does a Mozart concerto, an Elgar symphony or a Debussy tone poem hold? Has our world progressed beyond the point where classical music can communicate something uniquely precious to us?
Life in 2000 revolves ever-increasingly around our sense of sight. Products are sold through visual stimulation, classes are taught with more and more reliance on visual aids, and entertainment options are sight-oriented to an ever greater degree. Even in terms of musical enjoyment tapes and CDs seem not to be sufficientvideo discs are fast gaining in popularity. Have we forgotten how to listen?
A century ago, a concert was a very different experience than what we have come to expect. Listeners were disappointed if the duration of a concert was less than three hours, and performances of four hours or more were not uncommon. Some may remember that even a scant three or four decades ago, many a Saturday evening or Sunday afternoon were contentedly spent in listeningjust listeningto the radio. Could many people today spend three hours listening to a symphony broadcast or to an opera on CD without reading, or working, or supplementing the experience in some other way? Has progress robbed us of our ability to have a satisfying, purely aural experience?
The problem of good listening is a complex one. Part of it lies in the fact that we live in an world that has a much higher ambient decibel level than the environment of our ancestors. We have become so accustomed to this fact that we scarcely notice that we are surrounded by a constant din of sound waves. Can you hear it? If you are like most of us, you cannot.
Yet I am convinced that a time traveler catapulted from 2000 into the year 1200 would be amazed first by the incredible, wonderful quiet of a pre-machinery age. On the other hand, the unfortunate medieval peasant who found himself in any large city today might easily lose his hearing from the shock of the suddenly increased decibel level. Bombarded with noise pollution as we are, it is small wonder that we are not accustomed to sheer, unadulterated, intensive listening..
Another aspect of the problem lies in the fact that the progress of our communications technology has made that most wonderful of aural experiencesthe enjoyment of musicalmost too accessible. In the past, a concert or a broadcast was a special experience, one to be anticipated, relished and remembered. A musical event was exactly thatan event - unaccompanied by other trappings.
Today, we can hardly escape from the music that has become a background noise to every other aspect of our lives. In elevators, in stores, in cars, in office buildings, at the dentist, our ears are never free from a continuous stream of music specifically designed to be nondescript. As a result, we have become desensitized to that most wonderful of art forms.
The very nature of music contributes to this dilemma. Music is the only art form that exist completely in time. Visual art, once created, is fixed and unchanging. We can study Van Goghs Starry Night, for example, at our leisure, assimilating it at our own pace. This is not the case with music, however. Once a series of notes has passed by our ears, they are gone. If weve missed the melody, or a beautiful harmonic transition, or a shimmering blend of instrumental color, the moment is lost until the next performance. And since all these moments are inextricably connected and interwoven, our inability to listen may mean that weve missed the overall shape of the piece.
This quality of tenuous evanescence, of exquisite fragility, of fleeting impermanence is part of what makes music so special. Should we be content to deny ourselves an experience that can deeply enrich us because our noisy world has taught us not to listen?
Our ears are the most flexible, the least limiting of all our senses. They require no education, no training, no special talent to communicate to our brains a uniquely personal interpretation of the sound waves that set them resonating. Every listener brings his or her own life experience and personality to a concert, and the aural communication of sound to brain is an intensely individual one. This experience, too subtle and subconscious to be expressed verbally, is unique to each of us; one listeners personal emotional reaction to a Beethoven symphony, for example, can never be exactly duplicated by any other human being.
All of us have the necessary gift to be able to appreciate good music: our humanness. As living, breathing men and women we possess everything we need to understand music fully, to relish an experience that can be immensely ennobling and enriching. If we can open our ears and listen, we are the heirs to an art that can move us, can touch us, can deepen our humanity as nothing in our lives can.
Music and the Mind
© JoAnn Falletta
We are living in remarkable times, in a period perhaps unprecedented in human history. Not only are these times of difficulty and challenge, but they are times that present extraordinary opportunity.
In some ways we seem to be at an auspicious turning point in human history. Who will shape the direction humanity will take? Who will create the future? Much of it will fall to the next generation, the young people in our midst everyday. But how will we prepare this next generation for that overwhelming responsibility, for the enlightened vision needed to guide the direction of the future?
In the recent past, a number of reports examining the level of excellence in education in the United States have been published, sharing important evaluations of the quality of education in this country. In terms of education we are, quite simply, a nation at risk. Reports state that the educational foundations of our society are being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our future as a nation and as a people. Although these reports are mainly concerned with evidence that young people are not fully trained to perform basic skills, many of them addressed the importance of art in education, raising an issue that has been dear to my heart : that music and art are imperative to the education of all. I firmly believe that music and art are at the center of the human psyche, the surest road to knowing ourselves and to understanding the world around us.
The reports raise the alarming fact that in not providing arts education, we are no longer nurturing the creativity of young people. Creativity is key to our futureand that beautiful, personal gift of all human beings is often stifled. Childrenwho are born with an extraordinary curiosity, who hate to go to sleep at night because being awake is such a wonderful adventure, whose artistic and literary creations are so filled with imagination and dimensiongrow increasingly more concerned with approval and become less poetic, more analytic, more predictable. Somehow we turn their art into homework ; their imagination into routine.
The non-nurturing of creativity is a true crisis, one of the most serious concerns facing us. If problems facing our world are to be solved, they will be solved by creative people with creative ideas. If we are going to make advances in medicine, psychology, physical science and technology, these discoveries will be made, as well, by creative people. If we are ever to allow a golden age to flower through its art and music and literature, this too will be brought about by creative people.
How can we nurture what is truly our most precious resource: the creativity of the human being?
Anthropologists and historians have studied a great number of societies. Before the 20th century, virtually every society they have analyzed has placed at the center of its priorities music, art and religious experience. The only way we know many of these past cultures is through the beautiful and telling remnants of their artistic life.
What happened in the 20th century? What is happening in our own society? And, most important, how can we nurture the creative process to rectify our skewed priorities? I feel strongly that music holds the key to that process, that reclaiming of creativity.
Recent research about the structure of the brain and nervous system and their relationship to music has yielded astounding results. Different aspects of musictone, pitch, melody and rhythmare processed in different parts of the brain, making music one of the most complex experiences the brain encounters. Practicing an instrument actually triggers physical changes in the brain. Intensive practicing of an instrument leads to a discernable enlargement of parts of the cerebral cortex, the layer of gray matter closely associated with higher brain function. Many of the worlds doctors, scientists and mathematicians have played musical instruments since childhood.
Let me use Albert Einstein as an example. As he would often explain, his music was in some ways an extension of his thinking process, a method of allowing the subconscious to solve particularly difficult problems. Einsteins son remembered that whenever his father felt that he had become ensnared in an especially daunting problem or situation in his work, he would take refuge in his music. This, he found, would usually resolve all difficulties.
Albert Einsteins wife shared an especially interesting memory. The Doctor (as she referred to Einstein in public) came down in his dressing gown as usual for breakfast but he hardly touched a thing. I thought something was wrong, so I asked him what was troubling him. Darling, he said, I have a wonderful idea. And after drinking his coffee, he went to the piano and started playing. Now and again he would stop, make a few notes and report: Ive got a wonderful idea, a marvelous idea. I said: then for goodness sake tell me, dont keep me in suspense. He said: its difficult; I still must work it out. Mrs. Einstein told us that Einstein continued playing the piano and making notes, then went upstairs to his study, remaining there for two weeks. Every day she sent up his meals, and every evening he would come downstairs, play the piano, and then return to his work. Eventually, Mrs. Einstein said, he came down from his study looking very pale. Thats it, he told her, wearily putting two sheets of paper on the table. And that was the theory of relativity.
My personal experience with Nobel Laureate Dr. Herbert Hauptmann was also very telling. I had the great pleasure of meeting Dr. Hauptmann during a panel discussion concerning the nature of creativity. After the session, he spoke to me privately about an experience he had had that he had found interesting and rather mystifying. He had been struggling with a very difficult problem without much success, and, feeling discouraged, had decided to set his studies aside for the day and return home. While driving, he switched on the radio to the classical station, and listened with pleasure to Bachs sixth Brandenburg Concerto. When he arrived home, he sat for a while in his car to be able to finish listening. When the piece ended, Dr. Hauptmann told me that he suddenly realized that he had unlocked the answer to his puzzle. It subsequently took him 17 hours to write it out in full, yet at that moment he knew that he had found the path to the solution.
On a more mundane level, research conducted at the University of California at Irvine has shown that exposure to musicsimply listening to musicactually enhanced intellectual ability. Not only did listening to Mozart improve test performance, but young people who study piano were found to perform better in science and math than their counterparts who dont.
Why should this be so? One obvious reason is that both scientists and artists are creative individuals who must learn to pay close attentionboth to detail and to the broader context. Scientists, like artists, are people who notice things. They not only see things that other people ignore, they frequently can discern hidden links among disparate aspects of reality.
Studying music helps put things in context, sharpen details, hone observations. It sorts the essential from the peripheral, forges connections, finds patterns and discovers new ways of seeing familiar thingsexactly the tools any creative person needs.
I remember that when I was about to receive my masters degree, our college was visited by a number of computer companies, recruiting musicians for high-level training in computer science. Why would they seek musicians, most of whom knew nothing about computers? The simple and powerful reason is that musicians are trained to be problem solvers, to work diligently at solutions, to understand one of the most fundamental lessons of lifethat things that are worthwhile take time, energy, patience and dedication. Those personal skills were exactly the traits sought by computer science firms.
The age of instant gratification in which we find ourselves does not foster creativity. The myriad of options for entertainment is not conducive to the very important lessons of hard work and dedication. But music does teach those skills. I find that those young people in the school band or orchestras are most often the ones on the honor roll, on the student council, on the deans list. Why? I am certain it is because music has taught them the skills that help them succeed at all their endeavorscooperation, discipline, respect for themselves and for others, dedication, and the value of hard work. Best of all, those lessons are learned within a context of great joy. There are frankly few things as inspiring as the satisfaction and happiness on the faces of young musicians after performing.
This leads to the aspect of our emotional response to musicas players or listeners. We know that music can affect levels of various hormones such as cortisol, testosterone, and oxytocin and can trigger the release of endorphins, the bodys natural opiates. Using PET scanners, scientists have shown that the parts of the brain involved in processing emotion light up with activity when a subject hears music.
We have just begun to scratch the surface of the mystery of music and the brain. I am certainly not a scientist, but I absolutely believe that music can have a tremendously beneficial affect on life and on learning. Music changes us. It allows us to discover parts of ourselves we have not discovered before. It can transform us. It can nurture and stimulate all aspects of creativity. And, at a time when the very survival of the human race seems threatened, few things could be more important than nurturing creativity, humanity and appreciation for beauty. I believe that children who learn to appreciate beauty will never destroy it.
I often tell parents that music education is one of the single greatest gifts they can give their children. A music education encourages high achievement, fosters a suppleness of mind, a tolerance for ambiguity, a appreciation for nuance. It helps us to think and work across traditional disciplines, to integrate knowledge in unique ways. It teaches us to work cooperatively. It builds an understanding of diversity and the multi-cultural dimensions of our world.
Music can help us to truly understand the concepts of quality, excellence and beauty. As the only art form existing solely in time, music is the least limiting. Sibelius said music begins where words end, and that sense of wordless communication is powerful. Listening to music offers a tremendous personal freedom. Every persons response to music is unique and irreplicable, drawing from each persons entire life experience and deepening it.
So often we cannot express our reaction to music in wordsthe experience seems somehow beyond that. But we have been moved, touched, changed at the core our beingwe have taken a step on our voyage of self-discovery.
Technology hurtles us forward at ever increasingly dizzying speeds. But the soul, silent pilgrim that it is, trudges forward slowly, never willing to be hurried. That quiet, slow journey is how we will know ourselves. It is as if there is an internal landscape, a geography of the soulthe map of ourselves. We will search for its outlines all of our lives. I believe that music can be the extraordinary vessel that transports us on that continuing journey of exploration.


text:
"Handwriting Analysis: Putting It To Work For You", by Andrea McNichols. Ms. McNichols has a down to earth style that is both informative and humorous. The way she uses actual cases as her primary teaching tool keeps the reader's attention from beginning to end. I highly recommend this book.
"Sex, Lies, and Handwriting", by Michelle Dresbold. Explains how a single sentence can provide insight into a person's background, psychology, and behavior. Throughout the book, Dresbold explores the handwriting of sly politicians, convicted criminals, notorious killers, suspected cheats, and ordinary people. She shows you how to identify the signs of a dirty rotten scoundrel and a lying, cheating, backstabbing lover. And she introduces you to some of the most dangerous traits in handwriting, including weapon-shaped letters, "shark's teeth," "club strokes," and "felon's claws." I read this book straight through! I couldn't put it down!
"Handwriting Analysis: The Science of Determining Personality by Graphoanalysis", by M.N. Bunker. This book was originally published in 1959 and laid down most of the interpretations for trait analysis in handwriting. This book is a must for any handwriting analyst's library.
"Handwriting of the Famous and Infamous", by Sheila Lowe. A wonderful trip through the land of the famous. Not only does Ms. Lowe allow a glimpse into the personalities of various celebrities, she also educates in handwriting analysis along the way.
"Jack the Ripper, Letters from Hell", by Stewart P. Evans and Keith Skinner. This book contains the handwritten letters, etc. of Jack the Ripper during his reign of terror. It also includes many forgeries claiming to be letters from "Jack". A must have for those interested in the handwriting of serial killers.
"Doodle Interpretation", by Michael Watts. This is an interesting look at doodles and their meanings. An easy read with the material laid out in dictionary style. I recommend this book as an addition to books on basic handwriting analysis.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Designer Series Paper Sale. 1–31 October 2020
Add an element of elegance to your projects with pretty pines, rolling hills, and a touch of snow.
Shop nowplay_arrow
Create depth and dimension with double-sided adhesive dots.
Add Dimensionplay_arrow
Make the holidays sweet for those you love with November's Paper Pumpkin Kit!
Celebrate the season with label dies in every size.
Buy Nowplay_arrow
From simple to stepped up, decide how you want to accent a tin of treats.
Get Stamping


text:
saw-x-smile wrote:What I'm shocked by is how no Merlin parks have a customer service number you can call. You'd think it'd be park basics 101? But nah, get a Twitter account and text us, that's much more direct to ask questions.
If you need to reach out to us by phone, you can call us on 0871 222 3330 - Calls cost 13p per minute plus your network providers access charge (please note these are significant if calling from a mobile telephone).
Our lines are open Monday - Friday 9am to 5pm and Weekends & Bank Holidays 9am to 3pm. Please note we cannot sell tickets on this number or handle hotel/short break queries.
From 12noon Passholders can visit The Hub take part in The Great Thorpe Park Pop Swap. Featuring the exclusive release of The Walking Dead: The Ride pop badge,
The Great Thorpe Park Pop Swap will take place in The Hub from 12noon – 4pm but badges are on a first come first served basis!
Following The Great Thorpe Park Pop Swap event, the doors to Zombie Hunt will be open for exclusive access for Annual Passholders from 4pm – 8pm! Places are limited though, so make sure you plan in advance and book your Eventbrite tickets to choose your timeslot and take on the zombies!


text:
New Delhi, May 18 (PTI) Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) plans to invest Rs 15,000-18,000 crore in raising its Mangalore oil refinery capacity by 10 million tons by 2022.
MRPL, a subsidiary of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), is also looking at scaling up its petrochemical production capacity to clock larger margins, its Managing Director H Kumar said here.
"We have asked Engineers India Ltd to prepare a feasibility report for raising refinery capacity from current 15 million tons per annum to 25 million tons," he said.
The report is likely to be ready by June or July, he said adding the feasibility will determine the cost of the expansion.
Another company official said the expansion could cost anywhere between Rs 15,000 crore to Rs 18,000 crore.
The company was previously looking at raising capacity to 21 million tons a year but now is targeting 25 million tons. This is part of its ambitious target of clocking Rs 5,000 crore net profit by 2022.
MRPL reported its highest ever annual net profit of Rs 3,639 crore on a revenue of Rs 59,415 crore in 2016-17 fiscal.
Kumar said key to expansion is availability of land and the company is looking at acquiring 1200 acres of land contiguous to refinery in Mangalore.
A government notification facilitating the acquisition is in advanced stage and land is likely to be available by December 2017 or January 2018, he said.
"We will be able to take an investment decision after that," he said.
He said MRPL is ready to produce Euro-VI grade diesel but is investing Rs 1,810 crore in converting gasoline of Euro-IV grade to Euro-VI.
That project will be completed by September 2019, ahead of April 1, 2020 deadline the government has set for supply of Euro-VI grade petrol and diesel throughout the country.
Another official said EIL will study if the crude distillation unit (CDU) of 6 million tons or 10 million tons should be set up. "We would prefer 10 million tons," he said.
The expansion is seen as a major margin driver, potentially doubling the companys profit per barrel. It is expected to help the company process cheaper, heavier crudes into high-value products like diesel, liquefied petroleum gas and propylene. PTI ANZ MR


text:
Key Words: GEOLOGY UNIT 2.4
- Created by: Brad_ers_B
- Created on: 22-04-14 14:39
Isochemical - means that no elements are added or removed, with the exception of volatiles such as water and carbon dioxide
Country rock - the rock into which an igneous rock has been intruded
Foliation - the texture in metamorphic rocks, formed by the flat, platy minerals
Slaty cleavage - the texture in fine grained rocks formed by low grade regional metamorphism. Platy minerals recrystallise perpendicular to the direction of stress applied during metamorphism so that rock splits into thin sheets
A Porophyroblast - a large crystal that has grown during recrystallisation in a metamorphic rock and is surrounded by a finer grained groundmass of other crystals
Schistosity - the texture in medium and coarse grained metamorphic rocks formed by the preferred alignment of flat/tabular minerals. The alignment is perpendicular to the direction of stress applied during metamorphism. No traces of original bedding remain
Gneissose banding - the segregation of light and dark coloured minerals into layers or bands at the scale of mm to cm in thickness. The light band is normally granoblastic and the dark band normally shows the shistosity
Granoblastic - describes the texture of metamorphic rocks that contain interlocking equi-dimensional, crystals
Inclusion - a fragment of…
No comments have yet been made


text: Music Freddie Nelson- Shake The Cage Review A Win In My Book! I'm always excited to get the chance to check out new artists and thus was thrilled to check out the new album "Shake The Cage" from Pittsburgh rocker Freddie Nelson, especially since he has drawn comparisons stylistically to a range of artists including The Beatles and My Chemical Romance. So how does his album hold up? Read on for my thoughts. Freddie Nelson- Shake The Cage Review The album opens with "Turn You On," which is definitely a high energy rocking song that immediately gets you bopping your head along to the guitar and drums. I definitely saw the comparison to My Chemical Romance immediately, especially from a vocal standpoint, as Nelson's voice is similar to their lead singer but with some 80's rocker tones added in. This is definitely a great intro track that gets the listener excited for what's to come. "Hey Doll," which follows, is one of the singles for the album. The song has a slightly slower tempo than its predecessor, but is equally enjoyable. It reminded me of a song by The Killers (which, coincidentally, is another band Nelson has drawn comparisons to). While I enjoyed the song overall, I found the lyrics to the chorus- which had a hooky sound- to be slightly lacking, especially when Nelson sang, "hey doll, let me know, if it's something you wanna, I'd really love to show you, I'll make it all about you." I'm really into deep lyrics and, unfortunately, this chorus just didn't do much for me. "Let You Go," which appears later on the album, is a great high energy number that truly shows off the range of Nelson's talented voice. Luckily, as someone who is a fan of lyrics, I enjoyed them much more here, especially when Nelson sang, "She's never coming home, you're a distant memory, a shadow of the one you used to be, I know that I'm wrong." Other notable tracks on the album include the fun rocker "All Night Long" and the punk-rock influenced "For Those Who Die." Overall, with "Shake The Cage," Freddie Nelson has crafted an album that definitely surges with energy and commands to be listened to. I'd highly recommend it for any fan of rock music. Even with a few trite lyrics aside, the album is still a win in my book. Check out the video for "Hey Doll" here: Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window) Related September 6, 2017 By Matt Richards #Freddie Nelson 0 comments Previous Post Brandi Redmond- I Was Shocked Kameron Westcott Overreacted Next Post Vicki Gunvalson Explains Why She Hasn't Shown Texts Shannon Allegedly Sent Her Matt Richards Leave a reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyName* Email* Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email.


text:
Episode 135: Have you ever had a dream so real, you felt like it was sending you a message?
In today's episode, I share that dream and the lesson I was sent to become more aware of in my day to day life. I hope that the lesson serves you as well.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSS


text:
Gibson 2019 Montana Acoustic Guitars
While Gibson are known the world over for their iconic electric guitars, their acoustics have undoubtedly left a lasting impression on the music world. For 2019, they've gone all-out with variety while staying true to the iconic design that gave them their reputation!
Gibson's acoustic range takes its name from their manufacturing facility in Bozeman, Montana. These incredible handmade instruments offer distinct, timeless tones with instantly recognisable aesthetics to match. For the 2019 range, Gibson have stayed close to their winning formula with the Montana models; minor tweaks for modern players without compromising what makes them classics. A Gibson Montana guitar is for life, and Gibson intend to keep it that way!
Gibson 2019 Acoustics – What's New?
For 2019, Gibson have expanded the reach of their Montana range. While configuration tweaks focus on the subtle details, the guitars themselves have stuck to a familiar design – but there's plenty more variety to choose from! So what is the difference between Gibson's 2018 & 2019 acoustics? Here are some highlights:
- Variety of Woods – many of Gibson's acoustics have relied on familiar tonewood combinations over the years. For 2019, they've pushed the boat out, offering Mahogany, Walnut and Rosewood variations on a number of models. Not only does this provide some alternative looks – it makes for a fresh tonal palette too.
- Rosewood & Richlite Fretboards – one of the most notable changes in the 2019 range is the materials used for fretboards. As with their new solid-body and semi-hollow offerings, many of the Montana models feature Rosewood fretboards again. In total contrast, Richlite seems to be making a few more appearances. This divisive material is tonally neutral, but is extremely consistent and durable, so you don't need to worry about imperfections or ageing.
- Bridge Designs – apart from a few exceptions, Gibson seem to have opted for their traditional belly-up bridge design for the 2019 releases. In keeping with the fretboard changes, the vast majority of these new bridges are made of either Rosewood or Richlite, depending on the model.
- Winning Formula – last year's range (Gibson 2018) saw the company take a different direction in a number of ways. They introduced the AG (Avant-Garde) range as a replacement for the HP (High Performance) guitars, with tweaked materials and optimised designs. This year, they've kept it stripped back, emphasising the things that worked and adjusting the things that didn't. The return of Rosewood will be a popular move, but the fact that they've kept it simple with the classic designs (like the SJ-200 and J-45) shows that they know their market.
- Left-handed versions – Gibson have always catered for the left-handed market. From what we can see for 2019 so far, it seems as though they intend to keep this up. Almost all of the project 2019 Montana acoustics have left handed options available for order!
- Chroma - maple backs, sides and necks, with Richlite fretboards, LR Baggs electronics and vibrant finishes. This represents a break from tradition for Gibson, but results in some pretty jaw-dropping instruments!
- Sustainable - these variants on three key models (Hummingbird, J-45 & L-00) use Richlite and Walnut sparingly to preserve signature Montana tone and playability while reducing the toll on the environment. Sustainability is a big topic in the instrument world, so Gibson have wisely taken steps to play their part in sustainability.
- Humbucker AG - these J-45 models are pretty much exactly how they sound. Take a J-45 and add AG specs, and whack a humbucker next to the neck joint. This is arguably one of the boldest models in their entire 2019 range, but how does it sound? Only time will tell!
Gibson 2019 Acoustics – The Full Range
We've taken a look at the highlighted models – the essentials, the bold moves, the fresh takes – now let's look at the full range. There's plenty of variety on offer, so you're bound to find something you like!
Why buy Gibson 2019 from Andertons Music Co?
As one of the giants within the industry, Gibson guitars are sold worldwide by an almost countless amount of retailers. But here at Andertons, we try to go above and beyond what our competitors offer, so that you'll feel more confident and assured about making your purchase.
We are number #1, literally!
Andertons Music Co. won NAMM's prestigious 'Dealer of the Year' Award at its summer event in 2018. As the only company in Europe to feature on its Top 100 list in 2017, we went one better for 2018 and became the first ever non-US retailer to top the list in NAMM's 117 year history!
While also picking up the 'Best Online Engagement' award too, these milestones reflect our passion for music and the class-leading customer service that we provide. If you're keen to purchase a Gibson 2019 guitar, we strongly believe that we are the best store in the world to buy from.
Below, you'll discover why the service that we offer puts us one step ahead of the others…
In-house Quality Control
Gibson does a fine job at setting up their guitars from their Nashville factory. However, unavoidably these instruments are transported for thousands of miles in containers and vehicles, in order to reach retailers. This means that the varying conditions and climates that they endure can undo this hard work, affecting their neck woods and action/intonation.
That is why we QC every single US-made Gibson before it reaches your hands. By undergoing this methodical and attentive process, no 2019 Gibson will get to you unless it is perfectly setup and free of flaws.
Pick your favourite!
Most high-end guitars in stock at Andertons Music Co. are individually photographed in-house and made displayable on our website. This includes the majority of Gibson USA 2019 guitars over £1500.
We do this to not only give you a first-hand look at your next potential purchase, but to also let you compare different tops and wood grains. You can therefore identify and pick your favourite, in just a few clicks!
0% Interest-Free Finance Options
A Gibson guitar can be a big investment, and the prospect of dropping several hundreds or thousands of pounds in one go can be quite daunting. But don't fret, as at Andertons Music Co. we offer multiple finance options to you, so that you can spread the cost of your Gibson over several months!
With 9 months 0% finance available on all Gibson USA 2019 instruments, you can even get up to 24 and 36 months 0% finance on some of the pricier models too. View our finance page for more details, or contact us if you have any questions.
In-Depth Video Reviews
In mid-2018, viewing figures on the Andertons TV YouTube channel surpassed 100 million, while our subscriber count exceeded the 400,000 mark! There's a reason why the majority of the online guitar community chooses to watch Andertons TV; your source for unbiased reviews and demos of your favourite gear.
With Gibson's annual launch of their updated line, our coverage goes above and beyond that of our competitors. Doing our utmost to get our hands on every single guitar in the USA range, and of course the Memphis and Montana models too, we give you an in-depth look at most of the 2019 catalogue.
Tonnes of stock!
Andertons has a great relationship with Gibson, and we ensure that we always have loads of their guitars in stock and on hand for our customers to try out in-store, or to purchase through our online shop.


text:
Accident Plans
Coverage for the unexpected
This plan covers emergency treatment, hospital admissions, confinements and diagnostic exams, as well as other expenses related to you or an insured family member injured in a covered accident. This plan pays you in addition to any other coverage you may have.
- You must enroll in the plan by age 70
- If you have a covered accident, you receive cash benefits for expenses that may not be fully covered by your medical plan.
- You do not need to provide evidence of good health to enroll
- There's no pre-existing conditions exclusion.
- Actively-at-work provisions apply.
- Rates and plan stays the same.
- Aflac Group provides coverage.
Typical covered charges include:
- Ambulance
- Surgery and anesthesia
- Casts
- Crutches
- Emergency room
- Stitches
- Wheelchairs
- Bandages
You may also elect coverage for dependent child(ren) up to 26.
Claiming benefits
If you or one of your covered dependents is involved in an accident, complete the claim form or call 800-433-3036.
Send your claim form and supporting documentation within 60 days of the accident.
Actively-at-work provision
If you are not actively at work when coverage is scheduled to become effective, your coverage doesn't take effect until you complete your first day at work. Paid leave and paid vacation are not considered being actively at work.
Taking coverage with you
If you leave the district, your accident plan is convertible. That means you can move your coverage to a similar policy that you can take with you. You must be under age 70 to apply for conversion. Retirees are not eligible and other exclusions may apply. For more information about conversion, click here.
If you would like to review more information, click English or Spanish
Helpful resources
For more information, please refer to your certificate of coverage, available here, or contact Aflac Group at 800-433-3036 between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays, excluding holidays. You may also review the Accident plan FAQs.
Covered Critical Illnesses
Compare coverage options
You can choose a Low or High option. The High option provides higher coverage for each event as shown in the list of benefit levels below.
Accident rates per pay period
Accident Low
Employee: $3.08
Employee + Spouse: $4.95
Employee + child(ren): $5.99
Employee + family: $7.86
Accident High
Employee: $5.53
Employee + Spouse: $8.45
Employee + child(ren): $10.10
Employee + family: $13.22
Covered services
Accidental death - Spouse and child benefit only available if you purchase dependent rider
Employee Low/High: $25,000/$50,000
Spouse Low/High: $15,000/$25,000
Children Low/High: $5,000/$10,000
Accident common carrier death
Employee Low/High: $50,000/$100,000
Spouse Low/High: $30,000/50,000
Children Low/High: $10,000/50,000
Catastrophic accident benefit
Employee Low/High: $50,000/$100,000
Spouse Low/High: $25,000/50,000
Children Low/High: $25,000/50,000
Dismemberment benefit varies depending on severity of loss - treatment up to 90 days
Employee Low/High: $100 - $12,500/$100 - $25,000
Spouse Low/High: $100 - $5,000/$100 - $10,000
Children Low/High: $100 - $2,500/$100 - $5,000
Other accident benefits
Low Option: Ground $250/ Air $750
High Option: Ground $500/ Air $1,500
Appliances - Crutches, wheelchair, leg/back braces, walkers
Low Option: $50
High Option: $100
Prosthesis - Hearing aid, wigs, or dental aid, including false teeth are not covered
Low Option: $250
High Option: $500
Lacerations - 2' to 5' long requiring stitches
Low Option: $100
High Option: $200
Eye injury - Treatment and surgery within 90 days
Low Option: $125
High Option: $250
Torn knee cartilage - Treatment within 60 days
Low Option: $400 ($100 during 1st year of coverage)
High Option: $400 ($100 during 1st year of coverage)
Ruptured disk - Treatment within 60 days; surgical repair within 90 days
Low Option: $400 ($100 on 1st year of coverage)
High Option: ($100 on 1st year of coverage)
Tendon, ligament, rotator cuff - Treatment within 60 days surgical repair within 90 days
Low Option: $400 (up to $600 multiple injuries)
High Option: $400 (up to $600 multiple injuries)
Burn treatment within 72 hours
Low Option: Up to $18,000
High Option: Up to $18,000
Concussion resulting in electroencephalogram abnormality
Low Option: Up to $100
High Option: Up to $200
Coma lasting 30 days or more
Low Option: $5,000
High Option: $1,000
Internal injury resulting in open abdominal or thoracic surgery
Low Option: $500
High Option: $1,000
Exploratory surgery without repair, i.e. arthroscopy
Low Option: $120
High Option: $250
Paralysis lasting more than 3 months
Low Option: $5,000
High Option: $10,000
Dislocations depending on the joint dislocated - diagnosis and treatment within 90 days
Low Option: $120 - $2,025
High Option: $240 - $4,050
Emergency room/medical fees - maximum per accident
Low Option
Employee or spouse: $125
Children: $50
High Option
Employee or spouse: $250
Children: $100
Doctor's office - followup treatment up to 6 visits per accident
Low Option: $25 per visit
High Option: $35 per visit
Emergency dental work
Low Option: $100
High Option: $150
Major diagnostic exam - CT, MRI, EEG
Low Option: $100
High Option: $200
Blood or blood plasma
Low Option: $100
High Option: $200
Fractures depending on bone fractured - diagnosis within 90 days
Low Option: $750
High Option: $1,500
Hospital admission
Low Option: $100
High Option: $200
Confinement up to 365 days
Low Option: $150 per day
High Option: $300 per day
Hospital intensive care up to 30 days
Low Option: $300
High Option: $300 per day
Rehabilitation unit up to 30 days
Low Option: $75 per day
High Option: $150 per day
Lodging - per night/max 30 nights if more than 100 miles from residence for treatment
Low Option: $50
High Option: $100
Transportation - train, plane or bus if more than 50 miles from residence for treatment
Low Option: $150
High Option: $300
Physical therapy
Low Option: $25 per visit
High Option: $50 per visit
When coverage ends
You must enroll in the plan by age 70. After age 70, you are only permitted to terminate the plan or decrease your coverage level. Accident coverage is portable, which means you can continue your coverage even if you leave the district.


text:
With a little bit of planning, you can avoid a lot of blood-pressure-raising traffic messes.
You Will Need
* Time to plan
* Traffic reports
* GPS service
Step 1: Avoid rush hour
If at all possible, don't drive from six to ten in the morning and between four and seven at night.
Step 2: Plan ahead
Plan your route ahead of time. If you're traveling during a peak time, you may want to use back roads instead of crowded highways.
*Tip: Online driving-direction sites often let you choose a "no highway" option.
Step 3: Know alternatives
When planning your route, research two or three alternate routes in case there's a traffic tie-up.
*Tip: Familiarize yourself with how roads connect with your primary and alternative routes in case you have to make a change while driving.
Step 4: Get traffic updates
Check traffic reports just before you hit the road and adjust your route accordingly. Many major cities have updated traffic information available for free over the Internet.
Step 5: Listen to the radio
Local radio stations often provide traffic updates on a regular basis. Tuning in to these updates can help navigate traffic jams as they happen.
Step 6: GPS-based devices and services available to many mobile phones can keep you informed about traffic problems lurking ahead.
Step 7: Take the train
Switch to public transportation whenever you can. You'll save money, aggravation, and the environment—and you can read the paper—all at once!
Want to master Microsoft Excel and take your work-from-home job prospects to the next level? Jump-start your career with our Premium A-to-Z Microsoft Excel Training Bundle from the new Gadget Hacks Shop and get lifetime access to more than 40 hours of Basic to Advanced instruction on functions, formula, tools, and more.


text:
Mardee Haidin Regan started making this rosemary focaccia years ago at the beginning of the bread machine craze. Since she doesn't like the feeling of flour on her handstoo powdery and dryingmaking the dough in a machine set her free.Plus: More Appetizer Recipes and Tips
How to Make It
In the order recommended by your bread machine manufacturer, combine the yeast, flour, sugar, salt and lukewarm water in the container of your machine. Set the machine on the dough cycle and, if you have the capability, the French bread or white bread mode. Close the cover and let the machine do its thing.
When the dough is ready and the machine signals the end of the cycle, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and divide it in half. Shape each half into a rounded disk and transfer the disks to 1 large or 2 small baking sheets. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rise until doubled in bulk, usually 45 minutes to 1 hour. (Don't worry if it takes as long as 2 hours.)
Punch down the disks and spread out each one into an 8- to 9-inch round about 1/2 inch thick. Use your knuckles to dimple the top of the dough. Cover and set aside until risen and puffy, about 45 minutes; again, up to 2 hours is fine.
Preheat the oven to 425°. Just before baking, use your knuckles to dimple the surface of each focaccia again. Drizzle the oil over the rounds and spread it into the dimples with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle the focaccia with the kosher salt, and scatter the rosemary leaves on top.
Bake the focaccia in the top third of the oven for about 18 minutes, or until the tops are golden and the bottoms are lightly browned and crisp. Transfer to a wire rack. Cut into wedges and serve at once, or let cool and wrap for later.


text:
February 22, 2016
Campground Industry Podcast Episode 10
In this episode of the Campground Industry Podcast, host Michael Moore is joined by the owner of Cherry Hill Park, Mike Gurevich to talk about tourism marketing. Being the closest park to Washington, DC and all its sights, Mike explains how he markets his location along with what he offers at his park to make RVers trips to DC easier than ever. He also talks about the growing wedding business at his park and what it takes to offer a good wedding package.


text:
It is not remorse that maddens me, that drives me to the penning of this more than indiscreet narrative, in the hope of finding a temporary distraction. I have felt no remorse for a crime to which justice itself impelled me. It is the damnable mystery, beyond all human reason or solution, upon which I have stumbled in the doing of this simple deed, in the mere execution of the justice whereof I speak-it is this that has brought me near insanity.
My motives in the killing of Jasper Trilt, though imperative, were far from extraordinary. He had wronged me enough, in the course of a twelve years' acquaintance, to warrant his death twice over. He had robbed me of the painfully garnered fruits of a lifetime of labor and research, had stolen, with lying promises, the chemical formulae that would have made me a wealthy man. Foolishly, I had trusted him, believing that he would share with me the profits of my precious knowledge-from which he was to acquire riches and renown. Poor and un- known, I could do nothing for my own redress.
Often I marvel at the long forbearance which I displayed toward Trilt. Something (was it the thought of ultimate revenge?) led me to ignore his betrayals, to dissemble my knowledge of his baseness. I continued to use the laboratory which he had equipped for me. I went on accepting the miserable pittance which he paid me for my toil. I made new discoveries-and I allowed him to cheat me of the usufruct.
Moreover, there was Norma Gresham, whom I had always loved in my halting, inarticulate fashion, and who had seemed to like me well enough before Trilt began to pay her his dashing and gallant addresses. She had speedily forgotten the timid, poverty-stricken chemist, and had married Trilt. This, too, I pretended to ignore, but I could not forget.
As you see, my grievances were such as have actuated many others in the seeking of vengeance: they were in no sense unusual; and like everything else about the affair, they served by their very commonplaceness to throw into monstrous relief the abnormal and inexplicable outcome.
I cannot remember when it was that I first conceived the idea of killing my betrayer. It has been so long an integral part of my mental equipment, that I seem to have nurtured it from all pre-eternity. But the full maturing, the perfection of my murderous plans, is a thing of quite recent date.
For years, apart from my usual work, I have been experimenting with poisons. I delved in the remote arcana and by-ways of toxicology, I learned all that chemistry could tell me on the subject-and more. This branch of my research was wholly unknown to Trilt; and I did not intend that he should profit by anything that I had discovered or devised in the course of my investigations. In fact, my aims were quite different, in regard to him.
From the beginning, I had in mind certain peculiar requisites, which no poison familiar to science could fulfil. It was after endless groping and many failures that I succeeded in formulating a compound of rare toxic agents which would have the desired effect on the human system.
It was necessary, for my own security, that the poison should leave no trace, and should imitate closely the effects of some well-known malady, thus preduding even the chance of medical suspicion. Also, the victim must not die too quickly and mercifully. I devised a compound which, if taken internally, would be completely absorbed by the nervous system within an hour and would thereafter be indetectable through analysis. It would cause an immediate paralysis, and would present all the outward effects of a sudden and lethal stroke of apoplexy. However, the afflicted person—though seemingly insensible-would retain consciousness and would not die till the final absorption of the poison. Though utterly powerless to speak or move, he would still be able to hear and see, to understand-and suffer.
Even after I had perfected this agent, and had satisfied myself of its efficacy, I delayed the crowning trial. It was not through fear or compunction that I waited: rather, it was because I desired to prolong the delicious joys of anticipation, the feeling of power it gave me to know that I could sentence my betrayer to his doom and could execute the sentence at will.
It was after many months-it was less than a fortnight ago-that I decided to withhold my vengeance no longer. I planned it all very carefully, with complete forethought; and I left no loophole for mischance or accident. There would be nothing, not even the most tenuous thread, that could ever lead any one to suspect me.
To arouse the cupidity of Trilt, and to insure his profound interest, I went to him and hinted that I was on the brink of a great discovery. I did not specify its nature, saying that I should reveal it all at the proper time, when success had been achieved. I did not invite him to visit the laboratory. Cunningly, by oblique hints, I stimulated his curiosity; and I knew that he would come. Perhaps my caution was excessive; but it must not even seem that I had prearranged the visit that would terminate in his seizure and death. I could, perhaps, have found opportunity to administer the poison in his own home, where I was still a fairly frequent caller. But I wished him to die in my presence and in the laboratory that had been the scene of my long, defrauded toils.
I knew, by a sort of prescience, the very evening when he would come, greedy to unearth my new secret. I prepared the draft that contamed the poison-a chemist's glass of water colored with a little grenadine-and set it aside in readiness among my tubes and bottles. Then I waited.
The laboratory-an old and shabby mansion. converted by Trilt to this purpose-lay in a well-wooded outskirt of the town, at no great distance from my employer's luxurious home. Trilt was a gourmand; and I knew that be would not arrive till well after the dinner hour. Therefore I looked for him about nine o'clock. He must indeed have been eager to filch my supposed new formula; for, half an hour before the expected time, I heard his heavy, insolent knock on the door of the rear room in which I was waiting amid my chemical apparatus.
He came in, gross and odious, with the purple overfeeding upon his puffy jowls. He wore an azure blue tie and a suit of pepper-and-salt-a close-fitting suit that merely emphasized the repulsive bulkiness of his figure.
Well, Margrave, what is it now ?" he asked. "Have you finished the experiments you were hinting about so mysteriously? I hope you've really done something to earn your pay, this time."
"I have made a tremendous discovery," I told him, "nothing less than the elixir of the alchemists-the draft of eternal life and energy."
He was palpably startled, and gave me a sharp, incredulous stare.
'You are lying," he said, "or fooling yourself. Everyone knows, and has known since the Dark Ages, that the thing is a scientific impossibility."
"Others may lie," I said sardonically, "but it remains to be seen whether or not I have lied. That graduated glass which you see on the table is filled with the elixir."
He stared at the vessel which I had indicated.
"It looks like grenadine," he remarked, with a certain perspicacity. "There is a superficial likeness-the color is the same. . . . But the stuff means immortality for any one who dares to drink it-also it means inexhaustible capacity for pleasure, a freedom from all satiety or weariness. It is everlasting life and joy."
He listened greedily. "Have you tried it yourself?"
"Yes, I have experimented with it," I countered.
He gave me a somewhat contemptuous and doubtful glance. "Well, you do look rather animated tonight-at least, more so than usual-and no so much like a mackerel that's gotten soured on life. The stuff hasn't killed you, at any rate. So I think I'll try it myself. It ought to be a pretty good commercial proposition, if it only does a tenth of what you say it will. We'll call it Trilt's Elixir"
"Yes," said I, slowly, echoing him: "Trilt's Elixir."
He reached for the glass and raised it to his lips.
"You guarantee the result ?" he asked.
"The result will be all that one could desire," I promised, looking him full in the eyes, and smiling with an irony which he could not perceive.
He drained the glass at a gulp. Instantly, as I had calculated, the poison took effect. He staggered as if he had received a sudden, crushing blow, the empty vessel fell from his fingers with a crash, his heavy legs collapsed beneath him, he fell on the laboratory floor between the laden benches and tables, and lay without stirring again. His face was flushed and congested, his breathing stertorous, as in the malady whose effects I had chosen to simulate. His eyes were open-horribly open and glaring; but there was not even the least flicker of their lids.
Coolly, but with a wild exultation in my heart, I gathered up the fragments of the broken glass and dropped them into the small heating-stove that stood at the room's end. Then, returning to the fallen and helpless man, I allowed myself the luxury of gloating over the dark, unutterable terror which I read in his paralytic gaze. Knowing that he could still hear and comprehend, I told him what I had done and listed the unforgotten wrongs which he thought I had accepted so supinely.
Then, as an added torture, I emphasized the indetectable nature of the poison, and I taunted him for his own folly in drinking the supposed elixir. All too quickly did the hour pass-the hour which I had allowed for the full absorption of the poison and the victim's death. The breathing of Trilt grew slower and fainter, his pulse faltered and became inaudible; and at last he lay dead. But the terror still appeared to dwell, dark and stagnant and nameless, in his ever-open eyes.
Now, as was part of my carefully laid plan, I went to the laboratory telephone. I intended to make two calls-one, to tell Norma, Trilt's wife, of his sudden and fatal seizure while visiting me-and the other, to summon a doctor.
For some indefinable reason, I called Norma first-and the outcome of our conversation was so bewildering, so utterly staggering, that I did not put in the second call.
Norma answered the telephone herself, as I had expected. Before I could frame the few short words that would inform her of Trilt's death, she cried out in a shaken, tremulous voice:
"I was just going to call you, Felton. Jasper died a few minutes ago, from an apoplectic stroke. It's all so terrible, and I am stunned by the shock. He came into the house about an hour ago, and dropped at my feet without saying a word... I thought he had gone to see you-but he could hardly have done that and gotten back so quickly. Come at once, Felton."
The dumbfoundment which I felt was inexpressible. I think I must have stammered a little as I answered her:
"Are you sure-quite sure that it's Jasper ?"
"Of course, it's incredible. But he is lying here on the library sofa-bed. I called a doctor when he was stricken; and the doctor is still here. But there is nothing more to be done."
It was impossible then for me to tell her, as I had intended-that Trilt had come to the laboratory-that his dead body was lying near me in the rear room at that moment. Indeed, I doubted my own senses, doubted my very brain, as I hung up the telephone. Either I, or Norma was the victim of some strange and unaccountable delusion.
Half expecting that the gross cadaver would have vanished like an apparition, I turned from the telephone-and saw it, supine and heavy, with stiffening limbs and features. I went over, I stooped above it and dug my fingers roughly into the flabby flesh to make sure that it was real-that Trilt's visit and the administering of the poison had not been a mere hallucination. It was Trilt himself who lay before me; no one could mistake the obese body, the sybaritic face and lips, even with the chill of death descending upon them. The corpse I had touched was all too solid and substantial.
It must be Norma, then, who was demented or dreaming, or who had made some incredible mistake. I should go to the house at once and learn the true explanation. There would be time enough afterward to do my own explaining.
There was no likelihood that any one would eater the laboratory in my absence. Indeed, there were few visitors at any time. With one backward look at the body, to assure myself anew of its materiality, I went out into the moonless evening and started toward my employer's residence.
I have no clear recollection of the short walk among shadowy trees and bushes and along the poorly litten streets with their scattered houses. My thoughts, as well as the external world, were a night-bound maze of baffling unreality and dubiety.
Into this mare I was plunged to an irremeable depth on my arrival. Norma, pale and stunned rather than grief-stricken (for I think she had long ceased to love Trilt), was at the door to meet me.
"I can't get over the suddenness of it," she said at once. "He seemed all right at dinnertime, and ate heartily, as usual. Afterward he went out, saying that he would walk as far as the laboratory and look in on you."
"He must have felt ill, and started back after he had gone halfway. I didn't even hear him come in. I can't understand how he entered the house so quietly. I was sitting in the library, reading, when I happened to look up, just in time to see him cross the room and fall senseless at my feet. He never spoke or moved after that."
I could say nothing as she led me to the library. I do not know what I had expected to find; but certainly no sane man, no modern scientist and chemist, could have dreamed of what I saw-the body of Jasper Trilt, reposing still and stiff and cadaverous on the sofa: the same corpse, to all outward seeming, which I had left behind me in the laboratory!
The doctor, Trilt's family physician, whom Norma had summoned was about to leave. He greeted me with a slight nod and a cursory, incurious glance.
"There's nothing whatever to be done," he said, "it's all over."
"But-it doesn't seem possible," I stammered. "Is it really Jasper Trilt-isn't there some mistake?"
The doctor did not seem to hear my question. With reeling senses doubting my own existence, I went over to the sofa and examined the body, touching it several times to make sure-if assurance were possible -of its substantiality. The puffy, purplish features, the open, glaring eyes with the glacial terror, the suit of pepper-and-salt, the azure blue tie-all were identical with those I had seen and touched a few minutes previous, in another place. I could no longer doubt the materiality of the second corpse-I could not deny that the thing before me, to all intents and purposes, was Jasper Trilt. But in the very confirmation of its incredible identity, there lay the inception of a doubt that was infinitely hideous....
A week has gone by since then-a week of unslumbering nightmare, of all-prevailing, ineluctable horror.
Going back to the laboratory, I found the corpse of Jasper Trilt on the floor, where he had fallen. Feverishly, I applied to it all possible tests: it was solid, clammy, gross, material, like the other. I dragged it into a dusty, little-used storeroom, among cobwebby cartons and boxes and bottles, and covered it with sacking.
For reasons that must be more than obvious, I dared not tell any one of its existence. No one, save myself, has ever seen it. No one-not even Norma-suspects the unimaginable truth....
Later, I attended the funeral of Trilt, I saw him in his coffin, and as one of the pall-bearers I helped to carry the coffin and lower it into the grave. I can swear that it was tenanted by an actual body. And on the faces of the morticians and my fellow pall-bearers there was no shadow of doubt or misgiving as to the identity and reality of the corpse. But afterward, returning home, I lifted the sacking in the store-room, and found that the thing beneath-cadaver or ka, doppelganger or phantom, whatever it was-had not disappeared or undergone the least change.
Madness took me then for awhile, and I knew not what I did. Recovering my senses in a measure, I poured gallon after gallon of corrosive acids into a great tub; and in the tub I placed the thing that had been Jasper Trilt, or which bore the semblance of Trilt. But neither the dothing nor the body was affected in any degree by the mordant acid. And sinn, then, the thing has shown no sign of normal dccay, but remains eternally and inexplicably the same. Some night, before long, I shall bury it in the woods behind the laboratory; and the earth will receive Trilt for the second time. After that my crime will be doubly indetectable-if I have really committed a crime, and have not dreamed it all or become the victim of some hallucinative brain-disease.
I have no explanation for what has happened, nor do I believe that any such can be afforded by the laws of a sane universe. But-is there any proof that the universe itself is sane, or subject to rational laws?
Perhaps there are inconceivable lunacies in chemistry itself, and drugs whose action is a breach of all physical logic. The poison that I administered to Trilt was an unknown quantity, apart from its deadliness, and I cannot be wholly sure of its properties, of its possible effect on the atoms of the human body-and the atoms of the soul. Indeed, I can be sure of nothing, except that I too, like the laws of matter, must go altogether mad in a little while.
Printed from: www.eldritchdark.com/writings/short-stories/203
Printed on: October 29, 2020


text:
Whip Check
Other Brands
Whip Check
Code: 850028
Other Brands
£7.88 Each (ex. VAT)
Whip Check
Designed as a safety device to prevent hose whip in the event of two hoses becoming uncoupled while under pressure. Pull back the spring and slip the loop of the 'Whipcheck' over each hose before connection to provide security against hose whip. The tool end of the 'Whipcheck' is attached to the tool or compressor/pump using a simple shackle.
Manufacturer Details
|Manufacturer Code


text:
Explore Your BMW End of Lease Options in Nashville, TN
The time has finally come to make a decision regarding your leased BMW vehicle. Will you choose to purchase it, exchange it for a new BMW model, or something else entirely? Here at BMW of Nashville, we understand that drivers like you in the Nashville, Brentwood, and Murfreesboro, TN region have many reasons why you come to your end-of-lease decision, and we are delighted to serve as your resource for exploring your lease return options. Whether you leased your BMW from our Nashville BMW dealership or another location, you are still eligible to turn in your BMW luxury vehicle here at our dealership.
We know that you and your BMW car or SUV have experienced many memorable moments during your Tennessee travels, and if you choose to continue driving your current vehicle, you are more than welcome to purchase it or sign a new lease when your current leasing period concludes. BMW vehicles last for many years with manufacturer-recommended service and repairs, and you can help lock in some of that value by visiting a trustworthy BMW Service Center as needed.
You may also decide to return your leased BMW and either lease or purchase a new car or SUV model. Trading in your BMW vehicle enables you to retain some of the remaining value of your car so that you can apply it toward the purchase of your next new (or new-to-you) BMW. However you decide to end your lease, we encourage you to reach out to our BMW financing professionals so that we can answer any of your questions and help you to explore all of your end-of-lease options.
Visit BMW of Nashville to Find the Leasing Option You Deserve
When you are ready to make a final decision regarding your BMW end-of-lease options or need the help of our BMW finance team, we encourage you to visit us here at BMW of Nashville. We are delighted to serve drivers throughout the Nashville, Murfreesboro, and Brentwood, TN communities with exceptional customer service across every step of the car leasing process.


text:
This is a brand new picture, photo, diploma, poster frame.
This designer frame is a unique frame that you will not find in most frame shops.
The frame is perfect to lighten up your most cherished picture, photo, art gallery, poster, photograph, painting, diploma or artwork, Yet modest enough to match just about any environment.
This frame is the perfect gift for a family member or friend!
At ArtToFrames.com we pride ourselves with our product and work.
Did you know we can print your pictures, frame it and send it straight to you ready to hang up on you wall.
Check out some of our other beautiful protects we sell!
|Shadow Box
|Acrylic Floating Frame
|Print and Frame
|Collage Picture Frame
|Picture Frame With a Mat
|Picture Frames
|Available Sizes
|40 + Sizes
|40 + Sizes
|40 + Sizes
|1000's Of variations
|1000's Of variations
|250,000 + Sizes
|Available Colors/Features
|40 + color mats
|5 Different Color Standoffs
|5 Different Color Frames. Upload Your Photo or picture and we will print it!
|Any Color and any amount of Picture Openings
|Single and Double Mats with any Color
|Over 300 different frame styles and colors with over 800 different sizes!
|Tips on Searching
|Search ArtToFrames Shadow Box + "Size/Color"
|Search ArtToFrames Acrylic Floating Frame + "Size"
|Search ArtToFrames Custom Picture Frame Upload your Photo + "Size"
|Search ArtToFrames Collage Picture Frame + "amount of picture openings/Color"
|Search ArtToFrames Picture Frame with Mat + Size
|Search ArtToFrames Picture Frame + Color of frame you are looking for and size
|Cork Bulletin Board
|Lamp Shades
|Black out Window Shades
|Custom Canvas Print
|Custom Acrylic Print
|Available Sizes
|40 + Sizes
|1 Size
|150 + Size
|40 + Sizes
|40 + Sizes
|Available Colors/Features
|1000's of colors and Patterns
|1000's of colors and Patterns
|1000's of colors and Patterns
|Upload Your Photo or picture and we will print it!
|Upload Your Photo or picture and we will print it!
|Tips on Searching
|Search ArtToFrames PinPix + "Size/Color"
|Search ArtToFrames LampPix + "Size/Color"
|Search ArtToFrames ShadePix + "Size/Color"
|earch ArtToFrames Custom Canvas Upload your Photo + "Size
|earch ArtToFrames Custom Acrylic Upload your Photo + "Size


text:
Stay on Top of Enterprise Technology Trends
Get updates impacting your industry from our GigaOm Research Community
A lot of the partly imaginary rivalry between Berlin and London comes down to capital. London is one of the centers of global finance, and is clearly the place to head for funding and relevant advice. However, some of that magic may be about to start heading Berlin's way.
London-based Torch Partners, an investment bank that advises on financing rounds and M&A, has recently been poking around the Berlin scene. And now it has revealed the formal establishment of a Berlin branch, which will open in November.
Not bad news for a scene that's eagerly awaiting big exits for validation, and looking for easier access to the money.
"I've spent last 20 years in Germany and have seen how Berlin was hyped from last time we had a tech bubble," Jens Munk, who will be heading up Torch's Berlin branch, told me. "Now there's a lot of different variables coming together. There's money. More of an ecosystem has developed."
According to Munk, a lot of young Berlin startups are displaying creativity but "nobody is helping them generate value over an extended amount of time". And wouldn't you know it, Torch has a "strategic long-term view on generating value".
That's fair enough: Torch has had a hand in the development and/or sale of such success stories as OnApp, Huddle and Just Eat, not to mention TelecityGroup, Summit Partners, Crashpadder and SkyDox.
So about those exits we're not seeing in Berlin. Perhaps surprisingly, Munk doesn't see that as a problem – indeed, he points out that Silicon Valley and London have headstarts of 40 and 20 years respectively. And Berlin, he says, is shedding its copycat past and creating the sort of IP that's needed for deals to flow.
"Berlin is going to pick up and generate some pretty massive exits," he said. "We feel the timing is right for Torch."
Interestingly, Torch seems to be looking past the consumer-centricism that has defined the Berlin startup scene's public face. Rupert Robson, the investment bank's CEO, told me that he was also very intrigued by the B2B and cloud activities bubbling away there.
"We feel strengths across the piece," Robson said. "We believe the B2B SaaS world is growing up across Europe and clearly Berlin is a leading place here. We're very excited by what's happening in the enterprise world, and we see Berlin is going to play an important part in that."
Which companies are already catching Torch's eye? Unsurprisingly, Munk and Robson were loath to name names. But I imagine we'll find out soon enough.


text:
Farhat Family History
14-Day Free Trial
Farhat Name Meaning
Muslim: from a personal name based on Arabic far?hat 'joys', plural of Arabic fara?h 'happiness', 'joy' (see Farah), or from Persian faerhaet 'grandeur', 'splendor', 'status'. In Persian literature, Farhad is the name of a stonemason who rivals King Khusrau for the love of the Armenian princess Shirin.
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press
Similar surnames: Farha, Farah, Farran, Farman, Faraj, Farnan, Fawaz, Fara, Farkas


text:
As America's big businesses continue to struggle into the new year, faulty practices have caused the American public to fight back.
By filing a class action lawsuit, individuals or small groups can act on behalf of a larger group to seek justice. Many class action lawsuits have been filed in 2008, combating bad business and false promises.
Internet giant Comcast has been involved in a class action suit regarding its promise of service since early 2008. Gilbert Randolph LLP filed a class action suit against Comcast in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia in February 2008.
The complaint alleges that Comcast's promises to provide the "fastest Internet connection" and "unfettered access to all the content, services, and applications that the Internet has to offer" are false because Comcast impedes access to peer to peer (P2P) applications.
When it comes to P2P applications, Comcast isn't exactly the forgiving type. According to the complaint, Comcast sends "reset packets" which tell the transmitting computer to stop sending data. Therefore, "users of peer-to-peer applications are denied full access to the Internet despite paying for a service that Comcast promises is 'unfettered.'"
Sanford Sidner, the lead plaintiff in the DC case said, "I've been a Comcast customer for several years, and I feel betrayed." A lot of other customers are right there with him; in July 2008, Gilbert Randolph LLP took the complaint to a federal court in Portland, Oregon and filed a nationwide class action lawsuit against Comcast for the same reasons. Filing in federal court makes any settlement or decision against Comcast available to people in every state where the provider offers internet access.
Tribune Co.
On September 16, 2008, several former and current Los Angeles Times employees filed a lawsuit against the newspaper's corporate parent, Tribune Co., and its chief executive, Sam Zell, contending reckless management is destroying the value of the company.
Filed in the US District Court in Los Angeles, the suit alleges that Zell and former Tribune CEO Dennis J. FitzSimons created a plan to take the company private. Tribune's roughly 18,000 employees became owners of the company when it was taken private in 2007. The transaction saddled the business with $12.5 billion in debt and created an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). According to the lawsuit, FitzSimons received nearly $21 million in bonuses, severance, and other payouts as part of the deal.
The lawsuit seeks damages on behalf of employees of The Times and Tribune Co., which owns a variety of newspapers, television stations, and other assets, including the Chicago Cubs baseball team. The plaintiffs seek to recover losses to the ESOP and want to replace the Tribune board of directors and the plan's trustee. They also want a full accounting of pension plan assets.
Washington Mutual
The trouble started in late 2007, when Washington Mutual, Inc. announced severe losses for the third quarter. By early 2008, WaMu stock had dropped from nearly $45 per share in mid-2007 to less than $10 per share and the country's sixth-largest bank was facing 12 class actions suits brought by its shareholders. Most of the lawsuits were ultimately consolidated into one case.
Plaintiffs allege that Washington Mutual made false and misleading statements about its performance and that company leaders conspired to defraud shareholders. CEO Kerry Killinger and several company executives were named in at least one of the suits, as were 12 of the company's 14 board members, including Killinger.
The case was still pending in late 2008 when Washington Mutual Bank suffered the largest bank failure in American history on September 25. On September 26, 2008, Washington Mutual, Inc., the bank's holding company, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Since the bankruptcy filing, additional defendants have been added and additional claims have been made against the defendants of the pending suit. Several new class action lawsuits have also been filed against Washington Mutual, Inc.
Because of the large number of plaintiffs and the lack of remaining Washington Mutual assets, plaintiffs in the class action suits are expected to recover a very small percentage of their losses. Shareholders who purchased stock on the advice of a financial advisor or brokerage firm can pursue a securities arbitration claim against the broker or firm. The securities arbitration process may provide an opportunity for individual investors to recover a greater percentage of their investment losses. Often, investors must "opt-out" of the class action lawsuit in order to pursue a securities arbitration claim, otherwise investors are excluded from this legal option.


text:
Where do Artaban and Paul's call to be ambassadors of Christ converge: my morning preach!
Reusing recyclable disposable paper cups really is a false economy.
Wonderful to welcome guests today who'd made new year resolutions to connect with God, and came to church!!
Also great to have Christmas service attendees, come back for more.
An invitation from the Magi in Epiphany 2013: be wise in the spirit, spacious in your living and focussed in faith.
From this afternoons POT / IME 4-7 essay writing goodness; Henri Frederick Amiel said, "You desire to know the art of living, my friend? It is contained in one phrase: make use of suffering."
Watching Julie's team is always a stressful. Come on Arsene retire gracefully, and lets get on with it!
For 'the beauty of your saving grace'…… I remain forever thankful!
……for the brutality of Syria, the ongoing unrest of Northern Ireland: God of miraculous power, merciful intervention and never ending hope, we pray…..
The story of Artaban really is a ripper!
More than the last of the brussell sprouts: what did you seek and find today in your journey of faith?
STW 6.i.2013
Where do Artaban and Paul's call to be ambassadors of Christ converge: my morning preach!


text:
ZELTIQ® Aesthetics, Inc. (Nasdaq:ZLTQ), a medical technology company focused on developing and commercializing products utilizing its proprietary controlled-cooling technology, announced it is showcasing the CoolAdvantage Petite™ applicator at the American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting (AAD) in Orlando, Fla. The CoolAdvantage technology is the only non-invasive fat removal technology cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to address the upper arm.
Cooladvantage-arms-before-afterSuddenly Slimmer Day and Med Spa have proven that they do it better than anyone else in Arizona. The Phoenix-based Medical Spa in business since 1988 was hand-selected by Zeltiq as the first provider in #Arizona to rollout the newest CoolSculpting technology, #CoolAdvantage, because they do more treatments than anyone else in the state and consistently deliver incredible client outcomes. Body fat, whether saddle bags, mummy tummy, muffin tops, love handles or double chins, can be hard to eliminate despite dieting or exercise. CoolSculpting® is a fat freezing treatment that banishes unwanted body fat for good. It is the only FDA-cleared, non-surgical fat reduction (cryolipolysis) treatment.
Cooladvantage-doublechin-before-after"You can reshape, redefine and re-contour your body forever non-surgically with no downtime!" Dr. Jeffers on CoolSculpting®.
CoolSculpting is the world's #1 body contouring procedure; besides it gives you the ability to return to work the same day as the treatment. With CoolSculpting, the body does the rest of the work by removing the dead fat cells through the lymphatic system. We developed customized CoolSculpting treatment plans for each individual patient. With patient care and comfort in mind, she or he hopes the introduction of the CoolAdvantage applicator will increase patient satisfaction as it achieves efficiency without sacrificing the quality of treatment.
See more here: https://suddenlyslimmer.com/coolsculpting-phoenix-scottsdale-az.html 602-952-8446 3313 East Indian School Road Phoenix, Arizona 85018 Near Fashion Square Mall


text:
Assessing and Entering Emerging Markets Within the Maritime Domain: Discussions at OPVs Event
03 Jul, 2012, 15:01 BST
LONDON and AMSTERDAM, July 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
Defence IQ announces the return of its flagship Offshore Patrol Vessels conference, taking place from 25-27 September 2012 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Running for the 7th time, the event once again provides a 3-day networking and learning platform for high-level members of global navies, coast guards and industry.
The summit comes at a critical time of evaluation for the maritime community. With a majority of naval defence budgets shrinking, the current challenge for naval professionals is to not only assess potential opportunities within emerging markets, but to also understand how to work in alignment with regional ship builders in order to meet specific offset requirements.
To address this concern, this year's OPV event features its most international speaker faculty to-date, representing 20+ countries, to discuss and examine emerging markets such as Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.
Brand new highlights include the anticipated "How to Successfully Enter Emerging Markets, Discover New Areas for Investment and Find Partners for Joint Ventures" round table session, which is set to feature senior representatives from South Korea, India, and Colombia amongst others, and offers participants an interactive opportunity to match their capabilities to future requirements and to find out possibilities for joint ventures.
This balance of high-level strategic briefings with interactive panel discussions, combined with intimate and face-to-face networking opportunities provides participants a much-welcomed and valuable experience onsite, as confirmed by the organiser's well-received launch event of Offshore Patrol Vessels Latin America last May in Rio de Janiero.
Comments OPV Latin America Chairman, Rear Admiral Francisco Deiana, Director of Naval Engineering, Brazilian Navy: "Defence IQ's Offshore Patrol Vessels conference is an important reference world forum concerning the growing use of these naval assets, when senior representatives from different Navies can present and discuss the solutions they have found to reconcile technical issues with operational tasks and budget constraints so as to better accomplish their missions."
Netherlands-based ship builder, Damen Schelde Naval, joins as 2012 Lead Sponsor, in addition to DCNS, Fassmer, Hawke Transit Systems, Northrop Grumman, STX Canada Marine and Thales. Participating countries include Albania, Australia, Brazil, Cameroon, Chile, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Peru, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, the US, and Yemen.
Visit http://www.offshorepatrolvessels.com for details or follow @opvevents.
About Defence IQ: Defence IQ is a unique multimedia platform to discuss and learn about the latest developments in the industry. Join the 50,000-strong community now: http://www.defenceiq.com/join.cfm.
Defence IQ · Kim Vigilia · email@example.com · +44(0)20-7368-9510 · London, UK
SOURCE Defence IQ