Friday, December 30, 2016

Sibelius - Sixth Symphony in D Minor


This is the first ever recorded version of this symphony Finnish National Orchestra directed by Georg Schneevoigt in 1934 https://youtu.be/wwugUjZUs2U Sibelius wrote on his Sixth Symphony: "Whereas most other modern composers are engaged in manufacturing cocktails of every hue and description, I offer the public pure cold water". Benjamin Britten also commented, "He must have been drunk when he wrote it." There is an irony when Sibelius describes his sixth symphony. It cannot be ignored that he had a predilection for liquor. There is no doubt that Sibelius has used strange kind of polyphony in his writing but this definitely ads to its distinct flavour. The whole symphony has to be played in the mezzo forte range and it cannot be too loud or too soft. Whatever the case may be, this is indeed a strange symphony coming out of the year 1923. It is a work that takes you back to an age before tonality and it uses strange modes and scales that can be termed ambiguous. The symphony involves heavy tension between C Major scale and D minor that has an inflected mode. It ends without an emphatic statement and this is what makes this symphony unique. Lorin Maazel with Vienna and Karajan with Berlin Philharmonic have brought this symphony out very well but my personal favourite is the performance by Philharmonia Orchestra under Vladimir Ashkenazy. This could be described as music that may be self-effacing. The symphony intentionally does not leave any mark; it is like going or a walk in the snow and trying to cover up your tracks. Music critics have observed that Sibelius wrote this symphony without using markers of time and he left the musical imagination wide open. The rhythm is suspended while the strings play and in the flow of play by woodwinds. The rhythm is actually picked up and energised by repeated rhythm in the harp. In the second movement too, there is a strange layer of different kinds of time being kept. The scherzo generates some structural expectations. The finale picks up ferocious speed before subsiding in an uneasy calm in the final bars.

Thursday, December 29, 2016

A History of the Parsi Community in India


More than a thousand years ago, Zoroastrian refugees fled out of Persia on account of persecution. They went to India and settled down mainly in the Gujarat region. They sought refuge from the local king there but did not meet with a favourable response. One of the priests among the refugees asked the king for a cup of milk that was filled to the brim. The priest then took a teaspoon of sugar and stirred it into the milk without spilling a single drop on the ground. He then told the king that if the refugees were taken into his kingdom, they will be like the sugar in the cup of milk and that they would blend in the land with the Gujaratis, while making the kingdom even more prosperous and sweeter. The king liked the analogy and allowed them refuge in his kingdom. All other groups of refugees that followed later were allowed to stay there. They went on to become India's `Parsi' community. Even after thousand years have passed, the Parsi community is still not large in number owing to the fact that they marry late and the average number of children per family unit is very small in number. Today, there are not more than seventy thousand Parsis left in India and that is just about 0.005% of the total population of the country. India has 1.2+ billion people and after China, it is the most populous place in the world. Whatever their number may be, the community has earned a good reputation for itself. You will not find a single beggar from this community and Parsis have left an unquestionable mark on the country's progress after independence. Just take a look around - The Tatas, The Godrejs, Homi Bhabha, the Wadias, Gen. Manekshaw and a list of many other eminent personalities.You will have to still come across a single Parsi who has been criminally punished for any major offence in India. My favourite personality is Zubin Mehta who has made a great impression on the international scene as a music conductor and director of several music associations and training schools along with his father, Mehli Mehta. Over hundreds of years, the Parsi community has done well in almost every field. To name a few, we can start again with Zubin Mehta, the world famous music director, the Solicitor General of India and the Chief Justice of India, General Sam Manekshaw, India's first Field Marshal, Farokh Engineer, the great Indian wicket keeper and Freddie Mercury of the band Queen. In terms of achievement wen measured per capita, the Parsi community has been the most successful so far. They have not looked after their own community members but they have also put back a lot in the wider community. They believe not only being the best in the world but that are also best for the world. The Parsis follow the Zoroastrian faith that was brought into this world by Prophet Zoroaster or Zarathustra. It is one of the oldest monotheistic religions in the world with an Ahura Mazda or a supreme being or God. It maintains the concepts of heaven and hell and good and evil. This religion established itself in the Persian Empire. It was followed by Emperors Xerxes, Darius and Cyrus the Great. Cyrus is credited with the composition of the first Bill of Rights in this world. It was called the Cyrus Cylinder and it is more ancient than the Magna Carta whose eight hundredth anniversary was celebrated recently. The very basis of the Zoroastrian faith is exemplified by three words - Humata, Hukhta and Huvarshta. They mean good thoughts, good words and good deeds. The motto of Parsi businessmen has been integrity in industry. Jaguar and land Rover has now been taken over by Tata Motors in the United Kingdom. The Tata Group was started by Jamshedji Naoroji Tata with his steel empire in Bihar. Today, Tata Steel owns the British Steel-Corus and is now one of the largest manufacturers in the world.

Monday, November 28, 2016

The Seven Per Cent Solution


https://youtu.be/YNDH4vhxGiU This narrative is made up from Dr, Watson's reminiscences. This is from a novel written in 1974 by Nicholas Meyer. It was adapted on film in 1976 as a Sherlock Holmes adventure. The narrative involves recovery of Holmes from addiction to cocaine and Watson takes the help of famous Viennese Doctor, Sigmund Freud. It also involves prevention of a war in Europe through the opening up of a wicked kidnapping plot of Madame Devereaux. The film is very well directed by Herbert Ross and was scripted by Meyer himself. Nicol Williamson is brilliant as Holmes and you have to be fast on the uptake to hear all his dialogues. He really speaks at a feverish pace. Robert Duvall is quite good as Dr. Watson. Alan Arkin is sharp as Sigmund Feud and Vaness Redgrave is beautiful and sensuous as Madame Devereaux. Samantha Eggar plays Mary Watson. Charles Gray plays Holmes' elder brother Mycroft and he does that in the Jeremy Brett television series, too. Jeremy Kemp looks wicked enough as Baron von Leinsdorf. There is an interesting narrative in the end of the film when Freud hypnotises Holmes to find out why he chose to be a detective. It brings out his sad past and his fear of Professor Moriarty. The crux of the tale is that Watson deceives Holmes to meet Sigmund Freud to treat him for his delusions that are induced by cocaine. This is an entertaining film with some tense settings in both London and Vienna. It is an intriguing narrative and Laurence Olivier adds punch by playing Professor Moriarty. The film is a fine suspense thriller. The music by John Addison is great and makes the movie more interesting.

Monday, July 25, 2016

Frederic Chopin - A Short Biographical Sketch


Frederic Chopin was a Polish composer. He was born on 3rd January 1810 and died young at the age of thirty nine on 17th October 1849. He sifted to Paris in his early years and had the opportunity to mingle in the artistic circles of early nineteenth century France. Chopin, in fact, went on to become the model of a musician in the Romantic Period. From his childhood days in Poland, he managed to retain the image of a bravura pianist when he frequented the salons in Warsaw. He improvised and played his initial compositions that were inspired by national rhythms and melodies. He was only eight years of age when he composed his first Mazurkas and Polonaises.He left Poland on account of the revolution. He gave proof of his genius to the world when he composed his first piano concerto and his Opus 10 Etudes, whom he dedicated to Franz Liszt, his ardent interpreter in later years. After gaining recognition in Austria and Germany, Chopin was given a warm welcome in France. He spent most of his remaining life in Paris. He died young, at thirty nine years age as a result of tuberculosis. Though he received great acclaim in Paris, Chopin always remained nostalgic about his days in Poland. He became a good friend of George Sand, Victor Hugo and Hector Berlioz. He is one of the pioneers of the Romantic movement and some of his compositions are iconic of this age. Some of his preludes, nocturnes, polonaises and scherzi are revolutionary. Chopin spent the last years of his life at the Chateau de Nohant. He wrote most of his mazurkas here and in Majorca. He died in the autumn of 1849. Schumann had once said about Chopin, "Hats off, gentlemen; a genius!"

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

The Existence of Secret Societies


https://youtu.be/CyFNsNZhSeg Fascinating insight into the powers who are destroying the world scene just for that balance of power. This is a long video, which takes us on a journey of the involvement of USA in world affairs from World War I and Nazi Germany to the turn of this century. Secret societies want to run the show in the world. The truth about Auschwitz and other concentrate camps is that they were American enterprises and they were primarily driven by American bankers. Not many people are aware that American industrialists built the big Nazi war machine. Everything they did was fueling the Illuminati’s plans for world domination! These plans may ultimately result in a one-world government. Satanic powers are controlling this world and politics is the channel available for that.

Thursday, July 7, 2016

Treatment for Roundworm Diseases


In medical terminology, roundworm disease is known as `Ascariasis Lumbricoides’. Roundworm diseases are prevalent in areas that have poor hygienic conditions. The roundworm eggs can be taken through contaminated food. Most of the times, people will not feel any symptoms. The symptoms, when they appear, can be similar to that of malaria or pneumonia. The common symptom is consistent presence of cough, wheezing or shortness of breath. There can be stomach pain and loss of appetite. The roundworms may come out in your stool or through vomiting. Roundworm diseases are often neglected. Roundworm is also the basic cause of infection in pigs through `trichinosis’. These diseases affect more than one billion people worldwide. The roundworms can grow up to twelve inches in the human body and cling to the intestinal walls. They can be as thick as a pencil. Female roundworms are larger than the male roundworms. As per the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, roundworm diseases are a direct result of poor hygiene and sanitation. Most roundworms and their eggs can be found in dirt and can be picked up on the hands and transferred to your mouth. They can sometimes get into the body through the skin. Different species of roundworms can cause different types of infections. People can become infected when they eat food that has the roundworm eggs. This can also happen when people eat food that is grown in the soil which has been mixed with human and animal excreta. Roundworms can produce eggs for more than a year. Children are more prone to getting affected by roundworm diseases as they play in dirt and then put their hands into their mouths. Severe parasitic roundworms may also travel to your muscles, brain and eyes. This can cause seizures, paralysis or temporary blindness. If the disease is not treated well in time, it can cause a breakdown of body functions. There are many treatments available for roundworm diseases but it is better to consult a physician or a health care provider before taking any drugs. Mebendazole and Albendazole can bring these roundworms out of your body. The side effects of these medicines can be headache and hair loss but they are minimal and tolerable. Anti-parasitic drugs have not proved to be very effective. Bromelain and other proteoplytic enzymes are useful in getting the outer layer of the roundworms dissolved. There are some natural methods of treatment for roundworm diseases. They are: • Boil some garlic and onions in water and drink the concoction slowly. Eat as much raw garlic as possible. • Take a laxative. Figs are a good laxative. • Sit in a warm milk bath which is sufficient for covering your rectum area as the roundworms are likely to smell the milk and crawl out. You will have to remain in that warm milk bath for about an hour until most of the worms are out. Researchers and scientists have been able to uncover the genome sequence of roundworms and are hopeful to pin down faster diagnosis and treatment of the roundworm diseases in the future. The research has helped in finding over eighteen thousand genes that will aid in protein coding. To protect yourself from roundworm diseases, it is better that you care about your personal hygiene, avoid eating infested food from the streets and ensure that you wash your vegetables and fruits properly. Washing your hands with soap frequently is also a good way not to contaminate and spread this sickness.

Rebate Forex


Forex is perhaps the biggest trading market in the world. It shot up like a volcanic explosion in volume and popularity in 1971 when the gold standard was abolished. Currency was not backed any longer by gold and, as a result, currency printing began to accelerate. Forex trading became a great way to earn extra money. Many people began trading as a part time job. They learned of ways to take advantage of this huge financial opportunity. Notwithstanding the way you ultimately decide to trade, you will always find it feasible to get forex cash back for all your forex trades. Forex rebates are a smart way to reduce your trading costs. You will earn your rebates whether you make money or lose money on a trade. Many online forex companies have their distinct rebate forex programs that allow you to receive highly competitive rebates on your trades. The main benefit of this program is that you will be able to get the same service from your brokers at a lower cost than those brokerage firms that do not give you a rebate. To enroll for the program, you will need to register online with such brokerage firms that offer cash back and open an account. There are five easy steps on how to start receiving rebates. 1. Sign up for an account – This is the most crucial step to start receiving rebates. 2. Open a new account. 3. Give your full name, name of the broker and your account number through the `Contact Us’ form – this information is required to verify your account. Once the information ids verified, you will find your broker and your account number in your user account profile. 4. Select the payment method in your `User Profile’ so that the brokerage firm is clear on where to send your rebates. You have to ensure that you give all the necessary information for the payment mode that you wish to utilize, for example – your bank account information, PayPal details and your registered eMail address. 5. Fund your account and start trading to receive rebates on per trade basis at the end of the month. The highest rebate that is offered by some brokerage firms is going around 1.2 pips per trade. Some brokers give 0.7 pips and others give around 0.6 pips per trade. There are some firms who will give you a first time rebate of $30 and then if your trades reach a lot of hundred, they will give you an additional $50 reward that keeps repeating after each lot of hundred trades. Another advantage with large brokerage firms is that they are always adding new brokers to their rebate program to give you the facility of greater variety. There is no minimum requirement of an account size or activity levels to be a part of a rebate program. The rebate forex concept is offered by brokerage firms as an incentive to you for opening a trading account with them. The forex brokers do not charge a commission normally unlike stock and futures brokers. They charge a spread instead as their means of profit for giving you access to the currency markets. A rebate forex method has the effect of reducing the impact of the spread on your trades. You will end up retaining more profits from your successful trades and you can keep more of your trading capital from your unsuccessful trades. The amount of the rebate forex will preserve trade equity.

The First Indian Batsman to make an Impact on the Domestic and the International Scene


Vijaysingh Madhavji Thakersey Merchant was born on 12th October 1911 in Bombay. He belonged to a family that was doing well with most of the family members being established businessmen. He studied at Sydenham College, Bombay. He started playing domestic cricket with the Ranji Trophy and the Bombay Pentangular in 1929. He was regularly in the limelight along with Vijay Hazare by making big scores in both the tournaments. Vijay Merchant made his test debut at the age of twenty two in 1933 against the visiting English side when India played its inaugural test at the Bombay Gymkhana. Then three years later in 1936, Vijay Merchant made his first great impact on the test scene in the Manchester test against England. It was just the third test that India was playing and in the second innings they were behind by 368 runs. Merchant’s great batting and his double century stand for the opening partnership with Mushtaq Ali garnered international applause as he went on to save the test for India, earning for himself the accolade of being declared as Wisden’s cricketer of the Year. This partnership made him into a legend and he became the first Indian batsman to make a deep impact on both the domestic as well as the test circuit at home and abroad. Vijay Merchant was a right hand bat and a right arm medium pace bowler. Indian cricket went through a struggling phase in the nineteen forties just before and after the independence. Not many overseas tours could be undertaken nor there were many tests being played in India during a calendar year. After the end of the Second World War, India toured England in 1946. This year saw Vijay Merchant pile up 2,385 first class runs in England at an average of 74. He played his last test in 1951 at Delhi against the visiting English side and he made 154, being his highest score in tests. His highest in Ranji Trophy was 359. A shoulder injury in that Delhi test in 1951 hastened his retirement from first class cricket. Vijay Merchant played only ten tests and made only 859 test runs. He played only against England, five tests at home and five in England. He missed out on tours to West Indies and Australia for ill health reasons. Vijay Merchant is the record holder for the highest batting average in Indian domestic cricket, finishing with 150 matches at an accumulation of 13,470 runs at an average of 71.64 which is the second best first class average by anyone in the world after Sir Donald Bradman’s 95.61. His Ranji Trophy average itself is 98. He has forty five centuries and fifty two half centuries in the domestic cricket and three test centuries. He is the founder of the Bombay School of Batsmanship. This school has placed more emphasis on the right technique and approach to batting, discouraging free flow of the bat and undue lifting of the ball. The mid nineteen thirties to the mid nineteen fifties are referred to as the `Vijay Dynasty’ in Indian cricket hinting to Vijay Merchant, Vijay Hazare and Vijay Manjrekar. Vijay Merchant died on 27th October 1987. He was a completely organised batsman and an elegant striker of the ball with good footwork. He deserves a place in the Indian Top Twenty Cricketer’s List not because of his test records but for his overall contribution to Indian cricket both in the domestic as well as the international scenes.

Using Psychodynamics to Manage Organizational Change


The value of any organization is measured by the size of its contribution to the society we live in. Organizations keep their performance benchmarks on a varied range of factors like communal, economical and spiritual structures. The world we live in continues to change at a very rapid rate. Using the theories of psychodynamics to understand organizational change, we will learn that changing of an individual will be very important to the collective change process in the organizations. A good manager needs a good understanding when he works with an organization and learns about the changes that can be done consciously by the management. The psychodynamic process in the management of organizational change begins to take place when people start making purposeful changes in their lives at work, in their organizations and in the society. The psychodynamic process in the organizational change management takes place on multiple levels. The first is the change taking place between an individual and the groups; the second is the change taking place between groups and organizations; the third is the change taking place between the organizations and the community. Human psychology is the single most influential aspect in an organization. If we want to analyze an organizational change, we have to absorb the social and the psychological elements within that organization in order to succeed. Usually, inaction, poor insight and indifference are the strongest blockades to initiate a planned organizational change. There is a heavy tendency for organizations to show full indifference to change and laziness while moving ahead to take any action. Most people revel in remaining where they are. The poor ability to plan ahead and adapt is found in most of the modern organizations. Indifference abounds when there is a big gap between the environmental changes in an organization and the awareness that the organization has about that change. As the reaction of the management is dull, the results of the change are not of any benefit to the organization. The main reasons for such indifference are often stress and defensive psychology. Psychodynamics explain that human nature always reflects on the relationship between our past experience and the situations that we face currently. It is the collective relationship of people’s past and present experiences that builds up an organization and how it will adapt to necessary change when required. While some people react to change by becoming inactive, others tend to take on a slightly more active stance. The latter try to assume power and control to reach the organizational model of excellence by imposing their ideas to protect and serve the organization. Whatever the case may be, if an organization has to survive in the long run, it has to adapt to change. The strategies that depend on the use of psychodynamics are able to manage or ignore situations in relation to the reality of a change and the ability to go through a crisis during the resistant period to change within the organization. This may require a formal declaration from the management, a possible change in leadership or an exercise in overhauling the organizational brand. When this happens, the workers in the organization have to be given sufficient time to break away from the past identities and get attached to the changed organizational motives. Encouraging an atmosphere of learning within an organization helps to add to its capacity to adapt and survive. Assimilating knowledge and applying it in organizations that promote learning on the job will help the managers to identify performance loopholes, analyze them and focus their attention on initiating remedial procedures. Thus, psychodynamics is useful in building techniques to manage organizational change.

Using the Digital Media to Reach the Consumers Effectively


Digital marketing is the promotion of a company’s brand of products or services through the digital advertising media that reaches customers in the form of radio, television, mobile phones and the internet. It involves fields like the search engine optimization and advertising banners. It involves channels like instant messaging, video streaming, blogging and broadcasting voice. The pulse of digital marketing beats around the internet media. Internet has become the most powerful medium of communication. The future of marketing is, undoubtedly, digital media like the internet. The technology and the visual reach offered by the medium of internet just cannot be ignored. There are two kinds of digital marketing techniques. One is known as the ‘pull’ technique. The ‘pull’ tool has the user searching for and selecting the message content directly from the internet or other media. An example is the array of websites to use, blogs, audio and video streams. The ‘push’ tool requires not just the user but the advertiser or the company promoting the message to be active in the interface. An example of this is e-mails, SMS and MMS on the mobile phones. Both these tools could be used together when a company which is trying to launch a new product or a service could opt to use the website first through the net and follow that campaign with an e-mail after a couple of days to its selected and potential end users with special promotions along with simultaneous SMS use. There are many companies specialising in providing digital marketing services both in online and offline usage, focusing to help the small and medium sized companies to participate and compete in the digital arena. They help serve the consumers in utilising their talents and skills to build up that competitive edge in increasing their productive capacity and thereby the profits. The companies will require using special digital marketing tools to use strategically in the selection of their digital ad campaigns. This know how would involve management of websites, running analysis reports, testing e-mail lots and doing research on keywords. The companies would be expected to increase their knowledge in areas like ‘Google Analytics’ or ‘Radian 6’. Google analytics helps them to write more effective ads for target audiences and makes them become more conversant with the efficient use of website marketing. Radian 6 helps the companies in absorbing what its consumers are saying about the company online to maintain conversation in the social web like blogs and forums. They are also expected to use the social network tools such as the ‘Twitter’ and the ‘Facebook’. Since the advent of the internet during the nineties, a lot of companies have latched on to digital marketing tools. The internet is used to the maximum extent. The marketing done with search engines and their optimum use for high rankings helps in gaining considerable advantage over the competition. The social media like Twitter and the Facebook are used to generate lot of curiosity and fizz through offline activities. Marketing e-mail tools are available in the form of software that the companies can use as newsletters. Simplicity is the first rule in digital marketing. The company has to keep the message simple and easy for people to seek what they require and be satisfied. Technology has to be used in a simple and friendly fashion. Before we use the digital media effectively to sell our products or services, we have to understand that we need to know where to find our consumers for our products and how to find them. We have to learn on how to get those consumers interested in our products and how to sell those products again and again to them. We have to know how to advertise for our consumers to keep buying and how to persuade them to purchase our products.

Where can we use a Sectional Sofa?


What is a Sectional Sofa? A sectional sofa is a multiple piece sofa that has the adaptability to be arranged in a room space in a fashion that we like. We can get this sofa in a large variety of pieces and blends. It can be arranged in any room of our home depending on the make and its style. A sectional sofa could be made of a fabric or a leather cover. It can be placed in the bedroom, living room or even in the patio. The main benefit of this kind of sofa is that it can seat a lot more people than a normal regular sized sofa set. It is also very easy to be moved around than a single sofa set. The concept of this kind of sofa came into being to make it possible for people to talk to each other easily without the need to distribute them to different seating sections. It has been designed even for halls to take care of family functions or a group gathering. Where Can We Use a Sectional Sofa? A sectional sofa can be placed in a large dining hall, a living room, a bedroom or a small area in the house where it can be adapted quite well. Its structure is such that it makes it look cosy and it can fit even into a small size room. If we are talking about a large room, this kind of sofa can be made to cling to the walls with its L-shaped design allowing the centre space in the room for a large rectangular piece of furniture for the family gathering. Pieces of a sectional sofa hunched together can give a warm and cosy feeling in the room. Smaller rooms can make this sofa adaptable to any part because of its flexible character. It can take the centre attraction of a living room while the chair-size part can be kept in a corner or near a window for reading or privacy purposes. This sofa comes in small sizes to suit even the narrow spaces. Sectional Sofa Defines Functionality of a Room A sectional sofa allows the householder to determine the functionality all space available to him. Its matching sections will give an aura of cohesive togetherness to the space. The house owner can use the larger sofa units as a dividing line within a room by differentiating the function of each area in the room. When a sectional sofa is selected for a small room, it can lend a versatile look whether it is made of a fabric or leather and provide comfort for a long period of time. It is important that we have a fair idea of the space available before we shop for this kind of sofa for a small room. We have to keep in mind even doorways or a hall through which the sofa will have to go through. We have to consider even the corners as the sofa cannot be forced to bend. The sofa size should not be so wide as to have difficulty going through the front door of the building. The Modern Sectional Sofa The modern sectional sofa comes in sizes that are small enough to suit even the narrowest of spaces. The buyer can select by picking the fabric lines of this sofa to make it look good for a small room. This kind of sofa is an ideal option when there are pets in the house. The modern sectional sofa is pet-friendly as it is layered for plain reconditioning and does not cost much for overhauling. It is good when pets are part of a family unit and who have the habit of climbing up the furniture when we are sitting on the sofa. The furniture need not be replaced on account of this every now and then. The family can revel by decorating a living room to convert the room space into a place of style. We can be inspired to design a room by using the sofa’s texture and colour schemes. The ingredients of decoration can be blended with the sofa to create a room that will look stylish. How to Make a Sectional Sofa? A sectional sofa is one of the simplest ways to get a sofa that will suit our home and our tastes ideally. We can grow tired when we look at the same kind of insipid furniture in the market. The sofa layouts there may not be suitable for our homes. We can keep these things in mind before making our sectional sofa ourselves. We have to take the measure of the room accurately. The number of pieces of the sofa we require will be determined by this. The shape of the room will give us an idea how to arrange the sofa pieces. There are some layouts that can be created on a three-sided basis that is good for family chats. Others are L-shaped that will look good in houses with large rooms and windows. We can then pay a visit to some furniture websites or contact some local carpenter who can help us design and purchase material to make the type that we are looking for. Decorating With a Sectional Sofa A sectional sofa offers a comprehensive seating solution in our living rooms. Its layout is good enough on standalone basis or when blended with other kind of furniture like extra chairs or a tea table. If we arrange the pieces to face the movement of the family members or visitors into the room, they will like the approach and orient themselves, making the room look like a good place for casual talk. Adding a sectional sofa to a family room will make it more thrilling. It provides sufficient seating room for a good lounging ambience. It is good to place it along a wall if there is a lot of movement in a busy room. The L-shaped layout will make it adjustable in the corner of a room with a god view. If we use it near the middle of a wall, we can keep the corners free for other decorations like flower pots or a desk maybe. A single large piece can seat al members of a family. A Sectional Sofa for a Small Room A sectional sofa is the solution when we look to furnish a small room. It is as flexible as the standard large sofa and creates good areas for small conversations in a room. We have to make sure that the patterns used in the room are aching with the furnishings when we design a room with the sofa in mind. For a small room, a small sectional sofa will add variety to the seating plan. This kind of sofa styles will split in dual pieces. Some will be round, some may have edges and others may have corners. These sections can be arranged in any style in the room to suit our taste. The piece with the corners can be used to fit the furniture to the room’s design. We will be able to shift the pieces of the small section as and when we require for the changes in the room. The new designs available are also semi-circular in shape. Selecting the Right Sectional Sofa There are so many kinds of a sectional sofa available in the market that we are bound o purchase the right one for our special room. It is important that we find a suitable small size sofa for a small room which can be a study or a refreshment room. This kind of sofa will be able to convert any type of a room, even a small one in our house into a cosy place where we can relax for some time. When we buy a sectional sofa for these special rooms, it will give us plenty of area for the purpose of seating. The style needed or this kind of sofa will depend on the layout of our rooms. We will have to measure before we purchase to ensure that the parts of the sofa will not encroach on the limited room space. Three to four pieces are sufficient to make even a small room look big. These pieces can be arranged in any varied fashion that we like. A Sectional Sofa is a Space Saver A lot of space can be saved by a sectional sofa in a room. The room will look large and spacious if we get a small sofa. It can be arranged in any section of the room. The kind of sectional sofa we will get will be influenced by the size of our living room. We will have to make sure that we measure the room area that the sofa has to occupy. It will take up a lot of space if there are many numbers of pieces of the sofa. A four piece sofa is sufficient when we buy a sectional sofa for a small room. We cannot stuff a larger sized sofa into a smaller room. A preferred small section is not more than eight feet in length. It is used quite frequently these days as a money and space saving piece of furniture. It can be made to face a television set. The material that can be chosen is either fabric or leather. Sectional Sofa for a Social Setting A small sectional sofa is a great choice if we are considering issues of space in the room that has to be furnished. It is a good option for a social set up when we are required to arrange plenty of seating in a little room to bring lot of people together. We can seat about six people in a place where only four would fit in usually. The family also can gather for a close get-together at one place if we use a sectional sofa. All the family members can sit close on it and watch a television program together, just talk plainly, unwind after a hard day or play some games. This sofa has reclining portions at one end that makes it ideal and cosy for watching a film maybe on the home theatre. It also has drink holders in addition to the reclining portions. One kind of a sectional is actually made for rooms designed for media display.

The Root Cause of Cellulite and why we suffer from it


What Causes a Cellulite Condition? What causes cellulite? Cellulite is the collection of excess fat cells in the body. Cellulite is a common situation. The most frequent cause for cellulite is corpulence. Women mostly get affected by cellulite. Many women do not think in terms of exercising on a daily basis apart from their domestic and office work. It is commonly affecting abdomen, upper thighs and the arms area of the body. Sometimes, this condition could be acquired from heredity. Nature of dietary habits and the changes in the hormones of the body can also cause cellulite. Irregular food habits and the kind of lifestyles we lead can also cause cellulite. Irregularity in eating ways is mostly referred to our improper food intake. If we are not careful of what we eat, our body will react negatively. When we neglect proper body exercise also, we can build up a lot of excess fat cells in our body and these fat cells can be a cause of a cellulite condition. Causes of Cellulite Condition What causes cellulite? There can be a condition where water is retained more than the normal level required in our bodies. In many cases, this can be a cause of cellulite condition. Shrinking of the fibrous protein that binds our body tissues can also cause cellulite. Usually, when people age, the signs can be seen in their bodies once they cross fifty five and their body tissue experience a drop in the strength of these fibrous proteins. Cellulite is more frequent nowadays than previously due to the reason that there are many changes taking place in our body chemicals and affecting our organisms in modern life. Women, especially, are affected by these environmental influences that result in a lack of balance in these chemicals within our bodies bringing about a cellulite condition. These imbalanced chemicals reduce the potential of the fibrous proteins and raise the chances of fat cells in mostly the upper thighs and the lower back area. Improper diet can be a major cause for these chemical changes. Why do we suffer from ugly cellulite? What causes cellulite? There are many binding tissues that link the fat cells and the muscles to our skin. Fat cells are soft and therefore they do not keep our skin as tight as the muscles do. The main root causes of cellulite are heavy intake of fatty food, imbalance in body hormone chemicals, absence of correct exercise, excessive lifestyle and hereditary factors. The fat cells occupy a lot of our body area and make it lumpy. The only reason that the accumulation of these cells looks ugly is because of the position of the body fat and the heaviness of the skin. Women mostly get affected as they have a tendency to concentrate their excess fat cells in their bodies at their hips, upper thighs and the lower back where the skin is loose and thin. We do not find many men suffering with a cellulite problem as men have skin that is thick and they have a tendency to concentrate their excess fat cells on their stomachs. What Causes Cellulite Visibility? What causes cellulite? Accumulation of excess fat cells causes cellulite and it becomes more visible on the upper thighs as well as the bottoms where the skin is thinner than the other parts of the body. Chemical imbalances in the hormones result in the breaking down of the tissue building up excess fat cells in these parts. The use of birth control pills can develop a tendency to cause cellulite problems speedier than most other reasons. It has been proved that cellulite is the excess placement of fat cells in concentrated laces on our bodies and that it resembles the standard body fat. We are more likely to get a cellulite visibility as we get older and older. With age, the fibrous tissues beneath our skin stretch it down and the fat cells fill up with more fluid causing a cellulite appearance on the skin surface. Women suffer more than men because their skin is thinner. Diet that is poor speeds up the aging process of their skin. Are the under wears responsible for the cellulite cause? What causes cellulite? Is it our underwear? Many people would refuse to believe this but the type of underwear does have an influence on the cause of cellulite. More often than not, it is the elastic of the underwear panties that causes the cellulite bulges in the bottoms because the elastic settles round the hips and restrains the flow of blood to the buttocks. Men and women should choose the underwear that does not hinder the smooth flow of blood to their rumps. Many doctors are claiming that traditional type of underwear is causing lot of cellulite makeup as this underwear is restricting the smooth and leisurely flow of blood. Changes in fashion trends have also helped this cause. During the sixties, the skirt hems and the panty liners got shorter and so did the panty length. So, tradition changed from loose panties around the thighs to tighter panties round the middle of the rumps. Thus, panties are an important factor in the growth of cellulite problems, especially with women. Are the Hormones Contributing to the Cellulite Cause? What causes cellulite? Could it be the imbalance in the estrogens hormone that is the main cause of cellulite creation? These hormones are the primary sexual chemical groups of compounds, especially in women and they are important for their cycle of menstruation. These hormones are definitely contributing to the cellulite cause. By the help of changes in the levels of these hormones, their reduction builds up fat in breasts, widens the pelvic area and increases the levels of body fat in the thighs, hips and the bottoms area. They can also cause women to retain lot of water in their bodies. When women reach their menopausal stages, the hormonal levels are imbalanced. This influences the blood vessels and circulation of blood gets slower. When this happens, we get reduced supply of oxygen and nourishment to the fat prone areas, the fibrous protein tissues reduce in their binding capacity and the fat cells become bigger making the flesh look bumpy causing cellulite. Genetics and Age Play a Big Role in Cellulite Formation What causes cellulite? There are various causes for the cellulite formation. One of the principal causes is the heredity factor. If we are probing the causes of cellulite, we may go up the family tree and start looking at our mother maybe. There are strong chances that a woman will suffer with a cellulite condition if her mother also had the same problem. Many men and women who suffer with cellulite may have to look at their genes for the root causes. This also explains why some women who are in good physique and shapes can be trapped by the fat cells becoming larger even when they are thin and healthy. Age is another reason for the cellulite formation. As men and women grow older, the tissues of their skin start breaking down and become loose. This allows the fat cells to bulge up the skin texture. Bad eating habits can speed up the ageing process of the skin and cause retention of fluid in the fat cells. What are the Major Causes for Cellulite Formation? What causes cellulite? The deposit of excess fat on body areas such as the abdomen, arms, bottoms, thighs, knees and hips is commonly known as cellulite. Women are affected more than men as cellulite forming is also linked in a major way to the imbalanced hormone effect found in women. This hormonal imbalance is a major trigger in women causing cellulite. The cellulite makes the skin appear crinkled and scraggy. One of the big problems with cellulite is that as the excess fat melts, these chunky patches linger on as a result of the affected fatty tissue deposits. Other reasons for the coming on of cellulite are lethargic lifestyles, bad eating habits, build up of stress and sometimes the type of clothes worn by us. Women have to avoid wearing very tight clothes and donning very high heels as these will hinder the circulation of the blood to the areas prone to develop cellulite. These fat cells create a rippling effect on the flesh and the tissues beneath the skin. What are the Major Causes of Cellulite? What causes Cellulite? There is a big ambiguity about the reasons behind the formation of cellulite. There are many likely reasons. People are not very clear as to what causes cellulite. We cannot pin down obesity as the main reason because many fat people sometimes show no indication of suffering from cellulite. On the other hand, many people suffering from cellulite are thin. If we take the age groups, many younger people do not have a cellulite problem when compared with the older generation but some teens are known to suffer from cellulite. Having said this, it is not difficult to identify some tangible factors that bring about a cellulite problem. Fat cells become concentrated if we do not drink sufficient water during the day. Habitual and excess drinking of alcohol and liquids like coffee trigger the fat cells to work overtime. If we eat lot of fatty foods without fibre, we are inviting the fat cells to accumulate and pile up to cause a cellulite problem. The Root Cause of Cellulite What causes cellulite? The soft chunks of flesh beneath the skin that give a dimple effect are commonly known as cellulite. There are many explanations as to the root cause of cellulite or how the fat cells pile up in certain areas of the body. Mainly, it is the imbalanced hormone level and the genes are what cause cellulite. Weak circulation of blood may also be a likely cause of cellulite. A normal circulatory system will eliminate body fats and waste. Poor circulation of blood will come about by lethargy, non action and lack of exercise. In women, hormone level imbalance during puberty, pregnancy and menopause stages may cause cellulite formation. One thing we know for sure is that body fats are principally responsible for cellulite. The fat cells begin to enlarge on account of obesity or higher water retention in the body making the skin less flexible when the fat will start to expand and look lumpy under the skin.

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Social Media Marketing will give your Website a Tremendous Reach


To survive in this world of cut-throat competition, you need a website developed to give you a reach that is considerably more than your rivals in order to be successful in your line of business. Search engine optimization and use of social media marketing techniques are very important when you develop a website. Statistical data pertaining to social media marketing will show you that more than sixty per cent of consumers go through search engines and social networking sites to know about a company’s products before they buy them. It is also a fact that more than eighty five per cent of successful business units have their own Facebook Fan Page. Why is Social Media Marketing so important for your Website? Social media marketing has become the order of the day when you build your website. This is because people have assimilated social networking sites into their daily lives. These sites have drawn in users by millions since they have been introduced on the web. They are also rapidly drawing the attention of industry and academic researchers who are amazed at their reach. Some sites are open to a larger range of audiences while other sites are inviting people on a common language platform where they can share national or racial identities. These sites will also differ depending on how they will assimilate social media marketing information tools such as video sharing, blogging or mobile phone connectivity. Social media marketing involves web based services that will allow you to create a public or a semi public profile within an environment. The networking concept is laying stress on the initiation of a relationship between people who are known to each other or are mutual acquaintances. The profile page visibility varies from site to site and will also depend on the discretion of the user. Profiles on social media marketing sites like Tribe.net and Friendster are search engine crawled and they are visible to anyone, regardless of whether the viewer has an account or not. In comparison, LinkedIn will control what a viewer can see depending on whether he or she has a paid up account. Sites like MySpace will allow their users to select whether they would like their profiles to be totally public or limited to friends only. Facebook has decided to take a different outlook. Users who are using the same network can see each other’s profile pages unless a particular profile user has denied permission to certain users in the network. It is on grounds of these structural differences pertaining to access and visibility that social media marketing techniques will thrive. Concentration Areas for Social Media Marketing The most popular Social Media Marketing Networking Sites in terms of usage and popularity are: 1. Facebook 2. Twitter 3. LinkedIn 4. MySpace 5. Ning 6. Google Plus 7. Tagged 8. Orkut 9. Hi5 10. Myyearbook These sites become very relevant as social media marketing tools because there is a buzz today on eCommerce inbound marketing by word of mouth. Customer feedback is revolutionizing the social media marketing world. Research has shown that today consumers and web browsers are quiet tired of conventional marketing techniques. Email communications on a persistent basis or commercials that are thrown on your face are not fashionable any more. You have to adapt new standards of social media marketing in order to be successful. The four biggest retailers with Facebook presence are Burberry, Wal-Mart, Victoria’s Secret and Adidas Originals. When they become fans, Facebook users are expecting some special promotional offers exclusively for them. After Levi’s added a `like’ button on Facebook, there was a forty per cent increase in the volume of referral traffic to them. Their revenue also increased marginally. This is good social media marketing strategy. Effective Social Media Marketing Strategies The success of your website depends largely on how you manage your social media marketing and the content on your web page and how you share that for increasing the visibility online. You cannot change human nature tendencies as people would like to buy products or services when they come to know that their friends or someone they know has got some interaction with the product brand. The most effective social media marketing strategies are content driven. Ninety per cent of all consumers today wholly trust what is recommended to them by their friends. Customers do not like companies that blow their own trumpets on their products. They look towards actual customer feedback, more so from among their circle of friends. You have to approach the consumers as their virtual friends in the shape of bloggers. Social media marketing research has shown that reviews from regular bloggers do carry weight. This is where consultants like us come in handy. The modern consumer wants to reject self promotional material nowadays. We turn our focus, hence, on content designing that not only optimizes key phrases but also uses search engine optimization expertise to exert influence on the social media marketing network to establish what will work and what will not by the help of Google Analytics tool. Article Summary A fantastic social media marketing technique is to keep people on social networking sites updated with your website and keep them interested in what you have to offer.

History of the Marks and Spencer Clothing Brand


Introduction Marks & Spencer is one of the leading cloth retailers in the United Kingdom and the rest of the world. It has over six hundred stores in the United Kingdom and over nine hundred stores in more than forty other countries. Their basic clothing line is offered in many colors, sizes and styles. Marks & Spencer clothing has carved a niche for itself in the market by offering unique styles of clothing that are stylish and affordable for people. The company was started in 1884 by an immigrant Michael Marks in collaboration with Tom Spencer. Marks & Spencer sold its clothing under the brand name of St. Michael from 1928 to 2000 in men’s clothing. The women’s clothing and lingerie were marketed under the St. Margaret brand. These brand names were dropped in 2000 and replaced with the Marks & Spencer brand with several sub brands in each line of clothing. History In 1926, Marks & Spencer used a revolutionary policy of buying directly from manufacturers and bypassing the wholesalers. In 1930, it opened its largest department store at Marble Arch in London and this has remained as its flagship store till this date. Marks & Spencer clothing started selling school uniforms in the early nineteen fifties and continued till 2000 when it ceased marketing as part of its corporate modernization plan in 2000 by launching brands such as `Autograph’. This brand offered a mixed range of hats, belts, scarves, gloves, bags and women’s lingerie. The company also launched its `Per Una’ brand of young women’s clothing in September 2001. These items include the three hearts logo. Marks & Spencer clothing laid its full emphasis on providing quality clothes. This is exemplified with their stocking size measuring system which was initiated in 1957. Throughout their history, Marks & Spencer clothing has earned its reputation by offering value for money. Features Marks & Spencer clothing brand is a well known one in the United Kingdom. The all familiar dark green color cannot be missed as it points out the nearest store and reminds people of clothing that can be trusted. Most major shopping malls have a branch of Marks & Spencer clothing located in their premises. Marks & Spencer also have their core stores. These are the main stores for the clothes brand. Marks & Spencer clothing was the first retailer to set up a research laboratory to pre-test the quality of cloth and develop new fabrics. It has always taken interest in technology and innovation. On account of its advanced textile labs and its close relationship with its suppliers, clothing ranges have been symbolized by easy care synthetic fibres. High quality offered at moderate prices has made the Marks & Spencer clothing brand a very successful one. Tips & Comments Marks & Spencer clothing has to think ahead in terms of their line of clothing and will have to devise plans on delivering that line to its customers faster than its competitors. The company is taking part in an eco-plan for the future with strategies to use sustainable raw material. It is also planning to manage waste and the recycling options to become carbon neural in future. The trend in the future is going to be fashion getting more preference over quality. Consumers are likely to prefer fashion to quality. Marks & Spencer clothing may have to invest lot of time and money in the designing of fashionable clothes so that people associate designer clothing with the Marks & Spencer clothing brand.

The First Indian Captain to be Victorious Overseas


Ajit Laxman Wadekar was born in Bombay on 1st April 1941. His father wanted him to become an engineer but he chose cricket as his profession. He was a left hander batsman and made his first class debut for Bombay in 1958 at the age of seventeen. He got his test debut in 1966 against West Indies at the Brabourne Stadium in Bombay. He played for nine years and retired in 1975. During his career, India played on only about five to ten tests a year. He was a one down batsman and a good slip fielder. He became captain of Bombay and also the captain of the Indian team later in 1970, taking over from Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi. Ajit Wadekar does not have much to show by way of statistics. He played a total of only thirty seven tests in his career, making 2,113 runs in all with just one century and a score of 143 against New Zealand. He impressed me thoroughly during the Australian tour of India in 1969 when he stood firm against the pace of Graham Mackenzie who was running through the Indian side with ease. But at Bombay and Delhi, Wadekar defied him and though Australia won the series 3-1, it was Wadekar and Viswanath who brought some respect to India’s batting. It was the saving grace for India. Wadekar actually helped India to win the test match at Ferozeshah Kotla in Delhi. That was the sole victory in that series. Ajit Wadekar changed the face of Indian cricket when he captained India during the historic tours of West Indies and England in 1971 and came back home victorious. This was the first major impact India had ever made playing abroad and taking the series convincingly. Let me endorse that he was the first Indian captain to get India series win on the overseas tours. He led India again to a 2-1 victory over England in India during the 1972 series. Abid Ali was in full swing during this series and troubling the MCC side that was led by Tony Lewis. After a disastrous tour to England in 1974 where India was bundled out for a paltry 42 in one of the innings, he resigned from the captaincy and retired from first class cricket after the tour. But he had done his job by then. He made India taste victory abroad and made the world pay attention to India’s cricket potential. Ajit Wadekar served as Manager of the Indian cricket team in the nineteen nineties with Mohammad Azharuddin as the captain. He received the tenth Mother Teresa Award at Calcutta for his contribution to Indian cricket in the early nineteen seventies by creating history in leading India to beat the mighty West Indies and England in 1971. This is a great landmark in the Indian cricket scene. On 4th March earlier this year, Sir Garfield Sobers felicitated Ajit Wadekar and his victorious team of 1971 after forty years at the Nehru Centre in Worli, Mumbai in a function to commemorate that memorable series when Sobers was the captain of the West Indies team. Wadekar deserves a place in the top four among twenty most influential and greatest cricket players of India because of his leadership abilities.

Getting the Best Insurance Quote


Insurance can cover life and general categories. In life, we could get a plain life term cover or a life cover with money back or investment returns. In the general category, we get cover for property, car, health, personal accident and natural disasters like fire, earthquake, etc. There are various options available as far as insurance companies go. These insurance companies have grown in the past few years, expanding their portfolios with many multinational insurance companies letting their presence felt all over the world. Before we seek life cover, we need to understand how we go about covering ourselves. If we take our family as a unit, we have to ascertain the breadwinner’s monthly income and multiply that figure by twenty years’ worth and we arrive at a ‘life cover’. Anything less than this defeats the purpose of provisions being made for the family in term of any death or accidental disability to the earning member of the family. The reason is that each of the dependents would have grown accustomed to the lifestyle that had been provided for them by the type of income that the insured would have been getting. This amount is the minimum cover required and there can be no compromise. The same formula applies for personal accident cover. As far as health coverage is concerned, we need to procure a cashless hospital cover for both in-patient and outpatient facilities at any reputed hospital that is covered in the network list of the insurance provider. For middle to upper income group family, a cover of $50,000 is essential. In absence of a full hospital cover, a middle aged person needs to get at least a minimum of twenty critical illnesses covered. As far as property goes, we need to evaluate the total worth of our house, the valuables in the house and take a quote for the lump sum value. Finally, for the car, we have to take a comprehensive cover and not just third part liability insurance after assessing the value of our car based on the year of its make with relative depreciation taken down. When we are ready with the computations of all the different areas of cover that we require, we can start exploring for insurance companies to give us the best quotes and deals. There is no shortage of field representatives marketing insurance for their respective insurance companies. In fact, we may have received a call from any of them at least on once a week basis enquiring towards our insurance needs. We also have the privilege nowadays of going online and checking out competitive quotes for all categories of insurance cover that is mentioned here. Before we get excited on the best quotes, we have to be totally aware that the particular insurance company is rated at least AA by CRISIL or rated by Standard & Poor’s or Moody’s to suggest sufficient soluble strength to pay the cover in terms of eventuality. Therefore, it is not necessary that the cheapest premium quote will win our nod. It is the security factor in assessing the liquidity strength of an insurance company which is the most important consideration in our final decision to opt for that quote. There are many fly by night and happy go lucky insurance providers out there today.

Forex Broker Rebate


Looking out for a forex broker rebate is, in a way, getting paid to trade. You can get rebates on trades. When you trade in the foreign exchange market, you need the basics of going about in the forex business. You have to be aware of the risks that you are going to involve yourself in and how you can reduce your chances of suffering severe losses when you start trading. You have to be keen enough to know how to sharpen your chances of making good gains when you begin to trade in the currency market. A forex broker rebate is a refund/commission paid back to you on a monthly basis for every trade you make on normal trading schedules regardless of whether you have made a profit or a loss on that trade. An important thing to keep in mind is how you can earn profits and save money through a forex broker rebate. You have to focus on earning the greatest possible returns from your forex activities. It all depends on the strategies that you will use for saving money and making profits. Forex broker rebate is a good opportunity to make money from foreign exchange brokerage firms. Many people earn commissions from brokers also for directing new clients their way. When brokers start offering such commissions, the brokerage/forex companies pass on these refunds or rebates to you. The rebate that you get will depend on the volume of the forex to be traded, basically. This is a good way of minimizing your risk on your investment as the rebate is normally guaranteed by the broker which is not the case with the trade that may often not work out favorably for you. These kinds of rebates can pile up after many trades and will help you pay your trading costs or they may end up becoming part of the profits that you will earn on a long term basis. The forex broker that you select is a great variable on how much rebate you can earn since reputable brokerage firms score more on handing out rebates. You have to be wise in your selection to earn maximum profits. Many brokerage firms are on the lookout for giving unique offers to you as an investor. One of such offers is the rebate where you will receive a cash refund for opening your new trading account with such brokers. Once your new account is opened and approved and your first deposit is received by them, the rebates are paid out on a monthly basis and added directly to your trading account. The brokers will offer you rebate packages based on the traded volumes. You can learn more on how to be successful in getting a forex broker rebate by visiting http://www.cashbackforex.com/?aid=1671 where you can get all the know-how for going about in the forex business and how you can earn maximum profits by being wiser in your selection of forex brokers who will give back rebates to you.

An Alaskan Vacation


Cruises to Alaska have become more popular in the last few years. Alaska is the virgin frontier of northern America and the demand to explore this frontier is growing day by day. An Alaskan vacation cruise will bring you sights of snowy peaks, majestic fjords and glaciers. You can also see wildlife with seals, brown bears, black bears, whales and bald eagles. You will come across gold rush towns and Native American culture. You will also get a glimpse of the Russian heritage in Alaska. On account of the surge in the popularity of cruises to Alaska, the fares have started rising and are among the highest in the cruising tariff schedules. There are two kinds of cruises that are available into Alaska. There are Inside Passage cruises and there are Gulf of Alaska cruises. The Inside Passage cruise is the conventional method to cruise the Alaskan region. Most of the ships sail with a round trip from either Seattle or Vancouver. They traverse the glaciers right up to Juneau. Meanwhile, the Gulf of Alaska cruises make you see more regions as they cruise from Seattle or Vancouver through the Inside Passage up to Anchorage. Cruises to Alaska are of twelve days in duration and the season starts from May and lasts till September. The off-peak periods are in the months of May and September. Most of the tourists also opt for an additional land excursion so that they can visit the Denali National Park, the Yukon gold rush region and the Canadian Rockies. You can experience very long hours of daylight in Alaska. Close to the summer solstice, a day may last up to almost twenty three hours. In addition to the land excursion, your vacation will also include salmon fishing and sea kayaking. The prominent cruise lines operating to Alaska are the Celebrity Cruise Lines, Princess Cruise Lines, Disney Cruise Lines, Carnival Cruise Lines, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Holland America Line and Royal Caribbean International. Sometimes, the brochures for the Alaskan cruise will come out a year ahead and you can save up to fifty per cent on the brochure rates with the early bird savings. The small ship companies like the Alaskan Dream, American Safari and Inner Sea Discoveries offer niche oriented cruise vacations. Most cruises will spend majority of their days in the southeast of Alaska. It rains here at random and it is better to equip yourself with a sufficiently warm jacket and a rain coat. Mostly, the elderly couples tend to take an Alaskan vacation. When you are planning a cruise to Alaska, you have to make sure that you are packing adequately so that the cruise can be a comfortable one. You may need long pants and long-sleeved shirts for most part of the cruise. You can deal with the chill by layering up and can again layer down when it gets a little warmer in the cities. Every day is not going to be an icy cold one. When the weather gets mild, a few sets of shorts or skirts for the ladies would be alright. You can carry your bathing suit and most Alaskan cruise ships have indoor pools located within them. You can pack dress suits for dinners, dress shoes and hiking or trekking shoes. On the additional land excursions, the Kenai Fjords National Park is considered as Alaska’s playground. This peninsula which is situated in South Central Alaska is teeming with native fauna and flora. It is well known for its river rafting and fishing. The Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is the largest national park in North America. It has spectacular mountains and magnificent sights. There are glaciers and you can see miles of forest in this park. When you take a cruise to Alaska, you are going to be thoroughly inspired by what you see ranging from the Hubbard Glacier to the Ketchikan Creek. The scenery will stun you. At the Ketchikan Creek Falls, you may spot a nesting eagle or a salmon under the surface of the crystal clear water while going up the stream. There is a whale spotting region at the Icy Strait Point. You may be able to see the humpback whale also. You can explore the waterfront and the streets of Juneau and Anchorage. Close by to Juneau is the Glacier Bay National Park and the Admiralty Island National Monument. Your Alaskan vacation is going to be unlike any other vacation as this region offers diverse sights of snow capped mountains and glaciers. The virgin wildlife of Alaska is an experience to remember when you see the grizzly bears fishing in the streams or the humpback whales near the Hubbard Glacier. Here, you will find one of the richest landscapes in the world.

Some Useful Tips on how to make the best of HostGator Promotions


Here are some useful tips on how to make the best of HostGator promotions through their coupon codes. Clients can get a coupon code and other good deals like discount prices, free gifts, free shipping and more. A HostGator coupon code could be used to get special offers. The client has to be careful that the coupon applies to its specific purchase. This can be established by reading the coupon’s applicable restrictions. Some of the HostGator promos don’t require the clients to enter a unique code for the purpose of saving on their purchase order. They can simply make a HostGator purchase within the promotional terms and still receive discount with their order. Using a coupon code is quite easy in general. Some online stores will have their clients enter in the coupon code during checkout and each online store will have a different procedure. When a client enters the HostGator coupon code, it has to make sure that it scrutinizes a price adjustment. The most common reason of not noticing a price adjustment is perhaps exclusion or an expired code. When a client is unable to come to terms with the problem concerning the hostgator coupon code, it may contact the HostGator customer service for assistance. Before taking advantage of the promotions offered by the Company, it is advisable for the client to know that a HostGator coupon code is a series of numbers or letters or a combination of both that are unique to a Hostgator coupon. They are usually displayed next to the offer in red color, whenever applicable. As each merchant operates differently than the other, it may offer coupon codes more often than others and not all HostGator coupons or promotions require a code in order to receive a discount; but, when they do, the client has to ensure that it uses them. It is always safer to use the `Save Coupon’ button as it allows the clients to save that particular coupon under their account and it will also keep them informed before the coupon expires if they have their account settings done up to do so. HostGator are likely to run a promotion every now and then to get new customers. This is one of the easiest ways to find a coupon or a coupon code. The best way to get new customers is to give some of the best products away at a discounted price; so, HostGator make sure that they give an introductory offer to try to generate good volumes of business. The best way for clients to hook up to their promotion programs is to sign up for their eMail newsletters or the RSS feed. This way, the clients will be informed every time that HostGator declare some sort of promotion or advertising campaigns. They may even send their clients a coupon. HostGator promotional coupons can save its clients a lot of money. Everyone is striving to discover new ways of saving every cent they can with today’s economic challenges. There are several HostGator coupons available on the web and clients are certain to save money no matter which one they select.

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Beethoven's Razumovsky String Quartet No. 7. Op. 59 in F Major


https://youtu.be/oXLKu-HglnM This string quartet is the first among three quartets that were commissioned by Count Andrei Razumovsky who was then the Russian Ambassador to Vienna in 1806. This quartet falls also among the first of Beethoven's middle period quartets. Thise set of quartets is much different from his earlier group of Opus 18 quartets. These are longer in duration than the earlier ones and they involve a technical repertoire which is quite expanded. The first movement is in an expansive sonata form. It includes a fugato in its development section. The lengthy development section reminds you of the expanse of the first movement of the Eroica Symphony. Eroica was composed a few years earlier and it is considered as the beginning of Beethoven's middle period works.There is a delayed entry of recapitulation. It happens after the tonic key gets established and it generates an expectation of a definite statement. The opening melody on the cello is ambiguous tonally and its first cadence is established in the key of F Major a little into few bars of the movement.The extended coda section is also very nicely crafted. The second scherzo movement is quite unusual among the middle period works of Beethoven. It is also in sonata form like the solemn slow third movement and the fourth movement which is built on a Russian theme. It was an attempt to make the work familiar to the Russian ambassador. It has a cheerful melody which appears in the beginning and it is based on a folk song. There is both canonic and contrapuntal activity here. It has a development section and a recapitulation of a genial nature. On the final leaf of his sketches for the quartet, Beethoven mentioned a phrase, "A weeping willow or acacia tree on my brother's grave." It is interesting to note that both his brothers were alive when this work was composed; so, the interpretation is that this phrase has a masonic significance as the acacia is considered to be the symbolic plant in Freemasonry. This work is considered among the finest chamber works of the classical period. This set of three quartets is generally found to be difficult to perform. They were written in a span of six months.

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Verdi Otello Karajan


https://youtu.be/L45YKMxOFjA This was an opera written by Verdi in his last years. It is his penultimate opera. The libretto for this opera was written by Arrigo Boito who is famous for his opera Mefistofele. He also worked on several other libretti for other composers. It is a mighty good effort and even Shakespeare would be proud of this opera. The cast, the sets and the orchestra along with its conducting are all excellent. Otello is played by Jon Vickers who delivers with a booming voice. It is well matched for this part. He is a fine actor, too. Mirella Freni plays Desdemona and sings flawlessly. She is also a fine actress. Peter Glossop plays Iago. The sets of this opera are highly effective. The opera was shot partially in Venice and the setting is in a medieval castle that has brilliant murals. You will come across some stunning and lavish sets in this particular production. Karajan does a Hitchcock in the tavern scene in the first act. Karajan has directed this film and conducted the Berlin Philharmonic and the singers in this production. I have never heard any other orchestra play Otello with such aplomb and in these forty one years, I do not think such orchestral playing for this opera has been surpassed. It is simply an outstanding performance. https://youtu.be/n8lM8SjB6eY

Saturday, April 2, 2016

Tchaikovsky Fate Karajan Philharmonia 1954


When the fourth symphony of Tchaikovsky was initially performed in 1878, many among the audience raised a question on whether it was purely a symphony or a symphonic poem. This question then started echoing through the concert halls in Europe. Tchaikovsky had proclaimed the opening motif in this symphony as `fatum' and he made it asthe fate theme. The symphony then went on to become a hot battle ground for the use of a title. I, however, call it FATE as there is a symphonic poem also composed by Tchaikovsky with the title of FATUM. People fail to realise that Tchaikovsky used to suffer with nervous disorder in different forms and these depression bouts were strongest during the time that he was composing this symphony. He was going through nervous strains and all thse are reflected in this music. He was also trying to recover from a marriage that proved disastrous for him. It resulted almost in a mental breakdown. He recuperated by retreating to Lake Geneva and to Italy. He was able to work peacefully on the symphony as a result of the financial support from Nadejda von Meck, his benefactress. She remained his admire and correspondent. They never met during his lifetime as per terms of the agreement they had made with each other. Tchaikovsky referred to the opening motif as `Fate' and acknowledged openly that he was inspired by Bethoven's Fifth Symphony. In Beethoven's symphony, fate is a participant whereas in this symphony, fate is only an onlooker. The opening motif gives way to the first waltz subject; it has a depressive mood. The despair builds up in intensity. Comfort is found in the second subject on the clarinets, accompanied by a counterpoint in the cellos. At the climax, fate intervenes again as the coda is full of despair. The second movement is a lesson in melancholia. You may feel that it is an old person remembering his youthful days. The first andantino theme is given by the oboe and the second theme is given by the strings in low-pitched octaves. The scherzo is unique in all the symphonic repertoire as it is a marvellous exhibition of lightness, marked by pizzicatos on the strings. It highlights the fantasy of an intoxicated mood. The middle section has an unusual structure with dissimilar halves; you have a rustic theme on the winds which is followed by brass playing staccato. The finale bursts on to the scene to drive away personal sorrows to experience happiness. It comes like a tornado and then gives way to a Russian folk tune, 'In the fields stood a birch tree'. This theme has also been used by Mily Balakirev in his `Overture on Russian Themes'. Fate appears for the last time before the symphony concludes on a majestic note. This symphony is an exercise in master orchestration. People talk bullshit about aesthetics and ask various questions about whether it is a symphony; the answer to them is a YES. It is a symphony with effective orchestration and ornamental details. This 1954 performance by Karajan and the Philharmonia Orchestra of London is a fine document of this great symphony.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Violin Concerto of Beethoven in D Major


https://youtu.be/f8yZu9tSX7E Ludwig van Beethoven composed his D Major Violin Concerto in 1806. It was published as Opus 61. He wrote it with his violinist friend, Franz Clement, in mind. Clement gave its premiere performance on 23rd December 1806 in the Theater An Der Wien as part of a benefit concert for himself. It was a failure as, surprisingly, the audience was not so interested in it. Part of the failure was attributed to the fact that Beethoven finished writing the solo part very late and Clement had to do sight reading for most of his performance. Also, Clement interrupted the concerto between the first and the second movement with a solo composition of his own which he played on just one string of the violin, holding it upside down. I would venture to guess that it was the first violin concerto that could be deemed as solemnly serious and demanding of spiritual attention and the mass was not ready for it. I feel that they may have been flummoxed by the length and the breadth of the movements with their serious messages. This great violin concerto was pushed into obscurity during Beethoven’s lifetime and it was only revived in 1844 by Joseph Joachim who played it under Mendelssohn with the London Philharmonic. It was finally accepted and since then, it has remained as one of the widely performed in the violin repertoire. Prior to 1806, Beethoven had written numerous compositions for violin and orchestra. He had written two Romances for violin and orchestra in F Major and G Major. In 1792, he even contemplated writing a concerto for violin in C Major. A fragment of its first movement had survived but lost after his death in 1827. It was never completed nor published. Many musical critics have explained that the opening of the first movement in martial style with the timpani beat was an influence of the French style at that time, exemplified by Pierre Rode. The broken sixth and the broken octaves that follow the timpani beats are representative of the style of music written by Kreutzer and Giovanni Viotti. As a result of the failure of the concerto during its initial performance, Muzio Clementi advised Beethoven to revise the concerto and produce a version for pianoforte and orchestra and the result was the Opus 61A creation. The concerto is made up of three movements – Allegro ma non troppo in D Major > Larghetto in G Major > Rondo/Allegro in D Major. It is scored for a solo violin, flute, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, strings and timpani. Besides Beethoven’s cadenzas for the first and the third movements, other violinists who have written their own cadenzas are Joseph Joachim and Fritz Kreisler. Alfred Schnittke has written cadenzas with a modern flavour. The format of the first movement is one of the greatest examples that could be given of the sonata structure during Beethoven’s creative second period. You have to be aware of the fact that the length of this movement is as long as the full concertos or symphonies of Haydn and Mozart. Beethoven articulates every theme and gives it a distinct character. The importance of every theme could be grasped as soon as it is presented. He develops the movement material from a simple six-motif combination of A, B, C, D, E and F. He has created one of the most sublime compositions with this movement in the history of concerto music. You can say that this movement is a fine example of how to achieve an ideal equilibrium in compositions.

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Beethoven Archduke Piano Trio No. 7 in B Flat Major


https://youtu.be/Nl8H9_7y7-g The Piano Trio in B-flat major, Op. 97, by Ludwig van Beethoven is a trio for piano, violin, and cello. It was composed in 1811.It belongs to Beethoven's middle period of creativity. It is called `Archduke' as it was dedicated to Archduke Rudolph of Austria, the youngest of twelve children of Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor. Rudolf was an amateur pianist and a patron student of Beethoven. He has eceived a total of fourteen composition dedications from Beethoven. The work is in four movements: Allegro Moderato/ Scherzo (Allegro)/ Andante cantabile ma però con moto - Poco Piu Adagio/ Allegro Moderato – Presto.

Saturday, March 12, 2016

The Dark Mirror


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm-TDYFrrRI The Twin Face of Good and Evil This is a psychological thriller made by Robert Siodmak in 1946. It features Olivia de Havilland playing a double role as twins (Terry and Ruth Collins) and Lew Ayres playing a psychiatrist. A doctor is murdered and Lieutenant Stevenson played by Thomas Mitchell questions Terry who has been seeing the doctor, sensing that she may be keeping some secret from him. He faces a challenge when he meets her identical twin sister (Ruth). The biggest puzzle is presented when the sisters start to pose as each other. It is certain that one of the twins has committed the murder but no one knows who the psychotic one is. The sister who is suspected provides genuine alibis while the one who looks mild does not have an alibi. This was a favourite theme in Hollywood in the nineteen forties. Directors latched on to the Freudian concept of the good and evil twins. This is one of Olivia de Havilland’s best performances after `Gone with the Wind’. It is very likely that she has drawn on her own rivalry with her real life sister, Joan Fontaine. This is a great thriller. Watch it. You will be kept on your seats by the great score given by Dimitri Tiomkin and Frank Skinner.

Friday, March 11, 2016

My Favourite Swan Lake Performance


https://youtu.be/OQvISdUX9kE For Swan Lake, this was an ideal partnership and I have not seen a better performance of this ballet anywhere, ever since. Swan Lake remained a special ballet in the career of Rudolf Nureyev. He danced in the role of Prince Siegfried in 1963 with the Royal Ballet and that production was staged by Nicholas Sergeyev who was the former stage manager of the Maryinsky Theatre. Nureyev gave the role his own identity. He redefined this character by going against the boring and colourless interpretations. Thanks to Nureyev, the male dancer in this ballet now became the equal of the female star. Margot Fonteyn was his perfect match and he danced with her first in 1963 at the Champs Elysees Theatre in Paris.Nureyev has imposed not only is charisma and his skills throughout his career in numerous versions of Swan Lake but he has also danced on some occasions in the role of evil Rothbart, the sorcerer. My favourite performance is with the Vienna Opera dancers and Vienna Symphony Orchestra under the direction of John Lanchbery. Fonteyn and Nureyev created the original choreography of Le Lac Des Cygnes under the direction of Nureyev with costumes and decors done by Nicholas Georgiadis. This film was captured by Unitel in 1964 and the production became an artistic mega event. At the final performance of the premier in Vienna, Fonteyn and Nureyev received eighty nine curtain calls and this is the highest number that has ever been taken, anywhere.