Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan

Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan is a subtle, moving book about espionage. There is a touch of oxymoron about that, somewhere. No-one is killed. There are no guns. No-one is shot, poisoned, dismembered or tortured, at least not physically, within these pages. There's plenty of anguish, however, but this is usually personal and more often than not self-inflicted. Sweet Tooth demonstrates that drama, excitement and suspense can be generated by a plot that puts people and their relationships at the fore. After all, intelligence is born of people's thoughts, and is rarely generated by bullets or car chases.

Sirena Frome (rhymes with plume) has been brought up with her sister by a Church of England Bishop as father, married to a rather frumpish wife. The background is dismissed quickly, but returns occasionally. Ian McEwan via Sirena tells us that it's not important. What is significant is Sirena's love of reading and associated ability to absorb texts at speed and, alongside that, her seemingly innate facility for mathematics. She just can't see the problems that others refuse. She ought to have studied English, but pragmatism choses the mathematics option and Cambridge embraces her, though not happily. She is no ordinary mathematician, as her university is soon to find out.

It must also be noted that Sirena Frome (rhymes with plume) was also a child of the sixties and has developed a liberal approach to and a distinct taste for sex. She is blonde, young and desirable, certainly not dumb. Wherever she goes, it seems not to take long before sensuality bubbles to a boiling surface.

And thus Sirena leads her author, Ian McEwan, into several relationships of varying frequency, quality and intensity. There's a bloke who realises, through her, that he prefers other blokes. There's an affair with an older man, a Cambridge tutor with a complex marriage and, as it turns out, other complexities as well. There is a colleague in her first job, facilitated by her complex older man, who gets nowhere with Sirena and leaves for pastures elsewhere. And there is Tom Hanley, a writer who develops a style that really hits the spot.

Sirena's relatively brief fling with the older Cambridge tutor leads to a recommendation that she should apply for a job with the Civil Service. And this is not to be any old filing clerk position, but something with one of those secret outfits, MI5, no less. The talk and gossip about the office and the papers concentrates on some weighty issues of the day - miners' strike, three-day weeks, Provisional IRA activities in Northern Ireland. As a woman, Sirena Frome believes she is probably at a disadvantage when the tasks are given out, with the big boys allowed to cherry-pick. They just don't take women seriously, it seems, and the jobs they get are jokes.

And Sirena does get a job - cleaning. It leads elsewhere and soon she finds herself at the forefront of intelligence work, reading. Questions arise by chance and, of course, in a world where no-one trusts anyone, there are never any answers, only suggested half-truths. Some of the pieces, however, start to fit, and the picture becomes familiar. A colleague tries it on, but it doesn't work out. He retreats, but skeletons are left in cupboards where we thought there was no furniture.

Sirena's reading is focussed, its aim to decipher, perhaps lead opinion. In the end, isn't intelligence about just that, what we think, what we assume? And who decides that? How is it that one career flourishes, leads to stardom and award, while others, apparently equally talented, wither and die, or at worst, stumble along in anonymity? Is this an area where intelligence services can usefully contribute? Is this a sensible question, given what we already know? And just which writers and works have benefitted in the past from virtual state sponsorship? Some will be revealed, suggested, at least.

This is where Tom Hanley appears. Academic, unlikely and unknown, he has produced some interesting work. It's not especially noteworthy, we might fell, but there is potential. Exactly where might that potential lead? And who might take up the cause to offer support, guidance, influence? And precisely what role might Sirena play?

And it is here that Sweet Tooth displays its remarkable subtlety. It examines the concepts of fame, appreciation, critical acclaim and success, and even the nature of creativity, itself, in surprising ways, never via the head-on anguish we have come to expect. When writers write, who is it that is in control of the process? If art is the imitation of life, what forces shape the reality we experience? When we say we believe something, or adopt an opinion, just how much of it is generated on our behalf so that we might adopt it as a package? And can values be promoted? Of course they can, but by whom, and for what reasons? And who picks up the pieces should the whole thing backfire?

Sweet Tooth continues its way, relating a plot that involves treachery, deceit, double-dealing and a shifting of alliances that might constitute betrayal. At the heart of everything is sex, personal relationships and self-interest, however. The story lives through a passionate relationship between the clandestine Sirena and her writer. Though she desires permanence, Sirena can never reveal exactly who she is to her lover. Can he be open with her?

The novel thus presents a story related from a distant future, a reminiscence of what might have been. Throughout, Ian McEwan's prose is nothing less than a joy, delicately transparent and arrestingly vivid at the same time. But, by the end, we are not even sure whose book has been written, or even who the real writer might have been. Until, that is, we immediately start it all over again. And then...

Philip Spires

Author of One On One, a romantic espionage thriller

http://www.philipspires.co.uk

Philip Spires is author of One On One, an espionage romance thriller set on an island in the South China Sea. Christine Gardiner has an assignment to interview Tom Cartwright. He has become the world's richest man by trading markets in a way that no-one understands. She has come to see if she can uncover his secrets. He has refused all previous media contact, but Christine and he share a past he wants to relive. There are questions that he too wants answered.

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What Fascinates Us in Macabre Stories? The Stories (and Life) of Edgar Allan Poe Provide a Clue

The Shadow, the Unconscious and Dreams

When I taught university students a variety of psychological classes, I always took pleasure in giving a seminar on "The Shadow, the Unconscious and Dreams". If you wonder, what's the relation of these three to one another, well, through your dreams you can get in touch with your shadow and unconscious and therefore become aware of yourself, of those parts in you which until now you have denied and rejected as part of "who you are". Then, when you are self-aware, you are more empowered to live your life to the fullest.

The "shadow" in each one of us

Whether we like it or not, in each one of us there is a "shadow"- those parts of us which we deny and reject as being part of us. These parts - characteristics, thoughts and emotions - are usually those which make us shamed, anxious, afraid and uncomfortable. These can be "negative" feelings - such as jealousy, cruelty, sexuality, aggressiveness, etc. - feelings which we think are not socially valued. These can also be personal characteristics which we possess yet prefer to deny as part of ourselves, such as controlling, stinginess, egoism, stubbornness, etc.

But as much as we reject these from being part of us, we nonetheless are attracted to and fascinated by stories (as well as films) which depict such feelings and characteristics.

Becoming aware of yourself, of those parts in you which you have denied and rejected as part of "who you are" is therefore a first step in being empowered to live your life to the fullest, as well as better able to develop successful personal and professional relationships.

The shadow as being reflected in Edgar Allan Poe's stories

When we understand the concept of the "shadow" we can then understand what makes the stories of Edgar Allan Poe so fascinating to us. They are macabre in nature; delve into the mysteries of our soul; depict episodes which make us fearful and anxious, on the one hand, yet motivate us to keep reading, hoping to "discover" what's happening, curious to know what the end will be.

Poe's life and stories
Some literary critics say that a "great writer" (a definition of "a great writer" is still being continuously debated... ) is one whose life was in a shamble. They mention authors such as the French writer Honoré de Balzac, the American writer Truman Capote and the Norwegian writer Knut Hamsun (famous for his book "Hunger").

Edgar Allan Poe, an American author (1809 - 1849) can certainly be included in this category. Dying at the young age of 40 his life was a continuous struggle with complex problems and relationships (it is interesting to note the similarity between Poe the writer to the Nederland's painter Van Gogh [1853 - 1890] who died at the age of 37 and, just like Poe, has had a hard life, part of which was attributed to his mental illness).

Peter Ackroyd's biography "Poe: A Life Cut Short"

The complexity of Poe's life is adequately described in Peter Ackroyd's biography "Poe: A Life Cut Short" (2009). Although written in a chronological order, it nonetheless begins with Poe's tragic death, the reason being that his death is, in some respect, a symbol of Poe's life as a continuous accumulation of one misery after another. Not only was Poe financially poor for most of his life, he was also "disillusioned" about his attempts at intimate relationships with women. It seems like his macabre psychological stories are a mirror to his own soul, reflecting his own misery (as well as mirroring the "shadow" which exists in each one of us).

Throughout his short life Poe was engaged with many "vocations": a soldier, a journalist, an editor, always busy producing stories after stories. But moving from one vocation to another, from one relationship to another, must have been intrinsically related to the inner stress by which he was engulfed.

Ackroy'd book is a fascinating chronological account of Poe's life vis-à-vis the societal-cultural times in which he lived. Fascinating as well is the realization that the miseries Poe has endured throughout his life are not unique to his times: other human beings throughout history have suffered and might still be suffering a similar existence. What makes Poe unique, though, is his virtuosity as a writer, his diversity of style and themes, which Peter Ackroyd has so artistically painted in front of our eyes.

Poe's tormented soul, his complex relationships with women - due to his complex relationships with himself! - his gambling and alcohol problems are coming to life in Ackroyd's book, a page-turner biography, depicting a complex personality which is in a constant struggle with its inner as well as outer world, to the bitter end...
Poe's "demons" and "shadow" have not only tormented him all his life, but, being an artist, came to life in his many stories. In such he, as a writer, might have been different from many of us who are not artists in nature and do not have the means to express our own shadow and demons. Being unable to express these is driving many of us to reject them, denying their existence in us. Nonetheless, they often surface uncontrollably and without our awareness (for example: in our projections and judgements), therefore harming our relationships.

We are better equipped to deal with our own issues than Poe was

Poe might not have had sufficient means to deal with his complex psychological issues, except to express them in his writings (not always being aware of the fact that his writings reflect his own issues). We, on the other hand, living in the 21st century, might be better encircled with various means by which we can become aware of our own shadow, demons and psychological issues, learn how to cope with them and become able to stop them from tormenting us, thus moving on to developing a quality life and healthy relationships.

Doron Gil, Ph.D., an expert on Self-Awareness and Relationships, is a university teacher, workshop leader, counsellor and consultant, and the author of: "The Self-Awareness Guide to a Successful Intimate Relationship. The book includes more than 200 real-life anecdotes illustrating how to become conscious and empowered to develop a healthy and satisfying intimate relationship: http://www.amazon.com/Self-Awareness-Guide-Successful-Intimate-Relationship/dp/143925141X/

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New World Order Conspiracy Theory

The new world order is a conspiracy theory that tends to explain the emergence of a one world government sometime in the future. These conspiracies have culminated to other connections especially the end of the world theory. The common subject on the new world order is however related to a power elite group of people functioning in secrecy to eventually take over the world where the sovereign nations or states will be no more. These ideologies are encompassed by the procedural performance of history into addressing certain matters of economy, governance and politics in addition to wars as well as finance. The new world order has had different conspiracies over the years. In the 1990s, the entire belief was related to the end of times and an anti-government rights group from the United States. The end of the world conspiracy was interrelated with the coming of the Antichrist. The antichrist is said to rule the nations by fulfilling the writings in the Bible.

The term the new world order is not that old and neither is it that new. In the early 20th century, various statesmen used this term to refer to a new age of politics where power will be cost shared to equal balances. Other unfounded fears that culminated to the emergence of these conspiracies were for example the illuminati, free masons and the Jews getting connected to a new world conspiracy that would eventually turn catastrophic according to skeptics. The illuminati for example were as a result of a German socialist who intended to teach rationalism in mystery schools. The major objective of this group was also connected to revolutionaries of the world leadership and the upbringing of new ruling techniques. In many of the theories that connect the antichrist to the end of the world, it is said that the he will be the last pope. This is a conspiracy theory that continuously became common in the early 21st century as opposed to the fact that the antichrist may also be the leader of the European Union or the secretary general of the United Nations.

The illuminati was a conspiracy that was said to have ended in 1785 however it appears as if there are traces that lead back to this cabal even of late. Back in 29th may 1954 at hotel de Bilderberg in Netherlands, a conference was held that lasted for three days. The meeting was supposed to bring two continents together with a plan to promote antilanticism. During this time, the set objective was supposed to better understanding between the United States and Western Europe. Since 1954, Bilderberg group became common and every year, they hold a meeting referred to as the Bilderberg conference to promote the two markets. The club is usually made of about 140 notable guests who come in without invitation. The question is, are these groups having these meetings with a hidden agenda? Is this the coming age that was conceptually spoken about by key figures in the past like Woodrow Wilson? Is the new world order finally here? Well, the only thing we can add on is that time will tell.

For FREE ebooks, videos, downloads, news and articles on esoteric knowledge, spirituality, the paranormal, conspiracies, new age, 2012 and the new world order come to:

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Conspiracy Theory Junkies

There are plenty of Conspiracy theories that occur from events that have happened and then the theories evolve from one source or another and take on a life of their own.

Most of the conspiracies involve a famous person place or thing. The first rule is that it must be a subject that a lot of people have a passion for, either pro or con. Something the public has a lot of hate or love for. In other words; A lot of emotion is a large component of the ingredient that stirs one up inside. A story that becomes a conspiracy theory might have been in the news and has literally captivated the masses. It can be an individual like Marilyn Monroe, She captivated the hearts and minds of America. We hated to see OUR beautiful Marlin Monroe suddenly and UN-expectantly taken from us, after all, how could she just die like the rest of us lowly humans? She was bigger the life. There must have been something behind her death don't you think?

When you think of strength you think of steel, Like Superman. Steel is real hard to bend. I can smash aluminum pretty easily but steel is very strong so when you think of steel melted and flowing like a milkshake it just doesn't register in your mind. So when some think of 9/11 you can't seem to grasp the idea of the World Trade Buildings coming down because the steel support beams melted from the very hot burning Jet fuel. There just has to be another reason why they came down, like maybe a bomb blew them up, or worst; Bush planned it all. I personally don't think the later. But that's a conspiracy theory.

The unexplained can certainly stir ones imagination up. Like," Are we alone in this universe"? Have you ever seen a UFO streaking across the night sky? Some people even tell us how they were abducted and put on an operating table and probed.

What about the H1N1 and the swine flu outbreak? were they released onto society on purpose by some Illuminati or secret skull and Bone society out to depopulate the world. How about the plans for a One World Order? Global warming? is it fact or fiction? Were the statistics manipulated to look like the earth is warming? many scientist secretly don't believe the earth is warming.

Conspiracy theories will continue to develop as long as big events and people are in the mix and there are Conspiracy theory Junkies who like to read about them like you and I.

Kelly Crepeault, the world is full of the unknown. I like to expand my mind and explore all angles of a story. The known and the unknown. [http://www.conspiracytheories247.com]

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The Great Conspiracy Theory Hoax

There is much talk about Conspiracy and the dark motives of world leaders. But, conspiracy theorists are noticeably silent about be the most widespread and virtually unassailable conspiracy. This great conspiracy lies at the root of all our problems.The greatest conspiracy every human being is exposed to, at birth, is the idea that we are the personality. That our body, our emotions and intellect define us. Rare is the person who discovers, within their lifetime, that in fact they have subtle bodies and a spirit. That they are more than the personality.

If we only acknowledge the personality, it inevitably leads to acquisitiveness, greed, violence. We can see this in our individual lives as well as globally. Countries hold secrets that they wish to keep from their 'enemies' and even from those who are ostensibly their friends because they want to protect their interests.

Conspiracy theorists mention the Illuminati, a secret group or 'shadow government' who, allegedly are determined to create a new world order in which the general populace will be subjected to their rule. This group apparently has its roots in the past as well as the present. Many prominent people who have great financial clout, are said to be found amongst its members.

Leaving aside the discussion as to whether these theories hold water or not, the fact is that Cosmic Intelligence is far more powerful than any group on earth. To paraphrase Jesus' words, when he was threatened by his enemies with death, he said 'You can have no power over me unless God or the Invisible world, allows you to'.

Cosmic Intelligence is supreme. There is a plan for the evolution of the planet and if we wander too far from it, then Cosmic Intelligence with put us back on track in no uncertain terms. Civilizations have disappeared in the past if they erred too far.

As Hermes Trismegistus said 'That which is above is like that which is below'. Above and below are also within and without, he was talking about consciousness. So long as humanity, collectively, has the germ of greed, desire for power over others and the pursuit of status, then there will be people on earth who manifest these qualities. The outer world is the reflection of the inner world.

So you could say that countries get the leaders they deserve. A President or a Prime Minister, is a reflection of the sum total of the consciousness of the country. So if a country upgrades its collective consciousness, it will manifest a more evolved leader.

It is not that useful to continually dwell on conspiracy theories. They can be a distraction from the real work humans are called to do. The shattering of our collaboration with the forces of the world and the identification with our true Self, our Spirit is, a conspiracy that is worth challenging.

Duncan Sequeira

For more articles on contemporary spirituality, check Duncan's site at http://www.aquariusteaching.com

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Unique Holidays: Visit the Worlds Historic Battlefields

Visiting battlefields is not only a pastime for the military history buff. The world's battlefields are also poignant reminders of the futility of war and sacrifices made. Pacifists will find them just as moving. Some countries were literally shaped by war and history has been defined by it. Tourists who wish to gain a real knowledge of the countries that they visit will find their understanding enriched by visiting these sites. For some tourists, they may even gain an appreciation why their country and fellowmen were fighting in that war and several have in fallen in battle on the very grounds they are visiting.

Standing on sites where conflicts took place - including some that changed the course of history - brings the past more vividly to life than any book or documentary and can be an unforgettable experience. In Britain, literature fans can visit the sites of historical and famous battles and stand on the very ground of historical battles that have been immortalized in words by renowned authors such as Shakespeare and other renowned authors or poets.

At some much older sites, they provide other unique activities such as joining part of ongoing archaeological work being done at the site or any current restoration efforts.

For many people, war has taken its toll on their own families within living memory. Visiting those sites can be an emotional pilgrimage to pay homage to fallen comrades or relatives. Without visitors and remembrance, those sites will not live on. Tourist revenues are crucial to their maintenance and continuing existence.

Battlefields Around the World

It says a lot about humanity and the accompanying violence that has characterized human history that in almost every country there can be found a battlefield and/or monument, particularly with accompanying cemeteries in honor of the dead and fallen. Many have been carefully conserved, with site museums providing detailed information.

The World Wars

World War I, the war that was supposed to have ended all wars, has the distinction of having its battle sites being the most visited sites in the world. The meticulously maintained sites in the regions of Ypres, the Somme and Arras are heavily visited. In Asia, another much-visited World War site is Gallipoli, near Troy. This peninsula was the site of half a million casualties, of whom 100,000 died, in the 1915-16 conflict there.

World War II sites are also popular tourist destinations, with a large of its visitors being surviving veterans of that conflict. Normandy and the D-Day beaches, Arnhem (the battle that was the subject of the award-winning film 'A Bridge Too Far') and sites in Italy also feature strongly. Some specialist tour companies will design custom tours for veterans and their descendants to revisit places of significance.

Vietnam

More recent wars are commemorated in other Asian countries where they occurred. The Vietnam War is sill fresh in the memories of many Americans and those people who lived through it, whether as participants or as spectators of a global event unfolding in their televisions screens on live newscasts.

Both sides having buried the hatchet, many Vietnam vets now return to remember the events of three decades ago as some form of pilgrimage or effort at closure or healing. They are also able to see the other side of the conflict, at sites such as the Cu Chi Tunnels, a subterranean complex built by Viet Cong fighters near Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City).

Anglo-Boer and Anglo Zulu Wars

Deeper in the past, the late nineteenth century was another war-torn era. In Africa, the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, attracts many tourists eager to see the battlefields of the Anglo-Boer and Anglo-Zulu wars. Perhaps most famous are the Anglo-Zulu war battlefields of Rorke's Drift where a handful of British soldiers resisted a massive onslaught by Zulu warriors and Isandhlwana where the British Army suffered one of its most devastating defeats in its proud history.

India

India too has its own share of battle sites. A day trip from Kolkata takes tourists to the site of the 1757 Battle of Plassey; a battle that helped established the British presence in India. Near Delhi, the Meerut Cemetery is one site commemorating the Indian Mutiny of 1857, while the terrible Massacre at Amritsar in 1919 is commemorated in the Punjabi City.

America

Visitors to America can choose amongst hundreds of battlefield sites dating to the Civil War. Most famous is Gettysburg, which has been restored and has pride of place amongst American monuments.

Battlefields belonging to another dimension of American history (and other places worldwide where colonialism operated) includes those where colonizers clashed with indigenous peoples. One famous site is at Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota, where Lakota Sioux clashed with the U.S. Army in 1890, resulting in the deaths of three hundred men, women and children. The site of the Battle of Little Big Horn in Montana is another site commemorating a conflict that every American learns about.

Britain

Britain is also replete with battlefields that have been immortalized in literature. They include Bannockburn, a key battle in the Scottish fight for independence. In Leicestershire is the site of the Battle of Bosworth Field, where Richard III fell in 1485, according to Shakespeare, declaiming 'A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!' Culloden is another famous Scottish battlefield, where Bonny Prince Charlie fought in the Stuart Uprisings to challenge the Hanoverian kings on the English throne.

Battlefields, though reminders of a violent past, are not necessarily maudlin places. For alongside the violence, death, pain and horrors of battle, you will also find tales and instances of courage, honour, dedication, compassion, chivalry and inspiration.

2011 Moira G Gallaga©

Recently resigned civil servant from the Philippine Foreign Service. Specializes in Protocol and served 3 Philippine Presidents as Presidential Protocol Officer. Assigned along with her diplomat husband and son in Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles and Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C. for 6 and a half years.

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The Battle of Stamford Bridge

In 1066 the battle of Hastings wasn't the only battle that King Harold Godwinsson fought. Less than twenty days prior to that famous battle, he had no choice but to fight another battle in the north of England against an enemy that was as strong and equally as determined to wrest the throne of England from his grasp. That enemy was Haraldur (Hard Ruler) Sigurosson the king of Norway who claimed he had a right to the throne via a treaty between his nephew Magnus and King Knutur, the son of King Canute who had a claim on the throne of England.

Haraldur gathered a fleet of two hundred ships and sailed for the north of England, where he met up with the Earls of Orkney and Scotland. In addition Harold Godwinssons own brother, Tostig the deposed Earl Of Northumbria, who was after having his Earldom reinstated, joined him. This brought the fleet up to three hundred ships, carrying nine thousand men. The fleet swept down the northeast coast harrying
the Yorkshire towns of Cleaveland, Scarborough and Holderness, before turning into the Humber and sailing up the Ouse, to land at Riccall.

Warned of Haraldur's coming the Earl of Northumbria, Morcar and the Earl of Mercia, Edwin, had joined forces and waited for him at Gate Fulford. It was the 20th of September when the two sides met and with a mighty crash the shield walls came together. Both sides fought long and hard and lost many men, but as evening neared the Norwegians broke through the English wall and the survivors fled the field.

York capitulated in an effort to prevent the city being sacked and Haraldur believing that King Harold would be unable to move north while being under threat of invasion in the south, took hostages and negotiated for supplies to be delivered. The City readily agreed his terms. (There were many in York who supported his cause, after all, up until only twenty-four years prior a Danish King had ruled the city.) Leaving one third of his force under the command of Eystein Orre at Riccall, to guard the ships, Haraldur and Tostig marched with the rest to the cross roads at Stamford Bridge. The bridge was the designated meeting place, where hostages and supplies would be exchanged.

When King Harold heard of the defeat at Gate Fulford, he gathered his army and together with his brother Gyrth, set off on a forced march towards the north. As the army raced northwards, men from Mercia and Yorkshire joined them and in four days they were in Tadcaster, an amazing feat.

The 25th of September was a sunny day and by late morning believing there was no danger Haraldur's men removed their helmets and chain mail and lay relaxing on the banks of the Derwent. They were expecting a delegation with supplies from the direction of York, instead Harold and his army appeared. Surprised and outnumbered Haraldur sent for reinforcement and after setting up a rearguard to hold the bridge, moved hurriedly to the higher ground.

Harold offered to reinstate his brother as Earl of Northumbria, but when Tostig asked what lands he would grant Haraldur, King Harold replied that since the Norwegian was an exceptionally tall man he would grant him seven feet of ground. Tostig turned down the offer and remained with Haraldur.
Before the main battle could begin the rearguard had to be dealt with. The rearguard fought bravely, but was soon overwhelmed, all bar one man, a great axe wielding Norseman who held the centre of the narrow bridge. Dozens of men went against him and all were cut down, until eventually a warrior crept beneath the bridge and stabbing upwards through the gaps in the decking speared him in the groin. An ignoble end to a brave warrior, but his sacrifice gave Norwegians time to prepare their shield wall.

With the axe man taken care of the English streamed across the bridge, formed into line, moved uphill and shield wall to shield wall the battle proper began. All afternoon the battle raged with neither side gaining the upper hand, until Haraldur, filled with blood lust surged forward in front of his men and hacking left, right and centre, forged his way into the English line almost causing a rout. Unfortunately at this point his luck ran out and he was struck in the throat by an arrow.

King Harold seized on this and offered his brother the chance to surrender, Tostig refused and using Haraldur's battle flag, 'Land Waster' as a rallying point, urged the Norsemen to fight on; which they did for a while. But by the time the exhausted reinforcements arrived from Riccall, Tostig was dead, the army beaten and all they could do was make a hard pressed fighting retreat. In the end Harold granted those that were left, including Olaf, Haraldur's son, quarter and they were allowed to leave. Of the three hundred ships that arrived to do battle, only twenty-four ships filled with men returned to Norway. A resounding victory for King Harold and his army, but within a few days they would be on their way south to fight another battle and this time they wouldn't be so lucky.

Copyright Fred Watson 2008

Fred Watson published his first book, a fantasy adventure novel aimed at the 8-12 age group in November 2006. A grandfather of four, he loves to write for all age groups, has an abiding interest in history and continues on a regular basis to add new stories etc to his website. Footprint Publishing

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The Battle of Britain

The summer of 1940 saw World War II come to the skies of England as the RAF bravely fought off the onslaught of Hitler's Luftwaffe. After a period known as the 'Phoney War', Hitler had ordered his forces to invade other European countries and there was little resistance in Belgium, Holland and France.

Operation Dynamo had seen around 300,000 men of the British Expeditionary Forces plucked to safety by a flotilla of ships making the journey from England to Dunkirk over a period of several days. Now Hitler had his sights on England. The white cliffs of Dover were clearly visible as the German High Command looked across the English Channel from Calais.

However, until the skies of England were under German control, Hitler could not authorise Operation Sealion - the invasion of Britain. With America being unwilling to join the war at this stage and her Allies conquered, Britain would have to face the Germans alone.

Could Britain hold out until the autumn when the weather would prevent the Germans from crossing the Channel? Britain's hopes lay in the hands of the brave pilots of the Royal Air Force, "The Few" as Churchill later referred to them. It was just British pilots in the RAF, the Commonwealth was represented with pilots from various colonial outposts including South Africa and Rhodesia as well as Poles and even a few Americans.

Hitler sent his bombers over to pound Britain into submission but crucially, their fighter escorts only had the fuel for a few minutes combat before they would have to return leaving the bombers unprotected. For the first time, the Luftwaffe came up against stiff opposition and there was to be no repeat of their rapid victories on the Continent. The British airfields in the south east were taking a hammering until one night in August 1940, a German plane got lost of jettisoned its bombs over London before heading home. In retaliation, the RAF launched a raid over Berlin.

Hitler was furious and ordered his bombers to attack London instead of the RAF airfields. This was a crucial turning point as it gave the RAF some much needed relief. The Luftwaffe failed to gain the upper hand at any point and in mid September, Hitler indefinitely postponed Operation Sealion. The immediate threat of invasion was over and Churchill spoke of the contribution of Fighter Command in a speech "Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few".

The leading fighter ace was Sgt Frantisek from the Czech Republic with a total 17 kills. He flew in a Hawker Hurricane which was the real workhorse of fighter command although everyone remembers the iconic Spitfire. Sgt Frantisek was killed in action in October 1940.

The Battle of Britain was the first time the Germans had suffered a military defeat during World War II.

Rob Atherton
http://www.robatherton.com

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Ireland History - The Battle of the Boyne

The Battle of The Boyne can only be understood properly by first looking at what happened in the siege of Derry

The Siege Of Derry

King James II took over from his brother and converted to Catholicism when he married Mary, the daughter of the Italian Duke of Modena. He had left England in 1679 and did not return for six years until he succeeded to the throne in England. He began the task of restoring the Catholic religion in both England and in Ireland. He appointed Colonel Talbot as commander of his forces in Ireland and his brother in law, Lord Clarendon as the Lord Lieutenant. Talbot disarmed the mainly Protestant militia and appointed Catholic officers to the army and other important posts within the judiciary. In 1687 Talbot was also made Lord Lieutenant as Clarendon had proved to be a rather weak person. Talbot, now known as the Earl of Tirconnell was a strict Catholic and these actions stirred a panic among Protestants, with many of them leaving their homes and moving to England.

In 1688, Lord Danby sent for Prince William of Orange. Prince William was a Dutch Prince and was married to James's Protestant daughter, also called Mary. The English establishment had panicked when James had a son, and could form part of a Catholic dynasty. When James II heard of William's arrival he instantly fled to France and William took the throne of England without any opposition. William and Mary were declared joint rulers and James was in the court of Louis XIV of France looking for help. Tirconnell had remained in Ireland and had armed the Catholics to help defend Ireland for James II.

The Apprentice Boys

The North of Ireland was populated mainly with English settlers and Protestant soldiers, who sided with Prince William of Orange. The town of Enniskillen refused to admit Talbot and this kicked off the War of the Revolution. Lord Antrim marched to take Derry and the magistrates hesitated as they were uncertain what to do. A number of young apprentice boys, grabbed the keys and managed to shut the gates which prevented Talbot's Jacobite army from entering the city. These apprentice boys were actually in the town as part of a development plan which had been organised by the City of London and its Guilds. Richard Hamilton was then sent to the North to take Ulster as the Protestants had started to make defences and he arrived in Derry in 1689. There ensued what is now known as the Siege of Derry that lasted 105 days.

When James arrived in Kinsale he met with Richard Talbot who had convened a Catholic parliament. He also brought with him some 100 French officers, over 1,000 Irish refugees, arms and ammunition. Patrick Sarsfield was one of the French officers he had brought with him. During the siege of Derry, James went to the parliament and there he repealed Poyning's Law which now allowed full freedom of worship. He also repealed the Act of Settlement. The siege in Derry continued and Hamilton continued to try and take the city. From inside the walls of the city many urged surrender and a Colonel Lundy who was the governor was one such person. So unpopular was that call that he was forced to make his escape over the walls at night and in disguise.

The only hope for those inside the walls of Derry was assistance from troops arriving by sea, as all land was surrounded by Hamilton's men. Finally help did arrive with ships arriving in Lough Foyle under the control of General Kyle. However on seeing the forts lining the banks and seeing a defensive boom structure in the Lough they would not go any further and dropped anchor. For 46 days they waited as the food grew less and less and many people simply began to starve. Finally ships were sent in and crashed through the boom bringing supplies and relief to the town of Derry. The siege was now over and the very next day Hamilton marched his army away. The Jacobites were also defeated at Enniskillen and Sarsfield now moved back to Athlone leaving Ulster firmly in the hand of the Williamites.

The Battle Of The Boyne

The battle at Derry had only been the beginning of the struggle. King William now sent an 80 year old Dutch General called Schomberg who landed in the town of Bangor in the North of Ireland. He had brought with him some 15,000 men who captured Carrickfergus and then made his base in Dundalk. He did suffer heavy losses and was forced to seek reinforcements. His army was also badly affected by sickness. A year later on the 14th June 1690 Prince William landed at Carrickfergus with an assorted bunch of troops from Germany, Denmark and some French Huguenots. The key thing was that there were 35,000-40,000 in total, all of whom were well armed and very well equipped.

James did have 25,000 that included some still loyal English regiments, some Irish and the French troops sent by Louis XIV. James had advanced from Dublin to Dundalk and was now on the south bank of the river Boyne. Probably the most significant fact was that the Irish army was mainly recruits who were poorly armed and drilled and with a leader who was not that skilful or indeed resolute. William was however recognised as one of the best generals of all time and under his command he had a larger army who were well trained and well armed.

William was injured from a cannon shot and many on the Irish side believed him to be dead. The two sides went into battle at the River Boyne in County Meath on 1st July 1690, when William's army started to cross the river. William had sent 10,000 men under the command of General Douglas to cross some five miles up the river, an area which although James had been warned, had decided to leave unguarded. The rest of the army attacked at four different places.

The Blue Dutch guards under the leadership of General Schomberg attacked at the centre of James'a army and Schomberg was killed when shot in the neck by a bullet fired from a musket. The battle now raged up and down the river for about a mile with William fighting lower down at Drogheda. Although the Irish army offered resistance they were no match for William's army and a decisive victory was won by William. The Irish army retreated back towards Dublin and James fled at the first signs of defeat. It caused Sarsfield to announce, "Change kings and we will fight you over again."

James made his retreat when he reached Kinsale and headed back to Brest in France leaving Tirconnell to do what he could. This battle is still celebrated today on the 12th July by what are known as Orangemen so called after Prince William. The reason for the latter date is due to the change from the Julian calendar to the Gregory Calendar in 1752.

Enda McLarnon http://northern-ireland-history.blogspot.com/

I am an avid reader of anything to do with the history of Ireland and Northern Ireland in particular.

This includes the Northern Ireland Troubles.

If you like what you have read and want to find out more then please visit my site at Northern Ireland History

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The Battle of Culloden and Chess Strategy

The beginnings of chess set pieces lie in military folklore and an examination of the modern game of chess shows parallels with the strategy of war.

It seems likely that even a modern senior military officer would easily see how battles often take on the guise of a lethal game of chess. For this reason it seems appropriate that some of the best chess sets for sale have the theme of famous historical battles.

A good example would be the battle of Culloden, fought on 16 April 1746 as the culmination of the Jacobite rebellion of the Highland Scots against the English king.

The Highland army was led by Prince Charles Edward Stuart ('Bonny Prince Charlie') who had arrived in Scotland from France the year before with the promise that he could break Scotland away from the union with England. Of course this would involve Prince Charles himself becoming king.

The battle thus took place with a background of two royal houses: that of Hanover and the Stuarts. Two men played out strategy: Prince Charles Stuart and the English commander, William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland the son of King George II.

Sadly for the Highland hopes, Cumberland was clearly the better player of his chess set pieces as he was experienced in war having fought with his army on the continent during the previous three years. Although he could be harsh, Cumberland was well liked by his hardened troops and his influence had ensured his men had the best equipment available.

Prince Charles was not at all experienced in strategy, not even that of the best chess set. He did have the use of Lord George Murray however. Murray had been in the army since 1712 and was an experienced rebel having already been a prisoner of the English and then escaping to the continent for a number of years.

The enthusiasm and passion of the rebels had produced results previously. The Highland army had driven deep into England as far as Derby (only 100 miles from London) and had caused panic in the capital. However stretched supply lines and rumours of an advancing army caused the Jacobites to turn for home.

The English army had faced the Jacobites previously, most notably at the Battle of Falkirk in January 1746. This battle finished unsatisfactorily for the English and in a slightly confusing manner for the Jacobites. Following this messy defeat, the English commander, Lieutenant General Henry Hawley, was removed from his position and replaced by the Duke of Cumberland.

This is when the campaign changed direction.

Immediately Cumberland took his army north from its base in Edinburgh to Aberdeen. He took the coastal route in order to ensure his troops could be resupplied from the sea. Arriving unmolested in Aberdeen, the Hanoverian army halted in the town for some weeks, taking advantage of the rest for some intensive training, particularly in the use of the bayonet. This is the first recorded instance of such formal training taking place.

At this point it is worth pointing out that although the romantic telling of the Jacobite rebellion story (originating with the Victorians) has the armies neatly divided into the English and the Scots and Catholic versus Protestant, this was not the case. The English army contained a large number of lowland Scots who were happy to pursue their own long-running feuds against the highlanders and this partly explains the ferocity of the battle and the aftermath. Equally there were some Presbyterian Scots in the Highland army. Some regular Scots, Irish and French soldiers completed the Highland army's numbers.

However his army was comprised, Prince Charles had them scurrying around Scotland while the English were in Aberdeen, making raids on key targets and harrying the enemy.

Sadly the Highland army was not as well founded as their opposition. Many of the highlanders missed their homes and had been slipping away since the battle of Falkirk and the army that remained suffered from poor organisation and internal feuds. Supplies were short and so rations were restricted.

Dissent between senior officers was a constant feature and Prince Charles was not able to resolve disputes. Charles' adjutant chose the battlefield on a stretch of open moorland despite protests from Lord George Murray and others.

The Hanoverian army arrived in Nairn to the northeast of the Highlanders and on 15 April 1746 they celebrated the Duke of Cumberland's birthday. The Highland army attempted an attack on their opponents that night to catch them unawares.

Once again bad planning thwarted the Highlanders and they got lost in the bogs and darkness. At no stage did they get near to Nairn and finally had to retreat to Culloden as dawn broke, hungry and exhausted.

By contrast the Hanoverian army was well fed and rested and awoke early the next day and set off for Culloden. An advance party including Campbell highlanders found the Highland army and the alarm was raised.

The Highland army numbering some 5000 men lined up across the moor with the few guns they had in the centre and on the flanks.

At around noon, the Duke's army of 8000 appeared on the moor. They had marched ten miles and arrived in perfect formation to halt 300 metres from the rebel lines. One regiment of foot took up position behind a wall set at right angles to the field of battle and prepared to fire into the flanks of the advancing Jacobites. It was yet another failure of rebels' senior officers that they did not heed Lord George Murray's warning about the strategic role of this wall.

The Hanoverian guns, placed among and behind the front lines, began to bombard the Jacobite army. Charles expected Cumberland to order a charge but this did not happen. Charles dithered as the guns ripped holes in his army and their morale.

At last he ordered his army to charge and most did, although the MacDonald clan on the left flank refused. The brave highlanders presented a fearsome sight as they ran but they were undone by the choice of battlefield. The Clan Chattan encountered boggy ground and had to veer right to avoid it. This made them cross in front of their compatriots and forced them all towards the wall running alongside. The Hanoverian regiment behind the wall duly fired into the charging rebels and inflicted terrible casualties.

Many of the Highlanders reached the enemy positions and terrible hand-to-hand fighting took place. In a strategy worthy of the best player of chess set pieces, Cumberland had kept back reserves and he now committed these to shooting the rebels who made it through the lines of redcoats. Dragoons finally chased off the Jacobites who retreated past the guns behind the wall again.

Prince Charles had seen enough and rode away.

Around 200 Hanoverian soldiers lost their lives, compared to around 1000 of the Jacobites.

The battle of Culloden was played out as if using chess set pieces and the better strategist won. The battle had a major effect on the history of Scotland thereafter.

Next time you pick up your chess set pieces, you might reflect on how great strategy has changed history.

Keith Braithwaite is a generally nosey and opinionated guy but his heart is in the right place. After nearly thirty years in the corporate world and twenty keenly observing direct selling, he is now following his interests in self-development, internet marketing and historical studies. To relax he does like a good game of chess too.

Come over to ChessSetHeaven.com to find out more about this glorious game and discover a quality range of carved chess sets.

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Relocating to Ireland

Entrepreneurs are always of the opinion that the grass is green on the other side of the fence. So they are always on the lookout for exploring new pastures. Relocation becomes an option when it is seen that a particular country is offering better workforce than other countries. Ireland is one of the most favorite countries for business and company relocations. The Irish economy has slowed down after several years of substantial growth - but nowadays there are signs of recovery. So if you consider moving or relocating your business to Ireland, we have some info for you.

Accommodation

The land is divided into 32 counties. These counties offer both residential as well as commercial properties for sell, rent or lease. Ireland real estate has been a booming industry thanks to the influx of investors, business houses and companies that are moving to Ireland for a lot of years, but as with many countries in Europe - the price of property has dropped back to more realistic levels.

Nowadays you have many options to choose from when it comes to properties. It is better to start looking for a property at least a year before you actually head towards Ireland. You can opt for apartments, farms, townhouse, county home, cottage or terrace house at affordable rates. The real estate agents will make sure that you get these properties in a hassle free procedure.

Jobs and Business

Ireland has a favorable attitude towards business: The corporate tax in Ireland is set at 12.5%, significantly lower than most other countries. Ireland has experienced an economic boom for a few years thanks to many companies that were relocating to Ireland. But the last few years were more difficult there.

Finding work or starting a new business is not as easy as it was 5-6 years ago at the height of the boom. But there are still a lot of job vacancies and excellent job prospects in Ireland. The best lucrative jobs in Ireland can be available in the six booming sectors of Ireland. These are the IR sector, the tourism sector, the health sector, the education sector, real estate and the green sector that deals in renewable energies.

Higher Education

Ireland has gained international reputation as a country that provides quality education. The hospitality of the local people, the warmth and friendliness in their attitude, the supportive learning environments, the flexibility in the course and the safe atmosphere has made many students consider the option of studying in Ireland. The Dublin City University, the Trinity College Dublin, the University College Dublin and the University of Limerick are some of the best universities of Ireland.

Ireland offers good accommodation options, high standard education facilities and good job opportunities among all the countries of European Union.

For more information about relocating to Ireland as well as international moving to other European countries please visit our website at http://www.gatewaysmoving.com/

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Five Ways to beat the Carbon Tax in Ireland

With Ireland in the grip of a serious recession and with the Greens in Government waiting to impose a Carbon Tax on anything that moves, there are ways in which families and individuals can protect themselves against these taxes. I am here compiling a number of ways in which to save energy in the home and their lives.

The steps are as follows,

In the home,

1. I would recommend getting a BER Cert as this gives the householder a lot of information on what is needed in the property in order to get it up to standard.

2. I would highly recommend an infrared thermal survey, this is state of the art technology that literally sees cold and captures it in a thermal picture. Essentially thermal imaging is like a x-ray of your property but the essential difference is that it measures the surface temperature of any surface. Example, if you are buying a property in the future it may look good, but how does it perform? Does it leak like a bucket? Thermal imaging will spot these leaks fast and save you thousands on upgrades and energy costs.

3. Check the efficiency of your boiler, there have been major improvements in boiler efficiencies over the last number of years.

4. Energy efficient bulbs are definitely the way forward. They are being phased out in Ireland at the moment due to the EU. However, when you take the example of a 50 watt spot light in the kitchen which is very common in Ireland there are LEDs on the market that give the same light output for 2 watts. This is astonishing and the money it can save consumers.

5. If you are building a house get the key information right and consult an energy consultant. Air Tightness in the home will save you serious money in the long term. Air Tight properties in Austria and Switzerland consume 80% less energy than properties in Ireland. Imagine saving 80% on your heating bill and the carbon tax that you will save.

Above all these are great ways to beat the carbon tax in Cork and all around Ireland. Over the last number of years there have been many properties built to a very poor standard due to a lack of supervision and regulation. I hope that the above steps will be useful to you and help you save money and paying more tax than you have to.

I run my own successful energy consultancy business. I specialize in infrared thermal imaging and provide advice to consumers using this technology. It is a non-invasive way to see air infiltration and missing insulation in the home. I provide this service in Cork City and County in Ireland. You can also source energy efficient bulbs and save 10% for all your needs on my website. For more info log on tohttp://www.dkec.org

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Green Mortgages are on the Increase

Ireland has begun introducing it's first equity release mortgages which will allow homeowners to borrow money so that they can introduce new green technology into their homes. This retrofitting of their homes has recently been launched in February and will enable homeowners to save money and energy by installing these eco friendly technologies within their homes.

Some Irish banks are launching these schemes. This may come as a surprise to some people due to the fact that Ireland suffered badly in the economic meltdown but it shows that green retrofitting is beginning to become noticed in Ireland. It also points towards lenders taking green issues seriously and is wiling to spend money to eventually make it back.

Many property prices in Ireland are continuing to drop but the banks are recognising that if you spend money to save energy in your home then it will reinforce and perhaps increase your property's value. The logic behind the scheme is easily explained due to the spiralling costs of gas, oil and electricity on a monthly basis in the UK and Ireland. Heating your home has never been as expensive as it is today and prices seem to keep going up and up.

How does it work?

In Ireland, as long as you have enough equity in your home and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland has approved your home suitable for a retrofit grant then you qualify; it is as simple as that. It is paid to those undertaking the improvements, this could be anything from extra insulation in your roof or your walls. It also covers a more efficient boiler being installed than the current one in your home. Solar panels heating systems, geothermal heat pumps or wood chip and pellet burners are also classed as being part of an eco retrofit.

In Ireland customers can borrow anything from 5,000 Euros up to a possible 90% of the value of your home. Repayments can be anything from five years up to a possible 30 years. The benefits of this product is that when you combine the retrofit grant from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland with a green equity release loan the customer pays little upfront for the improvements to their home but they notice the savings on their energy bills immediately. However due to the frontloaded interest repayments you do have to make payments straight away to the bank.

In the UK there are also some mortgage lenders who are offering their clients "green mortgages".

Fiona Davies is sales director of http://www.ecofriendlyhomescompany.com
She has worked in the last business for the last ten years.

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How to generate FREE electricity

It is possible to generate free electricity using a magnetic generator.
This could be used to drastically reduce or even eliminate your electricity bill.
It's easy to build, relatively cheap and really works

CLICK HERE for more information

Well and Confident: Do you think you need to lose weight?

Well and Confident: Do you think you need to lose weight?: To determine if you are a healthy weight and if you need to need to lose any. Calculate your Body Mass Index (B.M.I.) BMI = mass / (height...

Convert your gas burning car into an electric car

With petrol becoming more and more expensive and no respite in sight many drivers are looking for someothing else. Is a hybrid or electric car a viable alternative? Will it be reliable? Will it be worth the investment?

It is cheap and easy way to convert a normal car into an electric car

CLICK HERE to find out how

Carbon Credits

"Carbon credits will be the world's biggest market" - New York Times

 Companies and individudals are going green by offsetting their carbon footprints.
Carbon credit brokers are springing up and making good money all the time.


CLICK HERE to find out how you can get involved

How to invest in property without spending any money

Consider this situation.

A property investor identifies ten suitable properties each worth 100K (lets say) and submits a bid of 75K on each one. The details of each of these properties is irrelevent but flats within walking distance of a town centre or a railway station are a good idea. One bid is accepted (there probably will be more) and the developer goes ahead and purchases the property. He pays 12K deposit using short term finance obtained using credit cards and will pay 0% interest on the loan which will be needed for six months at the most.

As soon as possible he applies for and gets an 85% mortgage on the property. He spends 4K on a basic refurbishment and his legal costs are 1K. He has spent approximately 17K acquiring a property which is worth 100K.

He then gets the property revalued and he obtains the original 100K (or close to it) valuation. He then gets a new 85% mortgage on the property which would give him 85K and use it to repay the original 64K mortgage. He has his original 17K back and has a surplus of 4K. He owns a property worth 100K and has paid nothing for it.

He can easily find a tenant and the rent will cover his mortgage. He can sit back and watch the property increase in value. There obviously are blips, but property values increase the vast majority of the time and property is the best investment you can make.

This system would work even better if property values were increasing rapidly. He might get a valuation of 110K and a subsequent 10K increase in profit. If the investor is good at identifying undervalued properties then the profit margin becomes even bigger.

For more business building tips and to download some FREE e-books. click here.

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How to Borrow Money at 0%

Credit cards are great. everybody has one and you can use them to spend other people's money. The disadvantage is that the money must be repaid and it can be very expensive at anything up 20% per year. However, if you are clever you can borrow money on a credit card for practically nothing and get immediate access. It is instantly available money.

The competition for credit card business is immense. There are many many of credit cards available, all attempting to attract customers with different offers e.g. no annual fee, air miles etc. We are only concerned with the Introductory Balance Transfer Rate being offered. You can then use a simple system to borrow money and pay very little for it.

Apply for a credit card that issues credit card cheques. An example of an issuer is Virgin Money but there are others. Not every credit card issues them. Credit card cheques are simply cheques that you write in the same way you would write a personal cheque but they debit your credit card account rather than your bank account. You can then write a cheque to pay for anything you want. You can even buy property.

For any money you borrow using this system you will be charged about 2% of the sum borrowed for the one month you need it. However, you will not have to pay this yourself because you can transfer the whole balance (including the charge) to another card.

Apply for another credit card that offers a low introductory balance transfer rate and there are many available. Choose the lowest transfer rate possible but it is often possible to find one with an Introductory Balance Transfer Rate of 0%. You can now transfer your original balance from the first card to the new one. Do this before the second month of the loan begins to avoid another month's charges on the first card. You now have no balance on your first credit card and a balance on your second card that's attracting an interest rate of 0%.

Apply for another credit card with a low introductory balance transfer rate before the second card's introductory term ends. These Introductory Rates can last anything between five months and nine months or possibly more.

Don't apply for this second card straight away because your application might be rejected. You cannot apply for lots of credit cards at the same time because your application is registered on a central database and all credit card companies have access. Some firms might reject your application if the database shows that you have received another credit card from another company recently. For this reason it is best to stagger your applications over a period of time.

When you have received your third credit card before the Introductory Rate on your second card ends, transfer the balance again. This can be repeated over and over again. You never have to pay more for credit than the rate being offered as Introductory Rates and this will probably be 0%. You just transfer the balance to a new card every six months or so and initially you will pay 0% interest.

When you have exhausted cards that offer 0% you can switch to 1%, 2% or 3% rates. It is still very cheap money.

For more business building tips and to download some FREE e-books. CLICK HERE

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Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

CLICK HERE to download a free gift

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