The Count of Monte Cristo

a very great book

Information of Alexandre Dumas
Alexandre Dumas was one of the most famous French writers of the 19th century. Dumas is best known for historical adventure novels like The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, both written within the space of two years, 1844-45, and which belong to the foundation works of popular culture. Alexandre Dumas was born in Villes-Cotterêts. His grandfather was a French nobleman, who had settled in Santo Domingo (now part of Haiti); his paternal grandmother, Marie-Cessette, was an Afro-Caribbean, who had been a black slave in the French colony (now part of Haiti). Dumas's father was a general in Napoleon's army, who had fallen out of favor.

Summary
The novel begins with the handsome young sailor Edmond Dantes. He has just returned from a journey aboard the Pharaon. The Pharaon's shipowner, M. Morrel, rushes out to meet the ship. He finds that the captain has died en route, and Dantes has assumed the post with admirable skill. He thus plans to make Dantes officially the next captain of the ship.
Dantes future is thus promising. His father's financial situation as well as his own will be greatly ameliorated. In addition, Dantes has plans to marry the beautiful Mercedes who has awaited his return from sea with great anxiety and love.
Dantes will not get the chance to realize his bright future, however. His success has earned him three conspiring enemies. They write a letter falsely incriminating him in a Bonapartist plot (the royalists are currently in power). These three enemies are Danglars, Fernand Mondego, and Caderousse. Danglars will become captain of the Pharaon once Dantes is removed, Fernand aspires to win Mercedes' love, and Caderousse is a jealous neighbor of Dantes.
Perhaps the conspiracy would not have been so successful had not the denunciation fallen into the hands of the public prosecutor, Monsieur de Villefort. This man has nothing personal against Dantes, however, he has Dantes incarcerated as a most dangerous criminal. His policy against Bonapartists must be extremely vigilant in order to counter the reputation of his father. His father is a known Bonapartist, and Villefort is paranoid that this fact shall hurt his career among the ruling royalists. Thus, he throws Dantes, an innocent man, into the Chateau D'If.
Political regimes change, yet Dantes is forgotten. M. Morrel attempts to have him freed, yet to no avail. In prison, Dantes loses hope and decides to starve himself to death. Thankfully, the prisoner in the next cell was building a tunnel to escape. Miscalculations bring the Abbe Faria, to Dantes cell instead of freedom. The two become friends, and the learned Abbe teaches Dantes all his vast knowledge of literature, the sciences and languages. The Abbe also reveals to Dantes the location of an immense treasure on the Isle of Monte Cristo. He hopes Dantes will retrieve this treasure should he escape. When the Abbe dies, Dantes replaces his body with the Abbe's. The Abbe's body bag is thrown into the sea. Dantes is free at last, after fourteen years of imprisonment. Dantes is saved from the sea by Italian smugglers.
Dantes' only reason for living now is to have vengeance upon those who threw his life away. He becomes a smuggler for a time, and finally has the opportunity to retrieve the treasure spoken of by Abbe Faria. He shall use this treasure to calculate the downfall of the four men who imprisoned him. Dantes', now the Count of Monte Cristo, shall calculate his revenge over the next10 years. He has already waited fourteen years, thus he has learned the virtue of patience. These men deserve to suffer. Their downfall shall be all the more destructive if his revenge is not brash, but calculated. Over the next ten years, Monte Cristo conditions himself, and learns of all the details of his enemies past. He also amasses a circle of servants who are forever indebted to him. Using his immense fortune he buys back freedom of men such as Peppino. Luigi Vampa, the great Italian bandit is also indebted to the Count. These men owe the Count their lives, and will prove indispensable to the Count's plans for revenge.
Before exacting revenge, however, the Count rewards the one family that remained true to him. He saves the Morrel firm from financial disaster by providing a diamond and a new ship to the family anonymously.
The count is now ready to exact revenge. He understands his duty to act as divine justice. When the Count is ready to enter Parisien society, and to destroy his enemies, he does so through contact with Albert de Morcerf. This is the son of Count de Morcerf, a new title given to the very same Fernand Mondego who conspired against Dantes. By winning Albert's trust he is introduced to all his former enemies, including Danglars, Count de Morcerf, and Monsieur de Villefort. These men are at the center of social and political life in Paris and are very rich. Monte Cristo's arrival in Paris causes a great stir, for his fortune is immense. None of his enemies recognize him however. In fact, they are all eager to associate with this great man. Mercedes, now the Countess de Morcerf, recognizes him, yet she does not reveal his identity to anyone.
The Count of Monte Cristo also disguises himself as an Abbe and returns to find Caderousse still a poor man. He gives Caderousse a diamond, yet he knows this shall not bring Caderousse happiness. Caderousse's greed is far too great. The diamond is part of Caderousse's slow punishment. First, Caderousse kills a jeweler, his wife, and is then thrown into prison. The Count, disguised as a Lord Wilmore, later helps Caderousse escape from prison. Caderousse then attempts to rob the count, still not knowing that it is Dantes. During this robbery attempt, Caderousse is murdered by his accomplice, Benedetto. As Caderousse is dying, the Count whispers his identity in Caderousse's ear. Caderousse then cries out to God.
Fernand Mondego became a military hero and had married Mercedes who had given up hope to ever see Dantes again. Mercedes was unaware of the treachery of her husband. They have a fortune, and exist in Parisien society as the Count and Countess de Morcerf. The Count destroys Morcerf by revealing his military treachery to all of Parisien society. Monte Cristo had bought Haydee as a slave. This girl was once the daughter of Ali Pasha who was betrayed by Morcerf. She testifies that the Count sold her into slavery. Her father had been the Count de Morcerf's benefactor. Morcerf had killed her father, surrendered her father's Greek City to the Turks, and sold his wife and daughter into slavery. When this news is revealed to Paris, the Count de Morcerf is thus ruined. His wife and son flee, and he shoots himself.
Monsieur de Villefort had married twice. He has one daughter by his first wife and a son by his second wife. Valentine is his daughter. The Count destroys de Villefort by introducing Andrea Calvacanti into society. Benedetto, alias Calvacanti, is the son of Monsieur de Villefort and Madame Danglars. Long ago, Villefort had attempted to bury the newborn baby alive, but Bertuccio, now Monte Cristo's servant had dug the baby up and saved it. Villefort's crime is revealed in a court of law, since Calvacanti is on trial as an escaped convict. Villefort is thus destroyed. His wife as treacherous as he had also poisoned his entire family. Her motive was to gain a fortune for her son. The Count however, had saved Valentine, since Maximilien Morrel, the son of M. Morrel was in love with her. Villefort goes insane.
Danglars had become a rich banker. He has a wife and daughter. His wife is of noble birth, yet when Danglars married her, her repute as a woman was suspect. The Count destroys Danglars by opening credit with him for six million francs. Right when Danglars needs this money, the Count also takes a receipt for five million francs from him to cash. Danglars can no longer uphold his firm. He follows Danglars to Italy, once Danglars flees Paris. (Danglars has been alienated from his wife for years, and his daughter runs off, as a result of a failed marriage contract to Andrea Calvacanti. Monte Cristo had also arranged this failed enterprise. Danglars thus had no reason to stay in Paris.) Danglars tries to redeem his five million francs from Monte Cristo's firm in Italy. Once he does this, Monte Cristo's bandits follow him, and they destroy him financially by holding him captive and requiring him to pay vast sums of money to survive on a little food. Danglars is left with nothing and his hair turns white during his brief captivity with the Monte Cristo's bandits. Monte Cristo does not fail to inform Danglars his true identity.
Thus, the Count's revenge is now complete. He has succeeded in his quest for slow revenge. His enemies have suffered for their sins. He has one last meeting with Mercedes. Mercedes shall lead a life of prayer in a convent, for her son has gone to rebuild his future in the army.
The Count of Monte Cristo had assumed the role of Providence by destroying all that had been built by his enemies during his long years of imprisonment. He must now leave. After leaving much of his belongings to Maximilien Morrel and Valentine, to whom he wishes eternal love and happiness, he leaves aboard a ship with Haydee his own new love

Audi R8 canada

The Audi R8 is the exception. Bristling with technology and packing stunning performance, it is hand-built in very limited numbers by Quattro GmbH - a division of Audi - in Neckarsulm, Germany. Much like other German and Italian exotics, a mere 20 units a day trickle out of that plant, hardly enough to satisfy the demand from Audi's vast dealer network around the world.
But this all-season, all-condition, high-end sports car has a supple ride, a full-feature, luxurious interior and enough storage space to pack your belongings. It cries out for a road trip. Which is exactly what the fertile minds at Audi Canada decided to do with a high-mileage, pre-production prototype that had gone through the rigours of countless press and dealer introductions over the past few months. To showcase its stunning new R8, the carmaker arranged a cross-country introductory tour starting at the most easterly point in the country - Cape Spear, Newfoundland on the Atlantic Ocean, ending at Victoria, B.C. on the Pacific

The month-long cross-country tour includes stops at St. John's, Halifax, Moncton, Sherbrooke, Ottawa, Waterloo, Barrie, Winnipeg, Regina, Edmonton, Calgary, Kelowna and Victoria. It allows dealers unlikely to get an R8 for demonstration purposes to invite current and potential clients to see the stunner first-hand, along with samples the rest of the high-performance "R" & "S" models in the line. Samples of the RS 4, S6 and S8 are being provided at each stop along the route.

Shakugan_no_Shana

Animal< 灼眼的夏娜 >

灼眼的夏娜 season 2 is coming up on Oct,4 2007!!

OUF sep28-30

SEPT 28 - SEPT 30, 2007
METRO TORONTO CONVENTION CENTRE222 BREMNER BLVD. TORONTO, ONTARIO

The University Information Program (UIP) is a fantastic opportunity to find out about numerous universities in one place. Ontario's 20 universities travel across Ontario together during the fall, offering fair style events in cities and towns in most regions.

ABOUT THE FAIR
The Ontario Universities' Fair began in 1997 as a tool for helping secondary school students in the Toronto area to gather information about universities in Ontario. This one-stop event gives students an opportunity to speak with representatives from all across Ontario about programs, campus life, and anything else that will help them make a decision about which university to choose.
This year approximately 80,000 students, parents, and educators will pass through the doors.

Is this work?

Weight Loss Hoodia Patch: Weight Loss Hoodia Diet Patch doesn’t just help your body burn fat and calories; it goes straight to the source, acting directly on the brain to curb appetite. This is highly desirable, since numerous FDA findings have uncovered a history of serious (even fatal) side-effects stemming from the use of weight-loss supplements containing stimulants, such as ephedra. Stimulants like ephedra have a powerful effect on the nervous system and have been known to raise both heart rate and body temperature. Not only can this be dangerous for consumers with existing medical conditions, but it does little to curb your appetite. This is most likely the reason why the FDA has reported little or no credible evidence that these products actually assist weight loss. On the other hand, the positive findings on Hoodia Gordonii are supported by numerous scientific studies that date back to the 1960’s. In numerous reports, subjects who were given a controlled dose of Hoodia consumed fewer calories and lost weight without dieting or making a conscious effort to reduce caloric intake. The subjects ate what they wanted; the difference is all of them wanted less. Hoodia helps reduce the desire to snack, allowing you to see significant weight loss - without side effects How do you use The Hoodia Weight Loss Patch? Place one patch in a different place on the skin every three days. It is recommended that the patch be placed on a hair-free area, if at all possible to avoid irritation when removing the patch. Do not place the patch on the genitals or the face.

EMF Meters

EMF meter, Electromagnetic Field meter, (sometimes referred to as an EMF Detector) is a scientific instrument for measuring electromagnetic radiation.

One example of an EMF meter
There are many different types of EMF meter, but the two largest categories are single axis and tri-axis. Single axis meters are cheaper than a tri-axis meters, but take longer to complete a survey because the meter only measures one dimension of the field. Single axis instruments have to be tilted and turned on all three axes to obtain a full measurement. A tri-axis meter measures all three axes simultaneously, but these models tend to be more expensive.
Most meters measure the electromagnetic radiation flux density, which is the amplitude of any emitted radiation. Other meters measure the change in an electromagnetic field over time.
Electromagnetic fields can be either AC (Alternating current) or DC (Direct current). An EMF meter can measure AC electromagnetic fields, which are usually emitted from man-made sources such as electrical wiring, while Gauss meters or magnetometers measure DC fields, which occur naturally in the earth’s geomagnetic field and are emitted from other sources where direct current is present.
EMF meters usually measure radiation in milligauss. In absence of a moving magnetic field, an ideal meter will read 0 milligauss. Industrial EMF meters will often read 2-3 milligauss when placed in an open field devoid of emitters such as power lines (either overhead or buried).
The majority of EMF meters available are calibrated to measure electromagnetic radiation, which is alternating at 50/60Hz (the frequency of US and European mains electricity)This is because in recent years people have become concerned about the long-term health effects of exposure to high levels of radiation emitted from some electrical appliances.
There are other meters which can measure field alternating at as little as 20 Hz However these tend to be much more expensive and are only used to specific research.

time travel

Time travel is the concept of traveling forward and backward to different points in time, much as we do through space.
Unsolved problems in physics: Is time travel theoretically possible? Is it practically possible? If so, what are we to make of the time travel paradoxes, such as going back in time and killing one's own grandfather, etc.?
Humans are in fact always traveling in time ­ in a linear fashion, from the present to the immediate future, inexorably, until death.
Some theories are predicated on the fact that we move forward in time, and both forward and backward in space. Since time and space have been shown to be intrinsically linked, travelling forwards and backwards through time is not a theoretical impossibility.
Currently, traveling at speeds approaching the speed of light can cause time dilation, the effects of which cause the individual traveling to pass through time more slowly. From the perspective of the traveler, external time would be going much faster, causing the traveler, upon stopping, to arrive at a place farther in the future.
Often it is a plot device used in science fiction and many movies and television shows to set a character in a particular time not their own, and explore the character's interaction with the people and technology of that time - as a kind of culture shock.
Other ramifications explored are change and reactions to it, parallel universes, and alternative history where some little event took place or didn't take place, but causes large changes in the future.
In physics, the concept of time travel has been often used to examine the consequences of physical theories such as special relativity, general relativity and quantum mechanics.
There is no experimental evidence of time travel, and it is not even well understood whether (let alone how) the current physical theories permit any kind of time travel. Although theories do exist about the possiblity of folding time to hop from one point to another.
Physics
Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity (and, by extension, the General Theory) very explicitly permits a kind of time dilation that would ordinarily be called time travel. The theory holds that, relative to a stationary observer, time appears to pass more slowly for faster-moving bodies: for example, a moving clock will appear to run slow; as a clock approaches the speed of light its hands will appear to nearly stop moving. However, this effect allows "time travel" only toward the future: never backward. It is not typical of science fiction, and there is little doubt surrounding its existence; "time travel" will hereafter refer to travel with some degree of freedom into the past or future.
Many in the scientific community believe that time travel is highly unlikely. This belief is largely due to Occam's Razor. Any theory which would allow time travel would require that issues of causality be resolved. What happens if you try to go back in time and kill your grandfather. Also, in the absence of any experimental evidence that time travel exists, it is theoretically simpler to assume that it does not happen. Indeed, Stephen Hawking once suggested that the absence of tourists from the future constitutes a strong argument against the existence of time travel - a variant of the Fermi paradox, with time travelers instead of alien visitors. However, assuming that time travel cannot happen is also interesting to physicists because it opens up the question of why and what physical laws exist to prevent time travel from occurring.
The equivalence of time travel and faster-than-light travel
First of all, if one is able to move information from one point to another faster than light, then according to special relativity, there will be an observer who sees this information transfer as allowing information to travel into the past.
The General Theory of Relativity extends the Special Theory to cover gravity. It does this by postulating that matter "curves" the space in its vicinity. But under relativity, properties of space are fairly interchangeable with properties of time, depending on one's perspective, so that a curved path through space can wind up being a curved path through time. In moderate degrees, this allows two straight lines of different length to connect the same points in space; in extreme degrees, theoretically, it could allow timelines to curve around in a circle and reconnect with their own past.
General relativity describes the universe under a complex system of "field equations," and there exist solutions to these equations that permit what are called "closed time-like curves," and hence time travel into the past. The first and most famous of these was proposed by Kurt Gödel, but all known current examples require the universe to have physical characteristics that it does not appear to have. Whether general relativity forbids closed time-like curves for all realistic conditions is unknown. Most physicists believe that it does, largely because assuming some principle against time travel prevents paradoxical situations from occurring.

Blackwater USA

Blackwater USA is a private military company and security firm founded in 1997 by Erik Prince and Al Clark. It is based in the U.S. state of North Carolina where it operates a tactical training facility which it claims is the world's largest. The company trains more than 40,000 people a year, from all the military services and a variety of other agencies. The company markets itself as being "The most comprehensive professional military, law enforcement, security, peacekeeping, and stability operations company in the world". At least 90% of its revenue comes from government contracts, two-thirds of which are no-bid contracts.[1]
On September 17, 2007, Blackwater's license to operate in Iraq was temporarily revoked following the deaths of civilians in a crowded area of Baghdad the previous day. Blackwater has denied any wrongdoing in the incident and has stated that its contractors acted "heroically".[2] The Iraqi Interior Ministry, the US State Department, and the US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform have said they will conduct investigations of the incident. On September 19, 2007, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki called on the U.S. government to end its contract with Blackwater as a result of the incident

wargam (bb guns)

At first sight of the S2000 you feel a connection. A connection to Honda's long heritage of racing success on the world's most demanding circuits, to the 70 Grand Prix victories in Formula 1 and the 65 victories in CART. That's because the S2000 wasn't just "inspired" by racing, it was fine-tuned by Honda's racing engineers on the high-speed straightaways, breathtaking sweepers and tight hairpins of Suzuka. You'll feel the S2000's racing pedigree the moment you slip behind the wheel. The gauges and controls are prominent and logically placed, creating an intuitive driver interface that's intimate, yet comfortable. High-bolstered perforated leather seats cradle and brace you for quick manoeuvres, while the audio system with speakers behind the headrest provides the ideal soundtrack for your drive. As the bright digital tach arcs rapidly clockwise, you get an advanced lesson in acceleration. And the harder you push the S2000, with its new Drive-by-Wire Throttle System™, the more you realize this car was built to respond.

Losing Weight

You Can Be In a Weight Loss Study in Your Area
Have you ever wondered where Universities and Drug Companies find people to participate in their weight loss clinical trials? I've never known anyone who was involved in any type of study. I think it would be interesting to try one. I'm wondering if being a part of a weight loss clinical study would be more likely to keep a person motivated to reach their goal and maintain their weight loss. I wonder what the success rate is for completion of various weight loss trials. The more I think, the more questions I raise.I was researching clinical studies and came across the University of Kentucky's website. They have done/do all types of research. They recently completed a 44 week weight loss study where the average weight lost was 134 pounds. WOW!!!!!The University of Kentucky is located in Lexington. They have various studies available in which you can participate if you meet the criteria. You can also put your name on a list for upcoming studies. There is another site in which offers various clinical trials. They cover a multitude of conditions as well as weight loss. All you have to do is type in what type of research you are interested as well as which area and it will research clinical studies available in that field for that area. The site is called Clinical Trails.gov.I found another site, National Cancer Institute. At this site you can find a clinical trial in which to participate. You can also read the results of studies done on various types of cancer. Last but not least is another site in which you can apply to be a participant in various clinical studies. This site is called Center Watch. This site covers a multitude of studies as well as their geographic region. I'm debating on whether to become a participant in one of these studies. Sitting here thinking, perhaps if I find a study that involves weight loss as well as high blood pressure, I might just see if I meet the requirements of a study planned for an area I'm near.

Resident Evil: Extinction on 21SEP,2007

Alice once again joins forces with Carlos Olivera and L.J., along with new survivors, to try to eliminate the deadly virus that threatens to make every human being undead... and to seek justice.
Link for trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIh4DIH5LHU

School start

reading Macbeth
Act 1 questions
1. For what reason do the witches meet
2. identify two conflicting statements that the witches make.

beach 2

woodbine beach was a place that close to toronto and is very nice.

woodbine beach

bleach

pepsi's photo

my dog

andersonyim

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