James Strait a retired professional pilot who started as a youthful Special Forces soldier. Along that way I flew over 100 different makes, models, categories of airplanes along with accumulating over 3000 skydives. I also owned two small companies that provided one off proto-types and testing for parachute systems, both civilian and military. After retirement in 2006 I became a talk radio host in the Philadelphia  market. I was active from 2006-2012 as the host of "Strait Talks". I recently disabled my radio hosting website. As a result of interviewing the principles of "Weird NJ" I was hired to write "Weird Missouri". I followed the first book with three novels, and am working on a fourth novel now.  As an on air guest I can speak at length and in depth about the military, aviation, skydiving, writing, radio broadcasting, publishing, and...politics.  

DAVID MILLER

In conversation, the American tenor David Miller will as happily discuss the tonal components of the human voice or even the subliminal undercurrents at work in grand opera, as he will the reasons why he is so proud of the new Il Divo record. This isnʼt to suggest he is drily over-analytical; on the contrary, David has a real sense of humour, and takes obvious delight in vividly verbal digression. And he certainly remains as fascinated by the voiceʼs power to emote as when he first performed, as a teenager in Colorado singing musical theatre (where he first fell in love with singing), or as when he studied/analyzed the harmonic spectrum of operatic voices during his five years at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio.

The communicative power of the voice, expressed through the music of Il Divo, is just one of the reasons, David said, why he is still so absorbed and excited by the quartetʼs albums and live performances. “The human voice has the greatest capacity for expression of any known naturally resonant instrument of sound”.

Remark upon the force of nature that Il Divo represent when their four voices unite or harmonize in song and David will reply by citing research into the tone structures at work, something he undertook at the conservatory. “One can see that, when a note is played on, say, the trombone;” he continues, “it has about four or five clear overtones (when analyzing it through harmonic spectrography). The human voice, on the other hand, has literally hundreds” It is this vast complexity in the human voice, he continues, that gives it its overwhelming emotional resonance. David is too modest to attribute such power to Il Divo directly but their fans will happily, readily, attest to that.

From Oberlin, David would go spend the next ten years making appearances in opera productions around North America, South America, Europe and Australia. In addition, he kept the musical-theatre flame burning, in a sense, by starring in Baz Luhrmanʼs production of Pucciniʼs La Boheme on Broadway.

Despite his level of technical training, David works diligently to keep from falling into the trap of judging music by genre, or succumbing to musical purism. For him, the key has always been in what music of any kind can achieve in terms of communication and emotional authenticity. And he sees authentic communication as being more important today than it has ever been. “In this age of technology and the resulting instant access to information, our attention spans are becoming shorter and shorter…” he says “…and as mental attention dwindles, our emotional “muscles” atrophy.”

As well, people talk (verbally) less and less to each other now, using email and SMS as their preferred means to communicate…but virtual communication is often lacking personal emotional authenticity.” Il Divo turn back that tide, he says. “My hope is always that the public will respond to our music by simply reconnecting with their own emotions rather than getting diverted by questions of precisely what one should or shouldnʼt call the music that Il Divo makes.”

Such categorization is missing the point. “I wouldnʼt call Il Divo opera. It is a blend of many styles, a hybrid.” Blend, hybrid, call it what you will, its a combination that has won over millions of fans.

Is there a magic formula?

“Its never been as calculating as that.” David says. “It is, and always has been, all about the voice, or, the voices (depending on how you look at it). The range of colors that the four of our voices have is a much broader spectrum than any single voice could pull off alone. And we bring our four palates together and paint on a much larger canvas than any of us could do by ourselves.

On the new album, Il Divo “use classical techniques certainly,” David says, “and we definitely veer in a more cinematically dramatic direction, which in a way is towards the “operatic” in the sense that movies are the modern dayʼs operas.”

But not opera?

David laughs before replying. “No: just communication…emotion…passion.”

NESTA

Singer/songwriter and recording artist Nesta is creating music inspired by living in the moment. Recently, her focus has been electronic dance music and the fusion where it meets pop music. The line between these genres is becoming a blur and Nesta is dedicated to telling stories using powerful, honest lyrics combined with interesting beats and tempos.

Nesta describes her songwriting as a tree. She starts at the root by picking a tempo or baseline beat, from there she adds lyrics and melodies which represent the branches of the trees. Her background vocals and extra instruments symbolize the blossoms of a tree and the completion of a new song. She is inspired by girl power and strongly influenced by the dominant vocals and storytelling of Janis Joplin, Florence and the Machine, Aretha Franklin, Pink, Sia, Lana Del Ray and Lorde.

One of the most rewarding parts of her career so far, is when she is able to perform every aspect of her show on her own, which sometimes includes aerial acrobatics. When she finishes a show, it reaffirms her purpose within the music industry and why she works so diligently toward this dream of hers that is becoming her reality. She has also developed a thick skin and accepted that everyone is going to have an opinion, but she is fervent with her message and sees her art as her blessing. Outside of music, Nesta is also passionate about wellness and helping rescue dogs find loving homes.

Nesta has clear goals and a concise plan to grow her fan base and make her music available to international music consumers. Nesta is now under the wing of elite US based management company, Arrow Music Agency after recently signing an exclusive worldwide management deal. This new union will help build Nesta’s profile internationally creating diverse opportunities. Arrow Music Agency is headed up by Chris Sobonya (President), and has a roster of worldwide artists from countries such as the US, Canada, Sweden, The Netherlands, New Zealand, UK and Australia.

Writing, editing, mentoring, spiritual directing,  singing, skiing,  jewelry making,  curly-haired word nerd

I am a communications professional with over twenty-five years of experience in writing, editing, media, public relations, marketing, corporate training, event planning, and fundraising. All of these jobs were interesting and fun but I finally found my tribe when I met all the other “word nerds” in the University of Washington editing certificate program and at the Northwest Independent Editors Guild. I realized that I wasn’t the only one who loved reading the dictionary or diagramming sentences.

As an author and freelance writer-editor for nearly two decades, my articles, essays, and columns have appeared in books, professional journals, regional newspapers, newsletters, magazines, and websites. I was even fortunate enough to earn the coveted “above-the-fold” newspaper placement as well as magazine cover articles.

Recently as an editor, I have worked with amazing physicians doing great healing work and writing books about it. Years ago, I was also one of the founding writer-editors for a regional website that won an Edward R. Murrow award for Best Television Site (Small Markets). Early in my career, I produced entertainment and marketing video content, winning a “best marketing video” award from the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Writing and Editing Work includes:

• • non-fiction books
  • writing and/or editing website copy
  • press releases and marketing materials
  • booklets, annual reports, and executive profiles
  • corporate newsletter writing and editing
  • magazine and website articles
  • advertisements, flyers, and brochures
  • newspaper articles and columns
  • speeches
  • spiritual writing (meditations, rituals, and prayers)
  • training manuals
  • dissertation editing
  • medical/dental writing and editing

Other Work Experience I have held positions in non-profit public relations and development, broadcast television management, corporate training, and community education. Life-long mobility and resulting adaptability have given me a unique perspective on people, business, community, and the ability of one person to effect change.

Education Montclair State University (Upper Montclair, New Jersey) BA communications, magna cum laude, writing honors award as the best writer in the program

Certifications

Editing certificate, University of Washington (Seattle, Washington)

SEO copywriting certification (Success Works, the only industry-endorsed program)

Spiritual director certification (Benedictine Monastery, San Luis Obispo, California)

The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant.

We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.

Frank St. James is well known for his work with many local police and investigative authorities. He appeared on The Psychic Detectives, as well as the Bio Show on A&E Cable, and is also a top radio personality. He was once a detective, has worked with the FBI, and the answers he gives are usually spot on! Frank is very popular at the New Jersey Psychic Fairs and books out quickly.

MICHAEL BAER started the online campaign to Abolish the Electoral College on MoveOn.org (https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/abolish-the-electoral-6?source=c.fwd&r_by=4535897).



Abolishing the Electoral College would require an amendment to the U.S. Constitution.  Michael would like to see presidential elections decided by the popular vote. One person; one vote should determine the one leader who is supposed to answer to all the people of America.

For the first two years, Michael’s petition received only 2,000 signatures.  In the last 10 days, it has received more than a half a million additional signatures.  The petition will be delivered to the President of the United States, and members of the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives.



Follow the movement to Ban the Electoral College on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BanElectoralCollege/).

Mr. Baer currently lives in Monterey, California, where he focuses on Somatic healing for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for war veterans and their families. 

Mehran Tavakoli Keshe was born in Iran in 1958, son of an X-ray engineer. He was introduced to the world of radiation and nuclear science at a very young age. In 1981 he graduated from Queen Mary College, University of London, as a nuclear engineer specializing in reactor technology system control. He has spent the years since then completing a system for the production of gravity and energy using a radioactive hydrogen-fueled reactor that is clean and safe. He has covered all aspects of the design of a new plasma nuclear system from the very beginning to its present stage. This has included the design, the fuel, testing and practical applications. He has concentrated on completing the full range of his technology for launching into the scientific world and industry. The intellectual properties related to this technology were transferred to Stichting the Keshe Foundation.

As I said, I was teaching them how to make gold. I said, to make gold, we need mercury and one neutron. And they looked at me, “But gold is one neutron less atomically than mercury.” I said, “Yes if you want to take a proton, a neutron, and an electron out of mercury to make it gold, it is a lot of work.

But if you put one neutron in the mercury, which immediately changes to a proton and an electron, then you have unstable mercury, which becomes gold and helium, and we can push it to become energy.

https://spaceship.institute/

Timothy J Glenn is an astrologer, numerologist, spiritual reader and teacher, pianist, vocalist, sound healer, channel for the Proterreans, lecturer, and past life regression therapist.  Tim says, "I've thrown myself into the world of Metaphysics with a grand passion."  This is beautifully demonstrated through his personal Soul Purpose Readings.  

A Soul Purpose Reading has a primary focus:  why did you (as a Divine Soul) come into this particular life?  Sessions last about an hour and a half and can be done in person or over the phone.

We can add one more item to the list of professions...author!  Check out my new eBook: "The Zephyrus Archives - Volume One - Mission of Eternity".  A narrative biography of Pontious Pilate's right hand man.  The Zephyrus Archives paint an intimate portrait of the most misrepresented human in history:  the Spiritual Master called Jesus, who Zephyrus knew as Yeshua.