Time is the best killer
It was 11 o’ clock on a December evening and her finger was on the trigger. Silently stalking the streets, summoning the shadows, she was about to commit her 16th murder. A faint smile appeared on her face as she remembered her first time. At only 10 years old, she had coolly washed the blood off the kitchen knife afterwards. A natural born killer. And now, death had become her living. She took a deep breath, and with a movement both swift and serene, the Assassin aimed…
If you want to get an idea of how extremely rare a fictional female killer was in Agatha Christie’s time, just look at the cover art of crime novels from that era. You see mostly beautiful female victims in tight dresses, a bit of blood trickling elegantly down the chin, right? The idea of a woman murderer was taboo: women were supposed to be ‘better’ than men; after all, they were natural caregivers who brought life into this world. Well, not only did Agatha feature female killers prominently throughout her work, she also made them just as calculating and (physically) strong as her male villains. And, just like the men, Agatha’s masterful women Assassins were perfectly willing to be corrupted for money, love or any other benefit. “Time is the best killer,” Agatha once wrote. Well, iron-willed and ninja-fit, her smooth female criminals sure come a close second.
“Surely if a woman committed a crime like murder, she’d be sufficiently cold-blooded to enjoy the fruits of of it without any weak-minded sentimentality such as repentance.” (from ‘The Murder of Roger Akroyd’)
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Building bridges
From the Erasmus Bridge and the Mercedes-Benz Museum to Qatar’s metro network; Ben van Berkel’s iconic landmarks bring people together in rapturous beauty, again and again. I talked with the Dutch architect and educator about sensuality, ‘healthy’ buildings and the remarkable parallels between our designs.
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More than a feeling
Don’t ignore your emotions; they are much more powerful than you can imagine. By linking the magical world of emotions with hard science, Dutch scientist Pierre Capel, professor emeritus in experimental immunology, shows us the consequences of our feelings and the power of our minds. The message: we can do much more than we think. “Meditate. It’s the single best thing you can do for your health.”
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Marlies Says
Keto curious?
The fact that I feel bikini-confident all year round is, of course, a nice bonus. But for me, the biggest payoff of following the keto diet is the way it optimizes my health and gives me tons of energy.
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Marlies Says
Super (skin) food
‘If you can’t eat it, why put it on your skin?’. I pretty much live by this beauty adage. After all, with your skin being one of your body’s largest organs, anything – and I mean anything! – you put onto your skin will end up in your bloodstream.
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